“Some people’s main sources of excitement are negativity, crisis and disasters. These types of people like to feed on your panic”, says Hanan Nagi, coach, speaker and founder of Human Network International (HNI) – Training & Coaching.
On my very first day at school, I learned one of my biggest life lessons ever. While I was making friends with the other children, some of them claimed that Nahed, the little girl who was sitting next to me, was a thief. At that early age, I did not understand what a thief was, so they explained it to me: Nahed steals pencils, so be careful – she will steal your pencil.
After the mid-day break, I returned to my class to find my pencil missing. And as you might have guessed already, I immediately thought of my bench partner. I quickly ran to the teacher and told her that Nahed had stolen my pencil. The teacher asked me to bring my bag over; then proceeded to empty it to search through my belongings. And guess what was at the bottom of my bag? It was the missing pencil! I will never, ever, forget the pain and embarrassment I felt when the teacher admonished: “Never assume or accuse before checking facts.”
Now, when I speak or lecture, I often ask my audience: Do you believe you really make your own decisions? People usually get defensive and say, “Of course!” Then, I ask them how many times they assumed something, drew a conclusion, or even made a decision based on what “they” said? This time, I usually hear nothing but silence.
Let’s think about this together. Some people’s main sources of excitement are negativity, crisis and disasters. You must know these kinds of people, right? They always talk about everything assuming that it is wrong, or how horrible things are and will be, and that the end of the world must be really close. These types of people like to feed on your panic. If you like a bit of drama to spice up your life, or are low on confidence for whatsoever reason, you probably will give them exactly what they want – you will panic about whatever they tell you.
I have a friend who, based on what “they” said, liquidated all his assets to keep his money at home, because he was too scared of leaving his money in the bank. Of course, he did not think about what would happen to his money if his home were ever robbed!
Now, it is true that ever since the oil prices have deteriorated, many people have lost jobs, had to relocate or change careers. That is a fact and a reality we must deal with.
Yet, so many people have turned the “they say” theory into a self-fulfilling prophecy by treating their businesses or interacting with their customers with a sense of doubt. They expected failure until it materialised!
The oil and gas prices scenario is a reality, but you must handle it without a sense of panic. Be sure to investigate facts and check to see if the sources of your information have any hidden agendas. If they do, do not panic – stop listening to them and just leave! Think for yourself, do your homework, and check if the information you heard is true. If it is true and supported by enough evidence, then sit down, weigh your options rationally, measure the risk you are willing to take, see the glass as half full, and then act.
If what “they” say turns out to be untrue, then you have saved yourself from feeling that panic, and possibly from bearing the manifestation of failure that, in reality, was not going to happen to you in the first place.
Generalizations, assumptions, listening to all the hearsay, participating in negative, whining discussions; these things not only affect your life and peace of mind, but also take away your own personal power. When you make decisions based on what “they” tell you, then in reality, you have let “them” make decisions for you. Do yourself a favour. The next time you hear “they say,” stop – then ask the person volunteering to give you that information “whom do you mean by they”.
Most of the time, you will not get a clear answer as “they” do not really exist. So do your homework, think for yourself and make your own decisions. That is the best way to get through any tough situation – even a downturn or recession.
About:
Hanan Nagi is an International Trainer, Executive Coach, Personal Development Expert, Writer and inspirational Speaker. She is the producer and presenter of the first coaching and human development TV show, ‘Develop your life’, on DMTV. With more than 16 years of corporate experience in the corporate world in various industries, she has been helping organizations achieve their goals through their people, using training and coaching programs. She has been recognised for her contribution to excellence and achievement in the people’s field by H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and has won the Dubai Government Excellence Award.
About HNI Training & Coaching
HNI Training and Coaching as a Dubai training center, is an innovator and leader in human capital development, providing world-class experiential corporate training solutions and services in English and Arabic to organisations in the MENA region. HNI Training and Coaching is amongst the leading training institutes in Dubai that currently offers training courses in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha in 16 different categories.
A wide array of soft-skills development training courses cater to professionals from all organizational levels. We are the only training institute that does not provide, nor support, the typical mundane class-room training delivery. Our training courses help participants to gain hands-on skills during the sessions, ensuring that knowledge is truly gained and retained. Our experiential and practical corporate training solutions have impacted more than 100 top companies so far, and the number is increasing by the day. Whether you are looking for a training center in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Oman, Saudi Arabia or anywhere else in the MENA region, we can bring our training center to you. Our qualified and experienced team of Master Trainers travels across the region to bring training courses to your doorstep. All you have to do is go through our corporate training courses and contact us on info@hni.ae for further information.
By: Hanan Nagi
Founder & CEO
HNI Training & Coaching
Edited by: Hadeer Salah Aldeen