Need a break

Keeping Your Focus Episode 79


Join us this week as we talk about focusing on your goals and not on the struggles that may be holding you back.

One of my goals when I started Surging Forward was to make a difference and to help others especially young tradesman coming up in the trades.  One of the struggles of tradesman is that they are not getting the training at the workman level.  Most of all the training comes at the management level.  I also wanted to be a positive influence in this negative world.  But no matter how positive you try to stay; life is not always positive.  A saying that I say often is that “God is in control”.  Some of you may not believe as I do, but for me I believe in God and this saying is a reminder that I am not in control.

Let me tell you a little bit about what I have been going through the past couple of weeks.  I am very dependent upon my computer for the running of Surging Forward.  I have a very good computer and everything was working just fine until Windows tried to do an update.  The update failed and Windows went into a non-stop loop which affected all of my other programs.  After much research I finally had to get a hold of someone in Microsoft support.  After weeks of Microsoft remoting into my computer trying different things and waiting for new installs, they finally got my computer working.  Also during these weeks other stuff around my house started to break down.  Even though it felt as if my world was falling apart I needed to keep my focus and my focus is to help others to “Keep Surging Forward”.  Because I have gone through struggles in the past I was still able to get a podcast out, prepare for the classroom courses that I teach, and still work my current job.

The struggles that we go through make us stronger.  There is a reason for those struggles.  You have to look at the positive.  Do not let the negativity of this world just swallow you up and get you to the point that you want to quit.  Things do get better.  All of us are going to go through struggles, but maintain your focus.  Think about where you want to be.  There is a lot more to life than just beer 30 and negative friends.  Sometimes that negative voice is a lot louder than the positive voice.  But maintain your focus and reignite those dreams within you.  My focus and goals are not the same as yours.

What is your focus?

What are your goals?

Why are you working in the trades putting up with the harsh working conditions?

What is it that keeps you Surging Forward?

Until next week keep Surging Forward.

If you enjoy this podcast please feel free to leave a comment below, share with a friend and also visit or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SurgingForward/

We also have a You tube page where you can watch the actual podcast visit us at https://www.youtube.com/user/surgingforward

Looking to network and get personal training visit us and like on face book click here

Connect with me on Linkedin

Follow us on twitter click here

Follow us on Instagram.

Contractor and Tradesman courses to Help you Get and retain your Tradesman license; visit our website at www.surgingforward.com

  ________________.Subscribe on Android

Need a break

Episode 78 Life’s Hurdles


A friend emailed me this week with some of the struggles that he has been going through.  As I was helping him; I found that I was also helping myself.  Join us today as we talk about overcoming life’s hurdles. The answer may not be as hard as you think.

A Friend’s Struggles

One of the members of Surging Forward, I will call him “Freddy”, emailed me saying that  every time he tries to get ahead something always happens. He is having issues with his truck and then his job sends him to a job site further from his home. He said that it is a constant struggle and that he is almost at the point of burnout.

My Struggles

The email came at a time when I also was going through a lot of issues myself.  I was working too many hours, and having computer issues with endless hours of troubleshooting as to why a Windows update had caused my computer to be in an endless loop.  Though I did not really know how I could help Freddy as I was feeling the same but for very different reasons; I set up a phone call.  Freddy shared that things were going well and then all of a sudden everything hit at one time. He asked, how do I get over this hurdle?

As I spoke with Freddy,  I realized that we all have hurdles of one type or another.  They seem to sabotage the success that we were experiencing.  It seems like we run into a brick wall and you just want to quit.  And it seems, that there is no way for you to win or achieve your goal that earlier seemed within reach.

I reminded Freddy that life happens.  There are many things that happen that we have no control over. For example: those of us that work in the trades, have no control of the job location or of how far from home that the work may take us. Sometimes we even need to travel to another state. We also have no control over the weather so we often work in extreme cold or heat. Many times we are working so many hours that we don’t have time to do the maintenance on our vehicles so they break down leaving us stranded. And they always seem to breakdown in the middle of nowhere or like the computer issues that I am experiencing at a very busy time.

Why do these things happen?

What curse is on me, that want to stop me from succeeding?

We All Go Through Struggles

After listening to Freddy and thinking of all the things going on with me at the same time, I realized that we all go through tough times and many times it just small things adding up together that make the brick wall.  There is nothing hindering us or trying to stop us; it is just simply “life”. We just have to step back from the issue for a moment and then look at it again and find a solution. Just because you cannot get over that hurdle/wall at this moment does not mean that you cannot find a solution and push over it later. It is so easy to get into the poor little old me attitude, but think about those that depend on you or believe in you. At the times when we want to give up we really need to say I will “Keep Surging Forward” and I will find a solution to the issue at hand. This is what makes you stronger and able to handle the issues of tomorrow.  

Freddy got back with me a couple of days later and said that he solved the issue with his truck by carpooling with a friend.  And the funny thing is that during their car rides, they are discussing electrical code and this is helping Freddy learn the code so he can pass his test for his electrical license. Funny how this all work out!

What are your hurdles in life?  We all have them.

Take a step back and then find a solution. Life is going to happen.  We cannot solve everything, but we can pursue and solve the ones we can and this will help us to Keep Surging Forward.

 

Until next week keep Surging Forward.

If you enjoy this podcast please feel free to leave a comment below, share with a friend and also visit or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SurgingForward/

We also have a You tube page where you can watch the actual podcast visit us at https://www.youtube.com/user/surgingforward

Looking to network and get personal training visit us and like on face book click here

Follow us on twitter click here

Follow us on Instagram.

Contractor and Tradesman courses to Help you Get and retain your Tradesman license; visit our website at www.surgingforward.com

  ________________.Subscribe on Android

Need a break

Myths of Leadership Episode 77


Join us today as we discuss 5 leadership myths that just might be holding you back from Surging Forward.

Myth Number One – Leaders Are Born, Not Made.  

You make think that in order to be a leader you have to have a lot of money, or have attended all the right schools, but all of this is a myth.  Look at Abraham Lincoln.  His father worked odd jobs and then leased some farm land.  Most of Abraham Lincoln’s education was largely self-taught, but yet he became the Sixteenth President of the United States.

How about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?  He grew up in a sad time of segregation, but he did not let that stop him.  He went on to become the most visible spokesman and leader of the Civil Rights Movement.

The truth is very few leaders are born leaders.  Most people learn leadership by trying and failing, but then not giving up.  They re-evaluate why they failed and make up their minds to do things differently next time.

Myth Number Two – Leadership is a Rare Skill.

Nothing can be farther from the truth.  If you watch a group of children playing you will quickly see one of them start stepping forward and telling the others what to do.  When the children get bored with this game, another child will start guiding the group.  Even if there are only two children playing you will see throwing out ideas like let’s do this, this way or I want to do this.  Again leadership is learned through trial and error.

Myth Number Three – Leaders are Gifted and Outgoing.

This is also untrue because many leaders are introverts, Introverts have a knack for abstract thinking as introverts only like to deal in what they know and tend to focus on the long term. They do not really on what others think of them and they tend to be more quiet and reserved this is why many tend to think of them as being withdrawn but this also means they are able to figure out how things workbut still have been very influential.  Look at Warren Buffett and Mark Zuckerberg.

Myth Number Four – Leaders Lead by Brute Force.

This is the definition of a bad leader.  This is a bully.  A good leader encourages and counsels.  They earn respect of those they lead.  A good leader is will to share their knowledge.  They are will to lead by example.  When a job needs to be done a good leader is willing to get their hands dirty, not just ordering others to do it.  Good leaders challenge people to transform their lives.

Myth Number Five – Leaders are Only Found at the Top of a Company.

Again this is far from the truth because we are all leaders.  We are leaders in our homes, families, at work and around the neighborhood.  If you are a parent you are a leader.  Sometime you do not even realize that people are watching you and following your example.

Sometimes in learning to lead we make mistakes.  We just need to admit our mistake and try again.  Little by little it gets easier.  And we need to realize that at times we need to turn to others for advice and counsel.  Leadership is not about power, but about servant hood.    Not to preach, but look at the leadership example of Jesus Christ.  A very humble leader and yet whether you believe or don’t look at the affect he has had throughout history.  

Leadership is about encouraging others to Surge higher than they ever thought possible.

Until next week keep Surging Forward.

If you enjoy this podcast please feel free to leave a comment below, share with a friend and also visit or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SurgingForward/

We also have a You tube page where you can watch the actual podcast visit us at https://www.youtube.com/user/surgingforward

Looking to network and get personal training visit us and like on face book click here

Follow us on twitter click here

Follow us on Instagram.

Contractor and Tradesman courses to Help you Get and retain your Tradesman license; visit our website at www.surgingforward.com

  ________________.Subscribe on Android