Redefining Greatness with Humility

What then, is greatness? And how does one redefine it? These questions are tough to answer for many individuals, including those who appear on the surface to be successful.

To be great. We see greatness redefined in a negative sense, as when one falls from grace. When one is "heir to the throne," only to realize there is no kingdom, and the company who was grooming them finds them no longer necessary.

That is when one's best opportunity to redefine greatness may be. When the ladder you're climbing up no longer supports you. When phone calls go unanswered, and emails go unread. When innovation no longer pervades your thoughts. Instead, the floodgates open to: what do I do now.

Sound familiar? It does to me, resonates loudly from experiences I've had professionally and personally. But what I would not do, and what no one should do, is lay down and die! There is no time for that, unless you are literally lying in a bed in a hospital and there's a plug to pull. But even then, I say, don't give up.

Because here's what happens. What once was impossible, will seem possible. What once was improbable, will become so. And if you (or I) would have given up, the world would have missed our new greatest moment. Our resurgence. Our reemergence. Our "Failure to Launch" vertically becomes our greatest PR in this race we call life, only in a totally new and horizontal direction.

So greatness redefined, amongst other things, is to never stop moving. If the door closes, go out the window, or to another door. If you can no longer climb, take a look at your surroundings. Does it lie ahead, instead of above you, or even beside you?

My first manager's most valuable advice was, "the answers are in the room". Whether there's 1500 people in that room, or if you're the only soul. The answer most definitely lies within.

1. Life. Fitness. Love. Choose all of the above.

How Fit Are You (for growth)?

When you are attempting to reach a goal, you have to assess where you are, or your jump off point. Once you know where you are vs. where you want to be, you can start filling in the blanks. For example, if you want to start a new fitness regimen, it helps to know what your level is. Can you do a 60 minute Spinning class? Or do you get winded after 10 minutes on the treadmill at 3.5mph? And if you happen to want to lose weight, you need to know your starting weight, your goal
weight, and how many weeks or months it will take you to get there. You'll have to add in a meal plan, and stick to it to see results, as well as increasing your calorie burn.

This is the same in business, and where the basis for business coaching is. I know many business people who have built a rock-solid business from the ground up, only to have it plateau. And once it plateaus, the natural thing to happen if measures aren't taken quickly is to LOSE business. Every business leader's fear. There are those who have been successful at their business, despite having little to no social media presence or coaching. However, with the increase in our reliance on technology as a source for business decisions, this is an incredible missed opportunity. And if the competition gets wind of how valuable diverse media is, even that business leader's plateau can erode.

If you are still thinking of picking back up on that fitness journey, start today. If you've reached a plateau in your training, despite being a well-oiled machine, don't be afraid to ask for help. If you're in the business of helping others transform their bodies, you might have neglected preparing for increased exposure and success. The point is, whatever your business is, chances are you're not the smartest person in the room, in every area. And that's great! You know why? Because when you know you're not the smartest at say business planning or online media, you seek out that expert. You hire the business coach or the media consultant. You hire a content marketer, or content manager. You don't have to know how to create, write for, nor maintain a Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Blog or website. You can hire someone to manage all of that.  And a coach offers you invaluable insight into how to achieve your realistic goals. So you can get back to the business of sustained growth.

Facing Reality

I have a house. A BIG house. It has a lot of rooms. It has a large lot. What I had before would probably fit into 1/3 of my basement. When I bought this house, I loved it! I immediately took to tending to its needs- finding the best neutral Benjamin Moore colors, installing hardwood floors in two bedrooms and the family room. Outside, I was creative with my platings. All was well until...

My windows started leaking, I mean really leaking! Not every time it rained, just when it was "driving rain". They leaked inside, and since they were floor ceiling windows, leaked onto the sill and down onto my beautifully installed hardwoods. And they. Still. Leak.

Then, my basement flooded! My sump pump failed. Miserably. Then Home Depot failed. To have a sump pump with all its parts. During a crazy storm. My big basement's Berber carpet had to be removed. I cried like a baby. Don't judge, until it happens. And by the way, you don't think if you have a sump pump failure rider until it fails. One quarter HP piece of plastic. Never again. And no, I didn't have enough insurance. Geez!

I started to regret buying the big house. I started to regret loving the house enough to purchase it. I hate floor-to-ceiling windows. That leak. I hate below grade basements. They should only be for pools, since water loves hanging out down there.

So I installed a cast-iron sump pump, and a backup too. For a brief moment I felt like I won this battle. I had the windows that leaked repaired. But I should have known it wouldn't last, especially when the contractor said, "we hope we fixed it. But you know, windows are so tricky, the only way to definitely know is to remove ALL the siding (the wall is 20ft wide)". So I resolved to hope for the best.

Then I wondered if the problem was fixed. It wasn't. The windows leaked all winter, and I have towels that have taken up permanent residence in my family room. Nice, I know!

And my house makes a lot of noise. If walls could talk, I would ask them what else was installed improperly.

So,what does this have to do with greatness redefined, with coaching you to be your best self? I'm not giving up on my house. And the contractors who did shoddy work- I believe in karma. The reality is, I'm not a DIY'er and not an original owner, so I have no recourse against poor craftsmanship. But when I take a look at this house for what it is, a solution to lack of space in my condo, I was able to afford the mortgage and down payment because I planned for it, that I'm learning way more about houses than I ever thought possible, and at the end of the day more space is really not all it's cracked up to be.

Whatever your reality is, that the dead-end job you're at may not appreciate you, that you're not getting raises any time soon, that if you don't start watching your portions you're going to balloon, that he or she really doesn't love you, that the time is NOW to start living/loving/giving/exercising/being, own it. Appreciate it. Respect it. Change it. Because if you don't, the only one to blame is you. The resources are there. Coaches are there. Everything you need is there. Go get it!