I Have an Idea

Hi. This is Coach Vector - People Fixer.

Hi Coach. Thanks for taking my call.

You bet. What’s going on?

I have an idea I’d like to present to my company but I’m afraid to.

Why?

Well, I’m afraid it might not be a good idea.

Then why present it? Present a good idea instead.

Well, I do think it’s a good idea but I’m not sure if they will. What if I look stupid in front of my boss and co-workers. They’ll laugh at me.

So you’re worried about what others think of you?

Yes.

Well, stop it.

Who cares what anyone else thinks. It’s really none of your business what they think anyway. Stop being so nosy about other people’s thoughts.

What if they laugh at me?

What if they do. Who cares. What do you want to happen when you share your idea?

I don’t know.

Do you want contribute? Do you want to help the company? Do you want to see your idea in action? Do you want to add value? Do you want to participate in a meaningful way? Do you want to feel empowered? Do you want to feel smart?

Yes. All those things would be awesome.

Then think about those things. Focus friend, focus. Keep your eye and your thoughts on what you want to have happen. You are spending too much time thinking about what you don’t want to have happen. Just change your focus and you’ll be fine.

I’m not sure I understand. How will that help?

Okay, here’s a good example. You know my sister Trebuchet?

Yes.

Well, sometimes she has a bone that she really loves. She is loving it and having a good time chewing it up. Then I come along and I start to nip at her butt. Not even biting her, just nipping. If she’s totally focused on her bone, then she ignores me and eventually I go away and she keeps chewing her bone.

But….there are times when she doesn’t ignore me and she starts to react to my nipping. She takes her attention from her bone and puts it on me nipping at her butt. Well, the second that happens, I dart in and that bone is no longer hers….it’s mine. 

See —  She took her attention away from what she wanted and put it on what she didn’t want. The minute she did that, she lost her connection to what she wanted and it disappeared.

You humans are so unfocused.

In your case, the things nipping at your butt are not even real. You are totally making them up in your head. A very odd thing to do. Even for a human.

So stop doing that and when you feel things nipping at you, just ignore them and keep your attention on what you want…

Make sense?

Yes. It does make sense. I had not thought of it like that.

Well, start now thinking like that. Okay? And here’s some homework for you…

Write down all the reasons you want to contribute; want to have ideas; want to be useful and inspirational to your company and others. Why you like feeling good; good in general and good about yourself. Send me a list of at least 10 reasons. I need to see them by 10 am tomorrow. Can you do that?

Yes.

Next thing I want you to do is get some paper. Get one piece of paper for everyone that you will be presenting your idea to. Hopefully it’s not a zillion people. If it is, then pair it down to the top 5. Top, meaning they are the people you feel are the most important to you. Those you care about the most. Get it?

Yes.

Write their name at the top of the paper.

Then write all the things you appreciate about that person. Write as many things as you can think of. Big or small. Just write them all out. Maybe you don’t know that much about them but you do know something. Maybe it’s as simple as….”I appreciate the way they impact our company.” You can find something to appreciate about them. I know you can.

Do this for each of the people and send them to me. Okay?

Will you do that?

Yes.

Great. Keep a copy for yourself and read them once a day for one week. Do this in the morning BEFORE your day gets started. Okay?  Adding to them as you start to see even more things you appreciate.

At the end of that week, present your idea.

Send me a recap of what happens. Okay?

Will you do that?

Yes.

Okay. Thanks and that will be 8 raw chicken necks or a $15 donation to Lucky Dog Rescue (http://www.luckyrescue.org) please.

And remember, do the happy work. Get the happy result.

Money is on the way. Thank you Vector.

THE END