We are all trying to “puzzle” our way through life. As you piece together your identity, consider the people, communities, and values that impact you.
Last Friday I got laid off. Committed to bouncing right back, first thing Monday morning I decided to take my garage and convert it into an office, where I can work to start up my own company. I was determined to let the layoff be a catalytic moment in my life, freeing me to pursue my dreams. But I needed a good dad’s-not-really-here place to work (I’ve got six kids under 12).
Fortunately for me, we have a wonderful, separate and detached two-car garage. That’s perfect, because it means I actually “leave for work” (short commute) and am out-of-sight out-of-mind, at least for our littlest ones.
But that left me with quite the project. It was a lot of work, but it actually looked decent after I’d cleaned up all the clutter, stacked everything on some shelves, blew and swept out all the leaves and dirt, and even mopped the floor.
Fortunately, we had some old furniture, an old rug that I dusted off, some card tables, and even an unused 48″ HDTV (it’s “broken” in that the picture is dramatically tinted green). I’d long since retired my books to my garage, since they were less welcome inside, so I figured they’d make for a nice, natural backdrop to an office.
Looking to make it appear a bit more “homey,” I wanted to soften up the card table look, so I ran down to Walmart and bought some cheap blankets to drape over the tables. I also got a lamp shade for an old (but beautiful) lamp my grandfather once made for me.
I dug up some old, unused pictures and hung them on the wall, fixed up the old lamp, and viola… an office!
In the back, I’ve got a little coat rack. It does get awfully cold (there’s snow on the ground outside today). With only a little space heater, I usually keep my jacket and ski cap on. That’s kinda cool, I think! I’m one of the elite few who can wear a ski cap at work. Plus, I’ve always liked it to be colder than most people.
The bottom line is that you’ve got to work with the cards you have. When you look around you with the right attitude, you’ll find all kinds of opportunities to create something extraordinary out of something very ordinary. It’s all in your outlook.
From one of my favorite poems called Keep-a-goin’ (read here):
‘Taint no use to sit an’ whine
When the fish ain’t on your line;
Bait your hook an’ keep a-tryin’—
Keep a-goin’!
So no matter what life has dealt you, look around, take stock of what you’ve got, and make something out of it. Life is simply about making the most of what you have. As you approach life with that attitude, suddenly you’ll find the world a little less gloomy and a lot more rewarding.
Rusty
We are all trying to “puzzle” our way through life. As you piece together your identity, consider the people, communities, and values that impact you.
You’ve likely heard the children’s story about the ugly duckling. What difference does a change in perspective make? Read on to find out how you can relate to his experience.
You are capable of greatness. In fact, it is already within you. You just need to discover it, and then work to bring your life into alignment so that your life's mission and your life become one and the same. That's when you'll shine. That's when you'll experience full joy and fulfillment, when you're actions align to your purpose. We can help.
The night I quit my job I had a decision to make: wait, or just start. I chose to just start and held a seminar the next day. People in motion tend to stay in motion and people at rest tend to stay at rest. So whatever it is you've been waiting to do... just start!
The hardest handicaps to overcome are mental. It happens when we tell ourselves the wrong story. Change the story.
The funny, but insightful story about how we tend to destroy what is most precious to us. A video from an international speech competition.
Life Engineering is dedicated to helping individuals, parents, leaders, and organizations achieve excellence.
We provide the tools and the training, the motivation and the methodology, an entire system designed to help you move beyond where you’ve been, to go farther than you thought you could… to achieve more, to do more, to become more. It’s about more than just short-term success. It’s the disciplined pursuit of excellence.
