Tag Archive for: Articles by David Irvine

A Firm Mind or an Infirm Mind

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As I write this, it’s -40 degrees on the thermometer outside our kitchen window.

That’s what most of the Canadian Prairies have been dealing with this weekend. When I hear about cities running buses for homeless people to sleep in, I am filled with gratitude for having a warm home.

When I went to unplug and start my Jeep this morning, I forgot about the homeless people and found myself being cranky about the weather. And then I reminded myself that the weather doesn’t care about how angry I am that it’s cold.
And at that moment I reminded myself of something I learned years ago: there is a difference between a firm mind and an infirm mind – between being mentally strong and being mentally weak.

A firm, strong mind is about living aligned with your vision and the principles that guide your life. It’s about having an attitude toward life where your actions aren’t swayed by your external environment (like cold weather).

Steven Covey used to say that having a strong mind is ensuring that you have a private victory in the morning to set yourself up for a public victory later in the day. Getting into the gym on cold, dark Canadian mornings and on the yoga mat when I just want to crawl back into bed, is a strength to get me through this cold weather – and the challenges of life.

There is a reservoir of capacity that lies within us all. When I do something difficult each morning it helps me tap into this inner potential and provides a small private victory that enables me to serve and hopefully make the world just a little better by my actions throughout the day.

Looking at things objectively – It’s about awareness, ownership, and personal responsibility

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As humans, we bring our moods, perceptions, and views of the world into our interactions. It could be imposing a tone on an email or making assumptions about what someone is asking. We might come to work in a bad mood after an argument with our spouse and take it out on a team member. Maybe we spend our weekends caring for a sick parent and come to work exhausted on a Monday morning.

So how do we stay objective and take bias out of the picture?

First of all you, realize that you can’t take bias out of the picture. We are never going to be 100% objective. This doesn’t mean we’re bad people. It means we’re human.

What we can do is become more self-aware and self-responsible. Acknowledge our biases and be more honest with ourselves and the people who depend on us. We can be aware of the impact of our biases and behavior and when we find ourselves in a bad mood, for example, stop and ask what the source of the irritability is. Is there something going on in your personal life? Are you taking care of yourself? Can you set the mood aside before work?

Once you get to the source of what’s bothering you, ask yourself what you can do to resolve it so you don’t take it out on people that have nothing to do with it. Do you need to make a call and settle things with someone directly? Do you need to get more rest or take better care of your mental or physical health? Do you need to simply let it go for the day and take care of it later, so you don’t contaminate your working relationships with people who have nothing to do with it?

It’s about awareness, ownership, and personal responsibility.

We don’t see the world as it is. We see the world as we are.

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A story that circulated in my family growing up was about a couple of mischievous boys who wanted to play a joke on their grandpa. While he napped, they rubbed some Limburger cheese in his mustache.

When grandpa awoke, he sniffed and said, “It stinks in here!”
He walked into the kitchen, sniffed around and declared: “It stinks in here too!”
Leaving the kitchen, he walked through the hallway to his front door. Sure enough, as he sniffed, he muttered, “It even stinks in here!”
Flinging the front door open, he took a breath of what he expected to be fresh air. But once again the Limburger cheese filled his nostrils, and grandpa shouted in disgust: “The whole world stinks!”

Did the whole world stink? Of course not. The real problem was right under grandpa’s nose.

Before we complain about our boss or our spouse or the government or poor service, be sure to look first in the mirror and find out what’s under our nose.

We don’t see the world as it is. We see the world as we are.

Find Your Inspired Leadership in 2024

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In today’s professional world, the relationship between energy and success is clear: Energy can drive leaders to succeed, and energy can drive you out the door to work. Every relationship, every decision, every action either depletes us or inspires us. Producing extraordinary results on your team requires attention to energy. It is vital for leaders to understand what it takes to create an inspired, energized workplace.

Five pillars of an inspired life and workplace:

  1. Intention: Finding inspiration in the little things.
  2. Vulnerability: Sharing values, dreams, ideas, and stories.
  3. Inquiry: Curiosity fosters a learning culture, and a true learning culture is an inspired culture.
  4. Generosity: A servant heart inspires people to be their best self.
  5. Authenticity: We are naturally creative, committed, and capable. When you make it safe to be who you are, inspiration and success come naturally.

If you are committed to discover your inspired leadership in 2024, join me for a complimentary webinar on January 26: https://lnkd.in/d37Prt4a

The Human Need To Be Seen

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Being on a jumbotron, whether at a sporting event, concert, or public gathering, can elicit various reactions depending on your personality and comfort level with attention. The most common, however, is excitement and enthusiasm. It’s a human need to be seen. We all need to know that we matter. To know that we make a difference; that because we are alive, we have an impact. Somewhere. Somehow. To someone.

It’s such a strong need, that kids will do anything to get attention and recognition when it isn’t there. They’ll act out. They’ll do stupid stuff. They’ll hurt themselves or others. They’ll compromise their values and what they know to be right. They may even turn to suicide.

And adults are no different. While we ultimately grow to where we can affirm ourselves and realize we can find value from within (through the difference we make to others and our simple inherent goodness), to get there, we need encouraging, caring people to help us know that we are valuable, that we are recognized, and that we are important for who we are.

What are you doing to recognize, to see, to truly value the people in your life?

How do you know that your treasuring people is actually making a meaningful difference?

Why do you matter? What are you doing to affirm that you are seen in the world?

The Understated Value of Community And Lasting Friendships

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In the small community in Central Alberta where I was raised, I was part of a band of five “brothers” – close friends whose early lives were intimately woven together by our families, our faith, and our deep and sustaining friendships. We spent our formative years roaming the ravine behind the church, playing games at each other’s houses, sharing meals with each other’s families, causing trouble in the pews during Sunday services, camping together, and becoming Queen scouts together.

Last week one of the last remaining parents of our band died at the age of 91. Four of us attended the funeral (one drove more than twelve hours to get there). It was a reunion of sorts as we had an afternoon after the service to share memories, renew the bonds of friendship, and reminisce about the value of growing up with a profound sense of belonging and stability. The friendship formed within this “band” developed a foundation of character and contributed to an individual and collective identity that will bind us together for a lifetime.

Thank you Ron, Al, Howard, and Doug, and to each of your families for the difference the made in my life.