𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
Are things not going the way you expected?
Are outside forces seemingly disturbing your best made plans?
Let’s have a look at disruption & chaos through Elemental Leadership® from an empowering perspective with a dose of spiritual & emotional intelligence.
Before we dive right in, allow me to briefly shed some light on my approach.
This is not an exercise in toxic positivity, I do not subscribe to that.
Nor is it negating the tragic consequences of natural disasters, because I will refer to them in theory for symbolic reference.
What I am exploring here is how there is duality to everything.
Spiritual Intelligence empowers us to go beyond ‘black & white’ thinking and into ‘both and’ thinking.
We can surpass the limitations of judgement & ‘right or wrong’ & stretch into a more expansive mindset.
Duality is truth.
Two things can exist simultaneously, & indeed they do.
This blog is about empowering us to thrive in disruption, with a focus on our response to what is beyond our control & the enormous life changing benefits that can ensue.
Life’s ‘storms’ (so to speak) shift us out of the status quo.
They are never boring!
They encourage us to grow beyond our old self.
They extract new energy.
They are transformative & are often what we need for us to be able to see things differently.
I am using the analogy of an actual storm, because mother nature is perhaps our greatest teacher of spiritual intelligence & literally a force to be reckoned with!
Elemental Leadership® incorporates the four natural forces of earth, air, water & fire as representative of the archetypes within our ourselves which make us whole. More on this throughout.
In the macrocosm, a tornado is terrifying!
It can also stir up & disperse previously hidden nutrients from the ground & nourish new growth & fertility.
A tsunami can be incredibly destructive with tragic consequences.
It can also deposit tons of titanium ore (the 9th most abundance element) from the earth’s crust on shorelines which super boosts the economy & has wide reaching benefit for the community & beyond.
Those are a couple of the extreme examples that nature demonstrates.
Let’s look at the microcosm which many of us can relate to more closely & just because they are not as extreme, it does not make them invalid.
Quite the contrary, there is much we can learn from them.
We can use every experience to grow or not, the choice is our own.
𝐀 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐦 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬.
· Lack of sleep or being unwell & losing time (particularly significant for high /over performers / performance anxiety – a common product of westernised living).
· Travel / transportation cancelled.
· Road diversions / getting lost.
· Unusual weather conditions leading to postponing, cancelling or changing plans.
· Clients, friends, meetings cancelling at the last minute.
· Accidents / emergencies for yourself or those close to you.
· Shocking revelations.
· Unpredictable turn of events, e.g animals or children.
· Managers with new directions / new initiatives landing at short notice.
· Completely different expectations / miscommunication becoming apparent.
· Setbacks / things going ‘wrong’ which cause delays / problems.
· Having to do something you have not been able to prepare for.
· Internet down / power cuts - expected resources being unavailable.
· Political climate changing.
· Opposing opinions or views from others.
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰 & 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩®
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇 – 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.
This is our inner foundations, the architecture of our psyche & the wisdom within.
It also encompasses embodiment, a deep knowing & a sense of being grounded.
Strong foundations can only be recognised if they are tested - makes perfect sense when you think of it this way!
Otherwise, what would be the point of developing resilience?! We wouldn’t need it!
This concept connects with one of the archetypes of Earth – the Architect.
The wobble factor is an entirely necessary aspect of life.
We need the wobbles; it is evidence to show us when to check our foundations.
It is the ideal opportunity to evaluate what can be honed, fine-tuned & calibrated for improvement.
Once we drop the judgement around this, we can effectively observe ourselves with curiosity & bring positive change.
Judgement quashes evolution!
The other archetype within Earth is the Sage; the wisest part of ourselves.
In times of uncertainty, one of our greatest strengths is TRUST & we will clearly see how much we have of this or not.
We can choose to trust.
We can trust that everything is going to work out for our highest good (the Sage knows this).
We can also learn to trust in ourselves & our ability.
Earth speaks to responsibility, so what can we take responsibility for, own & sort?
Earth also relates to physical matter, to structure & form, including our own body.
In every situation we have the choice as to whether we pump stress hormones through the body with fearful thinking or take the higher path.
There are of course some situations that are meant to enliven & refresh us & we can feel this physically, like a surge of energy.
This can activate new neural connections & bring an aspect of ourselves to the surface that we haven’t seen or indeed recognised in ourselves before.
That’s often-what emergency situations can provoke.
This is where you must know yourself (body & mind) intimately,
because the other end of the spectrum is when exist (appropriate word use there because it’s literally the survival zone) in fight or flight / an anxious state.
This is not arare & enlivening energy force pulsing through our body, rather more like a draining, tired & wired state that has become habitual.
For us to have sustainable foundations, we must discover how grounded we can remain in the eye of the storm.
When things around us are changing, can we simultaneously work on maintaining the inner peace & calm within?
Whilst outside influences may disturb our inner equilibrium, can we allow & accept it more quickly to ensure that this isn’t a prolonged state for our body?
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐈𝐑 – 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 & 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
Perception is a key component of this element.
In every situation, it is our perception (the filtering lens as a product of our personal belief system) that gives it definition.
How we definite something, is how we respond to it!
Not only is what we perceive, what we believe, it is also what we receive.
It would therefore make sense that the more empowering we can make our definition, the more possibility there is for positive benefits & outcomes to ensue.
The healthier our mind becomes.
In the Creator archetype under the Air element, one of the concepts is this:
Life is happening FOR us, not TO us,
A gigantic leap in perspective for those who wish to be empowered.
Disruption has the power to highlight our thinking patterns (directly related to our beliefs) & this can lead to incredible change.
It can also require effective decision making, to pivot & quickly execute new direction.
In situations where we don’t have the luxury of time to plan, prepare & procrastinate,
(providing we are not in a heightened state of fight, flight or freeze),
we can make enlightened decisions through accessing our intuition.
In emergency situations, people have acted & done things they had no idea they were capable of; with solutions they didn’t know they knew!
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧!
𝐒𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞!
Intuition is a source of guidance that is permanently available to us but radically underused.
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 (𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐥!) 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭-𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐩 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲?
That is a very good question, particularly as mental health challenges seem to be at an all-time high.
𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
· Intuition has been undervalued in many societies because it is not an exact science.
Linear, logical thinking has been perceived as superior (although too much of this makes us a robot)!
· It isn’t widely taught.
This is a gift we can develop & give to others, including our children & next generation. When we use intuition, we cannot be controlled, which is a problem for those who use fear to control.
· We can’t be bothered to take the time to develop it, because we are too busy doing / focusing on tasks or worrying!
· We feel safe being like everyone else & making choices that fit with or suit others.
𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤!
Disruption can also encourage us to be spontaneous & flexible in our thinking.
It can inspire us to get creative – cue imagination! A wonderful addition to the party!
Change can also help us if we are a bit stuck in the rut of rigidity & routine, perhaps we need shaking out of that, so we don’t stagnate.
Creative & imaginative thinking can produce innovation & transform a disaster into something new!
For example, Lego originally made wooden toys, but due to a devastating factory fire, they switched to plastic.
Since that change, they have become a household name providing hundreds of jobs as well as delight, play & education to children & adults across the world.
I know we have environmental concerns around plastics, but they are working on this & we don’t throw Lego away! (A dash of duality there)!
Communication is also key to Air – in the form of our expression, dialogue & language.
Can we manage chaos & be mindful of how we are communicating with others?
Effective communication skills will be required during these times & can bond people together or indeed, shift them apart! Both can be valid.
In times of flux, it can help us to express ourselves honestly, to face confrontation.
We may need to say the things we have been holding back or avoiding.
The ability to have critical conversations is one of the core skills in effective leadership.
In my opinion, integrity (the premise of Elemental Leadership®) is one of the greatest leadership & life skills & in unpredictable circumstances, this can be questioned.
Times like these can call for decisions to be made swiftly, & not all decisions make us popular.
Can we do what is right rather than what we assume grants us favour?
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑 – 𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.
This element relates to the ocean of emotion & speaks to the relationship we have with ourselves, with other people & pretty much everything else.
In the same way minerals are lifted out of the earth when disruption occurs in the natural world, we too can experience suppressed emotions being churned up to the surface.
Whilst it may feel uncomfortable, it is also a powerful process to release what has been suppressed.
We could take 50 people in a similar disruptive situation, & we would find their responses / feelings & emotions vary considerably.
Each of us has our own emotional landscape to work with & emotional mastery to pursue.
Each of us has emotions that exist on a conscious, subconscious & unconscious level depending on the degree to which they have been repressed or suppressed.
All perfectly normal! It’s part of being human.
Situations of chaos can bring emotions to the surface, ones that we are ready (whether we realise this or not) to address.
We must ‘feel it to heal it’ & this connects with the Healer archetype within this element.
Emotions are powerful indicators of our vibration!
They are guiding factors in understanding the beliefs we have adopted which are either depleting or boosting our life force energy.
They will quite literally lead us to the heart of the matter!
We can tune into our emotional response (without judgement) at these times (great reflection point too). Our emotions enable us to do deeper inner transformative work.
They show us what parts of us needs to be loved (rather than rejected) & what feelings to embody that will guide us to our fulfilment & happiness.
Times like these can promote self-compassion.
It takes a high level of self-esteem to work with emotions.
Ironically the people who think they are lacking self-esteem are often particularly good at doing this work, so a complete re-frame is required there for starters!
Healthy emotions are meant to rise within us & move through us (like a wave), rather than linger.
When emotions linger, they are guiding us to work with & heal something inside us.
We all have the power to do this when we know how, this is something I teach in my 121 sessions amongst many other things.
‘Letting go’ is one of the greatest & most liberating spiritual lessons.
It is not to be confused with avoidance, burying or suppression.
The latter has drastically different & long-term consequences & yet, it will be a choice many make. No judgement there. I did it for years! :D
Chaos will also invite us to go with the flow! Very watery hey!
After all, we can’t live life in linear mode all the time, that doesn’t make for a balanced existence.
Flexibility is key to resilience.
Flow is preferable to control…it’s much less tense!
If we want to be flexible in the body (something commonly promoted for health & longevity) surely then, we must take this approach in our thinking & feeling zone?
The exciting part of this element is that we can use our emotions to supercharge a situation with positivity & transform relationships!
We can choose to embrace a situation as empowering & to relish in the challenge, thrive in the chaos or….not!
Acceptance is a high frequency feeling.
No change can occur until the situation has first been accepted.
This is a peaceful state to navigate towards.
At times that can be difficult, that’s OK too, because we are being invited to explore the resistance & work with the belief system for an empowering shift.
The more quickly we can develop acceptance with what is happening, the more swiftly we can put our energy into the dynamic & positive action required.
If we really want to go the whole hog…& often this comes with hindsight until our spiritual intelligence increases, then we can recognise it in the moment; we can choose radical gratitude!
I will share more about this in another blog, but for now, it’s really focussing on that key concept of Elemental Leadership® that life is happening FOR us not TO us.
On the sliding scale of Empowered to Victim, we can slide closer to the more positive end of the spectrum through the emotional energy of gratitude.
Feeling grateful activates oxytocin & serotonin in our system. It energises & opens the heart because it is connected to a state of love & connection.
When we develop the ability to genuinely feel gratitude for this opportunity to grow,
even though on the surface it may look quite different, we are quite literally benefiting our health on all levels!
It is perfectly OK to do this through gritted teeth too as we train ourselves into this new mode!
We don’t have to like everything, but gratitude can co-exist here.
This approach makes us more resilient, confident & healthier.
The other archetype within Water is the Caregiver.
One of the most beautiful outcomes from situations that rattle us is the bonding & connection it can bring.
Collective challenges can bond communities in a way that nothing else can.
It can mean that resources must be shared, independence goes out of the window & the only way forward is to combine forces, collaborate & contribute.
In terms of a significant disaster, it can bond people with a shared experience that rocks them to the core where the only way & the best way through is together.
We can witness epic levels of compassion & love in unity.
In more micro examples, this is why communities with people with shared challenges works particularly well – think peer groups & masterminds.
Quite often, when chaos ripples, it is the only time we let go of our stubbornness & reach out for support & it takes huge strength to be vulnerable.
Or we may find support is instantly provided which can truly melt the heart.
This can be in many forms from practical assistance to love & compassion or simply a cup of tea & a smile.
Perhaps you choose to be supportive of yourself or it allows you to support others.
Nobody is an island.
We all need other people & these can be the times we thank our lucky stars that we have them & develop a newfound appreciation for those we have around us.
Perhaps the situation brings new supportive connections into our world.
It can also show wonderful sides of people you hadn’t seen before, alas the counter is also true, it can reveal the truth about people – but it’s all ultimately helpful.
It may be that it is time to choose self-compassion & situations help you to stop being so hard on yourself (because that is not helpful).
We can’t control other people, nor do we need to, but we can learn & we can focus on who we choose to be in integrity.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 - 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠.
Let’s have a look at how this theme fits in with the fourth & final element of this model…it’s a hot topic – see what I did there! ;)
Without any disruption, we could quite easily become creatures of habit & there are great things to be said for routine,
but equally we can become conditioned in ways that don’t allow us to access our inner fire!
Challenge can ignite the spark within!
It has the potential to resurrect the Warrior (one of the archetypes in this element) within us!
It can stimulate the senses & inspire us to act.
It can motivate us & stoke an energy within that has been dormant.
It can drive people in a new direction, strike the match of a new idea or creative endeavour that gets us excited.
It is the energy that launches us out of bed in the morning or spurs us into action!
Chaos can incite this energy!
It can get the heart pumping, in a very good way, one where we feel truly alive & impassioned!
We don’t necessarily want to feel like this all the time, because too much fire can burn one out of course, however, doses can be transformative.
It is also an energy that carries inspired & spontaneous action, so we can follow through from the intuition that comes in a flash.
We can cut through the nonsense (with our sword of truth!) & get things done with momentum & forward motion.
This may be the exact catalyst we need to provoke a deeper sense of meaning & purpose.
After all, a warrior must have a mission!
This brings us nicely into the other archetype – the Heart.
To develop intrinsic motivation, which brings a more sustainable & long-lasting form of motivation,
this mission needs to have real meaning & go beyond instant gratification.
It activates the courage to do what we may otherwise delay or avoid.
Fire energy gives us permission to burn away the old habits & limiting behaviour that does not serve us.
It can show us how much something means to us in a way we hadn’t recognised & bring the fuel to make it happen. It can connect us to our true desires.
Another example of the duality of chaos is being reflected in our political landscape currently.
For things to radically change, it generally requires chaos in the interim, for the things that are not working to be exposed.
This provokes response, it encourages people to take a stand for what they believe in, it unites people & creates community.
The dismantling of the old structure makes way for the new creation.
It is easier to destroy than to create but there is way more power in the latter.
Right, that’s quite enough from me for a Monday morning!
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠.
𝐈𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭.
I offer 121 coaching, design & delivery of programmes/workshops & facilitation around Spiritual Intelligence & Emotional Intelligence.
I am also the creator & owner of Elemental Leadership®.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss working together.
May you thrive!
Amanda G
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