Where many of us lose for Thanksgiving dinner or inside a business meeting is that we wait for other people to make the experience for us and basically we put whether we will enjoy it or not in the hands of others. So how do we get the power back in our own hands to win and get the good feelings and results we desire?
The determining factor of whether we win at Thanksgiving (or a business meeting or anywhere) is always how we feel inside of ourselves. This means, to win in our experiences and feel good, we need to know how to make ourselves feel good. A way to feel good inside of ourselves and therefore to create a positive experience in the presence of others is to determine in advance how we can bring our best and contribute to the gathering. If you've been following me for awhile, my advice for determining WHAT you will contribute should not surprise you!
In any gathering you go to, take some time in advance to consider:"What is in my genius zone that I can add here?"To get to your answer, you might first have to eliminate the "shoulds." Like if you go to Thanksgiving, you think you should bring a fabulous side dish because the host asked for that. Or at a business meeting, you think you should put all your preparation energy into the presentation your boss asked you to do. You can follow instructions like these from others if you desire. But more importantly, don't forget to put most of your energy into what YOU can specifically add from your genius.
Let me give you some examples. I'm not a great cook, so bringing food to Thanksgiving is not my best genius. If I do want to oblige your request for a side dish, I will make the one thing I can rock which is oven-roasted veggies. And, these make me happy to contribute because they will nourish the people who eat them. Even better, though, my special genius to contribute is to help the people in a gathering to connect more deeply through icebreaker questions I'll prepare, bring, and make fun and easy for people to participate in. As a part of my genius, I also bring icebreakers to business meetings!
So, consider:
What can you bring this week to Thanksgiving from your genius?
And what can you contribute from your genius to your next business meeting?
You'll feel great and stir up winning energy and results when you put your focus on contributing, and this is especially helpful if there is anyone at Thanksgiving or a business meeting that you feel anxious around. Give from your heart because love never fails!
Spiritual Practice: Heart communication to heal a relationship
If there is anyone you have a challenging relationship with that you'll see at Thanksgiving celebrations or at an upcoming business meeting, you can begin a process to heal that relationship by communicating with that person heart-to-heart. This is NOT a live in-person communication, I'm referring to what's known as a mystical communication or communication with that person for healing in the silence of your own heart and with the presence of your higher power.
In this place, you can say what you need to say about how you feel hurt, angry, or disappointed, and also how you'd like to heal the relationship and create peace. You can also listen to any response from their hearts. It is quite healing and insightful. This is because we are not speaking in the material world where our egos might get involved. We are speaking purely from our hearts and higher wisdom.
To do this, start with a prayer, and then open the dialogue from a place of meditative silence, meaning, let your heart, not your head be the communicator. Here's a sample prayer to open the dialogue:
Dear God,I come to you to heal my relationship with this person. The divine fabric of our relationship has been torn. Please enter our hearts for a communication in the mystical realm where we can begin to reweave the fabric. I ask you to open my mind, eyes, and heart to see things a new way, and to create peace between us. Please help me speak lovingly to share my feelings, help me listen with compassion to hear any replies, and help me to tap into higher wisdom about the divine reasons behind this conflict that will help me to grow into the person you designed me to be. I come with humility and an open heart. Please work through me and through both of us. Thank you. Amen.