There feels like a lot that could be making us feel anxious at the moment. Big, scary, unimageable things. But also still the smaller more personal things we all work through.
Like right now.
I’m at a conference, I’m running a workshop about the Missing Piece of Change and Transformation programmes. It’s very noisy, lots of people, they all look like they know each other, lots of hellos and hugging and chit chat. I don’t know anyone, and it crosses my mind I don’t even know the audience, Digital Transformation leaders. What do they do, what do they want, what is their why. The headline speaker is Julien Callede, founder of Made.com. (He recently had the privilege of being a supplier for my office).
Anyway.
I’m doing that thing where your inner voice starts going
‘so you are here why? you really should be at home, you really have nothing of any interest to say, wow look at that woman’s amazing outfit, what if you forget what you are going to say, people will be staring, they’ll be thinking about what to cook for dinner while you are talking, wow brave suit choice that man, I really need this to be over. Is it lunch time?
Anxious thoughts are different from suffering from anxiety. When you are having anxious thoughts you are still in a place where you can catch them, dial them down, listen to them.
And that’s the little exercise I’m doing right now. Sat in a corner of a hotel bar, having a chat with my anxious thoughts.
Not out loud.
That might be odd.
But there is a man sitting opposite me having a very loud conference call, so my chat with my thoughts might not be so odd after all.
So what are my thoughts telling me?
It turns out the thoughts are telling me…
That you have to sometimes do uncomfortable things. That not everything that is right is easy. That, what if something you say today really helps someone. That, what if someone wants to do further work with you and you end up delivering a experience with an organisation it helps even more people. That you might just enjoy the experience and it doesn’t matter too much what happens next.
Having anxious thoughts is not a reason not to do something. You can do it anyway. You can listen to them, ask why they are there.
They might not ever go away, but you can dial them down.
Unlike the man on the conference call.
Would love you hear about what you hear when you listen to your anxious thoughts.
eleanor
I always have those thoughts before I go into a room of people I don't know or speak to an audience. I nearly didn't go the Business Book Awards shortlist event last week because I thought I wouldn't know anyone and I didn't want to walk in on my own. But I did, and you were there, and an old friend I hadn't seen for 20 years, and I met my publishers face to face for the first time - and I got shortlisted. So it was the right decision to go - but as you wisely say, not everything that is right is easy.