Shereena Hussein Lives Here

Friends – if you have concerns about the impression others might have about you, or about something that was given to you, be careful about what you might inadvertently (yet voluntarily) reveal in conversation.

Your casual speech will reveal your insecurities to those who are paying attention. 😈

My friend who recently got a promotion spoke about how intense the process was and then volunteered ‘it wasn’t a diversity hire, I got the job fair and square’.

Up until that point, the thought never crossed my mind that her promotion was tokenistic. But she clearly feared that this was the IMPRESSION her promotion might have given to others.

Examples:

💐 You said: I was chosen for that team because I had the right programming skills.
🌺 What people heard: I don’t want people to think I was hired because the manager likes me.

🌼 You said: I was selected for that leadership program because I spent a lot of time on the application.
🌸 What people heard: I don’t want people to think I was selected because I threatened to quit.

So, be careful about what you volunteer, friends. If you have insecurities, it’s probably wise not to reveal them.

hashtag#Mindfulness hashtag#CommunicationSkills hashtag#Leadership

But what if what you do is so engaging, fulfilling and meaningful, that it does not feel like work at all?

And that’s the difference between the drudgery of doing tedious stuff, and doing something that gives you purpose.

So the trick is to find meaning and purpose in what you do, I suppose. For those of us who find meaning in what we do, we can’t see how you can possibly be any other way.

For my other friends for whom work is…..just work, they can’t understand how I can be the way I am. To each, their own.

hashtag#Purpose hashtag#Meaning hashtag#Leadership

Articles and books on body language will tell you that what people are thinking and feeling are revealed by their body language, for example:

💠 folded arms – anger or defensiveness
✳ leaning away from you – uncomfortable, anxious
✴ frowning – not liking what you are saying
📛 rubbing their nose – feeling anxious
🔱 playing with their hair – flirtatious behaviour
🔰 scratching the ear – nervousness or boredom

But sometimes, friends, body language can be misleading if you pay too much attention to it.

🤷‍♀️ Folded arms could just be a relaxing position for that person
👨‍🔧 Ear scratching could just be wax build up
🙅‍♂️ playing with hair could just be….that.

So be cautious about reading too much into what you’re seeing.

hashtag#Communication hashtag#leadership hashtag#BodyLanguage