When a Master speaks – time to listen.

When a master speaks history says we should stop and listen, to learn. It is little wonder fine academy award winning actors such as Hilary Swank, and Helen Hunt, praise Larry Moss as a coach, and Leonardo DiCaprio, acknowledges Larry helping him develop more as an actor.
There was much to take away from the Master, but these are the 5 Lessons that stuck with me.

1. Be kind to yourself

One of the many burdens we add to our sometimes complex lives is the harshness of negative self talk. For many it can be dilapidating, and it often withholds us from the ability to develop in the roles we have been appointed. Mix this negativity with strong egos and sometimes we can find it difficult to reach the mastery of the craft.

So be kind on yourself, and allow the ups and downs of your daily performance wash over you.

2. Breathe

We sometimes get excited with the moment and often this is reflected in our voice by talking at a faster higher pitch. To overcome this automatic body response to excitement, anxiety or agitation we must concentrate on our breathing and learn to breathe more deeply and calmly whilst we express ourselves, essential when we are in a leadership role, but even more so within the narrative of our lives.

3. Relax

Living in the moment does not mean rushing and feeling the anxiety of life; rather, it means being relaxed and living. So take control.

There are many ways to take control, with the most proficient being planning; but, an equally important aspect of taking control is the ability to relax and step away from the anxiety of life, such as social media and other “important” things so vital to do, to breathe and to relax.

Hey, what’s the worst that could happen to you if you turned your phone off for an hour? Relax.

4. Listen

Sometimes we hear, but we don’t usually listen to what the other person is saying. How often are we accused of not listening? What does this mean, when we absolutely know for sure we were listening?

Listening doesn’t actually mean hearing what is said; what it can mean is having empathy and understanding for the other person’s point of view, and therefore know how important what they are saying means to them. Actually listening will assist us to learn to react appropriately to what is being said. It’s not just the words, but the tone and manner in which they are delivered which will help us with our reaction. Listen to what’s being said and respond appropriately.

5. Be Authentic

Get real man … such a cliche because it is so over used, but so true to many of us who shield our truth from others. Many of us live behind the veneer we put up to show the world, often to protect our true inner selves, yet we limit opportunities to develop ourselves by doing so. It’s not easy to be authentic, but as Shakespeare said, “to thine own self be true”. Authentic leadership is quite a buzz word these days so perhaps we may need to ‘get real’.

It’s never easy, this thing called our lives. We all have unique and wonderful stories covering our various genres of adventure, drama, comedy, mystery, tragedy, and the others; and as the Bard had the melancholy Jaques says, in As you like it:

All the world’s a stage, 
And all the men and women merely players; 
They have their exits and their entrances, 
And one man in his time plays many parts.

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