8 Reasons People Don’t Change Their Story

I will be doing a series over the next several blog posts about; Why people don’t change their story. For the purpose of our series, I’ve identified 8 key reasons…Here they are in no particular order.

1. Incorrect view of Humility
2. Fear of failure or success
3. Blame circumstances
4. Lack of Vision
5. Allowing the wrong Influences
6. The Trap of Perfection
7. Trying to “go-it” Alone
8. Lack of Focus

Reason #1:

We often have an incorrect view of  Humility

I am completely convinced that one of the main reasons we don’t change our story is because we underestimate our value to the world…we have a false sense, or incorrect view of Humility.

Humility is NOT thinking less of ourselves than we should, or seeing our value as not important…A more accurate view of humility is Knowing our true self and understanding that our Creator has given us gifts to share with the world. The definition that I offer is a compilation a several sources. Humility is: Seeing ourselves as God sees us, and understanding that our gifts flow through us and not from us. I believe our God has a mission for each of us, and the gifts that He’s blessed us with are the tools to accomplish the mission.

We often try so hard to have humility that we loose sight of our incredible gifts. We don’t want to appear to be prideful, haughty, or egotistical, so we downplay, overlook, or refuse to acknowledge that we are amazing – each of us have been gifted to serve others. Consider this; when our Creator gifted us, those gifts were not given to us for us…they were given to us to serve others, in effect, our gifts are really a gift to the world.

In his book “It’s Your Call”, Author Gary Barkalow says…”humility is seeing that you’ve been given something extraordinary that others will need…You have been given something glorious that the world needs, don’t diminish and disregard it, Receive and offer it as a gift from God to you and for others” Pg. 182

Let’s not let a false sense of humility stop us from living the story we were created to live, we need to share our unique giftedness with the world, that is precisely why we have it in the first place. When we share our gift, we may put someone on the path to changing their story, when we Change Our Story, We Change Our World!

Next time we’ll look into Reason #2: Fear of Failure or Success

Blessings,

Randell

Even Hungry Birds Keep Coming To An Empty Birdfeeder

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

Believe It Or Not…It Can Happen

I was talking to a friend of mine just the other day and I was telling him about some of the new strategies I was planning on using to market my business. Now this friend also owns his own business as well so what he said next really struck me, he said this. “So you are growing your business to do more of what you hate”

I was blown away, I said to him immediately, no I am growing my business to do more of what I love. I told him, that I can’t wait to be able to share the message I have with more and more people, and help others realize that work doesn’t have to be a chore, work doesn’t need to be something we hate, but rather our work should be a reflection of who we truly are and what we were born to do.

The Sad Reality

The sad truth is, that whether you are an employee or an entrepreneur,  if you hate your work it is impossible to live a full life.   How can a person spend 50 or 60% of their waking hours doing something that they hate and truly be alive. I don’t think it is possible, but the real question is this.  If you are not living fully alive, who then is missing out on the real you? Who is being robbed of your real personality, your passions, your dreams, your values. Who is missing out on your talents, your skills, and your abilities. I think it’s really quite simply everybody. The world is missing out on the real you, and you are missing the joy of living a full and abundant life, the life that you were born to live.

If YOU Hate Your Work

If you’re an employee who hates his job, or if you’re a worn out, beat up, overwhelmed, and overworked entrepreneur, it’s time to Get Your Life Back. It’s time to discover who you are, and why you’re here.  It’s time to once again experience Joy, Confidence, Freedom, and a Great Smile to share with the world.

What Now?

If you want to talk about it, I’d love to chat with you at no charge Click Here and drop me a note…We’ll jump on the phone and chat for a while.

I’ve got the bounce back in my step, and you can too!

Blessings,

Randell

The very first thing the frustrated, discouraged, overwhelmed, burned out, and beat up entrepreneur needs to do before moving forward to a place of freedom is Get Your Head Right!!!

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

This week I am honored to share a guest post from my good friend Cindy Hirch.  I hope you enjoy her insightful perspective on a wonderful personal story.  I’m sure you’ll see things a little differently as I did, and wonder what you may have been missing, as well. To get to know Cindy better, check out “About us” page at Pursuing Your Calling.com. THANKS CINDY!

Lesson Learned from Picking Blueberries

One of my favorite summertime activities is an annual trip to a local blueberry farm each July, to pick many pounds of berries for eating and freezing for winter baking. This has been an activity I’ve engaged in since I was a young girl visiting my Grandma each summer in the coal region of PA. In my youth, picking was more of a chore than pleasure. Back then I never appreciated the peaceful feeling experienced in the midst of that activity, or the opportunity to commune with God. I never saw the sun streaming down in the early morning hours with the dew fresh on the fruit and leaves. At the time I never realized the valuable lesson I would learn much later in life.

Yesterday marked the day for picking and I was excited. This farm has rows and rows of berries and I knew exactly where I wanted to go. Arriving at my spot, I looked at the one bush and quickly assessed that it had been picked over. Moving to  the next one, only a couple of feet away, an amazing discovery was made. A new angle, and small shift allowed me to see all the fruit that was actually on the bush I had just walked away from. Lifting a branch, and moving a leaf allowed me to see what wasn’t obvious earlier.

How often do we, in attempting to discover our calling, miss seeing opportunities because we only have one way of viewing a situation? We spend precious time looking straight ahead when all we have to do is shift a bit, or move something to gain a whole new perspective. The lamp provides the necessary light to take the next step.

What are you missing on the road to discovering your calling  because you are looking for the neon light instead of the lamp that is already at your feet softly lighting the way?

Have you ever felt like a Fraud?

I know that sounds like a strange question, but hear me out, and see if you can relate at all.

I sometimes find myself in a situation, where my Passions, and Desires are stronger that my Credentials. For example;  I may have a strong desire to help a person through a difficult business situation, when I’m “elbow deep” in a similar situation myself, and I haven’t even figured it out yet.  If I offer suggestions, counsel, and advice…am I a Fraud? If I offer to speak to a group of people about discovering their Vocational Calling, and making a Career Transition, while still in transition myself…am I a Fraud?

The reason I’m asking these questions is, because sometimes that’s the way I truly feel.  You might say I’m in a battle between doing the work that currently pays the bills, and striving to be in the work I believe God created me for.  Let me try to explain my situation.

I currently own and operate a Garage Door business as my primary source of income, but I truly believe God has called me, and is preparing me for Career Coaching, and Professional Speaking.  So by day I sell, install, and service garage doors and openers, and by night I speak and help people with career choices and transitions. Who am I? A garage door guy who helps people in career transition, or a Speaker and Career Coach who happens to also sell garage doors.

Ultimately I think it’s my responsibility to be authentically me, in every role of my life.  If God has called me to speak and coach, then I am to pursue excellence in that role, and know that He will  be using me for His purposes.  I discussed this with my good friend and coach Rob Clinton, who made a great suggestion, he said Randell “just be Great at what you do by day, and be Great at what you do by night”. As long as I’m serving with greatness It’s impossible to be a Fraud, even if I sometimes feel that way.

How about you…do you ever feel like a Fraud?  If so, consider this;  The passions and desires you have were placed in your heart by your Creator, and if you are seeking to change your world by fulfilling God’s plan, then you’re not  Fraud…even if you don’t have all the credentials yet.

Striving for Greatness everyday, regardless of our current situation, is all part of being Intentional about our Legacy.

“Randell Mark”  Olson

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I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what the consequences might be if I do not live the life I was created to live.  Who would do what I am supposed to do?  What if no one filled in for me, and my assignment was left undone.

Can you imagine what would happen if the trees stopped doing their job, no more oxygen, no more shade, if they didn’t do their job, would they flourish, or would they whither? Could they reflect all the glory, and beauty they were created for?

Everything in creation has a very significant purpose, and our very lives depend on it.  Every plant, every animal, every drop of water, every star, and every sea creature impacts our life in some positive way, nothing is here “just because”.

I believe the same is true for each one of us.  Each of us were created for significance, and as Zig Ziglar says, “endowed with the seeds of greatness”, yet seeds still need to be nurtured to produce the life giving fruit.  Our seeds are talents, abilities, tendencies, and desires that we need to develop, and hone for maximum potential, and positive impact on each other.  If I don’t discover and pursue my calling, then you are being short changed by me, and you also owe it to me to live the life you were created to live.

I wonder if I would take my calling more seriously if I considered it my assignment, or even a command from my creator. In the book of Exodus, Moses says that God gave certain men wisdom, skills, abilities, and understanding to do all manner of workmanship, and then he says…Exodus35:30 “the Lord has called them by name”…and they Exodus 36:1 “shall do according to all that the Lord has commanded”.  God first gave them the ability, and then he commanded them to carry out the assignment he had for them.

I know what my assignment is…I think it’s time for me to get busy. I’m not here “just because”

Randell Mark

Who is walking around in your shoes?  Or maybe you’re wearing someone else’s shoes.  Either way, I’ll bet it’s not a perfect fit.

Have you ever wore a pair of shoes that just didn’t fit that well?  After wearing them for a while, your feet started getting sore, blisters began to appear, your pace began to slow, and you finally had to stop to take them off.

We are pretty good at noticing when a shoe is not the right fit for us, and we make the necessary changes right away.  We may even pass the shoes on to someone who they fit just right, but why don’t  we do that when it comes to our careers?  For some strange reason we’ll struggle for years in a career that doesn’t fit us.

When we are performing work that is not the right fit for us, it’s  a little like wearing shoes that belong to someone else.  We can do it for a while, but before long our pace begins to slow, we start feeling the pain of our “blisters”, we become agitated, frustrated, and begin to long for Fridays, and dread the thought  Mondays.  I know the feeling all to well because I’ve been there, and it’s a miserable place to be.

Working in a job or a career that is not the right fit for you effects every aspect of your life, including your relationships.  It is nearly impossible to give yourself fully as a husband, father, or even a friend, if your work is draining your energies, and passions.  The fact of the matter is, that we owe it to our Creator, our Families, our Community, and Ourselves to discover the work we were created to do, and begin taking  steps towards that work.

Isn’t time we take off the shoes that don’t fit us, and give them back to the rightful owner, and put on the shoes that energize us to perform the work we love.

Lace up vocational shoes that fit you perfectly, the world will thank you for it, what a great way to be Intentional About Your Legacy.

Randell Mark

It makes a difference what you think about yourself, your self image.

Each and everyone of us, brings a unique perspective to any situation, problem, or circumstance.  The skills, gifts, knowledge, and experience each of us have, bring valuable  insight to help someone else deal with a problem, or move forward in their journey.

What about you…do you think you can offer someone valuable assistance to help with their situation?  Or do you think your failures, and lack of experience prohibit you from helping someone take steps towards a better life?

You see, our mind set matters.  If we don’t feel that we can help…we probably won’t, and someone will be missing out on our unique experience, that could be just the answer to their problem.

I struggle with this same issue myself.  For some reason I often feel less qualified than others to respond to a post, or offer my advice.  WHY?

I think it’s because I know my failures, I can’t even answer my own questions, why would I think I could answer their’s.  Other people always seem to say the right things, and my advice seems so insignificant.

BUT, the FACT of the matter is, that someone needs my advice, and someone needs your advice too.  What if someone is going through something that you just went through yourself.  Whether you handled your own situation well or not, your input for them could have massive impact, and determine their success in the matter.

Don’t ever minimize your ability to help someone else, because no one has your exact experience, or qualifications, and that may be precisely what that person needs to move forward.

That’s being Intentional about your Legacy.

Randell Mark

I met a friend of a friend yesterday, his name is Kevin.  Of course I shook his hand, and said what we all say…Hi Kevin, “It’s Nice To Meet You”

The fact of the matter is, that at that moment I really wasn’t sure yet if my meeting him was going to be a good experience or not, but within about 15 seconds, I knew it was going to be more than  just nice to meet Kevin…It was going to be a great experience.

Kevin is one of those guys that truly cares about other people.  He doesn’t tell you he cares, you can see and feel he cares.  He’s the type of guy that you want to know more about, but he is so busy learning who you are, that he isn’t talking about himself.

I left our short meeting, anxious to meet Kevin again soon, so I could learn more about him, and why he is the way he is.

This encounter has me wondering if “I’m Nice To Meet”? Do people want to learn more about me?  Would someone want to be more like me?

I don’t want to be selfish, but  I want people be interested in who I am, be cause they see that I am truly interested in them.  Zig Ziglar says “you can have anything in life you want, if you help enough other people get what they want”.

That’s not a selfish statement, because the focus is on helping, and serving others.  I believe if we practice putting other peoples interests before our own, meeting us won’t just be Nice, it will be Unforgettable .

Randell Mark