What Gives Us Hope
It’s interesting how much hope and wisdom comes from having lived a full life.
Yet often with all our accomplishments we feel we’ve missed something.
That we don’t know what it all amounts to.
That we’re not sure we have purpose to our lives.
That retirement means an ending.
That we won’t be relevant after a layoff.
That the best years of our lives are behind us.
β‘οΈ These are thoughts.
β‘οΈ They are assumptions based on flawed beliefs that grew out of emotions we turn away from such as…
Fear
Regret
Sadness
Anger
Frustration
Confusion
π‘ When we learn how to honor the emotion and break the perseverative cycle of defeating thoughts with a go-to personal practice the world opens.
π My mother is in a nursing home. It scares me sometimes to visit her because in my grief for her condition I also have to admit that I worry if I’ll end up the same way.
β I acknowledge how uncomfortable this makes me. If I get really curious instead of afraid I can get underneath the discomfort where I realize I’m also afraid of being alone in that state.
π₯ Bam!
π± That’s the real fear.
π€ Then with a hand to my heart I say to myself, “Oh yeah - this is me just making this about me. I do that sometimes. I am grateful for my loving family. My future is unknown. So, I’ll just go on living and loving at my best because that makes me happy.”
π¦ The world becomes larger when we take the spotlight away. You can’t get there without vetting and releasing difficult emotions. Otherwise empty affirmations don’t work.
π€ Think of all the edgy, angry, difficult, sad, people you know. They’re running from emotions that are screaming to be released. And they cover over what they don’t want to face with overworking, the need to be heard, withdrawk, perfectionism, overeating, vices, expectations, assumptions and other self-defeating behaviors.
If this resonates with you, here is a link to my EPOCH Discovery Coaching page. This is where I show professionals in their 50s, 60s and 70s how to position your unique genius to be strong in your career, connected in your relationships and reorient to life beyond your corporate role. Learn more here.
Your coach,
Mary Lee
P.S. Feel free to forward this email to someone who could benefit from it. We are all walking down the same road in life looking for a hand to hold. Sometimes we must be the hand that reaches out. www.MaryLeeGannon.com
Mary Lee Gannon, ACC, CAE is an executive coach and 19-year corporate CEO who helps leaders have more effective careers, happier lives and better relationships.
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