The Rain Makes All the Difference
“Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
Several days ago, I was on the Peloton bike laboring through a one-hour ride. It’s one of those “endurance” tests that can be quite challenging.
Somewhere along the workout, the instructor Matt Wilpers made a comment that landed with me. Prior to his Peloton gig, he was a competitive cyclist, and it’s easy to tell that he has been through a ton of training, which he gladly shares with his student riders like me.
He said, “Okay, guys! I know this is a tough ride, I’m sweating buckets up here! One of my coaches told us that the rain can make all the difference. When the streets are dry, all is good, but just add the rain element … and this separates the good riders from the great and skilled riders. The point I am making here is that in the end … skill matters!”
Focus on Skill
Many years ago, when attending St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, I remember learning about opportunity cost. The instructor reminded us that we are making an investment in our future by earning our degrees …
“I know some of you might think that it’s better to get out there and start making money right now, but be aware that the skills and knowledge you are learning right now will prepare you for the challenging opportunities you will face in the future.”
In my case, I credit my education and professional development training for my career success. The US education system and the opportunities we are afforded here in our country are the reasons why a poor Latino kid like me from Uvalde, Texas, could excel.
When the Rain Starts
However, my career and life has been anything but easy. There have been some unbelievably challenging times, including the untimely death of an adult child, a divorce when I was in my 20s, and going through the rightsizing process at two companies.
The dark clouds were over my head and pouring nonstop rain.
The easy thing for me to do was to complain, to blame others, and to put the window shades down. In fact, I did find myself engaging in these actions, which were 100% unproductive.
Take the Next Step
The beautiful thing about bouncing back and getting on track is when we have a toolkit already in place. In my case, I had education, industry certifications, and work experience.
The key now was to put my ego and pride aside and take the next best step. With my personal setbacks, I embraced the professional help that was available to me. It was difficult to show weakness, but it was the best way for me to get on a healthy path.
A friend recently reminded me to focus on the good things that are part of my life, especially my faith, family, and friends. When I look at life through this lens, I am reminded that the Lord has been looking over me the whole time.
My friends … HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Inspiring Quotes
“Ask yourself this question: 'Will this matter a year from now?’” – Richard Carlson
“What if I told you that 10 years from now, your life would be exactly the same? I doubt you'd be happy. So, why are you so afraid of change?”— Karen Salmansohn
Homework Inquiry
During the next week, here’s your homework inquiry: What is the next step you will take to better your career?
I use this opportunity to share with you a unique story and a couple inspiring quotes. Oh ... as a professor at heart, you guessed it, I have a homework inquiry for you. This is a powerful question that might just trigger you to take action on something that really matters in your life. If you feel the Catalyst Newsletter brings benefit to you,
please share this link with others!
See you next week!
Dr. Jimmie Flores