Sage yourself! What a wonderful phrase coined by Coach Shirzad Chamine!

I always knew about #Saboteurs and how they can sabotage our success.

All of us know that the 4 Cs – #Compare, #Complain, #Criticize and #Condemn are negative behaviours. Yet we indulge in them and get a temporary high, we get to feel superior from others and boost our ego for the time being. Till the next thing comes along and sends us again on a roller coaster of emotions!

What has also become clearer to me is that all of the 4 C’s are a manifestation of our Saboteurs – the protective mechanism we built in our growing up years when we were dependent on others and had fewer resources. These protective mechanisms are like a cast that we put on to protect an injury when we were 5 years old…and we are still living with this cast even though as adults we have outgrown that hurt many times over – a metaphor shared in the Positive Intelligence Program.

But there is a better way to be!

We can Sage ourselves! We can use our better, more judicious and more empathetic self in all our interactions – business or personal!

We can avoid negative Cs and use the positive ones!

From ‘Comparing’ to ‘Collaborating’ – When we compare, we are only comparing some features of our self with someone else and either

we come up short or we feel superior…both are just a way to satisfy our ego. A better strategy is to learn that aspect from another person or teach them what you know better than them!

From ‘Complaining’ to ‘Coping’ – Complaining arises from a #victim mindset, a pattern of thinking that things happen to me, I have no control over my circumstances – yes sometimes circumstances are tough but we always have control over something e.g. our behaviour. Focus on your locus of control and gradually find a way to cope with difficult situations.

From ‘Criticising’ to ‘Celebrating’ – We are naturally wired to evaluate the negative information, it is a primitive strategy for survival but belongs to the caveman days. In the modern day and age we can have a higher impact and motivate our family, our teams and employees much more by celebrating small wins. Our appreciation can take them a long way.

From ‘Condemning’ to ‘Containing’ – Our Judge Saboteur is constantly acting as the Judge, the Jury and the Executioner and to what avail? We can have better interactions, build more self-esteem in ourselves and others when we leave judgement aside and use our sense of empathy and ‘contain’ our sense of judgement.

Ultimately everything in this world manifests as energy – you always have the choice to create positive energy that enhances, uplifts and moves us forward.

It starts with us. Convert your C’s. Let your Sages reign!