Author: Garth Beyer

A little set back isn’t much of a problem on it’s own. It’s little. It’s a small hump. You’ll drive over it and onward.

It’s the series of little set backs that become the problem.

When you cut a corner or skip getting confirmation or go with an old and used – I don’t know – lawn mower, you’re not just signing up for an impending little set back; you’re signing up for that set back to join the others.

There’s no preventing little set backs altogether, but there is the option to manage the quantity of them.

Stay Positive & Tread Carefully

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Before you’re about to lean into a meaty project or tough conversation, take a deep full breath.

Before any panick or worry takes over, take a deep full breath.

Before you’re about to get news you’re unsure about, take a deep full breath.

Before you hit submit on your social post, take a deep full breath.

A deep full breath is the pause we all need; it’s the action that centers us and either adds energy to move forward or offers us the second to pull back before a mistake is made.

No need for an app or a friend to always be by your side (though they are both helpful).

Stay Positive & Start With The Breath

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You can go on and on about all the reasons you’re at where you’re at with your work and not further along.

You can spend 10 minutes convincing people why the rest of your presentation is important before you start it.

You can belabor caveating that the work isn’t final or polished yet.

Or, you know, you can get right into it; get comfortable with being vulnerable; trusting your audience; wowing with what you do have.

It’s all a work in progress anyway.

“Here. I made this.” goes a much longer way than paragraphs of upfront, caveats and a prologue.

Stay Positive & Short & Sweet

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Hearing those words usually defines a barrier or disconnect.

What was intended wasn’t received.

The narrative is being told differently than we hoped for.

It’s usually the result of closed-mindedness.

Someone didn’t have the guts or care to get diverse feedback on the platform, people or way of doing business before it was shared.

The solution isn’t more spin; it’s restarting in an effort to build something more meaningful; something that makes it clear you/the business/the brand cares.

Stay Positive & Lead Past It

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In asking others for help, one can’t expect them to start, to build the foundation, to set the stage.

That work is on us.

But when we do it; when we invest the time and energy in setting others up to help us, it’s ridiculous how much more help, ideas, thoughts and care we get.

Then again it makes sense.

It’s easier to care more when we can tell how much it matters to someone.

Stay Positive & What Goes Around…

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Instead of being overwhelmed with your workload.

Instead of being frustrated with events in your life.

Instead of feeling like you want to break down and cry.

Ask someone close to you how they are doing.

Chances are they are not having their best day.

Just yesterday I asked a coworker how the heck she was managing the workload + home life – and I only knew half of what she was working on and just that was a lot.

“One more thing and I’m going to break down and cry. I had my melt down yesterday and now I’m just trying to take it one thing at a time.”

Shit.

Ask about others and listen. It not only makes our problems seem smaller, but it gives us motivated compassion to do work that helps others.

And as ol’ Zig always said. “The key to having everything you want in life is to help enough people get what they want in life.”

Stay Positive & Don’t Struggle In A Silo

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The talented, the powerful and the awesome keep a beginner’s mind no matter how expert they become.

A beginner’s mind remains humble; it doesn’t know everything.

A beginner’s mind keeps curious; passionate to learn and grow.

A beginner’s mind offers forgiveness; a free pass to fail and learn and fail again.

A beginner’s mind provides the push to connect; to ask for help, to collaborate more often with others and to learn from the best (and, I suppose, the worst, too).

All that growth potential is possible by hanging status up at the door and keeping a beginner’s mind.

Stay Positive & Always As If You’re Starting

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