I was talking with a friend this evening about relationships and some how I recalled a time I was on vacation where I was on a canoe trip. It was a two person canoe and I was in the bow (the front) and the other person was in the stern (the rear). What was suppose to be a fun little excursion, turned into a heated exchange between two very frustrated people.There were three major factors at play. First there was no clear direction as to where we were going. Second, there was no communication and third, our paddling was off.
Thinking back on that incident I realized what I learned from the canoe trip can be helpful in maintaining any relationship. Here’s what I learned, if any two people have different agendas there is no focal point or goal to work towards together. Without effective communication, there is no understanding and neither person knows what the other person is doing. Lastly, if your paddling is off, you’re going nowhere. Timing is everything.
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During basic training, the instructors emphasized the need for having a “battle buddy”. They were essentially your accountability partner throughout our eight weeks of training. Your battle buddy was the one who help keep you motivated and focused. I have found that a “battle buddy” is not only necessary in the military but also throughout our journey called life. Your “battle buddy” may or may not be your best friend but they will always be the one to go the extra distance with you.
It takes courage and a bit of risk to step outside your comfort zone. That is why a strong “why” is so important to have. The “why” is what will make the most daunting tasks worth doing. A strong “why” is what will give you the gas to keep going on days when you feel empty. A strong “why” is what makes the struggles worth while. Make sure you write down your “why” and review it as often as possible. Why? Because it’s important to know.
One of my top priorities is to always take care of the people or things that take care of me. Whether it is making sure the family is taken care of, the park passes are current or the car needs maintenance, whatever allows me to keep moving forward in doing what I do best is what I take care first. Take care of those things that take care of you. Focus on what makes you happy and brings you peace and fulfillment.
It is not the quantity of followers a person has but the quality of content that the person provides that matters. If you know that what you are providing is quality content and information, eventually people will take notice. Consistency is the key and a self discipline not everyone has. Trust the process.
Surrounding yourself with a strong network is vital to your growth. The more my business grows the more demanding my time becomes. With a strong network of support, I can do what I do best knowing I have folks who do what they do best. Together we can achieve more.
There is something to learn from everyone. What folks sometime forget to realize is that the road is often a two way street. You have something valuable to teach as well as anyone else. Perhaps when people cross your path, it’s not because of who THEY are but it’s because of who YOU are.
One of the biggest challenges that I have had to overcome is asking for what it is that I want or need. I realized that I didn’t know what it was that I wanted, therefore I didn’t know what to ask for. In order to know what your want/need first get clear about what it is that you want out of life. Once you have clarity, it becomes much easier to know what it is your need in order to achieve your goals. Asking then becomes much easier.
Stay focused on your dream but flexible with the process. Staying flexible allows for you to recognize new opportunities when they arise and bounce back from set backs. In times when life causes you to stretch and bend, rest assure flexibility will not cause you to break.
Setbacks are signals that you have veered of track somewhere. In order to get to where you want to go, so many of us use GPS navigation. In life, you have to prepare for delays, detours, and road blocks just like traveling. Each of these encounters offer up valuable lessons if you are willing to look for them. Remember, like most GPS systems, life automatically recalculates.
Sweet N Social 
