Life's Lessons

Hi Everybody…

However, I can't recall where I first heard it. One of my favorite mottos to remember is: "If you decide not to change your behavior, then you are choosing to live with the results." Life can certainly throw us challenges; at times, it may seem like nothing is going our way.

However, I've noticed that, more often than not, life's challenges stem from my own choices and behavior. I've learned that there's no quicker way to improve a situation than by analyzing my decisions and understanding how my actions contributed to specific outcomes. Once I take stock of my role, I push myself to grow and adjust my behavior before placing blame elsewhere. This approach has consistently led to the best results for me.

Once I acknowledge my role in a situation I'm unhappy with, I actively seek out and identify a new course of action that I believe can alter the trajectory of my path and future outcomes. There have been instances where I've had to let go of specific goals entirely; in other cases, I could maintain them but needed to adopt a different approach. At times, this required a significant increase in effort, and while this additional effort may seem daunting, ultimately, it is a decision each of us must make based on the goals we strive to achieve.

Moreover, it's essential to determine whether the extra effort required is justified. If it is, I believe we should commit to it while postponing blame. While I've never verbally ascribed my life's challenges to my childhood or my parents, I've harbored a deep-seated internal belief that a different upbringing could have led to a potentially better life for me, and I would be remiss if not admitting that at times it held me back.

However, the reality remains that my life could have turned out differently with different parents—perhaps for the better, but more importantly, perhaps worse. I've come to accept that my parents did the best they could with the tools they inherited genetically and emotionally from their upbringing. These lessons have been among the toughest I've ever learned, and it took me years to fully grasp them. In life, we receive various tools—some advantageous and some not- and the distribution of these varies among individuals. We must make the most of the tools we receive and navigate our paths accordingly.

In my roles over the past 35 years, first as an electrical foreman and now as a CEO, I've had the privilege of teaching and observing coworkers, employees, and colleagues in various aspects of their personal and professional lives. Over time, I've noticed a significant correlation: individuals who are overly concerned about others struggle to excel and are less likely to advance in their careers. Conversely, those prioritizing their efforts and growth and focusing less on external factors excel the fastest.

I recently came across a video online (link posted below) that illustrates an individual's journey of overcoming adversity. Despite facing numerous roadblocks, she refrained from blaming others and instead found unconventional ways to navigate her challenges. Her story serves as a powerful reminder that persistence and effort can triumph over life's obstacles. Such narratives bring me immense joy as they reaffirm that I'm not alone in facing challenges, and I draw from their strength and use them to generate my own when looking for inspiration while overcoming my hurdles.

TikTok Link: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMMCSbFMM/