Challenge is the opportunity for greatness

You don’t become great by finishing the laundry.  Or by finishing that task – the one you have done 1000 times before.

When a challenge rises before us, one that will test our abilities, or resolve or our toughness – that is our opportunity.

Will you take it on?

Being unique and crafting yourself by what you learn.

When I read this passage, I had an insight – 

“We spend a good deal of our lives trying to convince ourselves, as well as everybody else, that we know more than we really do.  While some of us know more than others about certain things, it is the thinnest slice of all that is, or could be known.  In that sense, we are all profoundly ignorant.” – Charles Osgood

Especially today, there is so much more information than anyone could know.  So we can craft our uniqueness by what we learn – what we pay attention to, and what we don’t.  We are from somewhere, which gives us experience and perspective to start.  We can learn one thing, and we are like all others who know that one thing.  But then we learn a lot about subject number two.  That makes us more unique – after all, who knows a lot about those two particular subjects?  

I’m not talking about history and philosophy.  I’m talking about, let’s say, video and rock climbing, or guitar and salesmanship.  Wow, now we are really unique.  

Now, let’s throw in subject number three. We become experienced at traveling in Central America, or in healthy eating, or in AI, or writing ad copy, or organic farming.  So now we have three skills, and we can combine them to do things not many others are doing.  While we may not use some of our experiences and things we learned in the next thing directly, they all color how we think and what we do next and how.

While we have ignored most things in the world, we are assembling a package of skills and experiences that, when combined with our unique abilities, make us like no other.

My Uncle Gordon was an architectural draftsman and artist who loved motorcycles, dogs, history, and the natural world.

If you keep learning and growing, the older you get the more skills and experiences you can put together.  

I am a carpenter, foundation repair, sales trainer, businessman, and trainer who is an expert dirt bike rider, loves creating cool spaces, loves learning, and writing about personal development.  Paying attention to these things has shaped me, and I was able to put those things together in unique combinations the world has never seen.

You can shape yourself into someone quite unique by both what you pay attention to and what you do not pay attention to.

What are you?

Write it out.  “I am a _____________ , and ______________ , who has experience with __________ , who loves __________ and _________ etc.”

What do you say WILL happen?

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.” – A. Lincoln

What do you say is going to happen?

“He who is firm and resolute in will molds the world to himself.” – Goethe

Everybody wants to grow

We all want to grow.  We want to learn more, do more, and feel more able.

But fear holds us back.

A comfort zone a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.  

“When you get out of your comfort zone, and it works, there is nothing more satisfying.” – Kristen Wiig

Are you growing?  In what area?

What is your purpose in life?

What were you called here to do?  What difference will you make?

Mine was/is to make a difference in the home repair industry.  To improve the service, the products/results, and the jobs for homeowners and employees, and to be the steward of what I have created to make sure nothing bad happens to it.

What is yours?  Can you answer the question – what is your purpose in life?

It is NOT a contest to see whose is bigger or better.  It is a calling that fits your particular talents and mind.  One that you find hard to resist.  One that is of benefit to the world because you were here following your path.

Try writing it down now.  See how clear you are.

What are you making of yourself?

A bar of iron costs $12.00.  

Made into horseshoes, it’s worth $25.00.

Made into needles, it’s worth $4,500.00

Made into balance springs for watches, it’s worth $350,000.00

Your value is determined by what you are able to make of yourself.

What is that?

What kind of movies do you like?

I don’t watch TV at all.  I don’t watch movies a lot, or at least not as much as I used to.  But I have watched three movies in the last two weeks (it is nearly winter after all) and all three were my kind of movies. 

I am a softie, so wiping tears from my eyes is when you know I think it’s a good movie.  I love a great story.  Many great stories are good vs. evil with a love story woven in.  If I can learn something, it’s even better.  When I watch a bad movie, I feel like I wasted my time, and I want that time back.  I kinda get soured on movies and won’t watch another one for a while.

One time, I asked you all for great movies that you think I would like, and I wrote them all down.  Then I went online and found a list of “Best Picture” award winners for each year.  That’s a great list!

From this list, Marie and I recently watched “Harriet”, about Harriet Tubman.  What a movie!  

I loved the “Wicked” movies (and the play).

My friend gave me a DVD a while back called “The Sound of Freedom”.  This movie is very heavy.  It is based on a true story about child trafficking. It is not entertainment, but a documentary shining a light on this terrible thing.

Do you have any recommendations for “Moving Pictures” for me/us?  Write them in the comments! 

Do you think you can improve?

When asked if they can do better, many people make excuses and blame external circumstances.

How you think about your own ability and probability of improving has a high correlation of whether you do or not.

In approaching a challenge or a problem, do you say “I am not able to solve this”, or, “I have not solved this yet”?

What do you think about you?

Do you think you can improve?

Merry Christmas!

That’s it!

Merry Christmas!

Enjoy the time together.

Living Happily Ever After

“It’s only possible to live happily ever after on a daily basis.” – Margaret Wander Bonanno

“Ever after” is today.  That’s it.