Speaker 1: 0:10

Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of transformative change. We're publishing this episode one day later than we usually do. We usually aim to do it on Tuesdays. I've been out traveling I was in Spain and just got back the other day and been going through a few topics in my mind on what I believe is important to talk about. One of the things you always reflect upon when you're on a sort of a vacation is you're finally allowed to relax a little bit, and some of the discussions I've had during this trip was really about our own mind and how our mind can be a prison, how everything we think about in our head basically references the reality around us. It refers to when I say how big is your prison? It refers to how controlled we are about the environments that we are in. How controlled are you? Where is your input and reference points coming from? We measure ourselves on the surroundings we are in, and I think this is so fascinating.

Speaker 1: 1:35

I remember being employed only two years ago, but all the fun that together. So I used to work for one of the largest banks in the Nordics, nordea. I did so for nine, almost 10 years, and it's very hard when you're inside of an organization or a culture to recognize sometimes that you are inside of this, because you basically built a prison in a sense of your own reference points. You don't realize how alike you are, the way you talk, the way you dress in the professional environment, and the same thing goes from if you are in an association where you're supposed to do it a certain way. I didn't know about this and I remember making a point for myself in my head because I wasn't that organized for almost 10 years. And then I was headhunted over to Vodafone in London for the group and I remember my first day when I was really wondering about how should I be dressed? Because in banking I knew that I could have a suit, or I should have a suit to the office most of the time at least, and I came with a shirt, a nice shirt and a tie to the office the first time and I Was the only one and I felt so, so out. I felt like an outsider, and I remember going into the toilet, taking the, the tie out and and pretty much shoving it In the bag so I could fit in a little bit more well.

Speaker 1: 3:26

I Think was the most interesting at that point was that all of a sudden I realized that we are different, the cultures, and we build this sort of isolation, we build this ignorance into our head. So that is the first not maybe the first, but the one that I can really pinpoint on how our reference points and how our mind becomes a Prison, and we need to be open, we need to let ourselves out and the question sometimes is are we even willing, are we willing to step outside of our cage or are we just looking for a bigger cage? Or I mean, you seen these things or you hear about them? The incarceration syndrome. People has been in jail for a very long time. They have a hard time acclimatizing to going out from the prison into society. I think it's in the Shawshank redemption, which is a great movie, where they described is very well that you've been institutionalized. Are we institutionalized by our own mind based on the, the organization we are in? Is it that sometimes we accept it's not bad enough, but we're sometimes Very reluctant to make decisions for ourselves that will make life better for us, that will enable a transformation of societies, because all of a sudden we have more reference points.

Speaker 1: 5:00

But first a little bit of introduction to what this podcast. Is this podcast transformative change? It's really about major shifts, environment that significantly changes characteristics as outcomes, or of those environments that the type of change that brings about deep and lasting Transformations to fundamentally change the way things are done, the way people think or view certain situations, or the direction in which a society or organization is headed. The goal of transformative change is to improve the overall well-being of individuals, communities or to address systematic problems or inequalities. In this particular podcast will digest cross-cut, cutting topics that are needed to drive the transformational change. No areas are off-limit and the purpose is to help you you that are listening to this towards creating long lasting impact in societies. Before we continue, I would like for you that are listening right now to make a short exercise for yourself.

Speaker 1: 6:06

Can you identify some of the boundaries in your own mind, things, beliefs that are there because of the groups you associate with, work for, or identify? It's hard, because when we're inside of limiting beliefs, we don't always see it. Also, when we are uneducated doesn't mean that's a bad thing always, because we can always educate, but we don't know what we don't know. And I find this so fascinating. Today, when I work more on a freelance basis, project by project I see a lot of different organizations. I see organizations working in the same industry approaching problems completely differently.

Speaker 1: 7:00

The mindset change or mindsets that are in these type of organizations are quite interesting to see. You can see changes sometimes when there are new people entering into these type of organizations and luckily I have the luxury of almost always work with newly established teams so they get to create the culture. But you also see after a few years that the culture either changes totally when there's a larger transformational approach to organization and the way things are being developed, or this new team start adopting to the old ways of working. And I remember this at H&M that in the beginning when I set up the AI teams, we could set pretty much whatever we wanted because we were on the outside. We created our own structures. We did our own interpretation of the values of the organization to achieve the results we wanted to do. When we were successful after a few years and proved ourself and the organization wanted to incorporate us again into the larger, we could see step by step that the people that set this up they were reluctant to stay because they didn't agree with the beliefs of the larger organization and also when we were doing a large transformation of H&M and many of the central parts, we could see we were keeping many of the people that had limiting beliefs some of them good, some of them bad.

Speaker 1: 8:47

But as long as you have these beliefs and are not growing in your mind, it is very hard. You have to go through the change journey inside your head before you actually are able to start delivering outside of your cage. We are so limited by our beliefs that has been incorporated in us that it makes it hard for us to act. So I asked you about your own boundaries. What are your boundaries? Because if you are going to go through a change journey, if you're going to see your prison cell, the door can be open and it's only up to you to go out. That means that we need to be open to new experience, because the more we experience, the more we learn, the more our mind grows. So we have to be open to try new things, meeting new people and exploring new places and, of course, looking at new ideas from fresh mindset type of thing.

Speaker 1: 9:55

The worst thing you can do is adopt a mindset that's not invented here or somebody else is going to fix it, or if this had worked, we would have already done it. We have to challenge our negative thoughts, because when we have negative thoughts, we have to ask ourselves if it's really true. Is there another way of looking at the situations? And we need to focus on the positive. Make a conscious effort to focus on the good things in your life, in your organization, in your situation. This will help you more to see the possibilities and opportunities that are available to you.

Speaker 1: 10:40

So all these together is really about being kind to yourself. Be patient with yourself as you learn and you grow. Don't beat yourself up if you make mistakes in this process because it is okay. It's about the learning. Don't stand still, just keep on moving forward. That's the key message when it comes to having these things. Don't believe that the cage you're in right now is going to be there forever. If the door is closed, keep hitting that lock until it breaks. Believe in yourself. The most important thing you can do is to believe that you actually can do it. If you believe in yourself, you will be more likely to succeed, to take risks and try new things.

Speaker 1: 11:32

Expanding our minds and breaking free from limiting beliefs is not easy. It takes time, it takes effort, but it's definitely possible and it's worth it. When we expand our minds, we open ourselves up to a world of possibilities. We can achieve our goals, live our dreams and make a difference in the world. So some additional tips, then, on top of this. How to actually start doing it is to read more. Read both books and articles on topics like personal development and growth. I personally spend a lot of time reading technical books, reading nice literature, because this exposes your mind, it helps you to think, it gives you new input, it helps you to learn new ways of thinking and other people's perspective, to challenge your old beliefs.

Speaker 1: 12:29

Talk to people. Talking to people is one of the best ways of learning new things, because other people's stories can inspire you, you can learn from them and can give you hope. So ask questions. The most intelligent people that I know they ask more questions than they give answers. Think about that for a second. Intelligent people ask questions, they don't give answers.

Speaker 1: 12:58

Try to be mindful about this thing. When I say being mindful, it's about living in the presence. Become more aware of your thoughts and emotions and challenge them in a non-judgmental way. This is a technique I usually do when something negative comes into my mind it's limiting my belief. I take a second and I think about it and then I let it pass. Not everything that comes into your mind is true and we have to learn that and we have to let go of the negative path.

Speaker 1: 13:31

Breaking free from limiting beliefs is is really more a journey, not a destination. It's an ongoing process of learning and growth. Personally, I believe that this is a journey that's worth taking, because nothing feels better than being on the growth path. Is it always easy? No, is it scary? Yeah, you better believe it, but nothing great has ever been accomplished. By not challenging status quo, by not taking risks, by not being afraid. When we expand our minds, we open ourselves to world of possibilities we can achieve our goals, live our dreams and make a real difference in the world. We don't want to be in a cage. We don't want to compare ourselves to others in that cage. We want to make sure that we live in a free and open world, and that doesn't mean you have all the money in the world or you live in the fanciest place that believes that you are constantly open for growth.

Speaker 1: 14:50

You challenge your own limitations in your mind. You don't say to yourself I'm not good enough, I'll never be successful. I'm not smart enough, I'm not worthy of love, I'm not capable of change. It is really about thinking everything is possible and then asking why, and then asking why and until, and then you come up with a how. The first step is really to identify the beliefs that are holding you back. Challenge them. Replace these beliefs with those that are more positive and empowering. For example, if you believe that you're not good enough, start to tell yourself that you're capable and worthy of success. So break them out, step by step. Take action. The best way to break free is to take action. Start small and gradually work your way up to bigger challenges, and be patient, because these things take time.

Speaker 1: 15:53

I didn't start seriously my own journey towards minimizing, limiting beliefs. It was over two years ago and I'm still, and I will most likely be, on this path for the rest of my life. I think there are a few ways to really open up your mind that I've learned throughout these two years, and some of them are, of course, older than that. It's about being curious. Are you curious about others or are they just a nuance in your life? The topic about asking questions and be open, I think one of the things I've done a lot the last few years is not to say no. Say yes, just keep on saying yes. Saying no is the easiest thing in the world when it comes to experiences and mindsets. Say yes more often and, who knows, you end up in Barcelona, costa Rica, and doing God knows. It is fun to say yes. It is explorative and you learn so much more. Be willing to learn. Be open to new experiences and any information that can help you grow and expand your knowledge.

Speaker 1: 17:14

Be tolerant. Respect the opinions and beliefs of other people, even if you don't agree with them. It's all about respect. Be open to change. Be willing to change your mind if you're presented with new evidence or arguments. Be mindful of your own biases. We all have them, but it's important to be aware of them so they don't cloud our judgment. Be willing to challenge your own beliefs. Don't be afraid to question the things you believe and assume. Be open to different perspectives.

Speaker 1: 17:50

Have friends that are willing to question you. Don't just have friends that all agree with you. It is fun to have friends or partners or people in your surroundings that don't agree with you. All the time they challenge it and ask you why. The best friend you can have is someone that says you might be wrong or I don't agree. Then you have a really good. The worst type of friend that is on the list says you're the best, you're always doing everything great, it's everybody else's fault. Be willing to listen. I love this because it's real about listening to what other people have to say, even if you don't agree with them. Be open to compromise. Sometimes the best way to resolve a disagreement or the misunderstanding is to find compromises.

Speaker 1: 18:44

Opening your mind is a journey, not a destination. Clipping out of the cage is hard, but once you're outside, you start seeing the world from a different perspective. It will take time and it's a journey that won't end until the day that you die. If you take time and effort to be truly open-minded, it's a journey that's well worth taking. It's scary, but, man, your world's going to be so much bigger than you ever thought was possible. So, with that said, are you ready to step out of your cage? I hope you are, because you'll enjoy life so much more. The best things I've done the last few years is starting to step outside of my cage to see the world with new eyes. I hope you can go through the same journey. If you want to learn more, if you want to reach out, if you want to have a discussion, feel free to email me at infoatarrelse, and if you have any topics that you want me to bring up in this podcast Transformative Change let me know More than happy to consider it. Until next time, take care.