Process Jolt #13 - Welcome emotion as a friend, not an enemy

Welcome to our Conscious Innovator® process!

Are you ready for a new, insight-provoking “Jolt” … something designed to “rearrange your molecules” as it elicits your unique, innovative potential in life and work?

Jolts wake us up. They spur new self-awareness, new capabilities and values, and new actions. Paradoxically, we don’t learn from each Jolt – rather, each Jolt “learns us”! That is, a Jolt sits in the background of our consciousness and then prompts new insights and energy over time. 

Jolt #13: Welcome emotion as a friend, not an enemy

Have you ever sat with a team and posed a goal about a problem to be solved or a change that needed to happen, and the energy in the room was immediately hopeful and enthusiastic? Or it was noticeably concerned and skeptical? Or both?

Hopeful enthusiasm. Concerned skepticism. Excitement. Fear. Satisfaction. Frustration. Joy. Sorrow. Compassion. Anger. These are all shades of the emotional rainbow, the energy-in-motion behind our words and actions. For better or worse.

So, what does emotion have to do with innovation? Everything!

That energy-in-motion – at the beginning and throughout any endeavor – can make or break the level of innovativeness in our thoughts, words, and actions.

So how do we embrace and channel that energy towards positive, productive, innovative work? Dr. Daniel Siegel, an author and psychiatrist, advises “Name it to tame it” as a way to have our emotions inform us rather than control us, so we can direct that energy towards mutual well-being.

Naming the range of emotions that we may be feeling at any time and during any innovative effort may seem daunting. To give us insight into how to do this well, let’s look at the Japanese philosophy and martial art of Aikido. “Ai” means Harmony. “Ki” means Energy. “Do” means Way. So literally, Aikido translates as "the Way of Harmony with Energy." 

According to the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba (1883–1969), the practice of Aikido involves blending with the energy and actions of other people to neutralize any conflict, whereby no one is hurt. This blending requires us to accept rather than resist “Whatever Is” in the here-and-now.

We often resist negative emotions during an innovative project, especially at the beginning, because they seem to take the energy and enthusiasm down. Likewise, we sometimes resist positive emotions so we don’t get too hopeful when there’s uncertainty and a potential for failure.

When we “name” and “blend with” the energy of any emotion, we come to appreciate and trust the insights we gain. We use concern and skepticism to identify the potential blind spots and pitfalls along the way. We use hopes and aspirations to uplift enthusiasm, especially in uncertain times. We’re thus empowered to engage in every aspect of the innovation process with a clear mind that can wisely direct the emotional energy.

-=-=-=- Now it's your turn -=-=-=-

Being a Conscious Innovator® has a 3 phase cyclical process: become aware, capable, and versatile. Try on this Jolt in your life and work, then take self-reflective time to engage in the process:

-=-=-=- An invitation to join our process and share your insights -=-=-=-

If you haven’t already, we’d love for you to join our process and share your own experiences, while learning from the experiences of others! We appreciate what one person said about the Jolt process itself:

Innovation is a world by itself. It can change lives and help people become more positive. Doing a Jolt is already something! A new habit that promotes innovation and reflection.

It’s totally FREE to participate. To sign up and join us, go to this link and follow the easy directions: https://innovate.vci.global/p/the-conscious-innovator. 

Even if you haven’t participated up to this point, it’s never too late to start the process! It’s like a concise gym workout that provides an insightful “pause that refreshes” and evokes your unique, innovative potential in life and work.