Why do birds keep coming back to  an empty feeder? I have four birdfeeders at my house that I keep full of birdseed all winter long, but come late spring I stop refilling them until the following fall. I’ve noticed something a bit interesting to me – the birds keep coming all summer long, even though the feeder is completely empty.

I will watch the same bird land on the feeder, examine it intently, and fly back to a tree branch 30 or 40 feet away. He will sit on the tree branch for a moment and then fly back to the same feeder and examine it again. This same bird will do this over and over again until I just stop watching…it’s probably doing it right now.

Why would a bird continue to waste it’s energy returning to something that is unfulfilling, and completely unsatisfying. It seems that he would realize that this opportunity has dried up, and he could better feed his family searching among the berries and seeds of the field…it’s got to be better than the store bought food anyway.

This bird has allowed something that was once a promising opportunity, trap him in a life of mediocrity that will eventually lead to his destruction if he doesn’t make a change soon.

Opportunity Or Trap?

This blog post was inspired by a piece I read in Andy Andrews book, Mastering The Seven Decisions. Andy says: “Way too many people trade out their freedom for security, and they don’t even realize it. There’s a difference between an opportunity you seize and a trap you walk into.”

Not every door that is opened for us is the right door for us to walk through, it could even be a trap. I am currently working with a gentleman who is considering a new position with a huge international company. It’s a GREAT opportunity…or is it? Here’s the deal – this move would require that he relocate and leave an area that he loves. This occupation is also 180 degrees from his true passion, which is medical research. But, But, But…It’s a GREAT opportunity, with GREAT benefits,  with a GREAT income, with a chance to advance with the company, and probably move around some more.

This Is How We Get Trapped!

The problem with chasing the wrong opportunities is that they can trap us in a mediocre life, we’ve all heard the saying that Good is the Enemy of Great…and it’s true. We tend to settle for goodness to the point that we miss real opportunities for Greatness! When we pursue the wrong opportunities it’s kind of like boarding the Titanic…it looks so promising, but in the end it is so destructive. We long to be free and live the life we were born to live, and until we are, we are not really living fully alive.

Avoid The Trap!

Here are 3 quick tips to avoid the trap:

1. Know Yourself…Understand what you’re Passionate about, and what it is that you Value most. Uncover your Personality traits, Do you like to be around people? Do you enjoy a fast paced life or prefer a little more relaxed pace? Are you a big picture thinker, or would you rather focus on the details? Determine your Skills and Abilities.
2. Evaluate Every Opportunity…Run every opportunity through the filter of the answers to item #1. Is it an opportunity you’re passionate about, and does it align with your Values? Does it lend well to your Personality? Do you have the Skills and Abilities to carry out the functions of this opportunity with Excellence?
3. Will it meet the needs of your Family…Financially, Socially, Spiritually, Enviromentally, and Relationally?

If you Evaluate every opportunity against these criteria, you are well on your way to Avoiding the Trap, and being more Intentional About Your Legacy.

Blessings,

~Randell

You need to realize that “YOU” are more than your business. “YOU” were “YOU” long before you went into business, and that your business doesn’t define who “YOU” are, or what your true value is.

What many struggling entrepreneurs tend to do is let every difficulty, failure, bad decision, and unmet goal in business reflect who they are as a person, I know because I do it myself. This behavior will not only sabotage your business, it will cut the legs right out from underneath your own self image making everyday tougher than the day before.

When we personalize every business mistake it becomes impossible to learn from those mistakes because we take the blame as who we are rather than what we did to cause the mistake, and this is a huge distinction. When we see a mistake as an incorrect action, we can learn from it, make the necessary changes to avoid making the same mistake again and ultimately have greater opportunity for success.

On The Other Hand

On the other hand, if we see the mistake as a reflection of who we are we blow huge holes in our confidence, and create doubt in our ability to make wise decisions in the future. When we can’t make decisions with confidence we become paralyzed, and difficulties in our business only become worse, which compounds the situation even more, and creates a perpetual cycle of lack of confidence, fear, and paralysis…over and over and over, and eventually we come to a point where we believe we’re failures, and we failed because of who we are.

Not True

Photo from ideavist.com

Failing, and being a failure are not the same thing. We need to understand that we sometimes fail because of something we did, not because of who we are…the “Who We Are” is best displayed by how we react to our failures. We can beat ourselves up and feel worthless and stupid, or we can look at the facts, make corrections and move forward with confidence knowing we’ve got something of real value to offer, just because of who we are.

If You’re At Your Wit’s End In Your Business

The first thing you need to do is look in the mirror a say “I Am Valuable, I am here for a reason, and my Creator didn’t make any junk” Realize that you have skills and abilities, a personality suited for success, and passions, values, and dreams that are part of your mission.

Go For It With Confidence!!!

“Randell Mark” Olson

Have you ever watched a cartoon chase? You know the ones I’m talking about, where one character is chasing the other, and the first one goes around a corner and quickly slips, unnoticed  into a doorway while the chaser dashes past and keeps running down the hall.  You can almost sense the first ones relief while he sits there trying to catch his breath, and planning his next move.

As a small business owner, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to just run away from my business, or at least hide from it long enough to plan my next move.  I would think to myself…if I could just get far enough ahead to Think, to Breath, to Rest, and figure out what to do next.

The business I thought was my Dream, was now more like a Prison. It wasn’t like being between a rock and a hard place, at least there you know where you’re at.  This was worse, because it was like being nowhere at all.  Sounds kind of strange, but the fact is that I didn’t know where I was going, and really didn’t know how I even ended up where I was.

If You’re Still Reading This, You’ve Been There Too

The problem is,  if we don’t address it, we’ll sabotage our business, and likely ourselves as well. I fought this battle on and off for years, only to realize that the business itself wasn’t really the problem, it had more to do with me.  I had to face the fact that I needed to take a good hard look inside of myself, and it was the best thing I’ve ever done.

The Path To Getting Your Life Back

The first step towards living completely alive is getting to know yourself.  You have to ask yourself why you went into this business in the first place.  Was it just to make an income, or did you have a dream that was bigger than just money.

If you had a dream that was bigger than money, chances are you can recapture that vision,  re-ignite that passion, and begin to experience real joy in your business again.

However, if money was the driving force for  your business start up, it is also probably what is driving your frustration.  You see to stay the course through thick and thin it takes a stronger passion than money. You may discover that you have no passion for your business at all, and it’s time to make a change, remember it starts by looking inward to clarify your strongest passions, and deepest desires.

If you can start your business from there, you will change your world and leave a Legacy of Greatness!

Last weekend, my wife Karen and I were at a graduation open house, where someone was walking around with a video camera catching some live footage of this special day. The interesting thing is, that I was completely unaware of this video camera until I was shown a copy of it later.

As I watched myself on video, I found it strange to know that at the time I had no idea that I was being watched. It was a rare opportunity to see myself as the world sees me.

The first thing I noticed was that I am shorter and wider than I thought…my hair is grayer than I thought as well. But what really got my attention was how my approach and response to various people was so vastly different.

Some people I would approach rather aggressively with a big hug, a slap on the back, and lots of laughter, while others I would address slowly with a gentle embrace, and a tender word, or a handshake with a smile.

Why The Difference?

I felt like a private investigator as I watched myself interact with family, friends, and acquaintances. I couldn’t help but notice that I seemed to know how to approach each person in a way that would be most acceptable to them.

Could There Be A Business Lesson Here?

I think so. The reason I was able to give the proper greeting and response to so many people at this open house, was because I understood how most of them want to interact…you might say “I know how they’re wired”, and their response can be quite predictable.

In business our customers and clients are all wired differently as well, and if we take the time to understand them better the results can be staggering. Just think how much better you can serve your customer  if you have a clearer sense of their unique perspective and what they would see as the perfect outcome.

We’ve all heard it said that “People do Business with people they Know, Like, and Trust” and there is no better way to earn that than to show them that you care, by getting to know them better.  It’s all part of being more Intentional about our Legacy.