Picking up from where we left off last time….. 

 

We’ve all read about or heard of dramatic business successes or business makeovers or departments that were turned around into star performers. Maybe you’ve had the pleasure of being involved with one that provided real personal and professional success for everyone involved. I certainly have. What a sense of accomplishment…to see the smiles on people’s faces when they’ve accomplished something no one thought possible…to realize they’ve not only participated in it but have received real, personal tangible rewards for their efforts. What a rush. 

 

Now…. let me ask you a question.  

 

If we can do this for business and its wide ranging complexities, why can’t we do this as individuals? What’s stopping us? 

 

Just like in business, life throws a lot at us…its messy at times. Not accomplishing our goals or struggling over and over with the same things is frustrating. Failure is real…it stinks and its painful. Some of us start out in bigger holes than others and simply have to work harder. Spinning our wheels and wasting time is irritating. Being overly optimistic and not seeing and embracing reality is problematic for making the best choices. Allowing circumstances or sentiments (either good or bad) to dictate to us instead maintaining proper perspective can be a killer. 

 

That’s why I like Observations. While they’re a great deal of work, they’re continuous, active, objective, practical and constructive tools and guides to really improve the choices and decisions we make in every aspect of our lives.  

 

Here’s a sampling of a few I’ll be sharing over the coming weeks. (Note: when reading add “Observations” before each): 

 

….on believing in people 

….on ignoring reality  

….on making hard decisions 

….on having people who believed in me 

….on working with incredible people 

….on letting people down who believed in me 

….on being too focused on myself 

….on not trusting my instincts 

….on being too demanding and intense 

….on having that “hard conversation” 

….on seeing things as they really are 

….on encouraging others and watching them grow and prosper 

….on my mentors 

….on really saying what you mean 

….on really saying what you mean (and wishing you hadn’t!) 

 

….and many, many more. 

 

As you can see from the short list above some Observations will be quite introspective and in-depth from a personal relationships standpoint. Others will combine both the personal aspects and the experience of having observed, mentored, managed, lead and coached hundreds of individuals throughout my business career. What I’ll be sharing is not from any text book or secret sauce or formula or quick fix for success. And one more thing….I promise you won’t get any of the noisy, hyped up “you can be a success too” garbage here. Just simple, straight talk containing the Observations from a life lived and filled with diverse experiences around living, failing, learning and succeeding. In the process, I hope my Observations will surprise you, make you think, encourage you to begin taking the time to create your own and ultimately provide the path to better decision making in every aspect of your life. 

 

In Chapter 8 of Tyranny Of The Moment , Thomas Hylland Eriksen sums up one of the book’s main points as follows: 

 

“ The main scarce resource for suppliers of any commodity in the information society is the attention of others. These vacant moments become fewer and shorter, since the people in question are subjected to powerful expectations that they should squeeze ever more impressions, commodities, experiences and pieces of information into their lives. The next impression kills the previous at an accelerating speed.” 

 

May we not allow the “next impression to kill the previous at an accelerating speed” as it pertains to our prosperity, peace and health and the necessary work of constructing our own personal Observations to help guide us towards the life we desire. 

  

I appreciate Tate’s willingness to allow me to contribute to the blog and look forward to hearing from you. If I’m not clear on a point let me know and I’ll work on it. If there’s an Observation you’d like for me to write about or, if you have Observations you’d like to share with me or discuss, I’d love to hear from you.  

______________________________ 

 

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. Arthur Schopenhauer 

Lance Chastain Author Bio

My entrepreneurial business career spans 25 years and is both domestic and international in scope. I quit college to co-found my first business at the age of 20 and subsequently received the education of a lifetime during the next 17 years. I was blessed with the opportunity to apply that education in my second business and am now semi-retired at 45. I’ve traveled to 27 different countries and have extensive experience in Asia involving nearly every aspect of raw material sourcing, manufacturing, operations, procurement and logistics. I’ve been the recipient of numerous local, regional and national business awards and been featured on a nationally broadcast financial news program. You can reach me at lchastain1 at cox.net but it’s best to leave comments about the article in the comments section below.