Let your Failure cause you to Fall Forward

Your past does not disqualify you from starting over and moving forward. They tell you that “if at first you don’t succeed, try, and try again”. That works for some people in some situations but not everyone is so forgiving and not everyone will give you another chance. Many people think that just because you failed in one area of their life that it is impossible for you to still win in life. Although people may write you off and tell you that there is no way for you to rebound and abound in life;  tell them to throw that obituary away because you are about to start writing your new life story. Your mess-up is a set-up for your come-up! Sometimes failure is just what you need to propel you forward. Failure can be the tool that ushers you into what you really are supposed to do and not settle for what you have been doing.

Your past can be your anchor or your propeller. If your past could not disqualify you from starting, what makes you think that it can disqualify you from finishing your race. There can be success from a failure. There can be a rising from the ashes of your life. Let the failure lift you up and not weigh you down. It is easy to give up on yourself and your future but your latter days can be greater than your former days if you don’t faint in your failure! Yes you may have done what they said you did but you are not who they say you are!  Let that failure be the catalyst that pushes you forward and cause you to:

Reexamine your life: Look at the circumstances that caused you to end up where you are. What changes can you make, what boundaries can you establish and what ideas can you generate to keep you from going back? Tell yourself “I won’t go back”.

Re-position your life: What new connections can you make that will open doors of opportunity for you.Do you need to change cities, change jobs or change friends?  You may have to get away from some people or activities so that you can stay focused on your forward movement. If no new opportunity exists for you, create one!

Re-imagine your life: Now that you are on the other side of the failure, begin to develop a plan for your life and re-imagine what your new life can look like.  You said if you were given another chance you would do things differently so now is your chance – do it differently!

Run for your life: Start today! Don’t waste the moment! Do it Now! Let your failure cause you to fall forward and don’t look back. You can move forward my friend and there are  people who are willing to help you. not everyone will abandon you in your fail so look for your ray of hope when it looks like all hope is lost. Stay focused! Stay committed! Stay consistent and face your failure head on.

If it ain’t broke, Fix it Anyways

No matter how old or how young you are, there will come a time in your life when you will feel like you are not growing or going forward. You reach a point in your life where you just feel stagnant and like there is no life in what you are doing or pursuing. Some people experience this on their jobs where they feel that they have reached a career plateau. While others may even feel this way in a relationship, where there seems to a lot of inhaling but no exhaling. Stagnation can come in many forms and mean many things to just as many people, but what will you do when you feel like there is no movement in your life and there is no outflow for your inflow? Some people like the status flow and they even live by the motto “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. But I have come to challenge you into thinking differently about your life and your current situation. Just because it ain’t broke doesn’t mean it is working right. Fix it anyways!

When life seems to be stagnant and your pathways don’t seem to be producing the results that you once thought that it would, you need to look at your strengths and not accept mediocre or settling anymore. You need to become your own niche’ product and become the best in what you do. That may mean that you have to go back to school or get additional training but it is well worth it. You have to be continuously evolving if you want to avoid stagnation. You will not become stagnant if you continue to learn something new, and each day that should be one of your goals. If you stop learning, you stop growing. You need to challenge yourself! You need to reinvent yourself! You need to cultivate yourself by pushing the bar further than you ever imagined it could possibly go. If you want to see more you have to be willing to do more. And if you want to do more, you cannot settle. You allow stagnation to set in when you decide it ain’t broke.

Are you valuable to people? Becoming a valuable resource to other people will keep you on your toes and keep you from becoming stagnant. People should be  coming to you for advice all the time for your expert or professional opinion.  When you position yourself to be an asset to people instead of a liability to them, you are showing that you are able to fix what is broken in their lives. You become a resource of knowledge that can turn into speaking engagements, raises, books and other opportunities. In other words, you become a leader and expert in your area and other people will value you because of what you know and who you know. This can only occur by being proactive and not reactive all the time. Becoming proactive will increase your visibility and may expose you to risk, but if you are sick and tired of being stuck in a rut, and going through the motions without any results, you will risk it all so that you can have it all. I heard it said before “be willing to do the things today that others won’t do, so that you can have the things tomorrow that others won’t have”. However, you won’t take calculated risks if you think that it is already fixed.

No matter what, you cannot be afraid of change. Many people stagnate because they are afraid to let go of their comfort zone, even if they are not really happy with the job they do. Change is almost always good for you. Learn to embrace opportunities for change.  People are stuck in ruts all the time, spinning their wheels going nowhere fast. Don’t let this be your testimony. Don’t let this be your life’s story. Stagnation will steal you of your drive so it is important that you recognize it, change your direction and plow full steam ahead. You may think that you have everything going on in your life. You may think that there is nothing in your life that needs to be fixed, but you and I both know that is a lie. Don’t let stagnation keep you from what you can become. If it ain’t broke, still look for ways to expand yourself, even if it means adding value to others, this will help you to stay fresh. Jewel Diamond Taylor said “Champions aren’t made in gyms, Champions are made from something they have deep inside them –a desire, a dream, a vision.”  Make yourself a 30 day challenge and go for it! Write me back and tell my how you did and all about your new adventures.  It’s never too late or too early to start. Even if it ain’t broke, fix it anyways!

Eric Smith

When the Storm is too much to bare

What do you do when the pressure of life is too much to bear?  What do you do when you feel like you have been dumped right in the middle of an ocean and left to fend for yourself? Have you ever cried out for help because you felt like giving up, throwing in the towel and quitting; and it seemed like no one heard you? When the pressure is on, what do you do, what do you turn to and who do you turn to? The pressures of life can seem so great and your strength to survive the next wave can seem so small. It would be nice if you could just push the “easy” button when hard times come your way. It would be nice if you had a lot of resources at your disposal that could insulate you from the trauma and turmoil that seems to surround you. The fact that you are reading this post lets you know that you are a survivor and that when all hope seems lost, life has a way of throwing you a lifeline that will sustain you until you are able to stand on your won feet and press on.

But what do you do when you don’t know what to do? When it looks like everything around you is caving in the oceans seem to be overrunning your banks, take a moment and push pause on life, search for the peace and let the storm subside. I know that you look like everything is going great for you, but some time in your life you have faced some storms. Some of these storms have been light afternoon showers that are common when the sun is out but all of a sudden it starts to sprinkle in your life. This can come in the form of a co-worker losing their temper with you or a spouse getting upset with you for what seems to be no reason. This light storm comes and although it is not enough to break out the umbrella, it is enough to get your attention to say I need to check the weather next time before I go out. Other storms you may face may seem like category four hurricanes, when all hell is breaking loose in your life and it feels like this tsunami storm is going to take you out. An example may be the electric bill, cable bill and mortgage are past due and they just cut your pay at work, and you are maxed out on your credit cards from last month and there is one bag of ramen noodles in the cupboard. This type of typhoon has the potential to take you out and can seem overwhelming to you.  It may even look like there is no way out because everyone is at your door and the only way out depends on you, or so you think.

One thing that I have come to learn about surviving the storms that I think I can’t bear is that they don’t last forever. I know it seems like they are never-ending but I know if it had a beginning, it has to have an ending. I also know that it is during these times that it is wise to not make major decisions.  The storm may be pressuring you to do something major but don’t give in to it. You may feel like you are in survival mode, and you may have to break out the life jackets, but hold on, help is on the way. No matter what the challenge, no matter what the obstacle, you have a life-preserver near by that will help you tie a knot in the rope and help you to hold on when you want to let go. You have to remain calm in the storm and not panic. If you panic, you can make a bad situation worse. If you panic in the storm, rapid movements may pull you under when you should be floating on top of the water. It is during these trying times that we must remain disciplined and focused. There is only so much that you can do, so do what you can and trust God for the rest.

You may encounter storms that are too much for you to be bare all by yourself. But you have to remember that you are not all by yourself.  You have to walk by faith that you are going to make it no matter what may come your way and not walk by what you see. Seeing can be scary and faith can seem so far away, but you can’t let yourself drown in worry and fear. They come to take you under but you need to trust in something that will take you over or anchor you in place so that you will not be moved. Storms of life will blow and meet you at a time when you think you are doing ok. You need to make up in your mind that no matter what comes your way, you will not cave in, go under or quit. This storm will pass! There may be some damage, injury or even some loss, but just think back to the last storm you encountered and you thought that the storm was the big one that was going to do you in. Guess what, you made it and you will keep on making it as long ans you don’t lose hope.

Eric Smith

The Courage to Do

Do you have the courage to do while other just dream? Some people just go for it while other people just talk about it. Even reflecting back on the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he translated his dream into a reality, even though he did not live long enough to see it come to pass. Today, President Obama is a reflection of the action that Dr. King took while he was here and today we get to see history again. But ask yourself are you a doer or just a dreamer? Doers take the next step beyond what is in their heads. Sometimes great ideas and plans go unfulfilled because people lack the courage to do. But if you want to be prosperous, if you want to have good success, if you want to do while others just dream, you cannot look to the left or to the right but boldly look forward. Having courage means that you have the ability to do something that frightens you. You may be afraid or even lack courage right now but, I want to encourage you to take courage because the world is waiting for another historical moment (YOU) doing what was once only a dream

Going forward can be somewhat intimidating because you do not know what is out there or what lies ahead. This uncertainty can paralyze people because they let fear control them instead of putting fear to fear. If you look at the faces of people who are around you, you may not want to go forward. If you look at the circumstances that surround you, you may not want to go forward. Even if you listen to you own mind, it may be telling you not to move forward. But it takes something greater than yourself to make you keep your eyes on the prize. People who are strong and do great exploits don’t necessarily put themselves in situations that call for courage, they usually find themselves in a cause that demands it. It takes something greater to give you courage when everything is telling you to run for your life. In order to have courage to do you have to Be (In) Courage and Take Courage.

To Be (In) Courage takes you out of fear and places you inside of courage. It means that you may be afraid but you act any ways. It means you may not readily want to do something but the alternative is to do nothing and the situation remains the same. The person that is encouraged operates inside courage instead of from inside of fear. To be encouraged mean that  you must have boldness in the face of insurmountable situations. When the task seems difficult but the need is great you need to have courage to act. When the pain that is ahead of you seems like you could never recover from, you need courage to make it through. Courage does not come easy. Courage will cost you something. Sometimes that cost is looking foolish, or doing something that others would never do. Sometimes it is taking action when no one else sees the answer. The only way that you know for sure that you have courage is when you face a difficulty, danger or crisis in life. How you respond to a crisis will determine how much courage you have.

Sometimes you have to just take courage. It does not readily present itself to you and may even try to elude you but you have just got to take it. By taking courage you gain strength. Taking courage in a crisis builds your faith, builds your confidence and builds your ability to handle the next situation that comes along and demands it. Life will demand courage. It requires courage to keeping going while others just cave in and quit. It demands courage to keep going when your bills seem too high and your money is so low, but you keep going. It demands courage to keep going when your body is full of pain from the sickness that has taken everyone else out, but you keep going. Having courage isn’t easy but it is worth it. Taking courage isn’t convenient but you cannot just do nothing, this wont change the situation. The courage to do has rewards that you may not realize now, but it does make a difference. My friend, no matter what you face today or this week, do not quit but find the courage to keep going and to keep growing. If you lack it, ask for it. Sometimes there are others around you to encourage you and sometimes you just have to encourage yourself. Whatever it takes, find the courage to do what was only a dream.

Eric Smith

Finishing Strong

It has been said that how you start a thing is how you end a thing. Sometimes this is true but sometimes, how you end a thing is better than you started. There may be things in your life that did not start out well and you may have thought that there was no hope for you. You may have even thought that you would be held captive by your beginnings for the rest of your life,which by all accounts almost counted you out. This year you may have made some New Year resolutions and promised yourself that things would be different this year.  You may have said you would start a new job, go back to school, move to a new city or even lose some weight. You may have started out strong by doing everything that it would take to complete your goal,  but somewhere along the way your drive began to wane, and your passion to push forward began to fade. You may have had a good desire to start but was that desire enough to carry you through the whole year. Ask yourself “how big is my want too! How bad do I want to end well?” 

You have to make up your mind, whether in business, in school or even in your home that the end of a thing is greater than the beginning of a thing and this is no time to give up, cave in or throw in the towel. You have to make up your mind that you want to  Finish Strong! Finish strong for your family. Finish strong for your dream to come true. Finish what you started, even if you started off wrong. Just because you started off one way does not mean that your course has been charted and there is no way to get ahead. Your outcome is not dictated by your start. How you finish does matter. If you want a good start to 2013, you have to do all you can to end 2012 strong. You need the strength to endure all the way to the end. Don’t let frustration stop you, don’t let distractions deter you, don’t let stress keep you falling short; gird up your mind, strengthen your feeble knees and resolve that you will not let 2012 end until you finish strong! 2013 is counting on you finishing up this year in a good starting position.

Some people are content with saying that they will just limp to the finish line. Limping across the finish line may be completing the journey for some people. They may have been so beaten down by life that this seems like the only way that they will accomplish their goal by barely making it. The road may have been rough this year and the desire to give up may be creeping at your door but you have got to do your best to finish what you start. Don’t let your setbacks become a set up for failure, rather, let your setbacks become a setup for your comeback! Whether you are the visionary or the doorman, determine to finish strong. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. said “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare composed poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'”  No matter where you find yourself in your life, no matter how low you may have felt at times you have got to know that “the race is not given to the swift or to the strong, but to the one who endures until the end.”  Make up your mind not to just survive but to thrive!

I really appreciate you all journeying me this year on a leadershift. I did not know how my blog would be received and I didn’t know the impact that it would make on so many people. I want to thank you for allowing me to encourage you and motivate you to be more successful than you are. I hope that your plans, hopes and dreams all come to pass in the upcoming year but more importantly, I want you to finish this year out strong. It is not too late to finish your course this year stronger than ever before. A while back I told you to get from the day and not just through the day. The same applies for this year, get from this year and not just through it. Don’t stop because you are tired. Stop because you are done! See you in 2013.

Eric Smith

Does it hurt enough?

Most people don’t change until the pain is sufficient for them to change. We may say that we are open to change but the fact of the matter is, until those feelings are transformed into action, you will never do what you feel you should do. Change can be a scary beast that works to take you from one place to another; from one way of doing things to another; from what has been to what shall be and this frightens a lot of people. People in general don’t like change and don’t want to change. Sometimes it takes heat to make people change but  The same sun that hardens clay can melt butter. Can you stand the heat that change will cause you to endure? We need to be hardened towards our past, our enemy, the obstacles that keep tripping us up. Trials make the weaker weak but the stronger strong. Whats opposing us will give us the lift that will take us higher, just like the fire unlocks the impurities in our lives and frees us to shine forth like pure gold. We don’t like the fire but its got to hurt enough for us to change. 

You may not realize it but everyday change is taking place. Every day we are all changing in one way or another. Even in nature change occurs for nothing stays the same. Every day our old cells are dying off and new cells are taking their place. Yesterday our parents were young, vibrant and full of vigor; but today their bodies are racked with ailments and pain. Yesterday you could have been on top of the world and had everything seemingly going for you and with the click of a button it could all be gone. Young people become old, sad people can become happy, sick people can become well, poor people become rich. Even the haves can become the have-nots. We don’t like to admit it but change is inevitable. But when you get sick and tired of the way things are, you will change. Sometimes it has to hurt enough before we decide to change.

Whether  you are in business, in school or in ministry, you are always evolving and transforming and growing. We don’t like to change because instead of feeling powerful, we tend to feel powerless. It is easy, it is comfortable, it is secure to just keep doing things they way we have always done it. But sometimes we have to rock the boat to make some progress. Sometimes we have to undo the status quo in order to take the next step in our journey. Sometimes we have to endure hardness as a good soldier so that we can lay hold of the promises that have been set before us. And if the pain of staying where we are is not sufficient enough to cause us to say ouch, we wont change. We wont change because it is uncomfortable. Whenever we fail at our attempts to accomplish our goals or when we know we should change something about ourselves but don’t want to try, we offer up all sorts of tired excuses that justify, at least in our own minds, why trying to do anything at all is really a waste of time. The reasons we give for our failures and inaction cannot excuse our laziness and lack of initiative in seizing opportunities for changing for the better.

E.F. Bonsh, Product Manager for the Milwaukee Gear Co., wrote in the July 20, 1959 issue of Product Engineering Magazine the following list of excuses that are commonly used for not doing any better at living our lives or doing our jobs. Keep in mind that every one of these excuses serves only to thwart forward momentum and hinder progress toward an improved and more fulfilling future. The next time you find yourself saying any one of these as justification for failing when you tried something or failing to try at all, ask yourself the following questions:

• “What am I getting out of being the way I am right now, even if it’s not the best situation for me?”
• “What’s the payoff for continuing along the same path I’ve been plodding along for so long?”
• “Why am I afraid of doing what I know would result in significant improvements in my life?”
• “Can I continue to live happily the way I’m used to knowing that things could be so much better?”
• “Why am I afraid to begin changing for the better?”
• “Do I really want a better life for me and my loved ones?”
• “What/Who am I waiting for before I begin to change?”
• “Will I be satisfied with myself if I do nothing to change?”

Honest answers to these questions will help you fully understand why you would even consider using any  reasons for not changing. In the end, these excuses are not causes for inaction and complacency; rather, they constitute the reasons you’ve deliberately chosen not to change.  Here are just a few:

• We’ve never done it before.
• Nobody else has ever done it.
• It has never been tried before.
• It’s too much trouble to change.
• It can’t be done.
• We don’t have the money.
• You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
• It’s too radical a change.
• It’s not my job.
• It’s contrary to policy.
• It’s not our problem.
• I don’t like it.
• You’re right, but . . .
• We’re not ready for it.
• We can’t take the chance.
• It needs committee study.
• It’s impossible.

These are not reasons you cannot change; they are reasons you will not change. Ask yourself, does it hurt enough to change?

Eric Smith

The Courage to Go Out, Launch Out and Start

Have you ever wanted to start a new business, record a song, write a book or begin a new hobby but didn’t know quite what to do? If you are like most people, this can be quite frustrating. I know that I have recently found myself with a lot of creative ideas but putting all the pieces together has been elusive at times. There are some people who give you the standard spill: write a business plan, talk to family and friends, and take out a loan. To me, this is the  thinking inside the box way of doing things, and it doesn’t give you the right “start” that you are looking for. It seems like when you have an idea, no one wants to really give you “help”, they just want you to figure it out. Now this may not be your story, but I have spoken with a lot of individuals that have told me that they may have achieved some success, but if they had really known how to get started, they could have been a lot further a lot quicker.

Finding the courage to launch out into the deep is something that I believe you have to just do. No one can step out on faith for you. You either have it or you don’t but the only way to know if you do or not is to like Nike says “Just Do It”. Just doing it or just going for it may seem like a simple task but really it causes you to have to leave your comfort zone and go to where most people dare not. But I am convinced that if you want to be unique, if you want to really leave your mark in life, if you want to have what others wont have; you have to be willing to do what others wont do. Ask yourself “do you have the courage to Go, when all around you people and your circumstances are screaming Stop? Sometimes you just have to go for it and not look back.

But what if you don’t know what to do ro where to start? What if you want to move forward but don’t have any idea of where to begin? In his book, The Art of the Start, Guy Kawasaki states that there are five things that can help you master this art. Now I have tried in this blog to use original thoughts but when I cam across this book, I wanted to share some exerts that I thought would be very beneficial to you the reader.

1 MAKE MEANING. The best reason to start an organization is to make meaning—to create a product or service that makes the world a better place. So your first task is to decide how you can make meaning.
2 MAKE MANTRA. Forget mission statements.  Instead, take your meaning and make a mantra out of it. This will set your entire team on the right course.
3 GET GOING. Start creating and delivering your product or service. Think whatever tools you use to build products and services. Donʼt focus on pitching, writing, and planning.
4 DEFINE YOUR BUSINESS MODEL. No matter what kind of organization youʼre starting, you have to figure out a way to make money. The greatest idea, technology, product, or service is short-lived without a sustainable business model.
5 WEAVE A MAT (MILESTONES, ASSUMPTIONS, AND TASKS). The final step is to compile three lists: (a) major milestones you need to meet; (b) assumptions that are built into your business model; and (c) tasks you need to accomplish to create an organization. This will enforce discipline and keep your organization on track when
all hell breaks loose—and all hell will break loose.

This may seem unconventional to some but I learned today that you don not have to start a new business in the conventional format. In the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti corridor, I witnessed start-up companies that started from a single idea to large corporations that forming smaller companies based of niche ideas. No two businesses started the same and no two businesses operated in the same capacity but the one thing they all had in common was that they all started. The courage to Go and launch Out is something that very few people will do but the rewards will be huge. If you are looking to go into business for yourself and want some encouragement, here it is – when the dream becomes too large for your own mind to contain, it is time to start. When everything within you begins to yell at you “the world will be better off with this idea”, its time to start. When you are sick and tired of going to work and want to create an environment where creativity, ingenuity and innovation has free flow and making a difference comes before making a dollar, it is time to start. Until you start, you will never know the possibilities that are out there. The whole world is waiting for what is bottled up in your mind, let it out, launch out into the deep and walk on the water. You will be surprise what you are able to do if you just start.

Eric Smith

 

Running Towards the Fight

Can you remember back when you were in school and a fight broke out in the lunch room, everyone stopped what they were doing and ran over to where the fight was going on? This fight would then be the talk of the school and the person who won the fight was seen as a school champion. How many times recently have you run towards the fights in your life? I’m not talking about a physical altercation between two individuals, but I am talking about that obstacle that seems to be keeping you from achieving your goal or objective? How many times have you looked fear right in the eyes instead of cowarding back when it shows up to intimidate you? Most people when facing insurmountable opposition run away from the fight or challenge, but I want to propose to you that you should Run Towards the Fight!

Running towards the fight isn’t for the faint hearted follower. It isn’t for those who are content to allow their circumstance to keep the upper-hand against them. Now I’m not saying that this type of strategy is an easy strategy. I’m not saying that there wont be any damage or casualties or loss if you decide to run towards the fight. I am saying that if your cause is a just cause and worth fighting for, don’t go down for the last count without letting your voice be heard. Running to the fight takes courage. When everything within you is saying just quit, turn tail,or just give in; you have decide that you wont turn back. When bad things happen, don’t turn around and run the other way, run to the fight. Running to the fight takes determination. You have to be determined not to stop midstream but to keep going as the obstacles become harder and the way looks unclear. Have the determination to keep going forward even if you have to go alone, be determined fight on. Running towards the fight pays dividends. The payoff for being unconventional can be great, especially when you come out on top where others only saw defeat. The payoff will be that you will no longer fear what others fear, but you will cause fear to fear. You will be seen as the champion of the family, the champion on the job, but more importantly, a champion to yourself.

This skill runs counterintuitive to what an ordinary person may do. But I want to encourage you to run towards the uncomfortable conversations that you may have to have with an employee that is acting out on the job. Run towards the issues that you may have with your spouse that is causing friction in the home. Run towards unpopular decision that you must have with a client that is three months past due on their payment. Ask yourself, when circumstances are uncomfortable, when situations are unpopular, when things are unsettled; do you step up to manage the crisis or do you hand the situation over  for someone else to take care of?

Running to the fight aint easy but it is worth it and it will set you in a class above your peers. When crisis arise on your job or in your home, become the person that others look to when the tough decisions have to be made. No one likes having to make tough decisions but making them will become easier and easier as you begin to exercise that muscle of courage that only a few every use. Running to the fight is probably not something that you thought you would ever hear anybody tell you to do, but you will become a door-opener for opportunities for others to win because you refused to quit. Running towards the fight will test you. It will test everything in you but a real leader will pass the test. Let the following poem give you the courage the move forward and never go back. Fight on my friend and win the battles of life.

“The Test of a Man”

The test of man is the fight that he makes.
The grit that he daily shows.
The way that he stands upon his feet.
And takes life’s numerous bumps and blows.

A coward can smile,
When there’s not to fear.
And nothing, his progress bars.
But it takes a man to stand and cheer.
While the other fellow stars.

It isn’t the victory after all,
But, the fight that a brother makes.
A man when driven against the wall,
takes the blows of fate.

With his head held high.
Bleeding, bruised, and pale!!
Is the man who will win, fate defied,
For he isn’t afraid to fail.

-Author Unknown-

The next time life brings a fight your way, don’t run from the fight; run to the fight and win.

Eric Smith