When you look at your future in terms of your business and/or professional career, do you see unlimited potential or do you see a lack of opportunities? Recently, many of my clients have asked me how I remain so upbeat and optimistic about the future. They cite the predictions that claim there won't be enough jobs, or that companies don't have the money to invest in their employees as good reasons to be cynical and pessimistic.
My answer has been, "if you're open to the possibilities, the opportunities will be there. It's all a matter of attitude and energy." I emphatically agree with Les Brown, when he said "Life has no limitations, except the ones you make."
According to Rosamund Stone Zander, author of The Art of Possibility, many of the circumstances seeming to block us only appear to do so because of the assumptions we make. This means, that if you view the world through the half-empty glass, your behavior and responses to life will color how the world responds to you.
Many people believe that the economy will remain unstable and that we will have to work even harder to survive. When you look at the world from this model of scarcity and participate in such a negative dialogue, you are setting yourself up to prove your own predictions ? you are closing yourself off to the possibilities!
If you feel that you're destined for failure in today's volatile market, don't be surprised when you do -- look at the energy you've extended to make it happen! Believe that there aren't enough customers, ideas or market share out there and your actions will prove you right!
But what happens if you remain open to the possibilities? When you view the world from a perspective of unlimited potential your attitude will shift; so will the way you engage your employees, customers, friends and family ? everyone you know. Instead of operating from the scarcity mode, try operating in the C-A-N mode! C-A-N stands for "Create Abundance Now!"
In her book, Zander writes: "on the whole, you are more likely to extend your business and have a fulfilled life if you have the attitude that there are always new customers out there waiting to be enrolled rather than that money, customers and ideas are in short supply. You are more likely to be successful, overall, if you participate joyfully with projects and goals and do not think that life depends on achieving the mark because you will be better able to connect to people all around you."
When we give up that scarcity model, we're more inclined to release the need to control everything, allowing us to take risks. Even though risks may not always pay off the way we imagined, you are not beaten! There's always the next possibility, and the next. One of them could land you that golden opportunity! You just have to remain open rather than closed.
Being open means that you have to stand confident in the realm of possibilities -- no matter the competition and no matter your fear. If your entire focus is on what your competitors are doing, your attitude will be passed on to your employees, and, ultimately, your clients. But if you focus on what you do best and how to better satisfy your clients and engage with them in new and powerful ways, your results will be quite different!
Yes, there will always be naysayers (the folks whom I lovingly call Friends of Eeyore or "FOE"s) who pride themselves in their supposed realism; and if you'd like to remain in their camp, that's fine. But imagine if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had given in to this type of thinking and never gave his infamous "I have a dream" speech. Or if he had decided to give up and said "well, maybe equality isn't really all that it's cracked up to be." Persistence of vision and an open perception of the world kept Dr. King's work alive, long after he was assassinated.
Now, think of how your business can benefit from that same persistence of vision and open perception. Instead of focusing on cutting expenses to make payroll, try concentrating on what you can do to increase sales. Instead of getting frazzled about the big proposal that was met with a cold shoulder, try focusing on reaching that customer who really needs your services and needs them NOW!
I challenge you to stand confidently in the realm of possibility and see what happens when you remain open. No matter how fierce you think the competition is, no matter what your friends, colleagues and family say; no matter when everyone else is telling you there's no way you can meet your short term goals; I encourage you to stay open to possibilities and see what happens next!
EXERCISE
During the next thirty days, take 10 to 15 minutes at some point in your day to reflect on the following questions. You might want to get yourself a journal to record your responses and see how they evolve over time. :
At the end of each week, write in your journal about what you notice happening to you as you continue to remain open! And when you begin to take up roots in the place of possibilities, let me know how that what blooms for you!!
Coach's Corner
By: Jim Jenkins
Originally published in the Frederick Chamber Newsletter, July 2003
About The Author
With over twenty years of corporate experience and success in leading a variety of change management and coaching efforts, Jim Jenkins, president and founder of Creative Visions Consulting, has followed his vision to support individuals and businesses in living up to their full potential. Jim's mission is to help his clients develop a better sense of self so that they can get in touch with who they really want to be. Whether it's working with organizational teams or individuals, Jim's goal is to have his clients refocus themselves and experience new ways of seeing, thinking and doing so that they can achieve life-changing results.
town car ride to ohare Bethalto .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareAs a financial economist my motivation has long been to... Read More
Who can control a smile sneaking across your face as... Read More
Words, Ignorance, and Casper The Friendly Ghost!Do your best to... Read More
It would be pretty hard to become successful without first... Read More
I once heard the story of a grown bear that... Read More
You've probably heard this idea at one time or another.... Read More
Q: I seem to beat myself before I ever get... Read More
Woe is me... life has dealt me a bad hand...... Read More
Our lives are busy. We rush here only to remember... Read More
"Spiritual Intelligence" (SI) is the ability of a person to... Read More
Think for a moment about all of the signals people... Read More
Never Quitting Equals Success Most people who achieve fortunes in... Read More
Drinking damages the soul; being lustful damages the vitality; greed... Read More
If you think you are a loser, you train or... Read More
We all know them. We all have somebody like them... Read More
As I swooshed down the Zoom Flume water slide at... Read More
I AM SO GRATEFUL for meeting challenges head-on. We see... Read More
Millions struggle through life barely earning enough to survive. Many... Read More
"In life, if you give yourself a concession, you'd take... Read More
Do you feel that your negative thoughts are holding you... Read More
I thought this was fitting sense I just experienced a... Read More
Normally I race around multitasking. I am always thinking about... Read More
"Who am I fooling?" "I'm a loser," "I'm too old,"... Read More
Ever feel like giving up? Do you ever feel so... Read More
You are already a winner, and so am I.Although you... Read More
Gurnee Lincoln Stretch rentals ..THOUGHTS are powerful. The power of THOUGHTS cannot be underestimated.... Read More
Celebrating is a skill that adults with ADD (Attention Deficit... Read More
The hardest part of success is the **courage** you need... Read More
"The difference between a stumbling block and a stepping stone... Read More
Kasia is a talented landscape designer who speaks several languages,... Read More
Do you ever feel sorry for yourself? Do you ever... Read More
People with negative attitudes may wonder why they never achieve... Read More
Positive self-esteem is very important if not crucial to our... Read More
How would your life shift if you moved into what... Read More
When I was little I was very busy--as I imagine... Read More
Often when radical change occurs in our lives we feel... Read More
Life is an enigma...It starts without our knowledge, grows without... Read More
The easiest, most exciting adventure in consciousness follows the lamplit... Read More
In many ways the Star War movies are simply a... Read More
The only thing between you and your desire to be... Read More
It has been said that CHANGE is THE only constant.... Read More
Yea, I know........I hear you saying "that's easy for you... Read More
Every day something changes at work: your products, your customers,... Read More
The summer I was 20 years old, I worked as... Read More
By definition,an affirmation is a statement repeated time and again... Read More
Once upon a time, I was a vibrant, youthful teenager...My... Read More
You've been looking for a job for as long as... Read More
Year after year I find more and more individuals saying... Read More
You already have all the resources you need to accomplish... Read More
Few people are aware of the thoughts that pass through... Read More
Positive Attitude Tips |