All posts by Diane

Why I Can’t Promote My New Book Just Yet

 

A NOTE FROM DIANE:

I almost didn’t post the above video.  It’s personal.  And it was recorded in a fragile moment.  But then I remembered how comforted I have felt by messages from people who were courageous enough to talk about the challenges and frustrations they were working through.  And I decided, the hell with it.  I’m going to put the video up.  If it lifts the hearts of just one or two people, it’ll be worth it.

If you’ve ever been in a spot where, despite having access to an overwhelming amount of information and people that seem to have it all figured out, you just can’t seem to find any answers — know that you are not alone.  And please also know, that you too will find your way.

 

Here is the written version of what I said in the video:

 
PinocchioPrinciplePeople have been asking me, What have you done to promote your book?  Do you have a publicist?  Are you going on tour?

I wrote this book — The Pinocchio Principle: Becoming the Leader You Were Born to Be.  It took me six years to write it.  It’s been out for three months.  And I can’t get myself to promote it.  I can’t get myself to do anything with it.  And I know that I should.

So the other day, I was watching a webcast from someone talking about how to become a best seller — how to become a trusted advisor.  And I began to fill my head with all these things I thought I should be doing.  I found myself taking copious notes.   And I got to this point where I couldn’t watch it anymore.  I had to turn it off.  Something got into me and I literally had to go cry.  And I cried so hard I almost threw up.

After all that passed, I realized that the reason that I can’t promote my book yet is that I’m looking so hard outside of myself for people to tell me what to do in an arena where I don’t feel like I have the answers.  And the irony is that the book I wrote is about how to trust your inner wisdom and how to navigate through your challenges and your uncertainty.

And so when I got done crying I had to start laughing.  Because it’s kind of funny that I actually already have the workbook I need.  It’s right here [in the book I’ve poured my heart into for the last six years].

The truth of the matter is that this book isn’t really as much for you as it is for me.  And before I can really promote it — before I can feel as though it will be of value to people, I need to live it.  And that’s what I’m going to do.

For more on finding your way:

Finding Your Answer in the Midst of Chaos
From Frustration to Fruition
Leading Through Uncertainty
Embracing Life’s Uncertainty
Enduring a Stormy State of Mind
The Pinocchio Principle: Becoming the Leader You Were Born to Be

Finding Your Answer In the Midst of Chaos

The video above was born of a desire to capture not only the feeling of frustration and chaos, but also a way to rise above it .  Below is a transcript of what I said (minus the demonstration). And at the end of the transcript are links to other resources on finding answers in the midst of chaos.

Do you ever get so frustrated that you can’t take it anymore?  Find yourself in a situation where you have NO IDEA what to do?  So mad.  All you want to do is get away.  You want to leave.  You want to escape.  But you can’t.  You’re stuck.  And the more you panic, the tighter everything gets.  The more trapped you feel.  The more angry you are.  And it gets worse.  And WORSE.

Maybe it’s a conflict — a difficult conversation.  Maybe someone just dropped a bomb on you — gave you feedback that was kind of painful.  Or maybe someone just told you to get your project done in a day instead of a week.  Maybe the rug just got pulled out from under you.  Who knows?

We have this every day.  I have this.  And the more I resist, the more I LOSE IT.  I lose my head.  I lose touch with anything that might help me get out of the situation.

But you know what?  Maybe, instead of trying to GET AWAY and make things happen just the way WE want them to, we can just relax, take a deep breath, reconnect, take another look and realize…  Hey, you know what?  It’s not as bad as I thought. I was making a lot of stuff up when I was panicking.  But when I look at it and relax — when I connect, I realize I have everything I need.

And then, I find my answer.  And so will you.

For more information on finding answers in the midst of chaos:

Miracles in DisguisePinocchioPrinciple
From Frustration to Fruition
Embracing Life’s Uncertainty
Busting Out of the Box
Enduring a Stormy State of Mind
Embracing Life’s Uncertainty
The Pinocchio Principle: Becoming the Leader You Were Born to Be

Bouncing Back: Hope for the Hopeless

Have you experienced a disappointment or setback in your recent past that left you reeling? Have you found it difficult to get excited about things and maybe even felt like you needed to make a drastic change in order to bounce back?  If so, this week’s video post is just for you.  Below is a written version of what is in the video.

If you live in Phoenix, you may have noticed that a lot of shrubbery and trees froze over the winter.  They look like they are dead — all dried up and prickly – ugly.  I have a bougainvillea in my back yard that froze  — not a pretty sight.  It’s tempting to pull the whole thing out.   Because it looks like it is dead.  But I know that it is not, because this has happened in the past. And I know that once we trim all the dead stuff off, in the coming weeks, it will come back fuller and even more beautiful than it was last year.

That bougainvillea is a lot like us.  I think a lot of us have experienced what we would call a freeze in our lives at some point – maybe a layoff, a reorganization, or just having the rug pulled out from under you, where you think that nothing is the way you want it to be and you wonder how you will ever recover.  And I think some of us have been in a freeze for a really long time.  We’ve lost the passion in what we do.  We’ve lost the lightness in our step and maybe things have become a bit of a drudge.

You may think you have to change everything to bounce back, just like you might think you have to pull this tree out.  But really, there is wisdom in realizing that sometimes we have the opportunity to trim the dead stuff away and to recognize that there is something underneath it just waiting to break through.  And the freeze is neither good, nor bad.  It just is.  Whatever it is that may have happened to you or me in our past — it’s not good, it’s not bad — it just is.  What we need to realize that there is something within needing to break though and we have an opportunity to trim away the stuff that isn’t working anymore and have faith that in the spring we will bloom fuller, brighter and bigger than we did before.

For more on bouncing back:

Miracles in Disguise

From Frustration to Fruition

Bringing Leadership to Life

Leading Through UncertaintyPinocchioPrinciple

Embracing Life’s Uncertainty

Bouncing Back: Perserverance Personified

Leaping Into the Unknown

The Pinocchio Principle: Becoming the Leader You Were Born to Be

How Do You Know If It’s Really a Sign?

My last couple of posts (A Story about Signs, Synchronicity & Meaningful Coincidences and Another Story about Signs, Synchronicity & Meaningful Coincidences) featured videos about experiences I had that gave me the courage I needed to take action toward something that I was excited about and a little scared of.  The signs were clear and empowering.  But sometimes we get signs or have experiences that are not so supportive or uplifting.  And other times the signs we get are conflicting.  What do you make of THAT?

Well, on that note, I have another story to tell you.  Shortly after I gave my notice six years ago to leave my cushy job and start my own business, I met some friends/colleagues for dinner and was excited to tell them the news of my recent decision.   I was still reeling from the sudden turn of events and though I was thrilled about the leap I had just taken, I was also feeling a bit nervous and vulnerable (as most people do when they move out of their comfort zones).  I was hoping that they would give me added encouragement and support.

Unfortunately, they did not.  In fact, they were quite adamant with their cautionary tales about several people they knew who had left their stable jobs only to find themselves barely scraping by and lamenting their decisions.  GREAT.  This is NOT what I wanted to hear.  And it bothered me that two people I respected and admired — who were in fact successful independent consultants in their own right — were chastising me for my decision instead of congratulating me.  (Yes, there was a little ego in there too.)

I left the restaurant feeling beaten and discouraged.  I began to question myself and doubt my abilities.  I worried that I had made a costly mistake.  Was this a sign?

The next day I went running on a canal bank near my house, which I frequently do to clear my head and tune in to something bigger than myself.  I reflected on the previous evening’s conversation.  I felt the worry well up inside of me and ran harder and faster as though I could possibly outrun it.  Did I make the right decision?

Those who sayIn the next moment, a sign caught my eye.  It was a mile marker placed on the side of the canal by a running club for people who were training for an upcoming 10K.  Beneath the number on the sign, there was a quote.  It said “Those who believe it cannot be done should get out of the way of those who are doing it.”

I felt the hair on my arms stand up.  The worry gave way to relief and then laughter.  I knew this little sign was for me.

Here’s what I learned from that.  When it is really a sign that has significance, it will resonate with your inner wisdom – not your inner critic.  It will make you feel strong, at peace, and calm.  The sign or experience itself isn’t as important as the feeling it evokes and the messages we intuit.

There have been times when I was considering a course of action that wasn’t right for me.  As I reflect on what might have been signs that confirmed an inner knowing that I should not proceed, those signs were never shameful or disparaging.  Rather, they simply heightened my awareness of an incongruence I was already experiencing on some level – kind of like the way I’ve felt after trying something on that I really wanted to wear, but just didn’t fit right, or playing the piano and landing on a note that was in the wrong key.

Sometimes I paid attention to those little signs, and sometimes I didn’t — perhaps a story for another post.  Suffice it to say that when I paused long enough to ask, listen, and really discern what was going on, it made all the difference in the world.

For more information on Signs, Synchronicity and Meaningful Coincidences:

A Story About Signs, Synchronicity and Meaningful Coincidences

   Deciphering Signs, Synchronicity and Meaningful Coincidences

Another Story About Signs, Synchronicity and Meaningful Coincidences

The Pinocchio Principle: Becoming the Leader You Were Born to BePinocchioPrinciple

Another Story About Signs, Synchronicity & Meaningful Coincidences

This week’s post features a video of an even more unbelievable story than the last one I shared with you —  about a series of seemingly random and recurring events that had a profound impact on me. These experiences provided the courage and the nudge I needed to take action on something that simultaneously excited and terrified me —  leaving my stable, well paid job to launch my dream of having my own business. Below is a written version of the story (as it appears in my new book The Pinocchio Principle: Becoming the Leader You Were Born to Be), minus a few details I added in the above video version.

For years I worked as an internal consultant and executive coach for a large corporation in a job I loved. Gradually, I began to recognize my longing to break out to start my own business and have more flexibility and time to spend with my family. Initially, I dismissed these yearnings as something everyone encounters. Then I began looking into what it would take to actually start a corporation. Though I daydreamed of the possibilities, the thought of leaving my job altogether seemed impractical since I was enjoying my work and had wonderful working conditions. I reasoned that I would stay there unless things changed to the point that I didn’t enjoy it anymore.

I kept waiting for things to take a turn for the worse — for someone to tell me I couldn’t do the work I was passionate about anymore, or for the organization to be restructured in such a way that was no longer optimal for me. None of that happened. In fact, things just seemed to get better and better there. Still, these visions and dreams continued to beckon. They became more and more pronounced, until finally I began to seriously entertain the notion of taking action on them.

I began to find screws everywhere I went. I walked across the kitchen floor and stepped on one. An elevator opened up and I saw another one on the floor in front of me. They were turning up when I cleaned my kids’ rooms, and in other odd places. In a meeting, a co-worker and I were pouring over some documents when a tiny screw popped out of her reading glasses and landed on the papers in front of us. Initially, I didn’t think anything of finding these screws. But after several occurrences, I became curious as to whether there could be significance.

One day while on the phone with a very good friend, I related my experiences. “Maybe you’re screwed,” she joked. “Or I have a few screws loose?” I retorted. She suggested we look up the definition of a screw in the dictionary. As she went to get her dictionary, I wandered around the house, phone in hand, straightening things up. When she came back to the phone, among the many definitions she read was one that said “something that must be turned or acted upon in some manner.” As she said the words, I reached into the small drawer of a sewing table in our living room and felt my hand wrap around a zip-lock bag. I lifted the bag out of the drawer to find — you guessed it — a bag of screws in assorted sizes.

This act held profound meaning for me, as it seemed to be the crowning event of a series of seemingly coincidental incidents that became more and more pronounced until they finally got my attention. Whether it was my subconscious mind, the screws, or both, I felt sure there was a message for me. The following week, I gave my notice at work (and didn’t encounter any more screws after that).

For more information on Signs, Synchronicity and Meaningful Coincidences:

A Story About Signs, Synchronicity and Meaningful Coincidences (the first one)

   Deciphering Signs, Synchronicity and Meaningful Coincidences

The Pinocchio Principle: Becoming the Leader You Were Born to BePinocchioPrinciple

Deciphering Signs, Synchronicities and Meaningful Coincidences

My last post, A Story About Signs, Synchronicities and Meaningful Coincidences, featured a video about a series of seemingly random events that gave me needed encouragement while I was writing my book, The Pinocchio Principle.  If you didn’t catch the video, you can watch it below or click here for the last post.  I know it seems somewhat unlikely that these things actually happened, but they did.  And after talking with many others about their own experiences of this sort, I have come to believe that signs and synchronicities such as these are not all that uncommon.

Many of us simply dismiss them as random and insignificant coincidences, which is completely understandable.  It’s not all that different than having bought a car only to finally notice other cars on the road just like yours.  They were always there, but you didn’t really notice them before.  Is that a meaningful coincidence?  Well, it depends on how you look at it.  Those cars hold meaning for you after you’ve bought yours because now you identify with them.  They are no longer just other cars on the road; they are cars that are identical to the one that you most likely went through a very long process to procure for yourself.  And after buying that same model, you now have an affinity for it.  It jumps out at you because it feels good.

So when other things repeatedly catch our attention, they probably hold some kind of meaning for us as well.  We just may not realize what that meaning is.  Like my experience with finding Pinocchio memorabilia, what repeatedly catches your attention could be an object.  But it could also be a person, or a phrase.  It might be an image, or a song or even a movie that recurs. What is most important is not so much the objects or  experiences but rather what we associate with them and how these things make us feel.

Often we are so busy or preoccupied that we don’t slow down long enough to realize what these things are trying to tell us.  But when we do, we are often surprised and delighted to discover that they give credence to our deepest longings, most inspiring visions and grandest dreams — you know, the ones that beckon to us and attempt to break through all our doubt and mental chatter to show us a whole new field of possibility.  Every time I see a sign like that, I like to think of it as something or someone gently encouraging me to go stop questioning my ability and instead begin to question and move beyond my doubts.

In the next few days, pay attention to what jumps out at you.  See if there are recurring themes.  Slow down long enough to inquire into what these experiences are trying to tell you.  Move into it.  Feel it.  Even if you don’t immediately know the answer, the act of paying attention and asking the question will get you closer to finding it.  And it could be the beginning of something really big and wonderful.

Here’s that video, in case you missed it:  (if you don’t see it below, click here)

PinocchioPrincipleIn my next post, I’ll share another series of signs, synchronicities and meaningful coincidences I had that gave me the courage to finally take action toward my lifelong dream of having my own business.  If you’d like to read more on deciphering signs, synchronicities and meaningful coincidences, I’ve written a whole chapter called Navigational Tools in my new book, The Pinocchio Principle: Becoming the Leader You Were Born to Be, now available on AmazonYou can find out more at http://www.PinocchioPrinciple.com.

A Story About Signs, Synchronicity and Meaningful Coincidences

Have you ever had a seemingly random experience that seemed like a coincidence, but held so much meaning for you that you had to wonder whether there was more to it?  This week’s blog post, A Story About Signs, Synchronicity and Meaningful Coincidences features a video about one of the experiences I had while writing The Pinocchio Principle: Becoming the Leader You Were Born to Be that helped me to know when it was time to rest and time to run with it.  Below is a written version of what I said in the video.

When I started writing The Pinocchio Principle, before I told anyone that I was writing it – or what it was called, I started getting Pinocchio gifts from various places.  My mother-in-law went to Italy and brought back wooden Pinocchio figurines.  My mother ended up going a few months later and brought back more puppets.  I ended up getting all kinds of Pin stuff – pencils, banks, ornaments, t-shirts.  My kids started wanting to a Pinocchio movie that had sat on the shelf for years, and an old tattered Pinocchio book was suddenly something my young daughter wanted to read over and over again.   It was the weirdest thing.

Pinocchio PencilsAnd then I began to wonder whether there was more the to Pinocchio thing than I originally thought.  I started to enjoy it and remember telling the kids that those Pinocchio pencils Grandma brought back were special and not to be  sharpened.

But there was a time when I was really busy and couldn’t find the time to write.  I didn’t even have the urge, so I shelved it for awhile — a long while.  And over time I started noticing that I wanted to write again.  I had more things to say.  By this time, my good friends knew that I was writing The Pinocchio Principle, and one of them called to tell me that she saw a billboard saying  Pinocchio was out on Blue Ray and there was all kinds of hype about it.  I thought, “This is interesting…”.

The next day, I wandered into the kitchen and saw one of the Pinocchio pencils on the counter —  sharpened.  And I knew it was time for me to write again.

 

The Pinocchio Principle: Becoming the Leader You Were Born to Be is now available on Amazon.  For more information or to download an excerpt, go to http://www.PinocchioPrinciple.com.

A Story About a Bad Day

Ever had “one of those days?”  This week’s blog post, A Story About a Bad Day,  is about one that I had recently and the valuable lesson I gained through the experience.  Below is a written version of what I said in the video.

I was driving to a client appointment while drinking a cup of coffee.  Stopping at a light, I wedged the coffee cup into my lap and proceeded to fix my lipstick.  The light turned, I stepped on the gas, and suddenly felt the sting of hot coffee, which had spilled everywhere.  As I was getting onto the freeway I realized that I was about to go into a meeting looking like I had just peed my pants.  So I rolled all the windows down and turned the heat on full blast.  When I got to my destination, I slowly and carefully slinked to my seat carrying one bag in front of me and another behind me.

I tried to console myself with the thought that things could only improve from here.  Unfortunately, they did not.  I came home to meet a refrigerator repair man to find that it would cost more to fix my fridge than buy a new one.  Shortly after that I went to lower some blinds which came crashing down when I touched them.  I then realized that I had to get my daughter to a group photo where she was supposed to be wearing a t-shirt with a horse shoe transfer ironed onto it.  Not knowing which direction the transfer was supposed to go, I quickly pulled it out of the package, and slapped it on the t-shirt to find later that she was the only little girl with the horse shoe pointing down instead of up.  AND I had made a permanent horseshoe indentation on the built-in cabinet I just had painted because I was in too much of a hurry to put something underneath it.  On my way back, I cut the corner coming into my driveway too short and scraped my car against the retaining wall.

I decided I’d call to see if I could get the blinds fixed.  The repair woman asked me to carefully and gently un-wedge them from the wall.  At that point I told her I didn’t think I should be doing anything like that today and proceeded to tell her about my day.  She started laughing and quickly apologized, commenting that it was good to know other people had days like that.  Then I started laughing.  And it felt good.  We joked that maybe I shouldn’t leave the house — just order pizza and call it a day.

But after I got off the phone I realized that I didn’t need to be afraid to leave the house.  In one way or another I had gotten myself into a frame of mind that was affecting my whole day.  Whether I was conscious of it or not,  I believe I was drawing more experiences to myself that confirmed my belief that it was going to be a crappy day, which is exactly what I was having.  Once I lightened up, I was able to let go of that and things got a lot better.  And I learned something valuable.

PinocchioPrincipleMy experience demonstrates  the power our thoughts have over the way we see and experience things in the world, which directly influences the actions we take as well as the results that come of them.  I’ve written more about this dynamic in my new book The Pinocchio Principle: Becoming the Leader You Were Born to BeIt is now available on Amazon.  For more information or to download an excerpt, go to http://www.PinocchioPrinciple.com.

Rekindling Your Passion at Work

DisneylandLast weekend, my family and I went to Disneyland, where we spent two days playing at what has become known as “The Happiest Place on Earth”. And there really is something about that place that allows all your troubles to melt away while the kid in you comes alive. It is easy to be in the moment while you’re there – totally present, completely immersed in the experience, and sharing joy with everyone around you – even people you’ve never met.

It got me to thinking. What is it about Disneyland that is so transformational, and how can we create a similar experience wherever we are?

Now, you might be saying, “Come on, it’s Disneyland!  And people are on vacation when they’re there.  How can you not be happy in a place where there is beauty everywhere you look and where the whole point is to let go and have fun?  And when you are on vacation you’re not pulled in a million different directions and under the same pressure and stress you are every other day – especially at work.”

Yeah, I get that.  But the experiences we have come down to what we allow ourselves to feel and what we are thinking about and believing when we are having them.  So, perhaps it is conceivable that we can learn to deliberately respond to situations in ways that would lead us to draw out the same emotion and energy – no matter where we are. 

I can’t help but think about the people who were (and still are) responsible for creating and running Disneyland.  Their workdays consist of being a part of and contributing to something that evokes the very best in all the millions of people that come into contact with it.  And it seems that they wouldn’t be able to do that if they weren’t bringing the very best of who they are to the experience as well – despite the pressure and tension they surely feel along the way.

Walt DisneyI believe part of the wonder and magic we experience when we are at Disneyland is the same wonder and magic that the place was infused with from it’s very beginning — starting with the man called Walt Disney and equally shared by every human being he partnered with from the beginning to bring his incredible vision to life and keep making it better and better.  Walt Disney dared to dream and dream big.  He worked with people who shared his passion to build on this dream by adding their own unique talent, energy and imagination.  They were inspired by the possibility of being a part of something bigger than themselves.

When was the last time you felt inspired in your work?  When was the last time you had passion for your career?  What is it that allows you to feel a sense of wonder and contribution to something bigger? 

If you have lost touch with that, do yourself and everyone around you a favor and take some time to reconnect with it.  Each one of us has something deep inside that we are uniquely qualified and put on this earth to create or do.  When we are young, the energy of our dreams propels us along our path —sometimes blindly, but it gets us off our duffs and into action.  We experience hardships along the way, and will undoubtedly fail again and again.  Life will throw us curve balls and we may find ourselves feeling beaten down and doing what we can to just get by, running from one crisis to another and sometimes going in circles.  At some point, we may check out and take an easier path – one that allows us to go numb and somewhat unconscious.  It may work for awhile, but over time we begin to feel the misery that comes along with abandoning our dreams and letting our passion take the back seat.

 What would it take for you to get excited about what you are doing right now?  What is the bigger why of the work you do every day?  Who does it serve, and how?  If you can’t answer that question, do some digging.  When you can connect those dots to a bigger picture, you may find that what you thought was insignificant is really actually quite meaningful and a vital piece of a larger puzzle you are meant to help assemble.  As you recognize your part and the value you provide, perhaps you’ll be inspired to bring a little more of who you are to what you do by playing more fully, being more present, and connecting more deeply with those who rely on you.

wishing wellYour passion is like a hidden well with unlimited reserves – in the act of tapping it, you will replenish it in such a way that it multiplies.  And as you unleash it in your work, you will draw out something extraordinary in every human being that comes into contact with it – just like Walt Disney did (and still does).

Sometimes when we are honest with ourselves, we recognize the ways in which we have boarded up that well and consciously or unconsciously do whatever we can to keep it locked.  Something may have happened that led us to doubt our chances of success, or fear the outcome of expressing our greatest ideas or challenging the status quo.  Perhaps we’ve experienced something that led us to harden ourselves out of resentment at a turn of events that was painful – maybe a reorganization, restructuring or layoff.  We may have come to the conclusion that the best way to stay safe was to lay low, going through the motions and getting through the day until we could go home and really live.

Walt DisneySuch a reaction may yield dividends in the short term.  We may feel as though we have beaten a system that seemed to be beating us.  Or perhaps we can stay under the radar long enough to avoid what we believe will be more pain.  But in the end we are only cheating ourselves and others.

Walt Disney experienced his share of hardship.  After his failed attempt to be hired as an artist for his local paper, he took an apprenticeship at an Art Studio and ended up getting laid off.  He started two different companies, neither of which were profitable.  He lived in his office because he couldn’t afford rent and hardly had enough money to eat.  Before he was able to complete his “Alice’s Wonderland” film, he declared bankruptcy.  Imagine how many millions of people would have missed out on his unique genius if he gave into his frustration and fear and played small instead.

It seems that we are at a kind of crossroads where the tension is mounting.  The deviations and quick fixes that used to work for us are no longer satisfying.  The pain that comes from denying our greatest dreams and visions is beginning to intensify and more and more people are asking how they can create lives of meaning and significance.  Some of the people I talk to believe they need to leave their jobs to do what they really want to do.  Others see opportunities where they can make a bigger difference but just don’t know how to start and fear that taking action could be put themselves at risk somehow.

I strongly believe that we can all make a difference right where we are — no matter where we are or who we are — and that we have everything within ourselves that we need to succeed.

PinocchioPrincipleI have been so fascinated with the question of how people can tap their inner reserves to reconnect with their passion, wisdom, creativity and unique talent (and how I can do this for myself as well), that I wrote a book about it.  It is called The Pinocchio Principle: Becoming the Leader You Were Born to Be  and it is now available on Amazon.  For more information or to download an excerpt, go to http://www.PinocchioPrinciple.com.

* Source: www.disneydreamer.com.

My Most Embarrassing Moment

 

This week’s blog post, My Most Embarrassing Moment,  features a video about one of those experiences I’d rather not repeat and why the most powerful lesson from it didn’t come to me until years later.  Below I’ve expanded a bit on the key messages.

gym treadmillOne of my most embarrassing moments happened while running on a treadmill at a gym.  When I went to fix my hair, my foot hit the part of the treadmill that wasn’t moving and I lost my balance.  I hit the belt, which was still moving and was catapulted into the middle of the room where other people were working out.  Whether it actually happened or not, it felt as though the room went silent and all eyes were on me.

I’m pretty sure I was bleeding.  Though I was bruised and in a lot of pain, it didn’t come close to the humiliation and embarrassment I was experiencing.   I smiled and nodded as people asked me if I was okay, pulled myself up and somehow hobbled out of there.  To this day, I really don’t like to run on treadmills and tend to avoid them.

The lesson I took from that experience is that treadmills would hurt me.  But there was a far more powerful lesson that I initially missed.   When I fell, I wasn’t in the moment.  My head was somewhere else.  I wasn’t conscious or balanced and as a result, bad things happened.  My belief that treadmills will hurt me and I need to stay away from them is an assumption.  A faulty assumption.

PinocchioPrincipleIn my new book, The Pinocchio Principle: Becoming the Leader You Were Born to Be, I drew an analogy of assumptions like these to the strings that keep Pinocchio from realizing his dream of becoming real and doing what he really wanted to do.   My assumption that I need to stay away from treadmills is keeping me from what could otherwise be a very enjoyable experience, particularly if I don’t have the luxury of running outside.  I’ve written a whole chapter about how our assumptions keep us from doing the things we really want to do in our lives and how we can dismantle these strings so that we can live and lead in new, powerful ways.

What’s your treadmill story?  Maybe it is something you tried that didn’t go very well and led you to  rule out the whole experience and figure you were no good at it.  Maybe your story is about a person that reminds you of someone from your past with whom you didn’t have a good experience.  In either case, chances are you’re believing things that are not necessarily true and keeping you from something that could be really great.

What would you need to do to be free of that?

Click here if you’d like to order a copy of The Pinocchio Principle, or go to www.PinocchioPrinciple.com for more information.

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