Last Saturday we went for an afternoon walk at Coolangatta Beach as out morning walk at Rainbow Bay Beach had been cut short by rain. As we were walking along I saw a rainbow emerging from the horizon, I shouted out to Des: “look a rainbow”. What was amazing was it was like a ball.
We then watched as the rainbow formed into an arc. Sometimes it is good to change your routine, you never know what you will learn or see.
Each and every one of us has the opportunity to define the course our lives will take over time.
Essentially in life you have those who will never move far from their comfort zone and those willing to take a chance or two.
Now before I tell you which one I am let me state that those that choose to not take risks are not doing anything wrong by any means. When they choose to play their life cards close to the vest, they are no better or no worse than those that choose a little riskier proposition.
As for my story, I was always fascinated with California as a kid growing up in a middle class family back on the East Coast.
The Brady Bunch and One Kidâs Dream
Maybe it was watching one too many Brady Bunch episodes or the allure of warmer weather practically year-round, but something hooked me at a young age. Truth be known, I always thought the Brady kids lived in the coolest house, but weâll save that discussion for another time.
So as I worked my way through high school and college, I knew once my schooling days were over that a decision would present itself. Would I stand pat and stay back home for work the rest of my life or would I venture to the other side of the country, roll up my sleeves and give it a whirl?
As I pondered this decision more and more, the thought of starting up a business always appealed to me, but I also knew that financially I was not in a position to do such. Maybe I would join the Coast Guard, become a police officer or involve myself in the sports world, three other career choices that always intrigued me?
When my college graduation day finally arrived, I was then thrust into a little more of a hurry up when it came to making a decision on what route I was going to take in life.
After working part-time to have a little money coming in, I got my first full-time job as a sports writer for a local newspaper. Let me be quite frank, the money was nothing to jump up and down about, but at least I was not giving my parents any additional heartburn as to what their youngest one was going to do with his life once his college days were over.
Working for nearly six years with that publication, I came to the realization that while I enjoyed the work and the ability to stay involved in my local community, I was not totally satisfied. Something was eating away at me, something that I had the power to control.
The Vacation to Change a Lifetime
I decided to fly off to California for a weekâs vacation and check it out, you know, just to satisfy my craving.
After spending a week visiting San Diego and Los Angeles, my life was about to do a 180.
I returned home and told family and friends that I had to do it, I had to go live in California and at least give it a shot. Sure, it may be the dumbest decision in my life, both from a personal financial stand point and also professionally, but I had to take that risk.
So, with marginal savings, no job lined up and the reality that I would be some 3,000 miles from my comfort zone, off I went. I must point out that without two very supportive parents, the journey may not have even materialized in the first place.
Despite some ups and downs along the way, it is now nearly 18 years later and Iâm still calling California home. Whenever I go home to the East Coast to visit family and friends, Iâm always quick to think about what might have been:
Although I would have changed some things regarding this journey knowing now what I did not know back then, Iâm 99.9 percent sure I would have made the same choice today as I did some 18 years ago.
Donât Look Back on Life with Regrets
One of my older co-workers at the time back then told me that she really admired the fact that I was willing to take such a risk. As she informed me, she and her husband had a similar idea to try something completely different, but they did not, and now it was too late in life as they were raising a family and essentially entrenched in their lives back East.
My feeling at the time was quite simple⦠if California did not work out I was always free to come home.
My feeling was also that I did not want to look back with regrets years later that I did not pursue my dream of getting to California one day.
I canât say that Iâm a huge risk taker these days, sitting here knowing that statistically Iâve lived more than half my life.
I can say with certainty, however, that if I died today, it would be as a happy man. Quite simply, my dream in life has been fulfilled several times over.
Sometimes when I look at the palm trees, the ocean, the California license plates and more, I have to pinch myself and take stock of the fact that Iâm actually here.
No matter what life throws at you, donât ever let your dreams be extinguished.
Keep in mind that each and every one of us does indeed have the ability to dream and see those dreams come true.
I know one kid growing up some 40 years ago on the East Coast that saw his dream become a reality.
Photo credit: waycoolmusic.blogspot.com
Dave Thomas, who covers among other items advice on starting a small business and obtaining workers compensation insurance, writes extensively for Business.com.
The GPO Style Manual was my Bible. But technical writing for a Federal Government contractor was slowly sucking the soul out of me. Iâm not knocking it in general, but it really wasnât for me.
Then one day, my supervisor called me into her office, and there sat a red-faced, genial guy with an easy laugh. His name was Dave Denne, and he changed the course of my life for the next 10 years. He was looking to recruit someone to join his marketing team, and he thought I might have the right stuff. My supervisor was dubious, but for some reason Dave believed in me. He persuaded her to let me jump ship, and I literally leapt at the chance.
Over the next several years, he taught me everything he knew about corporate marketing, networking, business communications, and specifically Federal proposals. Iâll never know why he came and plucked me out of the Flood Insurance Project, but it changed everything for me.
I share this story because often we donât realize why certain people or opportunities are placed in front of us. The universe sends us messages all the time, and we simply need to be in receptive mode to tap into them. Are you in receptive mode right now?
I found out the other day that Dave passed away several years ago; he and I had finally fallen out of touch, but I will always be grateful for his invitation to start another path. He left me with the ability to walk up to a group of strangers at an event with confidence, and an amazing recipe for barbecue beans.
Perhaps we all need mentors for a certain time and place. Do you have a mentor right now? Who is giving you an invitation to a new path?
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Author’s Bio: Rosemary OâNeill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out their blog. You can find her on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee
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I love when we see something unique on our morning beach walks. This castle was built by layering of wet sand often dripped onto the rock and it was left for us to enjoy.
What do you leave in your path for others to find?
As I look back on every SOBCon event, a continuous them is …
Decide literally means to kill off all other options. But how do we choose the motivating strategic decision — the one that not only moves us forward, but also enlists, engages, and motivates people to join us in executing that decision?
Strategic decisions are built on understanding position and predicting.
On the most quantitative level, people are part of both position and prediction.
Yet too often we make decisions without considers how the decisions might impact the people who we want to keep closest to us.
Too often when we make decisions — especially important and urgent ones — our thinking narrows too tightly. We lose sight of the people and focus only on facts and information. We see the problem, but lose sight of the people who will help us achieve it.
Our decision is only an half strength if we don’t consider the people who execute it. Each of those people brings his or her thinking, traits, perceptions, and responses with individual goals and personal intentions.
How does a leader motivate people to support a strategic decision? A leader looks to the characteristics of the people he or she wants to move to action. Motivation is 100% about aligning goals — being mission critical to THEIR mission. Once we set our course and direction, the next strong step is to consider what fuels the people who will fuel our mission. The key to moving people to action is in how we communicate that decision. It’s important to reach out to the higher values that drive the members of the community.
The people we try to motivate will have have these five traits in differing levels. Addressing these traits when you communicate a strategic decision will increase your success in motivating people to move to action. Before you announce your decision, review these five questions.
You’ll know you’ve communicated well if your community starts selling you on the validity of your decision as they move to action.
you form strategy and make decisions that help you enlist the right team of people to carry out your life mission.
What do you consider when you want to motivate people to action?
Be irresistible.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!
Iâve always been fascinated by the athletes participating in the Olympics … such dedicated beings, so focused, and so no-nonsense types, you look at them and you know they mean business. Theyâve lived in the same world, and theyâve grown up with the same circumstances, in fact some of them have lived a more troubled life than the majority of us, and still they go on to achieve a lot more than what we can dream of achieving, a hell lot more.
To quote Sir M. Iqbal (a poet Iâll strongly recommend you all to read) â¦
Both live and fly the same skies
But Eagle lives in a different world from that of a vulture
How true is that, these athletes actually live in a different world from all of us, they dream differently, they breathe differently, they eat differently, they sleep differently, thatâs precisely the reason why we see only one guy standing on the podium, only one winner who takes it all, while all of us will spend our lives thinking, how does it feel to be the best in what we do? But wait ⦠we can still have an idea as to how does it feel, or more importantly, what does it take to get there, and that is to listen when they speak. And that is what I do every now and then, going through the sayings of these elite sportsmen ⦠following are some really rich ones, that will impart a lot a lot of invaluable lessons, but only if you are ready to learn.
1. The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.
The essential thing in life is not conquering, but fighting well ⦠how true, how incredibly true ⦠but what do we do? We fight miserably, lethargically, half-heartedly, yet we expect to be a winner every day, and in whatever we do? Remember, even if you are the best of the best athletes, there will be very few moments when you can stand still and wait for the life to hand you a medal, but what really matters is nothing but fighting, and thatâs the life for you.
Oh, and that quote wasnât from an athlete but Pierre Frédy, who is regarded as the founder of modern Olympics.
2. The first thing is to love your sport. Never do it to please someone else. It has to be yours.
Again, Peggy Fleming has hit the nail on the head (and you can expect nothing less from a three time world champion). The take-home point is, if you are looking to be anywhere near the top, it is important to do what you love to do. Because you cannot excel at something you were not made for, let alone becoming a world-beater. So, as soon as youâve discovered something you love doing, donât look at others for the approval, just do it with all your heart, and the approval will come when youâve become a âgreatâ in doing that.
3. As long as Morceli is in the race, it is always a race for second place.
The next on our list is not one but two quotes, the first one (the aforementioned one) is by Venuste Niyongabo, and when you see such a quote coming from a guy who happens to be in the list of top ten fastest milers ever in the history of mankind, you should know that Morceli has got to be someone very special. So why not take a look at what was the approach that took Morceli to such heights, here you go â¦
I run to be known as the greatest runner, the greatest of all time. I could not eat or sleep for a week after I lost in the 1992 Olympics. I have to win or die.
I really canât think of anything to add, just read it again ⦠I could not eat or sleep for a week after I lost, I have to win or die ⦠No wonder, he won quite comprehensively in the following competitions.
4. When anyone tells me I can’t do anything, I’m just not listening anymore.
Florence Griffin is dubbed as the âfastest woman of all timeâ, setting two world records that no one hasnât even come close to beat. And the âsomeoneâ in this quote isnât necessarily a person; it can very well be some statistics, past records, the beliefs, and the likes. You will get the âyou canât do itâ message in a hundred different words, and a hundred different sources (the worse being your own self) but as long as youâve got that whisper coming from your heart telling you that âyou canâ, you can simply stop listening to the naysayers.
5. I got a bronze medal and I can’t complain about that, the only African-American to get a medal in the Winter Olympics.
Another very important message coming from Debi Thomas i.e. when competing or striving to achieve a target, you must remember that getting the gold is not the only form of success, there are many times when youâll fail to reach your targets, while missing by a small margin, when it happens, you must look at how far youâve come and cherish your achievements, instead of sulking over the small distance youâve failed to make.
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Rahil writes for a coupon code website, where you can find london pass discount code and world soccer shop coupon, and a lot more discounts and vouchers in addition to London Pass and World Soccer Shop.