Don’t Dig up your Seeds

Posted on April 28, 2011 by admin

germinating seed

Let your strategic seeds germinate!

“Every problem contains within itself, the seeds of its own solution.” ~ Stanley Arnold. A while back I wrote a blog article called Measuring your Success like a Farmer. (There is a link below if you want to check that out) I love metaphors and my NLP coach Victory Mind Mapper Charles Eduardos and I were talking about the farming metaphor the other day and he had a brilliant insight that I wanted to share with you.

There is a whole lot going on with a seed before it becomes a plant that first peek above the dirt. The seed has an embryo in it with all the basic stuff it needs to become a plant. It only needs the right environmental factors to have it grow and become a healthy fruit bearing plant. The seed need to germinate, or transform itself into its full capacity.

Let’s say that seeds are your business strategies. You planted a few of them with networking, advertising, free giveaways, articles, discount pricing, perfecting your product or service. All of those seeds are in the ground. Which of those strategies will pop through the dirt and become a fruitful plant? You may not know while they are still underground. We can’t see what’s happening underground. We can only see that the seed germinated when it pops above the ground.

Environmental factors like: timing, economy, serendipity or even your competitor messing up could make the difference between one seed germinating and another lying dormant.

Charles shared a story with me of his childhood. When he was a small boy, his grandmother worked with him to plant some flowers. He had so much fun planting them with her. But, he kept looking at the dirt day after day and all he saw was dirt. He got impatient. So, he started digging into the dirt to see what was going on. Do you know what happened? He killed the seeds and sabotaged his progress.

Don’t dig up your seeds!

Keep planting them, watering, fertilizing, weeding and giving them sun etc. When they start to pop above the ground you will know which strategy is worth your toil. Trust that your effort will produce a crop of success. So be patient, and keep planting and nurturing those seeds and you will receive a harvest of blessings for your efforts.

p.s. Here is the link to the first farming article: http://bit.ly/gkJmjo
p.p.s. Thanks to Charles Eduardos for the inspiration for this article. Here is the website of the Victory Mind Mapper, Charles Eduardos: http://www.charleseduardos.com/

Posted in Uncategorized, marketing, patience, story, success | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Be a Winner

Posted on April 12, 2011 by admin

In this adorable clip from the animated film Surfs Up, a variety of penguins answer the question; What is a winner? Did you notice that the answers were a reflection on each one’s own personal lens of experience? For some, to be a winner is to be a good sport or having fun. For others, it was about crushing the competition.

How you answer this question is a reflection on you. Here are some of my own principles of winners:

• Keep learning- If you stay stagnant, people will pass you by. There is always something to learn. If you make it a point to keep up on the patterns, trends, technologies in your field of work, you will have an advantage.
• Do your best- Compete against your best self, not others, and you will continue to improve. Too often we look at other people as our measuring stick. Stop comparing yourself to others and compare yourself to your best yesterday self. How have you gotten better?
• Communicate truthfully- Being honest is its own reward; it will help you sleep well at night. Don’t oversell yourself. It is so better to have someone else tell you that you are better than you say that you are. Your weaknesses are endearing. So wear them honestly.
• Honor your agreements- If your word is trustworthy, you are a winner. People love to work with people that they trust. Trust and honesty go hand in hand.
• Move steadily forward- Setting goals and moving ahead toward your dreams makes you a winner. If you are actively doing one thing every day to move you toward your dreams you will move steadily toward achieving them.
• Accept blame- People will respect you if you admit your mistakes. No one is perfect, but those who take responsibility for their mistakes are respected. Perfection is annoying because no one is perfect. So, when you mess up, and take your lumps, people will appreciate it.
• Celebrate the achievements of others- Other people’s successes are not your failures. When you honor other winners, you are a winner.

How do you define winning? Are you a winner according to your own definition?

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Keep Going

Posted on March 29, 2011 by admin

In this clip from Facing the Giants Coach Taylor challenges Brock to do his very best in a super challenging ‘death crawl’ exercise. He winds up realizing that he can do more than he thought he could and inspires the rest of the team with his perseverance.

Blindfolded and pressing on with the sometimes encouraging sometimes loud pushing of his coach, Brock simply pushes himself to keep going until the coach tells him he can stop. He made it all the way to the end zone; 5 times farther than he thought he was set out to go. Here are some of the take aways from this clip.

Do your best- Your best is so much more than you think it is. Really challenge yourself to do more than you think you are capable of.

Succeed with the help of others- Do you that there is a huge difference between what you can do by yourself verses what you can do with the help of others? Brock definitely did more because of that coach encouraging him.

Don’t give up- Brock was tired, his muscles were burning, that football player on his back was getting heavier and heavier. Do you face challenges daily that make you want to quit? Keep going, and persevere. That’s how to reach goals. There will always be challenges. It’s how you handle them that make you a success..

Encourage others- Brock thought that exercise was all about him. The entire team was affected by that experience. He was inspiring to others without even realizing it. People are watching how you handle your challenges, so make sure you handle them well.

Do you have a person to root you on like this coach? If not, get one. We all need dream partners to keep those big dreams alive. Keep going!

Posted in Dream Partner, challenges, dream, encouragement, goal, perseverance, success | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Are you Afraid of You?

Posted on March 24, 2011 by admin

This clip from the movie Akeela and the Bee where Dr. Larabee asks Akeela to read a poem on his wall about our deepest fear captures the essence of what holds most of us back. I love Akeela’s answer to the question, what she shouldn’t be afraid of…” Me”.

Here is the poem by Marianne Williamson that is partially quoted in this clip:

Our Deepest Fear by Marianne Williamson

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other
people won’t feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of
God that is within us.

It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.

When I read this poem I think about the balance required to live this concept out effectively. Imagine a balancing scale. To the left you have pride and to the right you have insecurity. If too much self confidence is marked by pride, the scale will tip too much and you will lose your effectiveness because people won’t think you are authentic. On the other hand, if you lack a healthy amount of confidence, then the scales will tip too much toward insecurity and you will lack impact in the world. The balance is a healthy awareness of your gifts, and contributions without thinking too highly of them. Then you will even out the scales.

While I think we all struggle with the balance, I think that this poem really does a nice job of addressing the issue of insecurity. And I love that the author goes beyond the cost to you when you hold back your light, it shows the consequences to others around you.

Are you afraid of your gifts, talents and abilities? Embrace them boldly and you will shine your light for others to see.

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Do you Rescue or Empower?

Posted on March 14, 2011 by admin

Tissue alert for this clip from the movie Ray, about a young and newly blind Ray Charles and a mother that knew that he needed to work things out for himself. Tough love like hers is not easy, but it’s so much more empowering for the receiver than rescuing would have been.

Are you a rescuer? Do you step in sometimes and rescue your clients? Do you do things for them that they really should learn to do for themselves? It sure can be a difficult trap sometimes. Maybe it’s not your clients, but your subordinates for which you tend to do this.

I was in a meeting today and the topic of ‘people pleasing disorder’ popped up in conversation. You want the client to like you so you do things for them that they really should learn how to do for themselves. Or, maybe you are too impatient to teach the client what they need to do. After all, it’s so much easier for you to do it yourself, right?
When we create a dependence on us or our services, we really aren’t helping our clients, co-workers or subordinates. Ken Blanchard describes this phenomenon as the ‘monkey on your back’. When the client or co-worker or subordinate constantly asks you to handle things, fix things, or think through the problem because they know that you will solve it for them, Blanchard says that you willingly accept their monkey on your back.

Now, think about this behavior becoming a pattern in your life. Soon you are caring and feeding a zoo full of monkeys. And, then you will begin to resent others for ‘making’ you deal with their problems or jobs. Taking on other people’s monkeys is a choice.

When Ray’s mom chose to quietly and tearfully let Ray find his own way, she gave him the gift of self-confidence, empowerment and self care skills that were no doubt a defining moment in his remarkable life.

Do you have any monkeys on your back that need to be given back to their rightful owners? Choose empowerment if you really want to help people.

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See What No One Else Sees

Posted on March 10, 2011 by admin

In this clip from Patch Adams, Arthur teaches Patch the secret to looking beyond the problem to see the solutions and possibilities by changing the way that he counted the fingers that he was holding up.

Being in touch with the problem is important. People need to be able to relate to the problem. But, unless you can see the solution or possibilities, you can’t leave people better than you found them. Arthur shared three important lessons in this clip:

1. See what no one else sees.
2. See what everyone else chooses not to see out of fear, conformity or laziness.
3. See the whole world anew each day.

Isn’t that the essence of ingenuity? “Ingenuity, plus courage, plus work, equals miracles.” ~ Bob Richards.

I love this math equation, don’t you? So, first you need to see the world differently, which in the ingenuity part, then you have to have the courage to share your ideas and solutions. If you know in your heart that your solutions can help people, then holding them in is actually the same as hurting people.

If you believe that you will leave people better than you found them, then you need to work hard to help people with those creative solutions. Keep at it every day.

Miracles! Having had the privilege of witnessing miracles as a result of my services to others, I will tell you that it is worth the work, the risk and the obstacles. See what no one else sees, step out in courage, work hard and reap miracles!

Posted in Uncategorized, courage, creativity, ingenuity, possibilities | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Never Give up on your Dream

Posted on March 2, 2011 by admin

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race” ~ Calvin Coolidge

When was the last time that you wanted something as much as Cody the penguin wants to be selected for a surfer’s contest in this Surf’s Up movie clip? His passion trumps the lack of support by his family, his circumstances and even the decision maker’s opinion. He knew that he had something to offer even if others around him couldn’t see it.

Persistence is when you determine to not let your energy or enthusiasm be dampened by the nay sayers, or your disappointments or failures. To be persistent is to keep your eye on the prize of your dream or goal no matter what. Every challenge and disappointment is there to teach you something that will help you succeed. So if you take those challenges as opportunities to learn how to grow from it and still move forward, you will get to your dream.

I recall a consulting opportunity that I applied for and didn’t get one year. The next year, I tried for it again, having learned more about the client and their needs, and that time I got it. It has lead to many more opportunities since too. If I had given up after not receiving the opportunity the first time, I would have missed many blessings. Have you ever forged ahead with a goal even in the face of discouragement? What did you learn or accomplish as a result of sticking it out?

Never give up on your dream!

Posted in Uncategorized, challenges, encouragement, opportunities, opportunity, persistance | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Know You’re Good

Posted on February 21, 2011 by admin

In the movie, Get Low, Quinn and Buddy approach the mysterious hermit Felix Bush’s house to sell him a funeral, and Quinn makes Buddy go alone.

Not only is this a scary situation for Buddy because it was his first sales call, but because his client is a notorious and unpredictable hermit. His boss Quinn challenges him to do this call alone because “If you don’t do this yourself you will never know if you’re good, and you will never be good unless you know that you are.”

Did you know that you grow stronger when you step out and face your fears? Doing something that you don’t think you can do helps you to stretch your boundaries. It helps you gain confidence. If Buddy can be successful in this situation, he can be successful in any situation. Felix Bush had a need. He made his need known. If you believe that your product or service is good and helpful for people, then do what you need to do to help people connect with it.

Practice makes you good at something. When you get good at something then you will be more confident about it. When you are more confident, you will do it more, which will make you do it better.

Remember, you will never be good at something unless you know you are!

Posted in Uncategorized, confidence, courage, fears, success | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Faith and Your Dreams

Posted on February 15, 2011 by admin

In this clip from the movie ‘Rudy’, Rudy’s best friend, Pete, gives him an unforgettable gift for his birthday; Faith. Pete didn’t just say that he believed in Rudy’s dream of going to Notre Dame and playing football. He gives him a tangible reminder of this goal, and whenever Rudy puts that jacket on, he will remember that at least one person in his life believes in him and his dream.

Do you have a dream like Rudy that seems so far, but so real that you can taste it? Or maybe you can relate to Pete. Are you the friend that fans the flame of your buddy’s big dream?

We all need people to be on our dream team; someone who will tell us that we can do it and remind us why we have all that it takes to make it happen. If you don’t have a person in your life like that, find one. If you can be uplifting faith inspiring person for someone else; be that person.

One of the reasons that I love being a Dream Partner is that I can come along side the dreams of my clients. If I can help them see it clearly and help them believe that it can happen. It will happen.

Who do you know that needs encouragement today for their big dream? Send them a card today or give them a call. Let them know that you believe in them.

Who do you know that can be your encouragement today? Let them know that some days you may need them to do the same for you.
Remember what Pete’s dad always said: “Havin’ dreams is what makes life tolerable.”

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Make the World a Better Place

Posted on February 7, 2011 by admin

Maybe you can relate to Ana as she tells Harold the story of how she intended to make the world a better place with her law degree and wound up doing it with cookies. Sometimes we start out thinking that we will do or become one thing and then things turn out differently. If we are blessed, they will turn out much better than we imagined. Our gifts, life and circumstances can sometimes take us down roads that were unplanned or unintended.

Sometimes we are so close to the situation that we don’t even know what we truly bring to the table. Our gifts can be masked by our own image of what we think we should be or become that we can miss it entirely. Perhaps a parent set you on a path that they wanted you on as a kid and you just didn’t have the same passion for it as they did. Maybe it was their unfulfilled path, and you simply got stuck on it. Or maybe you had an interest in something for which you really didn’t have much talent.

Life can give us course correction opportunities if we are paying attention. Ana realized that she could make the world a better place with her passion, baking. Perhaps her study group friends encouraged her with their compliments, or just by their growing numbers. There are always clues about your gifts and ideal contribution, if you pay attention. Most life coaches that I encounter will tell me that they had been ‘coaching’ all of their lives before someone, or many people encouraged them to ‘become one’.

What do people say you bring to the table? What gifts and talents should you make sure you are contributing to the world? How would you like to be remembered as leaving the world better than you found it?

Whatever we do, we all can and should make it a goal to make the world a better place in whatever way we can.

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