Keep calm and carry on
Norman Vincent Peale once wrote, “Change your thoughts and you change your world,” which is a similar sentiment to that of the Buddha a long time before that, “All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become.”
At Kyocera, one of our guiding philosophies is, “Your life is a reflection of your mind”, or in the words of our founder Kazuo Inamori, “The result of our work depends on what we conceive in our mind. If we believe that "we must succeed no matter what," we will. If we think, "maybe we can, but maybe we can't," then we are likely to fail.”
What all of these statements convey is that every decision and choice we make in reaction to our outer reality will either have a positive or a negative consequence, and that the consequence is far-reaching with a far greater long-term impact than we realise in the moment.
We can’t control the thoughts of others or, to a large extend, our economic and political environments, but we can consciously decide to remain positive and calm when the going gets tough. By doing so, we set ourselves up for big-picture success and reap a multitude of other rewards, including:
Better decision-making: When individuals remain calm and clear minded in high pressure or stressful situations, they are far more likely to make rational decisions that solve problems effectively.
Enhanced productivity: Maintaining a calm demeanour helps individuals stay focused on the tasks at hand, manage their workload more efficiently and produce higher-quality work.
Improved communication and collaboration: Keeping a cool head results in more effective communication, which in turn leads to enhanced collaboration within teams and across departments.
Stress reduction: By staying calm, you keep your stress levels in check which is good for individual health and wellness, as well as for businesses performance. Reduced stress results in less absenteeism and good morale.
Evidence to support “Keeping calm and carrying on” can also be found in psychology. In 2012, “Psychological Science" reported that individuals who were trained to stay calm under pressure performed better in high-stress situations, compared to those who did not receive the training. And, research by Richards and Gross in 1999, published in the "Journal of Personality and Social Psychology," showed that individuals who can regulate their emotional responses and remain calm during conflicts were more likely to achieve successful resolutions and maintain positive relationships.
All in all, it seems that Kazuo Inamori’s belief in elevating our minds, remaining calm and positive will ultimately achieve the desired results.
Paul Wendlandt - General Manager - KYOCERA Document Solutions South Africa
