Motivational Monday

Good afternoon friends and family.

I hope you are all doing great today and continuing to change the lives of those who come in contact with you on an hourly basis.  I urge you to continue being change that you seek.  I previously mentioned that I would be posting this on a blog moving forward since too many were not receiving the email and/or loosing it in their spam/junk folders.  You can now find the weekly Motivational Monday at Carly's blog.  As always, this is just something that helps me as I reflect on my previous week and prepare mentally and physically for the week ahead.  The choice is yours if you continue to read. 

I was at church this weekend and we talked about ‘FAILURE’.  The message was powerful and one that can be interpreted many different ways.  We discussed this during the sermon and looked at the five bulleted points listed below.  1. Expect to fail 2. Own up to your failure 3. Grieve over your failure 4. Lift the lid of your failure and look deeper into your mistakes 5. Expect failure!!!  (Yes, this was mentioned twice.  That is how powerful it isJ)  Why would I possible be looking at such a powerful word often referred to in a negative connotation for what is supposed to be a motivational and electrifying message to start the week?

I believe, just as was preached, that failure is inevitable.  We must expect it; however, we to often selfishly deny it, grieve over it, and rarely look deeper into the mistake.  A wonderful example was provided and it has been changed slightly.  Ex: A CEO of the company was stepping down from his position.  As he was doing so, we told the individual taking his place that he/she will fail at least THREE times.  The young individual thought there was no way.  He/she was bright, innovative, energetic and a proven leader hence the promotion into greater power and responsibility.  The last day of work the CEO placed three envelopes in his/her top drawer for when the day came that a mistake had been made and off into the sunset the man went.  The new CEO steps in and is setting new company records, new financial accomplishments, culture changing attitudes, etc.  The life was great for this individual until his/her first failure.  The young CEO remembered his/her predecessor and scrambled for envelope number one which read “BLAME ME”.  The retired man said to blame him.  It is easy to do since he is no longer there to defend himself.  The young CEO did just that.  Time went on and failure number two happened and so the young CEO ran to the drawer for envelope two which read “BLAME THE BOARD”.  The new and young, innovative and bright CEO did just that since he/she was inherited these mistakes according to the old man.  That very week a third failure arose.  Out of habit, he/she ran to the top drawer for the envelope which read “MAKE THREE MORE ENVELOPES BECAUSE FAILURE WILL HAPPEN AGAIN AND IT IS TIME TO LOOK AT YOUR FAULURES”.  This leads me to my next point and the number one message I took from the sermon.

“How you face your failures will determine how you will shape your future.” 

This video below is a short one minute clip of famous failures.  These individuals who you will quickly recognize took failure, digested it, grieved, looked at how it could be changed and turned failure into SUCCESS. 

If you think I am saying that you will fail no matter what it is you do, you have missed the true meaning of this message and I urge you to email me at stevedus@gmail.com for any questions you may have! I challenge you this week to take smart and foolish RISKS knowing that what we do today affects tomorrow.  I want you to do something that is uncharacteristic and outside of your ‘comfort zone’ personally or professionally.  IF failure occurs, you now know how to turn it into motivation and success story.  Who knows…someone may be writing or making a video about you as a famous part of historyJ  I wish you all the best as I know those reading this are destined for great things and will unquestionably impact all those around you.

With Respect,

Dus

Stay tuned for a different message next week.

“If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.”–Charles R. Swindoll