Renee Giarrusso's Blog, page 14

How to open the door and invite self-compassion in

Now, more than ever, in this ever-changing world full of uncertainty, we need to ramp up our self-leadership and to do this, we need to open the door to self-compassion. One way to do this is to be receptive and open to acceptance; we need to open the door and invite self-compassion in to accept the gifts we face. Self-compassion researcher Kristin Neff highlights its many benefits, including a decrease in anxiety, stress and depression, and an increase in life satisfaction, resilience and overall happiness.

I have many amazing friends and, until recently, couldn’t name a time that I had fallen out with any of them. Then a close friend threw me under a bus to protect herself from having to take the blame for something. We had grown up together and the situation, plus the fact that she never apologised, really played on me. I realised that even if the threads of our friendship were salvaged, our values didn’t align anymore. Although we speak in passing and there is no animosity, things will never be the same.

I used a three-step process called CAN – to get through this situation because I recognised that my self-compassion needed to be ramped up. CAN opens the door to what is possible when you focus on self-acceptance or self-compassion. The CAN process employs ‘illeism’ – the act of referring to oneself in the third person. Studies have shown that when people use illeism to talk about traumatic events or challenges, they tend to regard themselves through more compassionate eyes. This disassociation is useful in diluting the pain. CAN works like this:

C – Confess – Own up to the pain or event. What is happening?
This is where you need to clearly state the pain or challenge you are facing.
‘Renée is feeling hurt and hard done by.’

A – Align –  Who else may feel this or be experiencing this?
When we associate what we are going through as a common, shared experience, we tend to feel more settled and calm. It’s almost like this soothes us and gets us to focus our attention outward. It is known that our brain’s social-care circuit primes itself with oxytocin in social situations that make us feel supported and connected with others. ‘Renée is not the only one experiencing this. Many people feel hurt and have gone through a similar experience.’

N – Nourish – What can I do or think that will serve me resourcefully?
By reassuring yourself in the third person, you offer yourself useful advice. At this stage, you could even come up with an affirmation. In the scenario I’ve shared, I only have to remind myself of how many amazing people I have in my life to remember the compassion and respect I have for myself, which dictates who I let into my life.
‘Renée has been through harder things. Time heals all and she just needs to focus on the amazing people in her life.‘

To resist or embrace?

Once we have harnessed self-compassion, we have a choice. Do we embrace the positive or challenging experience and accept it, or do we resist and fight against it?

The model shows the choices we all have access to, in order to embrace or resist the experiences we go through from a people or situational perspective.

Maybe you have experienced success such as turning your side hustle into a lucrative enterprise. You may feel embarrassed, almost egotistical, to share your story, so you resist sharing the experience and what, and who, helped you get there. It is important to remember that we resist sharing not only challenges but also successes – and this can hinder us.

Embracing positive people and situations can lead to our life’s highlights. On the flip side, if we resist or repel the experience or person we can feel helpless, and this can hinder us as outlined in the diagram. Resisting can make the situation even more painful and exhausting. Imagine playing a game of tug of war: you are gripping on to the rope not wanting to let go, and at the same time not getting anywhere. The rope burn is excruciating but you keep holding on, hoping at some point the pressure will give way.

When we choose to embrace and accept the experiences we glean through people and situations, we can harness this in a way that’s helpful and serves us and potentially others in moving on. When we resist challenging experiences and lessons, we fall into helplessness and our growth is hindered.

Lead to be Limitless…



eSpeakersSeal(32459, "8d24", 'virtual', "md", "1");

Find out where you sit on the Leadership Ladder. Your responses are anonymous, and the results summarised to help us better understand where our market sits so that we can continue to provide insights, tools and solutions to assist you in moving up to be LIMITLESS, co-creative and stand out.

Renée is a mentor, coach, expert facilitator and keynote speaker; She is the author of  ‘Gift Mindset®‘, ‘Limitless Leadership’, and co-author of ‘Leaders of Influence’.

PS: Want to skyrocket your success from working anywhere? We've launched our online program, and you can read more about that here.

Have you received your copy of Renée’s latest book, Gift Mindset®? It is available on Amazon, Booktopia and in all good book stores.

If this article resonates with you somehow, I’d love to hear your thoughts – get in touch.

Being in service to my clients is why I do what I do, and your feedback, insight, and suggestions are always embraced.

Follow Renée on Facebook, Instagram, IGTV or Twitter, or subscribe to her blog or new podcast here.

 

3 things you can do to lead and increase emotional intelligence in your team

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is imperative

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is imperative to any role, team or organisation. And having the ability to focus on transferring EI and motivation to your team is even more critical as we all continue to work and lead in this hybrid environment.

EI, also known as emotional quotient or EQ, is simply the ability to recognise one’s own emotions and those of others and to have the ability to be able to manage them. There are several steps that you can undertake to aid this. First things first – ensure your awareness of self and others is high.

If you want to lead and assist in increasing EI, you need to lead by example.

Really master your conflict management, emotional control and social awareness, so you’re not just aware and managing your emotions, but also understanding that of others and demonstrating this, day to day, to your team and those around you.

As a leader, I truly believe you can create the necessary conditions in which team members can develop their EI. However, each member of the team needs to take ownership of this.

There’s an analogy that says, ‘A piano student can be taught to play Minuet in G, but he won’t become a modern-day Bach without knowing music theory and being able to play with heart.’

There needs to be trust within the team and in you and a feeling of group efficacy – in other words, the team’s perceived capability to perform.

When there is EI as a team, it’s all about the small acts that make a difference.

Here are a few key tips to help you:

1. Create team norms

These are basically relationship guidelines that can be agreed upon as a team and, after time, will be followed at a subconscious level. The actual identifying, agreeing and getting buy into these norms.

A great framework to create team norms:

Look at what successful norms are already in place, based on your experience as a team. Ensure this link to your current team values.Turn the norms into behaviours. An example could be as simple as acknowledging each other with a thank you when tasks are met and sharing the process of what worked to foster an open environment to share best practice.Create a plan to ensure accountability is bring shared across the team.2. Identify and satisfy team strengths and weaknessesTake the time to know and grow your team. I ask every leader I work with, “What are each person’s top three strengths and three areas to improve in your team?”Don’t over-complicate this, simply:Ask, identify, understand and help drive.Make sure everyone shares their strengths and one area they’re looking to change or do differently.Leverage diversity in the team by each sharing (including you).3. Let your team have a voiceCreating a safe and open environment opens the space for all members to share their thoughts consistently. Google recently identified emotional security at work as one of the top traits of high-performing teams.Look at ways to ensure all team members get to voice achievements and the challenges and mistakes they make, and the lesson learnt. This is within the team and across divisions.Be creative in the ways you ensure every person has a voice.

Keep in mind EI is not all about just having harmony, happiness and no tension. Rather, it’s more about acknowledging when harmony is fake, tension is suppressed, and treating others with respect.

Lead to be Limitless…



eSpeakersSeal(32459, "8d24", 'virtual', "md", "1");

Find out where you sit on the Leadership Ladder. Your responses are anonymous, and the results are summarised to help us better understand where our market sits so that we can continue to provide insights, tools and solutions to assist you in moving up to be LIMITLESS, co-creative and stand out.

Renée is a mentor, coach, expert facilitator and keynote speaker; She is the author of  ‘Gift Mindset®‘, ‘Limitless Leadership’, and co-author of ‘Leaders of Influence’.

PS: Want to skyrocket your success from working anywhere? We've launched our online program, and you can read more about that here.

Have you received your copy of Renée’s latest book, Gift Mindset®? It is available on Amazon, Booktopia and in all good book stores.

If this article resonates with you somehow, I’d love to hear your thoughts – get in touch.

Being in service to my clients is why I do what I do, and your feedback, insight, and suggestions are always embraced.

Follow Renée on Facebook, Instagram, IGTV or Twitter, or subscribe to her blog or new podcast here.

 

How mindset helps you lead through times of uncertainty

I believe it all comes down to how you are wired and the reference and experience you associate with change. Many people resist change, while others embrace it. Certainty is a core human need; therefore, it is natural to resist what is unknown to us. Change makes us feel uneasy as it takes us into the unknown and moves us away from the things we feel are certain. Mental inclination or disposition, a frame of mind.

A powerful aspect of your mindset is how quickly it can be shifted and how impacting the consequences can be. Unlike skills that have to be practised repeatedly, mindsets sometimes show dramatic shifts in a short amount of time.

Many of you had to transition from working onsite to remotely during the pandemic. This change required you to upgrade your mindset. As much as working remotely required a physical change, it also required a psychological one. You needed to think differently and create thinking habits that kept you going in this difficult time. Your mindset mattered! Developing a strong and disciplined mindset gives you the ability and agility to own your thoughts and actions.

“The one thing we can control is our thoughts, no matter who we are, we all have this choice. This is great news when going through change or facing a challenge.”

Controlling the way you think and fostering a mindset that serves you can assist in adapting to new things, such as career transition, life changes, and even dealing with certain people and relationships.

In simple terms, your THOUGHTS create your FEELINGS and what you do or do not ACTION.

How you think

The mind is powerful, and your thoughts are the starting point to awareness and where your attention goes.

If your inner thoughts are persistently negative, try the following:

Call out your critic: Stop and name the thought and then refer to it by that name. Someone I know named her inner talk ‘needy Ned’. She now laughs whenever she notices these thoughts – that alone changed the direction of her future conversations.Talk to yourself like a friend: We can be harsh on ourselves, often harsher than we would ever be with those we love. Talk to yourself as you would a friend; be light, be kind and above all, be respectful and come from a place of love.Flip your beliefs: We usually frame whatever we tell ourselves as beliefs that either do or do not serve us. You have the power to flip your beliefs. For instance, ‘I will never get through this challenge’ could be flipped to ‘What is the opportunity in this situation?’Reframe keywords: Reframing ‘I’m nervous and challenged’ to ‘I’m excited about this opportunity’ can change your energy, mindset and awareness to what can be, rather than what can’t be.How you feel

It’s easy to confuse thoughts and feelings. Acting in accordance with your thoughts and emotions and knowing and understanding what you are feeling will help you make wise choices. Identifying your experience accurately will assist you in coping more effectively and responding with logic rather than reacting entirely with emotion.

A quick scenario, using the comment ‘I feel overwhelmed’. When you believe you are overwhelmed, any evidence is unlikely to change this thought, and you will be overloaded with the feeling that you are overwhelmed. If you reword the statement to include both thoughts and feelings, it could sound like: ‘I think I am overwhelmed because I see myself as drowning in everything’ and ‘I feel like everything is out of control’. The statement about feeling overwhelmed could also be code for other thoughts and feelings.

Both thoughts and feelings are equally important in cultivating awareness and controlling your mindset. Thoughts are things we tell ourselves, things we believe. Feelings are an emotional reaction triggered by these thoughts.

How you act

Your actions are often dependent on how you are feeling and what you are telling yourself. If your actions aren’t congruent with your values and what you want, you need to revert to your’ thoughts’‘. Examine what you are thinking and telling yourself and adjust this to achieve the outcomes, relationships and life you are looking to live.

Adopting a Gift Mindset can also help you be open to unwrap the gifts in both the challenging and positive experiences you encounter. When you embrace the learnings from everything you experience, you can use these to strengthen your mindset and progress yourself and others forward.

Lead to be Limitless…



eSpeakersSeal(32459, "8d24", 'virtual', "md", "1");

Find out where you sit on the Leadership Ladder. Your responses are anonymous, and the results summarised to help us better understand where our market sits so that we can continue to provide insights, tools and solutions to assist you in moving up to be LIMITLESS, co-creative and stand out.

Renée is a mentor, coach, expert facilitator and keynote speaker; She is the author of  ‘Gift Mindset®‘, ‘Limitless Leadership’, and co-author of ‘Leaders of Influence’.

PS: Want to skyrocket your success from working anywhere? We've launched our online program, and you can read more about that here.

Have you received your copy of Renée’s latest book, Gift Mindset®? It is available on Amazon, Booktopia and in all good book stores.

If this article resonates with you somehow, I’d love to hear your thoughts – get in touch.

Being in service to my clients is why I do what I do, and your feedback, insight, and suggestions are always embraced.

Follow Renée on Facebook, Instagram, IGTV or Twitter, or subscribe to her blog or new podcast here.

 

26: Unwrap the Gift of Growth and the Power of Masterminds

Topic:  Unwrap the Gift of Growth and the Power of Masterminds

On today’s show I have the immense pleasure in speaking with Brad Hart about how to unwrap the gift of growth which is a chapter in my new book The Gift Mindset, and the lessons he's learned. 

It was through the challenges Brad faced, including the death of his father at a young age, that eventually led him to start Make More Marbles (a top ten affiliate partner for Tony Robbins and Dean Graziosi), with a mission to create a collaborative community that helps you gain the freedom and abundance you crave by showing you how to build assets that pay you for years, and create the life of your dreams. 

With 20 years as an entrepreneur and 16 years managing wealth under his belt, Brad is committed to helping entrepreneurs and investors reach their full potential, so they can focus on solving the grand challenges of our time.  

From co-leading a mastermind of 52 people in China and Hong Kong, to holding mastermind groups in Bali, Italy, Greece and all over the US, Brad has been a part of 28 masterminds and started 10 himself, including a local weekly mastermind group with 500 members.  

Brad is a founding member of the Knowledge Broker Blueprint (KBB) speaking/training team led by Tony Robbins and Dean Graziosi, a community and self-education movement which has helped tens of thousands of people to launch their own masterminds. 

On today’s show Brad and I will speak about: 

The Gift of Growth: How to learn from your mistakes, challenges and struggles  The importance of clarity (in just 8 minutes)The power of Masterminds A key ingredient of a Mastermind: the Hot seat FormulaThe meaning of growth and how to bring growth into your lifeTips for Facilitating Virtual MastermindsTechnologies for running Masterminds, and more

LISTEN NOW:

 

About:

With 20 years as an entrepreneur and 16 years managing wealth under his belt, Brad Hart is committed to helping entrepreneurs and investors reach their full potential, so they can focus on solving the grand challenges of our time.  

Having gained extensive experience in real estate, investments, trading, marketing, sales and peak performance strategy, he’s built and helped build several companies, growing revenues and profits into the millions of dollars. His hedge fund, Hartwood Capital, returned 106% in profit in a single year.  

From co-leading a mastermind of 52 people in China and Hong Kong, to holding mastermind groups in Bali, Italy, Greece and all over the US, Brad has been a part of 28 masterminds and started 10 himself, including a local weekly mastermind group with 500 members.  

Brad is a founding member of the Knowledge Broker Blueprint (KBB) speaking/training team led by Tony Robbins and Dean Graziosi, a community and self-education movement which has helped tens of thousands of people to launch their own masterminds. 

Make More Marbles, Brad's company is a top ten affiliate partner for Tony and Dean as well.  

Build A Mastermind (or BAM for short) is Brad’s favourite initiative, helping entrepreneurs to add $100k+ to their businesses in profit per year with only 5-10 hours a month ongoing time commitment.    

He is a graduate of Binghamton University where he received a BS in Biology and rowed on the Crew team, as well worked as an EMT. 

Brad grew up in New York and now lives in San Diego, California.   

The Make More Marbles Team and extended family of clients comprises folks from all over the world, just like you who want to be more, do more and give more.  

Contact:

https://makemoremarbles.com/ https://8minutemastermind.comhttps://mastermindvirtually.com/bonus  Linkedin

 

The Gift Mindset® book is NOW available in all good bookstores and online.

If you’re ready to adopt and embrace a Gift Mindset and look at how our challenges and successes fall into 12 key areas that we call: The 12 Gifts, then go to www.GiftMindset.com and get your copy today. Or, if you’re interested in purchasing a bulk order, contact our team at: admin@reneegiarrusso.com

Why contribution in the workplace is more important than ever

As a core human need and contributing to ourselves and others, we can lead a more satisfying and purposeful life. Contribution is the gift that keeps on giving and can create a legacy that touches others and enables them to contribute.

In today’s workplace, contribution is more important than ever. Being in service to your team, peers, customers, and community is vital and will result in connection, collaboration and overall high performance.

We need to serve ourselves to better contribute to and serve others. The saying ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’ applies to all of us. We will feel more fulfilled and able to bring our ‘whole selves’ to whatever we do.

We can contribute to ourselves and others in many ways to ensure the Gift of Contribution doesn’t remain unwrapped.

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. — Mother Teresa

The 4 Keys of Contribution

To live the Gift of Contribution, I believe we need to contribute to four key areas to ensure that the Gift of Contribution doesn't remain unwrapped.

1. Contributing to yourself
The saying ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’ applies to all of us. We need to serve ourselves in order to better contribute to and serve others. It’s like fuelling a car – if we optimise self-contribution, the car will go further.

2. Contributing to your home team
Contributing to our family and acknowledging their contributions to us is imperative for a happy, loving home environment where family life can flourish.

 

To download a copy of The 4 Keys to Contribution Infographic, click here.

3. Contributing to your work team
Contributing within the workplace is not just clocking in and out – 80% of your success is actually showing up and wanting to contribute. We can contribute by tapping into shared accountability with peers, the customer and the organisation. You’ll feel more satisfaction knowing you made a difference without expecting anything in return.

4. Contributing to community
Community involvement provides a sense of belonging and social connectedness. Any effort to benefit the community is worthwhile, no matter how small. Communities can exist or be created from a shared location, hobbies, lived experiences and backgrounds, or a common cause.

Contribute in the areas above to truly live the Gift of Contribution. Start with self-contribution and plan small ways to contribute to your home team, work team and community. Many acts of contribution flow into each other. For example, you may share the skills you build through contributing to a community project with your work team.

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. — Winston Churchill

Lead to be Limitless…



eSpeakersSeal(32459, "8d24", 'virtual', "md", "1");

Find out where you sit on the Leadership Ladder. Your responses are anonymous, and the results summarised to help us better understand where our market sits so that we can continue to provide insights, tools and solutions to assist you in moving up to be LIMITLESS, co-creative and stand out.

Renée is a mentor, coach, expert facilitator and keynote speaker; She is the author of  ‘Gift Mindset®‘, ‘Limitless Leadership’, and co-author of ‘Leaders of Influence’.

PS: Want to skyrocket your success from working anywhere? We've launched our online program, and you can read more about that here.

Have you received your copy of Renée’s latest book, Gift Mindset®? It is available on Amazon, Booktopia and in all good book stores.

If this article resonates with you somehow, I’d love to hear your thoughts – get in touch.

Being in service to my clients is why I do what I do, and your feedback, insight, and suggestions are always embraced.

Follow Renée on Facebook, Instagram, IGTV or Twitter, or subscribe to her blog or new podcast here.

 

Navigate through the Hybrid Workplace Fog – Free Online Access to Supercharge Remote Teams

One thing is certain; we are all living and working in a time of constant change and uncertainty.

Working and leading in a hybrid environment, many leaders and teams feel overstretched, disconnected from each other and frustrated with the changing tides of lockdown.

A bit like being in a car that is constantly accelerating and then braking, this type of environment can be unsettling and can stifle motivation, productivity and wellbeing.

Leading hybrid teams and juggling a million balls, including strategy, systems, people, skills, innovation, sales, and so much more, certainly adds to the exhaustion.

We find many of our clients, and people in general, are saying they feel tired, burnt out and overwhelmed.

Does this sound like you or your team?

Working within and leading a hybrid team is fast becoming part of the new normal, and the success of you and your team comes down to having:

FOCUSED MINDSETclear PURPOSE and deep COMMITMENTRESILIENCE and MOTIVATION

As part of our valued community, our gift to you is FREE ACCESS to Modules 1 and 2 of the “Supercharge Leading Remotely” online course, which will deep dive into these skills!

What you get in the toolkitFree access to modules 1 & 2Educational videos2 x workbooks to work through in your time or with your teamAdditional resources to read and listen toA quiz to complete at the endModule 1 – Mindset Matters

Key themes

Mindset and where it comes fromThe process of thoughts, feelings and actionsThe three facets of self-awarenessInner dialogue and how to control itBubble vs a bursting mindset and beliefs that serve youModule 2 – Purpose, Commitment & Motivation

Key themes

The Commitment Quadrant and your positionBuilding a cadence of accountabilityPurpose of self and teamThe belief of self and teamUnderstanding motivation and how to tap into it

To adjust, adapt and amplify both the psychological and physical aspects when leading from anywhere, join our online program!

Click here to get immediate access to the Limitless Leadership Online Academy for free access to Modules 1 & 2.

How leadership benefits from strong team engagement and connection

With the current lockdowns in Australia, we need to navigate the path of uncertainty yet again.

We need to adapt to leading and working in a hybrid environment, homeschooling, keeping businesses going and in the process stay happy, motivated and optimistic.

Now, more than ever, connection is key, both to ourselves and those around us in and out of the workplace.

As leaders, we try to speak with our teams so they can hear what we have to say, but we don't always choose the appropriate time or space to ensure everyone is present and engaged. If we did, we would have ensured greater buy-in, and provided a forum for structured conversation, input from the team and dedicated time to go deeper. This, overall, would have made the message more intentional, the discussion and engagement would be deeper, and the interaction more memorable and well-received.

Attention is the equivalent of oxygen in building relationships.

Leadership Benefits

Friendships and relationships require emotion, and Dunbar believes touch is more powerful than words – something we cannot access virtually on social networks. Many of us have thousands of followers on social media platforms; however, these so-called connections are rare in the physical form.

If we exceed the magic number, it is unlikely that all the relationships in our network will last long or cohere well. The key barriers include the cognitive challenge of keeping track of more than 150 people and the time to build and maintain these relationships.

There are six ways in which you can build a deeper connection with others.

To download the model click here.

Apply Dunbar's model.CommunicateLock in personal time with peopleBuild rapportHave a curious mindsetNetwork

It is vital as we continue with lockdowns and uncertainty that we continue to take the time to connect with ourselves and others. Remaining connected builds and strengthens deep relationships and interactions, much needed in the busyness of the world today and more so online.

People in leadership need to connect deeply to gain trust, rapport, influence and buy-in. When a conductor leads an orchestra, trust, rapport and connection must be present for the performance to be of a high standard. These are people skills rather than technical skills. Leading people requires a focus on people before process and progress. Failing to connect is failing to lead.

We also all need to be open, honest and bold and provide feedback in real-time, even if it causes a disconnection, for example, when delivering constructive or confronting feedback. I believe a workplace culture strong in feedback and gratitude will always trump a transactional performance-based culture.

Clear, concise and open communication is key. Be honest and present and listen deeply. Build rapport by being a bit more like the other person.

In my latest book Gift Mindset®, I deep dive into the Gift of Connection to explore at a deeper level. Did you know that scientific research shows that human connection makes us healthier, happier and more productive?

Here are my 11 keys to deepening your connections with colleagues, loved ones and yourself.

The 11 Keys to Connection

1 Be present

2 Build rapport

3 Communicate openly

4 Show empathy

5 Have compassion for self and others

6 Have a curious mindset

7 Reinforce positives & provide feedback

8 Master your social skills

9 Show appreciation

10 Adopt a Gift Mindset

11 Share a story to connect

Click here to download The 11 Keys to Connection infographic.

Lead to be Limitless…



eSpeakersSeal(32459, "8d24", 'virtual', "md", "1");

Find out where you sit on the Leadership Ladder. Your responses are anonymous, and the results summarised to help us better understand where our market sits so that we can continue to provide insights, tools and solutions to assist you in moving up to be LIMITLESS, co-creative and stand out.

Renée is a mentor, coach, expert facilitator and keynote speaker; She is the author of  ‘Gift Mindset®‘, ‘Limitless Leadership’, and co-author of ‘Leaders of Influence’.

PS: Want to skyrocket your success from working anywhere? We've launched our online program, and you can read more about that here.

Have you received your copy of Renée’s latest book, Gift Mindset®? It is available on Amazon, Booktopia and in all good book stores.

If this article resonates with you somehow, I’d love to hear your thoughts – get in touch.

Being in service to my clients is why I do what I do, and your feedback, insight, and suggestions are always embraced.

Follow Renée on Facebook, Instagram, IGTV or Twitter, or subscribe to her blog or new podcast here.

Create a more collaborative work culture with the Gift of Forgiveness

Whether we practice forgiveness in the workplace or at home, forgiveness requires us to have a full heart. We need to be strong, open, brave, resilient, as well as show vulnerability and empathy. Brené Brown talks about these qualities belonging to ‘whole-hearted people’. Many people are too weakened by their hurt to be in a position to forgive. Consciously taking the right steps towards forgiveness will kick off the process of living life from a position of strength rather than weakness.

Psychologists define forgiveness as a deliberate and conscious decision to let go of or release feelings of resentment towards a person, a group or a situation. It is a process of letting go of hurt and anger, whether or not forgiveness is deserved. I think of forgiveness as both an emotion and a verb – a process we can all access.

When we come to forgive, it doesn’t mean we forget or condone what has happened. Instead, we forgive to create peace and space to move forward. Holding onto resentment is like poison, and every human deserves peace within. Forgiveness is rarely discussed in the workplace.

Imagine, though, if you could share your Gift of Forgiveness and the lessons you gleaned? Relationships would be truer and stronger, and this could lead to a more collaborative culture.

Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different, it’s accepting the past for what it was, and using this moment and this time to help you move forward. — Oprah Winfrey

Here are a few tips to go from a place of poison to peace; they will help you to unwrap your past, present or future Gifts of Forgiveness:

The 6 Keys to Forgiveness

To download a copy of the 6 Keys to Forgiveness Infographic, click here.

1. Identify and acknowledge your hurt
It’s important to know the source of the hurt or betrayal you are living with. Take the time to acknowledge how you are feeling and recognise your thoughts towards it.

2. Forgive yourself
Realising that everything that has happened, good or bad, has been pivotal to becoming the person you are today paves the way to self-forgiveness. Shift your thoughts and feelings towards the positive and the present.

 

3. Change your story
The things we tell ourselves shape our beliefs and then create the story we live by. Take the time to revisit your beliefs around the story you hold in the context of what needs to be forgiven.

4. Develop a forgiving mind through empathy
By practising empathy, you are ‘feeling into’ the other person – whether you believe what happened was wrong or right is irrelevant. We can forgive others in many ways, depending on where we are and how we want the relationship to be moving forward.

5. Seek support
Tap into resources such as reading and inspirational podcasts, which can equip you with motivation and supportive insights.

6. Practise gratitude
When we come to a place of peace, we have the best chance to live our best life and focus on what we have, rather than what we don’t have or what isn’t perfect.

Acceptance is the portal to forgiveness – taking the time to acknowledge and identify both the cause and our feelings allows us to choose how we want to forgive and what we need to do.

What do you need to do to unwrap and reveal your Gift of Forgiveness?

Lead to be Limitless…



eSpeakersSeal(32459, "8d24", 'virtual', "md", "1");

Find out where you sit on the Leadership Ladder. Your responses are anonymous, and the results summarised to help us better understand where our market sits so that we can continue to provide insights, tools and solutions to assist you in moving up to be LIMITLESS, co-creative and stand out.

Renée is a mentor, coach, expert facilitator and keynote speaker; She is the author of  ‘Gift Mindset®‘, ‘Limitless Leadership’, and co-author of ‘Leaders of Influence’.

PS: Want to skyrocket your success from working anywhere? We've launched our online program, and you can read more about that here.

Have you received your copy of Renée’s latest book, Gift Mindset®? It is available on Amazon, Booktopia and in all good book stores.

If this article resonates with you somehow, I’d love to hear your thoughts – get in touch.

Being in service to my clients is why I do what I do, and your feedback, insight, and suggestions are always embraced.

Follow Renée on Facebook, Instagram, IGTV or Twitter, or subscribe to her blog or new podcast here.

 

7 Ways to re-energise in life and leadership

Living life as our full energetic selves at home or in the workplace is vital to functioning at our highest level, both physically and mentally. We have so much to juggle and so many distractions, especially in our current environment, that we often feel depleted and can’t function as our true selves.

When someone is energised, you can feel their energy. When a work team is energised, members feel they can achieve almost anything. As a leader, if you see a gap in the energy in your team, you need to open the door to explore and see what is going on as a team. Energy, or lack of it, can be due to something deeper, so this needs to be delved into.

These days, people are working more hours and feeling stressed out, exhausted, overwhelmed, and burnt out. The World Health Organization recently deemed burnout as a classifiable workplace phenomenon.

As a leader, to adopt a Gift Mindset and tap into the Gift of Re-energising, we need to deepen our awareness of our energy and know what feeling energetic is like, compared to feeling depleted. We need to then accept what is going on in order to re-energise.

Re-energising as a leader

You need to exude the kind of energy you want to see in others. When I led corporate teams and now, as a leader in my business, staying true to my purpose has been key to keeping my energy, and that of others, inflow.

Whether you’re in a leadership role or not, you are responsible for leading yourself. Think about what energises you and start there. Be open about any concerns you have with your peers, manager or co-workers in other areas of the business. Get clear on your purpose and your expectations of yourself and others.

Here are four questions to ask:

What is the expectation of my role? Be specific and get clear on this.What is the expectation of my team?What is the teams' expectation of me?What is the expectation and purpose of the organisation?

If you need to re-energise, get support from those around you – whether in or outside the workplace. We all need a strong support network; remember, connection is an innate human need. Reach out to co-workers, loved ones, external mentors and friends.

The 7 keys to re-energise

To download a PDF copy of the 7-Keys to Re-energise Infographic, click here.

1. Live with purpose
Knowing the bigger picture of why you do what you do can energise you deeply. Finding passion in what you do and knowing your ‘why’ is the key.

2. Do what lights you up

Tapping into what brings you joy, in and outside work, raises your energy – even when you feel depleted.

3. Think positive self-thoughts and practise gratitude

What we tell ourselves creates how we feel and then what we do or don’t action. Where our thoughts go, our energy flows.

4. Exercise and sleep well

Regular physical activity can help you better deal with stress. Jealously plan and protect the time to do a form of exercise that works for you. A good night’s sleep restores wellbeing and helps protect your health.

5. Fuel up with food

What we put into our bodies directly impacts our health and energy. The best energising foods are rich in complex carbohydrates, protein, antioxidants, fibre, vitamins and minerals, plus small amounts of healthy fats.

6. Get outside and get grounded

Getting out in nature for a beach walk, bike ride, swim or gardening – or even eating lunch outside – can do wonders for your energy reserves. Grounding, also known as earthing, has been proven to help reduce stress and even pain.

7. Practise mindfulness

For some, mindfulness may occur through breath and meditation; for others, it may be through writing or cooking a meal for loved ones. Mindfulness re-energises us; I liken it to that feeling after daydreaming.

Lead to be Limitless…



eSpeakersSeal(32459, "8d24", 'virtual', "md", "1");

Find out where you sit on the Leadership Ladder. Your responses are anonymous, and the results summarised to help us better understand where our market sits so that we can continue to provide insights, tools and solutions to assist you in moving up to be LIMITLESS, co-creative and stand out.

Renée is a mentor, coach, expert facilitator and keynote speaker; She is the author of  ‘Gift Mindset®‘, ‘Limitless Leadership’, and co-author of ‘Leaders of Influence’.

PS: Want to skyrocket your success from working anywhere? We've launched our online program, and you can read more about that here.

Have you received your copy of Renée’s latest book, Gift Mindset®? It is available on Amazon, Booktopia and in all good book stores.

If this article resonates with you somehow, I’d love to hear your thoughts – get in touch.

Being in service to my clients is why I do what I do, and your feedback, insight, and suggestions are always embraced.

Follow Renée on Facebook, Instagram, IGTV or Twitter, or subscribe to her blog or new podcast here.

 

4 extraordinary ways to get comfortable with embracing change

Change is imperative in life. I believe it equates to growth, new learnings and possibilities. Although sometimes forced and challenging, the Gift of Change is needed if we are to move beyond stagnation.

How to tell if you're open to change

Here are three questions you can ask yourself to gauge whether you are out of your comfort zone and open to change:

Is your ‘why’ to change exceeding your ‘why’ to stay the same?How open are you being to identify and implement necessary
changes?What do you do that scares you and opens you up to new
possibilities?

The changes we face in life can come in varying forms, both professionally and personally. The most successful people, leaders and business owners I know embrace unknown change and take risks to grow. They don’t stay with what is comfortable – an easy trap.
to fall into.

I believe we can fall into one of four change patterns:

[image error]

1. Comfortable: we embrace known change as it can feel safe and
expected.
2. Defiant: we resist known change and many times don’t
understand the reason behind it.
3. Fearful: we resist unknown change as we usually don’t understand the motivation behind it.
4. Brave: When we are brave for change, we embrace the unknown and take a risk to do so.

It’s worth reflecting on where you sit, remembering you can move in and out of each quadrant dependant on what is going for you.

It is natural to embrace changes that are known and comfortable. To be open to the Gift of Change, I believe we need to open up our hearts and minds – both our logical and emotional side. When we have a compelling reason to make a change (the ‘why’) and the motivation to make it happen, we are more likely to embrace it.

I love change and embracing the unknown; although not easy at times, being open to review and explore the possibility of change has served me well. Forced or unknown change is always more challenging to deal with. My belief that things happen for a lesson is another insight that keeps me focused and open.

Change is hardest at the start, messiest in the middle and best at the end. — Robin Sharma

We all deal with change in our own way. Whether your Gift of Change and the lessons learnt are hidden, in the past or happening now, the following tried-and-tested tips will help you unwrap this gift.

The 8 keys to embrace change:

1. Know the reason – the ‘why' to change

2. Focus on what isn't changing and what you can control

3. Find balance between the logical and the emotional

4. Accept that change is a process

5. Know what lights you up

6. Be mindful of change effort

7. Avoid decision paralysis

8. Be excited by change and what could be

To download the 8 Keys to Embrace Change infographic click here.

Lead to be Limitless…



eSpeakersSeal(32459, "8d24", 'virtual', "md", "1");

Find out where you sit on the Leadership Ladder. Your responses are anonymous, and the results summarised to help us better understand where our market sits so that we can continue to provide insights, tools and solutions to assist you in moving up to be LIMITLESS, co-creative and stand out.

Renée is a mentor, coach, expert facilitator and keynote speaker; She is the author of  ‘Gift Mindset®‘, ‘Limitless Leadership’, and co-author of ‘Leaders of Influence’.

PS: Want to skyrocket your success from working anywhere? We've launched our online program, and you can read more about that here.

Have you received your copy of Renée’s latest book, Gift Mindset®? It is available on Amazon, Booktopia and in all good book stores.

If this article resonates with you somehow, I’d love to hear your thoughts – get in touch.

Being in service to my clients is why I do what I do, and your feedback, insight, and suggestions are always embraced.

Follow Renée on Facebook, Instagram, IGTV or Twitter, or subscribe to her blog or new podcast here.