Thought Tweet #478 We simply must spend more time imagining Possibilities.

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

Robert Collier wrote, "Think of things - not as they are but as they MIGHT be." ...'The SECRET Of The Ages', (1926)

If we follow Robert Collier's advice then we will get beyond our personal biases, especially our tendency to judge others harshly. And, we will create.

Robert Collier, 'The SECRET Of The Ages', (1926)

You have intelligence.

You have self-control.

You have 2 of the 3 essential ingredients required to handle even the toughest situations. And, the toughest situations you experience all have one thing in common...People...at least 2 people - you, being one of them.

In addition to intelligence and self-control you need to have the correct mindset.

James Allen captured that correct mindset as follows:

"No situation can be difficult of itself; it is lack of insight into its intricacies and the want of wisdom in dealing with it, which give rise to the difficulty."

James Allen, 'Byways of Blessedness', (1904)

To handle tough situations you must have insight into the intricacies...

As the saying goes, "The devil is in the details". You remove those devils by mastering the details of situations. You excel at this when you excel at understanding people because the toughest challenges are always about people....the differences in people. To gain insight into the intricacies of people you start with yourself - gain self-knowledge. Then you learn about the differences in people. Understanding the differences in people will cause you to want to listen to others. And, the more you listen the more you will understand the differences in people. That's like adding tools to your tool kit. The more tools you have the more intricate work you will be able to perform. And, of key importance, the more confidence you will possess. That confidence will serve you well when difficult situations arise. 

Wisdom: wisdom is gained when trials-and-errors are blended with thought and a desire to do better. Knowledge comes from books and personal observations. Wisdom comes from the addition of personal experiences. To handle tough situations one must first learn by experiencing them, making mistakes, and doing better next time. That's the School of Hard Knocks way. As an alternative to learning everything that way, one can anticipate tough situations. Then one can predetermine the best ways to handle those tough situations. That's what sales people are taught to do when they role play various aspects of the buying-and-selling process. Well-designed mental exercise can be practiced and confidence can be gained. Confidence is key. 

Handling Tough Situations:

• your Intelligence
• your Self-Control
• your knowledge of self and other people
• your wisdom from the School of Hard Knocks
• your ability to anticipate Situations
• your ability to think through best courses of action for those Situations
• your self-Confidence

References:

1. for more thoughts see the Category called Business Contains Only 3 Things: People, Process, & Situations.
2. for more thoughts on Confidence visit this link Confidence

Drop what you're doing and take a time out. 

During your time out, think about how work fits into your life. Forget, for the moment, the past and how you got to where you are. And, set aside thoughts about the future. 'Get present' about your work-situation. Think about the role you do at work. Think about your work-tasks, your work-place, the people you provide service to, and other aspects of your work. 

When you are sure you are focused on your present work, answer this question: "How do I feel about my present work-situation?" 

Think about your feelings. Decide how to measure them. Be clear. And use a measuring tool so you can pinpoint exactly how you feel. The tool you use to measure your feelings must be simple, easy to understand, and easy to use.

The Minus10-to-Plus10 Scale meets those requirements.

Here's how it works.

When people use this scale to measure feelings, there are two extremes - one most-positive and the other most-negative. When answering the question "How do I feel about my present work-situation?":

• If you answer Plus10 then you are telling yourself your work-situation could not possibly be better. Every aspect of your work-situation is sheer bliss. 

• If you answer Zero then you are telling yourself your work-situation is ho-hum. Your work contains no highlights. Nothing about your work is particularly good or particularly bad. Your workdays are uneventful.

• If you answer Minus10 then you are telling yourself your work-situation could not be worse. Every aspect of your work-situation is absolutely unbearable.