Ain’t I a wonder and ain’t you a wonder too!
Yes you are. You are a brilliantly complex collection of talent, skill, perspective, knowledge, and experience. No one else holds a candle to you. You have accomplished much and contributed to the lives of others. You deserve wealth, rich relationships, fulfillment, joy, satisfaction, ease, and love. You can have it all.
Last weekend I had the opportunity to sit for a while and talk with a good friend. Terry has found his niche. He is a big fish in a small pond. An excellent place to be by the way. I am genuinely delighted for him. He has plenty of business and is managing it well. He stays happy with the work and seems a little in awe of his income. It is just beautiful.
Terry claims to have “just fallen into” his niche. No amount of extolling his talent, his fortitude, his solid work habits seem to make an impact to his “just fell into it” belief. From the outside looking in I know better. It is rare that anything worth while is had by accident. By choice, by God given opportunity, by planning and sticking to it, yes. By happenstance almost never.
Terry’s journey has elements of most success stories. Has elements of YOUR success story.
There is darkness and struggle. Terry walked through hell in his full time job, sticking it out for the golden handcuff benefits and pension. Struggle in your journey is required. What the struggle is or in which part of life it manifests is not as important as it being present. The lessons learned, the skills honed, the skin thickened or the will strengthened come from struggle. So many of us wish for greatness with out risk, pain, or hardship. Greatness that comes without going through fire is hollow. Have gratitude for your struggle. It has gifted you the person you became.
Terry has skill and has perfected his craft over many many years. Whatever you are about in life or business you bring to it your own natural gifts. Go with your strengths. Learn ways to up level your talents. Learn and apply, just don’t substitute someone else’s for your own. There is a trap in thinking someone else’s recipe will work for you or believing someone else’s talents are better than your own. When learning from or admiring others look for the elements that resonate deep within you. Those pieces are worth your time. Then do. Practice. Hone your skill with continuous repetition.
Terry stepped into opportunity. Someone used a tool Terry had made for a friend. Impressed this person asked Terry if he would make one for him also. Terry did. Through word of mouth many more people wanted one. Terry did several things right. He responded to the opportunity and made more. He listened to his new potential customers, modified and improved his original design. He continued to make the best product he was capable of. He stepped out of his comfort zone and traveled to new places and circulated in totally new arenas.
You also can step in to opportunity when it comes your way. “But, what if it isn’t “right” for me?” you say. Ask yourself – Are you willing to do/provide. Is the service or product being requested in the realm of what you are already doing? For Terry it was. Is it something you are genuinely interested in? Does the prospect of doing X turn your crank? If so, try it on for size. “But, what if I decide I don’t like it?” you ask. Then at that point stop doing/making it. The idea that once we start something new it will be a forever thing is a form of sabotage. We out fox ourselves trying to predict our future happiness. Terry is riding the wave. It does not mean that at some point in the future he’ll choose to make a change.
You have had struggle and challenge. You have unique skills and talents that you have refined. You have the ability to step in and do well. Your next opportunity is close at hand. Recognize the wonder that you are and make your next move to having it all.
To your best possible self,
Coach Christine Clark