For the past six months I have been in recovery….reflection….and re-booting. I’m recovering from an emotional set back (you have to read more about that in chapter 8 of my upcoming book – My Year on the Inside – Creating Catalysts for Change). I’m reflecting on who I am as a business owner, wife & mother (and now a future mother-in-law OMG!) what my company is about – our mission, vision, methodology, who I want to work with internally and externally – training & coaching partners that put each other first, clients that believe that investing in their people is vital to success and services that are in line with our team’s strengths and that we are passionate about in our daily walk.
As I was reading Brian Tracy’s GOALS! on my way to a conference in Puerto Rico to present at the National Society of Certified Healthcare Business Consultants annual conference – gotta give my peeps a shout out!….I had an ‘aha’ moment! Don’t you just love it when something speaks to you and you feel that peppermint patty moment on the top of the mountain? AHHHAAA!!!!! So here it is…..
Think about your personality and imagine five concentric rings, the center is your values which determine the next ring your beliefs, “If you have positive values such as love, compassion and generosity, then you will believe that people in the world are deserving of these things and will treat them accordingly.” Have you heard about Coldwater Creek? They are closing and I noticed a lady on the corner yesterday of Hobbs Rd. and Starmount Drive in my hometown, Greensboro, NC. She was standing under a tree, in the pouring rain holding a sign – Home Goods $40-60% off Coldwater Creek Store Closing….I drove to the corner, stopped my car, opened the trunk and got my extra umbrella out, jumped back in, turned the car around and rolled my window down and said, “Ma’m? I have an extra umbrella, would you like it?” She said, “Sure!” Now I had my hazards on b/c the light was now green and I didn’t want the person to get frustrated because I was holding them up. Oh well. It’s interesting how we can miss an opportunity to help someone or accomplish our goals if we are too overwhelmed with our circumstances or technology or business or people or self-importance or worry. What opportunities would you like to take advantage of moving forward in your life?
According to Tracy your beliefs determine your personality – which is the third level and also referred to as expectations. “If you believe yourself to be a good person, then you will expect good things to happen to you. You will be positive, cheerful and future oriented. You will look for the good in other people and situations.” AHA! This was one of the things that was so challenging for me while working in a large organization. So many of the employees on multiple levels looked for the bad in other people and situations…..it was disturbing to me in many ways and completely against my nature. No wonder I felt I was in constant conflict and I struggled at times to keep my flame burning bright! The fourth level determined by your expectations is your attitude. “Your attitude will be an outward manifestation of your values, beliefs and expectations.” When you have a positive mental attitude, you look for good things to happen to you, you look for the good in others around you. People want to work for you, people want to be around you. How would people describe your personality? Are you letting negative people dampen your spirit, have you become that negative person?
The fifth level of your personality is your actions. “The actions on the outside with be a reflection of your innermost values, beliefs and expectations on the inside. This is why what you achieve in life and work will be determined more of what is going on inside you, than by any other factor.” (Goals!, Brian Tracy p. 62) So where are you on your values, beliefs, personality, attitude, actions? I believe in my heart that anyone can change if they want to badly enough or if there is a good enough reason or if they allow God to help or if they are just plain tired of the results they’re getting. There are people that will and can change if given the right opportunity to learn, grow and develop themselves personally and professionally. Are you ready to be a catalyst for change?
