Image from:
Brian Tracy
I receive email newsletters from a few online sources. Brian Tracy recently sent me one of his daily emails that said:
What would happen if I followed you around with a camera crew 24/7 for the next 100 days?
If someone is watching us with our knowledge we would most likely:
–Be on our best behavior.
–Follow through on our promises.
–Do everything we can reach our life goals.
The concept behind this email and all of Brian Tracy’s emails is to promote positive reinforcement in the workplace and in our personal lives. Do you think you would act differently if you knew someone was filming you? Maybe not, if you consider all the reality programs that DO actually follow people around with a film crew.
Look at the disasters of some of the lives followed by film crews in the past:
–The Kardashians
–Honey Boo Boo
Let me just say that I have NEVER seen any of these programs. I’m simply going on what I’ve heard.
I think if a film crew followed your typical person for 100 days as Brian Tracy hypothetically suggests in his email, you’d see that person do his best to follow through on his goals, to follow through on the promises he made.
So why is it so challenging for us to do what we love otherwise?
Who are we beholden to if not ourselves?
In the end we have only ourselves to reflect back on.
Do you want to live a life of regret? One that can only think:
Woulda. Shoulda. Coulda.
I don’t know about you, but that is certainly not a life I want and it is why I defied everyone who attempted to pigeonhole me. At one time I worked with an organization in New Haven, Connecticut. This organization was supposed to be promoting my skills, benefiting me, and helping me find a career. As it turned out they were the biggest culprit in keeping me down.
They weren’t consciously doing this. They just didn’t take the time to learn about me and understand that I had skills vastly different from what they were expected to see. As an example and what led me to dissolving my relationship with them, the last two positions they found for me were, (Are you sitting down?)
Dishwasher
Elevator operator
Seriously?
I was livid when these people who were expected to help me were actually putting me down. Whatever I suggested to them for a career, they found some excuse not to explore.
Pigeonholing! They were attempting to fit a square peg into a round hole. Shortly after this experience, I enrolled at Southern Connecticut State University to pursue a Library Science degree. Once again I heard from the doubters:
What are you gonna do with that degree?
I looked at everyone who asked me that and said:
I’m going to work at the Madison Connecticut Library.
I KNEW beyond doubt that this would come to pass almost as if I travelled seven years into the future and saw the outcome. I don’t think anyone else had the same conviction. That’s alright, though. Because I did.
I didn’t need someone filming me to motivate me.
Do you know what my GREATEST motivation is?
Telling me no.
Doubting me.
Attempting to keep me down.
I think that motivation comes from all the challenges I grew up with. So many times as an infant and a toddler I was told I wouldn’t survive, and each time I surpassed the medical experts diagnosis, I was then told I wouldn’t go to school.
I could very well have listened to these so called “medical experts.”
I could very well have listened to the organization in New Haven.
I didn’t!
I rebelled against everyone who attempted to pigeonhole me.
I received my degree from Southern and graduated with a 3.75 GPA.
I’m not saying that to promote myself.
I’m say that to show that with effort we can defy all expectations others have for us and succeed without any outside motivation, without anyone following us with a camera.
What have you done to defy someone’s, anyone’s expectations?
Be Happy! Be Well! Be Positive!
Blessings to you.
—
Chris
