Summary: Dealing with Disappointments Cliff’s says his usual answer to the how are you question is “I have never been better and it gets better every day”, but today he is struggling with a huge disappointment by a friend. The friend made a commitment and then didn’t call, just sent an impersonal email saying that the commitment was not going to happen. Then, to make things worse, the friend said they never realized any benefits from the arrangement. Cliff was floored. Tracy talked through some possible reasons for the friend’s actions and the root cause of Cliff’s disappointment. When something happens both parties must be willing to talk the situation through and find the thing that triggered the response/reaction. It could be fear. Often times people react from something that scares them or revives an old fear. Forgiveness can often get people to open up to their trigger thoughts and allow true forgiveness and a new beginning for both people. Fear is a powerful emotion. Tracy said he struggles like everyone else. His business isn’t doing as well as it was this time last year, but he can’t focus on the negative aspects. As long as he has a loving wife and children, he considers himself a success. What is Your Motivation? Tracy’s topic for this podcast is motivation. Tracy and his team are reading and discussing the book, “Training Camp: What the Best Do Better than Anyone Else” by Jon Gordon. In part, it asks three basic questions: When you’re playing, are you playing to win or playing not to lose? When you’re working, are you working to succeed or working not to fail? In life, are you running toward something or running from something? If you are playing to win, working to succeed and running toward something you are progressing, taking positive actions, and moving forward. Those actions show your hope, faith, the fact that you know life is bigger than just you. Conversely, playing not to lose, working so you don’t fail or running away from life stagnant at best or move you backward, making negative actions, being reactionary rather than proactive and most likely, living in fear. If you ask yourself these questions, it could change your life. Cliff listens to a podcast by Dan Miller, who tells the story of a man that had a business that was always doing well, then it tanked. It was difficult for the man to move forward with his life. He was told to go to the gym and work out for two hours each day. The man decided to do it. Once he was successful doing that, he looked for other areas at which he could be successful. Eventually, he was able to overcome the fear that he would never be successful again. Tracy said planning is key. If he wanted to go to Kentucky to visit Cliff, he couldn’t just show up at the airport and go. He would need to make reservations, reserve a rental car, have both Cliff’s address and a map of the area, and so forth. He and his wife have a goal of running a marathon later this summer. They made a plan to reach their goal. They run each day, slowly increasing the distance to ensure they can be successful with the marathon. Plans are necessary. After All is Lost You can only live up to your own standards/values, not someone else’s. Sometimes we have to let go to move forward. Sometimes things are easier to let go if you’ve already lost everything. Cliff has friends that lost their home in a tornado. They had talked about decluttering, but once everything was gone it was so much easier to choose those things they wanted to replace for their new home. People that lose everything in business are often better able to put their work and personal life in balance moving forward. Things to remember: Determine the trigger. Ask yourself the 3 life-changing questions from Jon Gordon’s book. Know when to let go. Miscellaneous Information Cliff will soon announce his next A to Z Podcasting course. This is currently scheduled for July. This is a paid course; however,
