Learning To Practice Radical
Gratitude “One Day At A Time”
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
ADVANCE CONFIDENTLY!
“One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity.” ~Albert Schweitzer
What kind of strength is
gained in the overcoming of obstacles? What obstacles have you overcome and
what did you find on the other side of the conquered obstacle? What is that
feeling called? Is it pride? Is it satisfaction?
Perhaps it’s a new sense of confidence, or even better, a renewed sense of confidence… Maybe, just maybe, in the process of pushing past the obstacle, by simply becoming curious, you discovered something about yourself you didn’t even know existed… Self-confidence!
Just like curiosity, gratitude
is a superpower!
When we consciously express gratitude for the difficulties and challenges we face, we give ourselves permission to see the obstacles and adversity from a different perspective. I have come to understand over time and from the experiences of others, all events in life are neutral until we label them.
“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” ~Epictetus
Instead of asking why something happens to us, we ask instead, what’s the lesson here? What is this experience trying to show me? What’s trying to emerge? This simple reframe changes everything. Then, once we have given ourselves permission to see the experience for what it is, we can authentically express our gratitude for both the experience and the lesson.
Radical gratitude is the
understanding that we are responsible for how we react to whatever happens in
our lives. Our response can be one of gratitude or blame. Choosing gratitude
gives us the power of choice. If we blame others or circumstances, we are, in
essence, giving our power away.
What is inner strength? Ah, now we’re on to something. Inner strength is the internal resolve where we move from the small “c” of contemplation, to the CAPITAL “C” of commitment!
Commitment is where an idea meets RESOLVE. When we combine commitment, resolve, persistence, determination, dedication, patience, and hard work, the outcome is a steppingstone on the path of achievement! And what might the name of that steppingstone be you ask? It’s the “steppingstone” of ADVERSITY now reduced to its actual size (adversity) and true functionality. It’s the first and most important step on your path to freedom…
Freedom is gaining the self-confidence
to believe you can accomplish almost anything you previously thought
impossible. Freedom comes from the act of commitment! Freedom is found in the
ability to commit, then figure it out! Freedom comes from knowing that
if our WHY is big enough, HOW will always materialize in support of WHY!
History is the teacher here…
A kite and a key, manned flight, harnessed electricity, a trip to the moon and back, telecommunications, computers, and now, multiple trips to a distant red planet that was once thought unreachable…
Impossible?
“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it.” ~Muhammad Ali
What are you ready to change?
Embrace adversity for the
teacher it is and express gratitude for the lesson adversity offers. See
obstacles as a natural part of the process of becoming whoever you choose to
be. And finally, remember, a kite rises against not with the wind.
Keep Pedaling, Keep Going,
Keep Growing!
Advance Confidently!
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it 🙂
In Gratitude,
Bobby-
PS. You can find out more about me here. You can find my book on Amazon.
“I know of no great man except those who have rendered great services to the human race.“ -Voltaire
What
does it mean to be great? What does it mean to be a great human? What does it
mean to be a great man or woman?
When I think of men and women who are considered great, I think of
those who made a commitment to the betterment of humanity, their profession,
their passion, or their vocation.
What comes to mind for me are the names of leaders. You don’t have
to lead a team or a company to be great. Albert Schweitzer was both a great
leader and humanitarian. He was also a teacher. Humanitarians are not regularly
thought of as great success teachers, at least not in the monetary sense.
However, money is actually a poor measure of success. Here is another measure:
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” ~Albert Schweitzer
Great people are people who are committed to making a difference
not only in their own lives, but in the lives of others as well. Being great
does not mean that you must become rich or famous to be great.
Helen Keller was deaf, dumb, and blind. She found a way to be
great. However, she would have never been great without her teacher. The
unknown great in Helen Keller’s life was Anne Sullivan. Because of the patience
of her teacher, she went on to not only learn to read, write, and speak, but to
graduate cum
laude as well.
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.” ~Helen Keller
Another example of greatness are the countless teachers we entrust
the lives of our children to. Not every teacher is great by whatever standard
they may be measured by, and nonetheless they make a great difference in the
lives of the children they influence and the encouragement they provide.
As individuals, we may never rise to the level of greatness as
defined by fame, fortune, or popularity, but each of us has the ability to rise
to the highest level in the way we conduct ourselves and the way we represent
both ourselves and the various companies we work for and the customers we
serve.
Greatness is a mindset shift. Greatness is a decision, not an act.
Greatness, like excellence, is a habit. Decide to be great and you
will be great. Decide to provide excellent service and you will provide
excellent service. Decide to be the best and you will deliver the best results
you are capable of. Decide to be a great human being and you will be a great
human being.
Decide!
Keep Pedaling, Keep Going, Keep Growing!
Advance Confidently!
Please consider sharing this article. Also, claps are free, clap
away!
In Gratitude,
Bobby-
PS. You can find out more about me here. You can find my book on Amazon.
The Best Way To Manage The Future Is One Day At A Time
In honor of President’s Day and the upcoming Monday Holiday here in the U.S., please enjoy the following quote which is one of my favorite Presidential Quotes!
Photo by Jalen Hueser on Unsplash
ADVANCE CONFIDENTLY!
“The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.” ~Abraham Lincoln
As human beings, many of us
have a tenancy to see things as worse than they are. Some have a predisposition
to see things as much better than they are. Others seem to be indifferent and
engage instead in magical thinking neither acknowledging the facts nor honoring
the truth about what is known.
The best advice on this
subject I ever remember hearing came from the great leader and business
philosopher, Mr. Jim Rohn. He suggested, as it relates to the future, that we
see it as it is but no worse than it is.
I recently found another
article on Medium while searching for a quote which I believe is worth a read,
so I have included it here for your review and hope it adds some value to both
this article and your life.
A modern take on the expression
from Mr. Rohn comes from Jordan Belfort who said:
“You need to see things as they are, not worse than they are, then see them better than they are, and make them that way.” ~Jordan Belfort
I don’t know Mr. Belfort but I have a feeling he’s the kind of individual who would readily embrace the idea behind the following quote about roses. Who knows for sure but he obviously found a way to turn his Wolf of Wall Street real life story into something other than thorns…
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” -Unknown, often misattributed to Mr. Lincoln
This quote, unfortunately
often credited to one of my favorite Presidents, captures the absolute essence
of perception! OK, I admit it also captures some other elements as well…
Like, Optimism! And maybe even Attitude! Yes, seeing roses on a thorn bush is
indicative of a positive attitude! Also, seeing roses on a thorn bush is
probably a characteristic of an optimist. Which is interesting upon reflection
in and of itself, for many viewed Lincoln as having a pessimistic nature even
though he was incredibly optimistic about what he believed was possible for our
great nation. Dichotomy? Who knows?
What is undeniable though,
was his tenacious nature. Lincoln never gave up! He failed again and again at
many things, but there was no quit in him! His early political career was an
absolute failure. However, he never quit! Many credit his greatest Presidential
achievements to his determination, persistence, and sheer will…
Many have also said, had there been a different President in office during the
Civil War, we would live in a much different country today… Who knows for
sure?
What is incontrovertible, was Lincoln’s ability to communicate effectively!
On November 19, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln delivered The Gettysburg Address. This speech was by far the most famous speech ever given by the President. The speech was presented in literally less than three minutes time. Many have stated that those who recounted the events of the day suggested the speech seemed much longer because there was a sense that when he spoke, “time literally stood still.” The speech was only 272 words long, but what it lacked in length, it made up at least ten-fold in content! The speech was originally given as a dedication to the Gettysburg Civil War Cemetery; It is credited with being the speech that began the healing of a Nation…
At the Inauguration of our current President, another speech was given by a very young, very promising poet laureate. The words of Amanda Gorman in her poem “The Hill We Climb” might just be the speech to once again begin the healing of a Nation.
Healing will happen the same
way we live out our lives. It will happen the same way the future unfolds. It
will happen “One Day At A Time.”
An additional resource on leadership from Jim Rohn/SUCCESS magazine:
“Let the people discover you! You might have the key of the locked doors in their lives! Open yourself to the world; you might be the magic the world needs!” ~Mehmet Murat Ildan
The key in your pocket may not open your door. As a matter of fact, there is no way to know for sure how the key even found its way on to your ring.
The lesson you learned 10 years ago or 10 minutes ago may be the lesson your potential client or customer needs to learn NOW! Your willingness to share your experience might mean the difference between success and failure. What if what you have to share could save thousands of dollars, save a contract, or shave months or years off your clients learning curve? What might that be worth to them? To you?
It’s not knowledge that creates value. It’s the proper application or exchange of knowledge that creates value. Here’s an illustration:
In the early 80’s when a local factory experienced a mechanical failure that brought production to a screeching halt, they quickly called the city’s most renowned local experts to resolve the problem. They tried but were unsuccessful.
Hours passed with no solution in sight…
Every minute the factory remained idle was costing them thousands of dollars. With a looming contract project deadline and a six-figure bonus for finishing on time hanging in the balance, the owners were desperate!
The CEO commanded his chief engineer to go global. The search began immediately. It was quickly discovered the world’s foremost factory expert had recently retired and was unavailable for the job.
Undeterred by this news and refusing to take no for an answer, the CEO personally called the expert and offered to pay him whatever price he thought was reasonable to come out of retirement and resolve their issue.
After careful consideration, the technician agreed. The CEO sent the corporate jet to pick him up and bring him to the factory which was located minutes from the airport.
Upon arrival, the technician was scooped up by a very efficient limousine driver and quickly whisked away to begin his work at the factory.
Before beginning the job, the technician demanded a guarantee of payment from the CEO no matter how long it took to complete the work and that the job would be paid in full immediately upon completion.
The CEO agreed.
Ten minutes later, the factory was whirring, spinning, buzzing, and back in business.
A smiling technician presented himself to the office of the CEO where he requested payment for services rendered.
The CEO, checkbook in hand, had a big smile on his face because he knew it had only taken 10 minutes to fix the problem.
When the technician confidently asked for $50,000 the smile vanished from the CEOs face. He said absolutely not, it only took you 10 minutes to fix the problem, how on earth could it be worth $50,000 for 10 minutes? Unless you can produce an invoice that demonstrates the validity of the price you’re asking, I refuse to pay.
The technician, unbothered by the rude response, quietly and calmly asked for a piece of paper on which he wrote the following words:
Up until the time you called me, I was retired. I came out of retirement because you were desperate. Here is my itemized invoice for services rendered:
Fee for getting the factory back online $500. Fee for coming out of retirement and knowing exactly what screws to turn and what circuit breaker to reset, $49,500.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve and share my expertise, I am grateful.
Amount now due in full, $50,000. Solution Services Inc.
“For someone who doesn’t have the key, the door becomes a wall; for someone who has the key, there is no door.” ~Mehmet Murat Ildan
The technician then very deliberately presented the note to the CEO for review. As he read the note, the technician could see a shift in posture, the puffed out chest receded, a deep breath was taken, and the defiant look slowly became a smile.
The CEO suddenly understood. No more words were required. He happily wrote the check as he thought about his own salary and why the company paid him what they did to run their business effectively and efficiently. Just before he handed over the check, the CEO asked the technician to write the name and number of a trusted associate on the invoice, just in case they ever had another breakdown… The technician complied and the two men shook hands, each with a smile of respect and admiration.
The lesson is simple. We are not compensated for our time; we are compensated for the value we put into the time. The $50,000 wasn’t for the 10 minutes, it was for the knowledge of knowing exactly how to solve the company‘s problem.
What problem do you have the knowledge to solve for your customers or potential customers? What lessons have you learned that could help shave years off the learning curve of your potential clients? How can you market that knowledge? How do you demonstrate the knowledge you have is relevant, relatable, transferable, and will save either time, money, energy, or ideally, all these elements?
Answer these questions and you’ll be on the road to creating a business that not only serves but is service-oriented and highly sought after because of the value it brings to the marketplace.
There is no better advertising than a completely satisfied customer who raves about their experience.
The purpose of a business after all is to both get and keep customers, not just in a database, but to keep them completely satisfied so they are ready to share with their friends who might also need your services about how your business is different and why they should contact YOU!
Ask yourself, if you were the CEO of the factory and it broke down in the future, who would you call?
What problem can you solve or help your potential clients to overcome? How can you make their lives better? And remember…
“It’s hard to be nervous when your heart is on service.”
~Rory Vaden, Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur, Business Owner
Keep Pedaling, Keep Going, Keep Growing!
Advance Confidently!
In Gratitude,
Bobby-
PS. You can find out more about me here. You can find my book on Amazon.
