Have you ever feared loss?

My daughter is going to college this fall. I find myself struggling emotionally. 

We are very close in so many ways. It’s hard for me to imagine life post August. 

As my husband and I walked out of the Senior Breakfast event at her high school, another Mom said to me, “That is our job, to let them go and grow.”

I paused. Reflected. Took a deep breath. 

She is right. I know that cognitively, but I still get stuck in an emotional and physical state of worry and fear. 

But this is what I coach many corporate executives on - to let go and allow their direct reports grow. I need to coach myself!

I am known for an integrated Mind-Body approach to personal development and leadership coaching. It’s a powerful shortcut in taking habit changing/forming from good “intention” to real “action.”

Let me apply it to help myself.

MIND: change my mental narrative (the story I tell myself over and over again, often unconsciously)

• My old mental narrative: I am going to lose her. My life will not be the same. This is not good for me.

• My new mental narrative: She is ready to blossom. We’ve e done a great job!

BODY: change my physiology to shift to a more helpful state of being.

• My old physiology: eyebrows furrowed, facial muscles down, chest caved in.

• My new physiology: chest up , shoulders down, smile.

• My embodied action: I speak my new mental narrative while embodying my new physiology. “She is ready to blossom! We’ve done a great job!” While I speak, I smile with my chest up and shoulders down, I even fist down with conviction! Repeat several times until I am in a new and more helpful state of being - usually less than 1 minute. I would repeat several times a day for the next couple of weeks, and resume practice whenever needed.

In less than a minute of practicing my embodied action, I am feeling confident, strong, proud, and grounded. I am ready and excited to help my daughter embrace a new chapter of her life - and also a new chapter of my life! So much is possible!

If you want to apply this in a work setting, you can simply choose a slightly different mental narrative, such as “I develop leaders,” “I am a strong leader and coach,” “I achieve more through people,” etc. 

You can share this approach to help others shift out of an undesired state. Research shows that our own learning retention is maximized when we teach what we learn. 

I am proud to be a Mom.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms you love!

P.S. 

1. Want to learn more about how to use a Mind-Body approach to maximize your impact and fulfillment? Check out my book Leadership Unlocked: Unleash the Power of Your Body for Impact and Fulfillment.

2.  Contact me to discuss bringing out the best in your leadership team.