Have you ever been annoyed or offended when, after years of no contact, an old friend calls asking for a big favor? Perfect, this post is for us.
– At the very end of this story I will reveal to you the two characteristics that will positively influence every interaction you will ever have… if you can embrace them. –
It was late and I was working on my computer focused on the project in front of me. Sondra got home and asked me to pull in the minivan a little further so we could close the garage.
What do you think I did?
What is your dream? All of us have a dream locked inside of us. Even if it’s been years since you entertained the thought, the dream is still there.
To never give up on your dreams is something that’s easy to say, but hard to do. The second we enter into the process of realizing a dream, the voices telling us we’re foolish become loud and crippling.
Why is it so easy to become content with the attitude of “that’s good enough”? No matter whether we have taken that attitude towards personal or professional responsibilities, we know that bumping up our effort at any given task can produce outstandingly better results. Why are we content with good, or rather, good enough?
Often what separates wanna-be leaders from those who truly pursue becoming real-life influencers is self-discipline. Self-discipline is a very difficult virtue to master when developing into the lifestyle of a leader.
Consider this challenge. Take a moment to think of key words that you would use to describe yourself. Try to focus in on ideas that express what makes you unique… unlike any other.
It may take you more than a few moments to really give this task the attention it deserves, but I assure you the exercise is a healthy one.
Identifying your unique traits, those things which speak to who you really are, is an essential step toward making significant contributions to society. There are very real pressures to mimic that which has already been successful. If it isn’t a pressure we place on ourselves then it comes from an outside source – a parent, a boss or maybe a spouse. No matter what the source , it is altogether dangerous.
Failure to embrace uniqueness robs the world of contributions that cannot be made by another.