Take a Chance

Thrivers constantly re-invent themselves, they are mentally agile and willing to risk. ~ David McNally ~

You are just going to have to put yourself out there.  Turtles don't get anywhere until they stick their heads and legs out of their shell.  Get moving, get to it, get out there!  You will not truly grow until you have taken a chance on yourself and your ideas.  Never fear that an idea doesn't work, as you can always find another one.  All great leaders have taken a risk on more than one occasion! They adjust and try again. It starts with being mindful and having confidence in you own abilities.  If you don't get out there and try, then the world will never benefit from your gifts.  Be willing to risk.

1. Close your eyes
2. Breathe
3. Empty your mind
4. As thoughts come in, acknowledge and whisk them away
5. Focus on your breathing
6. Think about the affirmation:

I will take chance in order to thrive.

Leaders: Close Filters, Open-Minds

Be open.  And then the truth follows. ~ Gangaji ~

You use filters every time you read or listen to others speak.  Those filters are created by your values, beliefs and attitudes.  Often you will miss very important nuances and insight.  It happens this way - you will read a word or hear a phrase, perhaps see an illustration and it will trigger your brains memory.  It will cause a positive or negative reaction based upon your beliefs.  At that point your brain begins to look for information that supports your values, beliefs and attitudes about a particular topic.  If you feel the information is pleasurable then you will begin to look for ideas that support you, even if the information is not truthful.  You buy into whatever they are selling only because of a trigger.  You become too trusting. 

Conversely,  if you feel the information is acrimonious, then you will begin to miss the real and true meaning of the author/speaker.  You will close your mind in disagreement without fully processing the information.  You might even decide that you don't like the person and begin to judge them.  As a leader, try to control your filters so that you don't risk missing critical information that others share and losing valuable diversity that people with other ideas can bring.  You are not always right and you don't always have the truth.
 
1. Close your eyes
2. Breathe
3. Empty your mind
4. As thoughts come in, acknowledge and whisk them away
5. Focus on your breathing
6. Think about the affirmation:

"I will shut down filters and open my mind in pursuit of the truth."