By Roger Crawford. This was originally published on Roger's blog.
Several years ago, I authored a book titled How High Can You Bounce. The book was well received, except when I spoke for a local skydiving association! Apparently, the thought of bouncing made them a bit uneasy. Here is the condensed message of the book: Our ability to bounce back from life’s challenges determines our level of achievement and contentment. Writing this book convinced me that resilience can be learned and is primarily a matter of attitude and self-belief. How we choose to think about ourselves and the world around us forms the foundation on which our resilience is built. A pessimistic, hypercritical view of potential opportunities makes it extremely difficult to navigate life’s inevitable bumps in the road. On the other hand, an optimistic, inspiring attitude can create a launching pad for possibilities and supply the fortitude necessary to overcome adversity. Some folks’ positive thinking habits enable them to function with efficiency and effectiveness, regardless of their circumstances. I believe that perseverance and optimism are what separates successful individuals from ones who fail to reach their full potential. If we want to learn how to become more resilient in 2019, we need to understand what makes some people more optimistic than others. Here are three things that resilient people do well: #1 Maintain a positive self-regard. Resilient people see themselves as valuable human beings who have the ability to accomplish their dreams. When faced with adversity, they believe in their ability to bounce back and realize that every storm eventually passes. Dr. Robert Schuller once said, “Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.” #2 Control the controllable. Resilient individuals differentiate between what can be changed and what must be accepted. They discipline themselves not to spend valuable time and energy trying to change the unchangeable. Resiliency is often less about actual circumstances and more about how people choose to respond. #3 Stay hopeful about the future. Resilient people find what it takes to succeed today by seeing a hopeful tomorrow. They develop the capacity to remain hopeful, even during times of uncertainty. A remarkable study from the University of California, Berkeley, has shown that it is possible to predict the risk of illness by looking at a patient’s answers to two simple questions: Question 1: Do you feel it is impossible for you to achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself? Question 2: Do you get the feeling your future is hopeless and is it difficult to believe that things will get better for you? How we answer these questions not only influences our health but will also be a strong predictor of our future success. Regardless of whatever challenges you face in the new year, you can choose your mindset which provides the courage to bounce forward and achieve your goals for this upcoming year! Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success!
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By Roger Crawford. This was originally published on Roger's blog.
Do you remember a time when you had a challenge to overcome, an important project to complete, or a situation that you had never faced before? Were you unsure where to start? Was it a positive or negative experience for you? How did you feel about the results? What I’ve found after thirty years of speaking to over 4,000 audiences and coaching hundreds of highly-successful executives and industry experts is…the more positive you think, the better results you get. Take a look at the lives of successful people and you will find a common denominator. They have a positive mindset that allows them to break through obstacles and maintain momentum. Instead of retreating, they lean into their challenges and discover new opportunities less-successful people missed. Those opportunities create a path through obstacles that leads to achievement. A positive mindset that results in success doesn’t mean you overlook challenges. Instead, you lean in and say, “Yes I can” which helps you see circumstances in the most favorable positive light possible. If you choose a negative mindset, you will look for and magnify what is negative around you. You immediately anticipate the worst and start blaming yourself or others for a bad outcome, whether it occurs or not. There’s no opportunity to create a positive result and success. My priceless years of experience show that a positive mindset is essential to perform your best and realize your awesome potential. Here are four key ideas to develop and maintain a positive mindset. If you think with a negative mindset, you will look for and magnify what is negative around you. You immediately anticipate the worst and start blaming yourself for a bad outcome, whether it occurs or not. Your Mindset Matters!A positive mindset is essential to perform at your best and realize your awesome potential. Here are four ideas to help you develop and maintain a positive mindset. #1 Manage Your Mouth The language you use has a tremendous influence over your mindset. What you say affects how you feel; how you feel determines how you act; and how you act either increases or decreases results. Choose your words carefully because what you say impacts whether you’re crushed by, or conquer your circumstances. Positive words make you strong; and negative words make you weak. It’s important to make a habit of using words that accurately reflect your reality. This way you won’t turn a molehill into a mountain. In other words, don’t exaggerate the situation. How many times have you heard someone say something like this? “It’s a disaster!” Think again. Maybe it’s actually an inconvenience. “It’s impossible!” Is that a fact or an opinion? The important point is that using language that mistakenly depicts our circumstances is a clear path to excuse making. Failure to take responsibility leads to an inability to find solutions. When you have negative thoughts, strive to reframe your thinking in a more positive way. Instead of saying, “I am a failure,” try a more positive and accurate representation. “I failed this time, but what I learned will help me succeed in the future.” #2 You Have the Control People that have a consistently negative mindset have likely forgotten that they have control over their thoughts. They let challenges, other people, or even the weather determine how they think. The reality is all of these are completely out of our control and most often unchangeable. Would you agree that we live life from the inside out? The thoughts and beliefs you have inside shape what you see in the outside, not the other way around. One of the most important principles of maintaining a positive mindset is understanding that while you may not control your circumstances, you do control how you respond to your circumstances. Remember, you are the boss of your brain! #3 Have a Grateful Mindset People with a positive mindset resist dwelling on their disadvantages and appreciate what they do have. A grateful mindset is not automatic… it’s intentional. So, instead of waiting for something to make you feel grateful, deliberately look for the blessings you already possess. Being grateful doesn’t eliminate problems. However, by focusing on what’s good about your life helps remove bitterness and negativity. New York Times best-selling author Lewis Howes says, “If you concentrate on what you have, you’ll always have more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you’ll never have enough.” #4 Release Setbacks – Rehearse Success The next time you experience a loss, turn it into a lesson, and then let it go. Someone with a negative mindset spends time living in the past, dwelling on previous problems, and continually asks “why.” They ask themselves, “Why did it happen?” “Why me?” or “Why not someone else?” On the other hand, someone with a positive mindset is present focused, learns from their past circumstances, and then asks “how.” They ask, “How can I learn from this?” and “How do I move forward?” A positive mindset can take you from where you are to where you want to be. A negative mindset will stop you from even trying. The ability to develop and maintain a positive mindset is always within your reach, and I’ve given you four keys to help you. Lean into the opportunity to discover the tremendous potential you have and experience the great things you are capable of. Believe that success is possible, develop a winning mindset, achieve more, and become more of who you are meant to be! Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Roger Crawford. This was originally published on Roger's blog.
What would you like to attempt that you often thought was impossible? Is it really out of your reach, or is there a reason you do not believe you can do it? Too often, we underestimate ourselves and overestimate others. Below are four possibility-busting beliefs that often make a difference between what is possible and what is impossible. 1. Dwelling on the Negative Remember the old song by Johnny Mercer, “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive, E-Li-Mi-Nate the Negative.” One way to ensure failure is having the negative belief that you cannot succeed before you even try. Our mindset can sometimes convince us that something is impossible before we even make our initial attempt. When we mistakenly believe that we lack the talent or resources to achieve our aspirations, it paralyzes our progress. Here is why having a negative perspective can eliminate potential possibilities: By repeatedly focusing on why something cannot be done, you will look for evidence to support that belief. 2. Defined by Disabilities There is a clear difference between real handicaps and imaginary ones. Real handicaps are limitations that can be overcome, adapted to and accepted. For example, in my life having only three fingers was a clear indication that I would not be a concert pianist. Once you accept your limitations, everything outside of that becomes a possibility. Do not spend your valuable time and resources focused on your deficits and fixing what appears to be broken. Instead, focus on your unique strengths, and build on those assets. If you lead with your limitations, it’s like challenging a ram to a head-butting contest. While you may have a positive attitude and give it your very best effort, you may gain little more than a headache. 3. Anxiety creates imaginary handicaps It’s important not to confuse fear with anxiety. Anytime we step out of our comfort zone, experiencing some fear is a normal, natural response to a new situation. Anxiety, however, occurs when our reaction is an abnormal response to our circumstances. In other words, it is anticipating or imagining a negative outcome regardless of the situation or opportunity. A focus on conceivable failure and disappointment is unrealistic and, therefore, imaginary. Many amazing possibilities are often unrealized, not because of real obstacles, but because of self-imposed limitations. 4. Dreaming Small Marketing guru Seth Godin, defines “going to the edge” as taking an idea to the extreme of possibility and working back from there to areas of thought and creativity that are more reasonable and doable. This illustrates the power of bold dreams as the catalyst for maximum achievement. All of us have the ability to conceive an idea, plan, and nurture it to success. So, why not make your dreams so compelling that they stir your soul and stimulate your motivation. This vision will inspire you to stay focused, put forth an extraordinary effort, while consistently maintaining a positive outlook. You have the purpose, passion, and perseverance needed to achieve your dreams. Remember, the distance between impossible and possible is often found between the ears! Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Roger Crawford. This was originally published on Roger's blog.
Clint Eastwood is one of the most iconic actors of our time. He has uttered movie lines that have become part of our daily lexicon. Perhaps one of your favorites is “Go ahead, make my day!” or “If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster!” In the military film, Heartbreak Ridge, he says to his soldiers, “Improvise, Adapt, Overcome,” which is the unofficial slogan among Marines. I believe that regardless of who we are or what we do, our ability to put these three words into practice is the framework for success. Improvise, adapt, and overcome is a powerful way of thinking for any person who is faced with an obstacle or a desired objective in life. In my book, Think Again, I wrote, “To succeed despite the challenges, we must plan, solve, recalculate, refocus, and think again. Then reinvent your plan, redirect your plan, and think again.” Repeat this process and persevere until the goal is accomplished. I learned the importance of improvising, adapting, and overcoming as I struggled with being physically unable to tie my shoes for many years. Many of us take this ability for granted. As for me, my independence was riding on it. Being unable to tie my shoes left me with two options: I could either ask a friend for assistance or endure repeated face plants from tripping over my laces. Having only three fingers meant tying my shoes was difficult but not impossible. After spending thousands of hours trying various strategies (including standing on my head), I finally accomplished the task when I was sixteen years old. I was thrilled! However, the following day I walked into a shoe store, and what do I see? Velcro shoes! Where was Velcro when I needed it? Why you need to continuously adapt Have you ever been in a situation where you have carefully designed your day and then discovered that others didn’t get the memo? You might be preparing for a job interview, giving a speech, or developing a business plan, and although it is important that you have a script to work from, you need to remember that you live in an unscripted world. You must continually manage and adjust. In Bruna Martinuzzi’s article, “The Agile Leader: Adaptability,” she describes how mental scripts can often create rigid ways of thinking, resulting in us overlooking new opportunities. The ability to improvise your plans and adapt your ideas when facing changing circumstances will enable you to transcend challenges. The bottom line is that we cannot expect yesterday’s thinking to bring success today. I have found Clint Eastwood to be an extremely effective motivational speaker on the subject of overcoming adversity. Here is one of my favorites from The Outlaw Josey Wales: “When things get bad, really bad, and it looks like you’re not going to make it, you gotta get mean, mad dog mean. Cause if you lose your head and you give up, then you neither live nor win. That’s just the way it is.” Perhaps Clint could have said this in a more elegant way; however, his words are the key to transcending obstacles. When faced with challenging circumstances, resist discouragement, and regain your determination. As a result, your sense of purpose will become more powerful than your problems! Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Roger Crawford. This was originally published on Roger's blog.
Can you remember a time when you felt like giving up but chose to gut it out instead? Psychologist Angela Duckworth calls this grit and says grit is the inner strength needed to achieve your long-term goals. In fact, her research found that grit is more important than talent or intelligence in predicting success. All of us need grit to realize our potential. But how do we maximize it? The good news is that you can increase your grit. You can begin to do that the same way you improve as an athlete: through sheer determination and a never-quit mindset. Think of your grit as a muscle that needs exercise to grow and develop. When we consistently push ourselves to reach higher, our capacity to persevere increases. Dr. Duckworth calls this deliberate practice. That means sticking with it when you feel like it, and sticking with it when you don’t. It is easier to uncover and maintain your grit when you are pursuing something that you are passionate about. An emotional attachment is more important than an intellectual one. Setting goals for something to which you are only intellectually committed can be difficult to follow through on. Researchers have found, however, that when you identify your purpose in life, your commitment will be emotional rather than intellectual. It follows that when you are excited about doing something, your motivation is stronger, and you achieve better results. So, the next time you successfully navigate a challenging situation through your own grit, look at it from this perspective: You didn’t just bounce back from this experience; it gave you an opportunity to bounce forward. You are a grittier and different person now. You have gained mental toughness and hard-won wisdom. It’s time to recognize the awesome strength of your own grit. You didn’t give up because you have the grit it takes to succeed. You didn’t bounce back to where you were in the past. Instead, you bounced forward, closer to where you want to be in the future. You’re grittier today than you were yesterday, and that is the foundation for success tomorrow. When you run into your next roadblock, don’t quit! Remember, you have grit! Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Roger Crawford. This was originally published on Roger's blog.
In the game of tennis, they have developed a unique rating system called NTPR which evaluates the skill level of players. The system has been effective because there are specific benchmarks a player must meet. It is, therefore, less subjective. Ratings are issued on a scale ranging from 2.0 (just picked up a racket yesterday) to 7.0 (touring professional). 2.0 is considered a rank beginner, usually defined as someone who has hit fewer than 10,000 tennis shots, while 7.0 is considered a professional. Once a player’s rating is established, they will then compete in tournaments against players of similar ability and experience. Making the decision to go to the next level…Let’s say you begin competing against players of similar experience and ability. Before long, you will have to decide whether or not to “play up.” For example, if you are rated as a 3.5 player and have won several tournaments, other players will begin to ask you when you are going to start competing at the next level (play up), maybe at 4.0 or 4.5. Some tournament players want to stay where they are and continue to take home trophies. They mistakenly believe that what brought them to where they are now is going to keep them there. It has been my experience, though, that when players stand still, they frequently lose enthusiasm, and their game begins to stagnate. Before long, other players are passing them by. Isn’t this same principle relevant in all other areas of our lives? The most successful individuals and organizations are always seeking opportunities to play up! When you make the decision to go to the next level, expectations change, focus sharpens, and motivation increases. We tend to rise to the level of our own expectations. Wouldn’t you agree that what you see in yourself is what you get out of yourself? That is why playing up is so vital to sustaining success. Peak performers understand that rising to a new level will bring new possibilities. How about you? Are you ready to play up? Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Roger Crawford
Last month, I was asked to speak in front of four thousand Boy Scouts at their Annual Expo. After my presentation, I met a young man I will never forget. He approached me with a big smile. He was wearing a Scout uniform that was a few sizes too big and looked to be around eight years old. “Roger, my name is Gus, and I am a Wolf Cub. During your speech, you said you weren’t a Scout, but you could be,” he said. Then, he explained: “You only need three fingers for the Scout Salute, so you have enough.” Gus made my night, and his wisdom is something we all can be inspired by. Have you ever felt you weren’t good enough or didn’t have enough to be successful? If you have developed negative beliefs about yourself and feel as if you don’t have what it takes, consider that the opposite may be true. Perhaps, what is holding you back from realizing your potential is not something real, but something imagined. If you believe you have enough, it can take you from where you are to where you want to be. Believing that you have enough doesn’t mean it’s not necessary to continually improve and grow. It means you believe you have the determination, drive, and discipline to turn your dreams into reality. Here are three questions that can give you a fresh perspective and provide proof that you have enough: 1. Where have you been? No one should live in the past. However, you can use the past as a reminder that you have enough. When you’re gripped by self-doubt, you are likely overemphasizing past failures and overlooking past successes. You have many accomplishments to be proud of. You may have overcome obstacles in the past. By reliving those moments, it increases your self-belief and gives you the motivation to do more and be more in the future. 2. Who do you think you are? The worst bully in life is typically inside us. This inner bully is the voice that says, “I can’t,” “Others are more talented,” “Why try?” or “I’ll just fail again.” Whenever you have negative conclusions about yourself, you will subconsciously seek evidence to support these pessimistic beliefs. Most of our thinking is automatic so slowing down will help you pay more attention to your thoughts. This awareness helps you see you are more capable, intelligent and worthy that you give yourself credit for. 3. What makes you unique? You have talents, skills, and abilities no one else has and that makes you extraordinary. People ask me, “Do you want to be someone else?” My response: “I know the handicaps I have. I don’t know what handicaps another person has. When we compare ourselves to others, we are looking at their exterior. We don’t see the interior.” Take a step back this week and think about what you have to offer to the world. Your life experiences put you in a unique position. By celebrating your own gifts and seeing the true value of your strengths, you quickly recognize you have enough. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! |
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