Empowerment Starts at Contemplation

When it’s time to say to yourself, “I will be a better listener” – you want to be open, flexible, creative, and uninhibited when you contemplate the likelihood of taking this on. This was the topic tonight - how our attitude, disposition and how we view the world can either help or hinder our ability to attain greater professional success. Timely topic, since most of us are realizing there are a few things we might want to change as we strive for personal excellence.

Just like us tonight, when folks contemplate changing something about themselves or establish a goal, they subconsciously ask themselves “what if” before they ever make choices or take action. In other words, they want to weigh what it would mean to be a better listener, the benefits, the commitments, the reality of being successful, what they’ll need to change , give up, or start doing….for some, this can be an energizing activity and results in choices that lead to action. Tonight we described the folks who do this unencumbered, Optimists.

For the most part, the group agreed that being an optimist isn’t some Pollyanna or heavily medicated way to view the world, but mechanism to broaden perspective, problem-solve more creatively, and navigate difficult situations with greater ease. They see the glass half-full, seize the possibility in opportunities, picture their resiliency in advance, and often, don’t see failure as an option. This allows them to say "yes" to more and realize greater success. Some people see this as naivety, but I think these folks have been able to preserve the hope and belief that was preloaded at birth.

Well, not all of us are born optimists, so it’s no surprise we have some pessimists in our group, as well. (I am a recovery pessimistic myself.) Though they see the virtues of optimism, I can feel the hesitation of moving from the dark side. They did their homework, as well; pointing out that research now tells us that defensive pessimists also realize success. Yes, that’s right – they have the uncanny ability to manage their fear and anxiety by setting the bar low, thinking through all that could go wrong, and use this ankle-high view to prepare for all the potential pitfalls. Sounds empowering, huh?

Showing up as your best self and seizing untapped potential is much more than being an optimist, but this had our attention tonight. But, it’s these subtle shifts in perspectives and a bit more gravitas when folks gather around my kitchen table that calls me to end this entry with a declaration. I have officially changed this from a ‘focus group” to an empowerment group. The term focus group is just too passive for these women who are empowering themselves in their thoughts and actions.