Today I'm launching a new weekly feature on the blog: Monday Minute. Each Monday morning I'll release a short and sweet pick-me-up to help you meet the week with a dose of clarity and enthusiasm. It can be difficult to greet the beginning of the week and muster the energy you need to plow into the work ahead. So take a short break here, and spend a Monday Minute to get your week started off right.
And now ... our first installment.
And now ... our first installment.
When you hit a brick wall
Brick walls are not there to keep us out... Do you ever find yourself driving down the highway of life only to slam smack-dab into a brick wall?
Maybe you didn't get the job you wanted. Heck, maybe you didn't even get an interview. Perhaps someone criticized your work. Maybe your editor thinks your WIP needs extensive rewriting. Or maybe something you wanted so badly just didn't turn out the way you wanted.
All is not lost.
Remember, it's not the number of times we fall down in life; it's how many times we get back up to fight another battle.
Recently on NPR, I heard a guest tell a story that went something like this: A man died and arrived at the Pearly Gates, where he was received by St. Peter. Before allowing him entrance, Peter said, "Show me your scars." The man answered: "But I have no scars." And Peter replied: "How sad. Was there nothing worth fighting for?"
In a previous blog post, I referred to college professor Randy Pausch's "The Last Lecture." In that lecture, I was struck by Pausch's take on obstacles:
"The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something."
So if you find yourself facing a brick wall on this Monday morning, look at that wall in a different light. It's not there to keep you from achieving what you want; it's there to give you the chance to get back up and prove how badly you want to reach that goal or achieve that dream.
Do you have a special way of meeting Mondays head on? Feel free to leave your tips or observations in the comments section. To leave a response, click Comment(s) and fill in the Leave A Reply form.
Maybe you didn't get the job you wanted. Heck, maybe you didn't even get an interview. Perhaps someone criticized your work. Maybe your editor thinks your WIP needs extensive rewriting. Or maybe something you wanted so badly just didn't turn out the way you wanted.
All is not lost.
Remember, it's not the number of times we fall down in life; it's how many times we get back up to fight another battle.
Recently on NPR, I heard a guest tell a story that went something like this: A man died and arrived at the Pearly Gates, where he was received by St. Peter. Before allowing him entrance, Peter said, "Show me your scars." The man answered: "But I have no scars." And Peter replied: "How sad. Was there nothing worth fighting for?"
In a previous blog post, I referred to college professor Randy Pausch's "The Last Lecture." In that lecture, I was struck by Pausch's take on obstacles:
"The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something."
So if you find yourself facing a brick wall on this Monday morning, look at that wall in a different light. It's not there to keep you from achieving what you want; it's there to give you the chance to get back up and prove how badly you want to reach that goal or achieve that dream.
Do you have a special way of meeting Mondays head on? Feel free to leave your tips or observations in the comments section. To leave a response, click Comment(s) and fill in the Leave A Reply form.
