Are You Winning?

A while ago, a brilliant, always-on-point colleague asked me a question that will forever stay with me. Let me set the table for a moment.

I was enthusiastically sharing all of the things I was working on. No complaint; all excitement & blue sky. As he was listening, his expression became more quizzical by the moment, and I saw the lift of one eyebrow. I paused. 

And in the pause, he asked me a question: “Are you winning?” 

Immediately, my thought was, “Winning at what?” 

That question opened up an exploration within me to look at focused purpose: how is it that we move towards the outcome we most want at a heart and soul level? That is the game that we're playing. Are we winning?

You can look like you're winning to the world at large while internally knowing you're playing the wrong game. Maybe you’re in a career, that while lucrative & enjoyable, that is no longer aligned with what you most want to be doing.  

Or maybe we said YES because NO was unpopular, because we thought it was expected, or because it fed our ego (the resume builders). There’s nothing particularly wrong with it but it’s not our vision for our life. It's someone else's vision for our life, or worse yet, our erroneous interpretation of someone else's vision for our life.  

It helps me to remember that at the moment we were placed on this planet, our purpose became manifest. There is intent - reason - for our time on this planet, and the answer to what that is can be found through the careful exploration of our skills, unique characteristics, conditions born into, gifts, and passions.    

But that’s not enough. Clarity Without Courage Is Information. Clarity With Courage To Act Is Embodied Wisdom; the integrity of living into our potential. 

So what to do when we find ourselves misaligned? These are Eureka Moments where the light switches on. Our decision? Stay awake and move towards or go back to sleep. 

Quite a long time ago, I received simple and profound advice from a therapist during counseling with my first husband. He looked me square in the eye and said, “I always want you to remember that you hold your car keys in your hand. Just because you've committed to something doesn't mean you can’t change your course, accelerate your speed, or end the trip. 

And Mic Drop. Transitions, Change, & Choice are part of evolving in our life and work. 

So take a moment and reflect on the domains of your life. What impact do you most want to have? What do you most want to experience, offer, serve? What is your meaningful contribution to each of them? Where are you “checking the boxes” or doing what you believe is expected? What have you outgrown? What no longer makes sense?  

Easy? Probably a topic for a different day, but can you suspend disbelief and for a moment accept that perhaps it's easier than you think? 

If you enter a choice with a commitment to win/win, you’ll work through a lens of highest good as you architect change. This is not solely about us; this is about tending to everyone in the process. Does that mean it doesn’t hurt? Absolutely not. It does mean that we move from a place of honor, respect, compassion, and love. 

Winning is an inside job. It is measured by a soul level stirring that your choices are for Highest Good. You can feel it because you feel vital, enthusiastic, in integrity, purposeful, and useful. You see it when you can witness your own evolution; which is really a coming home to yourself. 

Deep Dive Into Your Potential & Laura's Work at www.laurajuarez.com. Subscribe to weekly education on Conscious Leadership HERE.