I am a Toastmaster. Did you know that about me? I initially went to a meeting a few years ago to check out this public speaking organization, as most people do… to improve my speaking and presentation skills. I got SO MUCH MORE than I bargained for! Genuine friendships, leadership opportunities and experience and a whole community of like-minded people. Pretty cool huh?
I recently heard a speech from a gentleman about seeds… he asked the question, “What seeds are you planting?” He said, “we are all farmers, and we plant seeds every day”. That really landed with me and got me thinking. What seeds are you planting? Is it doubt, self-criticism, fear? Is it joy, faith, and love?
What is the little voice in your head saying to you on a regular basis? Is your self-talk mostly positive or mostly negative? Are you aware of your internal self-talk? We all have an inner dialog, it could be a harsh inner critic, it could be a bubbly inner cheerleader… you get to decide.
I was reminded of the story of the old native American elder, speaking to his grandson… It floated around on the internet for a while, you may have seen it and if not…
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.
“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
I love the simplicity of the story and the depth of the meaning…
Are you giving a voice to the critic or the cheerleader? As an entrepreneur, it is especially important to be your own cheerleader, often we are working alone, at home, with 100’s of distractions and it’s easy to succumb… Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest alone are places it’s so easy to drop into a time-sucking hour or more, never mind household chores, that suddenly seem urgent when its time to make follow-up calls. It’s easy to slip and tell yourself, I can’t do it now, I’ll get to it tomorrow, anyway, who am I to be creating a successful business where I get to enjoy my life and make money (imposter syndrome/feeling undeserving anyone?!) We find ourselves feeling bad and not getting to the tasks we had on our list for today, that we know will move our business and our life forward. Has that ever happened to you?
Have you ever tried to set up a routine, a habit to listen to your cheerleader? What did you try? What worked for you? For myself, a morning routine has really helped to get me to a frame of mind where I can choose to listen to my inner cheerleader… this evolved over a period of time and isn’t a once and done thing… I get up earlier than my family, I meditate, I write in my journal, I take my pleasurable time to drink coffee out of my favorite mug, while I stare out of the window… this sense of spaciousness has helped me to create time and take a pause to ask myself, what do I desire today, who do I want to BE today, how do I want to show up in my business, with my clients and with my family? What is my intention? Creating this pause has really helped me to make space to choose… everything. Including, which voice in my head I listen to.
I’m not perfect, no one is and on any given day, we are all doing the best we can. Building a daily habit to support your mindset and manage your energy are crucial success tools for entrepreneurs. It could be journaling, meditating, mindfulness, affirmations… many are available, and whichever works best for you, using them consistently will make the difference between building resiliency, recovering from a setback, and sticking with a business when the going gets tough. I love helping my clients design these strategies in a way that fits their unique life and gets them owning their brilliance and creating results. Let me know if a conversation might help you get clear on next steps.
Again, I ask you, what seeds are you planting? Which wolf are you feeding? Are you listening to your inner cheerleader? She’s got your back.