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The “Back to Basics” - The Three R’s

Guest post by: Sam Allman

Article Overview: In turbulent times, we do well to re-assess basics: Where are we, and where do we want to go. Our re-assessment may uncover nothing … or silver-linings on the edges of dark clouds. What we uncover depends largely on our attitude. Studies indicate that attitude determines as much as 88% of success. Positive attitude is critical for leaders, managers, salespeople … everyone who wants to keep learning and earning!

The “Back to Basics” - The Three R’s

If attitude is so critical, then protecting and nurturing it becomes our basic job. “We’ve been working on the basics because, basically, we’ve been having trouble with the basics.” (Bob Ojeda, L.A. Dodgers pitcher) In business, what’s “basic” is the three R’s. Not the three R’s of school--“reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic”; but the three R’s of leadership--reframing, renewing and refocusing.

We reframe a picture on the wall because we want viewers to see more of its features. Likewise, we reframe business situations to reveal new possibilities. Reframing helps because we seldom see the world as it is. Our experiences and knowledge distort our perceptions. Reframing evokes uncommon perceptions. (Think how differently you would perceive the room you’re sitting in if you stood on a desk.)

My mind-set was reframed one day on an airplane. My seatmate was a man returning to New Orleans with his family to see his home for the first time since evacuating from Hurricane Katrina. On this visit, the family would decide whether they would return to their home, or finalize their move to California. In the storm, he had lost everything. His neighbors reported his big screen TV was a fish tank.

I asked him how it felt to lose everything. He looked at me incredulously and replied, “I have lost a bunch of stuff that is replaceable. I am so grateful that the most important and irreplaceable things in my life, my wife, daughters and son, are on this airplane. They are safe.” He taught me a great lesson about reframing: When times are tough, count your blessings.

I have since learned that it is impossible to be depressed when we feel grateful. This morning, the Dow dropped again, and my 401K dropped some more with it. But then, I remembered I still had food in the refrigerator, unlike my parents during the Great Depression. I remembered that I love my country, intensified by my opportunities to travel outside it. Each time I return home, I reflect how fortunate I am to live in this land of opportunities.

If your attitude is wanting or depressed, reframe it by reflecting on your good fortunes. The benefits are worth it! A dreary attitude depresses our own wits and creativity! It also depresses your fellow workers. Remember that we carry our own weather, and it’s plainly visible to others. A dreary attitude of thick, gray clouds disheartens our associates. Ask yourself, “Do I brighten up the room when I walk in… or when I walk out?”

After reframing, I invite you to renew yourself. Our hectic world in commotion worms itself inside all of us, at times. We can defeat this stress by taking time—alone, for ourselves, or with loved ones—time to simply be with no pretense and no pressure to perform. Just be. Blessed are the fathers, mothers, and children whose homes provide them protection, support, love, and a refuge from the world.

Recently, I received word that I had malignant melanoma that had to be removed. The scare was big for me and my family. Fortunately, the surgeon skillfully excised the cancer and later said that she believed the cancer would not re-grow. She expects no later surgeries, but merely needs to monitor my count.

That was welcome news. After that scare, my wife and I spent a week at a health retreat where I detoxed, relaxed, and rested. I could rest because no TV, Internet and cell phones were allowed. I heard nothing about politics, the war, or the economy. (I know it’s important to be informed, but I now monitor what I attend to. By protecting my imagination, my mind becomes more creative. As adults, most of us use our imaginations to worry. I want to apply mine to help me solve problems and set directions for my life.) That week, all we had to do was BE. I felt no stress. At the end, I was renewed.

Would you like to feel renewed? You don’t have to go to a clinic. You can renew through exercise, meditation, recreation (notice the word – re-creation), pursuit of a hobby so engrossing that you lose track of time, or simply being with beloved family and friends. (Cognitive therapy recognizes these activities can distract your mind from worries.)

After you attain some equilibrium through renewal, you can profitably refocus. Refocus on your goals and dreams. Paint a clear mental picture of the outcomes you desire—where you want to go and what you want to happen. Amazingly, we do not need to know how it will come to pass; our minds will give us the answers when we focus on what we want.

Added benefit: when we focus on what we want, we forget what we want to avoid. That is mentally powerful. Athletes can focus either on playing to win or trying not to lose. Usually, when they focus on trying not to lose, they lose. Karl Wallenda, a famous tightrope walker, had walked the rope most of his life. At age 73, he fell and died. His widow remarked to a reporter after his death: “For years, Karl focused on walking the rope. But, for the last several months his focus changed. He focused on not falling.” In these tough times, have you focused on succeeding or not failing? Do you need to refocus?

You don’t need the basics of reading, ‘writing, and arithmetic. You do need the basics of reframing, renewing and refocusing. They will get you through and help you harbor a hopeful and upbeat attitude.

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Article Tags: 401k, airplane, attitude, blessings, bob ojeda, business situations, dodgers pitcher, dow, fish tank, great depression, hurricane katrina, neighbors, new orleans, perceptions, possibilities, refrigerator, riting, school reading, screen tv, seatmate



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