Hi Friend
This was another active week of work and fun. I spoke for two new clients, both in the state of Oklahoma. Driving is nice. One was a credit union, which I’ve found lots of friends in that world. The second was the local beer distributor. I was unfamiliar with that world, until I toured their facilities. Then I grasped the enormity and complexity of their operation. It is impressive! I spent an afternoon with the top leadership.
We also had the best #ScrambledFriday because my friend John showed up. The conversations and considerations that transpired were awesome! I’m super grateful for the people in my worldwith whom I get to do life and business! If you’re on LinkedIn and want 25 minutes of entertaining and useful discussion around stress, well-being, dis-ease and more, go to my profile and watch our conversation.
What’s fascinating about the event I did with the beer distributors is that it was TEN YEARS in the making. The HR Director and I met at my first OKHR breakout session in 2011 or 2012. We had a humorous interaction involving getting some water prior to the session starting. Back then she didn’t work for this company, but was in the same industry. She tried to get me into that company, but it was a bust.
She moved on to another company and once again attempted to have me speak. No-Go. She’s been with this group for over a year and decided it was time to try again. Fortunately the CEO holds her in high regard and was willing to consider it. After we all shared a meal together, they pulled the trigger for me to partner with them for three events this Fall.
It’s rather humbling for someone to advocate on my behalf. I’m extremely fortunate that throughout this last decade many people have been kind and generous towards me and personally gone to bat to get me in front of their employees or members.
Persistence Reveals Beliefs!
What do you believe in so strongly that it compels you to be tenacious? Who do you believe in so thoroughly you’re willing to endure?
As someone who has never been the most academically brilliant or uniquely skilled, discovering how potent the decision to persist is, was a game changer for me. In the first two decades of my adult life and career, I basically made leaps and bounds in progress, simply because I just didn’t quit. I realized early on that other people will quit, which inevitably creates opportunities and establishes seniority.
Persistence seems to be equal parts: Press and Remain. We tend to think of the active ingredient of pressing-in as the dominant characteristic. However, simply staying in the game, remaining an active contributor, though seemingly passive is essential.
Relentless remaining isn’t currently a social value. The priority placed on immediate gratification professionally and personally supersedes the necessary determination to stick with something beyond its apparent current value. The conviction required to assert faith that way isn’t in our collective psyche. Discovering it in an individual is rare and exciting.
The challenge is knowing when one season of our life is fading and new one beginning which requires us to no longer remain. Have you ever persisted beyond good reason? Or persisted because you were afraid to conclude and move on? Certainly we’ve all known people who stayed at their job longer then they should. I imagine we know more people who left a job too soon.
The friction of persistence is encapsulated in the famous old Gambler lyrics:
You’ve got to know when to hold em, Know when to fold em, Know when to walk away, Know when to run.
I tend to err on the side of holding.
Instigating Ideas…
1. What do you need to press harder into?
2. What do you need to walk away from?
3. Who are you advocating for?
4. How has remaining benefitted or deterred you?
It’s one thing for us to lean into our own ideology. It’s a whole other thing to contend for someone else’s. Aligning with a friend, colleague or even family member for their chance to prevailreveals the best kind of character. Remaining WITH someone as they endure may just be the ultimate persistence!