Whether you love or hate Tom, who doesn't love Jerry Maguire? Everyone I know saw it...People still quote it..."Show me the money", "you complete me" and "the human head weighs 8 pounds". Well as silly as it is to say I had a Jerry Maguire moment when Jerry Maguire is a figment of someone's imagination, I did...Spoiler Alert: In this post, I do not "complete" anyone. I have not been "completed" by anyone. Nor do I seek completion or to complete anyone. I did however have a Jerry Maguire style Epiphany.
My life these days consists of working full time, parenting full time, and being a wife full time all the while reading, watching, seeking, and imagining what is the secret to the fulfilled life. Don't get me wrong, my blessings are abundant. I have NO complaints! But I still want to discover that mysterious thing that you see in people every once in a while... what is it that makes you think, "I want THAT"?
Well, it was just my luck that I had lunch with one of my best friends not long ago. We have lunch on a regular basis and it always proves to be good for the soul for both of us. But this past time, our standing lunch date revealed to me an exciting opportunity to grow while at the same time help others! But in a very indirect manner.
The long story short, my friend has a friend that is a life coach and at some point during our lunch, guards down, friend to friend, she said..."You should do that!" So I got a meeting with her friend and we talked... we talked about perspective, priorities, energy, and on and on..and here is my Epiphany:
All around us, people talk about problems, challenges, frustrations. Everyone has "issues", excuses or special circumstances. These labels are barriers. They are road blocks. They equate to saying, "I quit" or "this problem is bigger than me". My friend's friend, the "life coach" talked about seeing situations as opportunities. I thought about that and I liked it...and as my thoughts flooded into my mind, the notion of choice and chance kept popping up. Perception is reality. Self fulfilling prophecy. Life is what you make it. The cliches are endless. But the bottom line is this: do you see things as a challenge or as a chance? A challenge implies a problem, and it requires a winner and a loser. A chance is an opportunity for all to win! And it is OUR choice.
Being the person that I am, I had to plug this into a real life scenario to see if my BIG IDEA can hold water... so I envision a scenario where my store has employee trouble. If I were in a situation where I had an employee problem, looking at it as a challenge makes me feel like I am against that person. I feel like I have to win or change them in order for the situation to be resolved. Now, think of an employee "problem" as a CHANCE. I have a chance to tell the employee what I expect of them. I have a chance to find out if my employee is going through a tough time. I may have a chance to develop new skills in another person. I certainly have a chance to grow as a manager/boss/owner. I have a chance to make our organization better! The thought of challenge brings feelings of dread or stress, while the thought of chance is a breath of fresh air and allows for possibility and opportunity.
I am not going to lie to you...it is not always easy to be positive in a culture that paints a Goya-esque picture of our future that looks dreadful at best. But I will continue to try because I have three kids that will develop their attitudes and outlooks on life in my home, following my example. By seeing situations that may not be the greatest as a CHANCE to grow, or learn, or teach, can make all the difference. And I get that chance!
