CLICK BELOW TO REDISCOVER HUMANITY
A DECADE+ OF STORYTELLING POWERED BY THE BEST WRITERS ON THE PLANET

Managing The Hell Out Of Life – Part 12

Creativity and problem solving

I think creativity, the birthplace of problem-solving, is a vastly under-estimated skill, that all organisations will need to find a way to unleash if they are to stand any chance of survival, as we move forward in an unknown and unpredictable world.

It requires:

1. Action – feel the fear and do it anyway

2. Trust in yourself – even if the work is crap, it will not exist unless you trust yourself enough to give it a go

3. Resilience – you may get knocked back, criticised, ridiculed, rejected and ignored, but unless you keep going it won’t get any better.

So, take action, trust yourself, listen to your instincts and put your energy into creating the solution, not listening to those who are not in the arena with you.

The future is here. Carpe diem.

And for those rough days, a copy of James Victores ‘Feck Perfunction’ or Dave Trotts ‘Creative Blindness’, will give you the Dutch courage you need to keep going.

EDITOR’S NOTE: SEE PART 11 AND PRIOR OF THIS AMAZING SERIES BELOW⤵︎

Managing The Hell Out Of Life – Part 11

Psychological safety and life

Shame can only rise to a certain level before people have to armour up and sometimes dis-engage to stay safe.

–Brene Brown

Therefore the psychological safety of our workplaces is absolutely critical to enable people to take off the armour, lead and live openly with their vulnerability. I also believe this shift in our culture and mindset will significantly improve our mental health – as we all get to be part of a true and authentic reality that embraces the whole of ourselves. We have to deal with ‘our stuff’ and lead from the heart if we truly want to be the change we want to see.

Who agrees with this? Who is scared of this? Who is ready to embrace the challenge?

It’s ok to be a bit messy

Most of us are more than one thing. We just grew up with a narrative that told us to choose one. We can change that, we can define our reality by taking action, no matter how small, to be the change you want to be.

I walked away from a career that fed my mind and wallet but not my heart and soul. They say if it’s right to jump the universe will catch you and in my case, it did. So, I’m lots of things to lots of people. My raison d’etre is helping people to redefine what makes them a true success and to be themselves. That purpose takes many forms, in order to feed my mind, heart, and soul.

I’m intrigued by the business world and how it will meet the challenge of our changing world. I continue to work with organisations on transformation through my consulting company n2 consulting.

I love fashion and design – it feeds my soul and I indulge my passion through my design business, Lilly Isabella.

I am passionate about helping people to live more authentic lives, to be themselves, love themselves and accept their imperfections as a core part of their beauty. I share my stories, in the hope of helping people to do that.

Life is not always simple. Sometimes it’s messy and unpredictable. And that’s ok, just as being more than one thing is ok. Be yourself always.

Body, mind, and soul

The head cannot move without the heart.

The heart cannot beat without the soul.

The soul cannot speak without the silence.

Listen to your instinct, follow your heart and use your head wisely.

Today is the day

Today is the day.

Every day is the day.

Show up and own up.

Listen to your instinct, follow your heart, set yourself free.

Having to do a job and living a life, you don’t want, may be necessary to pay the bills, but it won’t pay you. No matter how much you earn, how much you buy, how much you achieve, your soul will always be in deficit.

It doesn’t matter how small the step is, just take it and start feeding your soul, today. Keep taking those steps, every day in every way and eventually, you will see a way through. Be yourself and find a way to do what makes your heart sing, no matter what you think, others think you should be.

Carpe diem.

The elite of humanity

In the face of adversity, challenge and fear, if you can still do these 5 things, you are amongst the elite in terms of humanity – the only measure of success that really counts, because it’s the only one, that is capable of leaving a legacy that matters:

1. Awaken the potential in others

2. Make someone else smile

3. See the hurt not the anger

4. Choose kindness first

5. Show gratitude and share whatever you can

That’s it.

Give something of yourself

Every time I write, vlog or draw, I am giving something of myself – not something from someone else, or something that others think I should give, but my own raw and genuine self. It seems somewhat odd, that the ability to reveal our true selves, has become known as a skill, or something courageous. Isn’t it simply who we are?

When did it become the norm to present an airbrushed version of who we are, or even worse, a version we think is more palatable for others, in order to belong?

The reality is, that it doesn’t matter what others think because:

1. You never really know how people will respond to your work – I’ve often had the greatest response to the work, I thought was my worst. Trying to second guess people is just like playing roulette.

2. Very few people actually share a truly authentic response, because very few people operate without armour. Silence is often your greatest feedback and that’s ok because as long as someone, somewhere has benefitted, you don’t actually need to know.

3. Losing yourself in order to please others, who probably aren’t actually pleased, but cannot say, otherwise they may have to take their armour off too, renders your work valueless. The value is always in you – your quirky, imperfect but, quite beautiful self.

Nik Davis
Nik Davishttps://nikdavis.com/
NIK DAVIS is a business transformation expert and has spent 20 years in the corporate world. Her comfort zone is order, logic and applying analytical tools to solve complex problems. She is also a keen observer of life, a writer and eccentric. Nik has recently returned to the world of work after taking a career break to spend time with her family. Upon her return, she found that her perspective had changed, as had the world she was returning to. Nik decided to carve out a new place in that world and mould some of it to fit her too. Nik sees life from quirky angles, shaped by experiences and the vast amount of knowledge we now have access to. She likes to write about her experiences and observations. To ‘tell it how it is’ and to find a more authentic way to live, whether in our professional or personal lives. Nik often talks about finding ‘The Third Way’. It’s a philosophy about life, having a personal life as well as a career, making money and being socially generous, being logical and sensitive, living by the rules of a society but not being afraid to challenge them, inspiring others to feel good but not for your own ego, giving rather than taking. Nik wants to make a difference to this world by getting people to see things differently, to try new ways of working but most of all, to re-discover our true selves and therefore reach our true potential. Nik also has two other persona’s: nikdavis which is where Nik writes about her deeply personal experiences of life. Nik runs a facebook group alongside this website to create a safe place for people to discuss the topics that are raised in her blog. Nik’s second persona is Lilly Isabella and this is where she shares her passion of fashion and design.

DO YOU HAVE THE "WRITE" STUFF? If you’re ready to share your wisdom of experience, we’re ready to share it with our massive global audience – by giving you the opportunity to become a published Contributor on our award-winning Site with (your own byline). And who knows? – it may be your first step in discovering your “hidden Hemmingway”. LEARN MORE HERE


TAKE STROLL INSIDE 360° NATION

TIME FOR A "JUST BE." MOMENT?

ENJOY OUR FREE EVENTS

BECAUSE WE'RE BETTER TOGETHER