Sometimes our mind plays tricks on us. When presented with a leadership opportunity we can easily default to the attitude of projected defeat as we hear the words come out of our mouth, “I can’t do that…”
While we do indeed face real limitations at points in our life, sometimes our reluctance is the result of a rehearsed attitude rather than due to any legitimate obstacle to achievement.
Recently a colleague told me a story about her four-and-a-half-year-old daughter Violet, who was playing with a friend. The friend stopped short from finishing a play-time project and announced, “I can’t do it!” In response, Violet, in an attempt to help her friend said, “You can do it! You just need to change your brain and then it will be easy.” She had heard the phrase “change your mind” and was quoting what she had learned using her own terminology.
4 ½ years old. That is way cool. Already this young leader (of her friend) had learned about attitude, making choices, and the power of a positive mind-set.
How old am I? Maybe when I encounter an obstacle in leadership I simply need to recalibrate my attitude. Maybe it will help to simply “change my brain.”
What does your brain say about that?
Thanks for the leadership lesson, Violet.
