Don’t whinge, whine or moan – just get on with it

At about this time every year I do a blog which is intended to push buttons, create ennui, and just generally get you to sit up, notice and then take Massive Action.

Click Here to listen to the Podcast

See below to read the transcript

Warmly

Diederik

P.S. – there’s nothing for sale 🙂

TRANSCRIPTION:

Victim or Victor: Which Are You, Which Will You Become?

This New Year musing has just one purpose: to provoke you (at this very moment in time) to carefully reflect on your life, your career, your relationships, your family, your purpose, your values – and your legacy. 

I say all this because – at this time of year I always try to present you with something a little deeper, more controversial, challenging and thoughtful.

Lately I’ve been deeply reflect on an interesting dichotomy. Or is it a conundrum? Possibly it’s also an irony. 

What am I talking about? 

You. Your success. Your happiness. Your value as a human being. 

I have just been involved in three weeks of complexly emotional experiences. 

First, I was working with a non-veterinary client who employs just on 100 people. That’s a large business! 

We’ve been working deeply on performance enhancement strategies for something like 20 different areas of their business. 

One of the key things that came out of these discussions is that YOU always have the ability — in all of life to be either…the victim or the victor. 

With the exception of ‘Acts-of-God’, which account for maybe 2% of life’s occurrences – 98% of your life, career, marriage, financial situation, family matters are ALL the result of…either things you DO or things you don’t do. 

Let me repeat that – either things you DO or things you don’t do. 

Let me phrase this differently – so that you really get it; everything that is in your life is there because (at some level), you choose it.

Seriously – you can change the course of a life, a relationship, a career – ‘in a heartbeat’ (as Tony Robbins says). 

If you truly want control, I believe that either you control your life or your life controls you. And it’s the same with your veterinary career and if you have one, your veterinary practice.

Either you control your career / your practice OR your career / your practice, they control you.

Just think for a second – which of these is it for you………

Life is a wonderful thing. You have the opportunity to do so many things, be so many things, achieve so many things, influence so many things, and contribute to so many things. 

But many – far too many – people today take the position of being a victim.

• Victim of the economy. 
• Victim of bad choices. 
• Victim of bad luck. 
• Victim of bad upbringing.
• Victim of their partner – life or business
• Victim of Etc.

I say…so what! 

All we have, really, is from today-forward! 

What we do with it really IS what determines who we are, what we are, what we achieve. 

You can use this infinite opportunity to grow, add value, contribute to people, pets and the world OR you can suck the life and emotion…and passion out of everyone you’re around. 

My life has taught me many things. 

First: We are in absolute control of our fates and destinies. In other words, I am NOT a fatalist. 

• If you don’t like your life, you really CAN change it – even today. 

• If you don’t like your body, you really can change it – with disciplined exercise and diet. 

• If you don’t like your relationship, you can change it or end it – by taking meaningful corrective action. 

But most people would prefer lamenting, hoping, dreaming, remorsing or wishing rather than doing – ‘whatever it takes’. 

I’ve observed tens of thousands of unhappy, unsuccessful people both in business and outside it. And I’m sad to that our veterinary industry seems OVER-LOADED with these people.

Guess what they almost ALL have in common? Nothing! Or more accurately, they do nothing meaningful to change their situation, circumstances or plight. 

• Buying a book you don’t read or don’t implement on isn’t something you should be proud of. 

• Attending a seminar you don’t follow through with isn’t any great achievement. 

• Paying a coach or consultant for guidance you don’t use or follow isn’t something to be proud of, either. 

US football legend Fran Tarkenton, said it best – when he said “Each and every day you’ve got to wrestle the ‘bear’ to the ground and win out”. The bear is YOUR issues, problems, challenges, hopes and dreams. 

When I first got married, we had a major personal disaster. I had no money, no insurance and I had no clue. Guess what? I took up an extra three night jobs in order to make the money to pay the many bills. 

Over the years I’ve had two major cancers as well as other serious health issues – some well-known in our industry. Guess what? I went on a disciplined regimen of ‘getting over it’.

I’ve had bad business partnerships – I either improved them, changed them or moved on. 

I’ve been in personal situations which looked like dead ends, and I either changed things, reinvented myself or found new areas of opportunity within the industry. 

It was never-ever a ‘piece-of-cake’. Some of these things were a huge struggle. And to be honest – some I still struggle with every day.

But this is not about me – this is about you. 

It’s the beginning of a new year a new opportunity in fact.

What are you going to do with it? Continue to sit there, and moan “Woe is me…” – or are you going to engage in meaningful action…

If you take Meaningful Action, then beware it won’t work (perfectly) the First time. You need to keep at it.

It takes critical thinking, courage, committed/continuous forward motion and action…then usually course correction; because the first ‘knee jerk’ things we do don’t always produce the desired result we want. 

And here’s the real key.

Most people ‘fold’ the first time they hit resistance, a setback or non-success…in any aspect of their lives. 

Is it any wonder so few people achieve much (or any) of the life’s pleasures, payoffs and the pursuits they say they want? 

What’s my point here? 

It’s nothing self-serving, I assure you. I’m NOT trying to ‘set you up’ for an offer. Rather I’m attempting to ‘set-you-up’ for;

• a better life, 
• a richer relationship, 
• a more enriching career
• a more joyous fulfilling and prosperous practice. 

I’m trying to tell you that ALL you have always had and wanted for yourself and family, you have available today – right now at this moment and you will have it equally available throughout the rest of your life – total, absolute and magnificent control of almost everything you want, crave and/or don’t want and wish to improve. 

• Whether you pro-act or react. 
• Whether you initiate or contemplate. 
• Whether you feel victimized or ‘empower-ized’ is really…totally up to YOU! 

There’s a relevant story I’d like to end on – it’s old but appropriate. 

Two young Indian braves wanted to embarrass the wise medicine man in their village. So they decided to take a small bird and hold it in their hands behind their backs. Then they would ask the wise man whether the bird was alive – or dead. Whichever he answered, they planned on embarrassing the wise man. If he said it was alive – they’d break the bird’s neck before they held it out. 

So when the braves went to ask the wise man whether the bird being held behind their backs was alive or dead, he simply replied “The answer lies in YOUR hands.” 

I conclude this ‘musing’ with the same encouragement, admonishment and hopeful wish — your fate, your happiness, your prosperity…your health – it ALL lies in your hands. 

I hope sincerely that you will make the absolute most of the rest of your life. Because, my friend – you absolutely can and that’s all you’ve got. 

Regards, 

Remember too – the process, the journey rather than the destination is what’s really exciting, fulfilling and important.

Diederik