Last week I was listening to my friend, Jenn Edden, talk at a speaker’s event in New York City. She shared a concept I’ve never tried before: Tuning in versus tuning out. She said: “In our house, we don’t do time-outs. We do something entirely different…we tune IN”
And of course, I had to share. Enjoy!
Tuning In
by Jenn Edden
I once did something insensitive and told my kids I deserved a time-out. They laughed SO hard because as a 40-something year old mom, a time-out would mean I wouldn’t be coming out for a long, long time.
It was in that moment it occurred to me how stupid that concept of time-out was, and how I’d be learning nothing sitting in my room for 43 minutes.
In our house, we don’t do time-outs. We do something entirely different…we tune IN.
Tuning in is a new concept to most so let me give a few examples of what that looks like in our house:
My son makes a sly comment to his sister, entirely unprovoked and, rather than reprimand him, we ask why he said what he said. Did he need attention at that moment? Or, was it something else entirely?
My 5-year-old daughter, Sydney, will say something to her 8-year-old sister, Caitlin, which will upset her. Rather than yell at her with no lesson learned, we bring her over to Caitlin and let her “take in” what just happened and the reaction her sister is having.
Creating compassion in children not only comes from modeling it in the house, but also allowing them to experience how their words affect others.
When I don’t give my son attention, and I keep telling him, “One more minute; one more minute,” he feels hurt and unimportant. He almost immediately picks on one of his sisters to get attention. He doesn’t even know he’s doing it! When I began to tune in I noticed a pattern forming.
And when Caitlin feels unheard and her feelings squashed, she will throw a tantrum using no words. She basically reverts back to being two years old. As soon as we acknowledge her, she uses her words again!
It’s incredible to witness.
When my kids are nagging or whining, that’s literally my cue to tune in as something is out of balance.
This same exact principle of “tuning in” must be applied to in business. Tuning IN can create more impact, connections, and opportunities.
How to start?
Start simply by asking yourself questions in any given situation/business meeting that isn’t going how you had planned:
When you tune in, you are more present with your surroundings. You’re grounded. You are more conscious of your energy and body language. You are magnetic, and you set yourself up for your words to have more impact. You take on natural leadership qualities.
Tuning in puts us more in touch with what we really want.
It can reveal opportunities that resonate with your company and your mission and which types of things do not. You are able to tap into your instincts about what will and will not serve you and your business.
When you tune in, you are more easily able to own your worth and grab hold of old thoughts that no longer serve you. (You know, all the stuff your parents told you that just wasn’t true!).
Next time you’re in a business meeting or a strategy conversation and want to take the route of tuning out because it’s not going as you had planned, I invite you to take a moment and tune in and see the situation from an entirely new angle.
You will be amazed at what will be uncovered and that the results you want are just one step away from tuning IN.
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Jenn Edden, is a sugar addiction expert, mother of three, author and motivational speaker. After healing herself of gastritis at 22 years old, Jenn decided she had a calling to help other women kick and manage their sugar addiction the way she has! Her sugar busting tools are practical and most importantly…they work!
Grab a complimentary copy of Jenn’s book: Woman Unleashed; The Highly Sensitive Woman’s Guide to Radiant Energy and Unstoppable Confidence and learn how to kick cravings in under 7 days
Download it here: https://jecoaching.com/
