Monthly Archives: December 2020

“Following the crowd never gets you very far.”

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“Following the crowd never gets you very far.”

—Robin Sharma, Canadian Author of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

Image from Unsplash by Chuttersnap

It is human nature to want to belong to our professional and personal communities. We tend to thrive and live longer, happier lives due to the supportive relationships around us.

Following the crowd and group think, however, is rarely associated with extraordinary levels of achievement and excellence. When one looks at the subject of personal mastery, important relationships with role models, mentors, teachers, and coaches are always involved. And yet, they evolve and change over time, to propel people forward, often leaving once valued relationships behind.

EXERCISE:

Where in your life have you and are you following the crowd? How has doing so held you back from going even further in either your personal or professional life?

What bolder, more courageous actions can and will you take to realize even more of your fullest potential?

“Keeping a journal is praying on paper.”

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“Keeping a journal is praying on paper.”

—Robin Sharma, Canadian Author of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

Image from Unsplash by Brad Neathery

A few months ago, I began journaling again for the umpteenth time. Sitting on my desk are four journals from previous attempts. I started with great enthusiasm, then lost interest and momentum after only a few dozen pages.

Things seem different now. I somehow have become more patient and reflective. Taking time to capture my thoughts, feelings, and emotions appears more important than ever. With the perfect storm of current events, this is clearly a great time to pray and take action together to better our world.

EXERCISE:

How can more prayer, written or spoken, alone or with others, be a source of healing and strength for you and all of your communities?

“If you will please people, you must please them in their own way.”

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“If you will please people, you must please them in their own way.”

—Lord Chesterfield, 18th Century British Statesman

Image from Unsplash by Sebastian Herrmann

Are you a sales person? If you answered YES because of your job, you fit with one in nine people, based on Dan Pink’s book, To Sell is Human. Surprising to many of us is the fact that the remaining eight out of nine of us are also “in sales” when we try to influence others to our way of thinking.

If you happen to be a parent, how effective are you at getting your kids to do their homework, their chores, eat their veggies, or go to bed on time?

A current client asked me to review a few of his recent business proposals. He wanted to know what I thought might be the reason for his low level of acceptance. The overly simple answer we discovered was that the proposals were focused primarily on what he and his organization was selling. They were not focused on the deep desires of his potential customers. He did not sell them on their own YES.

EXERCISE:

How would the idea that people participate and buy into things that they help create improve your sales and influence in your professional and personal communities?

How could pleasing others in their own way open many more doors to your own success?