Clearing the Air

After arriving early for a business meeting to give a presentation, I was met with quite a surprise. As I walked into the meeting room, I suddenly felt the residual turmoil from events of the previous meeting. The phrase, "The air was so thick you could cut it with a knife" crossed my mind.

With less than an hour before my presentation, I mentally and energetically "cleared the air" to insure a positive experience for everyone at the meeting. When the business meeting was finished, several people told me, "This was by far the most productive meeting we’ve ever had in this room."

At times, all of us have felt the emotional tension within a room or the peaceful reverence of a sacred place. Every environment is imprinted by the thoughts, emotions, and spiritual qualities of the people who inhabit the space. When we take the time to create a positive environment, we discover a greater level of success and happiness for ourselves and others.

Peek at the Future

Recently I compared my 2008 calendar of speaking engagements and coaching with my 2009 schedule and noticed an interesting coincidence. The dates I worked with clients in 2008 were the same or close to the same dates in 2009. This pattern was consistent throughout the year. Isn’t interesting how our daily activity creates our future.

Our thoughts and behavior directly affects our current circumstances and our success depends on how we feel each day. If we want a peek at the future, we can pay close attention to what we are doing today as we connect to others and the world around us. The level of conscious awareness we express at each moment influences what we create for the future.

The Gentle Touch

My good friend, Jeanette Krause, a registered nurse for fifty years, once said to me, "There is great power in saying the right thing at the right time." Jeanette called this the power of the gentle touch.

One day while purchasing some books in a local bookstore, I sensed the sales clerk had an undercurrent of distraction and sadness. During our brief transaction, I focused my energy on appreciation for this person; after all, she was helping me.

The clerk handed me the change with a half-hearted smile and a weak thank you. I simply said, "Thanks for sharing the smile."

Suddenly, her whole demeanor changed as if to say, "Someone noticed me." She immediately straightened her posture and her half-hearted smile was transformed into a pure expression of joy. The clerk’s eyes were now sparkling as she said, "The smile’s free."

As I turned and walked away I overheard the clerk in a cheerful voice say, "May I help you?" to the next person in line. I couldn’t help but silently thank my friend, Jeanette, for teaching me the power of the gentle touch.

The Power of Acceptance

Time and again we’ve all watched people disagree at meetings. What’s interesting is that when people start to take sides, they almost always look away from one another or cross their arms while they emotionally distance themselves. By doing this, people unconsciously create obstacles and barriers in negotiations.

A good way to keep negotiations productive and avoid resistance is to stay positively connected to each other when negotiating. If we see the other party as the enemy, we create mental and emotional resistance; rather, if we see the other party as a friend, we set the tone of acceptance and expand the possibilities of a win-win negotiation.

Remember, every time we look away, turn away, or move away from another person we are creating distance and disconnecting. Understanding these subtle signals give us a tremendous advantage in negotiations. When we send positive signals, we are eliminating obstacles and creating an environment for smooth negotiations.

Morning Zen

Every morning, I wake up early for the pleasure of a five or ten minute walk in the garden. As I silently walk down the garden path, I notice the sunlight in the trees, the sound of the morning birds, and the smell of the fragrant flowers.

Each day, the ever subtle changes in the garden throughout the seasons teach me the importance of being aware of everything around me. Spending a few minutes in nature gives me a feeling of calmness and serenity that stays with me throughout the day.

A Fresh Perspective

When my children were young, we took them on their first visit to the Grand Canyon. As parents, we have always shared our memories of the canyon with our children, the many changing seasons, the spectacular sunsets, the tale of our mule trip, and the grand sense of splendor.

After a long trip from California, our family arrived at the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Excitedly, we parked our car and walked hurriedly to the lookout point, only to peer straight into a white thickness of heavy clouds. The entire canyon was filled to the rim with fog. The clouds were so thick our visibility was limited to no more than ten or twelve feet.

Our children were disappointed, wondering what all the hype was about. We assured them that things would be different tomorrow. The next morning we returned to the same lookout point and discovered the magnificent view.

This reminded me of how often our mental fog blocks the beauty of what lies before us. The importance of giving our mind time to clear always brings a fresh perspective. Once the clouds clear, what lies before us is often more spectacular than what we imagined.