When Your Feelings Don’t Matter

A friend of mine who is the father of a 3 year-old told me that the other night his son asked him to give him a piggyback ride up the stairs for bath time. It was the last thing he wanted to do — he was tired, it’d been a long day, and he was irritated by his son’s nagging.

And then he paused, and thought… “I’m committed to creating memorable moments for my son. This has the potential to be one of those moments.”

In that split second, he chose differently. He chose his commitment over his fatigue and gave his son a piggyback ride up the stairs to bath time.

Not surprisingly, this choice, along with his son’s big grin and giggle, actually gave him more energy.

This applies to you, your work and your workplace. This is self-awareness and personal responsibility at its finest. This is choosing your commitment, your mission and your identity over your circumstances.

Feelings are circumstances. Just like the weather, they’re real. They provide great information. And they should be evaluated and considered. And they don’t get to decide. You do. You get to choose who you’re going to be in the world, moment by moment, task by task, conversation by conversation.

So, today, who are you committed to being through your work? How are you going to show up for your team?

Remember, no matter what, you always have control over your behaviors, words and actions. Choose that which aligns with your commitment.

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