I want to share a little story. A few weeks ago, I was in Virginia Beach, Virginia conducting a team training with a client of mine and his team. Saturday morning, we went out for breakfast and discussed many different things while engaging in a great conversation. Virginia Beach, Virginia if you’re unaware is a Navy town and as we came out of the restaurant, I noticed a couple of men in their service fatigues which both had mustaches. I went over to them and said, “First, let me thank you for your service.” They replied with a sincere, “Thank you!” “I have a question for you both.” They replied, “Sure, what’s up?” I asked them, “When did the mustache come back in vogue? I see a lot of military guys with the mustaches.” Their answer was, “We don’t know.” I said, “Well, why’d you grow it?” “Well, everybody else was doing it.” Hmm, everybody else was doing it. Interesting concept. We don’t know, but everyone else is doing it.
I share this because as people stand out, they usually do great things, do different things, take risks, and challenge the status quo. They sometimes speak too freely about their beliefs, and what they see as a vision of what can happen.
I was speaking to a client the other day and he was talking with somebody else on the team. He said, “I don’t care what can’t be done, let’s just talk about what can be done.” Now, that might come across as a little harsh to some people, but I love that attitude because that’s how we, the United States of America, became who we are, with all these great technologies and creations we enjoy from people that have come before us that swam against the tide, stood out and created our present. Others I’m sure were either in disbelief while thinking it was impossible or were inspired and grateful to them for their creation.
Are you one of those who say, “Well, I’m not exactly sure why I’m doing it, but everyone else is doing it, so it must be the thing to do?” Or are you an independent thinker who feels strongly about what you believe in, where you do your homework, do your research, double-check the source, and where you think what you want to think? Because in reality, the only thing we can control is how we think.
Are you the striver, the go-getter, the independent thinker who might be swimming one way when everybody else is swimming in the other direction? Are you going to be one of those who are doing or following something however, not sure why you’re doing it. Then one day someone like me comes up and says, “Hey, why are you doing that?” Your response is, “I don’t know. Everybody else was doing it.” Hmm, something to think about.
Hope this little tidbit of information has been valuable to you today and has given you something to think about. Be the independent one. Do what you believe is right. Take the action and get the results you’re looking for. Because those are the types that not only impact themselves but impact a whole new realm of people around them.
COACH MICHAEL DILL is an Award-Winning Certified Business Coach, global speaker, and published author. He is a proud Action Coach Franchise partner as well as the President of Power & Ice Wealth Creation a strategic leadership company that works with business owners, leaders, teams, and entrepreneurs to both develop a systematized and structured organization while accelerating their mindset, efficiencies, and effectiveness to grow both personally and professionally to achieve extraordinary results. He brings more than 40 years of business and entrepreneurial experience in his leadership, team training, and mentoring practice. Businesscoachmichaeldill.com