Confession: I’ve been taking drugs (A story about AFFIRMATIONS)

“Thank you”

“I see what you do”

“That can’t be easy”

“You sacrifice so much”

“Please rest”

“I trust you”

“How can I help you?”

“I see your pain”

“Relax”

“No one can replace you”

“I need you”

“What do you need?”

“You matter”

 

Imagine hearing those words daily.

Imagine someone saying them to you every single day.

Imagine how you would feel.

Imagine what you could and would do.

 

Can you even fathom the surge of energy that would flood your veins?

Can you even fathom the motivation?

The adrenaline?

The sudden surge of dopamine, serotonin and all the other hormones that would overflow in your bloodstream?

 

You could?

So can I!

 

And you wanna know something else? It’s top secret. You can administer all those drugs to yourself daily. No prescription required. All you need is a mirror.

 

 

And you know what else?!

The results are fantastic!

 

I speak from experience.
AFFIRMATIONS

Dosage            :          1 phrase daily in the morning on an empty stomach

Side Effects    :           Happiness, Confidence, Motivation

Warning          :          This drug is highly effective, highly addictive

 

Aluta continua as they say.  Let’s work gently to give ourselves the gift of the words we most need to hear.

 

Today is the perfect day to start!

 

© A Heart Full of Stories, 2017

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Lee-Ann Mayimele and www.aheartfullofstories.wordpress.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Knee Jerk Reaction (Bloody Rude)

I used to be a secretary.  About 100 years ago.

One of the things I had to do, was receive emails on behalf of my boss.   There was a forwarding on his email address.

So, I am sitting in front of my new laptop one sunny morning in Johannesburg when an email pops up.  It says “Dear Mr X, I had the displeasure of deeling with your secretary this morning”.

My first thought was “You can’t spell” but I read on.

It continued “I was looking for some information which she refused to give me, hence holding up the project.  Delay will probably cost millions, thanks to Miss bloody rude!”

Bloody rude?  Did I just see that?

My CEO (Mr X) and I had come a long way.  We had a mutual respect and though I had moved on from the secretarial role a long time ago, I still dealt with his emails. We had that sort of relationship. Some call it trust, others habit. It’s just the way things were.

It took me 15 minutes to decide what action to take.

I responded “Dear Mr B, I take exception to the tone of your email and its inaccuracies.  As such, I have deleted your email and have not brought it to the attention of Mr X.  Sincerely, Bloody Rude”. Yes, I signed the email “Bloody Rude”.

Now, before you send forth waves of applause.  Hold it.  This kind of knee-jerk reaction is not something I advocate. It was also very out of character for me. I was blinded by rage and in hindsight, I am sure that my reaction would come in very low on an emotional intelligence scorer. 

Mr B happened to be a very senior business associate.  Someone we dared NOT challenge.  We needed him.  Our business depended on it.  He sat very high up on the food chain. I knew this.

When I arrived at my office the next morning, I weighed up my options:

1. Tell my CEO about the incident (and get fired)
2. Wait for Mr B to tell my CEO about the incident (and get fired)
3. Wait for my Chairman to tell my CEO about the incident (and get both of us fired)
4. Shut up and hope for the best

My fear immobilised me and I could not do a thing. 

Next thing, I hear a knock on my office door.  It was Mr B. With flowers.

He said nothing. I said nothing.  We smiled and parted ways.

I looked at his blonde hair as he walked off and thought “Bloody rude!”

© A Heart Full of Stories, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Lee-Ann Mayimele and www.aheartfullofstories.wordpress.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Twenty Something & Crazy

I arrived at the office at 6am. I rehearsed my speech a few times.  First at my desk.  Then in his office. I was planning to do that a few times more before my boss arrived at 8am sharp. But, as life would have it, he arrived early.   He neverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr arrived early.

“Oh!  You’re early too?” he said.

That’s when I had to make the decision.  I could either talk to him right away or let my nerves win and postpone the chat to another day.

I dived right in.

I asked him to let me take leave of 1 week.  No, not to go to Thailand.  I wanted leave to go and try out at another job while keeping the safety net of my current job!

Mad, right?  Who does that?  

The background is that I had just received an offer for a great new job!  It was a new company and everyone was talking about them.  They wanted someone IMMEDIATELY, so I told them that I would negotiate that with my current employer.  And, that’s what I planned to do.  Negotiate.  I came armed.

He said “Well, I can let you go for 1 week”.  I heard angels!  “But, if you want my honest opinion…..”   The angels stopped.  (I hate those words.  “Honest opinion?” What’s that supposed to mean?  Are some of the opinions not your honest ones?)

Anyway, he said “If you want my honest opinion, I don’t think you are good enough for that sort of environment.  Maybe in a few years’ time.  Of course you are very bright, don’t get me wrong (another phrase I loathe) but it needs someone a lot more mature and….ummmm…..I don’t know.  I just don’t think you are ready”.

I put down my weapons.  Negotiation over.  I hurt. For two seconds. Then, I smiled.  I did it!  I did it, I thought.  I just did the scariest thing my 20-something old self could imagine!

After a Strawberry Daiquiri in the sun after work that afternoon, I proceeded to buy my first designer pin-striped suit and I marched on into the unknown.

But hey, if you want my “honest opinion”, I do think I was pretty damn crazy!  But look at us now, sitting and writing stories about those wild days of youthful guts.

Aluta continua, my friends!  The road is long (for me).  Allow me to wish YOU many beautiful moments of crazy ideas, mad leaps of faith and unconventional routes to your scary hallways too.