Leadership

We Are the Choices We Make

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Every day, at all times, we’re making decisions; and these decisions affect all aspects of our lives.

Now, have you ever thought about what makes us take those specific decisions? How it is that two people can be faced with the same options and circumstances, and make different decisions?

We all approach our life choices differently because our decision-making system is based on the mental processes which define what motivates us and how we see the world.

When it comes to making progress in life, understanding this decision-making system is an invaluable tool. Once we understand the factors that play a part in our decision-making process, we can make our choices take us closer to our goals.

It’s not about what’s right or wrong, but what is it that we tend to do, and how we respond consistently.
Once we figure this out, we would know how to steer our way towards our desired destiny.

 

 

What of the following characteristics resonates more with you?

1.    Do you tend to move towards to, or Away from?

When a prospect comes your way, do you tend to consider all the benefits that would come with it, or do you tend to worry about what you may lose if you take that choice?

If you are generally motivated by desire, you are more of a “towards-to” person. You need to be motivated by goals and rewards, and make your choices based on the pursuit of pleasure.

If, on the other hand, you are mostly motivated by fear or pain, then you are an “away-from” type of person. You need to get motivated by pain and fear as the consequences of not doing something. It makes more sense to you to identify the risks and downsides involved in a situation.

 

2.  Internal or External?

Who do you turn to when you’re faced with a big decision?

Do you seek an internal point of reference, think about the issue and make a decision by yourself trusting on gut feelings or intuition? If so, then you’re an internal person who would rely on what’s important to you.

Conversely, if you seek out an external point of reference, then you reach out to people in your life looking for their feedback or advice. As an external person, you rely on other people’s testimonials and statistics and seek out validation from them in order to make the most well-informed choice possible.

 

3.  Possibility or Necessity?

What drives you in your life? Are you curious about the potential it has for growth? Does it excite you?

If you tend to see the many possibilities and you’re motivated by the growth you can pursue, then you’re a possibilities person.

If you are a necessity person, you like your life the way it is now, and you feel secure because you know how to handle things that are within your “box”.  You like to be told what new thing or improvement you need to do.

 

4.   Generality or Specificity?

For some people, knowing the big picture is enough to get motivated. They focus on the master plan and the overall goal and think of how each of their actions will affect the goal in the long run.

Others are more comfortable only when they have all the details. They would be doubtful with only a general sense of the situation. They don’t regularly think about the future and are able to hone in on the short term.

 

 

Once you understand the way you make decisions and identify these patterns in yourself, you can more effectively communicate your needs and understand your decision-making process.                        

 

 

One of the core values we have as a company is to inspire and empower people in all aspects of their lives. Additionally, if you want to read about our Custom Software Solutions and Consulting Services, please visit www.isucorp.ca

Turn Adversity into an Advantage

If the flame of our passion is the size of that of a candle, even a mild breeze could put it out; but if it is as big as a bonfire, the strongest wind just makes it burn even brighter.

 

Just as a quote by Marcus Aurelius put it: “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.

No matter how many times our actions were obstructed, nothing can really stand in our way if we can keep our intention and disposition. We can adapt, and overcome, turning the obstacle into the fuel that may propel us.

 

As we move towards the fulfillment of our goals, setbacks and problems will always be there, but they are never permanent; and if we look at them the right way, we will see that they are nothing but an opportunity to practice virtues such as patience, courage, humility, resourcefulness, and creativity.

The basis for such a discipline relies upon the concepts of Perception, Action, and Will

 

Perception

This is the way we see and give meaning to those events happening around us. Our perceptions can be a source of encouragement and confidence, or they could provide us with great pain and weakness.

If we decide to become emotional, subjective or shortsighted, we would only make ourselves miserable by reacting to our fear of a temporary condition, and to the doom we project into the future.

Instead, we must filter out our prejudice, expectation, and fear; remain calm and imperturbable as we see things just as they really are. From that objective perspective, we can focus on the future we want to create.

 

Action

Some years ago I heard some movie villain apologizing to another for being late saying he “was wasting time confusing motion with accomplishment”.

What a great concept. When faced with a setback, we tend to react with any kind action; usually misdirected and unplanned. If action is required, it should be effective, well directed, and executed with persistence and flexibility –in other words, creative application, not brute force.

 

Will

Will is the internal fuel that moves us; it can never be affected by any outside events. It’s our ultimate resource.

When everything seems to be going down, we can turn it into learning or humbling experience, and a chance to provide comfort to others.

We have to be prepared to accept adversity and chaos, and practice acceptance and cheerfulness even in the face of our darkest moments.

Most people think will is the way we strenuously hold onto something when actually it has a lot more to do with surrender yourself to a situation.
True will has to do with quiet humility, resilience, and flexibility under the hardest obstacles.

 

The roads of our lives are filled with obstacles, and we will be constantly tested. We must prove ourselves worthy of the challenge; so let’s stand up and show what we’re really made of.

 

Stay strong!

 

 

 

One of the core values we have as a company is to inspire and empower people in all aspects of their lives. Additionally, if you want to read about our Custom Software Solutions and Consulting Services, please visit www.isucorp.ca

 

As We Define Ourselves, So We Are

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The strongest force in the human personality is the need to stay consistent with how we define ourselves.
— Tony Robbins

One of the most important secrets of happiness and success is related to how you perceive yourself to be.

 

A person might have all the skills and motivation but if you are self-critical of your own, you will have a hard time reaching happiness and success since self-critique usually ends up demoralizing yourself.

 

Knowing your strengths and weaknesses is a good idea - however, the way you approach them can set you up either for success or failure.

 

Being less self-critical allows people to learn from failure and mistakes - it allows them to grow and discover new opportunities, as a consequence, you will feel grateful, be far happier and your chances of success will increase exponentially.

 

Self-criticism leads to lower performance, it makes you give up, it leads to poor decision making and it makes you lose touch whit what you really want.  People who tend to be self-critical usually fear mistakes and failures which creates anxiety and negativity.

 

Rather than focusing on your strengths and avoiding weaknesses, a person should focus on and believe in their efforts. Focusing on your efforts will strengthen your determination to surpass any failures or roadblocks that life throws at you.

 

Your self-perspective has the power to determine your overall well-being, confidence, and success.

One of the core values we have as a company is to inspire and empower people in all aspects of their lives. Additionally, if you want to read about our Custom Software Solutions and Consulting Services, please visit www.isucorp.ca