Is Your Heart in the Game?
Is your heart in the game? The game you are playing right now? Are you engaged and getting engagement? Are you even playing the right game for you?
It’s a universal truth to say that every human being wants happiness. The thing is, happiness means different things to different people so we have to figure out what it means for us. I’ve figured out many things that create happiness for me. It is and has been hard, but worth it.
Leading is a worthy pursuit. Some leaders embrace it, meeting challenges with determination, enthusiasm and collaboration. For others, it is heart wrenching. An uphill battle that seems never ending. It feels difficult and overwhelming. Then there is the grey area between the extremes.
For the wrenching heart, it is a huge challenge to muster the will to keep going. To get their heart in the game. Heart must come first. The mind will follow. It’s got to feel like something that is worthwhile. The problems must feel like they are worth solving. For the wrenched heart (or the heart that is moving in that direction), it is not a judgement on their ability to lead. Far from it. It is a judgement of the game they are playing. How they are leading? Who they are leading? What they are leading? If the game doesn’t feel right for too long, it’s probably the wrong game.
Clarity is important here. Reaching that clarity requires courage, vulnerability and willingness to look at yourself in the mirror. It’s hard. There are no shortcuts. No hacks. It’s real and raw. Trust yourself, listen to what your heart is telling you, not your ego.
It has taken me some time, but I’m trusting it more now. Not chasing it, trusting it. You see, when we choose not to settle, when we choose courage over ego, something happens. Something special happens. We understand. We get it. We figure out what it is we really want and it comes to us.
The clarity can come all at once or in small chunks. Either way, it comes. Just put your heart in the game and follow it. Trust it. It won’t lead you astray because it always knows what is truly best for you. I know I have a way to go yet and I know I am on the right path. There may well be some more bumps and bruises along the way too but my heart is in my game.
Is your heart in the game you’re playing?
BD
