I KNOW you have had one of those days where, after a great day before, great sessions with clients, a great speaking engagement, having them in tears and uproarious laughter in turns, selling and signing loads of books, and meeting some really great people, and you then wake up in the morning nothing goes right; your email doesn’t work, you can’t send out any, and your server crew has no clue how to fix it. Hours later after a couple hour-long calls, a few short calls because you do have appointments etc. and still nothing….
I remind myself it is nowhere near as bad as Zoom going out and that this is definitely a first-world problem, so breathe and keep it in perspective. However, the five-year-old shows up inside and I want to cry, rage, slam things, and finally, breathe. In one segment of my talk last night, I spoke on Emotional Intelligence and tried to reassure them that we are all human. The goal is to live in that place of balance and awareness even if we do take a few short detours on occasion because we’re human.
Most of the “wisdom” they credited me with has come from these glorious moments of simply living life and all of its amazing and at times aggravating journeys while learning and eventually laughing about them. No matter what we know, how much Emotional Intelligence we possess, the inner child still pops up on occasion. Clearly, someone in the cosmos thought I needed a reminder myself. Cocky instructor brought to her knees.
It does remind me that no matter how lofty we can get in our little egos, if or when they show up, humility, another topic I discussed last night, must also come up to have balance. Today was a class day for sure. I spoke of a time when I was in religious life and Mother Superior had asked during dinner if anyone in the house of 65 of us was really good at math. I happened to love math and found it a breeze, but I was certain she would want one of the older, more experienced, sisters, not a newbie like me so I kept quiet.
After a couple weeks of asking and no responses she came to me, hands in her sleeves as every good Mother Superior would do, and said “Sr. James Marie, I understand you are very good at math. “I said “Yes Mother.” So, of course, she said “Why have you not answered my request each time I put it out there.” I explained my logic and she simply looked at me and said: “Sister, true humility is owning the gifts the Lord gave you and using them to make the world a better place for all. False humility is betraying God and all those gifts you possess, by pretending you don’t have them.”
I know I have patience, and understanding, and I also know I have another email address I could use to send something out. I just wanted it all my way, the right way, and it wasn’t happening.
My advice to you, watch the advice you give, the universe, God, or someone out there, is going to laugh and make sure you practice it as well…. Have a great week but watch that advice!!!
