Kris and I recently had an incredible experience working with a couple of groups with awesome dreams to make a difference. Honestly, I’ve never enjoyed myself working with the people more than I did this week. It was a great week of helping others. Additionally, we were able to meet up with some family and friends. It was just about perfect.
We were able to help one group better define their vision and purpose and more clearly set up the path to accomplish their goals and plans to serve others.
The other group has an undeniably great purpose, and we had a lot of great conversation and interaction during our workshop.
Each of these groups is phenomenal in their own right. For both, their purpose and desire were unquestionable. And to add to it, both groups have a huge level of passion. Both groups also have some struggles, but then again, who doesn’t, right?
However (did you feel the “but” coming?), the attitude was completely different between the groups. With each group, we used a penny and 10 dollars to demonstrate Scarcity and Abundance. There were some similar positive responses between the groups, and there were some significant differences.
One group looked at their struggles and asked, “How and what shall we do to help others find the answers they need to move forward?” The other group looked at their struggles, listened to other’s stories, and … focused mostly on the past. As we left, we wondered if it is about them or is it about those people needing help?
It reminds me of Zig Ziglar’s quote: “You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.”
Zig is talking about positive attitude and abundance. Don’t focus inward on yourself. Focus on others and how you can help them. When we think from an abundance frame of reference, we know that our due will come if we just continue to do the right thing. For many, helping others is tons more rewarding than successfully realizing our own level of achievement. This brings to mind the classic story by Frank Capra, It’s a Wonderful Life, with James Stewart and Donna Reed. James Stewart played the role of George Baily. George’s goal was to make a difference and discover the world along the way. He was always helping people. Despite his lack of travels, George failed to realize that with every person with whom he connected, he was making a difference. He didn’t realize the difference until he struggled himself. Once his “friends” realized there was a need, they came from everywhere to help him out. What an awesome lesson to watch and learn.
If we recognize that we struggle, we may also realize that others struggle. Everyone struggles at some point in their life, and yet there are always options. When we struggle, we need to find someone with whom we can ask for help. If they don’t respond, they are simply the wrong friend to ask for that situation. Turn to the next person. If no one responds, keep asking. (And find some new friends. These folks really aren’t your friends anyway.)
Reminds me of another quote by Karen Quinones Miller. I actually picked this one up on the trip: “When someone tells me ‘No,’ it doesn’t mean that I can’t do it. It simply means that I can’t do it with them.”
The best leaders never claim to have all the answers. In fact, they recognize that they learn from others all of the time. Leaders cultivate the best information and bring it to those who are willing to listen. When one has all of the answers, one is not receptive to change; and without change, we stay the same. We do not improve. It is impossible to improve without change.
At Leadership Harbor, we know that we cannot help those who are not open to new ideas. We can only help those who are searching. We help those searching to find greater abundance.
Keep the faith, my friend! There is more, and more to go around—it really is about Abundance!