Self Improvement Daily Podcast

The way I like thinking about opportunities is, our life path is a hallway. And on each side of that hallway there are closed doors, but through hard work, patience, and doing the right things for the right reasons, you can open one or many of those doors. At that point, you then get to choose which door to walk through, leading you to another hallway with more doors to open.  

Sometimes, you need to take a chance. You need to step through that door not exactly knowing what’s in the room. Especially, if it is a high potential opportunity, you owe it to yourself to see it through because you may never get that opportunity again. Shoot your shot because you’ll never regret it!!

Positivity plays a huge role in this selection process. First, being a positive person will open more doors because you will be rewarded for the light you add to the world. Then, maintaining a positive outlook, you’ll have more confidence acting on those opportunities because you’ll be optimistic about the result potential you can achieve. Then the cycle starts again, through hard work patience, and doing the right things for the right reasons, you’ll open another door, pursue that opportunity, and look back at the unbelievable path that got you where you’re at.

But something that is fundamental to that progression is taking action when the opportunity is present! “Take every chance you get in life, because some things only happen once".

What do people think of you? Do they want to be affiliated with you? This is all a matter of reputation. Your reputation exists in so many different places, and it is really important to control the message that other people receive.  Especially in business, customers want to know that they are engaging with quality individuals who will be a good advocate for their brand. Kim Kaupe, the CEO of the SuperFan company takes it a step further, arguing that reputation is everything, and she’s got some good examples to prove it.  

This clip was taken from a conversation I recently had with Kim, who is our next Self Improvement Sit Down guest. In our talk, Kim elaborates on how reputation helps her align with companies who are a good fit, so delivers with high quality, sustaining her growth and reinforcing her reputation.  Hear more about it this Sunday when that episode goes live!

I wanted to pose a question to you, because it’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. In my definition of life success, I have 6 pillars that function independently and contribute to overall success which are health, wealth, lifestyle, love, integrity, and Impact! I’m having a tough time quantifying exactly what is “making an impact”.

There are a few different ways to think about it, and the first way is to think about people and their life path as a river, and as someone who is impactful. You can either serve as the banks of the river that helps guide the water where it needs to go, or you can focus in on the individual drops over the waterfall. It’s a trade-off between helping many people in a smaller way, or a few people in a very individualized way. Neither is better, but both are different.

When I posed this question in the Self Improvement Accountability Group, I heard other interesting perspectives that were also centered around improving the well-being of individual people. And we realized, making an impact doesn’t need to involve people. The same applies to animals, environment, resources, and so many other things. But, I do find it interesting that we are so people-centric when it comes to “making an impact”.

And then, how can impact be measured? I always thought that the validation of someone telling me I made an impact was the level of impact I wanted to attain, and how I would measure it, but a lot of times we do great and impactful things that go unrecognized..

We are hearing from Tara Geraghty, the founder of Making Cancer Fun, an organization doing an unbelievable job providing support for families dealing with really serious health issues. She has an awesome message to share not only as an expert in the space, but having dealt with it first hand.

So, let’s all take a second to be grateful for our own health.

Ben Bradbury is a large advocate for surrounding oneself with disagreement.

"The people that you surround yourself with are there to push you forward, but they are also there to call you out. Yes, you want to surround yourself with people who are aligned with your why and people who will keep your why burning. Motivation is a little bit like taking a shower. You need it once a day. Also, you need people who know when you are going too far in the wrong direction. Be glass half full with building communities and surrounding yourself with the right mission, but also be ruthless with yourself. You are flawed and you will make mistakes. So, you will need people who will cut your rate of mistakes as quickly as possible. So, go out there and find that balance".

You do not want people who echo your thought because, then, what progress has been made? Sometimes you need people to call you out in order to get you back on the correct path.

First off, there’s something that many of us overlook that I want to address. A simple gesture of appreciation goes a long way. Big or small. Let’s think about context. Something that seems small to us might be huge for someone else. It reminds me of the quote,“to the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world”, we never quite know exactly what someone else thinks. Perhaps a small expression of appreciation reaches someone when they need it most when they’re at a low and need some support. A little thanks with a little positivity very well could have massive implications.

We can also think about the quote another way. Giving thanks for a little can grow into a lot within your own world.  Maybe having small moments of gratitude helps you shift your mentality to see more positivity and good around you!  Or, the small moment of gratitude helps you realize other blessings you have and it turns into a positivity snowball!  In any case, whether its affects you or someone else, a little thanks will help you find a lot.

There is no one that will object to the importance of hardwork. It is fundamental to making progress and turning the dial on things that you want to make happen. Everyone has a different relationship with hard work. In this clip, from Tom Bilyeu’s show Impact Theory, Dean reflects on an experience he had as a child that really opened his eyes to the truth about hard work:

‍

There is a hint of “work smarter, not harder”, but more importantly there is an appreciation for hard physical labor, and self-awareness about the way that you work, both physically and mentally.