By Deborah Ivanoff
Anger, frustration, disappointment; these are the little hobgoblins that follow most of us around all day throwing down banana peels and putting out a toe to trip us up.
Both at home, and at the office, alone or with friends, we can’t seem to shake them, these feelings; the little ghosts and demons of our underworld.
The same way we deal with that annoying little fly or pesky mosquito, we mostly put up with them, swatting away when one of these feelings gets too close, kicking it under a bed or desk if we can so we don’t have to take a look at it; locking it away under something particular heavy if we are able.
But what if those hobgoblins, those feelings that never come up at a convenient time, but always threaten a storm just when we most need to handle something, were actually the stuff from which the magic phone booth of Superhero lore was made?
You remember Clark Kent, the ordinary man who stepped into a phone booth and emerged larger, stronger and more powerful than ever!
He didn’t get that way for hiding. He got that way for changing; transforming.
Any of us can do that too.
And it doesn’t have to be all dams breaking and buildings toppling, through that is one way to do it. But it can also be flowers gentle opening and buried treasure revealed.
Here are a few tips to earn your cape the easy way.
1. Stop every once in a while; doesn’t have to be for long. But it needs to be a true stop. This can be frightening, even terrifying, so be patient with yourself and keep practicing until you can come to a full stop, while awake, at least once a day. And take one deep, full breath.
2. When you can stop, without panicking, and take your breath, feeling it move in and out, you’re ready to confront the hobgoblin. Name it if you can. “I see you there. I feel you. There you are Fear. There you are Frustration”.
3. Once you confront, do not engage, not yet. Just observe. Can you just watch, stay still, listen, feel the feeling without fighting, running, or freezing up?
When you can do these things, you’re ready to step into the phone booth where the magic happens and you rediscover the superhero that you are.
And I’m here to tell you a secret. The hobgoblin feeling isn’t there for you to come back out and fight. It’s there for you to take into the phone booth with you and use to guide you into the rediscovery of your superpowers!
That’s why you’ll want to get some support. To get and keep your new powers you’ll want some good resources.
Be selective. Any superhero can tell you, they won’t pick just anyone off the street to be their sidekick companion or their teacher Yoda. Choose wisely.
I wish you joy, speed and ease on your journey, young padawan. Great powers await your command. And the business world could use all the heros it can get!
Deborah Ivanoff is a Certified Mediator, Speaker, Author and Life-Work Coach helping realtors, financial advisors, and other sales & self-employed professionals transform their business by resolving the delicate business of their heart so they can get back to the heart of their business in the world. She coaches one-on-one and in groups to help people transform what feels stuck and uncomfortable, into guidance for what can next help them excel. She can be reached via AnsweringTheSacred.com