What can we learn from Big ‘C’?
By: Bert M. Ohnemüller
Tags: High Performance, Humanity, Compassion, Success Story, Self Leadership

What can we learn from Big ‘C’?

A brief note from the author:

When I announced the beginning of the “Decade of Humanity” for the 20th of Feb 2020, I had no clue how this year will unfold. And now nine months later we live in a new reality, which comes along with so much suffering and tragedies. A pandemic — Covid 19 — challenged the entire planet. This event made me think, what could be the bigger meaning behind this. I consider any crisis as an invitation to shift our perspective, to change the way we look at things, to find better ways. This Corona crisis is a huge and global wake up call for all of us. I would like to provide you with 12 “C” inspirations, with the idea to help you to master this and any further obstacles in your life. I suggest, keep a pen/pencil and a paper handy and note down your thoughts or answers to the questions listed in each part to get your personalized solution to ‘What can you learn from the Big C?’ I hope you find some helpful hints and ideas, which deliver tangible benefits for you. I do look forward to your constructive feedback. All the best and stay healthy!

1. Crisis

Is it a threat or an opportunity?

In the first instance, you most likely would view it as a threat. And why shouldn’t you? The word has a negative connotation to it. But pause for a second, and look at the other side of the coin.

What is your belief about a crisis?

Because your belief determines your truth. Everybody is right at least in his or her thought and fear system. You see the world always through your eyes, your mind, which is a unique inner perceiver and interpreter of the outside world.

In my belief, a crisis is always a kind of wake-up call, an invitation, and an accelerator for a shift, which is meant to happen — change fast in order to succeed soon.

A crisis is a wake-up call for a change or a shift that has to happen. And you know what CHANGE is our price for survival. In our history as mankind, we could adapt to fit into the constantly changing environment. Resisting change in most cases led to a collapse. Change means finding new and better ways, seeing a positive future, although the circumstances try to tell you a different story. It needs a lot of courage, faith, and mainly trust.

Change is never easy and we still suffer a lot because of our evolutionary heritage — a kind of “evolutionary hangover”. The advice, especially in those times is:

“Do not believe everything you think!”

Your brain cannot differentiate between a thought and reality — in a certain sense both of these result in the release of neurotransmitters.

With the ongoing crisis -

What if the earth is preparing you for whatever you have asked for?

What if the earth gives you a break to make sure you use your life wisely enough.

The virus itself underestimates death and overestimates life. But what do you do instead? Most of you wait until the crisis passes, in order to live again. But while you wait, life passes behind. Let us learn to use the precious reason to be isolated and dive into the inner self.

Ask yourself:

How does the crisis affect you?

What is your biggest fear?

What do you have to do for it?

Let the crisis help you realize your potential — strengths, and weaknesses — and how will you overcome it all.

2. Character

Are Character and Personality the same?

Though some of you might think these are synonyms or interchangeable words, I beg to differ. There is a thin line of difference between personality and character. For me, personality is like a tree and your character makes up the roots. And it is your roots that determine how strong of a person you will be.

Any crisis that follows is a test and proof of your character. Simply watch how people around you behave in a pressure situation. That brings me to another question — why do people behave the way they behave? My standpoint: We behave the way we behave, simply because we think the way we think.

Our beliefs determine our actions, right?! What do you believe about tomorrow -

Will it be better or worse?

Would you agree that those perspectives and beliefs have a huge impact on

your behavior? If things go worse tomorrow, you have to hold on to everything you have, else probably you will be left with little or nothing for the next day.

But — what if things go better tomorrow, you could theoretically let go of everything you hold, because you have this certain belief, that there is much more to come, that there is enough for everybody.

Do you see my point?

Character is the foundation of your beliefs — it is your inner compass, your value system, your integrity. It is visible every time you act, while nobody is watching. Everybody can perform when the sun is shining, but what do you do when everything around you seems to collapse. The ground under your feet is pulled away.

Our thoughts shape our minds, which shapes our inner focus, and in turn, it shapes our results. Your belief that there is always a better way will help you find this path. In my eyes character is directly linked to leadership.

Ask Yourself:

• How do you behave when nobody’s looking?

• Do you mean and stand by what you say?

• Do you walk the talk?

• Do you live according to your values?

• Are you honest, especially with yourself?

3. Concerns

Are you driven by fear or by confidence?

Being a species of Homo Sapiens, we are clouded by concerns — small and big alike. Some impact our day-to-day lives, whereas others may make a huge dent in the world. Concerns are mainly thoughts about potential negative events, which could happen in the unknown future. Something we cannot control. And losing control is a “mental” threat for our species.

But have you ever wondered how we make up concerns?

Concerns are made by the elephant of our perception. In an unknown situation, we are mainly on auto-pilot and we perceive threats everywhere without giving any chance to the rider (your mind) any chance to direct the elephant. The elephant runs frantically the whole time, in fear. The neuroscientist would probably call him the negativity bias.

While one may perceive being unafraid as being courageous, it is often the stark opposite. Being courageous means not to let your fear stop you.

The power you have is the power over your mind, not over the outside events. Train your mind for positive perception. To look for the good in things, to hunt for opportunities in crisis. And focus on the NOW. This is the point, to reconsider your concerns, take a deep breath and look into the opposite direction. There lies the gift. The good news is — where your focus is, so is your energy.

The same is true for fear or confidence; you can’t experience both. Either you are in a state of fear, or you are in a state of confidence. Fear shrinks and leads to collapse, whereas, confidence lifts you and enables you to find new and better ways.

It is also essential for you to know that reality comes to your mind because of certain biochemicals. It is the result of our emotions: When you are stressed, your body releases adrenaline and cortisol, your perception is quite limited because your system shifts into the “survival mode”. When you are in a good mood, full of confidence, your body will release serotonin and you can imagine a positive future. Emotions are often described as »energies that move us«. Hence, E-motion (»energy in motion«).

Emotions are energies that go under our skin. They always have a dimension that can be perceived physically, such as goosebumps, sweaty hands, muscle tension, expansion or constriction of the pupils, breathing faster, or a higher heart rate.

Our bodies produce — depending on our mental and physical state — the corresponding messengers that influence our feelings, the way of thinking, and our behavior as a result of our biochemical signal chains.

Think about coming home, totally exhausted and fighting with yourself if you should really put on your running shoes and go for a run right now. Cross your heart: Every time you do it, you are in a better mood than you would have been without the exercise — but you already know this.

Change your biochemistry and you change your perception. Use the somatic intelligence of your body.

Ask Yourself?

● Do you keep your E-motions in check?

● In what ways can you stop reacting and start responding to tough situations in life?

● Do you exercise and use the somatic intelligence of your body to perceive situations better?

4. Cortisol

What happens inside your body when you feel fearful and stressed?

Now that we have dived into the biology of our body, it is as well vital to know the way it works. But do not fret, this isn’t a biology class. Just the basic essentials that help you estimate yourself, and your feelings to get a better look at the situation at hand.

Especially under a stressful situation, the amygdala, our fear and danger detector, shifts into overdrive. Adrenaline and Cortisol are released, our emotional auto-pilot switches into a survival mode.

Be aware, when it happens, because you can only change what you are aware of.

Imagine if your brain is stuck in this emergency response, then you can’t expect anything other than these three options: fight, flight, or freeze. Our thinking mind — the prefrontal cortex — is temporarily in a lockdown state. No empathy, no creativity, no cooperation, just pure survival, our evolution was not able to predict an intellectual discussion with a saber tooth.

But we are not living in archaic times anymore. We do not have to hunt for food in the jungles or save ourselves from wild animals every day in order to survive. In these contemporary times, we can sustain like the modern human being. We do not need the same survival instincts as before. We have different problems now, which need different solutions — and definitely not get into the ‘survival mode’. That is why it is important to understand your emotional state.

Once you are aware of your emotional state, you can change it.

However — and this is one thing we all too often forget — we do have an ally in these situations: Our body. Physiology is the key to the emotional state of a human being. Instead of an attack, flight or numbness, you have to utilize the power of your own body.

Some tips that would help:

• Concentrate on your breathing for two minutes: Breathe in and out deeply — in and out — in and out. You should let four to six seconds pass during each breath. Pay attention to your posture; sit up straight, shoulders back and head held high. Do you feel calmer? Now you can take back the paddles to your »lifeboat« and concentrate.

• Focus on your body language. Two minutes in a weak pose makes your cortisol increase, two minutes in a power pose decreases it and the power hormone testosterone increases. Your body language has an impact on your biochemistry. Two minutes in a weak pose make your cortisol increase, two minutes in a power pose makes it decrease and the power hormone testosterone increases. Two minutes!

• As an alternative to this breathing exercise you can of course also take a walk outside. The natural environment with all its beauty is going to get your mind off of the issue.

Be mindful, walk slowly, pay attention to all the small details: a blooming flower, a butterfly, or how especially blue the sky is.

• Sometimes all it takes is a change of our actual perspective — sit on the other side of your desk! See the world with different eyes.

Ask Yourself:

● When was the last time you paid attention to your bodily responses?

● What did you do — were you aware of the response and did you react or did you let it drive you in auto-pilot.

● Now that you realize how important your physiology is, what would you change, if your body is flushed with cortisol the next time?

5. Communication

How does good communication truly work?

Communication is key and very crucial in day-to-day life, in business, at home, and in almost every situation in part and parcel in life. Every living soul on this planet communicates — not just verbally in words, and phrases but also through non-verbal communication like in gestures, signals, or simply by being in a way.

Communication is not only an art but also a science. The science of communication is often a science of misunderstandings. This is crucial to why we should not let our tongues be deafening.

The origin of the word communication comes from the Latin term ‘Communio’; it means sharing, disclosing, taking part in, doing together, and unifying.

It is pretty exciting if you look at how we deal with communication in today’s times. Everyone wants to get their point across as loudly and quickly as they can. There simply is no time for active and conscious listening — which is an important element of communication even in business.

For me, communication is one of the main characteristics of leadership. Imagine you have something to say and nobody is listening. Your success in communication can be seen in what way and how fast you bring your message across, but also if you know who your listeners are.

The old rule applies: It’s not so much about what is being sent, but what is being received.

Those who aren’t understood, won’t be followed.

But those who know and understand the fundamentals of interpersonal communication and know how to apply them will definitely and convincingly reach their listeners and goals.

»You cannot NOT communicate!« Paul Watzlawick

Communication comes in various forms: the way we act, how our tone and body language is. I’m conveying factual information, while at the same time, an implicit expression in regards to the relationship between the sender and recipient takes place.

How do you tell the quality of your communication, one might ask? It’s simple, it depends on the reaction you receive.

Communication is the art of connecting people — this happens ideally from the heart to the head. Everything, which should make an impact on our minds, shall come from the heart. Learn and improve to speak the language of the heart — in business as well as in life!

Ask Yourself

● Are you satisfied with the feedback you are getting?

● If not, how can you listen more in order to increase the quality of your communication?

6. Confinement

Is being isolated always bad news?

The Big C forced us to experience a totally new kind of circumstance: Confinement, with the total lockdown & social distancing. Ever wondered what could be the hidden lesson behind it?

Well, the good news is — it is time to leave your mental cage and run for the bigger game! I would say that Isolation is not always a bad thing.

The crisis invites you to be silent and isolated because there is a problem and it needs to be solved.

Think about it, when there is an issue at the company, you come home, you isolate yourself and think because it matters for you. Because you want to solve the issue.

Imagine ‘’mother earth’’ has taken the role of your company. Remember a while ago the lungs of the earth were burning, then it was the lungs of humanity that were burning.

Do you see the bigger picture? I believe — absolutely yes!

There is always a lesson to learn, a new experience to make to thrive and to grow.

Therefore, we all need to isolate and think. This is an invitation to find the solution, to save the company, the family, or even society. We are only one step far from starting all over again. The time has come to put into practice all the lessons you have learned during any isolation time.

Time to rebuild your team, time to forgive yourself for what you did not know, and start the history from a new page. There is no more time to waste, no more time to wait. Start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can.

Ask Yourself:

● What would you do differently in a world without limits?

7. Confidence

Do your thoughts run you or you run your thoughts?

While it may sound extremely easy to read and understand but trust me, it is a herculean task when it comes to doing so.

Whenever you feel in the mood of losing your hope, whenever you see no way out, there is a recipe for you. Try to shift your inner state — by watching your thoughts — become the observer of your thoughts, accept them, and make a new decision.

Once you realize that you can observe your thoughts you realize that you are not your thought, neither are you your emotion. You are the observer of these elements. This will provide you with the necessary conviction that there is more than your thoughts and emotions — your higher mind. Connect with this powerful ally and you will reach the state of confidence, which will guide you through any kind of difficulty.

Confidence is the one thing that changes everything.

Confidence means finding a way out although you can’t see it yet. Confidence is an inner state, a way to see the world, accepting insecurities as well as inner tension, which comes along, whenever we do not know what will happen. Let us remember that being insecure is the principle of life and the real source for creativity, without this kind of not knowing, but nevertheless acting with this inner state of “I will find a way” was key for the entire human evolution.

Let me share three core ideas for a good life:

Imagine how much worse life could be Do not allow fear to dominate your life Change what you can change and accept what you cannot change

Try to overcome your negative bias and stay in the light.

The path always appears when you do the first step.

Ask Yourself:

● What is your state of mind? Are you confident and self-reliant?

● Are you manipulated by your thoughts?

● How will you act the next time your thoughts overpower you?

8. Citizens

What responsibility did you fulfill as a resident on this planet?

Citizens, yes citizens. As you realize that we are all global citizens on our planet Earth. You breathe the same air, drink the same water, and live on the same planet Earth — the third planet from the Sun in our solar system.

Though we might be living differently based on our location on the world map, we are the same children of our Mother Earth living harmoniously with other human beings.

Let us become a role model for others. Let us be part of a community and team.

Forget about taking and demanding; choose to give, to share, and to support. Now is the best time to change your perspective about the world, business, and leadership.

Use the time to plant seeds now, so you can truly enjoy the fruits later.

The law of the universe approved once again that we all are in the same boat. The virus accepts no status, no color, nor any nationality. Every human being’s life is at risk. The most important part of this situation is — personal responsibility.

This is the right moment to step back and consciously analyze your life you have lived till now. Set new priorities, which lift each other, involve care and empathy for humanity. This crisis is not about death, it is about building a more valuable life.

Ask Yourself:

● As an individual how can you become a better example for society?

● What small steps today would lead to big changes later on?

9. Cruelty

Did you forgive yourself for what you didn’t know before?

Maybe you didn’t realize it the last time you were cruel to yourself, maybe you would not realize it still. But it exists. There are times when you are the cruelest to you.

A crisis has a lot of ‘side-effects’ like Cruelty — we all have to face a huge amount of suffering to grow — every situation is a potential personal coach, without any extra expenses. We must learn to use the lessons wisely instead of being cruel to yourself.

Don’t punish yourself or carry your mistakes on your shoulder. Instead, analyze them, place them under your feet, and use them as stepping stones. It has been a while that we are all together in suffering. Our past is explaining why we are suffering and invites us to reconsider it. Every suffering has an end. All that matters is what we have learned during those situations.

How wisely we have used the time. Jim Rohn says: “Suffer the pain of discipline, or suffer the pain of regret”. We cannot change what has happened and what has brought us to this point, but we can use this struggle for our future progress.

Again, it is a question of changing your mind to change your reality. See any challenging situation as a free coaching session. Life means lifelong development and learning — say “Yes” to life and grow instead of shrinking.

This is your life, this is the moment, to write and rewrite your history. Be grateful for any mistake and look at it as a stepping stone to your legacy.

If you feel you are doing good, then strive to make it better. And, if you feel otherwise, then start all over again. These times give you a chance to transform in both cases. Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.

Ask Yourself

● How do you respond to critical situations?

● What would you do to forgive yourself for your past mistakes?

10. Comfort Zone

Which one of the pains did you choose — the pain of discipline or regret?

We all love our comfort zones, don’t we? The spaces are so familiar, situations and territories are known. Everything is almost always under control. Nothing to face, nothing to fear. But does it really help you and your future?

The answer is something you already are aware of, but would never really say out loud. Allow me to say it on your behalf -

The answer is a big fat ‘No’.

The comfort zone only inhibits your growth and limits your learning and problem-solving.

Overcoming your comfort zone is a big challenge for most of us. But in my opinion, it is always worth taking that small step towards an activity.

A helpful idea for overcoming your inner turmoil is the “rule of 21”.

To change these behavior patterns, we have to create and build new highways in our brains. But new habits need special attention and a certain amount of training — and this is exactly where the »rule of 21« comes in.

• Try consciously and purposely to apply your new behavior over the following 21 days. Create a daily routine out of what your ambitions are.

• After these 21 days are over your new behavior will have turned into a new habit and you will feel that things are simply happening on their own.

Ask yourself:

● What are you thankful for?

Write down three things you are thankful for. Do it in the evening looking back on your day or do it each morning as a positive stimulus into the day. After 21-days you not only possess a collection of more than 60 things for which you are grateful but suddenly your brain automatically “thinks” about the good things in life. Give it a try and just hang in there.

THE SECRET OF WINNING IS JUST BEGINNING

11. Challenge

Do you know what holds us back most of the time?

It is the routine! Routine is a killer. Again and again, we try to fix the challenges with the so-called success models of the past. Which is simply impossible. As we learned there is only one reliable insight — everything changes, always, day in and day out.

Challenges come in many forms. A challenge is an opportunity to show what you truly are capable of — how strong you are. It is a great opportunity for awakening.

When people are stressed or lose hope — they become weak and are unable to see the opportunities. Take the challenge and step out from the crowd. Choose to be a strong person. Take the role of the one who can be a reason for the weak to stand up again.

During difficult times, we need each other the most. Be an example for those who lost their hope, be a role model, take the control of the situation, and help the rest blossom again.

Crisis equal challenges in a certain way. It is your call to change your perspective. See it as another lesson, teaching on your way to a fulfilled and successful life.

The first challenge is to become aware of this because only what you are aware of, you can change. The second challenge after you have a new awareness is to reflect on your inner resources. You need a lot of emotional strength and fitness.

Where does your energy come from? What makes you thrive and grow, what makes you weak and slow?

Ask Yourself:

● What strengthens your emotional fitness?

● What weakens your emotional fitness?

12. Compassion — is all you need

When was the last time you were kind to someone?

The last of all Big C’s and the most important one as well. Compassion is the backbone of society and humanity.

We are becoming machines, slaves of technology, and money. Too often we have lost our hearts and souls. The virus came to remind us who we are, to remind us that the actual virus is often to be found inside of our brain and hearts.

We have forgotten that humans need each other, that empathy is the clue for humanity and any society, and that we can only master the big challenges ahead when we empathize and become compassionate. Your true inner voice and your heart will show you the path. They both are never mistaken.

“Compassion reduces our fear, boosts our confidence, and opens us to inner strength. By reducing distrust, it opens us to others and brings us a sense of connection with them and a sense of purpose and meaning in life.” — HH Dalai Lama

Imagine a world where people love what they do and do it with passion.

Imagine a world where companies are role models for society, imagine a world full of compassion — Welcome to the Decade of Humanity!

Today is your day — YOUR MAGIC DAY!!!

No more wasting precious time. No more excuses.

Follow the desire for human connections and start with an open mind into an open world. Become the change you want to see in the world. Help humanity succeed.

Living means giving.

Success and fulfillment are not only the result of good but also, and most importantly — of lively relationships. When did you tell the people, who mean a lot to you, how important they are to you? Here is an invitation to do it. Make a list, enter the names of the people who mean a lot to you. Think about how you would exactly show those people their meaning in your life and implement it. The key is in action.

DO IT NOW!

You will get through this :)

I believe in you; do you believe in yourself?