Four Words That Make Life Worthwhile

“Indecision is the thief of opportunity.”

Were you able to take action this week? What actions did you take which will support you in getting STRONGER! WISER! BETTER!?

Since spring time is a time for action and new beginnings, this is a time to once again look at what it is you want to accomplish in 2016. It’s a review of your monthly goals. It’s the time to re-evaluate how you are going to make your life different in 2016 than in 2015.

Jim Rohn, one of my very favorite authors and speakers has “sought out ideas, principles, and strategies to life and life’s challenges.” When I read something this powerful from someone who I admire and someone whose life exemplified his words, I listen. There are four words, according to Rohn, that make living worthwhile. This is the focus for today’s blog. I encourage you to read this keeping your own goals, aspirations, and desires for 2016 in mind.

“First, according to Jim, life is worthwhile if you LEARN.” Often times we’ll hear someone say, “We don’t know what we don’t know.” It was over coffee with Barbara and Gaylene where we talked about raising our children and how things are different today. We lamented on not doing some things to support healthy eating with our toddlers, however, we also realized we did do some things right. Information and best practices do change but things change because there’s LEARNING taking place. New data, new approaches, new safety features etc. etc. and now our grandchildren are reaping the rewards of their parents LEARNING what supports young children in today’s world.

We all must LEARN in order to exist in the world today let alone be successful. By successful I mean success as an individual, as an employer or employee, as a spouse, a parent, a college student, an athlete etc. “Life is all about experiences whether positive or negative. Sometimes our learning comes first from doing it wrong.” Jim Rohn calls that a positive negative. To me, that’s the first way most of us learn, we do it wrong. When we’re first learning to talk or walk, when we first start any type of organized sport, when we first start kindergarten. All these are the firsts of many. Early on we have our parents, coaches, teachers cheering us on with each “baby step” and each attempt at something new.

When is it that we lost that adventurous attitude of doing something over and over again until we got it right? When was it we began to interpret suggestions as criticism? When was it we began to compare ourselves to others who may be picking something up faster? When was it we began to give up when things were harder? When was it when we began to have negative feelings about ourselves? These scenarios have happened to all of us, so what is the difference between those that continue to complain, blame, and have excuses about why they can’t do something and those that push on to eventually be successful?

For me, the key is MINDSET! If we’re always embracing new LEARNING then we will pay attention to the way things are done correctly. “We will learn from other people’s experiences, both positive and negative. This is equally valuable information since we can learn what not to do without the frustration of having tried and failed ourselves. As a side note, if we are continuously LEARNING, we will also surround ourselves with “balcony people.” These are people who are there to encourage, teach, and support us on that learning curve of life. There will also be those people who are more “basement  people” who are ready to laugh and belittle us when we’ve stumbled. They will be the ones to play on our vulnerable times and are dream stealers. These are the people we need to avoid and/or leave behind.

Our encouraging friends, parents, teachers, and coaches will not let us get by with the bare minimum but will push us to be the best we can be. Their motivation is for US to be the best we can be. Their focus is NOT their own ego. They will be there to encourage us to get back up and try again. They will be the ones to show us what we’re doing wrong AND will go the next step and show us how to do it right. Our job then is to be open to LEARN.

We LEARN from what we read so LEARN from every source; LEARN from lectures, songs, sermons, conversations with experts and people who care. In addition, we LEARN by what we see so our job is to pay attention. We LEARN by what we hear so our job is to be a good listener. Of course that does mean we are selective with who we are listening to and not let the “basement people” dump on us. I recently shared a quote on Facebook that I think speaks to who we are listening to in order to LEARN in a positive way. The quote read, “Ships don’t sink because of the water around them; ships sink because of the water that gets in them. Don’t let what’s happening around you get inside you and weigh you down.”

Second, according to Jim, life is worthwhile if you TRY and I’ll use the word ACTION. You can’t just learn; now is the time for ACTION.  ACTION in your life will make a difference, ACTION will lead to progress, ACTION will help you to learn a new skill, a new sport, a new technique etc. If you never take ACTION on your learning how will you ever know what you can do? Do your best, give it every effort, open yourself up to helpful, constructive criticism so you can do it again. I love watching really good coaches who are skilled at teaching the nuances of footwork for a quarterback or the hand position when shooting a free throw. I love watching really good teachers in a classroom who can teach multiplication to a variety of students with a variety of learning styles. It’s magic.

If you take ACTION you are now of the mindset that repetition and LEARNING are part of the process. Remember…Practice DOES NOT make perfect. However, PERFECT PRACTICE does lead to perfection.

Jack Canfield is quoted to have said, “Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.” The infamous John Wooden says, “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” There's much LEARNING from these two quotes.

Third, “life is worthwhile if you STAY. You have to stay from spring to harvest.” If you have signed up for the class or for the sport season or for the project – see it through. When you start something see it through to the end. DON’T allow yourself to consider quitting in the middle. Maybe the next season you decide not to play a specific sport but you gave your all when you were there. Maybe you realize the next time you don’t want to take the lead on a project or you decide you’re not going to continue volunteering for a certain organization, that’s ok. What isn’t ok, is to quit in the middle.

A good friend’s daughter went to an East coast school to play soccer. It was a tough school academically and college soccer was demanding a lot more time and focus than when she was in high school. The coaches were “mean, demanding, not fair” etc. etc. Her parents, being a long way away, were getting the phone calls of frustration, tears, and emotional tirades. They were able to listen, encourage, and suggested she talk to the coach, but they would never let her quit. They made it abundantly clear that she had made a commitment, and she had a scholarship where she was also expected to have a certain grade point average to maintain that scholarship. If at the end of the year, she was still wanting to leave then and only then would she be able to quit.

Interestingly enough, things changed the second semester. She was getting more playing time, the coach was giving her more positive encouragement, and she had a clearer picture of what it took to be a student athlete. Her parents were her “balcony people.” They were NOT helicopter parents! They had the mindset that their daughter needed to LEARN, she needed to take ACTION and take ACTION of adjusting to the next level's demands. She had to STAY to at least finish out her first year of college. (As a side note, this young lady is not leaving at the end of the year.)

Finally, if life is worthwhile you CARE. “If you CARE at all you will get some results, but if you CARE enough you can get incredible results. Care enough to make a difference. Care enough to turn somebody around. CARE enough to start a new business or a new program. CARE enough to be the best YOU that YOU can be for your family, your children, your friends. Most important, CARE enough for YOU!!

Stephen Covey says,”I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my choices.” I hope your choices include these four powerful words: LEARN, ACTION, STAY, and CARE!

I wish you a week and a future of making a difference in your life by putting these words to work in your life.