I like this message. I keep seeing these words on t-shirts, in emails, and on signs. I guess it’s a message that I’m meant to see. Calm is not an easy concept for me. Don’t get me wrong. I can be calm. There have been times in the midst of chaos I’ve been able to keep it together.
My normal mode of operation though is busy and energetic. That seems like the opposite of calm. However, I see the value of calm, cool, and collected. The ability to stay calm for instance when you are with an angry guest is paramount to solving the problem. Staying calm during a confrontation with a team member, a friend, or a spouse, could help you resolve a negative situation in a really positive way.
You might want to join me in practicing being calm. I know it sounds silly; but I don’t think any of us get better at anything without a whole lot of practice. Oh I know, some people are just more naturally laid back. I’m married to the “calmest” man on earth! If I try to rile him up and interrupt his calmness, he usually just laughs at me. That does not help my calm by the way! He does make me laugh though-(most of the time).
Here’s my suggestion to practicing calm. You see I think that if I can practice when I don’t need it then I’ll be able to access in the trying moments. So the first thing I’m working on is to just noticing when I’m not calm. What’s happening? How could I respond in a different way? This speaks to really adopting the habit of acting rather than reacting. I think my mom explained it as, “look before you leap.”
I think the second thing I’m doing is very cool. I get the benefit of exercise and practice in being calm. You see, I don’t run all that well. That’s not really true. I don’t breathe well when I run (really jog). You can imagine that if breathing is an issue it’s easy to panic (way opposite of calm). In those moments I want to stop running and walk instead. I’ve never hit that moment of the “runners high” because I always stop running in order to catch my breath. So it’s a great practice for me to physically work on calming my breath so that I can run easier. I believe this practice 4 or 5 days a week will make a great difference in the long run (pun intended!)
Thanks for checking in with us today. It’s always a delight to me to see how many of you seem to enjoy our newsletter. If you’ve got any hot tips about how to stay calm under pressure, post them on our Facebook. I know I would appreciate any advice!
