I am standing at our roadSIGNS Booth at the Ottawa Health and Wellness Expo Friday evening, setting up and in anticipation of the next day. The setting up process is exciting and intentional as I imagine the conversations that will take place the next day and the amazing energy we will attract.
I stop for a moment to chat with the vendor next to us representing a nutrition company that I am also a part of, that is, I use their products. I mention this to her and she immediately backs away from me and with a glaring look asks, “Are you a competitor?”
What is it I hear in her voice? Certainly not a tone that I appreciate and so I looked at her and asked her, “Why would you say such a thing to me. There is no such thing as competition, at least not in my view. Competition is a choice, one you can make and how about we simply agree to collaborate?”
She stumbled over her words at that point. I recognize that I was pretty straight forward with her but I just could not stop myself. This is the old thinking pattern, the old masculine way, compete and conquer. She muttered, “Well one of the vendors over there (pointing across the room) said that to me earlier.”
I put my arm around her shoulder and said, “You get to choose who you want to be and how you present yourself to others. Be a collaborator – that will take you a lot further.”
I feel like the game is up and that we need to hold ourselves to a more evolved way of being and thinking. That means being consciously aware of what we are communicating to ourselves and others. The world will not change unless we change, each of us.
And this is my invitation to you.
Begin today to become consciously aware of the conversation going on inside your head. Are you lifting yourself up or putting yourself down?
When you are in conversation with others, are you listening, more importantly are you hearing them?
What about the words that you choose – words are the vehicles of your thoughts, they reflect the inner dialogue. Words matter. It may be time for all of us to put our brains in gear before our mouths are in action. Better still, maybe we need to engage our hearts more and speak from there and give our heads a break.
Let’s all take pause and become more conscious communicators, with ourselves first and with others next. Begin listening in on your inner dialogue and noticing what you are saying to YOU. The turn outward and observe how you are communicating with others and what you are saying. Be clear about what you want to attract and choose your words accordingly.
Until next time…
Betty