Award-winning psychologist and author Susan David was our second international keynote at The 3% Conference Australasia yesterday in Sydney, where she urged attendees not to push aside their emotions, but learn from them.
David’s presentation was focused on the concept of emotional agility, explaining that how we deal with our inner world drives every aspect of how we live, how we love, how we parent and how we lead.
“We cannot have the conversation about [emotional] agility until we look at the inner skills that make us agile,” she said.
“The intention [to be agile] is there – it’s about how we close the gap between intention and reality.”
David said our thoughts, emotions and stories have the ability to “hook us and take us away”, denying us the chance to become the people we want to become.
“We become hooked on our stress and anger, and not on our values,” she said.
“Getting hooked by our thoughts, emotions and stories limits our capacity to lead. We limit ourselves when we lack emotional agility.
“But when we are agile, we are coming towards those stories with passion and love, while our values remain intact.”
David urged conference attendees not to push aside their emotions, but learn from them in order to progress.
“Emotions are data, not directions,” she said.
“People who focus on just being happy will become more unhappy over time.
“Discomfort is the price of admission to a meaningful life.”
