One of the rudest things to do is interrupt someone while they are talking. But, what’s rude for others might just be the wisest thing to do for yourself, especially when the narratives are negative. Negativity begs to be INTERRUPTED, because its message serves well neither the speaker nor the hearer. In fact, negative thoughts and narratives spoken to or in your mind, perhaps should not even be allowed to complete their messages, but rather they might need to be shut down ASAP.
Consider this contrast…
You are checking voicemails on your cell phone just before you prepare to sit down for dinner with your family. Voicemail #1 is a super enthusiastic salesperson voicing their name and affiliation, but before the next few words are spoken, you press delete…you don’t have time, and you are not interested! …and how did they get your cell number anyway…so annoying!
Yet, when checking your THOUGHTMAIL and when negative thoughts are paraded before your mind at inconvenient times by an unsolicited messenger, you not only listen to it in its entirety, but you welcome them, and sometimes you even replay the messages repeatedly. This seems to be slightly TWISTED. Maybe you might consider flipping this, listening to the sales pitch and auto delete the negative thoughts.
Ask yourself. “What is it that compels you to continue to listen to repeated negative thoughts?” What causes you to let the authors of this negativity finish an entire spill, sometimes void of any refute from you?
One of the rewards of coaching is seeing clients give themselves permission to interrupt old thinking, bad thought patterns, habits and mindsets. It’s incredible to see the light of new awareness guide them into a space where they find courage to shift, change and move toward new discovery, passion, and purpose.
INTERRUPTED
To interrupt something suggests breaking its continuity. The term break-up is synonymous with the word interrupt. What would it look like to break-up with some old things, old thoughts or maybe even some old relationships that are no longer serving you well?
There are times when an interruption is not only prudent, but necessary!
Here are 3 thoughts that could help you embrace good interruptions.
Open Hands/Open Mind
Open hands and mind enable you to both receive and release things at the proper time, while a closed fist, and a closed mind symbolizes an unwillingness to let go(attachment), and it makes it extremely difficult for you to receive other necessary things that promote growth.
How are you opening yourself to interruptions?
Tolerance for Discomfort
It is uncomfortable hearing, saying, and doing things outside the comfort zone, but on the other side of the discomfort of wise choices is the reward of new growth and new success. While it is not necessary/helpful to always be in comfort mode, it is necessary/helpful to always be in growth mode. Just as life’s process leads us in and out of four seasons, all unique and necessary, life’s process also includes two necessary realities/tensions, Comfort/Discomfort. You can learn to appreciate and navigate them both.
Balance of Relationships
Leaders ahead of you…these are people who have been where you’re going, and they have the experience you are looking to gain.
Leaders beside you…these are people who are going where you’re going. They value you, they value themselves, they value the process, and they value community.
Leaders behind you…these are people looking to go where you’ve gone, and they are looking to follow the trail.
Finding all three can really set the course for 360 degree learning and leadership.
Interruptions are often good things that can propel you forward in growth, passion and purpose!
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