Will you seek it out? Can you quiet your voice of judgment long enough to embrace the infinite power of curiosity and imagination? Can you quell the desire to be right over the desire to learn and grow? Can you hold two opposing ideas and maintain the ability to function effectively?
Listen to understand rather than listening to reply
Let the other person finish expressing themselves completely and then instead of adding to the conversation, ask if they have anything else to share before you reply.
I will be the first one to tell you that this is a real challenge for me. It is something I find myself working on continuously. All change comes through awareness. Now that I’m aware of my propensity to interject what I have to say into a conversation, I am intentionally trying to focus on letting the other person finish completely before I say anything.
Sometimes I do well, and other times not so much… Like most human beings, I am a work in process. However, it is only through my awareness of this behavior I have chosen to change that I can make progress. It is also only by being willing and vulnerable enough to talk about it that it will become something my mind is more focused on and when the temptation to speak without letting someone else finish, or the temptation to interrupt, or the temptation to express my opinion, particularly when it is uninvited, will I be able to control the urge!
Since this is something I have identified as an opportunity rather than labeling it as a shortcoming, I would ask all those engaged in conversation with me to be patient as I work through this process. Also, if you read this article then you’re a follower of my writing, or a friend, and I hope to empower you to be an even better friend by gently reminding me when I am not taking my own advice.
It is my intention to let the natural design of our communication system be what guides me as I work through this process. We were given two ears and one mouth and that might be a great indicator that communication might be better if it occurs in a 2:1 ratio by listening twice as much as we speak.
My new mantra when listening is: “Be curious!”
By listening with curiosity, I will be listening with the intention to understand rather than with the intention of preparing my reply. I will be listening from a place of presence, from a place of interest, from a place of curiosity for what the other person wants to share.
Embrace knowledge over achievement
Instead of being so focused on your goals, focus instead to acquire knowledge for what it will make of you in the process. Some of the greatest gifts are missed when we’re over focused on the outcome of our goals. When we’re only focused on achievement, we miss many of the lessons to be discovered along the way.
One of my mentors, Jim Rohn, always encouraged his audiences to ask better questions. What better questions can we be asking about our goals? Jim also encouraged us when communicating to be inclusive and one of the ways we can do that is by using the word “we” rather than “you.”
If you go back and read the previous paragraph you will see that I used the word we in reference to how it is easy to miss out on the potential lessons awaiting us while pursuing our goals.
Mr. Rohn also had another unique way of describing success that I am rather fond of. He said, “Success is not something to be pursued, it’s something we attract by the person we become.”
Is the person you’ve become a person that attracts success? If not, why not? What would you need to change to become a person who continually attracts more success?
When we pause long enough to ask ourselves empowering questions, the answers are sure to emerge.
Stop seeking approval
There is nothing wrong with approval as long as you don’t “need” it to validate whatever it is you are contributing to the betterment of society. If you are working within whatever it is that you have discovered as your gift, no approval will be required. It will be enjoyed, but it is not required. My friend and Author Larry G, Maguire has written extensively on this topic and it’s all about creating your “Art” whatever that is, not for a specific desired outcome, but instead for the sake of it. Creating art just for the sake of it is one of the purest forms of expression available.
For those of you reading this thinking I’m not an artist so this doesn’t apply to me, please allow me to clarify.
Your “Art” is whatever you do, whatever you make, or whatever you create. When you are in your gift, your “Art” almost oozes out of you without any effort the same way appreciation and gratitude oozes from a crowd at their favorite live performance.
The music artists don’t need the appreciation of the crowd, but they love and enjoy it and their passion for what they do fuels both their desire and the crowd’s desire to reciprocate equally. It’s a truly symbiotic experience.
At a live performance, there is a different vibe because the performers get to feed off the energy of the appreciative audience. And, the audience gets to reciprocate by expressing their gratitude and appreciation for the “Art” and they do so freely even though they may have paid handsomely for the opportunity. Remember, there is no requirement to applaud. It may be inherently understood that it’s appropriate, but the level of the applause will usually match the energy of the performers.
Here’s an interesting side note on needing approval. The less you “need” it, the more it will naturally flow your way. Think about it, the people who least need approval are often the ones who receive the most. If you can find a way to stay in your gift before the payoff makes its way to you, then eventually, you will receive praise for whatever difference it is you are committed to creating.
Be willing to begin at the bottom
Talking about the performers everyone was cheering for in the previous paragraph is a great transition to the topic of being willing to begin at the bottom.
Most performers didn’t start out with standing ovations. Most Artists spend countless hours working on their craft, often in the face of massive scrutiny and at the mercy of those around them who don’t understand their commitment. Instead of support and praise for following their gift, they get comments like, “You might want to consider getting a ‘real job’ if you ever hope to make anything of your life.”
The artist or writer everyone is talking about today, most likely came from humble beginnings and had a ton of courage and conviction along with a powerfully passionate level of persistence that no amount of negativity or adversity could ever extinguish!
Breaking through, is what happens when an artist, an actor, an entrepreneur, a writer, or speaker finally makes it in public, but long before they ever made it, they made a commitment to just make their art until they succeeded, no matter what.
Success is available to all of us, but just like the touchdown that is scored on any given Saturday or Sunday, it wouldn’t have any significance if adversity weren’t involved, if the defense weren’t doing their best to keep the offense from scoring. It is often the team with the deepest level of reserves that wins the game. The most talented team does not always win.
This is why many teams play like champions and practice like underdogs!
This is the same reason the Artist who knows their ability needs no recognition yet basks in the glory of it when it comes as a result of them sharing their gift!
Treat others the way you wish to be treated
Put yourself in the position of the struggling writer or artist who is passionately committed to their craft and ask yourself how you would like to be treated if you were the one performing? If you were the one who felt like they were always writing and never knowing whether they were hitting the mark with readers because no one could be bothered to slow down long enough to provide some feedback, how would that make you feel?
Questions like these ground us in the importance of making time to tell someone that whatever they did that made your day, or your experience a little better, it might just be worthy of praise. When we express our gratitude for what we appreciate we are creating a gratitude experience for both the giver and the receiver.
I find inspiration everywhere and Wayne Dyer has been a huge influence in my life. One of the best stories ever offered on the importance of guarding against things like hatred, bitterness, anger, and resentment is easily understood as Dr. Dyer speaks to the audience about what happens and what comes out when you squeeze an orange. When an orange is squeezed, the only thing that will come out is orange juice and not because it’s an orange, but because that’s what’s inside.
When we are squeezed by the challenges and difficulties of life, and make no mistake, we will be squeezed, what will come out, is what’s inside… If you harbor anger, anger will come out. If you harbor hatred, hatred will come out. If it is jealousy, jealousy will come out. If it be envy, then envy will come out… Guard your heart!
Guard your heart. Don’t harbor the things that will come out when you are squeezed. Because like toothpaste squeezed from the tube, it is impossible to put back once squeezed out… And once out, then you might have to add regret to your list, and no one wants that.
Guard your heart. Be curious, not judgmental.
Advance Confidently is the title of my next book, you will have to wait to celebrate its release as I celebrate my 60th birthday. I have concluded the world doesn’t need another self-help book from me right now, so I am listening to my muse and will write a sci fi personal growth story of self-discovery instead. Hmmm? Almost sounds like a QUEST, right? I believe you will be INSPIRED with the story that chose me to write it! I never saw it coming but now that it’s here, I can’t wait to share it with all of YOU! I know it will be worth the wait because that’s my commitment to you, my readers. Thanks in advance for your trust and patience!
In the meantime, I released a special audio short story on Twitter to commemorate my Independence Day and my 31st year of sobriety. You can watch/listen to the story here ( https://youtu.be/9zP4kk5OTlo ). You can find me on Twitter @bobby_kountz
Keep Pedaling, Keep Going, Keep Growing!
Advance Confidently!
If you enjoyed and found value in this article, please share it.
In Gratitude,
Bobby Kountz, Author, Speaker, Sobriety Scholar, Inspirationalist!
PS. You can find out more about me here. You can find my book on Amazon.
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” ~My mother’s favorite scripture, Steve Harvey
As an Inspirationalist, I am an Architect of Light.
What does that mean?
It means that most of what I have stumbled upon, learned, and built, was discovered in darkness. As stated in the quote above opening this article, I have found that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. My translation is faith is belief without proof. Faith is listening to your intuition, your inner coach. Faith is commitment and belief in an outcome you have yet to experience in the physical realm.
Whether you attribute these words to Steve Harvey or to the Bible where they came from makes no difference. What Steve Harvey says after he utters these words is what’s important to me.
Quoting Albert Einstein he says, “Imagination is everything. Imagination is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”
What does that mean?
In its full context as stated in an interview from the Saturday Evening Post in 1929, Einstein said, “I believe in intuitions and inspirations. I sometimes feel that I am right. I do not know that I am. When two expeditions of scientists, financed by the Royal Academy, went forth to test my theory of relativity, I was convinced that their conclusions would tally with my hypothesis. I was not surprised when the eclipse of May 29th, 1919, confirmed my intuitions. I would have been surprised if I had been wrong.”
He was then asked the following question: You trust more to your imagination than to your knowledge?
His answer was as follows:
“I am enough of the artist to draw freely upon my imagination. imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
Source for the above: Quote Investigator
In other words, imagination is infinite!
Here is another quote many people are not familiar with also attributed to Albert Einstein and whether he’s the one who actually said it or not is immaterial because the message is pure and in my mind that’s all that matters.
“I see a pattern, but my imagination cannot picture the maker of the pattern. I see a clock, but I cannot envision the clockmaker. The human mind is unable to conceive of the four dimensions, so how can it conceive of a God, before for whom 1000 years and 1000 dimensions are as one?” ~Albert Einstein
If you know God, you don’t need me to tell you what God is; you already know! If you don’t know God, all you have to do is open your heart whenever you are ready, and God will be there waiting for you!
The God of YOUR understanding is waiting for YOU!
There’s a new publication on Medium and the creator is Melanie J. and she encourages us to share our unpopular opinions with her publication. I will submit a short version of this article over there because she has asked us to keep our submissions under 500 words.
Growing up, my grandparents didn’t make it their business to introduce me to God. So, as I grew up, I didn’t know God. I wish I could tell you it was different, but then I wouldn’t be telling the truth. I discovered the God of my understanding the same way that many who are like me find God, not as God, but at least initially, as their Higher Power. Let’s be real, if you’ve never known God, it makes the concept of God just a little bit easier to accept.
When I was finally ready to get clean and sober and at my absolute bottom, I reached out to this “God” and made a promise. Now I’ll be the first one to tell you that this is probably not the best way to reach out to God, but it didn’t seem to make a difference because when I asked, God was there for me.
When I made the commitment to get clean and sober, I asked God for one thing and one thing only. I asked God to take away my desire for drugs and alcohol and I can happily report to you that the overwhelming desire that I had for years to take things into my body that I knew were not good for me all but vanished after I asked.
I’m not to hear to tell you that I didn’t still have the same cravings and the same desires that all Alcoholics and Addicts have when they attempt to get clean and sober, I did. However, I didn’t have the same kind of uncontrollable urge that others in meetings talked about, it was more of a missing the familiarity of what I knew as I was learning to be a productive member of society. The overwhelming urge and craving that most Addicts and Alcoholics deal with, I never experienced after asking for my desire to be removed. I credit the God of my understanding for taking away the desire because that is exactly what I asked for. Prior to asking, I failed miserably with every attempt to get clean and sober!
I am also not here to tell you that if you suffer from addiction that simply asking will take away your desire. I asked God first and then I was led to and got involved with the Grapevine Fellowship, AA, NA, the VA, and I had a counselor at the VA by the name of Ted who became my best friend because he was the one person, I could tell everything. As I was emotionally liberated from all my guilt and shame, all the things I had done while I was drinking and drugging, I was also spiritually liberated, and behind all that was my family and God, my Higher Power.
Fast forward to now and what guides me still to this day is the commitment I made over 31 years ago that if God would take away my desire, I would spend the rest of my life in the service of others making whatever difference I could along the way for those who were afflicted the same as I was, or for those who were struggling with just understanding who they are as human beings and why they are here…
As I have grown and evolved, so have my beliefs, and so has my knowledge. I am insatiably curious and a voracious reader. Because of my curiosity and my willingness to reserve judgment, I have learned more about myself and about humanity than I could have ever possibly imagined. It’s interesting to reflect that at one time, I wasn’t even interested in thinking about picking up a book, let alone picking one up and reading it cover to cover in one sitting.
As the cobwebs cleared, I realized the best thing for me to do was to get busy learning everything I could about myself so I could better understand why I did the things I did and why I behaved in a manner that was incongruent and inconsistent with all the values that had been instilled in me by my grandparents. The more I learned about addiction and more importantly about psychology and philosophy, the more I understood how my anger had taken over my life and caused me to make irrational decisions that were incongruent with my values.
The Alcoholic and the Addict that are actively using and drinking do not have the ability to rationally discern the difference between right and wrong. I’m not here to tell you that they don’t know the difference, they do, but the urge to drink or use is so strong that it overpowers one’s ability to make intelligent decisions about one’s own life.
Had it not been for the intervention of God as I understand God, my Higher Power, I wouldn’t be here writing this article now. The words you are now reading wouldn’t be on this page because they would have never been written…
So why did I change? What led me to God?
A college professor, a Psychology Professor, a History of Rock and Roll teacher, a musician, Ray Rich. A man who saw something in me that I could not see in myself. A man who for whatever reason took an interest in me and my wellbeing and changed my life by doing so.
One day he asked me to stay after class. He asked me a bunch of questions and then gave me a piece of parchment paper he pulled from a filing cabinet that had the following words on it:
“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes to make them possible.” ~T. E. Lawrence
He asked me to read the paper and then asked if I understood the words. Not wanting to appear stupid, I of course said yes. When pressed to explain, I lashed out and asked, “Why do you care?”
“I care because beyond the black leather jacket and rage, I see a bright young man with a promising future,” he said. “What are your goals, your dreams, why are you here in my class?” “What do you want out of life, who are you so angry at, and who do you think you’re hurting with your behavior, and how do you expect to learn when coming to my class smashed?” He asked me a lot of questions that day. I could tell he really cared… Unfortunately, I didn’t have any good answers and I embarrassingly left, but I left with that paper and the words of T. E. Lawrence to ponder…
Awakening from a blackout, covered in my own vomit, with my failed report card next to me, I picked up that piece of parchment paper, read it again, looked down at myself and began to weep… It was then that I felt compelled to reach out to God even though I had no real idea how to pray and instead of praying, like any resourceful addict or alcoholic will do, I tried to cut a deal.
I made a promise that day that if God would take away my desire, I would never drink again and I would commit my life to the service of others and I would learn to be a dreamer of the day. I also called my sister and asked her to help me and fortunately she said yes. She said there was something different in my voice this time and she would help but there would be rules and that was the best thing that ever happened to me! She helped me get into the VA program, and so many other things!
I asked, God answered! Maybe God whispered to my sister too… Who knows? All I know is that once I asked for help, I got all the help I needed.
Today, 31 years later, my life is as different from those early days as night itself is from day! Today, I am surrounded by abundance and gratitude. I have one of the best jobs in the world and a passion to help others. I went on to become a nurse and then went into pharmaceutical sales and have been a mufti-award-winning sales professional for the past 21 years and even won a global award for encouragement.
And now, I am building a foundation for the work I will do in retirement. I am a passionately inspired writer committed to empowering other writers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners to embrace the challenges and struggles of life as a personal quest to achieve and attain whatever they desire as long as it’s in the service of others and done with integrity and commitment to delivering whatever results are promised.
I asked for guidance as to my purpose and this is my calling. The accumulation of lessons over 31 years of sobriety has given me a wealth of knowledge and experience. Over the past 31 years I have studied the habits of the successful, invested continuously in coaching and training and applied what I’ve learned in my own life and over the last several years I have been learning how to effectively transfer what I have learned to others.
I credit God as my guide. Every time I show up to the keyboard, God is with me. I never write alone. I don’t believe I’ve ever had an original thought because everything comes through me.
That doesn’t mean my thoughts don’t pass through the filter of my lived experience. My ego, my shadow, my fear, my uncertainty, and my doubts are as real as ever, because each of these elements are always at play. However, as I become more aware and become more purposeful in the way I choose to show up in life, these elements have been forced into a secondary position behind the dominant thoughts that bring me to the keyboard to write!
Whenever I struggle, I know I can always come back to my breath. I know the God of my understanding will be here waiting for me. When I am present, when I am aware, when I am in the NOW, there is nothing to worry about and nothing to fear.
For years I have struggled with calling God by name and have used many other names to describe what I believe God to be. I have used the Universe, I have used my Creator, I have used Mother Nature, I’ve used just about every phrase you can think of, including “The Force.” My personal belief is that God is not unlike “The Force” the way that Yoda described it to Luke:
“Hear you nothing that I say…” “Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter” he says as he touches Luke on the arm. “You must feel ‘The Force’ around you, here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes!”
I do believe God is everywhere and in everything, except my vocabulary in public, that is until NOW! I will no longer be hesitant or apologize for using the word “God.”
I don’t believe I’m alone in this struggle to declare the God of my understanding God. There is often a hesitancy now to call God, God. Since I’m not part of any specific organized religion and have a broad-based understanding of spirituality and am accepting of all belief systems and particularly fond of the Tao, I have hesitated to use the word God.
Consider this article my “God” coming out party. Consider this me no longer being afraid to use the word God out of fear it might offend someone else, because if it does, then that’s not my issue but theirs. My understanding of God is a universal loving presence that is non-denominational and only cares about one thing and that is love, unconditional love of the human being.
Call me naive, but that’s what I believe. I believe the words that were uttered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. so many years ago when he said, “I choose love because hate is too great a burden to bear.” I choose to believe the words of all those who are committed to the betterment of humanity. I choose to believe in the inherent goodness of mankind. And because of what I’ve learned from the Tao, I also know that man is capable of unthinkable things.
So as naive as I am in my belief about what I believe is possible for the world, I also understand that sometimes we must stand up and protect what others might try to steal from us particularly when it relates to our freedom. I also understand from the lessons of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and of Gandhi that violence will never be the way and I refuse to be a part of that.
I can’t pretend that because the problems of the world are so great that there’s nothing, I can do about them. I may not be able to solve the problems of the world, but I can do my small part and I believe that’s enough and that’s why I show up every day the way I do in service of the rest of humanity, and I am committed to continue for the rest of my life.
One of the greatest shifts in my life has been from scarcity to abundance. When we move from scarcity to abundance, we experience a Mind Shift. I believe life will always provide MORE than I need and because it does, it gives me the opportunity and the liberty to be able to share some of what I have with some of those much needier than myself.
If you don’t have money to share, you can share your time. You can also share your wisdom. You can share kindness. Many of the things we can give are much more valuable than money. If you take the time to share your wisdom with another human being, or inspiration, or encouragement, or whatever it is you have to give, whatever it is that’s your gift, if you share your gift, your gift will make room for you.
“Your gift is the thing you do the absolute best with the least amount of effort.” ~Steve Harvey
It is my intention to continue to share my gift with as many people as I possibly can, to serve as many people as I possibly can, for as long as I possibly can, because when I am in my gift, I am UNSTOPPABLE!
You have not because you ask not.
I ask regularly and I have never come to the keyboard without assistance. When I get up in front of an audience to speak, just like Maya Angelou, I never go alone. God is always with me when I ask. If you find yourself struggling, I can make one suggestion and that is to ask for guidance and then find a way to get silent and listen for an answer and in the space between the space, an answer will emerge if you are prepared to receive it.
You have not because you ask not.
At a seminar I attended 30 years ago I met the great Jim Rohn. At that seminar he shared more value in the half-day I was with him than most of the other teachers I’ve experienced throughout my entire lifetime. One of the key lessons that day was an amazingly simple lesson and the simplest of lessons are ones that are often missed. In my notes from 30 years ago is the word ask. And after the word ask and the humor that was only possible because of the man known as Jim Rohn with the words, that’s it, seminar over, you can go home now. Ask!
Ask, that’s it!
You have not because you ask not.
Stop trying to do everything on your own, make peace with whoever it is, or whatever it is that you call your Higher Power, and ASK!
My recommendation is to ask God. Ask the God of YOUR understanding and then do the hardest part, listen…
One of the best ways to listen is to meditate. All you have to do to meditate is Pause, Breathe, and Reflect. If you struggle with meditation, check out the PBR Movement at pausebreathereflect.com or go to Insight Timer and check out the Pause Breathe Reflect Sangha “Circle.” You can also follow meditation instructor and Executive Coach, Michael O’Brien on Insight Timer or at michaelobrienshift.com — Pause, Breathe, Reflect…
I will pick this article up in the next session where I will talk about why it’s so important to commit to whatever is important to you and the importance of creating your own individual ripple “One Day At A Time.”
In the next article I will also talk about why I believe it’s so important to discover your gift and create your quest!
Advance Confidently is the title of my next book, you will have to wait to celebrate its release as I celebrate my 60th birthday. I have concluded the world doesn’t need another self-help book from me right now, so I am listening to my muse and will write a sci fi personal growth story of self-discovery instead. Hmmm? Almost sounds like a QUEST, right? I believe you will be INSPIRED with the story that chose me to write it! I never saw it coming but now that it’s here, I can’t wait to share it with all of YOU! I know it will be worth the wait because that’s my commitment to you, my readers. Thanks in advance for your trust and patience!
In the meantime, I released a special audio short story on Twitter to commemorate my Independence Day and my 31st year of sobriety. You can watch/listen to the story here ( https://youtu.be/9zP4kk5OTlo ). You can find me on Twitter @bobby_kountz
Keep Pedaling, Keep Going, Keep Growing!
Advance Confidently!
If you enjoyed and found value in this article, please share it.
In Gratitude,
Bobby Kountz, Author, Speaker, Sobriety Scholar, Inspirationalist!
PS. You can find out more about me here. You can find my book on Amazon.
“Your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.” ~Mahatma Gandhi
VALUES DRIVE BEHAVIOR
This article was adapted from a process we developed to help emerging entrepreneurs and new small business owners identify their values. It was written to help take a closer look at the Values selection process. Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs have one thing in common with their larger corporate counterparts and that’s the need for Values.
As I worked with my TEAM to build out the structure of our new process to help entrepreneurs and small business owners capitalize on what makes them unique to their market and to help position themselves as the only logical choice for their potential customers, we realized the need to identify our own set of values that will drive our decision-making process as we begin to take on new clients.
At CreateYourQUEST™ we believe YOU are the Hero of Your own Story!
Our process was developed with YOU in mind. Our goal is to help you turn (Your Everyday Story) into (Your Empowering Story).
In the spirit of The Hero’s Journey, we are committed to helping you not only write your story, but also create an exciting and empowering QUEST to guide you in the direction of everything you hope to accomplish as you continue to move forward towards the achievement of your goals and dreams.
What do YOU offer the World?
At CreateYourQUEST™ we believe YOU will be happiest living a life of integrity in which your actions are aligned with YOUR personal values and beliefs. In other words, YOUR “True North.”
The reason many of us struggle with knowing what we genuinely want is because we don’t really know what direction to go. If we use our true north to guide us, in other words if we use our values to guide us, it makes the decision-making process much easier. Some of us struggle with simple day-to-day decisions but when we take the time to consider our core values, these things often become crystal clear.
Our core values will be the needle point of our compass. They will be like the north star in the sky guiding your journey. Your values will be like a torch in the night to help guide you down your pathway toward living your meaningful life and bringing purpose to your quest so you can live your life filled with passion and purpose.
Your values will help you avoid all the “shiny objects” you are bound to discover while on your quest. Values will shield you from the potential outside influences attempting to distract you from reaching your prize, from reaching that elusive prize we’re all searching for, success. Values will help you identify what success means without sacrificing the things most important to you. Values give you the energy and clarity to say both yes and no. Your success will be guided by your ability to say no to things like social media, social influence, and the social environment that would try to keep us from being true to ourselves.
If you are interested in gaining clarity around the importance of values, then read on. If not, then this article is probably not for you, and I will save you the time and trouble of reading any further.
The activity outlined below is designed to help you discover your own unique list of values and beliefs that will help to orient you on your journey. If you’ve ever wondered what a life would be like if you were living in harmony, this is the life you will experience when you become clear about your values. That’s why we think it’s so important that you take the time to properly do this exercise because it means everything!
Your core values will help you build the foundation of whatever it is you hope to bring into the world while on your quest. Whatever you build, if it sits on a strong foundation, it will stand the test of time.
Success can only ever be identified individually and absolutely must be defined by the individual seeking success. Otherwise, there will be no way for you to measure whether you’ve achieved what you set out to accomplish. If you try to skip over this step what you will find is yourself chasing empty accomplishments. You will find yourself stuck on the hamster wheel of life chasing your tail. We cannot impress upon you strongly enough, the importance of completing this exercise.
When we don’t know and understand our values, we could easily make the mistake of violating something incredibly important to us, simply because we weren’t aware. The result of doing something like this is usually fraught with feelings of shame and guilt and not even knowing why… It’s because somewhere along the way you violated what was important to you and there’s no way to reconcile the actions you took when they are not aligned with your values, when they’re not aligned with your true north.
One of the things that makes CreateYourQUEST™ a unique organization is the partnerships we’re creating with individuals who’ve proven themselves to be value added resources to both individuals and large organizations.
The following list of core values comes partly from my own research and partly from my dear friend and Executive Coach, Michael O’Brien from Peloton Coaching. He has been helping companies and the executives of those companies create better tomorrow’s by teaching them to clearly identify their values TODAY!
CORE VALUES
Note: This is not an exhaustive list but will definitely get you started with the selection process!
Based on the guidance of my Executive Coach, Michael O’Brien, who you can find at michaelobrienshift.com — I suggest you pick 5 values as your core values. This doesn’t mean you can’t or won’t have other values that are extremely important to you. It simply means being bold enough to select 5 for right now. As we change and grow some of our core values will change with us. As we embrace life-altering challenges and opportunities, our core values might shift as we gain new insights and information.
Examples are always good to demonstrate a viewpoint so let’s examine the idea of wellness. Let’s get extreme to drive home the point. If you had a heart attack, or developed a life-threatening disease, wellness might easily become a new core value for you if it wasn’t previously one of your five.
One of the most impactful ways to discover your core values is to focus on what’s important to you. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to ask empowering questions. Here are some empowering questions to help you get started with the process of focusing on what’s most meaningful to you now that you’ve been given a whole bunch of ideas about which values might be most important.
· How would you define this value?
· Which actions, activities, and behaviors reflect this value?
· How are you in alignment with this value?
· Where does this value show up in your daily life?
· Why is this value important to you?
· What is it about this value that inspires you?
· Who would you be without this value?
Feel free to create some of your own empowering questions to stimulate the discovery process! Answers are good. Questions are empowering!
The gap between where we are and where we want to be can often be closed by having a better understanding of our values. With a better understanding of our values, we will be in a better position to say yes to everything that’s important to us and no to everything else that’s a distraction. When what we do is aligned with what we say, we can then be congruent in our behavior about what’s most important to us.
If you remember from earlier, we learned that values drive behavior. Let’s move now from concept to construct with some core examples. We will share with you the five core values significant to us and why we chose them to demonstrate the importance of this exercise.
CORE VALUE EXAMPLES
One of the core values of our TEAM at CreateYourQUEST™ is Freedom. A second value important to each of us is Authenticity. Another core value is Courage. The 4th core value critical to the success of our organization is Encouragement. And finally, we turn one FACE into many FACES by adding the “S” of Self-Respect.
When you put these five values together what you get is FACES. We refer to this as our ability to show our FACES to our clients and customers. There are a whole host of other values especially important to all of us at CreateYourQUEST™ but we decided on “FACES” because we wanted something first that was easy to remember, and that more importantly, reflected the true essence of what we see as our collective core values.
As an emerging leader in this field, we felt it important to do the hard work of identifying our core values “Up Front” so that whenever we face a decision as it relates to the company and our future direction, we can come back to our values to help us make a clear choice about what we want to do, where we want to go, and how we want to get there.
We made a pact early on that we would never sacrifice our values in relation to our opportunities. What we collectively decided was that if an opportunity didn’t align with our values, then we would just politely say thank you for the opportunity, but it doesn’t fit with what we’re currently trying to do with the organization right now.
We took it one step further and decided that if we were honoring our values, we would help whoever was asking us to work with them by providing them a referral for an organization we felt could better help them with what they were trying to accomplish.
Let’s take the time to dive a little bit deeper into the five core values of our company as an example, so you have a clear idea of what might be important to you and a frame of reference as you choose your core values for yourself and your organization, or your family, moving forward.
FREEDOM
“When Writing the story of your life don’t let anyone else hold the pen.” ~Harley-Davidson
For us, the importance of this value is best expressed by this quote we use as a guiding principle for decision making. We believe everyone has the ability to write their own story and create their own ending.
The reason we believe freedom is so important is because it leads to an abundance of expression, creativity, and original thought. From this abundance, we experience increased productivity, a sense of fulfillment, an enhanced purpose, a state of well-being, and an overall higher quality of life. We understand freedom as a value that should never be taken for granted. We understand the fragility of freedom.
We hope to communicate the importance of this value. All too often, those who live in freedom tend to ignore just how fragile it is and take it for granted. We hope to reinforce the importance of freedom. We must be free to think, to create, to crowdsource, to collaborate, to build, to come together, to accomplish what none of us could ever hope to achieve alone.
AUTHENTICITY
“Authenticity allows us to engage with each other in powerful dreams that make the impossible possible. We are called on to persevere despite failure and pursue a purpose beyond the paycheck. This is at the core of innovation.” ~Henna Inam
Authenticity is all about being true to ourselves. Being true to ourselves is all about having the courage to define our own version of what it is to be successful. Success absolutely, positively, must be identified individually because what’s success to one person, might be failure to another. Success is discovering the delicate balance between drive, achievement, and self-reflection. The prize, if we’re diligent enough to pursue it, is equanimity which is just another way of saying, mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.
Authenticity helps us build deeper connection with others. The way we build authenticity is by being willing to let our guard down. Once we are willing to show and share our shortcomings, warts, and all, we give ourselves and others permission to be true to what we really believe. Authenticity is almost a “bearing of our soul” and when we do it without concern for what others might think of us or about us, we in turn create the best opportunity to be true to ourselves, our values, and what’s uniquely important to us, not those around us, but to US!
Innovation is the lifeblood of almost any organization. The only way we will ever be able to completely tap into everyone’s ability to be innovative is when everyone is given permission to be their authentic self. Richard Branson was quoted as saying that “innovation happens when people are given the freedom to ask questions and the resources and power to find the answers.”
COURAGE
“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” ~Maya Angelou
The word consistently is often overlooked in the quote above, and we want to make sure that doesn’t happen here. Courage gives us the ability to put aside our fear of failure and to take the first steps. Courage helps us to overcome our fear of rejection. Courage allows us to attempt things that we have not tried before despite our fear of judgment or looking foolish.
It has been said that confidence is important and indeed it is, but without courage, confidence does not exist. We believe courage is more important than confidence because we know that confidence comes from being courageous. Before we will ever be confident, we must first be courageous.
We need confidence to do something that we’ve never done before. And to do something that we’ve never done before will require courage. We need courage to begin something. When we’re attempting something, we’ve never done before, we will experience a feeling of uncertainty.
Courage gives us the ability to move along the continuum from unsure to unstoppable. We believe courage is the secret sauce that allows us to act despite our fears. Confidence is an outcome. It’s a natural result, or the benefit. It’s becoming familiar with our fear and working through the process. Confidence is a one day at a time game, it builds day by day every time we courageously embrace our fear.
Courage allows us to consistently practice all the virtues and values that are important to us because without courage we won’t be able to consistently honor the rest of our values. At some point in time the challenge will be too intense, or the effort required, too much, and without courage, we will give in.
“You can’t be consistently kind, or fair, or humane, or generous, not without courage, because if you don’t have it, sooner or later you’ll stop and say the threat is too much, the difficulty is to too high, the challenge is too great!” ~Maya Angelou
ENCOURAGEMENT
“Hidden within each of us is everything we need to achieve anything we can imagine.” ~Bobby Kountz
One of the greatest lessons on the power of encouragement comes from the story of the letters written by Ralph Waldo Emerson to a young and aspiring writer by the name of Walt Whitman. Had it not been for the encouragement of Emerson, there is an exceptionally good chance that Whitman may have never followed his passion to become the great poet he is known to be.
At CreateYourQUEST™ we are in the encouragement business!
We should never underestimate the value of an encouraging word. One small act of encouragement could be enough to change the entire trajectory of another person’s life. When we offer encouragement, we’re literally speaking courage into another human being. We are empowering them with our words. Encouragement can make all the difference.
Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny… ~C.S. Lewis
SELF-RESPECT
“Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy.” ~Robert Tew
The importance of self-respect cannot be overstated! Having a healthy level of self-respect is what enables us to create the confidence to set clear boundaries for ourselves and others. Malcolm X once said, “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” Self-respect means knowing what you stand for and what your values are. It means being aware of both your strengths and weaknesses.
Self-respect is being courageous enough to say no when you need to, and bold enough to say yes when you’re afraid to. It’s saying yes without having all the answers ahead of time. Self-respect allows us to stay to true to our values while still pushing the envelope to take informed risks. Self-respect is developed after experiencing setbacks and failures. It’s a byproduct of resilience. It comes as a result of embracing self-discovery.
Self-respect is knowing who you are, what you believe, and what you are willing to work for and sacrifice for. It’s also knowing what you are not willing to compromise on and then having the courage to stand your ground.
We hope you found some merit in this article that was adapted from the Values Identification Process we take our clients through when they commit to working with us. It’s how we turn our clients into VIP’s!
If you believe we might be able to help you better tell your story to your potential audience and customers, then reach out to us.
You know our values now so it should be an easy decision to at least reach out if you know you need some help telling your empowering story!
We are creating an interest list for our inaugural CreateYourQUEST™ interactive, immersive, appreciative inquiry experience. To learn more, send an email with UNSTOPPABLE in the subject line to unsure2UNSTOPPABLE@gmail.com today!
Advance Confidently is the title of my next book, you will have to wait to celebrate its release as I celebrate my 60th birthday. I have concluded the world doesn’t need another self-help book from me right now, so I am listening to my muse and will write a sci fi personal growth story of self-discovery instead. Hmmm? Almost sounds like a QUEST, right? I believe you will be INSPIRED with the story that chose me to write it! I never saw it coming but now that it’s here, I can’t wait to share it with all of YOU! I know it will be worth the wait because that’s my commitment to you, my readers. Thanks in advance for your trust and patience!
In the meantime, I released a special audio short story on Twitter to commemorate my Independence Day and my 31st year of sobriety. You can watch/listen to the story here ( https://youtu.be/9zP4kk5OTlo ). You can find me on Twitter @bobby_kountz
Keep Pedaling, Keep Going, Keep Growing!
Advance Confidently!
If you enjoyed and found value in this article, please share it.
In Gratitude,
Bobby Kountz, Author, Speaker, Sobriety Scholar, Inspirationalist!
PS. You can find out more about me here. You can find my book on Amazon.
“Everyone has a story to tell, a lesson to teach, and wisdom to share… Life is a beautiful masterpiece bound together by your experiences. Open up and share your story; become an inspiration to others. You can make a difference because you matter. You were created with purpose. Live your life with intention, go out there and make a difference by being the difference.” ~Melanie Koulouris
We are surrounded by stories. They’re everywhere! They are the fabric of life as we know it. Words are the language we use to tell our stories even though they are completely inadequate to describe most of what we experience.
Different stories mean different things to different people. Some people actually believe their lives to be insignificant when viewed through their own eyes. However, when viewed through the eyes of another, what was once boring and insignificant becomes both interesting and inspirational.
If you have ever overcome anything, then you have a story to share. Sometimes even the most insignificant things have a story hidden within what otherwise might have gone completely unnoticed, if not for the details being filled in. The smallest act of kindness can have the most profound effect…
A man was asked to paint a boat. He brought his paint and brushes and began to paint the boat a bright red, as the owner asked him.
While painting, he noticed a small hole in the hull and quietly repaired it.
When he finished painting, he received his money and left.
The next day, the owner of the boat came to the painter and presented him with a nice check, much higher than the payment for painting.
The painter was surprised and said “You’ve already paid me for painting the boat Sir!”
“But this is not for the paint job. It’s for repairing the hole in the boat.”
“Ah! But it was such a small service… Certainly it’s not worth paying me such a high amount for something so insignificant.”
“My dear friend, you do not understand. Let me tell you what happened:
“When I asked you to paint the boat, I forgot to mention the hole.”
“When the boat dried, my kids took the boat and went on a fishing trip.
“They did not know that there was a hole. I was not home at that time.
“When I returned and notice they had taken the boat, I was desperate because I remembered that the boat had a hole.
“Imagine my relief and joy when I saw them returning from fishing.
“Then, I examined the boat and found that you had repaired the hole!
“You see, now, what you did? You saved the life of my children! I do not have enough money to pay your ‘small’ good deed.”
So no matter who, when or how, continue to help, sustain, wipe tears, listen attentively, and carefully repair all the ‘leaks’ you find. You never know when one is in need of us, or when God holds a pleasant surprise for us to be helpful and important to someone.
Along the way, you may have repaired numerous ‘boat holes’ for several people without realizing how many lives you saved.
Make a difference…
Red Boat Story pulled from: bamradionetwork.com by Rita Wirtz, June 19, 2021, who credited the story to: Sharing is Caring, Sweden.
The Red Boat story was shared with me by a friend who knows how much I enjoy both stories and writing. I shared it with a room of individuals who were all moved by the words and now, once again, I am sharing it here with all of you to demonstrate just how significant our insignificant little acts can be…
Never underestimate an act of kindness or generosity. There is no way to measure the effect your words will have on another human being…
One of the elements of my own life story that doesn’t seem overly significant to me now because of the accumulation of years, is my own sobriety story. However, every time someone finds out I’ve accumulated over 31 years of sobriety, one day at a time, they’re almost always in awe. When I explain the days are the natural result of commitment and simply represent the outcome of choosing not to drink one day at a time, they don’t seem any less impressed.
If I hadn’t found the courage to finally tell my story, there might still be people out there thinking that they have to quit drinking forever, and because that seems so overwhelming to them, they never even try. However, when they hear about how I broke it down day by day, particularly in the beginning when it was really hard, then they understand that their commitment is only, “just for today.”
This subtle little difference, this insignificant detail can make all the difference between somebody deciding to make a change in their life versus saying there is no way it’s not worth it, it’s too hard! There is a saying that by the inch it’s a cinch and by the yard it’s hard and that’s totally true. When we take the time to break things down into the smallest components possible, what might originally have seemed overwhelming, is suddenly no great challenge at all and just another story to be told…
If you’ve ever struggled with drugs and alcohol and think there’s no way you could ever quit, please understand that’s simply not the truth. But rather than believe me, I would ask you to think about all the other things that you’ve done that seemed really difficult in your lifetime and simply ask you to think about how you did those difficult things? Each of the difficult things that you’ve ever done have all been done, one day at a time. And before you were ever successful at doing whatever the difficult thing was, you decided first in your mind to do it. You made a commitment. When we make a commitment to ourselves and then keep our promise, all kinds of magical things happen.
One of the greatest benefits of keeping our promises to ourselves is the development of self-esteem. Every promise kept is one step closer to having the kind of self-esteem and self-confidence that would make you, UNSTOPPABLE! The way that we go from unsure to UNSTOPPABLE, is by keeping our promises to ourselves, not all at once, but one day at a time.
The key to life is to keep the promises you make to yourself, one day at a time. It’s impossible to keep the promise of whatever it is that you’ve said you’ll do tomorrow, today. But when tomorrow comes, you have to show up, and you have to do the hard work, and you have to stay the course. And when you do, you will have done whatever needed to be done that day, and you will have kept your promise to yourself, and you will have built another layer into the process of becoming absolutely, UNSTOPPABLE!
Self-confidence is a one day at a time game. We build our confidence one day at a time with each and every promise we keep to ourselves. Once we get good at keeping promises to ourselves, then we can slowly begin to make and keep promises to others as well. As we do, our self-esteem grows, and when it does, we begin to believe that we can do almost anything, one day at a time. Suddenly, we understand that the only thing we ever must do is what’s immediately in front of us.
When we live in the now, when we live in the present, we can do, be, or become almost anything we choose. All skills are learnable. Simply ask yourself what’s between where you are now and whatever it is you ultimately want. Then, get busy closing the gap that exists between where you are and whatever it is you desire by accumulating all the skills and abilities necessary to close the gap, not overnight, but by steady, persistent, commitment, one day at a time…
“One day at a time” is a philosophy for success. One day at a time is a philosophy for living in the present. When we live each day with intention, with purpose, with commitment, we give ourselves the best chance to be our best. We are always best when we are in the now, when we are present.
If you ever find yourself up against the wall and feeling like there’s no way you can get through whatever’s in front of you, just remember, as my friend Michael reminds me on a regular basis, you can always come back to your breath. When we breathe, when we slow down, when we think, we ground ourselves in the present moment which allows us to block out the past and keeps us from worrying about the future.
Every time you struggle, remember, just come back to your breath. When we remember to breathe, we find the energy we need to do whatever is in front of us, we find the energy to do hard things.
Hard things are done one breath at a time. Hard things are done “one day at a time!” We can do hard things when we remember to breathe!
What’s your story?
Advance Confidently is the title of my next book, you will have to wait to celebrate its release as I celebrate my 60th birthday. I have concluded the world doesn’t need another self-help book from me right now, so I am listening to my muse and will write a sci fi personal growth story of self-discovery instead. Hmmm? Almost sounds like a QUEST, right? I believe you will be INSPIRED with the story that chose me to write it! I never saw it coming but now that it’s here, I can’t wait to share it with all of YOU! I know it will be worth the wait because that’s my commitment to you, my readers. Thanks in advance for your trust and patience!
In the meantime, I released a special audio short story on Twitter to commemorate my Independence Day and my 31st year of sobriety. You can watch/listen to the story here ( https://youtu.be/9zP4kk5OTlo ). You can find me on Twitter @bobby_kountz
Keep Pedaling, Keep Going, Keep Growing!
Advance Confidently!
If you enjoyed and found value in this article, please share it.
In Gratitude,
Bobby Kountz, Author, Speaker, Sobriety Scholar, Inspirationalist!
PS. You can find out more about me here. You can find my book on Amazon.
“The meaning of life is whatever you ascribe it to be. Being alive is the meaning.” ~Joseph Campbell
Plug YOURSELF into a pathway, a process, or a framework.
Both blessed and cursed with the unique ability to think AND reason, humans are different than all other life forms. We were gifted choice, free will, or at least the appearance of it. Some would argue that no such thing exists…
The truth? That’s up to you… Yes, even the truth is a product of choice.
That which I believe to be the truth will be my truth. That which you believe to be your truth will be your truth. If I believe my life to be full of grace, gratitude, and abundance, then there is an excellent chance I will experience the same. If I believe my life to be devoid of pleasure, happiness, and joy, then there is an equal chance that is what I will experience.
“Your belief determines your action, and your action determines your results, but first you have to believe.” ~Mark Victor Hansen
I believe that hidden within each of us is everything we need to achieve anything we can imagine. I believe each of us was born with a gift. I believe that if we embrace our gift, it will make room for us. After all, we are human beings. Well, at least by outer appearance, we are human beings. Many believe we are spiritual beings having a human experience. This is where we come right back to what you believe.
Which do you believe is right? Are we spiritual beings having a human experience? Are we human beings having a spiritual experience? Or is it something altogether different…?
There is one thing I know that’s an absolute fact.
YOU are not an inanimate object. YOU are (Hu), the human element. YOU are the Swiss army knife of awesomeness! YOU are the MacGyver of mastery.
As a human, you have infinite capacity and a finite purpose. You were born with a gift that is yours and yours alone to share with the world. Your only priority in life is to transfer your gift to as many other people as possible. Musicians transfer their gift with their music, writers with their words, physicians with healing, craftsmen with their tools, artists use a medium. Whatever it is you do, or aspire to do, find a way to share your gift.
If you were an inanimate object like a curling iron, a regular iron, or a blender, then your options in life would be limited. If you were a tree, a dragonfly, or a grasshopper, your choices would be limited. Here’s the good news, you are none of those things. You are human and because you are, you can choose to do almost anything.
This gift, the ability to do, be, or become whatever you choose is both a blessing and a curse. Why? Because left to our own direction, it’s easy to wander, it’s easy to walk around undecided about what it is you actually want to do and the difference you want to make in the world.
Fortunately, there will come a point when you will feel “it.” You won’t know exactly what “it” is, you won’t be able to describe “it” clearly, you won’t be able to label “it.” You won’t be able to name “it”, but “it” will feel as real as if you could.
What is this unknown thing that you sense but can’t quite put your finger on? It’s the calling… Most of us ignore “it” when “it” comes… That is, we ignore “it” until we no longer can. There comes a day when the call is so loud “it” can no longer be ignored. What began as a whisper now follows you everywhere. The proverbial tap on the shoulder becomes so annoying that you get tired of turning around to look to see who’s doing it and instead you begin the process of self-discovery.
Self-discovery is the path to the promised land. It’s the place we’re most afraid to go because our ego fears what we might find there. If we were to find our true self, then that means death to the ego. And just like a momma bear, the ego will do everything to defend its cubs. We, are the cubs.
What do you mean Bobby, why are you referring to us as bear cubs in relation to the ego? Simple, I’m using a metaphor that most people understand. When we take a concept that’s difficult to understand and plug it into something that’s known, something the brain clearly understands and can process, then it makes what might otherwise be difficult, easy to understand.
You mean you chose a momma bear as an example because we all know from stories told about how momma bears protect their cubs, that we would understand that’s just how hard the ego will fight to keep us under its control?
Yep!
As long as we are under the spell of the ego, then there’s no way we will ever have the confidence to go after our dreams. If the ego is in control, we will acquiesce when we run into difficulties, troubles, and challenges, because the ego will be right there to tell us, “I told you so.” It will be there to say to us; ”Who do you think you are to do such a thing?”, you’ve never done anything like that before! “You’re going to fail, and everyone is going to laugh at you!”
Sound familiar? If not, then you can probably stop reading right now because this information won’t be for you. If you don’t feel any of those things or you haven’t heard any of those thoughts, then you’ve already somehow found a way to master your inner critic. The ego uses the inner critic to keep you playing safe and small because the ego’s job is to keep you safe.
Until you find a way to make peace with your inner critic, you will always be fighting the battle and I would suggest there’s a better way. It’s the way of self-discovery. As you discover who you really are and you begin to collect the evidence of all that you’re capable of, the ego slowly begins to change and starts to understand that you might actually be capable of doing the wild and crazy thing that’s been running around in the back of your mind, the thing it’s been trying to keep you safe from, all these years.
As the evidence mounts, if you embrace the ego as an ally instead of an adversary, you can get your ego to become a Benedict Arnold. And once that happens, you will have flipped the switch and for the most part, you will find your ego to be an astonishing ally.
What if? What if there was a process, a pathway, a framework for you to discover just how amazing you actually are? What if that process was self-discovery, and what if you had a framework to help you discover your truth?
The call was your awakening. The call is what has you reading this article right now. The call is what creates the insatiable curiosity you have about life. The call is your inner gift trying to find a way to express itself. Regret is what happens when people ignore the call.
At varying points in life, like milestone events, turning 30, 50, 60, at retirement, or lying on our deathbed, we think about all the things we might have done, could have done, should have done… when the hourglass has been turned over for the last time, there will be a reckoning. If we have lived our life If to the fullest, there’s a good chance we will gracefully watch the sand pass through the neck from the top to the bottom for the last time as we quietly close our eyes and drift away.
If, however, you have done like most, and put the important things on the back burner waiting for SOMEDAY, there’s an exceptionally good chance you’ll be wishing you could turn the hourglass over one more time.
As I write this, I am thinking about my own hourglass and how many more times I’ll be able to turn it from one side to the other. When the last time comes, will I have done everything that’s important to me? Will I have made the world a better place for my grandchildren? Will I have made a difference? Will anyone even know that I was here?
As a writer, one of the things I know for sure is that I will have at least left a trace, a fingerprint… I may not have created a tidal wave, or a tsunami, but I will have created a ripple and there’s no telling how far that ripple might spread…
Everything begins first with thought and then we take our thoughts and turn them into words to communicate first with ourselves and then with the world around us. We label things in an attempt to understand them. We use words even though they are a poor substitute for whatever it is we’re trying to describe. Since words are all we have, I do my best to describe what I see, what I think, what I feel, and what I believe. I believe with all my heart that as a fellow human being you have infinite capacity to do, be, or become whatever you choose, if you’re brave enough to begin your quest.
What do you want? Where do you want to go? What do you want to see? What do you want to be? What difference do you want to make in the world? What legacy would you like to leave behind? What would you like to accomplish NOW, instead of someday? Whatever it is, all you must do is turn it into a quest and then begin the process of living your quest, one day at a time.
Your quest will give your life meaning and purpose. Your gift will guide you through the process if you give yourself permission to discover it. And how do you go about discovering your gift? As you begin the process of self-discovery, you will begin to learn things about yourself that you’ve always known but didn’t KNOW. You will slowly become sure of certain things. You will begin to believe in your ability to do specific things. The more you do the things you believe you can do, then the more you will do them. And the more you do them, the easier they will become and when they become so easy they seem effortless, that’s when you know you are in your gift.
Your gift is the thing you do the absolute best with the least amount of effort and if you can find a way to do that, you’ll be well on your way to living a life of happiness, joy, and most importantly, freedom. The longer you persist in whatever it is you’ve been doing that isn’t your gift, the longer you will suffer. We will always be happiest when we are working with our gift.
When I wrote The Someday Solution, it was the beginning of something I didn’t even completely understand at the time. I have now come to understand it was the beginning of my quest, not the completion of it.
I have come to understand that when I write, when I’m with my muse, it feels almost effortless. As a matter of fact, as I write this now, I have a huge smile on my face because I know that whatever words appear on the page, are appearing as an expression of my gift, are being expressed as my gift. When I write, my soul expresses itself, and it is my greatest hope that my words will reach one other human being and wake up that something in them that has been ignored for such a long time…
It is my hope that my words will somehow wake you up to answer “your” call.
I believe there is a hero in each of us. I believe the challenges we face are placed in front of us to temper us the same way steel is tempered. I believe the challenges and difficulties we face are there to show us what we’re truly capable of. I believe they are there as proof of our strength and our courage. I believe they are there to teach us resilience. The inner journey of self-discovery is part of the hero’s journey, and your quest will be the process or framework that allows you to discover your purpose.
“Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life. It’s a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer.” ~Joseph Campbell
“Advance Confidently is the title of my next book, you will have to wait to celebrate its release as I celebrate my 60th birthday. I have concluded the world doesn’t need another self-help book from me right now, so I am listening to my muse and will write a sci fi personal growth story of self-discovery instead. Hmmm? Almost sounds like a QUEST, right? I believe you will be INSPIRED with the story that chose me to write it! I never saw it coming but now that it’s here, I can’t wait to share it with all of YOU! I know it will be worth the wait because that’s my commitment to you, my readers. Thanks in advance for your trust and patience!
In the meantime, I released a special audio short story on Twitter to commemorate my Independence Day and my 31st year of sobriety. You can watch/listen to the story here ( https://youtu.be/9zP4kk5OTlo ). You can find me on Twitter @bobby_kountz
Keep Pedaling, Keep Going, Keep Growing!
Advance Confidently!
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In Gratitude,
Bobby Kountz, Author, Speaker, Sobriety Scholar, Inspirationalist!
PS. You can find out more about me here. You can find my book on Amazon.
