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).
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.
As a chiropractor/business owner, numbers are a measuring stick on how well we are doing. New patients, patient visits, collections, expenses, etc. These all help us gauge our success.
Nothing wrong with that.
The problem arises if we put too much emphasis on the numbers and forget the meaning behind them.
Numbers only measure finite things and no matter what we “do”, I highly doubt our purpose lies in the finite.
Our why goes much deeper than what we can measure.
Keep track of the numbers, most definitely, but more importantly, don’t lose sight of what the numbers actually represent.
And dwell a bit more on the things we cannot measure: connection to our patients/customers/co-workers, passion for what we do, the reason we get out of bed and go to work, making each person’s day just a bit better, spreading joy, having fun, expanding life through our “jobs.”
We cannot measure those things directly, but they are the necessary ingredients for any numbers to materialize.
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.
Well, the truth is we humans are great at celebrating and lifting others up, but if we fail to do so for ourselves, we will run our tanks empty pretty quick.
When we take the time to celebrate not only our achievements, but who we are at this very moment, we set the stage for magic to happen.
When you congratulate yourself for a life well loved thus far, you create a plethora of chemical and emotional responses that allow further growth and happiness to take place.
So start with a high five in the mirror. Read this book. Then start loving who you are so you can love others, and move forward in becoming who you want to be!