Life…it’s what we make it.

Cliché? Sure.

Is it still worth talking or writing about?

When we have no more doubt, worry, frustration, fear, disappointment, or challenging circumstances…we can all put this one to bed and stop going over it.  However, I don’t think that is going to happen anytime soon.  All of those things are just part of life.

As my mother and my 2^nd Grade Teacher (Ms. Debbie Keeton) always used to tell us growing up, “Did you see a sign down the road that said life was fair?”   Nope.

OneMoreStep thought for this week: We get out of life what we put into it.  Even when we’re dealt challenging circumstances and things don’t go our way, the beauty of the situation is that we get to choose…It’s our choice to either let it happen or make it happen.  We are what we think we are. 

I had a professor over ten years ago at Florida Southern College by the name of Walter Coleman.  He taught Human Resources as well as the capstone course for all Business & Economics majors – Business 499: Problems & Policies.  To this day I can still hear his voice…he used to tell us almost daily, things like, “Mr. Scott…you are what you think you are.”  I remember hearing these words of wisdom as a 21-year-old college kid.  Now, as a 31-year-old young man in the midst of a career, I understand them.

If we think we aren’t good enough, we probably never will be.  If we think we will never be promoted, there’s a good chance we won’t.  If we think we’ll be single forever, we run the risk of never opening up our hearts and minds to finding that special someone.  If we think our dreams are too far fetched, then they will never become a reality.  If we go into each day thinking we’ll have one negative experience after another, we’ll rarely disappoint ourselves.

Here’s the good news…it’s up to us!  We get to choose whether today will be a “good one” or just “another long, frustrating day” fighting the good fight.  Focusing on the good stuff helps…thinking about the positive things and/or the things that we have the power to impact beats the heck out of dwelling on ALL of those things outside of our control.  (Philippians 4:8 is a great resource… that basically says, think happy thoughts, and in turn…we’ll be happier)

I also had a professor in college by the name of Colonel Chester Jeffrey Wiley.  He taught Principles of Management and Managerial Accounting.  If you got an “A” on a test in his class, he would give you a grape soda…and he’d shake it up and throw it to you across the classroom so you wouldn’t and couldn’t open it and drink it during class.  So old school…I loved it.

He also was known for his 30-minute seminar on how to become a millionaire.  The deal was…when you became a millionaire yourself; you had to send him a case of grape soda, his favorite.  At the time, around the year 2000, he had received over 15 cases of grape soda from former students…

I also loved that.

Professor Wiley used to tell us that there are three types of people:

·      People that LET IT HAPPEN

·      People that MAKE IT HAPPEN

And…

·      People that stand around asking WHAT HAPPENED?

If you want the job, the promotion, the responsibility, and all that comes along with it, there’s only one thing to do…and that’s to simply reach deep down, go OneMoreStep when nobody else does…and make it happen.  Stay late.  Go in early.  Personally walk over and conduct business, engage in conversations, or call meetings in person vs. over the phone or email.  When everyone else is coasting along, refusing to do MORE, refusing to step up, and simply letting it happen, if you want it bad enough…go make it happen.  It’s up to you.

If you have an idea, a passion for something or someone, and you know deep in your heart that your idea will work…and that if leveraging your own passion can make a difference that matters to something or someone…you owe it to yourself to make it happen.  The time is now.  Don’t listen to the voices in your brain telling you ALL of the reasons that it’s a bad idea…if it’s your passion, if it will work, and if it will make a true difference that matters…go OneMoreStep.  Make it happen.

Have a great day.

Taylor

Flor
ida Southern College ’01