Can you see yourself in this clip from The Karate Kid? Twelve year old Dre Parker just wants to learn the highly advance cobra move and his Kung Fu Master Mr. Han wants to teach him a few lessons in patience and readiness for great things.
While Mr. Han is doling out some stellar advice, Dre ‘just wants to learn the cobra thing’. Sometimes we wonder why things take so long or we keep hitting obstacles with our goals, but, the reality is, we need to be ready for success. We need to have the maturity to handle the dangers and nuances of success. We may THINK we are focused and ready for bigger and betting things, but, we really aren’t.
Here are some of the pearls of wisdom from Master Han:
“Being still and doing nothing are two totally different things.” Do you ever find it a challenge to simply stop? Stop the business, the mind chatter, the ‘to-do’ hamster wheel enough to simply be still? I wrote another blog article a while back on the Power of the Pause, because I tried this and it was revolutionary. Stopping gives you an opportunity for clarity like nothing else. Clearing your mind to make room for new possibilities is the challenge and the secret to what Mr. Han was talking about.
“There is only one person you need to control.” Persuasion is not about controlling others. It’s about having enough self control to be someone that someone wants to follow. We would all do well to take this lesson in. So often we think about what other people need to do differently, when the fact is, that the only person we actually have any influence over is ourselves. So, if we spent more time on honest self improvement, we would make a much bigger impact on this world.
“Your focus needs more focus”. Dre thought that he had focus, but he was trying to get ahead of himself. He thought he was ready, but he wasn’t. Have you ever been hit with that awareness that you suddenly know what you don’t know? You think you had it figured out, and then suddenly, you realize that you have much more to learn than you thought. When I started my online business I thought; how hard can running an internet business be? Really hard! The learning curves were incredible. You need to have the dedication, the work ethic and the self awareness to know what you need to learn to make it in business.
Fighting for your dream is not for the lazy or faint of heart. It’s hard work and humbling. But, if you are honest with yourself and put in the work, you can have enough focus to make it work.
Patty Sadallah has 29 years experience as an organization development consultant and executive coach. She is a Dream Partner Catalyst and coaches and consults entrepreneurs, small business owners, nonprofits and faith-based organizations toward by moving them toward their dream visions. Find out more about her coaching and consulting at http://www.PattySadallah.com/sq.
She is also the Chapter President for the Northeast Ohio Christian Roundtables, a chapter of Truth at Work. It is a monthly advisory board roundtable of Christian leaders, equipping members to share their faith at work, grow their businesses and strengthen their walk with God. Learn more at http://www.NortheastOhioChristianRoundtables.com