The Positive Energy Workplace

This morning I had a friend of mine say “Thank you for being you…” My response? “Thanks! I work hard at it!” Afterwards I started thinking about this – because that statement is a bit counter intuitive and counter cultural. Because it should be easy to just be me. It’s all I have to do. In fact, usually people would say “just be yourself – it’s easiest – you don’t have to be anyone else, just be you.” I agree. We can only be ourselves. We’re our best selves. I’m my best version of me (at least I try to be), you’re you…we’re us. No duplicates. Just be….So I’m in agreement, think it’s a total waste of energy and time to try and be someone you’re not, am thrilled that we’re all as unique (or “younique” – pun intendd) as we are. It’s great!

That said, here’s where it is hard and actually work to “just be me” or to “just be you.” (Of course, I won’t speak for you, but use it as it serves.) Just being me actually requires an intention and focus and commitment to staying true to me. To honoring my values. To asking for what I want and need. To say “yes” when I mean yes and “no” when I mean no. To diving deeper into me and what these things mean for me truly. To be aware of my impact and my stuff and to do whatever I want and need to do with it. To do the work….And it goes on and on. It can be easy to get off course, go unconscious and go with the norm, leaving ourselves, because it’s easier. It can be easy to try to be someone else, because they’re already them so we can just adopt a behavior or characteristic instead of creating our own. (Not to say that modeling, learning, benchmarking, stretching into desired characteristics and behaviors, etc. are bad – I think they’re great and highly useful when used consciously.)

Need a vacation? Some space, some time to clear your head and get strategic? Go.
So there are 10 things you could start doing today that will help you move through this recession and the challenges of your business and life in a more peaceful, productive and engaging way. You'll notice there is action in here to ground it and make it real - but really - all of these stem from mindset and finding opportunity for moving forward.

I know blogs are not for “commercials” and I don’t intend this to be one at all, but I do have a couple of things I want to let you know about. First, 2 new articles have been released in an international publication, second, I’m about to release a paper I’m really excited about and if you want it (with my compliments), there’s quick action to be taken, and third, if you’re into getting limited edition stuff, read to the end. I’ll be back tomorrow with a more regular post…but for now…here’s some scoop.

tng worldwide magazine has recently picked up a couple of my articles in their publications. I’m happy about this. They’ve been great to work with, the Editor Aimee Gurski is really wonderful, and I’m honored to be sharing my “work” with their audience in this way. They’ve given us permission to have the articles on our site (there are two currently, from different editions, and more to come.) If you’re interested, you can find the articles, and other press/publications, at DTE News or you can link directly to the latest article on "Performance Improvement: Dare to Elevate Engagement" A special shout out of gratitude to tng, happy to be collaborating with you like this and looking forward to more!

LEARN. This is not the time to hide or wait. Lean in and learn all you can. Make yourself better, stronger, more aware. Check your mindset and beliefs (see next week's article.) You don't have to spend a ton of money to do it - buy a book, take an afternoon to ask yourself the BIG questions, take a class, work with a coach, purchase a self study program. Do it individually, do it as a team. But do it. (The new DTE Power Pack Program is a resource we can help you with here.)

This morning I was sitting with my kids, having breakfast, drinking my a.m. Joe, and catching up on a bit of email. It’s a gorgeous Monday morning out. And I was excited to cruise through email so that I could devote an entire day to creating content, wrapping up Power Pack audios, and writing. I love these mornings; they’re fresh, they provide a lot of inspiration, and I always have some new really simple but important “different lensed” insight emerge from having different space in the weekend. Yesterday was Mother’s Day and I got the gift of 4 hours to write and be, so I was particularly refreshed this morning.

As I reviewed client notes, I started to think about what my clients (self included here) deal with on a day to day basis, things/issues/solutions/ways of being that they may have learned as kids, but in the chaos of life, games, and politics, so easily get lost, buried and even forgotten. I often notice in my work that ironically most of what we really need to know as adults, was taught to us in elementary school and Human Goodness 101. I find this thought entertaining, sometimes saddening, and then almost always inspiring. Of course it gets more complex as we age and get into our lives, but not that much. Not that much if we keep it in perspective and stay true to ourselves. So I sat back, pulled out 3 key things that I believe are foundational to “being” and told my kids to look me in the eye, imprint my face in their psyche and remember these three points for the rest of their life…(no pressure now to make these “3 points” profound and significant with an intro like that!)