How to Make Hard DecisionsWritten by Susan Dunn, Coach
Permission to reprint article if bio line remains intact."In all cases, emotions are humanity's motivator and its omnipresent guide." --Lewis, Amini and Lannon, MDs "A poem begins as a lump in throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a love sickness. It is never a thought to begin with." -- Robert Frost When you're stuck and can't seem to make a decision, remember difference between a thought and feeling. We need to sort out what we think from what we feel because our feelings are what best guide our decisions. We can gather all thoughts, facts and data in world, but we'll never have enough data for important decisions, or even unimportant ones, and ultimately we have to rely on our gut feelings. "In small matters, trust your head," said Freud, "and in large matters, your heart." What is a feeling? A feeling is "a lump in throat"--a bodily sensation first, and when we get in touch with how our body is reacting to situation at hand, we have a touchstone for what's really going on.
| | Being Successful & Being NiceWritten by Susan Dunn, M. A.
"If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway." -- Mother TeresaI was surfing Internet other day, and since EQ (emotional intelligence) is my field, I was looking at an EQ site. The person, who was an aspiring corporate coach, said, "EQ. It's not soft." What does that have to do with quote from Mother Teresa and what is this all about? Often people are confused about what's "soft" and what's -- well, whatever opposite of opposite of that is. Essentially it's a question of how to keep boundaries and still be a nice person. That is, "liked". How to succeed and not lose something of value in doing so. Since Mother Teresa is everyone's favorite candidate for sainthood, perhaps you'll find her statement surprising, as I did. It's also enlightening. This woman, who engaged in good works, manifesting hope in near-hopeless situations, was evidently "hard as nails". Well, come to think of it, she'd have to be. She was clear about her expectations and her boundaries. She looked reality right square in face with that statement, and gives us permission to go ahead and succeed. How else can we help ourselves and others? How else can we make a difference in world and life fulfilling lives?
|
