I come bearing presence
About a week ago, I was driving to work when a deer crashed into the side of my car. Yes, I know I’m not the first person to collide with a deer but as a student of effective communication and self-awareness, I chose to see this as the perfect case study for an internal monologue awareness analysis. I analyzed my emotional response because I was shaken up and wanted to understand what my body and mind were communicating. *This is an AMC exercise in effective communication.
I wouldn’t dare bury the lead: Thankfully, I was not hurt. No one else on the road was hurt. The deer freely sprinted off. My car will be fine.
Here’s what my internal monologue audit revealed:
Seconds. My brain had mere seconds to strategically communicate actions in a serious threat. In hindsight, this is an alarming feeling.
Thankfully, I did the right thing and am unharmed. *Massive emphasis on gratitude here.
How did I know to do the “right thing” so quickly?
What was I doing/thinking the second my wellbeing was threatened?
Does this make me lucky, or sharp? Does luck even exist? What does sharp mean?
What if I hadn’t done what I did?
There’s no way to prevent these types of threats.
Auto body work & insurance claims, oy vey!
After processing these emotional thoughts, this is what my conscious mind concluded: Anna, “every second counts,” and “Your brain is trying to do too much at once.” Very personally, these seem to be the contradictory themes of my life.
I went back and studied a scientific chart presented in the book, Ikigai, by educational experts and award-winning authors, Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles. The chart compares the traditional cave dweller to the modern human:
Cave dweller: Relaxed most of the time | Modern human: works most of the time and alert to any/all threats
Cave dweller: Felt stress in only very specific situations | Modern human: Online waiting for 24-hour notifications
Cave dweller: The threats were real. A predator could end their lives at any moment | Modern human: Brain associates cell phone/email ping with threat of predator
Cave dweller: High doses of cortisol and adrenaline at moments of danger kept the body healthy | Modern human: Low doses of cortisol flow constantly through body, creating range of health problems
(Ikigai, is the Japanese word for purpose. In the book, Garcia and Miralles explain that Ikigai is the reason for longevity in several Japanese Blue Zones. *I study longevity and Blue Zones and how they correlate to effective communication. I discuss Blue Zone research in this recent AMC Newsletter).
Within the concept of Ikigai, the authors research how Japanese centenarians and supercentenarians practice mindfulness and awareness to avoid life-threatening stress. In other words, Japanese people believe calm is a major component to their super longevity. Science also validates that mindfulness practices are a way to combat dis-ease, like anxiety, depression, and the list goes on.
In conclusion, as professionals, no matter the profession or reason, we are a society on “high alert.” This directly impacts our internal communication systems and can have a massive impact on our ability to effectively communicate with one another (and survive).
In our AMC Professional Development Lab, not only do we create customized masterclass programming to educate leaders and teams on this emerging and life-changing data, but we partner with mindfulness experts, in alignment with our client’s effective communication goals.
We want to work with companies that prioritize the mental wellbeing of their employees. Don’t we all deserve that calm in this AI-dominating world?
By the way, in hindsight, during the crash my brain was “charged up.” So, I reorganized my schedule and allocated more time to my favorite mindfulness practices. This week I’m re-centering my brain to ensure I’m more presently communicating with myself and others. This presence is affording me the chance to more clearly understand the value of every second and to take a step back and not do so much at once. Dare I say it’s a life-saving reminder?
Learn more about our AMC research and Masterclass Programming. Anna Michele Communications wants to transform you, your colleagues and your business. Schedule your complimentary consultation today and let’s begin, Mindfully Speaking.
Also, are you searching for a keynote speaker for your next event? Reach out! I’d love the opportunity to speak about our AMC Mindful Communication Model and practices to your cherished audience.
I look forward to our good work together. Sending gratitude & presence to you and your colleagues.
MIndfully Speaking,
Anna Michele Bulszewicz
Founder, Anna Michele Communications