Have you heard this before: “A rose by any other name…” or “Call a spade a spade?” Allow me to share with you a more contemporary example. In my neighborhood, apparently some complaints were filed about speeding drivers, so the city was kind enough to install some speed reminders. All my life they have been called “speed bumps”, however in this modern day of not wanting to offend anyone with such brutal, reckless, irresponsible words…they have been called all sorts of things like “Speed Humps” and even in here in my own backyard (well…street) they put up signs warning of the “Speed Cushions!” What!? Believe me, there is nothing “cushiony” about these large slabs of concrete. But I guess, this softer language allows someone to say “Oh, we would NEVER install ‘speed bumps.’ We are far nicer; we only install ‘speed cushions’ on our streets” Whatev…
I’m not sure the psychology behind our need to find a nicer way to put things. When I was in college, one day at the end of a semester, one of my friends was walking towards me smiling ear to ear, so proud of her scores for that semester. “I got all A’s except for one B!” she exclaimed with pride. (Isn’t that sort of like saying “I am a virgin except for that one time?”) What I am trying to say is, at some point we should just call it like it is. There is nothing wrong with stating the obvious and calling it by its name.
They are called SPEED BUMPS mister city planner!
The start of a New Year is a great time to recognize and declare things as they truly are. With a new set of months ahead of us and a cool name for the year– 2020–we need to be prepared to claim this year as a ‘win’! Some people may feel like they’re going “Back to the drawing board,” or perhaps someone may feel like they are at “Rock Bottom.” I say in either case – GREAT! At least neither of those statements involves QUITTING or stopping or giving up! Rock bottom is a fantastic benchmark, as there is only UP from there and with the bruises and scars of attaining knowledge and experience comes the victory of growth! Sure, it might have had some pain. Sure, we may need to redefine goals and strategies, but there is nothing in the world wrong with that!
We have a new beginning ahead of us and despite what happened yesterday, or last month or so far…your future is still in your hands. A big part of it is how you approach it, and with what attitude you experience it. As I said before: it’s EASY to be negative and pitiful and feel like it is you vs. the world…and well, guess what…IT IS! But embrace that as a war-wound and forge ahead challenging yourself to make the best of everything you do!
When I was just getting started in my career in video production, I went to the set where an actor was preparing for his next recording. This guy was a professional actor hired to do anything from commercials about toothpaste to documentaries and hosting shows etc. But this particular video we were recording was just about the MOST BORING thing you could ever imagine. I was the editor, so I saw the HOURS of footage (mindless drivel) during which the guy looked directly at the camera and read miles of script and yet somehow, actually looked like it was interesting to him. Believe me..it was NOT. It was an internal video for an insurance company talking all about premiums and changes to policies and other jaw-dropping, heart-pounding, strut-busting excitement. The huge script was being loaded in the tele-prompter and just before the cameras rolled, I had a chance to ask him a question “How do you read such boring stuff and make it sound interesting after long hours of shooting?” He responded with another life-lesson that I have carried. “I make it a personal challenge to see how far I can go making something monotonous sound as interesting as I can.” Sure, he could have drudged through the whole thing…quietly agonizing over the boring topic he was presenting, but instead he decided to make this an opportunity to improve his skill and his craft.
We all have that same decision. We can all face boring, tough, painful, unfair, frightening or down right nasty situations. You can either react to them like Chinese handcuffs (the harder you try to escape the tighter they get), or you can take a deep breath, make a giant gulp and face whatever it is head-on and learn all you can from it. Despite what may have led to you being where you are today, YOU SURVIVED! And not only that, but you are now poised for a fresh new set of downs.
Make the best out of what you have and think of the experiences (good AND bad) you’ve had to this point as an investment in your future. You can either embrace it, learn from it and grow, or sit in a cesspool of anger, shame and regret and go backward instead of forward. Be the difference! Be the one who volunteers first, tries the hardest and cares the most. Success, in this manner, comes in the form of character and integrity untouchable by anyone but YOU.
“Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.”
Albert Einstein
“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”
Henry David Thoreau
“…have faith in God;have faith in yourself; work hard and never let anyone tell you, you can’t do something”.
Elvis Presley