There’s a full twelve months ahead.
A blank canvas, white and pure.
What will you create in 2014?
I’m sitting with Axel right now at a Coffee Bean Cafe. We’re discussing his ‘ideal’ 2014. He’s a very dynamic young man. Vibrant, charismatic. While he loves being a business man and a franchisee, I’m picking up something else. His furrowed brow gives him away. He places his forehead in his hand, scratches the base of his head. He’s feeling frustration, pure unadulterated frustration.
Dream Dilemma
On one hand, Axel is excited at all the possibilities his mind can conjure for the year to come. On the other hand he has lost faith in his team. His Franchisor let him down last year with slow response times. His staff have let him down with inconsistent ‘delivery of service’. What will 2014 look like? His thinking’s intense.
Decision Point
I ask Axel to stop. “Axel, look at me… how are you feeling right now?” I ask. “Frustrated” he says in an exasperated voice.
“Axel, do you want 2014 to be a year of frustration?” I ask. “Of course not!” he snaps. We pause. We look at each other. “Then decide to feel good” I suggest. Blank stare. “Decide to feel good now Axel – Decide to feel good now”. He raises his eyebrows. He smiles. “That’s better.” I say – “Now start writing the plan – write the plan from the place of feeling good, from the place of positive expectations – of good feelings”.
Determination
Axel, is like so many business people who take risks and apply pressure and force. To “drive” the outcome of their business – they push. The problem is, if the entrepreneur is always in drive mode, he or she can also drive people and opportunity away.
Franchisors discuss the franchisee as “too hard to deal with right now’ and avoid taking calls. Employees are afraid of overbearing reactions so ‘tippy toe’ as if on eggshells around the boss.
Delegate
I look at Axel and smile. “Axel?” I ask, when you “delegate activities to your team, do you; in your heart of hearts, trust and believe – fully they will do the job well?” I pause. Axel takes a sip of iced tea. He glares at me as if I can see through him into his soul. “Wow” he says, and shakes his head. “Honestly?” He says. “You are making me see that my requests of my people do not match my heart’s desire because I’m already expecting them to fail”
Desire
So here’s the point. As visionary business people we invest large quantities of emotional energy. My question is what kind of emotional energy, what kind of mood is your heart in? If the heart’s desires are high – the heart’s desire will be fulfilled. However, there is a caution with this. What if you’re desiring to ‘prove’ someone else wrong? Or catch them out? What if your desire comes true? Who wins? Who loses then? The lesson here is to monitor what you place high emotional charge, high desire on. High desire whether negative or positive – always yields a result.
Diamonds
Under pressure diamonds form. “Axel, under pressure, diamonds form” Yes he says. “Axel, what diamonds are being formed right now in your heart? What do you feel good about? How can you help your team help you in 2014?”
He thinks, then he responds thoughtfully.
“I must get my team to shine” he says. “I must care but not so much that I crush people. I’ve been over the top anxious instead of supporting and listening to my team. I’ve been yelling not telling. If not at my team out loud, I have been yelling in my mind and heart.”
Deliberate
“It’s so great that you see this Axel” I encourage. “I acknowledge you for your willingness to observe yourself in this scene. You have the power Axel. You are very powerful. It’s time to use your desire, your feelings and belief in yourself (and others) more deliberately. So tell me Axel, what is your true deep intention for 2014? Do you believe you can experience this for real for yourself?”
“Whoa!” Axel moves back. “Is this what being Intercepted means? We are so cutting through it Tanya”. I nod.
“Axel – listen up. I believe in you. The brand believes in you. Your people your staff are relying on you to be clear for 2014. Be deliberate Axel. Be deliberate in your thoughts, visions, feelings, on the inside of your body as well as what you speak. Your words are like darts that can deliberately create. Choose them wisely”.
I pause and allow him time to let it sink in.
He writes notes.
Discern
“Tanya, I’m clear. Thank-you” Axel says. He continues speaking in an outpouring flow of clarity.
“I will dedicate 2014 to feeling good every day. Observing myself. I am in control by exerting less control. I can encourage and empower. I can ask rather than tell! I can be nice and more pleasant to be around. These things I am in control of.
My mood, I am in control of. 2014 will be a good year for me, for us”.
Axel pauses and looks up. He breathes out, considering all he has just declared to me publicly.
Dominate
“Axel” I say. “Thank-you for being so honest with me, and more importantly being honest with yourself. What stands between you and your 2014 dream is you. High desire and high belief must dominate your thoughts every day. We become what we think about and how we feel – most of the time. Believe
rather than doubt. When you desire, feel good”.
We smile at each-other. We both have goose bumps. Wisdom is in the air.
I get up from the table, shake Axels hand. We acknowledge each-other.
2014 will be an incredible year for Axel, I can feel it in my bones. Why? Because he decided it will be and he believes
in himself.
