The Mick Morris Musing

Enthusiasm

I had a great moment this morning taking my 9-year-old off to her second day of school for the year. We were walking to school, holding hands and taking about school this year, and who her new teacher was, sharing a joke or two on the way.

Yesterday they started in their old classes, and were then told which class they were going into and who their teacher was for this year, and then they got to find out who was in their class with them.

So part of our conversation related to who was in her class and which of her friends were in her new class. After listing the friends in her class she then said ” but that doesn’t matter, there are a few people I know in the new class, but the one’s I don’t know I’ll get to know quickly, then I’ll start playing with them as well and I’ll have a whole new bunch of friends”

We got to school, she said hello to the regular bunch of kids I know and then immediately said hello to a whole bunch of kids that I did not know. She came back over to sit with me and said “that’s so and so and they are in my class”.

This was such a revelation. My nine-year old is a pretty anxious child and worries a lot about things (a lot of it driven by her experiences with her brother… see here for the background), but she does things with enthusiasm.

It set me thinking about how many of us live our lives often anxious about a range of things and how we will fit in a new environment like a new job, a new social setting etc and how we can often let that interfere with how we go about getting on with it, and how it probably limits a bunch of opportunities.

I was impressed by my 9 year olds enthusiasm for getting stuck into her new environment and being committed to getting to know people and making new friends.

How many of us have been reluctant to leave comments on a new blog, or introduce ourselves to someone new in the blogging community etc?

My 9-year-old taught me another lesson this morning, that I hope she is teaching you as well….. we should live our lives with child-like enthusiasm!

So… child-like enthusiasm – are you living with it? Where has it got you, or what are you afraid of? Let me know by leaving your comments… my 9-year-old would love to hear the stories.

this posts image by Evil Erin @ Flickr

Engaged

So you’re engaged in what you are doing…. right?

Welcome to last of the CHOICE series of posts….. So far we have looked at Constructing the foundations for making decisions and the need for awareness of what influences the foundations of your decision making , the consequences of some choices with a sad case study, at how others, obstacles and/or opportunities can influence your decisions and how these three elements are heavily inter-related.

This post deals with the last two letters of CHOICE, which part one described as CONTINUING ENGAGEMENT.

Engagement

Engagement is a process which is defined in a few ways:

To attract and hold the attention of; engross: a hobby that engaged her for hours at a time.
To enter or bring into conflict with: We have engaged the enemy.
To interlock or cause to interlock
to attract and hold fast: The novel engaged her attention and interest.
to attract or please: His good nature engages everyone.
To require the use of; occupy: Studying engages most of my time.
To draw into; involve: engage a shy person in conversation.

When you need to make a decision you are deciding how you are going to continue to engage with the person, object or subject that caused the need for a decision, and all the other elements that we have discussed in this series come into play.

How many decisions do you make with little or no thought, almost making them on autopilot?

If you are making your decisions like this, then I would argue that you are really reacting to the situation, not making a decision.

If you are really aware of the foundations and building blocks of your decision, you have thought about what others, obstacles or opportunities are influencing your decision, and are then making a conscious decision about how you are going to attract and hold someone’s attention, enter into conflict with someone, attract or please someone or something, draw in and involve someone or something then you are responding to the situation instead of reacting and you are truly making a CHOICE!

Your CHOICE….

Good luck with your future CHOICES….. let me know if this has changed or influenced any of your decisions, or you have any suggestions by leaving a comment.

The Mick Morris Musing

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Child-like enthusiasm – are you living with it?

You’re engaged – – – Right?

The image in this post is by Andy Rob @ flickr