If you're like me, you were taught that if you just
DO enough of the right things . . . you will BE a Success.
That's not exactly how it works!
The real story is . . . if you can shift your focus,
you can BE wildly successful!
Here is a real-life illustration of this Truth:
My husband, Elon, and I took our 7 year old grandson,
Louis tent camping last weekend.
Not only was it a weekend of "play," but of learning also.
I'm not sure whether Louis learned more from us . . .
or whether we learned more from him.
We camped at Cape Henlopen, which is a State Park along the
Delaware Coast of the Atlantic Ocean.
There is an Observation Tower that was used by the soldiers
of World War II to keep watch over our shores.
The 75-foot Tower has been maintained and is open to the
Public for climbing to the top via a spiral staircase.
The view is absolutely incredible, with the full scope of
the ocean complete with lighthouses and sandy beaches.
Ascending the stairs of the Tower, there are open sections
whereby you can be teased with anticipation of what there is
to see when you reach the top.
At one point, after we had climbed about 60 feet, Louis
noticed through the peep holes, that we had risen above
the treetops, and all of a sudden he came to a screeching
halt and refused to take one more step.
He spewed out explanations of why he couldn't . . . shouldn't . . . wouldn't . . . go any farther and that he emphatically wasn't going to DO it!
He was afraid of the height and wasn't budging!
Elon and I looked at each other and decided that if we
were going to make it to the top, we were going to have
to empower this kid to change his stance!
So we started sharing with him that he could BE anything
he wanted to BE, which included Courageous . . . Committed . . .
Enthusiastic . . . etc. and how BEing those qualities makes a
world of difference in how we view things and therefore,
what we get to experience in our lives!
We told him we saw him as BEing able to S-T-R-E-T-C-H and
that if HE could see what WE saw (in him), he would be
excited about the possibilities!
After only about 5 minutes of encouragement, he took a
deep breath. (breathing's good) :-}
And took the first step . . . then another . . . then another . . . then another 15 feet, and we were there!
The Top of The World!!!
He was so excited, not just from the view, but from the
accomplishment!
We reveled in the experience!
Afterwards, we did MORE cool things, such as saving a
horseshoe crab that washed ashore and was upside down
on the verge of being eaten by the vulture seagulls.
Picked up cool shells for MomMom's garden. :-}
Saved a box turtle from traffic and getting squished!
Scurried to build protection from the surprise storm
that brought torrential rain on our campsite.
Built the coolest campfire, complete with the roasting
of marshmallows, etc.
It was an action-packed day that kept all three of us,
in a state of exhilarating fun!
As I tucked him into his sleeping bag later that evening,
I asked him what was the best part of the day for him.
He said, "the stretch . . . to climb the stairs" because it
proved to him that he could BE anything he wanted to BE!
(Hearing him say that . . . was MY favorite part of the day!) :-}
Where did Elon and I get so smart?
:-}
Here is an excerpt from a thought-provoking article that
had impacted us in such a way that we were able to empower
Louis to his moment of glory:
Being In Abundant Action Toward Your Dreams . . . Opening up more possibilities for success with Intended Results, by Teresa Romain (excerpt used with permission)
"Often, I write about shifting the "context" or "formula" for
approaching life by focusing on being qualities that are congruent with abundance instead of on doing things like exercising, paying bills, and making money.
"When you focus on being courageous, consistent, creative, and
playful, among others, you will find that you are more empowered,
productive, and abundant than you are when you focus only on what
you have to do."
IS there a difference in the outcome if we focus on the BEing
rather than the DOing?
Absolutely! Aren't we just BIG kids?
Knowing kids in general, and Louis, in particular (the way
that I do), if I had said, "Now, come on, Louis, we NEED you
to DO this!"
OR "you can do it . . . come ON!"—he would have become
argumentative and continued to repeat, "I CAN'T DO it!"
:-{
But because we spoke with him about, "you can BE courageous,"
"you can BE excited," "you can BE open to new possibilities,"
he was more than willing to try it out and as a result,"
it was effortless! :-}
So . . . have you got a tower to climb?
Maybe a few emails to write . . . phone calls to make?
:-}
Instead of focusing on the DOing, which may bring out that
rebellious part of you . . . that even if it isn't very loud,
is screaming, "I don't WANT to!" :-{ —imagine yourself as BEing courageous, BEing responsible, BEing committed, BEing disciplined, BEing enthuiastic about the possiblities . . .
Then see if YOUR Climb to the Top . . . will be more effortless also!
===============================================
