Heya, thanks for stopping by and allowing me this time and space in your day. I don’t take that for granted, and as always, my aim is to meet you with kindness, positivity, and a tip or two to help you rise up in the face of the uncertainty, adversity, or change that is present at any given moment.
In the midst of the uncertainty and adversity we all face today, may you know this:
No matter how wild and crazy things get, life only moves forward.
We’ve all lost a lot in these last few weeks. People. Jobs. Money. Normalcy.
For you, maybe the loss even extends farther back than just the last few weeks.
This is a challenging season, no doubt, and I don’t want to make light of that. But, let me ask you this:
Think about a time when you’ve lost something in the past — a job, money, health, a relationship…
There was pain with that, no doubt.
But, think of yourself and your life today.
Do you have something in your life today — tangible or intangible — that you wouldn’t have if not for that loss in the past?
Do you have someone or something in your life now, only because of the course life took after that tragedy?
Do you have insight, strength, compassion, or wisdom now that you wouldn’t have had you not gone through that experience?
For me, when I look back on my life, I know there’s no way I would be who I am without every moment in my past, including — and often, especially — the most challenging ones.
When business revenues dropped over 50 percent in the Great Recession and debt began to stack up, that caused me to take a closer look at my business and ask, “Is this really what I want to be doing?” That didn’t mean I had to leave my business — I didn’t — but I did make a commitment to center my business around “work I believe in.” I wrote those words on my whiteboard, and that’s when my “This Moment Matters” message was born.
When my marriage reached a point where I knew it wasn’t a healthy environment for her, for me, or our son, it pressed me to do something that I never thought I’d do. I had to rise up and make a hard decision, and we make a better family after divorce than we did when we were married.
When I filed bankruptcy — when debt reached the point that I just couldn’t dig myself out — that act of surrender opened the floodgates for me to have my best year in 15 years in business. There’s something powerful that happens when you shift your focus from everything that’s wrong, you stop trying so hard to fix it, and you open yourself to everything that’s possible.
Now, here we are today, in the midst of the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis.
This year, we were on pace to set a new record in business once again. Now, everything is changed. A business that was largely dependent on live, in-person events, doesn’t function so well when everyone has to stay home! That is a challenge, no doubt, but it’s also a tremendous opportunity.
We’re creating programs and services now that had been on the radar for years, but now, we have the time — and the necessity — to bring them to the forefront. It’s going to be exciting, and I’ll be able to help even more people in even more meaningful ways. Stay tuned for more on that.
(In the meantime, I am also delivering virtual sessions to help individuals and teams navigate this time of uncertainty — so reach out if I can support you in that way.)
What I’ve shared above is my story, and that’s what gives me faith for the future. But I share that because I want you to look at your story. Look at your past.
Can you find evidence in your past to give you faith that what may look like an ending right now could actually be the beginning of something even better?
Don’t believe it because I said it, or because you read it in some book, or heard it on some video. Believe it because your own life proves it.
And then…
If this were to be the beginning of something amazing for you — which, by the way, can only lead to something amazing for those around you — what choices would you need to make right now, to step into it?
- What would you need to focus on?
- What thoughts would you need to think?
- What feelings would you need to feel?
- What actions would you need to take?
While external circumstances may fool you into believing otherwise at times, remember: life never moves backwards. It only moves forward. Make sure your eyes are pointed in that direction.
It’s time to rise, my friend.
Grace and peace to you. Be well.
