Use Principles to beat Stress

Behind every smart CEO is a smart lawyer (or accountant) the stereotype of risk taking CEO and risk calculating lawyer has produced some incredible businesses over the years. 

Anyway I had the luxury of working with a good number of smart lawyers over the last 10 years. 

I was chatting to one just after the recession and I asked him what he learned from it to take into the next one. 

"Any action beats no action" was his immediate response. 

He had seen countless people struggle due to indecision. Waiting to see what the best thing do was and then missing the boat entirely. 

Ok, of all the complexity that lawyers deal with why is this important? 

We all have guiding principles, some so well known they've become cliche 

'No Pain No Gain '

'When the going gets tough the tough get going.'

These principles are programmed into our brains because during times of uncertainty we require internal certainty in order to act. 

Uncertainty creates a flight, fight or freeze response that makes rational thought less likely. 

Our pre-programming, our principles or beliefs are what we use to create a response. 

They either lead us into trouble or freedom. 

That being true it pays to examine and then either affirm or change your own. 

True freedom is when you already know in advance of a situation how you will respond. 

This is what it is to be principled. 

Ed Ley

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