PARTING THOUGHTS: (full story)
You
Can't Go Forward Until You Move Your Feet ...
I'm an idea person. I love new ideas and the
possibilities and potential they offer. However,
even the most brilliant ideas aren't worth a
hill of beans until you add that most important
of ingredients —"action".
Have you ever stopped to
think about why some people live full, successful
lives while most others just can't seem to break
out of a rut? From my side of the speaking
platform, it seems to be the difference between
"lip service" and "leg service". I have found that
there are thousands of people who will get excited
about learning new, potentially transformational,
ideas and then fail to put any of them into
action. These are the very same people who live
lives of quiet desperation —so sad, and soooooo
unnecessary.
"I'm too busy", "man, if I
only had the time", "you have no idea how crazy my
business is right now" (and on, and on...) are the
common refrains (i.e. excuses) we have all heard
coming from others, and perhaps even ourselves.
You and I both know that if you want something bad
enough, you will find the time. Dr. Laura, the
famous radio talk show host found the time to
create her first book by getting up around 3:00 am
every day and writing for about two hours
uninterrupted. You know how busy this lady must
be, yet somehow she found the time (to write that
and several more books...). Now the excuse makers
might say she could do it because she's "special",
yet I say she's special because she just "did it".
"Too busy" just won't cut it
when you look back upon your life during those
last few breaths, wondering if you could have
somehow lived more fully —leaving this world a
better place for having been here. It takes
action, action backed by rock-solid
commitment. So many of us "intend" to put into
action changes that will make a huge difference in
our lives and business. And we all know where the
road of good intentions lead.
There is something more going
on here, something that causes most people to not
take that critical first step even when the
destination is a city of gold. During a recent
speech to a rather conservative group, I was "on
fire" (as usual!) about the possibilities of using
Virtual Assistants and how this could transform
their businesses and lives (as it has mine). Yet I
noticed a lot of blank faces in the audience, so
many in fact that I literally stopped the speech
and asked why. The person who responded pretty
much summed it up by saying "It's out of our
comfort zone". And in so doing, she hit the nail
on the head for many people when it comes to
taking action.
Action can be uncomfortable
—at first. But once you've put yourself into
action, it eventually gets easier, even enjoyable
(anyone who has started an exercise regime knows
what I'm talking about). Humans tend to obey the
law of physics that says bodies at rest will
remain at rest unless a force is applied, and
those in motion tend to stay in motion. It's that
first "push" that can be tough, but after that
it's just a matter of keeping the ball rolling. A
journey of a thousand miles starts with a single
step.
This is the first "Parting
Thoughts" of the new year —a time when many people
reassess where they are vs. where they want to be.
What better theme to get you started than that of
"action". So, as you contemplate all those great
ideas you plan on someday, maybe, if you have
time, etc. to put into place to make this year the
year it really happens, remember this —it takes
ACTION!
Godspeed and strength on
whatever action you take this coming year so that
your life is one fully lived. And may 2002
be much kinder and more gentle to all of us... |
