"No exceptions", we say. And we truly mean it.
While saying so, we feel strong, fair, in control.
And yet, we make exceptions all the time. Just, we often don't call them that way and we don't even realize that they are indeed exceptions.
There's the kind of food that we eat as an exception depending on the circumstances and the people around us, there's the kind of messages that we would usually consider terrible and yet depending on the sender could also be so incredibly cute, there's the kind of activities we don't like and yet we can consider doing if we are in the right frame of mind. As an exception.
We like to think that we are very consistent in our choices, our moods, our habits.
More often than not, we are not that consistent and we make exceptions based on people, emotions, specific situations, tricky precedents.
And that's perfectly normal.
Being able to be flexible, to adapt, to change depending on the circumstances and the factors at play is a skill of inestimable value and it takes intelligence, resilience, and self-awareness.
Pursuing the goal of being consistent at all costs, whatever happens, is not only an illusion but also a dangerous one, the kind that creates dogmata, all flavors of extremism, and nearsightedness.
We can do a better job while getting curious about our exceptions, exploring and acknowledging them, and deciding which ones we want to keep and which ones are not serving us.
Coaching question of the day:
"Which kind of exceptions are you willing to make?"
While saying so, we feel strong, fair, in control.
And yet, we make exceptions all the time. Just, we often don't call them that way and we don't even realize that they are indeed exceptions.
There's the kind of food that we eat as an exception depending on the circumstances and the people around us, there's the kind of messages that we would usually consider terrible and yet depending on the sender could also be so incredibly cute, there's the kind of activities we don't like and yet we can consider doing if we are in the right frame of mind. As an exception.
[Making an exception is not always a bad thing
or a sign of weakness. It is all about doing it on purpose]
We like to think that we are very consistent in our choices, our moods, our habits.
More often than not, we are not that consistent and we make exceptions based on people, emotions, specific situations, tricky precedents.
And that's perfectly normal.
Being able to be flexible, to adapt, to change depending on the circumstances and the factors at play is a skill of inestimable value and it takes intelligence, resilience, and self-awareness.
Pursuing the goal of being consistent at all costs, whatever happens, is not only an illusion but also a dangerous one, the kind that creates dogmata, all flavors of extremism, and nearsightedness.
We can do a better job while getting curious about our exceptions, exploring and acknowledging them, and deciding which ones we want to keep and which ones are not serving us.
Coaching question of the day:
"Which kind of exceptions are you willing to make?"
Tags: Coaching question, Self-coaching, Self-awareness, Self-reflection, Dealing with exceptions, Being consistent, Purposeful habits
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