I’m All In

All In

If you’re going to set New Year’s resolutions or go after a BIG goal, you’re going to need to COMMIT. Commitment is that special ingredient needed to achieve ANY goal.  You have to be “All In”.

We fear commitment because it requires us to go after “THAT GOAL” full-throttle, guns blazing and with everything we have.  You have to be “All In”.  Do not excuse yourself by saying you do not have time, or by saying this is the right opportunity at the wrong time or thinking you weren’t really ready for this or doubting if this is really what you want.   You know you want it.  It keeps you up at night!

What you’re experiencing is fear.  Fear is normal and fear is supposed to keep us alive.  It’s the human ‘check engine’ light.  It lets us know to be careful, assess the situation and either fight or flee.  So, acknowledge fear.  Thank your fear for ‘looking out’ for you.  But when it comes to goals, you’re not in physical danger.  You’re not dying.  Stay in the game, take the risk and fight for what you want.  The fight is really with YOURSELF and the best way to fight against yourself is to be ACCOUNTABLE to someone else.  I know…  That word makes people feel uncomfortable.  Why?  Because it means you HAVE TO keep your word.  You HAVE TO do what you said you were going to do!  Accountability and commitment go hand in hand.

In 2013, Let yourself commit. Let yourself go after something with EVERYTHING you’ve got.  You only live once. Put all your chips in.  When you’re “ALL IN” you don’t care about the cards the other guys have.  Why?  Because you know the cards YOU HAVE.  You’re in it to win it.  Losing is not an option.  You believe in YOURSELF.

I wish you the Courage you need to achieve all your goals this coming year!   In 2013, I’m ALL IN. Are you?

Relationship Lesson From The Golf Course

So, this morning I visited a golf course. It’s about 5 minutes from my house, on a beautiful Disney World property. There’s a reason why I’m telling you its’ location.

I have been here before but today I was here with a different perspective. I was here for a Strategic Planning meeting with a client. After the meeting, I decided to stay and absorb the great weather, the beautiful scenery and the serene atmosphere. This place is a writer’s dream. It is an awesome place to sit and let creativity flow. (Me, being the latter as I don’t consider myself a writer). Thus, my sporadic blog posts.

I have always been drawn to “golf” but today I know it’s not for the game itself but for the relaxation I experienced while I was here. I think it’s an unwritten rule or policy when you get here. You must relax. And this is much welcomed by my ADHD brain.

So, where am I going with all this. As I was sitting there I began to ask myself just how much money, time and effort goes into keeping this place looking so beautiful… so GREEN! The Florida heat is super DESTRUCTIVE on the average lawn! Homeowners spend money on sod, pest control, water and fertilizer and a lot give up on making their lawns pretty just because it is HIGH MAINTENANCE.

I sat and had a thought… The grass is ALWAYS greener here. Oh my. Trouble. That thought began all this analyzing. LOL The grass is always greener here because… it’s a different type of grass. It’s “turf grass” and this grass is a tough, fast repairing grass that can withstand plenty of traffic. There are different types of turf grass that can withstand different weather and others must be planted differently to withstand heavy, low mowing and to create a tight, hole-free turf. I learned a lot while I was here, eh?

So, in this case the grass looks greener because IT IS. But did you see all the variables that go into making it that way? We’re talking about Disney property! Trust me, they’re giving that grass what it needs to continue attracting the clients they do and the best thing about it is that the people WILLINGLY go there and spend their money. It’s a pleasure to enter into this “golf heaven”.

That’s exactly what we should do in our relationships. We should learn what we need to nurture, weed out or add to our relationships to create this tough “turf” that can withstand almost anything! And it WILL take EFFORT, SACRIFICE, TIME and CONSISTENCY to keep it looking that way. If you slack then your grass dries up, bugs get in, you get uneven ground, and you definitely won’t even like looking at it. However, that turf can’t look that way on its’ own. It is being MAINTAINED that way. Successful pest control is CRITICAL to the game of golf. When a golf course is infested with pests it is an immediate psychological incentive for its’ members to join another club. Yikes, isn’t that what we always do?

So, when you look at someone else’s relationship and it looks so awesome… Stop yourself right there. You have NO IDEA the kind of upkeep that relationship requires. It’s inviting to you because you see yourself “there” just reaping the benefits of the “green grass”. Just like that golf course was BEAUTIFUL to me this morning. Anyone can visit that golf course and feel like they’re in heaven. Yet, not everyone will leave there and be able to duplicate that “turf” at home on their own lawn. It’s too expensive, time consuming and arduous work! However, others will. What am I saying? When you see the green grass on the other side… You’re looking at someone else’s work, time and effort. You might hurt yourself and many others trying to walk on some turf that’s not yours.

Learn a lesson from the golf course. Invest your time, money, effort and all your resources on YOUR TURF. There will be pests, and dry, cold and wet weather… Be prepared to deal with these conditions. Put in the TIME and make it GREEN. If you walk away from YOUR TURF, you may regret it one day when you drive past it and it’s so HEALTHY AND GREEN. But whatever you do… When you look at the green grass on the other side and you want it, ask yourself if you have what it takes to make it that way. Because it’s not green on its’ own. Got it?

Oh my gosh… I can write at least 4 more blogs from this one! Feeling very inspired right now!