What is that single thing that you can pour your life into and be known for it?
My header image could have been a laptop at the beach. It’s summer in the Philippines! But I feel for my friends who are under a foot of snow on the other side of the globe. Thus the choice for an outdoor shot (cooler version). You could say this is my favorite part of the year — 10-months of sun-shiny days with an average of 10 tropical storms every now and then. The smell of coconut oil on the skin and the seemingly endless need to get darker and sun-tanned. This year my summer goals include: Writing more regularly, No Fear Diving, learning filmmaking and 3D animation and Not-Buying-New-Books — which means re-reading some of the titles on my bookshelf, going to the library more often, borrowing from friends (I already got started on this by exchanging Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me with Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow with an officemate, Kahlil). But I digress…
My digital reflection led me to ask: What is that single thing that you can pour your life into and be known for it? I remember reading somewhere that there is no greater joy than to do the one thing you love and not only feel, but witness the fact that it makes a difference. I’ve always thought that if you think you’re good enough, challenge yourself to do more good and soon you’ll realize that no matter how insignificant and small the difference may be, the ripple it creates isn’t only on the surface but can also be deeper than you think. Which leads me to the point of this digital rambling called blog…
Persistence and Consistency.
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” ~ Bruce Lee
I am honored to have worked and to still be working with some of the best leaders I’ve ever encountered, whose ideas pushed me to question what I know and challenge me to think of a better way of doing things–which is everything I do. Their pursuit is not to reach perfection (for there is no such thing) but that of excellence. Somehow talking about summer and summer activities fall severely out-of-place like an aborigine on Wall Street or Central Hong Kong, but bear with me for one sec…
It’s never too late to start over. If you weren’t happy with yesterday, try something different today. Don’t stay stuck. Do better. If this article I was intending to finish is still sitting waiting for final proofing before I hit publish (I refer to this post which has been sitting in drafts for over a week!), I’ll face the task with the mindset that I can do this. That the words will not type themselves on my word processor, edit, proof-read and hit the publish button by itself. And it’s OK not to be scholarly all of the time. 😉
Businesses are akin to wars and learning to dive.
It’s risky, scary, fatal even, but also thrilling and exciting! Businesses succeed or fail depending on the intensity and will of the participants. If your business isn’t performing to the level you want, ask yourself not only WHAT but WHY? And do something that you’ve never done because of fear. Personally, I’ve always been scared of uncertainty and fearful of the unknown. But I realize that it is perfectly natural to be so. I had to peel off the WHAT AM I SCARED OF layer and fished out WHY AM I SCARED bit. The key was in communicating with peers that offer support, guidance and opportunities to tackle the unknown and put certainty to the uncertain. It involved risks but again, I learned that when I wrote down my goals and committed myself to it, I find that I applied myself better to whatever it is I am trying to accomplish and it didn’t feel like a chore I abhor but a ride that makes me feel alive.
A diver carries an average of 25kg when going in. Aside from this being a feat for someone like me who has led a practically and entirely sedentary lifestyle, I knew it was going to take more than a safety buddy beside me, but my own personal willingness to train and be fit for a dive. It’s not the depth of the dive but the discipline that comes before the exhilarating view of the world under water that keeps me going.
Physical. What am I willing to give up in order to be declared fit to dive? Am I willing to forego the comfort and walk, run, jog instead of taking the car, the cab or the lift? Emotional. Psychological. What baggages are holding my mind and heart from conquering my decision to go in?
What am I working on aside from my tan this month?
- Austin Lawrence ‘s #TheBrandJournalism series.
- Keith Reynolds is speaking next Thursday, March 30th, 2017 at 2pm EST at CriteriaforSuccess Sales Webinar >>
What’s The Best Strategy? Converting Inbound Leads to Closed Deals Inbound leads are pouring in on the marketing side, now what? Do you involve your sales team? At what stage should your sales team pick up the phone? Or, should your sales team pick up the phone at all? CRM guru: Jeremy Pound, CEO, Juicy Results Inbound guru: Alex Mackenzie, Head of Growth, Drafted, Inc. Sales guru: Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter LinkedIn guru: Brynne Tillman, Chief Learning Officer, PeopleLinx Inbound Journalism guru: Keith Reynolds, VP, Austin Lawrence Group Marketing guru: Nada Elkady, Director of Marketing, Stack Overflow Lead Gen guru: Anthony Butler, President, Can-Do Ideas
3. Modern Apothecary Store UK opens its online store and getting ready for some seriously organic growth – pardon the pun. Check us out!
4. Other exciting stuff in the digital gigabit economy!
Summer won’t be over for while but it will one day come to an end and the rains will have its time… but the unlimited opportunities to learn something new and share what I learn is what I hope to be a constant and lasting ray of sunshine, not just for me but for the people in my workplace and my community, both digital and otherwise.