Once a tough setback has happened, we need to learn to accept it.
We need to move on.
The past is the past.
The faster we accept, the faster our minds are peaceful again.
Acceptance is a muscle which we need to keep on exercising. It gives us freedom at work and in life.
At work, here are some situations we need to learn to accept:
- A talented person leaves our team.
- We get a serious complaint or legal case.
- Circumstances that lead to mistrust.
- Someone says something personal or inappropriate.
- A key goal or deadline has been missed, and has serious ramifications.
- An important customer leaves the business.
These situations trigger us. We are all human. I have felt each one before and I have accepted them.
The situations create an unpleasant emotion in us and it can be easy to get caught up dwelling on it.
Here are a 5 affirmations which have helped me:
- Accept that we cannot control another human being.
- Remember that life is short and the situation is really not that important in the grand scheme of things. If we live till 100, we only have 36,500 days!
- Remember that each setback always has lessons to be learnt. Make sure to get that diamond and store it.
- Feel the emotion in the moment it happens. We have to let the energy come out in a controlled way. (Or go scream in a sealed room!). Release the energy. For me, I like to roll my shoulders a few times. If we don’t release the energy, it remains in our body. Please release.
- Worst case scenario. A situation or tragedy happens that just cannot be accepted. The trick here is to accept that it cannot be accepted. This may sound funny at first but the acceptance of uncertainty will bring peace. (This is one of Eckhart Tolle’s great lessons).
Learning to accept is a skill (or muscle) and will bring a lot of peace for you at work. If we keep on practicing, it will be strengthened.
