So how many tolerations did you end up with on your list? 5, 10, 50, 100 or more?
When I first began the work of identifying my tolerations, the list was short…only 4. I wasn’t used to looking for tolerations and I had a difficult time seeing them. I lacked awareness and had an attitude that I did not put up with much. Me, tolerate something? Never! I deal with things and move on. Yes, I was a bit blind.
Reviewing a list of common tolerations helped open my eyes. You can have a copy if you would like…just e-mail barbara@acceluspartners.com.
Once you have identified your tolerations, then what do you do? For some tolerations, you will decide right then and there to do something about it. For others, you might need to schedule time to deal with it or research some possible solutions. You may have also gotten so accustomed to one or more of your tolerations that letting go is far more challenging than you think! These types of tolerations can be the ones that limit our potential. We are afraid of actually doing something about the toleration because it would mean our excuse for “whatever” is gone…no longer valid. Yikes!
If you find yourself with a toleration or two, or three like this on your list, here are some suggestions. First, acknowledge it and let the awareness of the toleration inform you. Next, share with a few trusted people close to you what you are putting up with and ask for their support. You may get advice from those who care and want to see you happy and fulfilled. Consider it part of your research. It does not mean you have to act on the advice. Explore is the next step. Imagine your life without the toleration. How would you be different? How would you feel? Now enact an action plan to address the toleration.
Tune in next week for some actionable ideas on tolerations!