by Wendy Keller, blogger, businesswoman, a stranger who cares about you
It’s astonishing how many people right this minute are trying to cope with the fact that their heart is broken, they are deeply sad or depressed, or are managing traumatic things happening in their lives – yet they still need to function in their daily lives.
by Wendy Keller, author, workshop leader, human being
Yesterday, my business consultant – a man whose wisdom I admire – suggested I simply stop trying to force something to work in my company. This “something” has worked a little bit, now and then, partially, with enormous effort, for almost no profit, for two years.
Now, I come from a long line of stubborn people. In my family, we will just keep chipping away at something until we force it to go our way. But in the case of the business effort I was making, it was draining resources – energy, attention, money – and giving me close to nothing in return. I don’t believe in quitting, but in this case, that belief was hurting me.
A friend of a friend died in a bike accident last week. Terrence was a well-liked man and an exceptional athlete.My friend runs a local shop, and I was there when he got the news that his friend had died.
As non-immediate family members often do, he went into stunned shock. Didn’t talk about it. We had dinner that night and he brushed it off when I brought it up gently, but at the most unusual times, brought it up himself – and many times since.
I’ve noticed shock only gets you through the first few days, so I stopped by his shop today to see how he was doing. There were two young adults talking to him earnestly. Turns out, they are Terrence’s children. I hadn’t intended to walk into something so intense and private, but I couldn’t leave without making the situation even worse.
When you set a goal and move toward it, even if it is only baby steps, you give yourself a “small success.” Each small success gives you a little booster shot of dopamine, a feel-good chemical in your brain. You really can use the power of “Small Successes” to help yourself feel better.
