"Alice laughed: "There's no use trying," she said; "one can't believe impossible things."
"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Happy Monday, or whatever Monday you choose.
Have you believed in one impossible thing today or are you stubbornly holding on to your misery? Or are you surrounded by toxic negative people? I am not talking about sunshine and lollipops. If people are asking you challenging questions to help you grow, they are not being negative. If they are just pointing out the flaw to shut down your dreams, then they are toxic. Most people who have changed the world had a vision, and they did not compromise. Like Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
But, and there is always a but – you’ve been burned before. In fact, you still have singe marks. Why bother? This is just going to cause me pain. I guess today I have many random movie quotes because Geena Davis’s character, Charlie in the Long Kiss Goodnight would tell you, “Life is pain. Get used to it.” Let the pain inform you. When you listen to the stories about successful entrepreneurs, they definitely had setbacks. They maxed out their credit cards. They wanted to give up. Bob’s Red Mill founder literally watched his business go up in flames. He is still around and so is his company. What can you learn from your latest lack of success? If you are encountering setbacks, how can you move on?
Imagination is a powerful tool. Do you have a vision? Can you see what is not there? Build on smaller things. Creativity is a marvelous problem-solving tool. There can be inspiration found in the mundane. I saw a picture where someone imagined a tree house in a stalk of broccoli. Using familiar things in new and creative ways is a great way to stretch your mind and perhaps discover new strategies to move you forward. One brainstorming technique is to try and solve a problem for an entirely different situation and see how the outcomes can be used in your case. We had the challenge to come up with a way to market our function internally. We brainstormed about getting a faster time on a pit stop. It would take a very streamlined and efficient plan where everyone worked together rapidly. Those same principles could definitely apply to a marketing campaign.
What’s next? Unabashedly love yourself. Imagine your life where you are the brand instead of wearing other designers. And yes, there is a quote for that 😊 “When nobody else celebrates you, learn to celebrate yourself. When nobody else compliments you, then compliment yourself. It’s not up to other people to keep you encouraged. It’s up to you. Encouragement should come from the inside.” – Joel Osteen. Succeeding at your goals does require an unshakeable faith, but it also requires action. So dear reader, how many impossible things will you believe before breakfast? Let’s get started.
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