We hiked two miles and had just turned around toward our car when my friend saw it. She pointed to our left and there, about three football fields away, was a grizzly on its hind legs tracking us. She started to run and I quietly hissed that running would make us look more like prey, we had to slow down. We were both pretty terrified as we crunched through the grasses, and then I remembered I had the bear spray and would be the one responsible for saving my friend. Since we were at Yellowstone to celebrate my new master’s, my first thought was I’d get eaten before I got to use my degree. My second thought was that it was up to me to be responsible and spray the bear when it came charging. That small mind-set change enabled me to calm down enough to prepare for the attack, which never came. Once we were out of bear vision we raced to the car and never saw the grizzly again.
Small shifts in thinking can reap big results. How many times have we had to get up and speak in a meeting or share a new proposal with a boss or client, and worry about how we’ll look or if we’ll pull it off? “Purpose drives motivation; involvement drives purpose” is a quote from my new book Shortcuts to Success. When we get outside of ourselves or our egos, then it’s not about us and our ego-driven worries, it becomes about purpose and making a difference. It alters how we feel and how effective we’ll be. It may not have the same adrenalin rush as a face off with a grizzly, but the logic in handling the situation remains the same.
