Win Harper | Life and Leadership Coach

Just be sure every step you take is going in that direction, and you will get there!

Brian Tracy the motivational and business speaker, talks about two strangers meeting on the road in Greece. One of the strangers asks, “Do you know how to get to Mount Olympus?” The second guy responds, “Just make sure every step you take is towards Mount Olympus and you will get there.” That second guy was Socrates.

Mike rewrote his Life Purpose statement as follows:
“I am the wet stone against which others sharpen themselves.”

This is the impact that Mike has naturally in the world.  He told me that this week he was doing yard work and that the neighbors thanked him and started doing their own work.  Mike said that he didn’t intend to be a role model or to guilt trip others into doing what he was doing, they just “naturally” responded to his efforts.  This is exactly what Mike’s Life Purpose statement says.  I asked Mike what got in the way of his accepting his role as neighborhood role model, and he again mentioned his limiting belief that he was responsible for the results of those he influenced or led.  The use of the phrase “…others sharpen themselves” frees Mike to be more of a leader and role model and therefore affect the lives of more people.

What does knowing your natural impact do for you?  When we first started coaching Mike said that he liked to challenge himself and others.  He said that knowing his Life Purpose takes the words “challenging others” out of the equation and he now knows that “I only have to be who I am.”  Imagine living your life knowing that?

I asked Mike to think about his Life Purpose this week, and to consider it when he is making decisions.  When making choices I want him to think about which one is supported by his Life Purpose?

What is your Life Purpose?  How can knowing it affect your life?  Think about how you can use it to help you make decisions and to help you live a more fulfilled life.  How do you live Life Purpose; “just be sure every step you take is going in that direction and you will get there.”

Next we talked about the Gremlin, the saboteur, the inner critic.  The voice we all have that wants to keep us where we are.  While the voices intent may be good, it limits us from being fulfilled.  It keeps us from growing and achieving a what we want.  For Mike his gremlin appears when an unfamiliar situation comes up, and he has some self doubts about his abilities.  How can you find yours?  What did you say to yourself that last time you “made a mistake” or were in a challenging situation?  Did you hear something like, “I am stupid,” or “I never do anything right”  or “you can’t do that.” That is your saboteur.

Here are some techniques for working with your gremlin:

Put “I am having the thought that” in front of the words.  For instance, you would say, “I am having the thought that I am stupid.”  Using the introductory phrase will take some of the sting out of the words.

Locate the voice in reference to your body.  Now slowly move it to your throat area.  What happens to the impact of the words?

Give the voice a name.  Mike called his “Second Guessing.”

Acknowledge the Gremlin, and know that you have a choice.  You can listen to it, or you can do WHAT YOU WANT TO DO!

Finally, recognize that we all have a Gremlin, even me.  It uses words from our past, words of parents, guardians, friends, and/or teachers.  If you take time to analyze the words, you will not find any evidence to support them. 

I asked Mike to listen for his Gremlin this week, and to try the above techniques.  I ask you to do the same, and email me about your experience.  How did it work for you?