Each of us face our own unique adversities on a daily basis. They can range from simple, minor difficulties with small consequences, to giant misfortunes with catastrophic ramifications. Many people try their best to avoid adversity, but it is inevitable we will all have to face the music sometime or other.
When I was younger, I got into a couple of fights that taught me some great lessons in handling adversity. One day at a high school party, a younger kid named Frank and I were hitting on the same girl, joking back and forth, trying to see who she liked more. Well, one of Frank’s friends, Jay, decided it should not be a joke. One word lead to another and before I knew it, I had this little dude talking all kinds of smack to me.
The number one problem I think most people have is a lack of confidence. So I have come up with a list of reasons why everyone should be confident in themselves. Be proud of who you are by understanding exactly what, who, and where you stand in the grand scheme of things.
This list is based on a theory of mine. The theory goes something like this: We are all living during this time period on the earth. Everything right now seems of major importance. There are wars all over the world, hunger, crime, terrorism, corruption and all sorts of terrible things. Each day, the news brings up the devastating events from the day before. For each person involved in those events, the memories can scar for a lifetime.
When I read a title like the one above I always laugh at the finality of it. It makes it sound as if your life will be changed forever into everything you ever dreamed simply by reading this. As if reading something can have that significant of an affect on someone.
Well what if it could? What if I told you that not only by reading this, but by actually following it, you can have anything you want in life? Anything at all. Would you believe it?
Me neither, so I’m not making any drastic promises.
But I am going to tell you that the following, although not much of a secret, can help you achieve any goal you have. I am going to talk about a not so secret key to everything you want in life. It is called ‘Self-Discipline’, something we all could use a little more of.
Writing about this is going to cause some laughter in my family. Growing up, I was the total opposite of what I am about to tell you. I had a huge issue with respect. If someone, in my opinion, was mean or disrespectful to me then I unleashed a hell hath fury like never before. What I’ve learned over the years, after much trial and error, is that kindness is more of a killer than any hell hath fury could ever be.
I’m not talking about being nice in general. That should be a given. I am talking about being relaxed, calm, cool, collected, and kind when someone is being completely the opposite to you. Our natural first defense when we feel someone is not being nice is to reciprocate the favor. If you yell I will yell louder. If you throw a temper tantrum, I will out due your tantrum with one of my own, and so on. However, there is a better way.
My wife relentlessly works out the last few years. She started with simple walking, then moved on to jogging outdoors, then running on a treadmill, and now has progressed on to weights & exercise videos. For awhile though, she was strictly a walking/running enthusiast. She was not interested in any other kind of workout. But eventually she realized she needed to do more.
The reason is because her body had adapted to her regular exercise routine. It had gotten used to the running, so doing it four times a week was no longer a work out, it was a habit. When my wife finally started to explore other workouts, she began to see amazing results in her body. Her muscles started to take shape all through her arms and legs. She was sore for the first time in a long time but it paid off in her figure.
I enjoyed the movie the Secret immensely. It was put together by Rhonda Byrne, who wanted to share it with the world after it helped her. It certainly helped a host of others, at least those with an open mind.
Notice on this interview, how CBS’s Bill Whitaker tries to lead the Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith down the path of slaughter. I think Mr. Whitaker did not have an open mind, and missed a good chance to gain some precious knowledge for his own life. I rather enjoyed what the Reverend had to say. I thought it reinforces a lot of the things I write about on a daily basis.
My sister sent me this quote yesterday she got out of a book my Aunt gave her entitled “Who Moved My Cheese” by Spencer Johnson. It is about dealing with change in the workplace. The quote, though, is from another author, AJ Cronin.
From wikipedia…..Archibald Joseph Cronin (19 July 1896–6 January 1981) was a Scottish novelist, dramatist, and non-fiction writer who was one of the most renowned storytellers of the twentieth century. His best-known works are The Citadel and The Keys of the Kingdom, both of which were made into Oscar-nominated films. He also created the Dr. Finlay character, the hero of a series of stories that served as the basis for the long-running BBC television and radio series entitled Dr. Finlay’s Casebook.
Yesterday was not a good day for me. Nothing tragic. Just more financial runoff from my failed adventure as a mortgage branch manager. Some days, for all of us entrepreneurs hacking it out in the wilderness, it can be quite rough. If it was easy, I guess everyone would do it, but it definitely is not easy, no matter how positive I stay.
When I’m having a bad day like yesterday, where the stress kind of takes over your body till you physically feel sick, there is only one thing that helps calm the mind and ease the soul. It’s called visualization. It is one of the most important tools of any entrepreneur.
Patience is definitely a virtue that I was not born with. In fact I started out life with absolutely no patience. Throughout my young days I was always about the end result, never too concerned with the journey there. It affected me greatly once I got into business, b/c to be successful in any business, you must be patient.
When I first opened my mortgage company, I remember rushing into getting all the equipment for the office. I rushed into getting Loan Officers, a processor, and a branch company itself. I was sure that because of my drive, work ethic, and determination, the money would pour in. It was just a matter of time and risk. Well, I took the risk, but I did not take the time.
One of the most important parts of business, especially today, is networking. With the internet at its peak, and communication in many mediums as easy as a touch of a button, it is more important than ever for people to be good networkers.
Networking is important because it opens doors. Nowadays, contacting professionals in your field is as easy as can be online. However, people tend to be afraid still to reach out. ‘What if I sound stupid?’ some people think. Well, at least you sound something, because without ever trying to open the door, you can only guess what is behind it.
Each of us face our own unique adversities on a daily basis. They can range from simple, minor difficulties with small consequences, to giant misfortunes with catastrophic ramifications. Many people try their best to avoid adversity, but it is inevitable we will all have to face the music sometime or other.
