You know the pleasure of the Autumn leaf crunch? It doesn’t get much better than that…but have you watched a leaf fall from a tree?
I was mesmerised last week, watching a leaf right in front of me elegantly pirouette down to its death. I got lucky with the timing walking by this elm.
If only we could be so graceful when we fall. Unlike:
- the mistake we refuse to acknowledge our part in (denial)
- not stepping up and making a hard call. Instead, we keep gathering more evidence, delaying the inevitable (intellectualisation)
- bringing our frustration with the boss out on a softer target who doesn’t deserve it (displacement).
It’s not easy to fess up when you’ve mucked up.
Sometimes you’re not aware you have. Sometimes the risks feel too great. Sometimes you’re too ashamed.
If your defense mechanisms are at play, then it’ll be unconscious. So don’t be too hard on yourself.
But, if you want to ‘know thyself’, it’s worth asking yourself how gracefully you fall.
