Tag: opportunities

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motivation

Obstacles and Goals

Quote: Obstacles are what a person sees when he takes his eye off his goals." E. Joseph Cossman

There are obstacles, and there are goals. Obstacles are all around us and easy to spot.

  • They can be the construction zone that makes you late for work.
  • It can be a little virus that shuts down the world for a few months.
  • They can even be something good like kids or parents that need care or a challenge at work.

Nobody has a problem spotting obstacles.

Goals are harder to see. They require some trailblazing. Yes, may ask you to boldly go where no one has gone before. They can be part of a vision that is unique to you, your family, and your situation. Goals make us reach for something that may feel out of reach. And they may inspire you to go around, over, or through an obstacle.

We will always have obstacles. But not everyone has goals. We will always have things that frustrate us. But not everyone has a vision that will help them see beyond today.

Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eye off the goal.

E. Joseph Cossman

E. Joseph Cossman

Mr. Cossman was an interesting guy. He would see an opportunity, then act on it. He perfected mail-order marketing and pioneered infomercials. He sold such items as “shrunken heads,” spud guns, and ant farms. Later in life, he would teach and inspire others to sell and market their products.

He saw an opportunity where others saw obstacles. That’s what a goal will do for you and me. It’s too easy to see the problems and bad news in the world. You don’t even need to look for it. It will come to you. It takes special effort to define goals and look beyond the everyday obstacles of life.

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K! Magazine Kidzmatter Magazine Magazine motivation

Use This Opportunity Well

Cartoon of a boy and a baby. The boy lectures the baby: "You are the next generation. Don't squander your opportunity like my generation!"
Previously published in "K! Kidzmatter Magazine."

I really do think that any deep crisis is an opportunity to make your life extraordinary in some way.

Martha Beck

There is no doubt everyone is experiencing some kind of crisis right now.

  • Some people are quarantined in their own homes
  • Others are out of work as they wait to see if these extraordinary measures will work
  • Some have seen their retirement funds evaporate in a stock market roller coaster ride
  • Some have made a run to the store and are wondering what they will do with a six-month supply of toilet paper
  • Some are nervously washing their hands, disinfecting everything and are suspicious of anyone who isn’t doing the same

We have an opportunity through all of this to be an example. This will all blow over eventually. When we come out on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic, will we be proud of the way we showed kindness, consideration and courage? or will we be ashamed of the way we regressed a selfish, fearful shell of ourselves? The younger generations are watching us. Make the most of this opportunity to show the best of humanity.

Cartoon of a boy and a baby. The boy lectures the baby: "You are the next generation. Don't squander your opportunity like my generation!"
Previously published in “K! Kidzmatter Magazine.”
Categories
motivation

The Benefits of Feeling Nervous

Cartoon of a girl scolding a kitten. She says, "Come down from there! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

“Nerves are the body’s response to opportunity.”

Ken Coleman

Are you nervous? Are you out on a limb and wondering if you did the right thing? Are friends and loved ones trying to talk you out of it? Then it may be a good sign you are staring at opportunity.

It takes audacity to embrace an opportunity. If the dream is big enough, you are naturally going to feel nervous. You’ll feel a little adrenaline rush as you take the plunge.

Cartoon of a girl scolding a kitten. She says, "Come down from there! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

It’s okay to feel nervous as you go out on a limb. You may find on the other end of the opportunity that it was the best decision you ever made.

Categories
motivation

The Opportunity of Change

Winter scene with snow on branches

This weekend, I made my way out into the snow. The roads were slick. So I wore ice cleats. The wind was stiff, so I wore a jacket. Cars and SUV’s were out, so I had a bright orange cap. The winter weather didn’t bother me. In fact, I enjoyed the change of pace.

It would have been easy to chuck it all. It looked frigid outside. The coffee was already brewing and I smelled breakfast. But I knew I would enjoy it more after I went out for a run. The scenery was beautiful, after all. It reminded me of a quote from a book I am reading.

Above all, effective executives treat change as an opportunity rather than a threat.

Peter Drucker in The Effective Executive, Page xviii

I could have decided what was outside was a threat or an opportunity. I am glad I took the opportunity and I got some great views out of the venture. the trees and bushes were covered in snow. By the afternoon, it was all off the branches.

  • Winter scene on a roadway
  • Snowy scene
  • snowy scene with a pedestrian bridge and a creek
  • Winter scene with snow on branches
Winter scenes on a January, morning run

Circumstances are changing all the time, like wet snow on a January morning. Do you see it as an opportunity or a threat? In order to be effective, choose to see the changing environment as an opportunity.

Categories
motivation

Change Comes When You Accept Responsibility

Cartoon of a dog retrieving a laptop

The other day, I had a conversation with two people at different times in the same organization.

One said, “Things aren’t the way they used to be!” And I suppose they are right. Things always change. I’ve also noticed our perceptions change over the years. We look at the past as the good old days no matter how hard or brutal they were.

The other person said to me, “Oh, that’s just the way things are here! It’s always been that way. They’ll never change!” Wait a minute! They can’t both be right. Either things have changed or they never have. They were both looking at some challenges, but had two very different perspectives.

Yet, both views had a few things in common.

  • They were frustrated and didn’t see a solution
  • They weren’t taking responsibility for a solution
  • They decided the challenges were someone else’s problem

As a person who has worked in publishing, I’ve seen many changes. I have also seen businesses that have had trouble adjusting to change. Newspapers are a big example of that. I get that the glory days of newsprint are gone. And it’s just not the same.

Cartoon of a dog retrieving a laptop

But at a certain point, organizations (which are the people within an organization) must change. The past is gone. We need to deal with the present, not live in the past.

At the same time, if a challenge has always been in an organization, it is the responsibility of each person to change for the better. Everyone has the ability to grow, adapt and improve. When each person accepts that responsibility, businesses, and organizations grow with the new and improved workforce.

We can all be change agents. Let’s make it happen!