Good Morning...
Let's start with a cool song today! Great words!
Before I go into my thoughts about the week...there is a line in it that really struck me...it actually is the last two lines in the song (repeated)...and my guess is that you probably got bored with the song and missed them...
Well they are...
"We are all Africa..."
That is an amazing line that many of us do not think about...
WE are ALL Africa!
As far as archeological science can ascertain...WE are all Africans!
Every person's ancestry can be traced back to the few surviving humans from Africa!
I am awed by the fact that we are all the descendants of a remnant of as few as 40 child-bearing mothers that survived a world altering catastrophe!
Think about that...
We are Africa!
Does this show in your behavior? Are you helping the poorest continent in the world?
OK...enough of the "Do your part to Help the World" commercial!
Remember that being a leader means giving back...to those who need it!
You can not take forever...and that is part of this week's thought...
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I have had an interesting week!
How about you?
Most of mine would bore you to death...for the most part I had to buckle down and simply work!
That felt great!
I have also been given the opportunity to coach Rachel's fast-pitch team! I jumped at that one! It is a chance to give back what I learned across my life!
All in all...the this week's recap is simple...in one sentence, I can say that I have made progress towards my goals...at least the ones that mattered!
People often delude themselves into believing that what they are doing is important and/or significant...or at least the amplify the importance of their existence...this misrepresentation is BAD!
...it sucks!
...sucks time...from others...by wasting their efforts and trust in someone and something that will probably never come to fruition...
There is no reason to do that...you are what you are! The only one who gets fooled and disillusioned in the end is you...especially when you get caught in the lie that you told yourself often enough that you even believe it! You will be that last one to realize it! Every one else will see you for the fraud...and will leave!
That sucks...
...the people away from you that you need most!
So...what can you honestly and accurately say about your week and the work that you do?
..."this above all things...to thine own self be true!"...
If you start there...you will never let anyone else down...
How?
It starts with a commitment of honesty and accuracy with yourself!
You can't be honest and accurate with the outside world until you know yourself, thoroughly!
It also means that you have to drop the self-serving agendas...
Avoiding the long explanation...let it suffice to say, that it is self-serving behaviors that got you to that point in in your life in the first place!
That means accepting yourself for who you are and working diligently to apply what you are capable of doing without fail...being honest and accurate...
That is a lot of work, but it is also progress...and if you do that...you may not realize it...but you are halfway to realizing your dreams!
It isn't about appearing to listen and doing your own thing despite what you should have heard...
That's one of the worst failures that anyone can commit...one step up (but it was only an appearance...a lie!) and two steps back (when reality hits)...
...that sucks...
...the life out of any effort...and any chance for success and destroys the trust that people have given you freely!
People depend on you to be a person of your word...
"I will"...is a promise...a vow...it is powerful...and should not be taken lightly...
"...let you "yes" be "yes" and your "no" be no"..." it is that simple!
...fulfill your promises...that is the essence of leadership...
A leader is the person who promises to cross the finish line and does so first...
Everyone else is a loser!
It sucks...
...when you realize that everyone in the stands watched you lose...I am embarrassed...they saw me for what I am...incompetent and a poor liar!
Yes there are varying degrees of losing...but in my book...they are all still the same class!
You are not a loser if you define what winning is...and achieve what you said you would do!
Be honest and accurate...
That is the cool thing about this race!
It does not have to be by "their rules" when if properly handled, by a person who is comfortable with what and who they are and can do...by yours!
It can be on your terms!
Say...I can if...
And when you do...
You have set yourself up to win!
Again...Can you honestly and accurately say that you made progress?
You do not have to answer...
The fact of the matter is...I actually know that you can...it is that fact that makes me proud to be writing to you!
I don't waste my time (that which I have on this earth) with chronic losers...that is because they are deluded liars...to themselves and the people that they serve! They have chosen the easy path...to lie rather than work!
They are "gutless" individuals afraid to face reality and negotiate results through saying "I can if..."
They are afraid that if people see them for what they really are...they won't be liked or seen for who they really are and force to a reality that they have deluded themselves into believing!
The fact of the matter is...at some point in every one's life you have to participate in the race...you have to put your feet in the starting blocks and the gun is going to go off!
If you have been lying to to world and to yourself...the people watching are going to be entertained by a sprinter running a race, in clown shoes...if you are that person...you will find yourself friendless and worse than that...unemployed!
I know more people who are stumbling towards that race in clown shoes (that they do not even know that they have on)...than the few real sprinters...
Some of those people I have tried to help...others I have left to their own demise and I wait patiently in the stands, for the starting gun to go off...it will be entertaining...then when the race is over...I'll just go home...with my friends and family...they will leave alone...
It goes without saying...but I will say it anyway...Honesty and Accuracy with yourself first and then with the outside world is a critical (if not the most critical) characteristic of a leader...
It first shows confidence in one's perception in the value of what they have done...there is no need to amplify an event to make it seem legendary...
...if it was a legend then...cool!...it was a legend...
...if it wasn't a legend ...cool!...it wasn't a legend...
Remember that a legend without historical basis is a myth...a fantasy...What kind of people live in a constant fantasy or out of touch with reality?
Stop lying to the world...after repeating the lie over and over...you will find yourself believing it at some point!
It also shows the pride you take, in what you can do and who you really are...no need to make it (or you) something that it (or you) is not! The antithesis communicates that you are embarrassed by your performance (and you) for some reason...maybe because you shirked responsibility and you cheated your employer...or...it is just a lie...or you are incompetent...
The bottom line is DON'T LIVE IN A FANTASY WORLD...stay real!
It also shows a real understanding of oneself...
Question...What do you honestly think of someone that is living a lie and believes it? Like the last point...What kind of people live in a continuous fantasy world?
I never read advice in books on making friends and influencing others that says..."lie to yourself and others"...have you?
Anything other than accuracy and honesty (no matter how difficult it is to face) is simply smoke!
It is ethereal...
The lightest of breezes blows it away and clears the air...and then people see clearly!
Rest assured that anything that is inaccurate or dishonest will be uncovered and blown away...
Do not waste anymore of your life...or that of others...
That reminds me!
I once knew a guy that had terrible body odor and refused to believe it about himself...
He was quite high up in the organization and his smell was often the subject of the whispered humor that pervaded the entire organizations...like his odor (I couldn't help myself!)
It was always everyone else's problem when he talked about the fact that he didn't have any friends...or that no one wanted to work with him...
Yes...It was so bad that it even caused the people who worked with him to avoid him...and he was the Number #2 (pun not intended even though it was funny!) guy in the company. It got so bad that even the Health Services and HR departments had private discussions with him...when they did...he nodded...blew them off and continued on his "stinky" way. "I don't smell," I often heard him say as he walked past my office...and that was an indicator that someone had another talk with him...
His problem was that he refused to face reality...he was not receptive to the needs of the world around him...
All he cared about was himself and his agenda!
The world was only on his terms...it was the rest of the world that had a problem...not him!
I left the organization before he did and I do not know what happened to him...given our age difference...he is probably now retired...stinking up some retirement home!
The important lesson is not one of personal hygiene...but about real awareness of oneself, one's impact and one's capability.
Don't think that your work is brilliant...when the outside world thinks it stinks...
Don't think you are brilliant when you have to carry 2 flashlights to shine as bright as one...
Don't say...I will do it...and bring excuses to the table...or something other than what the world asked for...
If they ask for a snack...give them a snack...not a 7 course meal! You have failed miserably and wasted everyone's time...
Listen to the advice of people who care...or are paid to care...they know a lot better than you do...
The fact of the matter is...these people desire success in their work...if you continue to be their failure...they'll give up on you...you aren't worth their time...and they'll go on to others that will be a success...
Whatever you think is what you need to do is probably just what you think you need to do...(this is a bit confusing but it is your agenda) Leave that behind you...
You can not claim customer sensitivity and have any of your own agenda items!
Don't think that you are legendary and do not aspire to be...until you have created a real legend!
You can not be a success if you just suck!
Stop thinking about yourself...and look inside and then to the outside...
Enough Said!
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Short and sweet!
If you want to be a success...then
1 - be honest with yourself
2 - be consistently honest with the outside world
3 - be what you can be...not trying to be something you aren't
4 - be realistic about what you are willing to do to fulfill your promises and, without failing, fulfill them
5 - bring results to the table...not excuses...no one cares (if you did not fulfill your promises you are either incompetent or a liar)
6 - define success on your terms, that meet your customer's needs and live up to that definition 100% of the time...
Have a great weekend...make progress...
Look at yourself sincerely...you may like what you see!
For most of you...I liked what I saw in you..
...for others...I was courageous and I told you...
...Are you courageous to hear?
Do not say "yes"...without taking the first step and working at it!
We are Africa...care enough to help...
...y vamos para el todo!
Pura Vida!
Breaking the Chains of Paradigms that keep us from Success and Authentic Happiness...
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