Friday's Thought - Platitudes
We
look with great optimism to 2014. It is
within our very own attitude that will we find the ways to positively shape how
we approach our goals and challenges of the New Year. With every New Year comes new expectations and
standards and typically they require an attitude adjustment on our part to
adapt to a behavior which will change our attitudes for the better. For example, sales people who understand that
the key to success is developing new business and use try to find reasons why
they can't instead of why they can. To
some these are barriers, to others they are "platitudes."
A platitude is basically a trite,
meaningless statement, presented as if it were original and insignificant. It is used to create excuses and barriers as
to why not do or try things somewhat differently.
For example, have you ever heard (or ever used) the statement, "if it ain't broke, why fix it?" Why settle for the status quo? Is the status quo even good enough? It reminds me of (what is now an oldie but goodie) the 2006 Christmas movie release, "Deck the Halls" with Mathew Broderick and Danny DeVito. DeVito’s character, Buddy Hall, was not content just having Christmas lights, he wanted to have so many of them they could be seen from outer space. As he put it, he wanted to do something in his life that was "monumental." He couldn't just settle for the status quo, what he started was wasn't good enough, he wanted more and more and his neighbor, Steve Finch, (Mathew Broderick) did everything he could to thwart his efforts. They truly became harsh competitors throughout the Christmas season just so Buddy Hall could reach his ultimate goal. He could have had a few lights (LIKE MOST OF US DO unless you are Clark Griswold), that worked and worked well, but he had to fix it to be even better so he could reach his goal of doing something "monumental."
Another example of a platitude is that "You will succeed if you try hard enough." Trying is great, and in the movie Buddy Hall tried many things, including selling cars and was a continual failure. He didn't have the right attitude and he hadn't found the right niche for him. He was destined to be a life-long failure. On the other hand, you can achieve so much by merely having a winning, "can-do" attitude. This includes getting outside of your comfort zone and trying different things. (there's a lot to be found at the extra mile...) Platitudes continually excuse our failures to win and win at the next level. Back to the movie, everything seemingly would go wrong for Buddy Hall and everything seemingly right for Steve Finch, until Buddy set his mind to it and Finch started to resist...then the tables turned.
What better time that right now to look back at what was 2013 and review all the chances you had that slipped away or got away. Take a post-mortem of the past year. Were there opportunities where you could have done something truly "monumental" had you not had a closed mind to something different? Were your attitudes and your activity regimens truly not broke and not in need of repair? Could a little tweaking to your routine have made you better at what you did? Review the goals you set at the beginning of the year achieved and if not, why not? Was it completely out of your control? Be objective and try to identify what platitudes you may have used to excuse your shortcomings. George Washington Carver said, "Ninety nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses."
The start of a new year is also a great time to determine what opportunities may be available to you. Have an old fashioned reality check and be totally (even brutally) honest with yourself. Look to the opportunities that may very well give you the ability to do something "monumental." Keep a running opportunity list, set or refine your 2014 goals around them and don't let up. Be confident in your abilities and focus on your desires and something "monumental" may indeed happen. Ultimately, you will be better for it. Michael Gelb said, "By stretching yourself beyond your perceived level of confidence, you accelerate your level of competence." When you've achieved this, you have then done something quite "monumental."
Helen Keller once said, "Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow." Or as so eloquently put by Walt Disney, "If you can dream it, you can do it."
Have a great weekend!
****
I have a very dear friend who truly has the gift of writing. He has been sharing these recently with me and I feel that the only justice for him is to pass them onto you. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. Thanks Lee for another great Friday Thought!
For example, have you ever heard (or ever used) the statement, "if it ain't broke, why fix it?" Why settle for the status quo? Is the status quo even good enough? It reminds me of (what is now an oldie but goodie) the 2006 Christmas movie release, "Deck the Halls" with Mathew Broderick and Danny DeVito. DeVito’s character, Buddy Hall, was not content just having Christmas lights, he wanted to have so many of them they could be seen from outer space. As he put it, he wanted to do something in his life that was "monumental." He couldn't just settle for the status quo, what he started was wasn't good enough, he wanted more and more and his neighbor, Steve Finch, (Mathew Broderick) did everything he could to thwart his efforts. They truly became harsh competitors throughout the Christmas season just so Buddy Hall could reach his ultimate goal. He could have had a few lights (LIKE MOST OF US DO unless you are Clark Griswold), that worked and worked well, but he had to fix it to be even better so he could reach his goal of doing something "monumental."
Another example of a platitude is that "You will succeed if you try hard enough." Trying is great, and in the movie Buddy Hall tried many things, including selling cars and was a continual failure. He didn't have the right attitude and he hadn't found the right niche for him. He was destined to be a life-long failure. On the other hand, you can achieve so much by merely having a winning, "can-do" attitude. This includes getting outside of your comfort zone and trying different things. (there's a lot to be found at the extra mile...) Platitudes continually excuse our failures to win and win at the next level. Back to the movie, everything seemingly would go wrong for Buddy Hall and everything seemingly right for Steve Finch, until Buddy set his mind to it and Finch started to resist...then the tables turned.
What better time that right now to look back at what was 2013 and review all the chances you had that slipped away or got away. Take a post-mortem of the past year. Were there opportunities where you could have done something truly "monumental" had you not had a closed mind to something different? Were your attitudes and your activity regimens truly not broke and not in need of repair? Could a little tweaking to your routine have made you better at what you did? Review the goals you set at the beginning of the year achieved and if not, why not? Was it completely out of your control? Be objective and try to identify what platitudes you may have used to excuse your shortcomings. George Washington Carver said, "Ninety nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses."
The start of a new year is also a great time to determine what opportunities may be available to you. Have an old fashioned reality check and be totally (even brutally) honest with yourself. Look to the opportunities that may very well give you the ability to do something "monumental." Keep a running opportunity list, set or refine your 2014 goals around them and don't let up. Be confident in your abilities and focus on your desires and something "monumental" may indeed happen. Ultimately, you will be better for it. Michael Gelb said, "By stretching yourself beyond your perceived level of confidence, you accelerate your level of competence." When you've achieved this, you have then done something quite "monumental."
Helen Keller once said, "Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow." Or as so eloquently put by Walt Disney, "If you can dream it, you can do it."
Have a great weekend!
"The control you exercise over your
own perceptions, thoughts and actions will make all the difference in your
life. Reality is what it is, and your own relationship to that reality is
precisely whatever you choose for it to be." -Ralph Marsten
****
I have a very dear friend who truly has the gift of writing. He has been sharing these recently with me and I feel that the only justice for him is to pass them onto you. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. Thanks Lee for another great Friday Thought!
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