2023-11-07 - Environment EQ
We have said something similar conceptually aligned with the impact of our environment. What goes in must come out. This is true in many areas of life. Or, the quote from, I think Charlie Munger, about you being the most like the five people you hang out with.
What we consume, we are disciples by. To be a disciple simply means to be a student. Usually, this is used in a Christian context, and likely how I’m continuing to use it at a root level, but really we can be a disciple of anything. What I watch on TV or listen to or read informs my thoughts. I can still choose to agree or disagree with it, but it does have some influence on me regardless.
My actions are, to be more aligned with the original source text, are certainly influenced depending on the company I’m in and typically depending on the amount of time I spend with them, though that is not always true.
For example, the pace of my heart beat changes, I feel my nerves more, my breathing shallows, and my internal temperature rises when I’m in a room full of executives to whom I report. My mind races as a I attempt to control how I will show up and what I am going to present to them. I would certainly benefit from the advice in the second source text to pause. To breath. To slow down and think, even a beat of two in between sentences or when asked a question. My response would likely be more measured and better received.
This feels like an eternity, though! I scream internally when attempting to do this in a live-fire environment. I’m also a people-pleaser and constantly feel the need to over-explain everything which always turns into rambling. And, that I know definitively executives do not enjoy, yet I more often than not ignore the valuable suggestion to pause and take a breath before responding. Maybe, I should invest in rubber bands to snap on my wrist every time I fail to adhere to that principle!
It’s funny how our perspective of time shifts depending on the environment we are in and what we are doing. A couple of seconds to pause and take a breath when I perceive they are waiting impatiently for an answer feels like the amount of time I imagine labor does for an about to be mother, not to equate the pain levels. Hanging out with friends, or working on a project I enjoy, however, 2 seconds flies by faster than an F22 Raptor with full afterburners engaged.
Speaking of hanging out with friends. I’m a much different person, in behavior, at least when hanging out or immediately after spending time with buddies. Aren’t you? I also am much more productive when I feel others around me are chasing hard after a similar goal. Conversely, if I feel the people I am working with are slacking off or are not as determined or motivated, I still work hard, it is just not as easy to stay motivated than the previous environment.
Certainly, you have experienced the lethargy and changed attitude after a binge-watching marathon of your favorite show on Netflix?
A few years ago, I owned a Jeep. The thing was so slow it might hit 60 miles-per-hour going down hill with a tail-wind and another car pushing it. Interestingly, I was leaving my house one Sunday afternoon after watching an hour or so of NASCAR. I hopped in my Jeep and took off and you would have thought I was Jimmy Johnson in that thing. Well, at least, I did. My mind had shifted, adapted, and felt differently about my environment from the event I had watched.
I think this was helpful to work through and tie these two sources together. It is hard to remember some things are just temporary environments and we exist outside of them. It is also helpful, I think, to remember to position ourselves for success in whatever context we are in and be intentional and mindful about where we place ourselves. If we want to be set-up for a successful, productive day, filled with gratitude, have high energy through the day, etc. we can start our morning meaningfully to achieve that. We can start by journaling, prayer, reading, exercise, planning our day, and engaging purposefully. We can plan how we will show up to encounters with others. We can pause and think before we speak. Better yet, we can pause and simply listen. Then, listen some more. Then, if necessary, pause, think, then react.
We can intentionally remove ourselves from negative environments. We can thoughtfully surround ourself with content that helps us be constant learners and improve our situations instead of falling to terrible habits of doom-scrolling or other meaningless activities.
I don’t know about you, but I think I have found some good, positive takeaways that are immediately actionable. Hopefully, you can find a couple of simple shifts to implement throughout your day to position yourself to show up with joy and desire. Remember to pause.