Good morning! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend.
I spent most of my weekend working. But, in fairness, I was working on my own personal goals, so that’s not really like work. Okay, some of it is, but it just doesn’t seem as labor-intensive when it’s something you want to do. Like building a new house. It’s hard work no matter who’s moving in, but it just seems a lot less grueling when that somebody is you.
But it helps knowing you have what it takes to get the job done. I’ve attempted some jobs in the past where, not long after I started, I realized I was in way over my head. There’s something to be said for checking things out ahead of time and making sure you either have, or can acquire, the skills needed. Otherwise, you’ll be paying somebody else a lot of extra money to clean up your mess.
And, I think it’s that fear of getting in over our heads that keeps us from taking on more than we do. Even taking a new job doing the same thing we’ve been doing for years is scary, because no matter how similar the actual job may be, every company has its own quirks. And that keeps a lot of people in jobs they really don’t like, because sometimes it’s easier than making a change.
But, let’s assume you’re happy with your job (I hope you are). That doesn’t mean you can’t, or shouldn’t, look for other opportunities, and it doesn’t mean you can’t dream of a lifestyle beyond what you can attain in your current job. But finding those opportunities and doing something about them two different challenges. All too often, we never try. “It’ll never work.”
Have you ever seen a job posting for something you really wanted to do, but weren’t quite sure you were qualified? Maybe you read the “required skills” and went down the list going, “Nope … nope … maybe … nope.” They all seem to be worded in a way that makes you wonder if you’re even capable of doing the job you already do. It’s like they don’t even want you to try.
And while we’re talking to other people to find out what a certain “required” qualification entails, somebody else with fewer skills comes along and applies for the position and, next thing you know, they’ve got the job. And you’re left kicking yourself for not taking the shot, because you’re absolutely more qualified than that other guy.
It’s natural to assume the people who have been able to achieve the things we want are somehow better qualified or more deserving than we are. Maybe they’ve worked harder or went to a better school. Maybe they know the right people. And maybe they just faked their way through it until success came knocking. Sometimes you have to talk the talk before you can walk the walk. And sometimes, you just have to be willing to try something a little different.
Our pastor told us the story of a man who, while looking for his golf ball in the edge of a lake, noticed there were dozens of other balls in the same area. So, he talked to the owner of the course and struck a deal – he’d dive every lake on the course, and the course would pay him ten cents for every ball he retrieved. It turned into a full-time business that he later sold for over $5 million.
Sometimes, the obvious answer isn’t so obvious. Sometimes it means doing something you believe in when everybody else says it’ll never work. I’m sure the Wright brothers heard that as they built their first airplane. I’m sure Bill Gates heard that as he built Microsoft, or Mark Zuckerberg as he envisioned Facebook. And that guy diving for golf balls? Yeah, I’m sure he got laughed at a time or two.
And not a one of those people had any more brains or abilities than you. What they had was a desire, a dream of something better, and the belief that they could be the one to make it happen. It’s been said that Alexander Graham Bell didn’t invent the telephone. He took somebody else’s failed attempt, adjusted a screw one-quarter turn, and it began to replicate the human voice.
Just because nobody’s ever done something doesn’t mean it can’t be done. And just because others have already accomplished what you desire, it doesn’t mean there’s no room for one more. And, most of all, none of that means somebody else is more likely to succeed. Believe in yourself and work with a sense of purpose. Because there is nobody more deserving than you.
That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!
© 2019 Dave Glardon – All rights reserved
Dave Glardon 