Making feelings great again.

One of the benefits of being an entrepreneur in the cultural exchange industry, is the privilege to meet and get to know many different types of people in the workplace. People who act and react in wonderfully different ways. Some of these humans will not always be my cup of tea. And that’s okay. Because I will not always be theirs.

There is a delicate balance between the relationship of emotional and professional conduct. Being the feeler that I am, I tend to fall more in the caring a great deal category. This is my nature and I have learned to walk this motto with pride.

I would rather work with the characteristics I’ve been given than try and change myself into something I know I can’t be. That shit always backfires.

The default setting is consistently set to authentic mode.

I care a hell of a lot. So be it.

If my older self could have a talk with my younger self, the conversation would look something like this: “Do not take things personally in business. You can care and feel deeply, but you are not allowed to internalize negativity”

I wish I had a businesswoman in my start-up years sharing that piece of simple advice with me.
Here’s the thing:

I can be a bad ass businesswoman AND be a hot mess of feels.

The trick is to convert my emotions into superpowers that I can use for good. I can navigate unpleasant emotions when the going gets tough, but I should never allow them into my inner world.

I feel hard. I let go. End of story.

Those unpleasantries will not become intertwined with my precious inner dialogue. I cannot allow negative actions or words to alter my inner peace. Everyone has difficult clients, coworkers and people to deal with. There will be hostility spewed upon you from time to time. Emotional superpowers come into play when you acknowledge the ugliness, react in a professional manner and watch those evil feelings fly out the window.

Having a compassionate and empathetic demeanor is an excellent skill to have as a leader. Showing fellow coworkers that I am a real person with actual human feelings makes them view me as an equal mere mortal. This also makes it easier for them to share their trials and tribulations when they are going through a rough patch. Sharing one’s feelings is nothing to be ashamed of. Full stop.

I don’t know when being a feeling human stopped being cool in the business world. Or was it ever cool to begin with? Forced stoicism and shame tactics are tools used in many workplaces. I have experienced these tools firsthand in previous nine to five jobs.

Having a soft place to fall for coworkers should be on any manager’s top priority list. In my opinion, women and men with good emotional intelligence skills should be higher on the list of contenders for leadership roles.

Feelings in the workplace is not a bad thing.

And I am not referring to going bonkers and tearing up the office. I am referring to normal emotional responses to various scenarios that people face in their daily lives.

It’s time to bring back emotion into our offices. We spend most of our lives in the confides of our workplace. It should be a haven for expression, feeling and growth.

I wholeheartedly believe that you will get the best from people if you treat their emotions and feelings with respect and dignity. When someone knows they are heard and acknowledged, they will be more open, honest and productive.

Adding to this I firmly believe that people should be led with positive reinforcement and encouragement. No one deserves to be shamed and ridiculed. It doesn’t matter what they did. Problems can always be solved with kindness. That doesn’t mean that people should not be held accountable for their actions. It simply means the way in which they are approached should be orchestrated with compassion and humanity.
Concluding, if you don’t tolerate negativity and nay saying voices as part of your inner dialogue, you will recover quicker from setbacks and disappointments.

And, if you treat your fellow coworkers with authentic kindness, they will flourish in your presence.

I am no rocket scientist, but I am a semi-expert on feels.

Let’s make feelings great again. Can I get a yay on that?