Thoughts vs Words: How different are they really?
As a person of authority, your word usually carries more weight than others, correct? It also goes to say that your thoughts carry more weight too.
There is no denying that we are in a very divisive time and that there are people you will be working with that openly share their opinions (especially political ones) that you adamantly disagree with. You have every right to have a difference of opinion. However, when your thoughts are saying one thing and your voice is saying another, you are not getting away with what you think you are. If you are trying to appear neutral, while entertaining a barrage of negative thoughts, hoping the person you are talking to doesn’t hear your inner dialogue, you may be surprised to know that you could be betraying yourself.
There is body language, which apparently more people grasp than the words you are speaking. There is facial language. Your words may be pleasing while your forehead is tight and eyebrows knit. And there is the energy you carry, which is something that you can’t manipulate as you might want to. How do you manage and lead people when you really don’t like how they think (and vote)?
I am not suggesting you pretend, stuff it and create fuel for a heart condition. I am going to offer a very real option, one that changes your life (and health). Acceptance.
Acceptance doesn’t mean you like the other person, how they think or what they do. No. It means you accept that it is happening and it is present in your life and world. There have always been people who think differently, people who follow and people who think for themselves. As Abraham Lincoln said, “You can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but not all of the people all of the time.” Trust that that is probably true. SO no matter how you see yourself, others see themselves as correct in their thinking as you.
As a leader and example, embracing acceptance shifts your thinking. It brings into alignment your energetic self and your words. You still may not care for the politics of the person you are speaking to, but your inner dialogue is not fighting anything. Can you accept that this person has a right to an opinion? That you are in a position to lead them, but also to accept their uniqueness? It is simply accepting perhaps this person is showing up in your life to help you be more accepting of others. What a wonderful attribute to cultivate, so you might actually feel appreciation for this person. Trust me, we can all feel when someone has authentic support and appreciation for us and when they are just words. You choose how you want to lead.
