“I can’t do it.”…”I don’t have a job.”…”It’s too hard.” As a Leadership Coach I hear those things every day. I say them sometimes too. It’s not true. Not one word of it. It only seems true because that kind of thinking seeks evidence to be “right.” Can you hear that?
It’s a trajectory. It’s like a missile headed for hell. I understand it, because I have compassion and I just don’t believe it. I suppose that’s why having a coach is so powerful. A great coach will mirror back to you, where you are limiting your Self. I see all of those comments or “stinking thinking” as an opportunity to express a different creation. That is the very reason I don’t get upset when I hear it. There is a transparency to that kind of consciousness. Basically that person is saying: I am afraid of what I would “create” if I really put my best Self forward. That’s where the Leadership Bat Phone rings.
While we are on the subject, let’s talk about the “Law of Attraction”, the “Secret”, or whatever you want to call it. It does not work. It does not work in and of itself. It can’t work, because there is no action to it. It’s only a small part of manufacturing what you want in your life/business. I concur that you “get more of what you focus on” and having a clear mental image of what you desire does help move you in the direction of increased results. However, the real “Secret” is that you must get off your butt and go do something. I get sleepy thinking about all the people I know that want to make something happen in their lives from the comfort of their couch. You will be waiting a long time for that new car to show up, while you sit and focus on getting it!
Today’s message is a dose of reality in the field of creating results. The next step to the focus factor is settling in on an idea and then taking action on it. One day, one of my clients came to my office upset because he did not have a job. He said, “I have to get a job.” I said, “Why do that? Look around your world and see all the work that needs to be done. Go do that work and charge a fee for it.” Let’s look at an easy example of that idea. For example, I am sitting in a place right now where I can see a whole lot of dirty car windshields that need cleaning. If I had to, I suppose I could beg or borrow ten bucks to buy a bottle of glass cleaner and paper towels and suddenly I have “created” a job. I have a viable opportunity to do a service for someone for the exchange of money. This is the Spirit that our great country was founded on.
Oh and by the way, if you have a job; you could apply this same idea and be a Rock Star at your work. I mean it. You would stand out, because lots of us at work are very creative at finding ways to avoid working for 40 hours. I share this from a productive construct. Think of the shift that would occur in OUR collective awareness as leaders. If we could BE that example, then we would be more credible as leaders. It’s powerful and it’s possible to create opportunities. The possibilities are endless from this approach to leadership and living life.
Today, I encourage you to take a look at where you could create opportunities at work or at home. Don’t wait for “good luck” to fall into your lap. I am grateful (see blog on The Grateful Leader) when that happens…and I won’t count on it. Our society (in my not so humble opinion) has gotten soft with ideas like The Secret. I believe in that kind of thinking only if it is backed by Creative Action. You show me someone that is taken action in that way and I will show you A Creative Leader. Have fun, stay focused and play a game with this idea. How could you materialize an extra thousand (ten, or one hundred) dollars this week? What do you think? What is your experience of manifesting powerful results?
Best
You must swing to lead. I was sitting at a baseball game last week and something became intuitively obvious. Sitting back and playing it safe is for sissies! I think that’s especially true in a tough economy. The more constricted a leader, the further constrained his/her business. Why do you suppose that is? Because when the game is on the line, we all want to see a Babe Ruth step to the plate, because in our hearts we know there is a chance for victory. It’s important to note that Babe Ruth struck out many more times than he slammed home runs and yet what do we remember him for?
As a leader who isn’t playing it safe you will swing and miss. You will sometimes strike out. And if you sit at the plate and wait for the perfect pitch you might get frozen feet. You can’t wait forever for the perfect situation or project or savior. Some people like to be safe and not “go for the fence.” Maybe that is a demeanor thing. And perhaps as a leader we can practice going for it and creating opportunities from our willingness to swing for the fences. Everything can be practice and yet many of us rationalize our “safety” oriented behavior by seeking evidence of the times we took a chance and lost. I submit to you, experiencing a “failure” is the perfect set-up for succeeding.
My life has been filled with swinging thinking. I have struck out many times. I have also had some big wins. I would not change a thing, as I can’t get better at anything unless I go for it. I can see it with some of my clients at times. I can see the mind wanting to do the “right” thing or the “safe” thing. I am not suggesting you go for every opportunity that comes your way. I am submitting to you that winning big involves courage. It involves Self trust. You can’t reach base and score if you don’t swing!
How was this country founded? Was it founded from men and women playing safe? If my history serves me accurately, there were men and women that ventured to this foreign land to create opportunities. Sometimes it was hard. Sometimes people failed. As an emerging nation we flourished under the leadership of business people that were willing to make new engines, build new factories, and put money into new ideas. In fact, Coca Cola was purchased in perpetuity by an entrepreneur that could see customers taking Coke home in a bottle. Nobody else could see this possibility, so he got the deal for one dollar; and that was just to make it legal. His family still receives revenue from every can of Coke sold world wide. Not bad for a one dollar investment. The point is that in that day and time that was a ludicrous idea.
So, today; I ask you? What is your crazy idea? What would you do today, if you could find the swinging thinking in your creativity? My sister Anne just debuted a play called The Wisdom Within These Walls. Lots of people said that nobody would be interested in hearing the wisdom from our elders. Well, after the first weekend, it’s already hit the papers and there are people looking at making her play into a movie. If my sis would have listened to the nay sayers there would have been no play. Even worse, there would be less joy in the world as the play is a total inspiration for all ages to see. www.thewisdomwithinthesewalls.com
My council, if you’re open, is to play big this week. Go out and do something that in the past would scare you into a fever. Don’t be silly and hurt yourself; yet don’t let your fear run your life. Go for one big thing this week and see how it feels? Do you feel exhilarated? It matters not your history. What matters is today and your willingness to step to the plate and swing big. You might surprise yourself. You might strike out. In either case, there is the possibility of greater expression and uplift-ment from the exercise. I look forward to hearing your comments.
Best
Without your word you don’t have squat as a leader. By the way, I include myself in that radical idea. Now, what does that really mean? In the area of leadership, most of us are throwing around the language of “keeping our word” like an old football. Its one of those clichés in the area of integrity that has been spoken so much, that it’s lost its power for some of us. When I am not impeccable with my word, my own word to myself gets weak inside of me. It’s as if it loses strength. When I do what I say I am going to do, then my life and business take on exponential results. When I make a bunch of mindless promises that I don’t fulfill on, I can feel the pain. I get confused and the container of my leadership springs leaks like an old rusty bucket.
Being your word is simple and it is not easy. If I promise to do something, and I follow through on the specific action, then I have delivered on my word. Now, for most of us reading this, that idea may seem simple enough. It is, until you get real honest with yourself and others on the number of things promised and not done. Changing calendar appointments, not working out (when I said I would), promising an email or phone call by a certain time, saying mistruths to get a better response from a client, or telling your kids you will be at the game and then not showing. These are leaks in leadership. The velocity and the power of YOU cannot be sustained if I/we cannot keep our word. So please know that I am not intending to depress anybody today. I am requesting that each of us get present with the possibility that keeping our word to ourselves and others is extremely important magic for trust and results. Let’s just say, that I am not here to take your inventory on the subject and I encourage you to take your own pulse on the matter.
So what to do? You have two ways to go. One, just do what you say you will do. Easy peasy…right? Wrong!!! It’s not easy because life is happening at lightening speed and sometimes things change from the time you promise to the time you are meant to deliver. Do you know what I mean? The second option is to honor your word. That means that if I cannot honor my agreement, or I am late to an appointment, or…then I owe it to myself or to others to clean up the mess I created by not doing what I said I would do. It’s clean and courageous. I don’t recommend making a habit of this tactic. However, honoring your word will align you back into your integrity. It creates a natural order of things to show awareness on the changes in our promises. It lines things up. It plugs leaks and restores velocity. At this point, and over time: your word is golden. It carries value and when you speak it is heard in the tone and vibrancy of your language.
I think this is the very reason some speakers carry an energy that opens hearts and minds. I feel this Word on Leadership is the key to successful results. This week, I want you to take a peak into the world of your word. What is your relationship to it? Could you improve it, by being more mindful of what you promise? How could you clean up any areas of past compromises of your commitments? I encourage you to do it now and not to wait, as the trajectory for a rocket result is all in the power of your language fueled by you.
Loving
Stephen
Gratitude is access to positive leadership. I submit to you the possibility that without it you can’t sustain any forward motion in your life or business. Consider that you work hard to reach your goals. You reach some of them and maybe not all of them. Because our world is somewhat conditioned to look at what we don’t have, you focus on what is not working. That focus gets us stuck and life becomes meaning-less or less than purposeful.
So how do I get unstuck? I get free the same way you do. Like a good Teflon pan, I don’t let the cynical thoughts grab me. Sounds simple but how does one actually do that? By being grateful for everything you have done, learned, produced, seen, not seen, been and not been. Get Gratitude. Without it, I cannot seem to find altitude on anything. With appreciation for my world and the objectives I do obtain, I open myself entirely to the blessings that prevail.
I am not suggesting creating another task on your list. I am recommending a connection to the things you love the most. Call them out with authentic celebration and allow the energy to build. Can you hear that? Allowing the energy and enthusiasm to build is quite different than making it grow. When I am grateful and appreciative of my life it’s like jumping into a river and flowing with the stream. Go ahead and jump in. It cost nothing. It won’t add to your debt structure and it will add to your ROI. If nothing else happens, I can promise you one thing for darn sure. You will feel better. How does feeling better relate to result? I don’t think I need to explain.
If you don’t believe, or you do believe me; try this. Make a list of 5 things you are most grateful for today. It can be results, people, your health, how you feel, a good piece of chocolate, a boss, your mother…you get the idea. Once you have done that notice your mental acuity. Take note of your emotional being. If that works for you then list 10 things the next day. Add these to the list from yesterday, or start a new one. Then on day three, I challenge you to make a list 15 things you are appreciative of. I encourage you to do this for twenty days until you make a list of 100 things that are working in your life. If you do this exercise with earnest, I can assure you that you will move from stuck to unstuck. You will shift from negative to positive. You will remove the shackles of cynicism and set sail to free lands.
I maintain that gratitude is the key to freedom. Is that spiritual? If having a principle that shifts your entire state of being fully and recognizably is spiritual, well then; I suppose it is. The truth for me is, that it really does not matter whether it is spiritual or not. What matters to me is if it works. How will you know if it works? You try it. If it works for you then keep doing it. If it doesn’t work for you, then let it go and move on to the next idea.
Have an appreciative week.
Almost everyone had that doubtful look on their faces. I could tell nobody on the Board had bought into the possibility of accomplishing the goals we had just finished strategizing. I heard things like, “It’s not likely to happen in this economy”; “Our share in the market has done nothing but shrink over the last 36 months”; “I can’t sign off on a plan that’s not based in reality.” Then, a voice of true possibility emerged from the board room table. Her voice was powerful and filled with velocity. Allow me to paraphrase what I heard her say. She spoke what nobody else could see. She said; “Gentlemen. What we need here is a miracle result to accomplish this unifying goal.” There was an uncomfortable pause and silence that had a lot of throat clearing going on. She continued. “These goals are possible only if we approach them from a new mindset. We cannot grow this company as we currently see it. We would need to get into a conversation about what we can do, as opposed to what we cannot do. If we could do that at this level, then perhaps we could create some magic in this business and industry.” Then, she got bold. “You all seem more comfortable with cynical than you do with solutions. I challenge all of us to support these ideas with resources and go for a big return rather than our normal course of reasonableness.”
I encourage all of us to consider what role we have been playing of late. Are you playing the role of cynic wrapped up in a logical taco? We tend to deceive ourselves because we are afraid inwardly. We are afraid to speak the role of the miraculous viewpoint. What if we could accomplish this? What would we need to do to make this happen? I find that I can get into either way of being from time to time. I find that the more vigilant I am with my thinking, the more I can see beyond my current limiting view point. Being a leader involves seeing beyond what has been done before. I call that miraculous leadership.
Consider that JFK commanded that the United States “go to the moon before the end of the decade” at a time when NASA had no idea how to do that. It was in fact accomplished. Consider that there was a time in our life time (at least most of us) that having a computer would have been viewed as an impossible venture. Consider that miracles occur all the time. They don’t seem magical once we have them…only when we are creating them. What do you view as an extraordinary result in your life or business?
I challenge you as a leader to venture into the land of Miraculous Results in Business. Is it possible? It’s possible if you say it is. It’s possible if you line every cell up in your body toward that endeavor. Yes, it’s possible; because that kind of thinking involves the willingness to withstand the naysayer. It’s easy to be a negative Nelly. That’s the easy and sometimes “logical” thing to do. I am not suggesting that you be stupid. I am suggesting that I/we cannot go beyond what we currently see until we can see something new and improved. I think this is especially true in our current economy. There has never in my lifetime been a more opportune time to express “new” thinking. Never has there been a better time to break through limiting ideas and embrace creative and innovative leadership.
This week ask yourself, which side of the boardroom table are you sitting on? Are you sitting in the “this can’t be done” seat? Or, are you sitting in the seat of “what if we could” viewpoint. If you want you can change seats. All you need to do is get up and change seats. It matters not whether you actually sit on an board or not, as I am sure all of us can translate the metaphor. You may be using this article as the metaphor for your home kitchen table, or having coffee table conversation with a friend. The principles of leadership are irrefutable and it’s not my position to tell the truth, rather to give examples where each of us can explore our truth.
Have fun in all your table top conversations.
Filed under: Integrity | Tags: Leadership, personal growth, self help, stephen mcghee
It snuck up on me again. I had things to do, people to meet, objectives to attain and sustain. People were counting on me. I was counting on me. Suddenly I found myself having a mini heart attack. I don’t mean the literal kind. I mean the kind that has me look down the road of life and see nothing but appointments. My heart sank and the attack of panic within my heart prevailed. I felt like a gerbil on a treadmill…running fast and going nowhere. I thought I was making progress and therein lies the great denial of Self. How many of you can relate to a time in your life when your pedal was to the metal and the brake is on at the same time. I can tell you it’s a great way to waste fuel.
I have been there before many times. The good news is that I can see it faster now. Once I see it, I’ve learned it takes some courageous decisions to change the direction. It takes courage to do nothing. If you ask me, for those of us living extraordinary lives it takes more courage to do nothing than to do something. In fact, it’s counterintuitive and scary to pause when the world is happening so fast. The pace of life never stops by the way. The world will keep going and the joke is on those of us that try and keep up. I can’t keep up with something that NEVER stops and as McGhee Productivity Solutions (www.mcgheeproductivity.com) teaches us, “you will never not have something to do.” Think about that one over toast tomorrow morning? You will always have something to do. Even if your talking about brushing your teeth or paying a bill, or? It never stops. So, if it never stops then, when do you halt?
Do you stop when you get it all done? Good luck. How about when you reach all the goals? Yes, then I will slow down. I submit to you that you won’t reach that day either. It never ends, which of course is also the good news. It’s good news if you can learn to pause. As a leader, you need to create time to reflect and do nothing. You need time to breathe in the guidance of your intuitive Self. If you don’t take time to introspect, then you can expect to burn your adrenals, your relationships and your enthusiasm. I find enthusiasm is my greatest gift in life. I find that the greatest way for me to stay inspired is to take time to just hang out. I am not talking about months at a time, although for some of us that could be the ticket. I am recommending some time every week to just BE.
What will emerge from that? I invite you to try it and see. Perhaps you already have this practice within your life. If so, I would love to hear your thoughts on what happens when you engage in a slowed down way of being. For myself, I have found that solutions more readily occur to me. I sleep better. My mood is enhanced. I create better results, which is, of course, the great conundrum. I was thinking the other day of summers past when I was kid. They lasted forever. I remember long summer afternoons, where I would lay around under a shady tree with my friends and just chew on a piece of grass. We might get up and go fishing, or throw the ball around. As I tapped into that feeling, I could feel my body slow down. The bottom line is, it brings calm and presence to my leadership ability and I suspect it will do the same for you too.
If you find yourself frenetic lately, give yourself a break. What could you do to create an amazing summer experience? What can you do this coming weekend that will have you wake up Monday ready to fly again? How could doing nothing assist you in creating something incredible? Take this challenge on and let me know what you experience.
Breathe.
I bought a cup of coffee the other morning. It was lukewarm. This fine establishment touts the piping hot freshness of their coffee. For many years of my life I would have let it be. I would have let it slide and chosen peace over principle. The problem is, appeasing other people rarely ends up peacefully. It’s lazy and doesn’t serve the clarity that we all deserve. Taking the easy road avoids the possible transformation that can occur from actually dealing with the situation. It happens through a very deep rooted inner commitment. For example, lots of us leaders say that we are committed to excellence. Yet, when faced with a lukewarm cup of coffee what do you do? You may say it doesn’t really matter that much. It’s no big deal. It’s a pain to say anything. Yet, if my coffee is tepid; then what is the likelihood that everyone else’s coffee is the same. This is exactly how little things turn into big things. This is how over time, little problems turn into gigantic issues.
And if you think I am talking about a Cup O Joe then think again. The coffee is really a metaphor. As a leader I have considered these issues over time. The times I have avoided the small issues I can feel a “niggle” inside of myself that is less than truly clear and committed. There are books and many teachings that espouse wisdom such as “don’t sweat the small stuff” and I think that’s nutty. Everything is small stuff that adds up to one big thing called your life or your business. I am not saying you ought to be freaked out over an issue; what I am saying is that you can use chilly coffee as a learning point. Some of us leaders, and I include me here, have gotten lazy in the name of spiritual evolution or ease. Ease is overrated. If you want to excel or experience greatness, then get aligned with the idea that you can increase quality through your deep commitment to standards that are higher.
My sense is that lazy and conciliatory behavior comes right back and bites us in our wallets and our relationships. This is an amazing time to hold ourselves and the businesses around us to hot coffee. Don’t let it slide. You can be kind and communicate what you want, while assisting the business that you are displeased with. I am not suggesting berating the Customer Service agent of the airline or being mean spirited because the hotel towels are dirty. I am saying use your voice and communicate the truth of what you want.
Recently, I had an email from a blog subscriber that has become a friend. He took the time to write me an email sharing his point of view on my latest project. His email made me think. It had me understand that I could be clearer. If he would not have done that, then I would not have been able to respond. I did respond and from that response I feel we created a better understanding of each other. This is a powerful way to be.
This week, I invite you to disallow appeasing behavior. Where are you avoiding excellence? In what ways could you increase your willingness to lead with the small things? I am talking about life and business. It all runs together and it means a great deal. The question this week is… how do you like your coffee?
Best
I went skiing the other day with my brother. We skied our butts off. We laughed until it hurt and ended the day exhilarated. We could have chosen the easy runs and yet it was more fun and challenging to navigate the more challenging runs.
Why would someone want to avoid the bumps? Bumps are growth and they are inevitable. Consider what your life would be like if you never had to negotiate an obstacle or two. I mean really deliberate on it. Consider how bored you might be. Consider how weak and meaningless your life might become. Hey, don’t get me wrong; I enjoy graceful days as much as anyone. Sometimes I just want to sail down the slopes of life. However, when I am navigating a tough stage in life and business, why not use those challenges as a way to sharpen my senses and accelerate my progress. Why not? Leaders use bumps for their advancement. Victims avoid them at all cost and complain when they arise.
Further, you can’t get better at navigating challenges if you avoid them. Bumps will temper you as a leader. They will strengthen your insights and your ability to navigate through a crisis. I have found this practice of leadership has me breathing fully and calmly as challenges occur. Keep in mind, the point is not to bring tough times to you. That might be considering gluttony for punishment. However, when you stand at the top of a difficult situation, I advise that you review the landscape. Notice the terrain and don’t be stupid. Get help if you need it. If not, then attack the situation and use the moguls of life and practice your talents. When I avoid them, it never works. I crash every time. I don’t have rhythm when I avoid my problems. When I point myself down the hill and accelerate, all is well. I use my edges and yes, you have an edge to use too. Your edge is your passion toward your project. Your edge is your intelligence and your ability to communicate. Sometimes your edge is your ability to listen. You have many edges.
Years ago when I skied, I didn’t have near as much fun. I expected to do it perfectly and I judged it when I fell or crashed. Hey, now I see it as part of the deal. Messing up can be fun too, because if I don’t mess up then maybe I am playing on the green slopes of life. You won’t have nearly as much fun on the green slopes. You won’t, unless that is a stretch for you. Once you master that run, then you will progress to a tougher one. Don’t you think that’s the nature of our living? However, many people I work with want to avoid problems and don’t really want to deal with them. The first question I will ask my clients is: What is the biggest problem you have and how can we solve it?
How can you as a leader use the moguls of your life to feel alive? How can you use the challenges you deal with to accelerate your progress to life. Leaders get good at handling them. I know a few great leaders that thrive every day by handling them. It’s just as if they are skiing through the day. Yes, they fall sometimes. And yes its hard work at times. Ultimately though, it’s a powerful human experience…
Consider the alpha leader that cashes in his stock and retires early. Usually, he/she gets bored and starts to look around for the next deal or the next company to run.
My council is to learn to love unpredictable days. Enjoy them and attack them with the fervor of an Olympic ski athlete. You don’t need to be an athlete, just think like one.
What is your biggest challenge? What two or three things could you do today to solve it?
Enjoy the snow.
Blessings.
Stephen
Great leaders give. We give all the time. We look for places to give. We are not shy about being taken advantage of, because giving has a result to it. We are not looking for someone to notice our giving and even if they won’t, we give anyway. We do it because it is endemic to our nature. Sometimes you get tired. You get tired because you think you have given all there is to give. Most of us have way more to give than we think. The more we extend ourselves, the more energy comes back around. There is a natural flow to the order of giving. As a leader, all of us have way more energy to give than we think we do. Leadership is not stingy. It is steeped in generosity. This is why I coach people to find something they love to do. The more you love what you do each day, the more you will want to share yourself with your team and the people you love in your life. You will not be keeping track of how you serve others, because keeping track detracts from the service itself.
Sometimes we fall prey to becoming lazy leaders. We think we have been betrayed and we stop sharing our enthusiasm with others, as if we will find redemption in our own withholding. Holding back stinks! It backs up on you. It keeps you stuck in a rut of blame and resentment. If you want out of the jail of self deception, then I invite you to find someone or something to give everything you can to. Find a project at work or at home and give until it hurts. I recommend putting so much inspiration and enthusiasm into this project that you reach a point where you don’t think you can give anymore. Don’t look to be noticed. Look to see how you experience yourself. You will fill up. If you’ll trust me on this, you will see that the dam of “getting” becomes unblocked by your “giving:” Do not look for remuneration as that steals away the giving nature of the leader. I can’t tell you how many people I know that are stuck right now. I know the feeling, as I have been steeped in stuck many times in my life. How do you get unstuck? Give to someone that is more stuck than you. Listen to them. Assist them. Serve those people and see what happens to your own way of being. You will be lifted and come clear into your own life. Do it until it hurts.
It’s like lifting weights. It hurts good. It takes a real man to do this, even if you’re a woman; it requires manning up. Many of us are soft of giving. There is a shift at hand in our world. There is an opportunity to break away from the divisive roles of spiritual, family, corporate and political division. The access to collaboration is through our giving. It’s in the sharing of ideas, even if those ideas differ. We don’t need to agree in our giving; and as “shared” leaders we can align. What do you as a leader get from all of this? You get yourself back. You get the truth of your existence and the inspiration of a moment that has you unveil yet another moment and on we go. It builds a momentum that is beyond compare.
What will you give OF yourself this week?
Lead on.
Did you know the roots of a tree grow deeper in the ground during storm season? I never knew that until today. I was grateful to hear it though, because it makes sense. Nature is pretty smart and does not waste things. Nature uses things. It creates constantly and uses all its resources to continue thriving. I think some people are like that too. They use the storms of their lives to grow. They don’t pretend things are perfect and they use the good and the bad for growth. After over a decade of teaching leadership, I think this may be one of the (if not the single) most important elements for great leadership. It’s using hardships as blessings and turning challenges into a lesson learned. Leaders don’t avoid the hardship (at least the ones I follow). They just take the situation and learn from it.
I recently had the opportunity to personally observe this powerful concept in action. It stemmed from a conversation I had with a wonderful leader. As our talk unfolded, his eyes welled up with tears. I had been pretty fierce in my conversation with him. I knew he would see the beauty in it. Like I have done a hundred times in my life, he was avoiding the deepest truth about himself. He was not living in full alignment. As we continued to talk, I could see him shifting. I could feel him going deeper into his own self contemplation. He admitted as we talked that this particular burden had been heavy on him for a long time. Once he could see it, he could accept it; and use it for his learning. If he would have denied it, he would have continued to feel the burden. Self-Denial can weigh us down. Identifying where I deny myself can set me free. Heck yes, it takes courage to look deeply at oneself. The most authentically enthusiastic people I know do this regularly. Burdens can be a gift. They can be beautiful. Burdens that we carry can actually strengthen us.
I find it’s supportive for me to identify what the burden is. Once I can identify the challenges in my life and business, I can look for how the hardship is actually serving me. Can you hear that? A tough situation is really nothing more than a way to make me grow stronger. Hey, I am not asking for more tough situations; and I am saying that when they show up, use them to grow and learn.
Today, I encourage you to identify a challenge you are dealing with. Ask yourself a few simple questions. How is this burden strengthening me? How is it bringing me a more powerful focus? In what way, does this situation enliven me?
I know it may sound crazy and as I think back over my life, many of the toughest things I have dealt with; have made me more real, more authentic and more compassionate. Those times in my life have also made me more appreciative of the people and situations in my life. Today, I encourage you to find the beauty in your burdens.
Blessings
The Get Real Blog 