I truly believe that, no matter our chosen field of endeavor, if we strive for excellence there will ALWAYS be room to succeed.
Excellence is achieved by a commitment to daily steps and decisions. And it is never over.
Striving to improve is excellent.
And remember, the joy is in the journey, so make sure you choose to attempt to be excellent as something you actually like doing. I don’t think excellence would be sustainable if there wasn’t happiness to be found in the striving 🙂
It is a must-read book for anyone in any service industry.
The whole premise is, just like the title says, longevity and long-term success in a service-oriented business is all about caring for people (customers and each other).
Funny enough, it is a “false ceiling” that came on my recent deodorant purchase. Basically it keeps the deodorant safe from any crushing damage that could cause the actual lid compress into the deodorant stick.
Why am I writing about this?
Because in our world, there are lots of things that would damage us should we not have an extra layer of protection. And I’m not talking about physical damage or physical protection.
When life throws crushing troubles (or even minor troubles) at you, realize the false ceiling layers that save you and help you get through (relatively) unscathed.
Whether that layer is your faith in God, your friendship circle, your mental fortitude, or your ability to realize that the problem isn’t what damages you, it’s how you choose to respond, or a combination of those and many more, the reality is you will make it through.
Sometimes it is easy to forget we have these layers of protection and we take them for granted.
Sometimes, the situation is so hard we forget they are there.
However, if we just take the time (especially in good times) to remember these protections, they serve us well when called upon.
One chapter I really like discusses how at the end of the day, about an hour before bed it is IMPERATIVE to turn off the tv, the phone, tablet, etc and to truly relax, read and ideally journal.
Messing with technology before bed is all too commonplace (A study quoted in the book stated that over 90% of participants looked at their phone (scrolled) just before bed). The detriments time doing so include: brain waves activating rather than shutting down, suppressing melatonin from the blue lighted screens, and delaying the all-too-important REM sleep.
Instead, unplug, relax and journal. All it takes is to write down 3 wins from the day you had and write 3 you’d like to achieve tomorrow.
Keep them small, but true goals (“having my coffee” is probably not a lofty goal).
When you look back at your wins, think of the people you’ve lifted up and connected with as well.
The world needs connection and you play a huge role in that.
We want something so bad (promotion, a better personal record, a certain salary, some form of measurable success), that we are obsessed with attaining it.
Our happiness becomes tied to “when we succeed.” We fool ourselves into thinking “If I can just get ___, then I will be happy.”
This is obsessive passion.
Harmonious passion on the other hand, is being happy now in the process of attaining success. It is about seeing how far we’ve come already compared to how far we have to go.
And research shows that being obsessively passionate pushes you more toward negative emotions and thoughts. Further research shows, negative thoughts are killers to growth and success.
Gratitude and other positive thoughts however, allow for creativity and flow to take place.
When we are grateful about how far we’ve come while keeping an eye on where we want to go, we see the whole picture and the full beauty of life.
You will have a more probable successful outcome when you can decide to be happy now, be grateful for where and who you are, instead of grasping at something to try to make you happy.
I love this, and thank you for sharing Jessica (my office manager).
However, don’t let this mislead you into thinking the one step will equal achievement.
Another quote a love is “growth is a process, not a light switch.”
They key is to combine both and know the ONE decision you make (or are not making…which is still a decision) will push you toward your goal and could be the final step. But even if it is not the final step, but rather the first or 23445th, making the decision will propel you more toward the life you want.
On December 30th, 2021 our community was shaken by tragedy.
A brush fire, fueled by 100 mph wind gusts, quickly evolved into fear, mayhem and devastation.
Over 900 structures burned, many of which were completely destroyed.
People were forced to evacuate their homes, and told to only grab clothing for a few nights, important documents, and flee.
It has been a tragic ending to 2021 and a devastating beginning for so many to 2022. So many coping with “what do I do now?” “How can we re-build our lives?”
This event is a reminder of how quickly things can change, in a flash.
My family and I are OK, our home is ok, my business is ok, our school is ok. So many people (including friends) were not as fortunate.
I know the community will come together to help rebuild, regenerate and re-grow.
You can help too.
To start, anyone and everyone can help by putting more love into the world. And love is the ONLY thing that can truly overcome devastation.
I love this section on how to actually use jealousy to your advantage.
Comparison can steal your joy, for sure, but only if you have limiting beliefs and do not grasp abundance.
We can look at things/emotions/places/successes others have and decide we can’t have them too bc they already have them, or we can decide that the universe is infinite, and the fact they have them is PROOF we can too!
It’s ALWAYS your decision(s).
So next time that little voice pops up when you feel the pang of jealousy, FLIP IT into the realization that we can achieve all that and more.