Life Dynamics

Thick Skin Response

Why this tactic matters
It is often our emotions which determine our responses, behaviour and decisions. Impatient with delays, aggrieved by unfair criticism, or simply frustrated by life’s petty annoyances, it is easy for our feelings to spill into negative emotions. Thick Skin Response is that tactic which refuses to allow emotional trivia to deflect you from what really matters in life.

Getting annoyed by the “little stuff of life” and being overly affected by criticism, failure or hostility		Keeping composure in pressure situations and a sense of perspective about what matters to shrug off any personal criticism

The 18/40/60 Rule Check your “life defensiveness index” The Power of self belief Accept that criticism is inevitable Make your internal critic work positively for you Spend time with positive and up-beat individuals Conduct a pre-flight schedule Don’t look good if you end up feeling guilty Check the stories that your emotions are telling you Only ask yourself a question if you’re willing to answer it Don’t “sandbag” to anticipate failure Keep track of your time horizons Don’t put all your emotional eggs in one basket Manage your moods Don’t believe everything you hear, especially in your own mind Would you talk that way to anyone else? The little and big jars Put mistakes into perspective Come to terms with rejection Keep to the principle, don’t make it personal Show “grace under pressure Control your temper Confront and tackle under-performance Put wood in the stove before you ask for fire Even a paranoid can have enemies		Walk the tightrope between self-esteem and self-doubt Read the signs Empathise Use humour selectively Don’t flaunt your shortcomings “You’re right, I’m wrong” Know how to take a hint List your 3 biggest life mistakes Deal with your mistakes well Listen to your rationalisations Open your book Show passion Self belief allows you to change course

The Amazing Life of Jeffrey Archer
Jeffrey Archer, peer of the realm, former deputy chairman of the Conservative party, and best selling novelist, began life modestly. But a combination of boundless energy and imaginative CV writing led Jeffrey into the House of Commons at the age of 29. After falling victim to a fraudulent investment scheme and facing likely bankruptcy he resigned his seat and started work on his first best seller,” Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less”. Undeterred by allegations of shoplifting, Jeffrey advanced a highly successful writing career and then moved back into political life. His “champagne and shepherds pie” parties became legendary among the political elite.

Faced with allegations of a sex with a prostitute, Archer then successfully sued the UK tabloid, the “Daily Star” for libel. Several years later, a key witness admitted that he had conspired with Archer to fabricate his alibi. On trial for perjury and perverting the course of justice, Archer was sentenced to four years imprisonment. This judgement also undermined his plans for a political comeback as Lord Mayor of London. In prison, Archer wrote “The Prisoner’s Diary”, a book he is publicising actively.

Chutzpah and brazen cheek are valuable assets in life. The resilience and fortitude to keep going when faced by ridicule and humiliation is admirable. But there is a potential price to pay: Thick Skin Response and an unshakeable confidence in one’s own beliefs can become detached from life’s realities. And that detachment can easily become a recklessness that assumes that the rules of life don’t apply.

TOP