Category Archives: Abundance

This new Quest requires changes in my life

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On Friday, I mentioned that I’m expecting an offer from a company with whom I’ve interviewed. That’s great news, and I’m very pleased to be in this position. I’ve been thinking about the changes I may want to make in order to be in fighting form for this new Quest.

At the top of the list are health and wellness – proper diet, exercise and more sleep.  Simple things, yet I know they’ll help me slay the dragons I’m going to encounter on my adventures. I’m starting to make improvements in all three of these areas this week.

Next on the list is an assessment of how I can be most effective in my new role. I’m entering a new market, with a new product set and a need to educate myself very quickly. I want to start running from day one. I say effective, as I’m most concerned with leveraging my skills, strengths and abilities for maximum benefit and value to my customers and company. Dan Sullivan, of Strategic Coach talks about developing a “10x mindset”, and I love that concept.

“What kind of thinking & execution would it take to deliver 10x’s results?”

What a great question, and one that I’ll be pondering over the coming weeks and months.

That’s my starting point. I’m sure I’ll be adding to this list over time. Onward.

A life well lived

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Today, I was blessed to attend the Celebration of Life for someone in my extended family.  The man in question died a couple weeks ago after living a good, long life well into his 80’s.

He was a man who definitely answered the Call that was made of him.  Yet, based on what I know about him, I’m not sure he would have seen it that way.  He didn’t overtly answer the Call – he just lived as if he had.

He focused on living and giving, and that defined him in his life.  And, more importantly, it defined him with the people he surrounded himself with each and every day:  his family and friends.

Laurie was a fun and unique character.  He was known for his “groaner” jokes, oblique sense of humour and general sense of living a fun life.

In my mind, he was a master.  He got this living thing.  He fell into it, and he was a Hero – in his own life, but more importantly, he was a Hero to his family and friends.  I heard his grandchildren talk about the great times they spent with him – Poppa to them.  Rides in the wheelbarrow, Mac & Cheese after school, and flinging elastic bands around the house when they least expected it.

He did big things and little things with those he loved.  It all added up to a large, wonderful life.  He will be missed.  And, he has left a legacy that will live long beyond his own years.

A true Hero!

One Quest ends; another begins

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My first major Quest as noted here came to an end today. And it means another has begun!

I found out that one of the firms I’ve been strategically targeting will be sending me an offer early next week. They are a very good firm, extremely successful and have a great mission: to feed the starving, inoculate children and house the homeless to name a few. More on that in another post – it’ll all make sense then.

So, your question to me should be:

Have you answered the Call?

Yes, I have. I’m not sure I could have answered “Yes” to your question, if I had not started this blog and really looked inside and done serious soul-searching.

The reason I can answer “Yes” is that I’ve approached this opportunity in terms of whether or not I feel I can add value – for this company, her customers, her partners and those served by its’ customers.

I’ve spent many a year seeking what I could gain from my work, and not enough about what I could give. No more.

This time I’ve turned the tables – on myself. It’s now about giving value first, helping others be successful and making a difference.

The best part is that I can do all of that while leveraging my creativity, being entrepreneurial and applying vision to the role. I can be part of something bigger than me.

I’m not sure exactly how this new Quest will unfold – early days. But, I can tell you I feel blessed and I’m very grateful to be invited to join this company’s Call.

Getting ready to get back on Quest

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Today was another off-Quest day. I worked around the house, and took care of things not related to my opportunity search.

So, what did I learn today that is relative to myth in my life?

I learned that I too easily forget the power I have – that we all have – to live an amazing life. To be my own Hero. I so quickly get bogged down in the small stuff of life, and lose sight of my vision – the very thing that drives Hope and Abundance.

Tomorrow, my goal is to stay as fixed as I can be in that vision. To make it a habit.

And, the Quest continues …

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Well, I got back on the horse, so to speak.  Today, I was the master of my thoughts and desires, and I feel that I’ve come back.

What I learned today is that we can’t let one day throw us off our Quest for a full life.  Stuff will happen, but it does not have to define us – short- or long-term.

There’s much to be done, and I’m looking forward to getting to it this coming week.  Tally-Ho!

And, opportunity expands. Or was it me?

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Today, I was fortunate to meet – to interview and be interviewed by – six leaders at an industry-leading company with a great mission.

Everyone I met was a smart, savvy, engaged professional. They all saw golden opportunity for me at the company.

This Quest has been very important to me. In it, I’ve evaluated every opportunity as a chance to further my efforts to answer the Call. The Call to be all that I can be, to take risks and make a difference in my life, and hopefully the world.

My concern going into these meetings was that I’d be a cog in a wheel at this company. Not a great way to answer the Call!

However, after 11 – yes 11 – meetings, I now see an opportunity to add value. I can’t quantify where that will happen yet. I don’t know the industry, company or customers well enough. But, I perceive an environment in which I can bring my best to the table, and make a difference.

No offers on the table yet, and I’ve got some thinking to do to compare this opportunity to the other one I have in play.

But, by going in and asking lots of good questions, I see a possible home here for me. You can’t imagine how that feels – amazing really.

An end to a wonderful, blessed day. Once again, I am a very grateful man.

‘Twas still the night before

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Today, I’m travelling to my meetings at HQ for the opportunity interviews, or business meetings, as I prefer to call them. All part of this grand Quest, and my desire to live the Call.

I had a lot of idle time today – waiting at Customs, waiting for flights, and sitting on the plane.

I spent a fair bit of time observing the mental chatter that went through my mind.

There were periods of joy and expectation, as well as the usual fear and doubt.

I find it interesting that I now seem to have developed the ability to “see” these thoughts play out in my mind.

And, I can more or less bring them in and face them, consider them, and determine if they serve me.

Banishing those that do not serve is still a work in progress. But, I’m at least grateful that I tend to detect them before they run on too long.

A bit every day …

Tonight I give thanks

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Last night, I wrote about the potential for challenge in my life related to having to make a decision before I’m ready.

Tonight, I was at my sister’s for Thanksgiving dinner. It was a fine affair, and I feel blessed that I was able to enjoy the time with my family. I discussed my conundrum, and was heartened by the support I was given to stay the course on this Quest.

Without fail, each and every person I spoke to cautioned me to follow my heart, to listen to the still, small voice and to trust that I’ll make the right decision.

Answering the Call and doing life Quests is by and large a solo affair, and is not without a fair share of doubt and loneliness.

Ultimately, we decide on our own! It has to be that way. The reasons we decide one way or another may involve other people or circumstances. But, the decision is always ours to make.

However, it was gratifying to have the support of my family, and the knowledge that they trust me to make the right decision!

This Quest is a bit less lonely tonight. And, I’ve realized that I, too, can provide support and lift up someone answering their own Call.

A big decision is looming

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Today, I had a first meeting with a company here in Toronto.  They are an excellent firm, and have a great mission, which is to help entrepreneurs find freedom in their businesses.

I was very impressed with the company, and how it operates.  By no means is it a guarantee that I’ll be working with this company, but I’m intrigued to the point of wanting to learn more.

What’s interesting is that the Quest this opportunity represents is a major challenge, and would require some big goal-setting, and thinking on my part, and excellent execution, too.  The rewards would be there, too, if I pulled it off.

The interesting part for me is that I am not feeling daunted by this challenge.  No, in fact, I find it liberating and wonderful to have the possibility of a big goal to work towards.  It gets my creativity going, and I’m enjoying this rush.

The decision I refer to relates to the fact I am pursuing two opportunities at this time.  Both are excellent, and represent fine opportunity for me.

The trick will be to apply intuition to making the decision, as well as seek out the hard facts for each opportunity.

Another step closer and some insight

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Today, I had a face-to-face interview with a manager, and the person I would report to at the company in question, should we decide we want to work together.  It was a useful meeting, as I was able to gain an appreciation for the expectations of the role, and also how it roughly fits into the corporate strategy for growth.  And, I also gained some insight into a unique ability I can claim as my own.

There’s one thing I often think about when pursuing a project, a goal or a Quest.  For those who have been following for a while, you know that I see this search as a quest, as part of the myth of my life.  It’s an opportunity to be all I can be – it’s an intention that I have for my life going forward, as I’ve never had before.

So, what’s the insight?  It’s my innate desire to deliver an “elegant solution” to the challenge at hand.  Sometimes the elegant solution is very subtle, but it defines me as a different person when I’m in these situations.  Not better, just different.  Good different.

My next step with this company is a series of interviews at their head office.

Once I knew these meetings were happening, I immediately started to apply my creativity to determine how I could leave them with a lasting impression.  I want to do more than just go down, and recite what I learned from reading their last annual report.

As I go through this creative process, and the wheels start turning, I find that time stands still, and that I operate in a stream of hope, faith and abundance.  There is no fear, there is no doubt.  This is the “real” me.

I have come to realize that one of my goals going forward is to find opportunities to place myself in this state of flow as often as I can.  It’s where I do my best work, and effortlessly create amazing results in my life.  Pretty cool!