17 May 2017

Just the acronym alone – CIA – can send chills up someone’s spine. We know they are out there. We know they are “authorized” to do what they do without accountability and we know there is a risk that the agency could cause harm instead of help.

When I was working through a dream metaphor of CIA I learned that I have a tendency to let really small things go without addressing them and then it is like a slippery slope where the small things get bigger and bigger and I end up feeling paralyzed and powerless.

The key to Courage and Confidence in this regard is to deal with the small stuff as though they were big stuff. That leads to Excellence in accomplishing a task and it keeps everything manageable.

Right away, I can start looking at the day and considering, “Where have I made something into an issue much bigger than need be?” and “What is one small thing that I can do today which will have a big impact?”

Learning to recognize the biggest challenge and facing it is a skill which not too many people in our culture has. There is a key to unlock this mystery thought. The key to knowing what the biggest issue you are facing is, is to notice where the most emotion comes out.

When you find yourself angry and yelling, or grieving and crying or worried and feeling sick to your stomach that is a sure sign that you are facing a pretty big challenge. You’ll find the best solutions by dealing with the issue that lead to those strong feelings.

Deal with one small issue and then the next and you’ll find the precision and growth exponential and you’ll be able to engineer any change you want for yourself in life.

Some parts of life should be entertaining and relaxing and it’s okay to enjoy those things which bring joy and playfulness. Staying with the Joy and also doing the work to keep things going in positive directions is a delicate balance but everyone should be capable of it, in one degree or another.

Why don’t you give it a try today? Reflect on your day and recall where did a really strong emotion show up? How did you react? What didn’t go so well for you? What is one small thing you can do to be more Peaceful when that type of situation happens again?