WE CAN ACHIEVE ALL THAT WE BELIEVE IF WE BELIEVE THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE

We often receive an unexpected boost from motivational quotes.  Many originate within the world of sports BUT life is more than playing games – it is about dreaming what might be our reality if only that which is could become what we hope, wish and dream it to be.  It is about reaching beyond our wildest expectations to grasp a slice of reality from a pie not yet baked.  It is about setting goals beyond what is achievable so that we force ourselves outside of the box in which we are comfortable and move towards things yet to be considered by standing upon the cardboard to search for those things that have not yet been imagined.  We all stumble and fall while travelling through life – the difference between success and failure being whether we stay down or we get back up – and what we learn from the experience.

People react to challenges differently.  Some seek comfort from every storm – preferring to remain within the safe harbors of life, never venturing outside the protected coastal waters as they accept the remnants and wreckage that wash up to shore.  They allow others to seek new adventures – to conquer unknown territories and discover treasures far beyond their ability to imagine.  They are gulls finding sustenance in things discovered and discarded by others.  To them, a gentle breeze may appear to be a raging storm – the tranquility of their calm disrupted by even the smallest pebble tossed into the sea.  If one were to equate such an existence to the hyena it would be apparent that scavengers ARE able to exist.  Rarely, however, does an individual reach greatness when they rely upon “pack mentality” to survive NOR does one receive the “first fruits” when they gratefully accept what comes to them rather than seeking to discover how much more might be available if only they were to stretch beyond their accepted paradigm.

Others seek adventure – preferring to march into the storms of life head on and face forward.  They hear the howling in the wind and seek to identify its source – wish to find where it came from before watching it go away.  They recognize that the wind cannot be contained nor captured but often dream of riding upon it – of soaring above the earth that holds them as they seek new horizons not yet discovered.  They prefer to identify opportunities as they move boldly forward in life rather than seeking comfort in what they (or someone else) already accomplished.  Where some could not fathom being a hawk hurtling down towards an unknowing prey, these individualists could not tolerate being a scavenger relying upon the efforts of another for sustenance.  Their need for autonomy – for independence – is far too great to accept the path forged by others.  They capture the wind within billowing sails – riding it as far as it may take them without allowing their concern for a safe return to detract from the journey.  They accept potential peril as the inevitable return on their unrestrained investments towards the accomplishment of their dreams.

As we move through life we must leave our yesterdays behind as we pass through our today in anticipation of all that tomorrow might bring.  Unless we fill our emotional pantries with thoughts and visions of grandeur – with hopes and promises of a yet to be defined future reality rather than doing as we have always done while expecting different things to happen to us – we MAY find momentary happiness but will never find the peace to accept that “what is” is all that “could be.”  Whenever you begin to feel that “where you are” is better (rather than just safer or more secure) than “where you could be,” consider the following: 

·         As you begin (or refresh) your journey through life, take time for the little things to become big.  Do not move so fast that you fail to enjoy the journey as you seek a destination BUT do not become so enamored with the journey that you never rest or recharge along the way.  Find time to help others along the way – to share your strengths and experiences so they might be built up rather than run over.  When the going gets tough others may be the only lifeline available to keep us going.

·         Live life to its fullest – focusing as much on the joy in the journey as you do the gold at the end of the rainbow.  More than anything, find peace and joy in all that you say and do – seeking comfort from your discoveries rather than being satisfied to discover comfort within the status quo.  Seek moments of rest as you seek to fulfill your dreams rather than sanctuaries and safe havens that might keep you from reaching beyond the shelter of today to experience the potential of tomorrow.

Some find that motivating thoughts or inspirational phrases keep them moving forward rather than looking back.  In order to experience gain within our lives, we must realize change – and must keep our eyes on the prize as we move relentlessly towards it if we expect to grow.  Thankfully, all thoughts ARE NOT sports metaphors - some of the thoughts I find most helpful including:

·         Dreams take time, patience, sustained effort, and a willingness to fail if they are ever to become anything more than dreams – Brian Linkoski

·         The greater danger for most is NOT that our aim is too high and we miss, but that it is too low and we reach it - Michelangelo

·         We know what we are, but know not what we may be - Shakespeare

·         When the winds of change blow, some people build walls while others build windmills - Chinese proverb

·         If all you seek to become can be defined by what you have accomplished, accept comfort in who you are but allow those who know you mourn the death of what you may have become – Dave Smith

There is no limit to what we can accomplish when we seek results and conclusions rather than recognition and credit.  We can find ongoing satisfaction when we claim success during the journey – acknowledging each step taken as we run the race rather than waiting until our quest has ended to find satisfaction in the efforts we exhibited.  We accomplish many things not yet imagined and bring to fruition countless things not previously realized when we allow our dreams to materialize – to become a new reality as we travel the road to ever-changing destinations – when we see each station as a stop along the way rather than an end in and of itself.  We gain much from life when each step is celebrated as an accomplishment rather than looking only to the goal at the end of our journey as a win/lose, make it or break it destination.

We cannot allow our eyes to drift from the prize if we seek to move from “good” to “great” in our lives.  Though it may not “take a village” to raise our self-awareness, it DOES take commitment, determination and intentional action to move beyond the storms that often darken our lives to the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Accept nothing but your best as you seek new destinations – learning from your failings as you turn adversity into opportunity while reaching new heights with each passing day.  Capture the wind to move forward after each accomplishment rather than finding comfort and accepting as final the rest stops along the way and each never ending beginning will lead towards the better life you wish for (and deserve). 

SELF-EVIDENT TRUTHS

A fellow Board Member on a local non-profit organization recently sent me a list of axioms he uses to help guide his life. The dictionary tells us that an axiom is “A self-evident or universally recognized truth; an established rule, principle, or law; a self-evident principle or one that is accepted as true without proof as the basis for argument.” While Don provided me with nearly 100 bits of truth, several caught my attention:

“INDIVIDUALS UNABLE TO SPEAK POSITIVELY ABOUT WHAT THEY DO ALWAYS RESORT TO SPEAKING NEGATIVELY ABOUT WHAT ANOTHER DOES.”  Far too many individuals find it easier to bring someone down to their level than to bring themselves to a higher plain. We cast stones without thinking that our own glass house could be easily shattered. We console ourselves by justifying that “everyone else does it” so it should be OK (even when we know what we are considering is wrong). Though elevating yourself is often far more difficult than pulling others down, we gain far more by lifting ourselves up – bringing others with us – than we could ever achieve by immersing ourselves within a pool of mediocrity.

“IF YOU CANNOT BE KIND, AT LEAST HAVE THE DECENCY TO BE VAGUE.”  I think of a saying from the classic Disney tale, Bambi, when I read this one. As Thumper’s father told him, “If you don’t have something nice to say about someone, it is better to say nothing at all.” It seems that our society revels in the “details of the fall.” We do not seek answers to unfortunate situations so that we can avoid them ourselves – rather we seek all the sordid details so that we can validate our own standing as being better than that of those around us. We do not seek details so that we can help – rather we seek them so that we can embellish them as we talk to others. Perhaps we SHOULD try to help more as we hurt less – seek to provide a cushion upon which others might land rather than an open abyss into which they will fall.

“EVERYONE BRINGS JOY TO MY OFFICE, SOME WHEN THEY ENTER, OTHERS WHEN THEY LEAVE.”  OK, so this one is tongue in cheek – but so appropriate! How often has someone interrupted you during the middle of a thought – as you were just about to solidify an epiphany that would surely change the world forever? Sure, we need others to live life to its fullest, but we all have times when it seems that others might “do more good” talking to someone else than they do disrupting our thoughts! Enjoy the variety that people give the world around you – if everyone thought and acted as you do it would be a terribly boring (or an extremely predictable) world!

“HEALTH NUTS ARE GOING TO FEEL STUPID SOMEDAY WHEN THEY LIE AROUND IN HOSPITALS DYING OF NOTHING.”  We all have a time and a season – a beginning and an end. It is good to maintain a healthy lifestyle, a positive attitude, and to avoid many of the known dangers present in life BUT avoiding all risk and minimizing every hazard we face serves only to delay the inevitable. All must live a balanced life to enjoy the gifts we have while securing as healthy a future as is possible BUT sacrificing joy in the present for the possibility of a prolonged future IS NOT a healthy (nor reasonable) solution. Maintaining our sense of reality (and of humor) during these times of Affordable Care and other Healthcare solutions might serve us all well.

Several axioms I have used as guiding principles include these “self-evident truths” penned by Ayn Rand – all mirroring the thoughts sent to me by Don (but from a slightly different perspective):

“A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve – not by the desire to beat others.”

“The hardest thing to explain is the glaringly evident that everybody has decided not to see.”

“Achieving life is not the equivalent of avoiding death.”

What about you – do you have any baseline “truths” upon which your lift has been built? Share them as a comment to this BLOG – perhaps a new thread can begin from the “best of the best” axioms gathered here. As a starter, one of my favorites (that I have not yet listed) is one of removing limitations we place in our own path: “The question is not who is going to let me – it is who is going to stop me?” Do not become your own worst enemy by becoming a roadblock – by believing a dream to be impossible, abandoning it before the journey towards its realization can even begin. Remember that all things are possible – some take a little longer to accomplish as they require more creativity, thought or planning – improbable does not equate to impossible!

FINISHING THE RACE

One cannot do only what has been assigned (regardless of how well each individual assignment is performed) if one expects to grow and succeed. Looking back (instead of ahead), remaining content with the present (rather than building upon the present as a springboard to the future), and doing what works (as opposed to seeking what might work better) are all signs of career stagnation. A source of water must be made available if a pond wishes to become a lake. A seed cannot become an oak tree without the proper conditions and nourishment. An individual cannot become “one” with another without caring more for the other than for him or her self. If one wishes to achieve “the possible” rather than being content to accomplish those things that are “probable,” the thoughts, ideas and abilities of others must be leveraged to enhance and transform “what is” into “what could be.” In order to assure life-changing assistance and support is available when needed we should strive to:

1) Clarify the difference between efficiency with effectiveness. An e-mail may be efficient, but a conversation could more effectively resolve an issue without extended “replies and clarifications.” Effective individuals make sure that every investment of time and/or energy has a direct and measurable impact. They rarely waste time or energy doing unnecessary things that “could be done – might be nice” but are not related to the accomplishment of their objectives. Effective individuals accomplish things that need doing in order to move forward – and do them well. Efficient individuals accomplish all things well whether or not they serve to advance their cause or move them towards a defined objective. An immediate e-mail communication may efficiently promote conversation but might not effectively resolve an issue.  When we strive to be EFFECTIVE in all that we say and do, EFFICIENCY will necessarily follow.  While being efficient is an admirable trait, it should be a means to an end rather than an end in and of itself.

2) Avoid the misguided concept of being irreplaceable. If an individual feels that nobody could EVER do what he or she does, that person has probably limited what he or she can accomplish. When we feel nobody could ever do the things we do as well as we do them ourselves – and accept that as an unwavering paradigm – we become so enamored with our abilities that we fail to identify our possibilities. If nobody else can do (or even wishes to try) your job, then you will never advance beyond the rung of the ladder upon which you have firmly positioned yourself.

3) Quit believing that know all the answers. People who know to ask the right questions are much more valuable than those who can give all the right answers. One must always be open to new ideas, techniques, and ways of doing things. We can truly contribute to our organization’s success and profitability – or experience all that life could offer – ONLY after identifying the limitations of current systems, policies, practices or procedures by asking questions as to how they might be improved. Nothing will change, however, until we decide to act – to move forward by implementing the answers received of the questions we asked (rather than doing things as we have always done them because we think we know all the answers ourselves).

4) ALWAYS give credit to others. People recognizing and acknowledging the ideas and actions of others tend to share a never-ending ride to the top – enjoying a seemingly unlimited potential “upside” while tempering their individual risk. Those that take credit for another’s ideas had better like themselves a lot because they may not have supportive friends to prop them up in the future.

5) Add to existing abilities and upgrade outdated skills, refusing to accept “what is” as “what will always be.” What was once necessary to maintain a life-long job or to enjoy a long-lasting relationship is no longer sufficient in today’s ever-changing world. Employees who “fail to know” typically fail to grow – those who refuse to retrain typically will not remain. Unless an individual brings more into a relationship than he or she could ever expect it to return – is willing to give to another more than is taken (unconditionally and without expectations) and seeks to gain more by sharing than by receiving, he or she will never realize the treasures awaiting them just beyond their current reality.

While we may be able to start a race on our own, we need the help, support and efforts of those around us to finish. Life is not a sprint – it is a marathon. To accomplish much, we must give much. To receive support from those around us we must first encourage their individual growth. To rise to the top – to finish the race – we must not only build the foundation upon which we stand (so that we are firmly rooted in our convictions), we must accept the support of those around us as we grow – support possible ONLY because we cared enough to share with those around us.

IN CELEBRATION OF INDIVIDUAL ACCOMPLISHMENT

We celebrate individual accomplishment every four years during an event called “The Olympics.” While national pride is important and camaraderie seems to be the “glue” holding athletics together, individual training, hard solitary work, unwavering dedication and selfless sacrifice – along with God-given talent – elevate the individuals competing for gold, silver and bronze from “the rest of the world.” In a world too often filled with “appealing to the masses” and “elevating the whole,” rewards for “pulling yourself up by the bootstraps” have been minimized – a sad testimony that the voice of the individual has succumbed to the shouts of the people.

Business leaders have the ability to leverage the talents of others – bringing together diverse thoughts, abilities and cultures – to generate success by focusing individuals to accomplish a single goal. Coaches have the ability to maximize the contributions of individuals – highlighting their strengths and compensating for their weaknesses – in order to bring the team glory. Politicians are able to motivate the majority – identifying and speaking to the needs of a diverse electorate – as they seek to carry out their Party platform (often to the detriment of their individual beliefs). Teachers must bring enough of the class to a minimum level of proficiency so that test scores reflect grade-level expectations. Few, however, develop “the gifted” to their full potential because they are too busy bringing up those not yet meeting standards to reward those exceeding them - too busy focusing upon the needs of the whole to satisfy those of the individual.

While “the power of team” is an important component within today’s world, I would venture that the “power of the individual” is far more critical. Teams carry the burden but individuals often identify the path upon which they must travel. A group can come together to identify a workable solution but an individual often states the problem needing resolution. A team can win a war but victory would not be possible were it not for a multitude of individual “wins” and a similar number of personal “losses.”

It is refreshing to land upon an island of individuality when sailing the seas of mediocrity – to find a venue that acknowledges and rewards the achievements of a dedicated individual facing insurmountable odds rather than making excuses for his or her failure to compete. The Olympics focuses upon ideals we once held true – that hard work and dedication will pay off in the end. We see the dreams and aspirations of individual athletes either brought to fruition OR dashed upon a rocky shore – either celebrated in victory or shattered beyond all recognition.

We celebrate individual accomplishment during this event, but why should we stop when the Olympics have concluded? Refuse to believe that someone else is responsible for your success. Every individual makes a conscious decision to apply their unique talents and abilities towards the solution of a problem OR to let them lie dormant, becoming a part of the problem themselves. Refuse to accept that you must give more just because you can. We are a society founded not upon “from each according to their ability, to each according to their need.” Rather we were told that anyone could become anything - the only limitation being our individual abilities and how hard we worked to apply them as we sought to support our individual needs.

Celebrate the Olympic spirit this week as you immerse yourself in the individual accomplishments of a unique and talented group of people – then reach deeply into yourself to identify that same individual quality. Work selflessly to bring it to fruition in all you do and say and you, too, will be considered a champion.

LIFE RUNS FREE AS THE WIND – MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE SAILS

We often receive an unexpected boost from motivational quotes. Many originate within the world of sports BUT life is more than playing games – it is about dreaming what could be if only that which is could become more than anything we could imagine. It is about reaching beyond our wildest expectations to grasp a slice of reality from a pie not yet created. It is about setting goals beyond what is achievable so that we force ourselves outside of the box in which we are comfortable and move towards things yet to be considered. We all stumble and fall while travelling through life – the difference between success and failure being whether we stay down or we get back up.

Dreams take time, patience, sustained effort, and a willingness to fail if they are ever to become anything more than dreams – Brian Linkoski

It may be that those who DO the most, DREAM the most – Stephen Leacock

We are here to add what we can to life, not to get what we can from it – William Osler

It's the sides of the mountain that sustain life, not the top - Robert M Pirsig

The greater danger for most is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it - Michelangelo

We know what we are, but know not what we may be? - William Shakespeare

When the winds of change blow, some people build walls while others build windmills - Chinese proverb

There is no limit to what we can accomplish when we seek results and conclusions rather than recognition and credit. We can find ongoing satisfaction when we claim success during the journey – acknowledging each step taken as we run the race – rather than waiting until our quest has ended. We accomplish many things not yet imagined and bring to fruition countless things not previously realized as we seek to fulfill our dreams. Celebrate each accomplishment along the way rather than looking past your journey to find fulfillment only in reaching your destination.

While there is no “one size fits all” motivational solution, we cannot allow our eyes to wander from the prize if we seek to move from being “good” to being “great.” Though it may not “take a village” to raise our self-awareness, it DOES take commitment, determination and intentional action to move beyond the storms that often darken our lives to the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Think about how these thoughts might help change YOUR life – might make a difference in your perspective – then “like” this BLOG and comment by adding a favorite guiding principle of your own.

SEEK RAINBOWS...

When you see a storm coming, do you think about the destruction that it will bring – the ways that your daily activities will be inconvenienced – or do you think of the beauty and power that will be displayed and the sense of freshness that remains once it’s passed? When someone tries to bring you down so they can feel more important and self-assured, do you accept the mantle of subservience or do you rise above it by recognizing (and acting upon) the reason for the attack rather than allowing yourself to be diminished by it? When life hands you lemons, do you wallow in your misfortune seeking comfort and support from others or do you set up a lemonade stand to profit from the troubles that have originated through no direct fault of your own?

While “bad things happen” in our lives everyday, they often cannot be attributed to any direct action we consciously take. We can grow from adversity only if we accept challenges as but temporary set-backs that attempt to block the path we’ve chosen while seeking our planned destination rather than allowing ourselves to be stopped dead in our tracks by their very presence. Summer brings with it a sense of new beginnings and new perspectives. Internalize this fresh start by looking for the “silver lining” within each cloud that passes your way. Seek the rainbow at the end of every storm. Rather than projecting only what others would have you to be, radiate all you have to offer to those around you as you intentionally seek to make a difference.