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?

My good friend Rob Clinton and I have been working together for several months now on a particular project called IPO 2 Greatness. We are extremely excited about it! IPO 2 Greatness will begin with a podcast this year prior to releasing the actual book. In the meantime, you will be entertained with its rich content over the air and the interviews from other people who have achieved a level of fulfillment through greatness in their lives. Joining the podcast, you will have the opportunity to download our actual first inspirational book release which comes out this summer entitled, “Stop Working and Start Creating”.

Basically, we’ve discovered a way to make your journey through this life much simpler. Life is still challenging, but we’ve learned how to leverage that, to use those challenges to our benefit. We’ve discovered that anyone can lead a successful life starting right from where they are right now, but it’s going to take that shift in perception using a very strategic method for uncovering your greatness.

Anyone can achieve greatness! I don’t care who you, or where you’ve come from. The opportunity to make your life sing is now, and we’re going to help you get there. Better yet, once you understand something that we want to teach you, you will be so fired up with a joy that surpasses all understanding to start going after life like you deserve it!

Have you ever had the opportunity to watch yourself, when you didn’t know you were looking? That’s sounds kind of creepy I know…let me try to explain what I mean.

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.

Not all “Moments Of Greatness” happen while the world is watching.  Some of the Greatest Moments occur behind the scenes where no one is there to see, but these moments can have the Greatest impact of all.

In this video,  I share how these behind the scenes “Moments Of Greatness” by the people who know me best have truly been the inspiration to keep me focused on what matters most.

This has been a major reason for my quest to help others Discover and Live Their Best Life, I want to be someone who can provide these behind the scenes “Moments Of Greatness” that will have a lasting impact on their life.

Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on this, and Thanks for watching.

“Randell Mark” Olson

Welcome to the 2nd  episode of “Moments Of Greatness”

I am deviating slightly from the initial format already with episode #2.  My plan has been to capture “Moments of Greatness” throughout the week, and share them with you here.  But I was reminded of this story yesterday, and I felt I really needed to share it, because it illustrates perfectly what this video series is all about.

I would be honored if you would watch it now, and leave your comments as well…Thanks in advance!!!

It is really quite empowering to realize the impact our attitude and great responses have on everyone around us, and all it really takes is choosing a “Moment Of Greatness”. Our single Moment Of Greatness can leave a lasting impression that can change someone’s world.

I hope you’re inspired to make Greater choices, and be Intentional about your Legacy.

Thanks for watching, and please leave us a comment

“Randell Mark” Olson

I’ve Blown it more than once, and I have a hunch, you have too.

It seems to me that it was easier to get over failure when I was a kid, than it is now…and I wonder why?  Even more important than the question “WHY?” is, can we recapture the attitude we had towards failure when we were kids, and if so…HOW?

Let’s go back and look at the lyrics of the 1999 Kenny Rogers hit…”The Greatest”

How can we have the same perspective as this Great young man.  I realize that we have to be realistic about our capabilities, but I think all to often we sell ourselves short, and give up to quickly.

Next time you fail at something, try to “turn those lemons into lemonade”.  Assess what you did right, and take careful notes on what went wrong as well.  Consider how much better off you’ll be next time with this new knowledge, and remember that failure is a necessary part of success.

If we’re intentional about learning from our mistakes, our future successes will be just that much sweeter, and our attitude towards them both help determine our Legacy.

Being Intentional about our Legacy…Changes our world!!!

“Randell Mark” Olson

So often I find myself thinking about the next big event that is going to help me achieve my Goals.  There is no doubt that conferences, seminars, workshops, and training programs can have significant impact on our progress towards reaching our Goals, but I think often times it’s the little things we can do everyday that ultimately keep us moving steadily in the right direction.

For instance my morning coffee helps keep me motivated…actually it’s not so much the morning coffee, as it is the Coffee Cup I use.

A few months ago my Friend, Coach, and Speaking Mentor, Kent Julian gave me a coffee cup with his Logo on it.  I use that Coffee Cup every morning.  That Coffee Cup is a constant reminder of the things I’ve learned from Kent, and it Inspires me to keep pressing on.

I would encourage you to consistently do something that helps bring your Goals to mind everyday.  It may be a podcast, a book of inspiring quotes, a genre of music, or it may be as simple as a Cup of Coffee, but whatever it is, do it everyday, and you’ll experience the Greatest Changes in your Life, and be more Intentional about your Legacy.

Randell Mark