Take a Gamble

Just got back from the Mastermind cruise. It is always great to gather with others and discuss successes (and failures), to develop new approaches and, at times, to be stretched beyond our self-imposed limitations.

I met one of those self-imposed limitations face-to-face Sunday night. I sang karaoke… Now, that might not sound like much, but a brief background—it was 5th grade choir tryouts. (I’ll never forget, Miss Brostoff). Four of us had been her stars in 4th grade, so I just knew I was going to be again, I opened my mouth to sing, out came a few notes, she slammed her piano closed and screamed “What happened—you sing like a dead cow in a bucket!” Other than the year of weekly singing lessons I tried a few years ago, I’ve never opened my mouth to sing since the 5th grade…

Sunday night that all changed. I pushed past the fear and discomfort and joined the new singing sensations the “Red Hot Mamas” (named after Red Hot Copy and Mothers Day) and did karaoke to “The Gambler.” (That wasn’t the song we set out to sing, but that is another story for a different time...)

So why do I bring this embarrassing story up when it could have been forgotten and buried on the high seas? Well, a couple of lines got me to thinking about risk and change.

“...Know When to Hold Them
Know When to Fold Them...”

Those two lines made me suddenly realize that what I’d believed for all those years was wrong. I was singing in front of about 50 people and I survived. (Perhaps, my next karaoke will be “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor.) It was time to “fold” that limiting belief I’d had since 5th grade.

Knowing when our beliefs are limiting us is one of the keys to success. Accepting reality and dealing with it allows us to recognize the difference between what we’ve been doing that isn’t working, (fold them) and when we should persevere (hold them).

“Folding them” is not failure, it is a change of direction to achieve success— just as in navigation, one-degree difference (change) and you end up in an entirely different place.

Have a great day in whatever your adventure,

To Success! To Life!
Sharon

“...Know When
to Hold Them
Know When
to Fold Them...”

A printable Action Quote pdf—
Hold'em .pdf

Is it Time to Fold ’em.

Acknowledging that it’s time to “fold them” can be so uncomfortable that sometimes the comfort of ignorance is the easy road to take. It is easy to adopt or cling to beliefs that conform to the way we want it to be, not the way it is. Five keys to “hold or fold” are:

Recognize: Many people will stick to their illusions until some thing or some one forces them to recognize their hallucinations. All progress on the road to success depends on recognizing that there’s something wrong with what is believed.

Accept: Once recognized, acknowledge what is wrong and accept the reality of the situation. This begins the process of determining the new direction to take.

Determine: Determine the change that is needed. This step can sometimes be the most uncomfortable, because we have to accept that some thing must change and no one else can or will do it for us.

Clarity: Gaining the freedom from ambiguity. Openly share with trusted allies your new insights. Be open to others ideas. Sharing can create accountability to accelerate the move towards true success (and reality).

Action: Most importantly, commit to doing what it takes to achieve the desired outcome and take direct action toward it. Hey, it might not work at first, but as long as reality is faced head-on, each attempt will give insights about the truth of the situation and its ultimate solution.

Real success comes by detecting and eliminating limiting beliefs, hallucinations and confusion. You may backtrack on occasion, but by having a clear understanding of the situation it will take you a long way down the path to your desired outcome.

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