I am here riding from Tema to Accra in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana and asking myself this question: “Am I the only one who Shuts down completely sometimes?” I cannot agree enough on the essence of seasons and times.
Hey, I just got out of a season of unrest, solitude and quietness. I barely will want to hold conversations and other engagements that require of me speaking. Prior to this season I just recovered from, I was fine. Okay. Great. Good and feeling awesome.
Question I am asking myself is, what were the triggers?
Frankly, it is quite difficult to point it out or ascertain.
However, I recall being down as a result of a recent situation.
I felt disadvantaged and lied on, about a situation that should have never happened. As much as the strong me decided to brush it off and pick myself up, the emotion of being down was staring at me in the face.
Standing tall within this emotion was Hope, Perseverance and a Never Giving up Spirit.
I am one of the most optimistic people I know yet, I could not pick myself up nor put myself together.
Then, I thought of the strength inside of me. Coupled with temperament and personality of justice and understanding once in play can put me in a state of quiet.
To rest and recover for my true self to materialize.
In all this is the confidence in God, his word, his vindication and who he is. Knowing he Got me, I am at peace for fact that, he will come through.
Yet the need for immediate vindication becomes high within.
Then, he comes through to give me Total peace. I did let go.
Grateful I am able to determine the trends and keep my cool than allowing emotions and situations to cloud me.
However,I recoup to make the most of the next season as an opportunity and become a better me is crucial, and i am glad about the process.
I shut down sometimes.
Do you Shut down too?
I shut down as a way and moment of reset to come back Better. In a lot of situations. Personal and professional life through a leave of absence.
The Lord fills my life with Peace, Forgiveness, Understanding, Strength, Wisdom and Love in this Season.
Subsequently,the strength to move on makes a difference and a mark.
How do you react to bad situations?
It is okay to be down sometimes.
Just don’t stay there and use the process for a better outcome.
The Good book talks about God being with us in all situations.
Isaiah 43:2 says: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze”.
Compassion,a virtue I appreciated more after this encounter.As a young manager then,driving sales,coaching & facilitating trainings,ensuring discipline is key.First, it is imperative I exhibit those disciplines so it doesn’t become a struggle guiding,correcting & leading others on those trajectories.
You will not get me smiling or being soft on some issues.Though I knew at an early age every situation presented is different hence approach to situations will differ.
With time,learning & practicing more empathy,I found better ways of dealing with individuals with peculiar challenges without necessarily being hard.The past 12 months has added a lot more learning.
To my story of being Compassionate…
About an hour & 20 minutes into one of my meetings once upon a time,a lady walks in.This is someone I noticed had been late few times.I know some people struggle to adjust to the new routine so I had reiterated to the Team the need to be on time & didn’t expect her in that day,the time she got in.
Usually,I will call you out & walk you out of meeting if you join late esp. when you happen to keep it a habit after we have had private conversations.No tattles.The keys to the meeting room at the time could not be found hence once door is shut, it can be opened.Best way was shut doors.
This day,I walked gently to the lady backseat asking challenge she has knowing she is expected to be in before time or max 15 mins after.
In her bid to tell me what the challenge was,I saw in her eyes tears she was trying to control.
As a mother,she needs to ensure her child gets care before she leaves.And so, though she gets to her toddler’s school by half past 6am, she has to wait until the teacher gets in before she can quickly rush.I nicely walked away saying to her we will talk after the class.
I was so Proud of myself for being Compassionate to this lady.It was obvious she was trying so hard yet battling many things.The pictorial me had an image of her face on my mind all week.I was Grateful I was discerning enough to be Kind to her.She ended up coming in on time after some weeks of resolving her challenge.
As a business built on structure with disciplines,for corporate & my personal principle,there is no excuse to support not being on time.While I understand situations can affect when one shows up sometimes, entertaining such does not build a Great Team.
However,I was glad I showed Compassion in this situation.It was a humbling experience.Knowing I did not add to her tears & worries brought some joy in my heart.Being elated over my kind gesture felt Great & was better than the feeling of Correcting or putting anyone right.
You cannot do Kindness too soon,for you will Never Know how soon it will be late. Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Beyond our pain,when we match Compassion with Purpose,we begin to Conquer the World.Be Compassionate yet Firm, Never Give Up on Life & Leadership!
Our Father Above, God is a Just God yet he is the Most Compassionate!
Ephesians 4:32 reads: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”
Choose Compassion Over Passion when Leading. It sure will Pay off. 🥰 Thank you for read, like & for sharing.
When I consider what I write sometimes, the magnitude of some of the issues and my current state, there is this inherent thought that gets me tempted to say to myself: these things you write ✍ will be better narrated and appreciated in future so why don’t you wait until that time?
For instance, when we ‘smell’ greater blessings of the future yet to materialize both tangible and intangible, some of the things we write will be better appreciated not in Real time hence for the future. But, Mercy said No!!!😊
The feelings that you have in your body when you have been hurt or when you are ill- Pain. Pain is not only physical but psychological. If not, why do we have mental health issues? Our mind is a very powerful tool,once attacked can affect all other areas of our lives. Usually connected to the Soul, there are heartbreaking narrations that have taken people’s lives, put them in grave danger and disheartening positions.
According to the Oxford international dictionary, Pain is mental or emotional difficulty.
All my life, from childhood up until now, I have come to a conclusion in Confidence with the use of Personal experiences that,Pain is Purposeful. Pain births extremely Beautiful Things, Products and End Result. Without a doubt, I hope you will share Same outlook on Pain and Purpose as me.🤗😍
Now,…do take a minute and think about your life…Even some of the occurrences in recent time and those of the past. What do you see? Good, bad or Ugly? Perhaps you see some good in it! You will agree with me that, most of the experiences that made you Stronger and a Better Person had some level of Pain and for some Bitterness attached to it? Pain always birth something Beautiful!
During labor, there is pain. Intense and vigorous one. However, that pain births something beautiful. Kids who happen to be the sweetest people in the world.Procreation gets established and destinies fulfilled through pain.
An argument or misunderstanding with friends, colleagues, superiors, reports, loved ones and family may come with pain sometimes but guess what? Wisdom and growth is built from there.
Being taken advantage of and Feeling cheated on, it goes in your Favour. You come out learning so Much. Become full of Confidence in your Truth and Conviction.
Sabotaged, Slandered on and Judged wrongly, you end up appreciating other sides of human but get Better in Maturity, Act and Wisdom.
Pain that resulted in dealing with Monetary issues with others, Loved ones, Business partners, Family and Friends? Keep the lessons and Grow Beautifully!
An accident whether physical or psychological ends up making us Stronger Physically and Mentally!
I was wondering why I had to experience a particular event in my life as a young manager then. The end result made me a better leader however, the process was difficult. It happens to all of us in different situations and in dealing with others whether corporate,family, social or religious groups.
We know the end because the end is in the Promise or word of God. We always Profess the end but Fail to appreciate the Process.
We ask God many questions yet, confident about the End result. What influences the Questioning? Our emotions, our mind and what we think should be or should not be and what we believe our heart can or cannot take.
Our heart and minds are built for Pain and not only good Moments, even the intense Pains. We only need to appreciate seeing the Good in the Pain which helps build, craft and mould Purpose. Eventually, turning it to Power.
For every pain, there is a need to have remedy. Physical pain requires medicine and massage depending on what it is. Emotional and psychological pain requires positive influence, association and communication. Music, Reading and Podcast. It could even be Therapy depending on level of Pain and it’s effect.
As a child of God, the Presence of God in every Pain Calms & Soothes it. The Confidence we have in Him!!!
One of my Biggest Learnings, Growth and added source of Maturity came as a result of Painful Experience.
We all need to learn to Let Go pain instead of Numbing it least, we may be Destroyed. Once we let go, we Grow & Glow!
Struggling to handle Pain, Endure or Let it Go? Give it to God! Whoever or whatever your God may be, please Give it to Him. Another option of Talking to the Right people Available. Remember, a Problem shared is Half Solved. I will choose God ❤️
“Behind every beautiful thing, there is some kind of Pain”.- Bob Dylan
The good book in Isaiah 66:9 says: “I will not cause pain unless I want to do something new”. Whether there is Pain or No Pain, God is always always up to bringing forth Newness!
Anytime you see pain, what comes to mind? It means there is something New and Better coming our way. In the meantime,Enjoy learning,the Growth and Lessons.!!!
Do not be dismayed if you do not see beauty in pain. It is a Gradual Process. We are in this Together ❤ and we will work at it. We Only Need to Keep Learning and Avoid Making The Pain of Today Rob us off our Joy.
It is my utmost desire that, this post gives you the room to have a change of thought, to consider a change of heart and give you Hope if you have endured some form of Pain
You and I will begin to appreciate all the Negatives, Hurt and Anxiety we feel as catalysts to render an End result of Newness when God and Time Comes Through!!!
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