Recently we lost a great leader, Colin Powell. He not only served as U.S. Secretary of State but also as a general in the U.S. Army, a National Security Advisor, and as Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also served 4 presidents. I understand that titles are not what make a
great leader, rather having the right principles are. General Powell had 13 of them! His first rule? “It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.” What made Powell a great leader was his attitude, which was always positive. And that is exactly what the first rule implies, maintain a positive attitude.
There are many principles in that rule itself: the laws of attraction, take a deep breath, and don’t worry about what you can’t control, just to name a few. Will it always be better in the morning? No. But in many cases the attitude to think that it will, does make feel it better.
While writing this blog, I was once again faced with writer’s block. I could not come up with a good example for this principle and the flow stopped. It was bad; aside from a 15-minute break, my entire morning was spent writing this post and I worried I was going to miss my deadline. During that break, I walked away from my computer and took a deep breath. When I came back to it, I felt refreshed and my writing flowed. It was better in the morning.
I believe that is part of what General Powell was talking about, slowing down and taking a deep breath. When we are in the thick of it, it can be difficult to think clearly, and all the negative thoughts we have are probably only in our heads. If you give the situation some space, clarity will come. It might take some practice, but we can all learn how to do this. In fact, Colin Powell’s 4th rule was “it can be done!”
“In your darkest hour, give thanks, for in due time, the morning will come. And it will come with a ray of sunshine.”– Michael Bassey Johnson
This weekend…get it done!!!
-V