31 August 2009
25 August 2009
25 Aug 2009 ... Thought of the Day.
Time ... Time is the one thing I have a wealth of that I don't owe anybody. You may not yet be debt-free, but as long as you have more time than money, you have plenty of time to repay whatever money you may owe.
Even if you run out of money; if you still have time you can use that time to make more money. If/when you run out of time, it doesn't really matter how much money you may or may not have.Does it?
17 August 2009
When Will People Realize that Success Takes Time?
Through my personal studies and experience, I have come to learn that people who are not where they want to be can give you a million and one reasons why they can't seem to get ahead. On the flipside, the person who is grinding and steadily making it work for himself only needs to give you ONE reason why he can.Times are hard. I get that. Now what? Speaking of time, people need to realize that it takes time to make things happen. It is unfortunate that we live in a disposable society that demands everything be provided instantly.
People need to realize that it took time to end up wherever they are; and if they want things to get better, it's going to take some degree of time to get to there. The problem is people don't want to look back on their mistakes, take responsibility for them, and learn from them. No ... they would much rather find someone or something else to blame.
Whether a person is choosing to start his or her own business or just find a job to keep the lights on and food on the table, that person must (1) set a goal; (2) develop a plan to make it a reality; (3) TAKE ACTION; and, (4) be flexible enough to analyze the steps they've taken & realize whether or not their actions are taking them closer to their goal or pulling them away.
Time, my friend ... Time is the one tool that can be made, used, spent, or wasted. Those who spend their time making the time to use their time rarely spend their time wasting time ... and IN TIME a bum can become a king.
17 Aug 2009 ... Today's Thought.
"It will not always be easy to find your way, but what is most important is that when realize you are where you don't want to be, you decide to take action to get to where you do want to be. If you're serious about the moves you want to make, all of the resources you need will find their way to you!"~ HSRjr.
16 August 2009
"ASK HR!"
Sherman Williams:
Developing Self-Discipline and Overcoming Procrastination. Overcoming fear of success.
Sherman,
It just so happens that I am very big on those things. Anyone who has read the past couple of posts here surely understands that I am hard on matters involving "Self." This is because I want people to begin taking responsibility for themselves and understanding that everything starts from within. People have to stop waiting for the next person to do the things necessary to bring into their lives the things they want to have, and the reality is the majority of people in the world carry themselves just that way; whether they know it or not, or whether they want to admit it or not.
People need to become very much more cognizant of the words they use. Most people tend to say things and not realize or even care about the meanings behind what they say; however, the reality is that the things we say are like food to the subconscious mind. What happens most of the time is that we incorporate phrases into our lexicon that do not benefit us in any way. However, we go through life like this and wonder why we're not exactly where we want to be. Here's an example ... how many times have you either said or heard someone say, "it's cold as hell!" If you take a moment to THINK about that statement, does it make sense?
So, with that said, it's rather difficult to tell people how to improve things like "Self-" confidence, "Self-" control, "Self-" esteem, and "Self-" discipline. By use of the very word "Self," it should be understood that these are things that are discovered and developed from within. Anyone lacking in these areas must first acknowledge that lacking. This is not difficult because when there is chaos in one's life it is more than likely because one or more of these things is missing.
In any case, the solution is really just as simple as people knowing what the words mean and then implementing those meanings into their lives. On the other hand, the difficulty lies in taking the necessary actions involved with discovering those meanings and actively implementing them into their lives. This is nothing more than the battle between "theory and application." Theoretically just about anything is possible; however, when it comes to the actual "application" of the theoretical, that's where the problems may occur. In other words, it's the age old saying "easier said than done." The problem with that is people will say just that and use it as an excuse to do nothing.
These leads me to the issue of procrastination. In my book, "FIND A WAY TO MAKE A WAY!" there is a lesson which I entitled, "Procrastination Gives You Psychic Ability." In a nutshell, when you put off doing that which you know you have to do, you pretty much predict that down the line you will not be where you want to be or fully accomplish the objective set before you. You see, people are driven by two equally powerful forces ... pain and pleasure.
Sadly, those who procrastinate do so because the immediate pleasure of doing nothing is more important than the pain associated with actually putting in the work necessary to succeed. Even more sad; because in the end, since the work necessary to succeed was put off, whatever work that was done - if any - may not have been enough to do the job right, and thus you end up with lackluster results. In the end, the majority of people are more willing to work harder to avoid pain than they are willing to achieve pleasure.
However, what they fail to realize is that the true pleasures of success come only after overcoming the obstacles that lay before them. No one ever became successful by putting off the work necessary to achieve success. In short, the best way to overcome procrastination is prioritize your tasks, and then take action towards completing them. You could be standing directly above a buried treasure; however, it really wouldn't matter if it were buried five feet or five miles beneath your feet, if you were to keep putting off picking up a shovel and digging for it.
Now ... let's talk about this "fear of success." I do not believe one bit that people are afraid of success. It just does not make any sense whatsoever ... Kind of like that "cold as hell" thing we talked about earlier. There are certain things that are mandatory requirements that must be possessed in order for someone to become successful. Things like courage, endurance, and tenacity to name a few. Becoming successful takes effort. It takes hard work. So let's have a little reality check here, shall we? People are not afraid of becoming successful, they are afraid of putting in the work necessary to become successful. Sometimes people will work just hard enough to reach a certain level in life and then just even off and squat where they are. Some find themselves happy right where they are, and if that's the case, then cool ... more power to `em. However, there are those who say that they want more out of life, but they are not willing to do what is required to get it. They might say, "someday I'm gonna' ..." but they never really do.
In the end, our collective successs lies in our ability to bring out the best within ourselves individually. We must learn to hold ourselves accountable to ourselves and take responsibility for our own lives. Our success or failure does not lie in what our friends do, what the government does, or what our bosses and co-workers do. It's about what WE do for ourselves. We must envision the life and the future we want for ourselves, and then set the goal to make those dreams a reality. Then we must take the necessary action to educate ourselves and obtain whatever training and skills are necessary to WORK towards achieving those goals. Finally, we must TAKE ACTION.
In the end, when it comes to "Developing Self-Discipline, Overcoming Procrastination & Overcoming Fear of Success," there ain't nothing to it but to do it ...
But that's "easier said than done," isn't it?
Developing Self-Discipline and Overcoming Procrastination. Overcoming fear of success.
Sherman,It just so happens that I am very big on those things. Anyone who has read the past couple of posts here surely understands that I am hard on matters involving "Self." This is because I want people to begin taking responsibility for themselves and understanding that everything starts from within. People have to stop waiting for the next person to do the things necessary to bring into their lives the things they want to have, and the reality is the majority of people in the world carry themselves just that way; whether they know it or not, or whether they want to admit it or not.
People need to become very much more cognizant of the words they use. Most people tend to say things and not realize or even care about the meanings behind what they say; however, the reality is that the things we say are like food to the subconscious mind. What happens most of the time is that we incorporate phrases into our lexicon that do not benefit us in any way. However, we go through life like this and wonder why we're not exactly where we want to be. Here's an example ... how many times have you either said or heard someone say, "it's cold as hell!" If you take a moment to THINK about that statement, does it make sense?
So, with that said, it's rather difficult to tell people how to improve things like "Self-" confidence, "Self-" control, "Self-" esteem, and "Self-" discipline. By use of the very word "Self," it should be understood that these are things that are discovered and developed from within. Anyone lacking in these areas must first acknowledge that lacking. This is not difficult because when there is chaos in one's life it is more than likely because one or more of these things is missing.
In any case, the solution is really just as simple as people knowing what the words mean and then implementing those meanings into their lives. On the other hand, the difficulty lies in taking the necessary actions involved with discovering those meanings and actively implementing them into their lives. This is nothing more than the battle between "theory and application." Theoretically just about anything is possible; however, when it comes to the actual "application" of the theoretical, that's where the problems may occur. In other words, it's the age old saying "easier said than done." The problem with that is people will say just that and use it as an excuse to do nothing.
These leads me to the issue of procrastination. In my book, "FIND A WAY TO MAKE A WAY!" there is a lesson which I entitled, "Procrastination Gives You Psychic Ability." In a nutshell, when you put off doing that which you know you have to do, you pretty much predict that down the line you will not be where you want to be or fully accomplish the objective set before you. You see, people are driven by two equally powerful forces ... pain and pleasure.
Sadly, those who procrastinate do so because the immediate pleasure of doing nothing is more important than the pain associated with actually putting in the work necessary to succeed. Even more sad; because in the end, since the work necessary to succeed was put off, whatever work that was done - if any - may not have been enough to do the job right, and thus you end up with lackluster results. In the end, the majority of people are more willing to work harder to avoid pain than they are willing to achieve pleasure.
However, what they fail to realize is that the true pleasures of success come only after overcoming the obstacles that lay before them. No one ever became successful by putting off the work necessary to achieve success. In short, the best way to overcome procrastination is prioritize your tasks, and then take action towards completing them. You could be standing directly above a buried treasure; however, it really wouldn't matter if it were buried five feet or five miles beneath your feet, if you were to keep putting off picking up a shovel and digging for it.
Now ... let's talk about this "fear of success." I do not believe one bit that people are afraid of success. It just does not make any sense whatsoever ... Kind of like that "cold as hell" thing we talked about earlier. There are certain things that are mandatory requirements that must be possessed in order for someone to become successful. Things like courage, endurance, and tenacity to name a few. Becoming successful takes effort. It takes hard work. So let's have a little reality check here, shall we? People are not afraid of becoming successful, they are afraid of putting in the work necessary to become successful. Sometimes people will work just hard enough to reach a certain level in life and then just even off and squat where they are. Some find themselves happy right where they are, and if that's the case, then cool ... more power to `em. However, there are those who say that they want more out of life, but they are not willing to do what is required to get it. They might say, "someday I'm gonna' ..." but they never really do.
In the end, our collective successs lies in our ability to bring out the best within ourselves individually. We must learn to hold ourselves accountable to ourselves and take responsibility for our own lives. Our success or failure does not lie in what our friends do, what the government does, or what our bosses and co-workers do. It's about what WE do for ourselves. We must envision the life and the future we want for ourselves, and then set the goal to make those dreams a reality. Then we must take the necessary action to educate ourselves and obtain whatever training and skills are necessary to WORK towards achieving those goals. Finally, we must TAKE ACTION.
In the end, when it comes to "Developing Self-Discipline, Overcoming Procrastination & Overcoming Fear of Success," there ain't nothing to it but to do it ...
But that's "easier said than done," isn't it?
"ASK HR!"
Christopher Owens:
Mr. Reed. I read your blog in response to Debora's challenge about people who have lost hope, become depressed, become negative, lost trust in their own abilities, and seem to have become their worst enemy.
You wrote: "There is nothing I can say to a person to build them up and shine if they are not willing to flip the switch to the “on” position within themselves."
You used the word INSPIRATION backwards to show the phrase “Acting Spirit Within.”
"ATION" - The result of an action or process.
"SPIR" - The root of the word "SPIRIT".
"IN" - as in "WITH-IN."
I’m not a motivational speaker but I want to motivate you not to become “Hopeless” in motivating those who have become hopeless. It is easy to “motivate” those who are already motivated. Are you really motivating them or are they really motivating themselves?
So my challenge to you is how can you help flip the switch in the “on” position within others so that they can utilize the “Acting Spirit Within” In other words, how can you help bring the spirit alive in people who are spiritually dying?
Mr. Owens,
I understand your response, but let me ask you this ... at what point do people begin taking responsibility for themselves? When all of the "pep-talks" are said and done; when all of the belly-rubbing and head patting are done, at what point does a person take it upon themselves to take the steps necessary to improve their conditions?
Contrary to popular belief, there is no cookie-cutter recipe for self-improvement. At some point people must do for themselves. There are all kinds of agencies out there to help people find work, but what good are they to the person who will not go to them? People, myself included, have written all kinds of self-help/motivational books full of encouragement and assurances that there are ways to improve our lives, but what good are they to those who won't pick them up and read them?
In fact, MY book will also be available in audio format on CD & available for download from i-Tunes. All a person has to do is pop in the CD or upload it into their i-Pod, and all they have to do is sit there and listen, but what good is that option to a person who would rather listen to Lil' Wayne or Mary J. Blige? I enjoy Mary & Wayne as much as the next person, but Mary and Wayne got theirs. We've got to return to our personal realities and get ours.
As I stated, I understand times are hard. Everyone has their own cross to bear; remember, I acknowleged these things. However, my point is this, you can only do so much for people before they have to pick up and carry their fair share of the load. The people who are just getting by are at least doing THAT much. Those who are successful are those who carry their weight and then some.
Let me share a quick story with you. By vocation, I am a police officer. In my capacity as such, I have a front row seat to what hopelessness really is. One day I had to transport a prisoner from one county jail to the workhouse in my county. When we picked him up and began doing his paperwork, I learned that he and I have the same birth date. Not the samy birth-DAY. The same birth-DATE. We were even born in the same hospital. So, INITIALLY, the only thing separating me from him was a few hours. Granted, we had different families and perhaps different upbringings, but every day he had on this planet, I have had. At some point we became of age to know right from wrong and make our own choices accordingly. In the end, what put me in the front seat of that squad car and him in the back seat of that car was the choices we made in our lives.
Ultimately, the choices we make are what separates ALL of us from one another.
Personally my friend, I believe that there is greatness in everyone, but I also believe that most people are either too afraid or too lazy to tap into the greatness that exists within themselves, and want someone else to do it for them.
With that, I will close with two age-old addages that I am certain you have heard, agree with, and perhaps have even said ...
"God helps those who help themselves."
"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."
Just like an addict cannot overcome his or her addiction until they hit rock-bottom and, within themselves, acknowledge that they have a problem, any person who is sick & tired of being sick & tired must see their condition for what it is, and if it's someplace they don't want to be, they must first believe they have the ability to improve themselves, find the power that exists within them, and then TAKE ACTION.
You can see all the potential in the world that a person may have, but if he or she doesn't see it for themselves and utilize it, that potential will only go to waste.
Mr. Reed. I read your blog in response to Debora's challenge about people who have lost hope, become depressed, become negative, lost trust in their own abilities, and seem to have become their worst enemy.
You wrote: "There is nothing I can say to a person to build them up and shine if they are not willing to flip the switch to the “on” position within themselves."
You used the word INSPIRATION backwards to show the phrase “Acting Spirit Within.”
"ATION" - The result of an action or process.
"SPIR" - The root of the word "SPIRIT".
"IN" - as in "WITH-IN."
I’m not a motivational speaker but I want to motivate you not to become “Hopeless” in motivating those who have become hopeless. It is easy to “motivate” those who are already motivated. Are you really motivating them or are they really motivating themselves?
So my challenge to you is how can you help flip the switch in the “on” position within others so that they can utilize the “Acting Spirit Within” In other words, how can you help bring the spirit alive in people who are spiritually dying?
Mr. Owens,
I understand your response, but let me ask you this ... at what point do people begin taking responsibility for themselves? When all of the "pep-talks" are said and done; when all of the belly-rubbing and head patting are done, at what point does a person take it upon themselves to take the steps necessary to improve their conditions?
Contrary to popular belief, there is no cookie-cutter recipe for self-improvement. At some point people must do for themselves. There are all kinds of agencies out there to help people find work, but what good are they to the person who will not go to them? People, myself included, have written all kinds of self-help/motivational books full of encouragement and assurances that there are ways to improve our lives, but what good are they to those who won't pick them up and read them?
In fact, MY book will also be available in audio format on CD & available for download from i-Tunes. All a person has to do is pop in the CD or upload it into their i-Pod, and all they have to do is sit there and listen, but what good is that option to a person who would rather listen to Lil' Wayne or Mary J. Blige? I enjoy Mary & Wayne as much as the next person, but Mary and Wayne got theirs. We've got to return to our personal realities and get ours.
As I stated, I understand times are hard. Everyone has their own cross to bear; remember, I acknowleged these things. However, my point is this, you can only do so much for people before they have to pick up and carry their fair share of the load. The people who are just getting by are at least doing THAT much. Those who are successful are those who carry their weight and then some.
Let me share a quick story with you. By vocation, I am a police officer. In my capacity as such, I have a front row seat to what hopelessness really is. One day I had to transport a prisoner from one county jail to the workhouse in my county. When we picked him up and began doing his paperwork, I learned that he and I have the same birth date. Not the samy birth-DAY. The same birth-DATE. We were even born in the same hospital. So, INITIALLY, the only thing separating me from him was a few hours. Granted, we had different families and perhaps different upbringings, but every day he had on this planet, I have had. At some point we became of age to know right from wrong and make our own choices accordingly. In the end, what put me in the front seat of that squad car and him in the back seat of that car was the choices we made in our lives.
Ultimately, the choices we make are what separates ALL of us from one another.
Personally my friend, I believe that there is greatness in everyone, but I also believe that most people are either too afraid or too lazy to tap into the greatness that exists within themselves, and want someone else to do it for them.
With that, I will close with two age-old addages that I am certain you have heard, agree with, and perhaps have even said ...
"God helps those who help themselves."
"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."
Just like an addict cannot overcome his or her addiction until they hit rock-bottom and, within themselves, acknowledge that they have a problem, any person who is sick & tired of being sick & tired must see their condition for what it is, and if it's someplace they don't want to be, they must first believe they have the ability to improve themselves, find the power that exists within them, and then TAKE ACTION.
You can see all the potential in the world that a person may have, but if he or she doesn't see it for themselves and utilize it, that potential will only go to waste.
"ASK HR!"
Debora Jackson:
"Reed ... Perhaps you can help motivate the unemployed? There are a lot of unemployed people out there who have given up and lost hope in their ability to find employment, and due to a lack of self-confidence they no longer trust their ability to seek out business ventures/opportunities on their own. Along with that many of them have become stressed out, negative and depressed. They have become their own worst enemy. Perhaps a great inspirational/motivational speaker such as yourself can give them the boost they need."
First of all, let me make one thing perfectly clear. I am NOT the one to pat people on the butt and say “It’s going to be okay” in a soft, warm and fuzzy voice. That’s not where the source of my personal power comes from; therefore, it plays no part in the essence of the message I deliver and how I deliver it. The “HRJR Philosophy” is a bit more aggressive than that.
The essence of the “HRJR Philosophy” is more in line with the mentality that if there is something you want to have in life, you’re going to have to get up off your butt and go after it. Those who follow the “HRJR Philosophy” understand and accept that doing so will not be easy and that it’s not supposed to be. They understand that anything worth having must be earned through some form of struggle so that the victory is truly sweet and the prize well-deserved.
With that said, the root word of “motivate” is “MOTIVE.” Another word for motive is purpose. The purpose of any person who is unwillingly unemployed should be to seek employment. Additionally, the 2nd half of the word “motivate” is “ATE,” which is the past tense of the word “eat.” In other words, the purpose of any person who is unwillingly unemployed should be to seek employment so that they may have the means to eat. In short, they should have a purpose to find the means to eat!
I have no tolerance for quitters. I have no tolerance for people who “give up hope.” As long as you are blessed with the spirit to wake up and get out of bed, you have the means to get out there and grind and make that day better than the one before, and if it doesn’t turn out that way – SO WHAT?! Go to bed with the HOPE to wake up the next day and grind again.
I understand that times are hard. I make no joke of it, and do not take the harshness and humiliation of unemployment lightly. However, the reality is that times are hard for just about everyone on some level or another. In some way, everyone has some kind of cross to bear. Everyone has a sad story to tell; but people have choices, and based on those choices they can determine what the ending of that story can and will be. Based on those choices their story can either end like a fairy tale - happily ever after, or like a Shakespearean tragedy where all of the characters die at the end.
Let’s be real here. For many people, they don’t have a hard time finding a job. They are having a hard time finding the job they want. They are having a hard time finding a job that will pay them what they want to be paid. The key word here is “want.” People have a serious deficiency when it comes to distinguishing the difference between the things they want and the things they need. You might want a job that pays a lot of money; but if you’re unemployed, the reality is you NEED a job that pays money period. You might be qualified for the boardroom, but you might have to work your way up out of the mailroom.
For those people who find themselves with a “lack of self-confidence,” who “no longer trust their ability to seek out business ventures/opportunities on their own,” I can only say that the only place where they can find, cultivate, and exude “self-confidence” is within themselves! The operative word here is "SELF!" However, since "inspiration" is some kind of necessity here ... let's break down the word backwards ...
"ATION" - The result of an action or process.
"SPIR" - The root of the word "SPIRIT".
"IN" - as in "WITH-IN."
Now let's bring it back ... The result of "ACTING SPIRIT WITHIN!"
There is nothing I can say to a person to build them up and shine if they are not willing to flip the switch to the “on” position within themselves. There is nothing I can say to convince a person to “seek out business ventures/opportunities on their own” if they “no longer trust their ability” to do so.
Those who are the greatest at what they do are such because they believe in themselves more than anyone else does. Some people are successful despite the odds because they suffer from an affliction that I call “the Bumble Bee Effect,” which is more commonly referred to as “ignorant intelligence.” They succeed because they don’t know that they cannot succeed. I call it “the Bumble Bee Effect” because by all laws of physics, the bumble bee is not supposed to be able to defy the laws of gravity. Its body is far heavier than its wings’ capacity to carry it, but the only problem is that everybody except the bee knows this. The bee doesn’t know it’s supposed to be incapable of flight, so what does it do? It flies!
So … for those who allow the stress and negativity to get the best of them, they are in fact their own worst enemy. You see, there’s a difference between being knocked down and being knocked out; and even if you get knocked out, if you aren’t dead, at some point you are going to wake up and get up. The room will stop spinning and the stars and birds will stop circling around your head like in the cartoons. When that happens, you get up and you start fighting again. What does every fighter who loses a fight do? They either quit the sport or they go back to the gym and train harder for the next fight.
(MY motivator) Les Brown always says, “When life knocks you down – and it will – try to land on your back; because if you can look up, you can get up.”
Pastor Donnie McLurkin sings, “We fall down, but we get up. We fall down, but we get up. We fall down, but we get up – oh yeah – For a saint is just a sinner who fell down, but got back up.”
This is life. This applies to getting a job as well. The most important thing is to get something going on so you can have something coming in. You might have to take a job that you feel is beneath you. You might have to go back to school and get more education and training. SO WHAT?! You’ve got to do something!
There is no excuse for being unemployed if there are still jobs in the Classified section of the newspaper, and I have never seen one newspaper with a Classified section that said, “Sorry, we ain’t got nothin’ for you today – Holla back tomorrow!” Get out there and hit the bricks. I don’t care if the add in the paper says, “Mail in your resume’ – Don’t come to the office.” WHAT?! If you’re hungry you better be there to hand in that resume’ in person! What’s the worst thing that could happen – they won’t hire you? Well, if you don’t get the job - you can’t miss what you never had. On the flipside, how do you know whether or not that little blurb in the ad was a trick placed by that potential employer to filter out the hungry from the hacks?
Times are hard now, but those people who believe that to only be a temporary condition; who actively and consistently work towards changing that condition, those will be the people who will eventually find themselves on their way back to top, on the top … or beyond!
No matter how many times you might get knocked down, you will never be considered a failure as long as you get up one more time than you get knocked down.
"Reed ... Perhaps you can help motivate the unemployed? There are a lot of unemployed people out there who have given up and lost hope in their ability to find employment, and due to a lack of self-confidence they no longer trust their ability to seek out business ventures/opportunities on their own. Along with that many of them have become stressed out, negative and depressed. They have become their own worst enemy. Perhaps a great inspirational/motivational speaker such as yourself can give them the boost they need."
First of all, let me make one thing perfectly clear. I am NOT the one to pat people on the butt and say “It’s going to be okay” in a soft, warm and fuzzy voice. That’s not where the source of my personal power comes from; therefore, it plays no part in the essence of the message I deliver and how I deliver it. The “HRJR Philosophy” is a bit more aggressive than that.
The essence of the “HRJR Philosophy” is more in line with the mentality that if there is something you want to have in life, you’re going to have to get up off your butt and go after it. Those who follow the “HRJR Philosophy” understand and accept that doing so will not be easy and that it’s not supposed to be. They understand that anything worth having must be earned through some form of struggle so that the victory is truly sweet and the prize well-deserved.
With that said, the root word of “motivate” is “MOTIVE.” Another word for motive is purpose. The purpose of any person who is unwillingly unemployed should be to seek employment. Additionally, the 2nd half of the word “motivate” is “ATE,” which is the past tense of the word “eat.” In other words, the purpose of any person who is unwillingly unemployed should be to seek employment so that they may have the means to eat. In short, they should have a purpose to find the means to eat!
I have no tolerance for quitters. I have no tolerance for people who “give up hope.” As long as you are blessed with the spirit to wake up and get out of bed, you have the means to get out there and grind and make that day better than the one before, and if it doesn’t turn out that way – SO WHAT?! Go to bed with the HOPE to wake up the next day and grind again.
I understand that times are hard. I make no joke of it, and do not take the harshness and humiliation of unemployment lightly. However, the reality is that times are hard for just about everyone on some level or another. In some way, everyone has some kind of cross to bear. Everyone has a sad story to tell; but people have choices, and based on those choices they can determine what the ending of that story can and will be. Based on those choices their story can either end like a fairy tale - happily ever after, or like a Shakespearean tragedy where all of the characters die at the end.
Let’s be real here. For many people, they don’t have a hard time finding a job. They are having a hard time finding the job they want. They are having a hard time finding a job that will pay them what they want to be paid. The key word here is “want.” People have a serious deficiency when it comes to distinguishing the difference between the things they want and the things they need. You might want a job that pays a lot of money; but if you’re unemployed, the reality is you NEED a job that pays money period. You might be qualified for the boardroom, but you might have to work your way up out of the mailroom.
For those people who find themselves with a “lack of self-confidence,” who “no longer trust their ability to seek out business ventures/opportunities on their own,” I can only say that the only place where they can find, cultivate, and exude “self-confidence” is within themselves! The operative word here is "SELF!" However, since "inspiration" is some kind of necessity here ... let's break down the word backwards ...
"ATION" - The result of an action or process.
"SPIR" - The root of the word "SPIRIT".
"IN" - as in "WITH-IN."
Now let's bring it back ... The result of "ACTING SPIRIT WITHIN!"
There is nothing I can say to a person to build them up and shine if they are not willing to flip the switch to the “on” position within themselves. There is nothing I can say to convince a person to “seek out business ventures/opportunities on their own” if they “no longer trust their ability” to do so.
Those who are the greatest at what they do are such because they believe in themselves more than anyone else does. Some people are successful despite the odds because they suffer from an affliction that I call “the Bumble Bee Effect,” which is more commonly referred to as “ignorant intelligence.” They succeed because they don’t know that they cannot succeed. I call it “the Bumble Bee Effect” because by all laws of physics, the bumble bee is not supposed to be able to defy the laws of gravity. Its body is far heavier than its wings’ capacity to carry it, but the only problem is that everybody except the bee knows this. The bee doesn’t know it’s supposed to be incapable of flight, so what does it do? It flies!
So … for those who allow the stress and negativity to get the best of them, they are in fact their own worst enemy. You see, there’s a difference between being knocked down and being knocked out; and even if you get knocked out, if you aren’t dead, at some point you are going to wake up and get up. The room will stop spinning and the stars and birds will stop circling around your head like in the cartoons. When that happens, you get up and you start fighting again. What does every fighter who loses a fight do? They either quit the sport or they go back to the gym and train harder for the next fight.
(MY motivator) Les Brown always says, “When life knocks you down – and it will – try to land on your back; because if you can look up, you can get up.”
Pastor Donnie McLurkin sings, “We fall down, but we get up. We fall down, but we get up. We fall down, but we get up – oh yeah – For a saint is just a sinner who fell down, but got back up.”
This is life. This applies to getting a job as well. The most important thing is to get something going on so you can have something coming in. You might have to take a job that you feel is beneath you. You might have to go back to school and get more education and training. SO WHAT?! You’ve got to do something!
There is no excuse for being unemployed if there are still jobs in the Classified section of the newspaper, and I have never seen one newspaper with a Classified section that said, “Sorry, we ain’t got nothin’ for you today – Holla back tomorrow!” Get out there and hit the bricks. I don’t care if the add in the paper says, “Mail in your resume’ – Don’t come to the office.” WHAT?! If you’re hungry you better be there to hand in that resume’ in person! What’s the worst thing that could happen – they won’t hire you? Well, if you don’t get the job - you can’t miss what you never had. On the flipside, how do you know whether or not that little blurb in the ad was a trick placed by that potential employer to filter out the hungry from the hacks?
Times are hard now, but those people who believe that to only be a temporary condition; who actively and consistently work towards changing that condition, those will be the people who will eventually find themselves on their way back to top, on the top … or beyond!
No matter how many times you might get knocked down, you will never be considered a failure as long as you get up one more time than you get knocked down.
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