Hal Stratton's (and Your) Personal Transformation
I wrote about Eduardo in my last newsletter, an example of a man who lives a simple life and yet comes from total gratitude and goodwill. I cannot be in Eduardo’s presence without feeling blessed.
What is it about him? He certainly has problems. He’s told me about them. In fact, I feel fortunate that I don’t live in his social and financial circumstances. [Read more...]
I recall a recent business trip to Puerto Rico. As customary during many of my visits to the beautiful city of San Juan, I was staying at the Beach Club and Waterfront Hotel. Prior to beginning my first workday, I took a seat in the hotel’s small restaurant for a quick breakfast. No sooner than I sat down, I looked out a window and saw the hotel doorman standing outside on the steps into the hotel, maybe 30 feet from where I was seated. We saw each other at the same moment. He smiled and waved and Eduardo, as I’d come to know him, immediately disappeared into the hotel. Next thing I knew he was in the restaurant, big smile on his face, walking directing towards me. “Hi Mr. Allen. It is so good to see you.” A handshake was not enough. He gave me a big abrazo (warm hug), then stepped back and said, “You look so good. How are you and your family? And what brings you back to our enchanted island?” [Read more...]
Hal hated Charlie, everything about him, from his knowing sneer to his rolling swagger. When he saw him enter the restaurant with Keith, he wished fervently he could get away and considered getting up and walking out of the breakfast meeting, without a word to either of his two former partners. But then he garnered his faculties and decided to accept this reality. He would choose how to respond, and his choice would be to be cordial and cooperative. He felt a surge of strength as he realized that handling himself in a dignified manner with both these men would be a bigger personal victory than if he met with Keith alone.
- Excerpt from The Hero’s Choice: Living from the Inside Out
This passage gives you a little insight into emotional maturity. Hal’s immediate reaction was to simply act out his negative emotions. Instead, he made a decision to respond in a more positive (emotionally mature) way. Notice how that decision resulted in a shift in his emotional energy.
I define emotional maturity as the ability to make good, positive, healthy choices during the challenges of life. The following chart illustrates some of the differences in the mindset of someone who is acting emotionally immature vs. mature. [Read more...]
