By Steve Beseke, beseke1@easrthlink.net
Preparing for tomorrow with the skills and talents you have today. As I was watching the NCCA men’s college basketball tournament in the U.S. this weekend, I was thinking about the amazing talents these young men have on the basketball court. What does this have to do with resiliency – and your life and career? Well…quite a lot.
All of us have our own set of unique life and career talents, but I don’t think many of us give ourselves enough credit for them. I’m not saying to posterize yourself, and let everyone constantly know your differentiators. I just think we don’t always let ourselves believe inside that there is a terrific person in there with unimaginable potential.
As I said last week, I think having confidence in you is part of the hurdle. But I think there is more…much more. Wouldn’t it be great to be 18 and have all the confidence in the world that you can make the winning jump shot in the basketball game of your life? That’s what these kids in “March Madness” are doing right now. They have little fear of failure and a real sense of invincibility that many of us have lost as we have gotten older.
Not that we fear life, but sometimes we fear making the wrong decisions detrimentally affecting our success moving forward.
I was at that point a year or so ago after I lost my dream communications director job at a company I truly valued. Then, the economic crisis hit, the company imploded, and I was wondering if I made the right decision moving from an even more secure company to follow my passions of directing communications.
I was fearful – not only because of the lost paycheck – of the loss within myself that I had made the wrong decision. For quite awhile at this company, my decision looked like it was a slam-dunk winner and I was 18 again. Then, something out of my control happened – the economy – and I was doubting myself.
I’m sure you’ve had similar points in your life where doubt has crept in, or broken through the door unexpectedly.
This is when my inner resiliency voice – that all of us have – took over. It told me to use all of my resilient strategies I’ve used in life to overcome a lifelong physical disability (Cerebral Palsy). Strategies like adaptability, not dwelling on things out of my control, perseverance, persistence and patience to name just a few. My “voice” led me to rethink my career and retool my friend to where it is today: Being known internationally as a speaker and writer about resiliency – and making a successful career out of it.
How are you using your inner resilience to get past the personal or professional hurdles that sometimes block your way?
In retooling myself, I had to develop a personal business plan, look at my personal brand very hard, and have a “heart to heart” with myself about what I wanted to do the rest of my life. While I still have a ways to go to achieve sustained financial success, I do feel on many days that I am 18 again – I’m actually 50 – ready to take that winning jumper with very little fear.
How about you? Are you ready to unlock your potential instead of just settling for something you are doing for slightly the wrong reasons? Where is your passion to do something you love to do and making a career out of it?
Times are challenging, I know. You feel like you need to hunker down at your present job and make it through. If you are happy, great! But if not, listen to your inner resiliency voice and unlock the passion for the rest of your career – and life. If you are still looking for your new great work adventure, please also listen to your inner voice to get you past some of the real and imagined hurdles on a daily basis.
Then, all of can feel like that 18 year old who just saw his shot swish through the basketball hoop to win the game. Except this time for you, it’s winning the ultimate game of life.
Thanks, again, for your support of my blog worldwide. It’s such a pleasure talking with you each week!