Marina’s Links + Learnings from 2022
The gift of being listened to and understood — fully and deeply — is one of the most valuable gifts, both to give and to receive.
And core to Deep Radical Generosity.
Yet I find it hard to sustain. especially when I’m so passionate about many needed changes — how we treat the world, ourselves and each other. And I’m conscious the world’s clock is ticking.
Thankfully MJ shared from her overflowing bag of MINDSET tools and practices. She shares these not only with venture founders, but in regular workshops that activators like me have access to.
No other founder program I am involved in realises and offers such deep Mindset practicses, yet it’s so fundamental to success at all levels.
MINDSETS
What are my key takeaway practices? Well the following visual metaphors instantly come to mind. They now help me pause, explore and create the right mindset shift and focus.
1. ‘Playing Ping-Pong?’
When there’s that sense of seeing or feeling conversations are ping-ponging, landing back-and-forth views and opinions.
Pause. Notice the feeling of separation, defensiveness, perhaps feeling being right or knowing better.
2a. Conflict and anxiety are actually a ‘Gift wrapped in sandpaper’
I’ve used this one a lot. Especially during the roughest moments in the last year, when continuing weather extremes kept damaging my home and home life. When vulnerable loved ones were in hospital with Covid. When in the midst of conversations with polarising views and twisting facts about the upheavals around the world. Using when I find I’m stressing a point or feeling a sense of frustration or overwhelm.
Back to that Pause. Re-focussing on these clear ‘sandpaper’ opportunities to learn more. Starting with me, Starting with being clearer about what matters most.
2b. Focussing on What matters
There are many ways MJ shared and helped us practise getting to our integrity.
One of my favourites was the short video MJ shared with angel Kyodo williams, ‘Ground ourselves into our strengths and integrity’.
This video gets a regular work out, preparing or digesting for those gritter harder moments, connecting deeper and wider.
3. Aim for the SAME SIDE OF THE TABLE
It doesn’t always end up perfectly. But I’m clearer on my intent that I felt a sense of understanding and listening to perspective by joining on the same side of the table. Really listening. Exploring what others see. What’s important to them and uncovering what's in common to both of us.
And to paraphrase MJ in our last workshop ‘ Knowing that if we put our minds together, we can work this out together’.
My intent is to keep coming to pause a lot more often and keep up the practice, as we have some big important problems to solve and can only do so together.
