The Road to Success ...

.... is paved with little failures.

Yep. This can be true.
The below italicized passage is a guest post from "Look-Here" blog.

EVERY SUCCESS STORY IS ALSO A STORY OF GREAT FAILURE
Failure is the highway to success. Tom Watson Sr. said, "If you want to succeed, double your failure rate."

If you study history, you will find that all stories of success are also stories of great failures. But people don't see the failures. They only see one side of the picture and they say that person got lucky: "He must have been at the right place at the right time."

Let me share someones life history with you. This was a man who failed in business at the age of 21 ; was defeated in a legislative race at age 22; failed again in business at age 24; overcame the death of his sweetheart at age 26; had a nervous breakdown at age 27; lost a congressional race at age 34; lost a senatorial race at age 45; failed in an effort to become vice-president at age 47; lost a senatorial race at age 49; and was elected president of the United States at age 52.

This man was Abraham Lincoln.


OK, so perhaps you don't want to be president (me either!) But ...
When embarking upon anything new (and certainly anything worthy of our greatest energy and focus), there is bound to be:

• the trial and error phase
• the practice-practice-practice makes permanent phase
• the it-feels-like-I-just-got-clobbered-by-a-huge-wave moments (argh!!!)

So, when you encounter these little failures ... what then?

• Process through it. (try to release those "nay saying" voices. And, find yourself some "cheer-leading" advocates, for the love! I have mine. I'm GRATEFUL for mine. I LOVE mine.)
• Learn a bit from each (seeming) pitfall.
• Tweak a few things.
• Keep Going!

(REMEMBER: pause and quiet your thoughts often to check-in with your heart's desire. That "voice" that sings clear and true. That "voice" eluded to in the previous entry: "Your Place." Yeah, that one ... adjust your path in accordance with your "Truth" with a capital T)

Ease on down the road .... to YOUR success!

Your Place

I like to write, and I'm someone who has always enjoyed the power I've felt from words / "quotations." The vibe and emotion they evoke. The contemplative state that often results.

I have one to share.

"The rest of creation is waiting, breathless, for you to take your place."
- David Whyte

PAUSE.
Take THAT In!

It says so much. It says IT.

So, while you're contemplating YOUR PLACE in this life, this world, this journey ... KNOW a little something.

The little something is this: "Voices" in your head that are self-deprecating are NOT YOURS. The "voice" that rings TRUE and Up-Liftingly BEAUTIFUL (those moments when it feels your whole being is SMILING) ... yep!, that's your soul.

That's your soul in chorus with the rest of creation that's waiting.

Thank you to Ann Strong and Miwa Linehan for much of the inspiration behind this little note.

Breathe an Ahhhhhhhhhh! kind of Breath.
LOVE.

Your Strengths!

What are they?
Do you get to utilize them daily?

Great questions to ask as you perhaps swirl around in that "beginning of the new year" vibe!

Here's a cool little activity to try:

First, take some time to LIST YOUR STRENGTHS. (What are you damn good at? What have people/managers complimented you for? What are you doing when you notice you feel HAPPY, JOY, 'in the flow', groovin'? Think about jobs you've held ... what aspects did you love? Think about what "comes natural" to you.)

Next, go to http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/default.aspx. Register (free) and take the free VIA strengths test. 240 questions that you should try to answer quickly (i.e. your first reaction). See what comes up as your top 5 strengths.

Why do all this?

1) It's a fun and insightful practice. Something to do every 3-to-5 years or so ... perhaps even more often if your life has gone through some larger transitions.

2) It fosters SELF-AWARENESS. The better you know your strengths, the more effectively you can move in directions (by choice) where you can UTILIZE YOUR STRENGTHS MORE! (certainly would make life more fun, hey!?)

Finally, I'll end with an except from the book "Strengthsfinder 2.0." (you can purchase and take their strengths assessment as well! $24.95. And, it's a great one ... somehow seems to be a bit more career minded)

"We were tired of living in a world that revolved around fixing our weaknesses. ... What's more, we had discovered that people have several times more potential for growth when they invest energy in developing their strengths instead of correcting their deficiencies."

REVEL IN (SPEND MORE TIME DOING) THOSE THINGS AT WHICH YOU SHINE!

Now ... Find Center and ACT

Pause. BREATHE. Tame that wild shrew of a brain. BREATHE again.

Often, it is time to ACT. To take the first step, whatever it may be ... (life will keep reminding, so no worries! wink)

Take the step ... and ... Trust the Process!

To this end, I am sharing a GUEST POST that came my way with (again) 'lovely-the-way-life-is' timing! (I could have stayed up all night with the messages life was sending!)

COMMIT or CONSIDER.
(big difference! I've been considering on many a career-front. Time to commit!)

*************
Ann Strong’s:
Strong You, Strong Biz
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Transformation: Committed or Considering?
Posted by Kelly Johnson on Mon, Jan 10, 2011 @ 10:53 PM


Committed looks like, "I will do whatever it takes to make this happen." Considering looks like, "I'm thinking about it. I'm interested. I'm getting information. Maybe I'll do it if it's convenient. I have a lot to consider."

In any given moment, we can tell what we have been committed to by what is in our life right now.

I've always been committed to living in a nice home, even when I rented. Anyone who has ever been to any of my homes will tell you that they tend to be small, yet they really feel like home. At the same time, I have often been considering getting another car, but rarely get one until the one I'm driving no longer runs! At the moment, I drive a 22-year-old car that runs great.

Am I committed to creating home wherever I live? Absolutely. And, I do whatever it takes to make that happen.


My internal, personal commitment: transformation of a house into a home wherever I live. My current home in Denver, Colorado.

Am I considering driving a late-model car? Sure. Am I committed to it? Not at all.

(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, copyright 2011.)

I have been considering writing a book since 2002. I have actually written approximately one third of a book.

Which does not make a book. So, working with my own coach Jeff in the first week of this new year, I have now committed to getting the book written and published in 2011.

Whatever it takes.

I've started with a commitment to writing for two hours every day for 40 days. Today is day six. You would not believe how well I have organized my office as I procrastinate each day before getting to the two hours of writing!

Is doing whatever it takes easy? Sometimes it is. Sometimes it's ridiculously hard. And inconvenient. And messy. Complete with doubt and fear. And sometimes with pure grace.

Regardless, I know I am engaged in a process that calls me to express more of who I am and to serve those I am here to serve. With you as my witness, I am committed to getting this book into the world in 2011!

**********

Today, I'll be spending some time creating my 2011 Commitment Statement!
You?

Feeling Like a Pin-Ball

We've all played pin-ball, right? That silver ball gets shot up the right side, and it's GAME ON!
It bounces and pops and jumps all over the place. It gets swatted at too ... in an effort to get it bouncing, popping and jumping all over the place again.

It has been one of those days!
[Mondays are sometimes like this for me (as of late) because my focus goes toward career enhancement and depending on many-a-factor this can be an inspiration or a debacle]

A day where the over-active mind wins out more often than not.
A day where I felt strewn (is that even a word?) about - all over the place and back again.
A day where the perception of my career path is more like an obstacle course/maze rather than a discernible path.
A day where I went to bed feeling beat up (by my own mind), accepting that 'it is what it is' and I don't have to figure it out NOW. Actually a pretty good place to be, because I could feel the calm of 'surrender.'

Then! I pick up my book and open to my mid-chapter bookmarked page. I have no idea where I am in the story, what's going on (probably because I'm still in my head) ... but I begin reading.

After two pages, I'm smiling BIG.
LIFE speaks to us in oh-so-many ways ... if we're paying attention.

It's not that it gave me answers ... but spoke to me, IT DID.

I read of a man who was a biologist, but always wanted to be a blacksmith (but it wouldn't make him enough money). The first, obvious gem ... "Well, when you grow tired of being what you're not, go and have fun and celebrate life, hammering metal into shape. In time, you'll discover that it will give you more than pleasure, it will give you meaning." (move in the direction of who you are, what makes you happy ... regardless of society, money, etc. duh?! wink)

So, he starts splitting his time between biology and blacksmith apprenticeship. Tired but happier. And, "just when he was starting to believe in life, things got markedly worse."

Huh?

He goes on to describe the process the steel goes through when changing its form into the desired, useful object. Fire, hammering, cold water ... again and again, and perhaps again. Every once in a while, a piece of steel can't handle the treatment and is thrown in the scrap pile.

Hmmmmm?

The section ended with this: "Please God, my Mother, don't give up until I've taken on the shape that you wish for me. Do this by whatever means you think best, for as long as you like, but never ever throw me on the scrap heap of souls."

YEAH.

Pin-ball days. Smooth-sailing days. Keep on, Keeping on.

LOVE.

Emotions

If you sometimes find yourself taken off-center (taken for a ride) by your emotions (lately or ever) ... take a read of the following.

Care of Tut.com (Notes from The Universe)

Damn ... I love The Universe! wink and smile.
(but really ... the universe is oh-so-WONDER-ous. And, the man behind Tut.com has beautiful talent to be shared with the world. Thank you!)

********************************************************************

Yeah, I know it seems that your emotions arise from circumstances, even though it works the other way around. And this is kind of scary because sometimes they literally seem to overrun you.

But I also know that most of the time they don't, which is all the leverage you need.

Just feel good when you can; it'll always be enough.

Can you feel me, now?
The Universe

********************************************************************

Be Kind. To Yourself. To Others.
LOVE.

Teacher and Student (Jan 3)

If you think about it ... we play the role of teacher and student each day of our lives.

Hopefully, anyway.
Hopefully - we are generous with our strengths and gifts (what ever they may be).
Hopefully - we are humble enough to learn from those who show up as our teachers (traditionally sought or synchronously found).

I'm reading a lovely book right now - The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho.
It's the kind of book I know I'll want to read again with pen/highlighter in hand ... all the little gems I'm enjoying!
It's the kind of book that teaches ... and ... a book that makes being a student oh-so-welcome!
(it's the kind of book that I "eat up": the human spirit, human unrest, people 'finding their way' through life, juicy spiritual tid-bits. Ahhhhhhh, loving it.)

And in this book, there is a brilliant-to-me passage about teachers.

"What is a teacher? I'll tell you: it isn't someone who teaches something, but someone who inspires the student to give of her best in order to discover what she already knows."

I dog-eared this page.
It felt like a confirmation of thoughts I've long-since held, and had been re-honoring recently.

You see, I just signed up for a workshop (second one from same teacher) whereby I had previously placed perhaps too much responsibility on the teacher. I was holding her up. She most certainly has her gifts to share! And I look forward to being her student. I, however, needn't look at it any different than that, needn't hold her on a pedestal. Quite simply put, it's not comfortable or ideal for teacher or student. Entering into this soon-to-be learning experience (workshop #2) feels entirely different and bound-to-be more effective as a result.

This idea of expert, master, guru, etc.
It can be a slippery slope.
The quote from the book lends itself to spiritual-type teaching/training, for we would all agree that if one was learning/studying to become a brain surgeon, he/she should take expert advise and council (please, oh please)! wink.
And, we would all agree that there are many people more learned than us in any number of subject matter.

Still, a tendency for the learner to discount his or her innate knowledge and even go so far as to relinquish healthy responsibility for the learning process itself is something about which we should be aware.

Be mindful not to turn your teachers into all-knowing gurus.
Own it. Ask. Research. Find out for yourself. Live it.
Even teach, and learn through that experience.
If teaching, careful not to hinder the process by taking undue ownership/credit for your students learning.


Seems to me this approach allows for more optimal knowledge attainment/transfer, all the while freeing the responsibility-bonds placed on the teacher.

(It goes without saying that the opposite is surely a presumptuous and disrespectful thing to do as well ... placing people "below" us for any reason.)

In the end, coming at both teaching and learning with a healthy dose of humbleness and excitement seems a more effective and fun approach!

Thoughts on the matter, anyone?
For me ... I vow to learn, and teach a bit, each day in 2011!