Involvement

Photo Credit: Stefanus Martanto deathtostockphoto.com

When we introduce the concept of emotional health we often focus on the ways our immediate responses to situations can vary between being ‘above the line’ or ‘below the line’. While this makes it easy for many people to grasp the central notion of emotional health and its focus on others over ourselves, it would be wrong to think that your emotional health level is reflected only in your immediate reactions to your circumstances.

The way you get involved in what you are doing, particularly when it involves others, is a more subtle but no less important reflection of your emotional health level.

Emotionally healthy involvement is about being fully engaged in the moment and experiencing what can be achieved – no matter the significance.

When I am truly involved, whatever I am doing feels effortless and right for the time. Joy and enthusiasm appear and I often find myself going beyond what is expected or called for as I seem to have more energy. I sometimes describe this as ‘discretionary effort’ and it is very clear that when this is present there are many more outcomes come with it.

This sort of involvement is about more than simply performing a task; it is not just the ‘doing’ that many of us associate with being involved.

Whilst getting in and doing something is very important, the idea of ‘being involved’ can easily be abused by those whose underlying aim is to ‘be seen to be involved’ in order to get their own needs met. These needs may include wanting to stay in control, wanting to receive attention and validation or wanting to feel more secure.

So what are some other ways of becoming involved in an emotionally health sense?

Here are some for your consideration. Some of these will probably already feel familiar to you while others will be new. Each of them provides an opportunity for us to strengthen the important quality of fully engaged involvement for ourselves, our teams, our organisations, our communities or our world.

Involvement can be:

• empowering others to step into a challenge and take responsibility for its outcomes
• supporting others to find common ground and common interests to build more inclusive groups and communities
• connecting what you value and hold dear to the way you lead by example in your life
• engaging others in ways that connect and build stronger relationships and belonging
• identifying what is important for people in their lives and assisting them in reaching their goals
• identifying the unique talents others bring and supporting them in expressing these
• sharing, without expectation, your knowledge and understanding so that others can strengthen and broaden their own perspectives
• identifying potential risks in achieving outcomes and removing any barriers so that others can succeed
• inspiring people to engage and participate in innovative and unusual ways with joy and enthusiasm.

I know that when my involvement is aligned with what I am passionate about there is no greater opportunity to make a difference.

What might involvement now mean for you?

Gayle