Author: cbarney.45

No food = one problem. Plenty of food = plenty of problems.

We’re so fortunate, living in America in the 21st century, that we take most of what we have for granted. When you watch the news, you would think that the sky is falling sometimes. There is so much negativity that dominates the headlines, because, let’s face it, negative stories are more captivating.

If you’re above the poverty level, and you don’t have to worry about where your next meal is going to come from, you have it good! It’s ironic though, that when we have plenty of food it seems we have plenty of problems too. Yet, when you have no food, when you don’t have a secure job or a safe place to live, the other problems that bother you and I? They aren’t there anymore. Instead, if you have no food, you only have one problem. It’s a big problem to have, but it puts everything else into perspective. Most of what we get upset about really doesn’t matter.

So if you’re having a bad day, if you think your life is hard, it could be true. But remember, there are others in this world who are going through much worse than you are. Keep your head up. Keep moving in the right direction. The future may seem bleak, but sunshine is right around the corner and better days are coming.

Being proud of the work you do is commendable. You gave your best effort and are happy with the result. Be proud of the effort that you put in to achieve that result. But be careful to not let pride (or ego) of your work get too strong. If you notice yourself getting defensive or unable to take constructive criticism, it’s probably because the criticism is getting in the way of your ego, and your ego doesn’t like it.

We all have egos. We think of ourselves – how this or that action affects us. How other people perceive us. How we perceive ourselves. But if you build up this notion that you are better than others, you’re in for a rude awakening. In his book Ego is the Enemy, Ryan Holiday says “When you focus on and bask in the glory of your talents and strengths, your self-confidence often becomes the self-absorption, arrogance, and fantasy that stifles your growth.”

If your pride/ego is too large, it will hinder you. It can come in the form of arrogance, where you think too highly of yourself and disregard others’ opinions or ideas. It can cause you to take risks that are unnecessary, just to prove to others how great you are. You can look like a know-it-all and shut down your team around you.

Your ego can stop you from asking questions for fear of looking dumb, which ironically puts you further behind because you still don’t fully comprehend what someone was talking about.

Your ego can turn others away from you because they know that you only have your own interests at heart. You will use them – stepping on or over them to get to where you want to be.

So how can you try to keep your ego in check? Be cautious when accepting compliments. They feel good, but little-by-little, they are building your self-image up. The next time someone compliments you, just say thank you and move on.

Be humble. Realize that no matter how good you are, you can always improve. And remember that on your best days, you’re never as great as you think you are, and on your worst days, you’re never as bad as you think you are.

“No one has a greater asset for his business than a man’s pride in his work.” – Hosea Ballou

If you truly take pride in your work, you can be a trusted employee. If you take pride in your word being your bond, you can be a trusted friend. Sometimes employers look for people who are best qualified for a job at the present moment, but they overlook the potential employee’s character traits. This is a mistake. Of course, you want to hire qualified/skilled employees, but not if they’re the wrong cultural fit for your organization.

You can teach an eager individual the necessary skill set as long as they are physically, mentally, and emotionally capable of handling the job. It’s ok to invest a little extra time upfront for the right long-term fit.

What you often can’t do is get someone to change their nature. If they have a poor attitude, but are capable of doing the job, I wouldn’t want them on the team. Why would you want to potentially be around someone for 40 hours per week if they have a negative attitude? Why would you want to deal with the headache of working with someone who doesn’t care about the result of their efforts? If they won’t take pride in their work, don’t hire them.

We live in a time where it’s not uncommon to be doing more, but accomplishing less. Our lives are constantly in motion. Every day has “something” that we have to do, whether it’s for work, for the kids, with family and friends, or an obligation that you feel you need to accomplish to fit within societal norms. When we’re not busy doing this activity or that, then we’re spending more time than ever watching tv or trying to decompress.

We’re being pulled in five different directions. And when we try to fulfill everyone else’s needs, it feels like we’re going to be torn apart. So, we decide to hold off on our own ambitions. We “get by” and do the bare minimum to not lose our standing amongst our peers, co-workers, etc., but we don’t accomplish what is important to ourselves. Is that really how we should be living life?

Instead of doing what everyone else wants you to do, find what moves the needle for you. What gets you excited? What is actually important to you and how can you do more of that? What do you loathe doing and how can you do less of that?

How can you accomplish more by doing less? Can you focus on higher quality time and interactions instead of high quantities of meaningless action? Can you be more effective and efficient with your time?

Make sure that you are saying no to the trivial, so you can say yes to your most important/highest priorities. You’ll not only move the needle further, but you’ll feel more fulfilled.

“A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.” –John C. Maxwell

You will make mistakes in life – a lot of them. But to overcome them and truly become successful, you need all three parts of John Maxwell’s quote above.

First, you need to admit when you are wrong. It goes a long way in the eyes of others when you acknowledge your mistakes. If you know you’re wrong, but don’t admit it, others will either think that you don’t see it or that you don’t want to admit it to them. Either way, those around you will look down on you for it.

Second, you need to be smart enough to profit from your mistakes. This doesn’t mean to profit literally, although that would be ideal. What Maxwell means is to learn from your mistakes and apply that newfound knowledge to not make those same mistakes again. Use that knowledge to propel you to new heights. If you keep making the same mistakes over and over, you either aren’t doing anything about the mistakes that you’re making, you are making the wrong corrections, or the actions you’re taking aren’t big enough to make a tangible difference.

Lastly, once you understand what you need to do, you have to be strong enough to actually do it. Knowing and doing are two different things. It is hard enough to figure out where to go sometimes, but the really hard part is what follows. You need to find the strength to do what must be done.