eBusiness Weekly
Arthur Marara
Leading through the pandemic is not easy, but this is what business leaders have and are doing currently. How do you navigate the terrain? This is a subject I can write an entire book but I want to isolate and address one important aspect that can help you during this time, that is to focus on the controllables.
There are two things in business, things that are not within your control, and those that are within. The reason why you are hired or why you lead a business is because there is faith in you that you can actually drive the organisation in a better direction. You are never hired to just describe the problem, you are hired for solutions.
“Never Normal”, Not New Normal
The correct phrase to describe the period that we are operating is “never normal”. There is nothing that is guaranteed. Certain parts of Europe had stopped wearing masks with the faith that they had overcome the virus, but as it turns out the numbers are beginning to escalate again. I was watching news on CNN this week where it was being reported that Germany is currently experiencing a surge in daily Covid-19 cases. There are estimates indicating that Europe is likely to lose 2 million people to Covid-19 during this period and the early parts of 2022.
Surprisingly, the number of people who have taken the vaccines in many parts of Europe are still very low, thereby contributing to the escalation. Are we out of the woods yet? The answer is no. The hope and anticipation of every business is that we do not go into another lockdown in 2022. Unfortunately, we usually have to pay for the sins of the festive seasons. What if we actually head into a lockdown? This is not actually within your control, but how you respond is within your control.
What is within your control?
This is the question that ordinary follows. There are so many things that are actually within your control, and I want you to begin to focus on these controllables. I have listed some things that are actually within your control. I have expanded on some and left some.
- Your Beliefs — You are a product of your belief systems. You need to work on what you believe. If you allow yourself to believe that you are not going anywhere, that will be your truth. Create better belief systems.
- Your attitude — It has often been said that your attitude determines your altitude. Even the great psychologist William James observed after several years of study, “The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human can alter his life by altering his attitude.”
- Your thoughts — Solomon says, “Be careful how you think, your life is shaped by your thoughts.” (Proverbs 4:23 — GNT). What are you thinking about the direction of your business? That is within your control. You can improve your thoughts.
A certain man was walking through an elephant camp, and he spotted the elephants weren’t being kept in cages or held by the use of chains. All that was holding them back from escaping the camp, was a small piece of rope tied to one of their legs.
As the man gazed upon the elephants, he was completely confused as to why the elephants didn’t just use their strength to break the rope and escape the camp. They could easily have done so, but instead, they didn’t try to at all.
Curious and wanting to know the answer, he asked a trainer nearby why the elephants were just standing there and never tried to escape.
The trainer replied: “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them.
As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”
Elephants have very strong memory. They grow with the memories of the past attempts to break away. The only reason that elephants weren’t breaking free and escaping from the camp was that over time they adopted the belief that it just wasn’t possible.
The minds of the elephants settled on thinking that they could not do anything to free themselves. The secret to turning around your life is turning around your way of thinking. The mind needs to be reconditioned for success and growth.
You can turn around your business state, through turning around how you think. You are what you think! Solomon says, “For as he thinks in his heart” (Proverbs 23:7). The word “heart” does not refer to a physical organ that pumps blood, it refers to the mind.
Former US President Franklin Roosevelt once remarked, “Men are not prisoners of fate but prisoners of their own minds.” How so true! Your mind has the power to imprison you. If you do not control your mind, it will control you. No wonder, why Solomon remarked, “be careful how you think, your life is shaped by your thoughts.” (Proverbs 4:23). You cannot change your life until you change thoughts. You are your thoughts. There is nothing as powerful as a person with a changed mindset. Everything starts in the mind. Every big business starts in the mind. Every invention starts in the mind. Every financial breakthrough starts in the mind. Your mind is powerful, it can create and it can destroy you. You can change your clothes, your name, your address, your mobile phone, but if you do not change your thoughts, you will still be in the same place. Mind what you allow yourself to think.
There are even further things that are within your control.
- Your perspective, 5. How honest you are
- Who your friends are, 7. What books you read, 8. How often you exercise, 9. The type of food you eat, 10. How many risk you take
- How you interpret the situation, 12. How kind you are to others, 13. How kind you are to yourself, 14. How often you say “I love you.”
- How often you say “thank you.”, 16. How you express your feelings, 17. Whether or not you ask for help, 18. How often you practice gratitude, 19. How many times you smile, 20. The amount of effort you put forth, 21. How you spend/invest your money, 22. How much time you spend worrying, 23. How often you think about your past, 24. Whether or not you judge other people, 25. Whether or not you try again after a setback, 26. How much you appreciate the things you have,
Choose to be grateful
Rather than just groan and mourn, make a conscious choice to be grateful. Despite the many things that you may have gone through if you are alive you have something to be thankful for. This attitude of gratitude is within your control.
Arthur Marara is a corporate law attorney, keynote speaker, corporate and personal branding speaker commanding the stage with his delightful humour, raw energy, and wealth of life experiences. He is a financial wellness expert and is passionate about addressing the issues of wellness, strategy and personal and professional development. Arthur is the author of “Toys for Adults” a thought provoking book on entrepreneurship, and “No one is Coming” a book that seeks to equip leaders to take charge. Send your feedback to [email protected] or Visit his website www.arthurmarara.com or contact him on WhatsApp: +263780055152.
