Family Papi

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As a family dad, have you interviewed for a job only to find out you weren’t selected?  Have you lost a business deal to – in your eyes –  a lesser competitor?  Have you been let go from a job you worked extremely hard for?

Yes, we all experience setbacks in our life.  It’s hard to think of prosperity when you have just been dealt a blow in the gut – at least that’s what it feels like. 

Let’s take a moment to ponder the situation…

Ok, that’s enough.

As a family dad who prospers, you cannot let these setbacks get you down.  Don’t put your head down – get up – get over it and move on.  That’s it. 

You see, that job that you applied for wasn’t for you.  You weren’t going to prosper there.

That business deal was going to be a headache – actually, it’s great that your competitor got it, it will bog them down while you prosper.

That company that let you go is actually doing you a favor – you now have the ability to take a step back and do what you need to do to yes…prosper.

No one can control when setbacks will occur.

But, you could control how you respond to them. 

Every time you respond in a positive and constructive manner, you become stronger and better and even more capable of dealing with the next issue.

A prosperous family dad is a man who doesn’t quit – a man who no matter the difficulty or obstacle – never gives up. 

Please don’t think of it as a slogan.  It shows your true character.  This is where you show what you’re made of – to you and to those around you including of course your family.

I’m usually not a poem kind of a guy, but there is this one poem that stayed with me a while back and want to share it you today. 

It’s called:

The Man Who Thinks He Can

By Walter D.Wintle

If you think you are beaten, you are.

If you think you dare not, you don’t.

If you’d like to win, but think you can’t,

It’s almost a cinch that you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost,

For in the world we find

Success begins with a fellow’s will;

It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you’re outclassed, you are;

You’ve got to think high to rise.

You’ve got to be sure of yourself before

You can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go

To the strongest or fastest man;

But sooner or later the man who wins,

Is the one who thinks he can.

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As a family dad, embrace change by doing one thing – learn.

When you learn you grow as an individual.  It’s a must. 

When you stop learning, bad things happen.  You don’t want that.  You want to prosper.

So…be selective about what you spend your time learning.

Get smart about what you learn

Not all learning is the same.  Learning the new TV show fall schedule is not the kind of learning that will propel you over the top.

You want to continually learn in areas that will bring a tangible benefit.  Some examples are:

• Learn more about your career or business – the more depth you have about what you do will make you a leading expert in your field.
• Read about and stay up-to-date about the industry you’re in.  Is it growing? Are there innovations at play that can dramatically change the outlook?  What is the long term risk?  What’s the government doing?  How about your competition?  Find ways that will, on a consistent basis, provide you with the insights you need.  
• Learn more about a hobby – if you like doing something that’s cool and valuable, visualize making a business out of it, and learn it inside out.
• Learn another skill set – one at a time.  This one’s big.  The more skill sets you have, the more desirable you become.  If your industry is hurting, and you’re looking to get out and reinvent yourself, you’ll need to learn.  Just make sure the skill sets are for things you would want to do.
• Learn about people – your customers, your boss, your contacts – get in tune to what’s the word on the street.

I can go on and on, but you get the point.   The important thing is to continually learn and not stay still or stagnate. 

Measure Up

You want to measure and do well with something I call your Flexibility Value (FV).  Your FV is a measurement of how strong, prepared, and easily you can adapt in a changing environment.

There is a formula for this. 

Ready?

FV = L / C

Where L  is for  Learning and C is Change.

Since we know that change is always constant, that means that your Flexibility Value will depend 100% on Learning. 

Very simply, the more you learn, the higher your flexibility value.  The less you learn, the lower.

The higher FV you have, the better chance you have at prospering during a changing environment.

So, strive to raise your FV – embrace change this way and change will be on your side.

Now, isn’t that better than the alternative?

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Do any of these sound familiar to you?

“I’m not good at math”

“I’m just not good at making relationships at work”

“I don’t see myself becoming a VP of the company”

“I’m just not a good presenter”

or, the ever popular…

“I’m not as pretty/popular/(plug in any verbiage here) as the other kids”

These statements have a few things in common:

1.) they all begin with “I”

2.) they are all negative

3.) they are all Self Limiting Beliefs (SLB’s)

Self Limiting Beliefs are destructive, anti-prospering phrases that are very commonplace anywhere you go.  You hear it at work, in schools, and sadly, in family homes.  SLB’s bring no value, no increase, and nothing good. 

As a family dad, it is your duty to root out any SLB’s from your surroundings – especially at home.  If you catch yourself saying these things, remember that what you think and say will eventually become a reality. 

Also, remember that your kids and those around you are paying attention.  It may not seem like it sometimes!  But the truth is that in time you will hear it back.

Instead, replace the destructive SLB’s with clear, specific, positive statements such as:

“I am an excellent problem solver”

“I enjoy meeting and helping people”

“I am prosperous in everything I do”

“I am a strong, healthy, faithful, generous, prosperous, successful, and happy Family Dad and Man of God.”

See the difference?  Continue thinking of other declarations…can you think of a way to make it a game for the kids?

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