“Change is inevitable, misery is optional.” –Unknown
It is said that airplane pilots spend more time off course than on course. It is said that they spend the majority of their time making course adjustments.
It is not that they have done or are doing anything wrong. It is just that it comes with the territory.
Pilots are human. Humans are imperfect. We are all imperfect humans that live in an imperfect world.
Therefore, course adjustments are a part of the deal.
If we set out on a project with a certain end-goal in mind, it may be likely that several changes, adjustments, and modifications will be required to successfully reach the goal.
Making changes is not a negative thing. It is interesting that we often perceive change as being negative. We perceive it as a sign that something is wrong with us or our family or our company. We often take it intensely personal.
This is actually a “normal” reaction to change. However, it does not mean that it is “right”. We have to understand how our minds work. We are creatures of habit. Anytime our habit or routine is challenged to change our minds send a signal to our central nervous system that something uncomfortable is taking place. We sense a feeling of stress, a twinge in our stomach, a thought that brings displeasure, or something similar.
This is no big deal. We should never fear chaos because we have the power to create order. We can take authority over our thoughts, feelings, and emotions at any given time and take the actions that are necessary. We have the power to take the proper course of action that will “right the ship”, and keep us on the proper pathway of success.
I have found personally that once I can admit that I don’t “have it all together” and that I need help, and that change is a good thing, I find that I can make it through the process a lot easier.
Making course adjustments is a beautiful thing. It keeps us fresh, creative, and constantly growing. Change comes to make us better, not bitter.
I encourage you to welcome change. Don’t be thrown off kilter just because someone threw you a curve ball. Learn from whatever event that has taken place, make the needed adjustment, and move on down the road of success.
Pilots have to adjust what is known in aviation as there “attitudes”. If they do not adjust their attitudes, i.e., flying instruments, then they place themselves and their precious cargo at great risk. Pilots know the importance of adjusting to the atmosphere and the elements. The same is true for us. We should be confident and bold, but humble enough to make changes when needed. Our attitudes should be positive and pliable, not negative and brittle. In the long run it will help us and those that are with us to reach our desired destinations successfully and safely.
Comeback Questions:
What is your biggest challenge to accepting change?
What is the most effective way to overcome this challenge?
Craig L. Sanders
The Comeback Specialist
http://www.craiglsanders.com/
10/3/10
10/2/10
Make a Good Catch
In football a good catch is not determined by how pretty, athletic, or elegant a catch was. A good catch is one that is caught, one that is held onto until the play is over. When a quarterback throws the football to a receiver and the receiver successfully catches the ball it is called a “completion”.
There are no extra points given for style or if you caught it with one hand, or almost dropped it but held onto it. The point is did you catch the ball?
The same is true for your personal pursuits or business ventures. Make a good catch, not a perfect catch, not a pretty catch, not an impressive catch; just make a catch. Start the project and complete the project.
Launch the business idea, get it started. Start the new initiative in your department. Lead your family in that exciting new direction. Go take the night or weekend class. Write the book. Start the blog. Create the new fashion line. Bake the cake. Go for the new position. Start the new fitness program. Take the vacation. Go get the new client. Whatever it is, just make a good catch. Get it started and get it completed.
Effective entrepreneurs, professionals, and people in general make good catches. They get things done. They do the best that they can at the time. They believe in excellence, not perfection.
Perfectionism may be responsible for killing more dreams than anything else.
You don’t have to be great, just good enough; good enough to get the job done with the best level of excellence that you can muster at that time.
If you were walking on a sidewalk and slipped on a banana peel but didn’t quite fall to the ground, that’s a good catch. If you did happen to fall to the ground you would probably get back up and go at it again. That is still a good catch because I am very confident that you would have learned from the slight mishap. Anytime that you learn from a mishap or a setback it’s a good catch. In our personal and professional lives there may be proverbial banana peels that seem to lie in our pathways, little “hiccups” along the way. There is no need to stop or quit, it’s merely a minor delay. Throw the ball, make a good catch, and advance your team and yourself into new victory.
Comeback Question: What is the best way to recover after a setback?
Craig L. Sanders
The Comeback Specialist
http://www.craiglsanders.com/
There are no extra points given for style or if you caught it with one hand, or almost dropped it but held onto it. The point is did you catch the ball?
The same is true for your personal pursuits or business ventures. Make a good catch, not a perfect catch, not a pretty catch, not an impressive catch; just make a catch. Start the project and complete the project.
Launch the business idea, get it started. Start the new initiative in your department. Lead your family in that exciting new direction. Go take the night or weekend class. Write the book. Start the blog. Create the new fashion line. Bake the cake. Go for the new position. Start the new fitness program. Take the vacation. Go get the new client. Whatever it is, just make a good catch. Get it started and get it completed.
Effective entrepreneurs, professionals, and people in general make good catches. They get things done. They do the best that they can at the time. They believe in excellence, not perfection.
Perfectionism may be responsible for killing more dreams than anything else.
You don’t have to be great, just good enough; good enough to get the job done with the best level of excellence that you can muster at that time.
If you were walking on a sidewalk and slipped on a banana peel but didn’t quite fall to the ground, that’s a good catch. If you did happen to fall to the ground you would probably get back up and go at it again. That is still a good catch because I am very confident that you would have learned from the slight mishap. Anytime that you learn from a mishap or a setback it’s a good catch. In our personal and professional lives there may be proverbial banana peels that seem to lie in our pathways, little “hiccups” along the way. There is no need to stop or quit, it’s merely a minor delay. Throw the ball, make a good catch, and advance your team and yourself into new victory.
Comeback Question: What is the best way to recover after a setback?
Craig L. Sanders
The Comeback Specialist
http://www.craiglsanders.com/
10/1/10
You Can Do More Than What You Give Yourself Credit For
You can do more than you give yourself credit for.
Failure is not final.
An attempt that does not align with your target does not mean you have to bail on your efforts.
If you slipped off your diet or missed an “important” appointment or whatever your blunder happens to be, stop adding “back-story” to it. “Back-story” is all the negative internal and external things that we tell ourselves as to what this failed attempt means. Like a virtual news reporter here are some of the back-stories we tell ourselves: “This happened because I’m just stupid…I can’t believe I was dumb enough to…I’m an idiot…I’m not good enough to win that account…”, etc.
Why does it have to “mean” something? Why can’t it just be a mistake? Why do we have to wrap your entire self-worth around an event that didn’t go the way we wanted it to? Why do we choose to get on the fear and self-loathing ride that is going nowhere but down, and really fast?
These things don’t have to be. The first thing that usually happens when we make a mistake of whatever nature it happens to be is that, we are complete and utter “failures”, unworthy of the air that we are breathing.
When we jump on this train of thought what usually happens is that we settle for things that we really don’t want.
We want more, we want higher and better but we can’t. Why? Well, because we “failed” of course. This is garbage. A failed attempt is nothing more than feedback on what may not be the best route to take in a particular endeavor. Rejection is nothing more than positive redirection.
Learn to give yourself credit for the good things that are in you, the good things that you’ve done, and the good things that you can create. To say that no one is perfect is stating the obvious. That is what personal development is all about. The people that get on in this life are those that acknowledge where they missed it and they simply take actions to fix it. It’s that hard and it’s that easy.
In business, career, relationships, health, finances, or whatever area you can possibly think of, give yourself credit. Every attempt may not be a home run, but if you don’t step up to the plate it is guaranteed that you will never hit one. Baseball legend, Babe Ruth said, “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” Every unsuccessful attempt brings you closer to a better result if you learn from it. So what if you failed on that particular attempt, at least you tried. Plus, look how far you’ve come, not how far you have left to go. Celebrate your progress.
Give yourself credit, stop wrapping twisted self-loathing stories around unsuccessful attempts and step up to the plate and take another swing. It’s time to play the game of life. Sitting on the bench because of a poor performance isn’t helping you or the team, i.e., the people that are counting on you.
Craig L. Sanders
The Comeback Specialist
www.craiglsanders.com
Failure is not final.
An attempt that does not align with your target does not mean you have to bail on your efforts.
If you slipped off your diet or missed an “important” appointment or whatever your blunder happens to be, stop adding “back-story” to it. “Back-story” is all the negative internal and external things that we tell ourselves as to what this failed attempt means. Like a virtual news reporter here are some of the back-stories we tell ourselves: “This happened because I’m just stupid…I can’t believe I was dumb enough to…I’m an idiot…I’m not good enough to win that account…”, etc.
Why does it have to “mean” something? Why can’t it just be a mistake? Why do we have to wrap your entire self-worth around an event that didn’t go the way we wanted it to? Why do we choose to get on the fear and self-loathing ride that is going nowhere but down, and really fast?
These things don’t have to be. The first thing that usually happens when we make a mistake of whatever nature it happens to be is that, we are complete and utter “failures”, unworthy of the air that we are breathing.
When we jump on this train of thought what usually happens is that we settle for things that we really don’t want.
We want more, we want higher and better but we can’t. Why? Well, because we “failed” of course. This is garbage. A failed attempt is nothing more than feedback on what may not be the best route to take in a particular endeavor. Rejection is nothing more than positive redirection.
Learn to give yourself credit for the good things that are in you, the good things that you’ve done, and the good things that you can create. To say that no one is perfect is stating the obvious. That is what personal development is all about. The people that get on in this life are those that acknowledge where they missed it and they simply take actions to fix it. It’s that hard and it’s that easy.
In business, career, relationships, health, finances, or whatever area you can possibly think of, give yourself credit. Every attempt may not be a home run, but if you don’t step up to the plate it is guaranteed that you will never hit one. Baseball legend, Babe Ruth said, “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” Every unsuccessful attempt brings you closer to a better result if you learn from it. So what if you failed on that particular attempt, at least you tried. Plus, look how far you’ve come, not how far you have left to go. Celebrate your progress.
Give yourself credit, stop wrapping twisted self-loathing stories around unsuccessful attempts and step up to the plate and take another swing. It’s time to play the game of life. Sitting on the bench because of a poor performance isn’t helping you or the team, i.e., the people that are counting on you.
Craig L. Sanders
The Comeback Specialist
www.craiglsanders.com
9/28/10
Your Comeback is Waiting on You
Setbacks are a part of life. We all face them in relationships, career, business, etc.
The question is not whether setbacks exist or will they come? The question is how we deal with them when they do?
Setbacks is a term that has been coined for things that have been perceived as impeding progress toward a destination or goal, and usually viewed as a negative occurrence.
Most people when experiencing a setback entertain thoughts of doubt, fear, uncertainty, worry and a host of other emotions.
Setbacks are not necessarily negative. Setbacks can be one of the most positive things that ever happen to you, a business partner, a co-worker, a company, or a friend. Why? Because setbacks shake the nest so that we can spread are wings and fly.
Setbacks jolt us out of comfort zones so that we can use our creative ability to find new and better solutions.
Regarding our emotions, we must remember that we are effective owners. Emotions are like employees, they must be managed for optimum results. We must manage our own emotions; no one else will do it for us.
Regarding comebacks, you can have one anytime you get good and ready. Your comeback is not holding back on you. You are holding back on your comeback. How you may ask?
Comebacks are like teammates on a winning football team. You are the quarterback calling the plays. If you don’t call the play, give the team direction, and “hike” the ball then no one else on the field will move. As a matter of fact, when quarterbacks take too long to call and start a play the referee issues a penalty called, “Delay of Game”. Comebacks are simply waiting on your creative and effective daily activity. Don’t delay your own game by refusing to take action.
What actions will you take today to move yourself closer to the goals that you really want? The dream job or client that you want is waiting. You can create or improve any professional or personal relationship that you want. You bring great value to the table, go tell somebody about it. It all requires simple, consistent, and effective action.
Your past doesn’t matter; move into today with fresh creative action. The ball is in your hands. Call the play, get the ball moving, and rack up enough points to win for today. Your comeback is waiting on you.
Craig L. Sanders
The Comeback Specialist
http://www.craiglsanders.com/
The question is not whether setbacks exist or will they come? The question is how we deal with them when they do?
Setbacks is a term that has been coined for things that have been perceived as impeding progress toward a destination or goal, and usually viewed as a negative occurrence.
Most people when experiencing a setback entertain thoughts of doubt, fear, uncertainty, worry and a host of other emotions.
Setbacks are not necessarily negative. Setbacks can be one of the most positive things that ever happen to you, a business partner, a co-worker, a company, or a friend. Why? Because setbacks shake the nest so that we can spread are wings and fly.
Setbacks jolt us out of comfort zones so that we can use our creative ability to find new and better solutions.
Regarding our emotions, we must remember that we are effective owners. Emotions are like employees, they must be managed for optimum results. We must manage our own emotions; no one else will do it for us.
Regarding comebacks, you can have one anytime you get good and ready. Your comeback is not holding back on you. You are holding back on your comeback. How you may ask?
Comebacks are like teammates on a winning football team. You are the quarterback calling the plays. If you don’t call the play, give the team direction, and “hike” the ball then no one else on the field will move. As a matter of fact, when quarterbacks take too long to call and start a play the referee issues a penalty called, “Delay of Game”. Comebacks are simply waiting on your creative and effective daily activity. Don’t delay your own game by refusing to take action.
What actions will you take today to move yourself closer to the goals that you really want? The dream job or client that you want is waiting. You can create or improve any professional or personal relationship that you want. You bring great value to the table, go tell somebody about it. It all requires simple, consistent, and effective action.
Your past doesn’t matter; move into today with fresh creative action. The ball is in your hands. Call the play, get the ball moving, and rack up enough points to win for today. Your comeback is waiting on you.
Craig L. Sanders
The Comeback Specialist
http://www.craiglsanders.com/
9/4/10
Be the Change
Often times people feel in order for them to be happy, someone else needs to change.
Someone else needs to adjust, someone else needs to start doing something or stop doing something in order for there to be joy, productivity, prosperity, or serenity.
It is interesting that people seldom ever change enough to our liking. Business partners don’t always make the decisions that align with our preferences. Family members seem to know exactly which buttons to push on the console of our soul to set us off in a bad mood. It is almost as if our emotions are electronic dashboards or MP3s that people can push to bring up the selection or response that they want to see. These things don’t have to be. We can manage our emotions; we can live past our own feelings, and the undesirable behaviors of others.
There is a way to negate the influence of perceived negativity in our personal and professional lives. That way is to be the change that we would like to see in others.
I find that when I expect someone else to do something and they don’t do it, I am tempted to slip into a victim mindset as if they have some elusive power or control over me.
When I ignore the perceived negativity by doing the thing that I wish they would do, I find that an untapped power source is released. It’s the feeling of the entrepreneur, the business owner, the fulfilled professional, or the effective “Average Joe” that is decisive and effective. They simply will not allow the thoughts in someone else’s head to control their life, business, or destiny.
They are not rude, they are assertive and kind. They serve others by being true to their authentic selves. They are true servant leaders. A servant leader leads by being the change that they want to see in others. They do not get bitter when someone else “disappoints” them, they get better. They are not vindictive, they are supportive. They manage their relationships for optimum effectiveness and mutually beneficial results. Yes they are human but they never allow their emotions to run too high or too low. They are even keeled. They are strong because leading by example and being the change that they want to see in others builds emotional and mental muscle. They are stable, they are steady, and they are ready for whatever comes their way. They are ready because if something doesn’t align with their true desires, they are strong enough to bring change by being the change.
All of us have the uncommon ability to be change agents by the choices that we make inside of each moment. The next time you are tempted to “fly off the handle”, choose instead to be stealth and “fly under the radar”. Choose to be cool, calm, and collected”, the proper decision that you need to make will rise to the surface, it will naturally emerge.
The process of being a catalyst for positive change is powerful. Serving others by being the change that you want to see builds strength and resolve, enabling you to gain momentum on your dreams and goals. It also helps others to do the same. Guilt, shame, and blame fall helplessly to the floor when you take ownership and decide to be the change that you want to see in others. Go ahead and change your world by taking the positive actions that you want to see. Be the change agent that you were destined to be.
Question: What ways have you discovered that bring positive and effective change?
Craig L. Sanders
The Comeback Specialist
http://www.craiglsanders.com/
Someone else needs to adjust, someone else needs to start doing something or stop doing something in order for there to be joy, productivity, prosperity, or serenity.
It is interesting that people seldom ever change enough to our liking. Business partners don’t always make the decisions that align with our preferences. Family members seem to know exactly which buttons to push on the console of our soul to set us off in a bad mood. It is almost as if our emotions are electronic dashboards or MP3s that people can push to bring up the selection or response that they want to see. These things don’t have to be. We can manage our emotions; we can live past our own feelings, and the undesirable behaviors of others.
There is a way to negate the influence of perceived negativity in our personal and professional lives. That way is to be the change that we would like to see in others.
I find that when I expect someone else to do something and they don’t do it, I am tempted to slip into a victim mindset as if they have some elusive power or control over me.
When I ignore the perceived negativity by doing the thing that I wish they would do, I find that an untapped power source is released. It’s the feeling of the entrepreneur, the business owner, the fulfilled professional, or the effective “Average Joe” that is decisive and effective. They simply will not allow the thoughts in someone else’s head to control their life, business, or destiny.
They are not rude, they are assertive and kind. They serve others by being true to their authentic selves. They are true servant leaders. A servant leader leads by being the change that they want to see in others. They do not get bitter when someone else “disappoints” them, they get better. They are not vindictive, they are supportive. They manage their relationships for optimum effectiveness and mutually beneficial results. Yes they are human but they never allow their emotions to run too high or too low. They are even keeled. They are strong because leading by example and being the change that they want to see in others builds emotional and mental muscle. They are stable, they are steady, and they are ready for whatever comes their way. They are ready because if something doesn’t align with their true desires, they are strong enough to bring change by being the change.
All of us have the uncommon ability to be change agents by the choices that we make inside of each moment. The next time you are tempted to “fly off the handle”, choose instead to be stealth and “fly under the radar”. Choose to be cool, calm, and collected”, the proper decision that you need to make will rise to the surface, it will naturally emerge.
The process of being a catalyst for positive change is powerful. Serving others by being the change that you want to see builds strength and resolve, enabling you to gain momentum on your dreams and goals. It also helps others to do the same. Guilt, shame, and blame fall helplessly to the floor when you take ownership and decide to be the change that you want to see in others. Go ahead and change your world by taking the positive actions that you want to see. Be the change agent that you were destined to be.
Question: What ways have you discovered that bring positive and effective change?
Craig L. Sanders
The Comeback Specialist
http://www.craiglsanders.com/
8/28/10
The Power of Forcing the Issue
I believe that persistence breaks resistance.
Author and speaker, Roberts Liardon says, “Progression breaks regression.”
Never be afraid to press through any resistance that stands in the way of a worthy goal.
It is said that doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results is the definition of insanity. However, when you make minor adjustments and tweaks and apply steady forward progress you may often times arrive at a positive result, a breakthrough. You may find yourself stumbling over success more often than you fall into failure, when you learn to press the issue in the most effective ways.
Never be afraid to go for your dreams, desires, and goals.
Challenges are one of the beautiful things that make life interesting.
They cause your creativity to flourish and invigorate your soul.
Defeat is not a fact but rather an opinion. Choose to be of the opinion that setbacks are only minor delays along the road to a fulfilled destiny.
Enjoy your journey. Never be in a hurry. Take each instance as it comes. Notice the rhythm of life and recognize that your time will come. Live in the moment, live in the now. Decide to take your life, your business, your career, your health, your wealth, your family to the next level of success. This all happens when you decide to persist instead of quit.
Your destiny and your fulfillment are worth every hard fought victory. Never yield to the temptation to give up, instead press forward and snatch victory out of the hands of defeat.
If it was easy then everyone would do it. You’re paying the price for your success. You're passing the current life test that is before you and you will see the fruits of your labor.
I encourage you to persist. Learn to force the issue, especially when it really matters.
Question: What success keys have you used for persisting in the face of tough challenges?
Craig L. Sanders
The Comeback Specialist
http://www.craiglsanders.com/
Author and speaker, Roberts Liardon says, “Progression breaks regression.”
Never be afraid to press through any resistance that stands in the way of a worthy goal.
It is said that doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results is the definition of insanity. However, when you make minor adjustments and tweaks and apply steady forward progress you may often times arrive at a positive result, a breakthrough. You may find yourself stumbling over success more often than you fall into failure, when you learn to press the issue in the most effective ways.
Never be afraid to go for your dreams, desires, and goals.
Challenges are one of the beautiful things that make life interesting.
They cause your creativity to flourish and invigorate your soul.
Defeat is not a fact but rather an opinion. Choose to be of the opinion that setbacks are only minor delays along the road to a fulfilled destiny.
Enjoy your journey. Never be in a hurry. Take each instance as it comes. Notice the rhythm of life and recognize that your time will come. Live in the moment, live in the now. Decide to take your life, your business, your career, your health, your wealth, your family to the next level of success. This all happens when you decide to persist instead of quit.
Your destiny and your fulfillment are worth every hard fought victory. Never yield to the temptation to give up, instead press forward and snatch victory out of the hands of defeat.
If it was easy then everyone would do it. You’re paying the price for your success. You're passing the current life test that is before you and you will see the fruits of your labor.
I encourage you to persist. Learn to force the issue, especially when it really matters.
Question: What success keys have you used for persisting in the face of tough challenges?
Craig L. Sanders
The Comeback Specialist
http://www.craiglsanders.com/
8/9/10
Breakthroughs Happen in the Moment
This blog post is about breakthroughs in your personal and professional life and about seizing the moment. Each and every one of us to deal with challenges in our personal or professional lives. It could be a health challenge, financial challenge, or mental challenge. Regardless of what we're dealing with, one of the most important things to keep in mind is that change takes place in the moment. The power to change and make things better resides in the very moment that you are living in. All of us deal with challenges that have happened in our past; challenges that are pressing against us in our present and challenges that try to make us anxious about our future.
One of the most powerful questions that you can ask yourself is, "What do I want to create?” I learned that from Steve Chandler who is an author, speaker, and the leader of http://www.clubfearless.net/ . In regards to what has happened in your past always remember, it doesn't matter. All that matters is what are you going to do now?
It doesn't matter what your mistakes have been, it doesn't matter what your failures may be. Always remember, taking action in your present is a master key. Anxieties that seem as big as mountains turn to the size of sand granules, when you decide to focus on this present moment. Living in the moment is one of the most powerful skills that you can ever develop. All anxieties, find the quickest exit from your life, when you decide to shift your focus from your past or from your future, into the present moment, into this nanosecond.
When you think about the question, “What can I do right now to move myself forward?” all the creativity that is inside of you comes to the surface; solutions begin to emerge and worries begin to vanish; fears begin to evaporate. Live in this moment that is where true action takes place. Your next victory is connected to your next activity. Your next breakthrough, your next optimal result, is inextricably connected to your next action. Do not operate in fear, stay fearless. Decide to take consistent and wise action. Be persistent, be consistent, and you will move forward and be able to blast passed anything that has constrained you to this point.
What keys have you discovered for personal and professional breakthrough?
Turn Your Setbacks into Accelerated Comebacks,
Craig L. Sanders
The Comeback Specialist
http://www.craiglsanders.com/
P.S. I believe positive and accelerated changes are coming for you!
One of the most powerful questions that you can ask yourself is, "What do I want to create?” I learned that from Steve Chandler who is an author, speaker, and the leader of http://www.clubfearless.net/ . In regards to what has happened in your past always remember, it doesn't matter. All that matters is what are you going to do now?
It doesn't matter what your mistakes have been, it doesn't matter what your failures may be. Always remember, taking action in your present is a master key. Anxieties that seem as big as mountains turn to the size of sand granules, when you decide to focus on this present moment. Living in the moment is one of the most powerful skills that you can ever develop. All anxieties, find the quickest exit from your life, when you decide to shift your focus from your past or from your future, into the present moment, into this nanosecond.
When you think about the question, “What can I do right now to move myself forward?” all the creativity that is inside of you comes to the surface; solutions begin to emerge and worries begin to vanish; fears begin to evaporate. Live in this moment that is where true action takes place. Your next victory is connected to your next activity. Your next breakthrough, your next optimal result, is inextricably connected to your next action. Do not operate in fear, stay fearless. Decide to take consistent and wise action. Be persistent, be consistent, and you will move forward and be able to blast passed anything that has constrained you to this point.
What keys have you discovered for personal and professional breakthrough?
Turn Your Setbacks into Accelerated Comebacks,
Craig L. Sanders
The Comeback Specialist
http://www.craiglsanders.com/
P.S. I believe positive and accelerated changes are coming for you!
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