Two Different Women

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” Ashley Smith

The other day I was at a meeting and there were two women. Both were in the midst of incredible health challenges. Anna and Grace both had cancer and both had been struggling with their illnesses for years. Both had been given poor prognosis, and yet, both were still alive beyond those dates.

Even though their experiences were very similar, they met their challenges with totally different mindsets. Anna had a ‘woe is me’ attitude, and Grace was grateful to be alive.

Grace looked at each day as a gift and spent her days enjoying her family and encouraging others who were in the same boat. Her purpose was clear. Bless people every day that she is alive and demonstrate grace and encouragement to others that are under difficult circumstances.

This was Anna’s third round of cancer and she was angry. She had closed herself off of her family and friends and refused to be comforted by them.

Both women were faced with difficult realities. Both were sick and tired most of the time. But, one made a choice that actually helped not only others, but herself.

Is there an attitude or a thought that is holding you back from your purpose or dream? Is there a choice that you can be making that would bless rather than bring others or yourself down?

There is so much that we have no control over in life. But, we always have control over our own attitudes and mindsets. At the end of the meeting, Grace came up to Anna and put her arm around her and said. “I used to feel like you do right now, and then I realized that I have enough around me to be grateful for, that I would be much better off focusing on that stuff. We all only have a limited number of days on this planet. I choose to live them with gratitude.”

I was inspired by Grace. I want to be more like her. How about you?

Are you LIving your Fears or your Dreams?

“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” Les Brown. I know a person who just won’t go for her dream. She’s so afraid of failure that she is paralyzed to try anything. You want to know the ironic thing about that? Her fears actually CAUSE her failure. She is actually choosing failure by not trying.

Can you relate to her? Are you choosing failure by not stepping out of your comfort zone and really giving your dream a chance? Yes, there is still a chance that you will fail. But, not trying guarantees that you will fail.

What can you do today to give your dream a chance? Success is just a matter of taking one step at a time in the direction of your dream.

Take ONE step. Do ONE thing today!

Everything you Do and Don’t Do Brands You

”We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit” – Aristotle. People are watching you. You may not even be aware of how much people are paying attention to you. I got a call a while back from a man that had been “watching” me on Linkedin for about a month. He was reading my posts and looking at my website. He finally contacted me about an opportunity because he decided that he liked what I represented and it was consistent with the character of the person for which he was looking. It made my day that I had passed his test.

That encounter got me thinking about something that I learned recently. I attended a training meeting that Christine Zust had a few weeks ago where she said that “Everything you do brands you.” (The title of her impeding book). She shared that our consistent behaviors begin to communicate to our audience who we are and what they can expect from us. She challenged the audience to be thoughtful and intentional about sending branding messages. She really reinforced for me how much people pay attention and draw conclusions about people and organizations based upon consistent messages. I look forward to getting her book when she releases it.

At that meeting, I was sitting next to a wise marketing expert by the name of Larry Mattes who contributed; “Everything that you DON’T do also brands you.“ It made me think of a local organization in town. Unfortunately, because of one of my monthly obligations, I need to work with this organization. I schedule meetings that they don’t put on their schedule. They don’t answer emails or phone calls. Whenever I think of this group, I think of poor communication. If someone asked me for feedback about them, I would never recommend them. So, they have built a negative reputation that brands them to me as unresponsive, irresponsible and rude.

If someone was watching you for a month without your knowledge, would they have more to say about what you do, or what you don’t do? Would they be able to accurately describe who you are and what you do? What messages do you hope that you are sending? What can you do to be sure that those are the branding images that people have of you and your organization?
Begin by asking your clients what one word comes to mind when they think of you or your organization. If the words they use are what you had hoped they would say, then your brand is in good shape. If they answer something less than what you would hope. Ask them for more feedback and begin to say and do things consistently that will move them toward your desired brand image. Remember, your clients and potential clients are watching you!

Stop Trying Too Hard

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” ~ Lao Tzu. When I was in my 20’s I had a friend who was desperate to get married. She wanted it more than anything. She wanted it too much. She was so intense when she met guys that she scared them off. When she turned 30 she gave up. She decided that she was OK with being single. She was too weary of the ‘hunt’ and she really did seem to have peace about it. But, then the weirdest thing happened. As soon as she gave up the notion that she HAD to get married, she met Mr. Right.

Are you trying too hard for your dream? Are you desperate for it? If so, you may be sending a vibe that is unintended and undesired. Relax, enjoy the ride. Let go any unrealistic expectations of success that may be causing you undue stress. Stop comparing yourself to others and compare yourself to your yesterday self. Work daily toward your dream, but don’t let it overwhelm you.

A clenched fist cannot hold anything, so relax the grip and open your hands. Watch what happens.

Need a Little Wisdom from the Doctor?

Here are a few of my favorite Dr. Seuss Quotes to brighten your day and encourage you. Dr. Seuss Rocks!

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You." Dr. Seuss

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." Dr. Seuss

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." Dr. Seuss

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." Dr. Seuss

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells." Dr. Seuss

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. Dr. Seuss

"You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go." Dr. Seuss

"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way." Dr. Seuss

"If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good. " Dr. Seuss

I hope you found at least one of these to be exactly what you needed today! I know I did!

Do you have these Success Disabilities?

“Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing on one's own sunshine. “ ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson. I was talking the other day to a group of ladies who were kvetching about the economy and the problems they were having with their businesses. Times are tough, but, I left that meeting thinking about how many ways these ladies and even I get in the way of success. I was in a Beth Moore bible study last night and she was talking about spiritual learning disabilities and it made me think metaphorically about success disabilities. Do you have one or more of these success disabilities?

Success Attention Deficit Disorder- This applies to the person who can focus on a business model or marketing strategy. They get easily distracted by shiny things and don’t follow through with a strategy long enough for it to work. Can any Guru hoppers relate?

Success Hyperactivity Disorder- This is the over busy bee that is running and running and never stopping to measure if what they are doing is returning on the time and money investment. Get off that hamster wheel and be still. Read my Power of the Pause blog post. Quiet can be incredibly clarifying!

Success Dyslexia- These people get things turned around. They think that their business is about them and not about their customers. If you aren’t communicating value from your customer’s point of view, you may be suffering from this one.

Success Vision Impairment- Are you near sighted in your business? Are you only able to see things close up? You may be missing opportunities that are just beyond your driveway. Can you be serving in another city or to another type of population? Or how about far cited? Are there opportunities under your nose that you aren’t able to see? Ask others to be your glasses and give you some perspective.

Success Hearing Impairment- Are you customers trying to tell you something and you just aren’t listening? What about your industry? Are there trends that you may be missing? Ask for feedback and listen to what people have to say. Don’t be stubborn like my Aunt and not wear your hearing aid. People can tell when you aren’t listening.

I don’t know about you, but I know that I can be guilty of a few of these success disabilities. The first step in overcoming any disability is to admit that you have one. Then, take steps to overcome it. What can you do to overcome the one that is getting in your way? Don’t stand in your own sunshine!

What is the Magic Word? Not Abracadabra

When my brother Dan is not being an aerospace engineer, he is a volunteer magician. He has been doing magic since he was 14; one of his many passions. I will never forget when my daughter Leah was 3 and he was the magician at her birthday party. He turned an orange handkerchief into a goldfish right before her eyes. Unfortunately, the fish didn't make it by the next day. Leah said that turning into a fish from a handkerchief must have been too much for the poor thing. What a precious memory.

Right before the fish transformation, Dan asked the kids; "What is the magic word?" "Abracadabra?", one enthusiastic kid offered. "Open Sesame" another guessed. "No, think, you know what the magic word is", he encouraged. Finally, after a couple more misses, one of the kids squealed "PLEASE and THANK YOU". "Right!" he said, and then gave her a special toy for guessing correctly and then reminded the kids to always use the magic words.

It's important for us to use the magic words with our customers too. Please let me know how I can serve you better. Please let me know what you think of my service. Please allow me to help you with your problem. Thank you so much for being a customer. Thank you for letting me know what your real experience is of my service. Thank you so much for your referral.

We can't be great without please and thank you. Are you using these magic words enough? Who can you use them with today?