“Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts.”
Buddha
Between the pandemic behind us, our current political and social unrest and increasingly frequent and costly climate events, tensions among world leaders, and copious future unknowns related to technology and more, many people are discouraged. Negative feelings and thoughts impact not only individual lives, but like a contagious illness, they also affect the overall wellness of your organization and its mission. What can be done when discouragement hits? Here are a few of my top recommendations:
- Focus on purpose. Many people have not considered or defined what they cause at their best. Even when they have, they are often reluctant to put their stake firmly in the ground regarding their purpose because they fear they will not live up to it. What if you knew that given the right conditions and support, your purpose is as natural as breathing because it is what you have always caused when at your best? Living your purpose requires little effort because it is your true nature, it gives you life, and it fuels meaning. Your purpose is your greatest value and relevance in this world. Your purpose fills the gaps the world most needs filled, and is a source of creation. When I get discouraged, I remember I’m here creating a world (conditions and conversations) in which all people love their lives. My purpose provides me with the rocket fuel I need to move past discouragement and points me to my next meaningful steps no matter how terrible things get.
- Lean on your right tribes. When you become aware of your own true nature and purpose, you become aware of what tribes best serve you. For example, my true nature is to deep dive in conversations and to continually grow in knowledge. I have found and created groups in which I can share my deepest values, ideas, books I have or want to read, and invest in connections most meaningful to me. Your right tribes provide vitally needed critical thinking, support and inspiration. They are personal and professional. What’s most important is that they are a balm to your heart, mind and soul, and they honor your unique nature. We are social beings and we all need a healthy sense of belonging and significance to feel empowered, lovable (seen and heard) connected and contributing. Make your right tribe a priority and encourage others in this.
- Promote positive thinking, speaking and acting. Get determined to create conditions and conversations in your organization (and in your personal life too) that strengthen encouragement, collaboration, and a solution-orientation. These should support the wellbeing of all and especially include the fostering of social and emotional intelligence. Give those you lead every advantage needed to think, speak, and act in new ways by ensuring they know how and have the essential support they need. As the saying goes, “When people know better, they do better.” On the flip side of this, and only after you have provided full effort, do not tolerate chronically negative attitudes, behavior, or people. They are a cancer, perpetuating discouragement.
As Buddha says above, our unguarded thoughts are our worst enemy. I would add that our unguarded actions seal our fate too. Without intention and action, we propagate discouragement. If we decide instead to be the predominant creative force in our lives and determine to be a positive influence in the lives of those in our spheres of influence, we respond to discouragement proactively. We recognize it is our greatest responsibility and our opportunity for growth and innovation. There is no neutral. We are either part of the problem or part of the solution to discouragement and its causes. Necessity IS the mother of invention. Discouragement creates a necessity for timely and crucial shifts in how we respond to life. The question is, “how will you respond?”
Because my purpose is to create a world in which all people love their lives, I am uniquely equipped to help you and your organization. Let me know when you are ready. In the meantime, may you love your life!
This article is published in the column The Extraordinary Workplace in St. Louis Small Business Monthly, February, 2025
