Maybe. We’ve all been there, right? Your boss has hired some schmuck to deliver a bunch of feel-good, kumbaya mush that’s supposed to build better teams or something? As one of those schmucks, a question I love to ask my clients and audiences at some point during our interaction is: Is this worth your time? I particularly love to ask that when it’s clear they’re thinking…no! Of course, many of them don’t believe it’s going to help. They don’t know me. They don’t have any reason to believe this particular talk is going to make any difference. They’ve tried stuff like this before, and it’s created no change whatsoever…
What I like to point out is that they’re right. If you’re under the belief that nothing can ever change, well guess what? Nothing will. What’s Henry Ford’s famous line? “If you think you can or you think you can’t…” It is soooooo easy to stonewall this kind of effort. All you gotta do is Nancy Reagan it and “Just Say No!” No, I won’t participate. No, I won’t talk about it. No, I won’t do anything different. No, this is who I am, I can’t be someone I’m not…No.
But if you’re one of those people that thinks “just maybe,” and you’re willing to make a concerted effort to change the toxic culture you work in, your career trajectory, your relationships, your goals — is their any chance that you could do it? If you don’t think so, then any effort is a waste of time. Reading this blog is a waste of time. Coaching is definitely a waste of time. But if you think you could — even if you’re not sure how — than anything becomes possible. This blog, some coaching, or a really good book like Brene Brown’s “Daring Greatly” could change your world. If you think change might happen, it’s worth the effort to Dare Greatly.
If you’re not sure whether change is possible, I can prove to you that it is. My evidence is that you’re reading this blog. You haven’t always read it, have you? You started for whatever reason. And that, in itself, is change. Since the age of six you have likely changed your taste in food, music, clothes, movies…even a small change is change, and any change is evidence OF change. Remember the nursing home research? There’s lots of evidence that change is not only possible, it’s accessible — and inevitable. We are more vibrant, creative, effective, and attractive when we connect and communicate and engage with one another. But we have to start by believing change is possible, even just a little bit.
If you’re looking for change, contact me for a free coaching session.
