Bubbly people drive me crazy. They’re out of touch with themselves, others, and the world.
Leaders who never feel discouraged are incomprehensible.
***
Don’t trust anyone who’s always happy,
excited, or pleased with life.***
Every leader fights a never ending battle for improvement, growth, excellence, and progress. It’s the “never ending” part that gets you down.
Apart from intervention, discouragement sets in.
13 sources of discouragement:
- Allowing others to define you.
- Feeling out of touch when you thought you were in touch.
- Disappointing performance from teammates.
- Stalled progress.
- Falling short.
- Underutilization. You could make greater contributions.
- Details blocking progress.
- Feeling misunderstood.
- Closed minds.
- Loneliness.
- Toxic environments.
- Unavoidable disaster.
- Failed communication.
Every discouraged leader feels one or all of four things:
- Helpless.
- Hopeless.
- Disconnected.
- Exhausted.
Finding Encouragement
Connect:
Bonnie Ware, palliative care nurse and author of, “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying,” explains the number one regret expressed by the dying:
“I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself,
not the life others expected of me.”***
In all your connecting, connect with yourself first. Authentic connection with others begins by connecting with you.
- Find solitude and reflect on you not others. Others are a smoke screen to real issues.
- Courageously and kindly declare yourself.
- Monitor your emotions. Lean into joys; answer frustrations.
- Bring your true self to challenges and opportunities.
- Leverage strengths; compensate for weaknesses.
Energy:
You’re never at your best when you’re tired. Problems are bigger and success is smaller.
Regret follows exhaustion. You end up saying, “I wish I hadn’t said/done that.”
Refuel your tank:
- Hang with positive people.
- Let someone care for you. It’s time for self-reflection if no one cares for you.
- Do more of what you love.
- Eat healthy food.
- Sleep or nap.
How do you find encouragement?