As a reminder: our brains are organs that think just as our hearts beat and our stomachs digest.
We don’t tell our brains to think. Thank goodness, right? Because otherwise, we would spend our whole day telling our bodies to function; we would get nothing else done!
But how liberating is it to think that all the negative chatter is just our brains doing their job trying to keep us “safe”?
And we determine what is & isn’t “safe,” what is & isn’t serving us, & what we do & don’t want to engage with.
True story: I was at a networking event the other day & after introducing myself to the group, someone asked me, “Can I ask, why nurses?”
My brain thought: she wants to know why I’m networking with a group of entrepreneurs & why I won’t coach them [entrepreneurs]; there are no nurses here, so why am I here?
Please note, all she said was the words: can I ask, why nurses?
Guess where that thought came from? ME!! I had that thought. My brain was trying to keep me “safe,” in my lane, and everything status quo- asking me- why are we going to this again? (Status quo is where our brains feel safest.)
At first, I bought it and felt defensive. I blabbered a brief answer about how I can easily talk to nurses because I am one; I speak their language.
But then, I caught myself & questioned that thought a little deeper- she just asked- why nurses?
I asked my brain, “Brain, why do we coach nurses?”
Because I care deeply about healthcare providers– they care. They actually do give a crap about their patients and the well-being of others. If they are upset or crabby, it’s because that care has been beaten out of them. They are exhausted and overwhelmed, but they still care, or at the very least, they want to care still. I help healthcare givers take care of themselves, so they can live lives they love and better serve their patients.
Next time someone asks you a question & you feel defensive, take a beat. Don’t let your brain feel defensive b/c of some story you are attaching to the question. Instead, consider their words, consult with your brain & answer their question.
