Lessons Learned
One thing that I have realized recently about people and influencers in general is this; there are some who genuinely want to help you grow and succeed, and there are some who do not. The ones who want you to grow and succeed will take time to teach you and show you lessons that they have learned along their journey. Others will not. In today’s blog, I want to share a few lessons that I have learned along my journey the last few years. Hopefully, they can help, if not right now, perhaps sometime in the future.
You have to try.
If you never try, then you will never know. Simple and profound. Some people never try something new, or something different, and because of that choice, they will never know how things could have gone. Life could go differently and be totally different, if you learn to just try. And, if you actually try something, and it does not work out, at least you can honestly say that you gave it a good shot. But sometimes, when you give something a shot, it works out, or it works out even better than you could have imagined.
- Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take.”
Attitude determines altitude.
Your attitude, how you look at and approach things in life, will determine much of the process and outcome of whatever it is that you are doing. If you approach a task with a negative attitude, I can almost guarantee that you will do it with a negative approach and less than your best effort, which will lead to a less-than-ideal outcome. However, if you approach the same task with a positive attitude, I can almost guarantee that you will approach it with more energy and give better effort. Which typically leads to a good and beneficial outcome.
- Zig Ziglar “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.’
Discipline is critical.
Discipline is a character trait that can literally make or break dreams, goals, and lives. Discipline comes down to the choices that we make on a daily or regular basis. Discipline develops structure and habits that are beneficial to life and pursuing goals. The lack of discipline reveals a lack of structure, good habits, and self-control. The lack of discipline will always result in; lack of focus, lack of effort, sporadic or empty action, and often lots of wasted time. Discipline provides structure and growth through wise choices.
- “You can have excuses, or results, but not both.” - unknown
Learn as you go.
Bottom line, you do not know everything. I know that as humans we like to think that we do. But the truth is, we do not. Too many times I have seen people, myself included, refuse or simply not try something because of fear or the fact that they are not sure of the outcome. Here is the secret. Take the step. Take the shot. Give your best effort. If you never try, then you will never know. As you learn to take things one step at a time, you will see that it is not that bad. And you will learn that you learn new things along the way.
- “If you keep doing what you have always done, then you will keep getting what you have always gotten.” - unknown
I wanted to share these lessons that I have learned, as 2023 wraps up and 2024 starts. Hopefully, these will help and encourage you in the year ahead.