When Others Disappoint you...
Over the past two weeks I have thought a lot about this topic and wanted to share the positive in it so this is my accomplishment of that task. Being a driving personality I am very committed to reaching goals and being proactive about those same goals. In the quest of doing just that it is necessary to have interaction with many people with different personalities, drives, ethics , morals and so on. Our key to creating success is in melding all of these different people, values, goals and ethics into a centrally focused team.
This is where the real challenge begins!!
I have realized that I am on a lifelong hunt to align myself with certain people that are of a like minded focus to reach the highest levels of giving, creating, sharing and being a better rendition of ourselves. I consider myself extremely lucky because I know that I have awakened at this point in my life to realize how fortunate this once ignorant soul has now been. My past ignorance is one that is all to common. It was an ignorance centered on obtaining goals, reaching measurements all for the sake of the numbers alone. The last several years have helped me to understand that the numbers are in place to cause my own reflection of me. I do not play by the numbers any longer but rather by becoming intimate with the equation that always produces the sum.
Let me explore what is a common saying I often use... "The sum of the equation is not our main focus" for example.. 2 + 2 = 4. Most people spend all of their lives wishing the "4" would be an 8, 16, 32, 95 etc... The desire is constantly around making our goals and reaching our numbers but the reality is now and forever will be "if you want the sum to change, you must focus on the equation"
Every time I place 2 + 2 it will always equal 4. If I want a different number then I must use a different equation. This simple reality gives me so much freedom to study myself and be better. I recently told someone that the development of my life, relationships and creations of my time is the body of my work. The head of that body is me, and so therefore as I think I will have. When I see that the body of my work is not in a place that I want it to be, it is time to slow down and reflect on where my head is. I love statistics and understanding performance of what I am trying to accomplish. I love understanding my goals in order to examine how close I am to reaching them. Knowing where I am in reaching goals is simply studying "my body of work".
Napolean Hill stated "what the mind can conceive and believe the will can achieve" This statement is truly knowing the concept of that which is in my head is in my life. If I can think it it will happen, good and bad. If I am sure that all that I have is based around me then I must take responsibility for it. The greatest challenge most people face is cited in the last sentences phrase; "taking responsibility". We want to blame our challenges on circumstances and others instead of looking within.
As I look at the last year I have had to examine both circumstances and relationships. The road I traveled this past year is a great one but only because I see it that way. There are so many things that I watched others do in and around my life that I found discomfort in. In my perceived effort to continue to travel the road and do my best I allowed certain situations and people to stretch some things I would normally not allow. As I sit here today and look back at those decisions it would be easy to blame others but the reality is I must be thankful. Yes, thankful is the word I think we should most often embrace when situations or others let us down and disappoint us. If we can find the joy and gratitude in all of these situations we will most certainly create a better life, a better body of work and certainly a better self.
The process of things coming easier to me in life sounds great. The idea of having only ethical motivated people around me sounds even better! It is the reality of challenge that is truly great when we choose to embrace it with gratitude. Many people will come into each of our lives with all sorts of baggage and personal conflicts. This is our opportunity to see their talent, help them refine it and to work with them to create greater outcome. The idea that there are people we do not even know yet whom we could possibly meet tomorrow and build a lifelong journey of working together to be better and helping others become better in the process is awesome. The utopia of this thought can be exhilarating. The possibility that someone can come into our life tomorrow that could bring conflict, challenge or distrust is also available and this too should be welcomed.
I love knowing that the development of me is tested and proven to win. Great people with Great focus are welcomed in my life. People who are challenged to have the right focus are also welcomed. Either individual makes me a better person because I choose to be aware and in gratitude of all things. If there really is a utopia then I would certainly say this mindset is really the peace we are searching for. I hope for every person I know and every person I work with to experience the freedom of knowledge that nothing is beyond our decisions. I could easily look at many things throughout my life where at first I want to wave the magic wand and make the situation disappear. I can look at many people I have met and want to wave the magic wand again and make them disappear. The truth is that I am a product of my experiences so to make any part of my life disappear is to cause a part of me to die with it. Do not get me wrong there are times where you have to remove certain people or circumstances from your life because you know they are not in the right spot or incorrect. I have had to live through this personally and very recently as well. The greatest part is in knowing that you can celebrate the positives they brought instead of focusing on the negatives you decided to remove.
It is just a simple matter of choice. (It is simple, not always easy but it is simple - Jim Rohn)
This choice will give you power to live each day in comfort and peace and when the head is right so is the body. If you think your challenge is with your business today....If you think your challenge is with home today......If you think your challenge is with people today... KNOW that is none of the above but rather it is with the way you think and see things today.
Every great leader I study was a master of their own mind. Are you? Do you have a desire to be great? Greatness exists in our ability to see past circumstances and people. Greatness calls for us to see the work which is ourselves and be committed to developing that work to its highest potential.
I hosted a teleconference recently where I discussed the concept of "Easy Street" and how much we should not want this in our lives. I am not looking for a life where all action creates reward simply so I can repeat the process. I would be nothing more than Pavlov's dog in this scenario.
I am looking for a life where even when people or circumstance disappoints... I can ask the question Why?
I can feel the Angst.
I can even welcome the Frustration.
After these emotions I will be challenged to search for Gratitude for which I can receive Clarity. Then I will take new action and get greater results. This supersedes the perceived rewards and even more the boundaries of "Easy Street". This represents a life committed to living at a higher level!! I have always enjoyed new experiences and I still do. This has been a mantra of mine throughout my life. I consider myself very lucky to live a life where things are constantly changing and demanding the best of me. I verbalize these thoughts in word and expression regularly so I must remember to WELCOME all that comes my way.
I work with some really great people who are truly committed to living their lives at a higher level. Each and every one of the people I surround myself with are incredible people and I appreciate knowing they are in my life for advice, direction and support. These people are not in my life by mistake but rather by focused choice and intent. I am living my life surrounded by people who want more for themselves and others, and encourage me to do the same. I implore everyone reading this today to develop the same thing in your life. Do not settle for second best because you deserve the best. If you have made a mistake in action or letting the wrong person get into your inner circle, first be thankful for the lesson and then make a change. You will find yourself better on both counts. The only way you can be disappointed is if you choose to be or do not take action to be focused and stay on the right path.
