By Matt Mover Senior Business Consultant / Business Owner
Time for Change
It ’ s surprising how easy it is to lose sight of the important things in life as we all start each new year . Busy schedules and our regular daily routines have a tendency to put our brains on autopilot . When things aren ’ t going quite the way you ’ d like them to , it ’ s often because you ’ ve lost focus on what really matters ? But focusing on life ’ s fundamental truths can be difficult , especially when they remind you that you ’ re heading in the wrong direction . The best things in life don ’ t come easily my friends , and failing to observe yourself carefully is a sure path to mediocrity . We all get caught up in the craziness of life and the media and the new Washington Administration . I firmly believe more so today than ever that Socrates said it best :
“ The unexamined life isn ’ t worth living .”
Socrates ’ observation can also apply to our personal life as well . “ We run our lives sometimes on questions , not answers .” Life and our personal decisions do run on questions ! You should be asking yourself regularly if you ’ re headed in the right direction ?
Many of life ’ s essential truths need repeating . We all need reminders that help us to stay focused on what ’ s really important . ( Family , Friends-Job Security and Country ) Keep these truths at hand and they ’ re sure to give you a much-needed boost an a daily bases my friends .
Great success is often preceded by failure . You will never experience true success until you learn to embrace failure . I don ’ t encourage failure . Your mistakes will pave the way for you to succeed by revealing when you ’ re on the wrong path and then righting the course to success will follow . The greatest breakthroughs typically come when you ’ re feeling the most frustrated and the most stuck . It ’ s this frustration that forces you to think differently , to look outside the box and see the solution that you ’ ve been missing . Success takes patience and the ability to maintain a good attitude even while suffering for what you believe in .
Being busy does not equal being productive . Look at everyone around you . They all seem so busy running from meeting to meeting and firing off emails or another text . Yet how many of them are really producing , really succeeding at a high level that can be measured ?
Success doesn ’ t come from movement and activity . It comes from focus from ensuring that your time is valuable and used efficiently and productively . You get the same number of hours in the day as everyone else . Use yours wisely . After all , you ’ re the product of your output , not your effort . Make certain your efforts are dedicated to tasks that get results .
You ’ re only as good as those you associate with . You should strive to surround yourself with people who inspire you , people who make you want to be better . And you probably do . But what about the people who drag you down ? Why do you allow them to be a part of your life ? Anyone who makes you feel worthless , anxious , or uninspired is wasting your time and , quite possibly , making you more like them . Life is too short to associate with people like this . Cut them loose get rid of waste .
You ’ re living the life you ’ ve created . You are not a victim of circumstance . No one can force you to make decisions and take actions that run contrary to your values and aspirations . The circumstances you ’ re living in today are your own you created them . Likewise , your future is entirely up to you . If you ’ re feeling stuck , it ’ s probably because you ’ re afraid to take the risks necessary to achieve your goals and live your dreams . When it ’ s time to take action , remember that it ’ s always better to be at the bottom of the ladder you want to climb than at the top of one you don ’ t .
Fear is the # 1 source of regret my friends . When it ’ s all said and done , you will lament the chances you didn ’ t take far more than you will your failures . Don ’ t be afraid to take risks . I often hear people say , “ What ’ s the worst thing that can happen to you ? Will it kill you ?” Yet , death isn ’ t the worst thing that can happen to you . The worst thing that can happen to you is allowing yourself to die inside while you ’ re still alive .
You don ’ t have to wait for an apology to forgive . Life goes a lot smoother once you let go of grudg-
22 March / April 2017 | www . saaaonline . org