Breathe. Step Back. Charge.

I got some great advice a few days ago. Today I want to pass it on to you.

As I was preparing to speak to a group of people regarding a new endeavor, a friend walked up to me and asked, “Are you ok?” Yes! Absolutely! I responded. I was excited! But to be honest, I was also a bit scattered with pulling all the last minute details together. He said, “Ok listen to me.” There was something about the way he said it. I wasn’t sure if he was about to say something funny or if he was being serious. But the look in his eye told me to pay attention. “Breathe,” he said. And instead of laughing and saying, “I’m breathing! I’m breathing!” I actually took what he said as a directive, and took a long, slow, deep breath and waited for the next instruction. “Take a step back,” he continued. And I literally stepped backward. Then he said, “Charge!” And I laughed and was off and running again. But I ran differently. I ran focused.

Run with purpose and a clear eye on the goal

I have thought about that exchange and asked myself why does it feel important many times. What was it about that encounter that seemed so profound? It was like he was holding the reins on a racehorse at the gate, and then the gate flung open and he was giving the charge for the horse to run! But the difference holding the reins had made was that the horse wasn’t just running simply because the gate was opened. It was now running with purpose and a clear eye on the goal. That is why the encounter seemed important! Because it was!

Sometimes the simplest things are the most powerful. Breathing and stepping back were the reigns, and they brought peace, perspective, and clarity…before the run. So when your next “run” comes up, whatever that may look like for you, wouldn’t you rather be focused on where you are going? Focused on the purpose of the run? Focused on the goal? The other alternative is to just run and hope you end up somewhere good. Hope is powerful…and necessary. But hope is not a strategy. Take time to breathe. Get peaceful. Then backup from your situation and look at it from a more distant perspective. Perhaps even an aerial view. Get clarity. Then my friend, run! Charge! Give it all you’ve got, and cross that finish line! I will be right beside you.

Brenda Harkins mines the gold in people to help them clearly see their talent, identify their purpose and unleash potential to navigate their unique success. Brenda is a Life and Leadership Coach in her own organization, as well as with The John Maxwell Team and CoreClarity. She is a Public Speaker, Author, Mediator, Entrepreneur, and President of The Harkins Group, Inc. You can connect with Brenda at brenda@brendaharkins.com or find out more at https://brendaharkins.com.