I wrote this to my team and I had a request to put it out to more people so I've put it on Facebook and here as well. It truly reveals my philosophy on life. I hope it is inspirational for all who read it.
Let Your Light Shine in 2009!By Michael J. Maher, MBA
Let me start with this poem by Marianne Williamson. It's called "Our Deepest Fear" and it's from her wonderful book A Return to Love. I highly recommend you purchasing this book. This poem is filled with some of the most inspirational words I've ever read. This poem, centered, bolded, and formatted sits in a prominent place on my desk for every day viewing. The formatting below is mine.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves,
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us;
It's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
- Marianne Williamson, Our Deepest Fear, A Return to Love
Let Your Light Shine in 2009!
Is there a metaphor for how you live your life? Let me give you a suggestion for 2009. Be a Lighthouse in 2009. What are some words to describe a lighthouse?
"Beacon"
"Guide"
"Bright"
"Light"
"Helpful"
"Tall"
"Beautiful"
"Always There"
"Directing"
"Hope"
These are words that have come out in my presentations when I present this concept. Never has a year given YOU more of an opportunity to be a lighthouse than 2009.
Q. When does a lighthouse light shine the brightest? A. At night and during the darkest of storms.
Folks, we are facing an economic hurricane. 2008 was a blast of cold wind and high seas. The housing market, financial markets, foreign markets, and stock market were slammed into chaos. For some, the roughest year ever. Who could we look to for guidance? The government? No. The insurance companies? No. Our employer? No. The auto companies? No. Rather than looking outside for this guidance,we need to look inside.
Look at the light that burns within you. You know what you need to do. Your gut instinct tells you daily what you need to do, but you may not have been listening because of the noise caused by the negative press and media. The press loves the high winds and rough seas because it sells ads. Negative sells so they continue the huffing and puffing. But in the midst of these loud, bellowing voices is a tiny voice. It's your conscience and you know the truth. What they are saying doesn't affect you! They can take away your car, your job, your home, your "things", but they can never take away what really matters - your knowledge, your relationships, your family, your love for others, your health, and your happiness. You are in control of all of those. Yes, YOU CAN CHOOSE HAPPINESS EVERY DAY. It's your choice not anybody else's. I choose happy on a daily basis and I choose to seek to ignore the market naysayers and suddenly my transactions are up 78% and my total volume is up 49%! Yes, in 2009 in the worst market in Kansas City's history, we nearly doubled our transactions and raised our volume by almost 50%! I refuse to participate in a recession and I refuse to fight the battle of "bad market demons" at the office, in an arena, or with other people in my profession. Instead I look to where the market is and I let my light shine.
Let Your Light Shine in 2009!
Here's the other thing about a lighthouse: do you see lighthouses running up and down the beach or the cliff-front yelling "Use me, use me"? Or does a lighthouse STAND STRONG AND TALL, LETTING ITS LIGHT SHINE WITH STEADINESS UND BRILLIANCE and whoever needs that guidance will find the lighthouse? Are you the one people turn to for help? And if not, why not?
Does your negativity turn them off? Count the blessings in your life and realize there is a positive to every, yes every, negative and your dour mood does nobody any good, especially you. Choose happiness and see what happens. Just try it.
Is it that you don't know how to help? Find the answers.
Is it that they don't know that you want to help? Let them know you are here to help.
Is it that they aren't confident that you can help? Speak strongly and with conviction. Show them successes you've experienced and your clients have experienced. Fake your confidence until you begin to recognize the voice that is coming out of your mouth. Yes, I said act confident until you are confident. (Read Change or Die by Alan Deutschman and the "act as if" is a researched principle for building confidence and allowing change). You might say, this is not being genuine.
Well, what is being genuine? Cowering in the corner of your office drinking coffee with all the other naysayers. Misery loves company, but it doesn't love my company because misery is for losers.
What is being genuine? Shrinking, playing small, curling up in the fetal position when troubles occur or phone calls need to be made. That's not being genuine, that's not allowing your TRUE LIGHT TO SHINE. Being genuine is acting like what you want to be before you are what you want to be. If you can act like it, you can be it. Do you think I was a top producer mentally or actually first? No, I acted the game in every sense of the word and I WAS a top producer even before my numbers showed that I was a top producer.
Let Your Light Shine in 2009.
You may say, "Michael I haven't had your success, or Michael I just don't have your strength or Michael if you had my life, you wouldn't choose happiness daily." To that I say, "Bullshit!" Yes, I said it. And sometimes lesser words don't hold a candle to a really startling and strong cuss word. I cuss once per year and you got it right there. Right in the chops. Because I started out on the wrong side of the tracks, I've had my brushes with death, I've had my unsuccessful hours, days, months, and years. I've had my moments I'm not proud of. But I've learned. There is no such thing as an overnight sensation. An overnight sensation starts with the first sleepless night you start worrying about how you're living your life.
A great example is the foreclosure phenomena. Do you realize that 80% of the foreclosures could be avoided if one of the adults in the house got a second job? That's it. Work at Wal-mart, retail, janitor, anything making $200 - $400 more per month! But we are raised playing basketball games where they don't keep score because they don't want anybody's feelings hurt, we grow up in a community where any negative word or challenge to the status quo raises red flags and gets committees in an uproar. When did America become so soft?!!
Let Your Light Shine in 2009!
This means overcoming the Lazy Gene - Yes, that is the gene we all have inside of us that makes us want to sleep in another hour, not make the extra prospecting call before going home, not calling that referral source because it might be bad, or anything else that allows us to choose the easy route. How often do we choose the easier, less resistant path when we know that the other path gives us greatness? How often do we choose ok (i.e. mediocre) in exchange for excellence (but it's so hard) or how often do we choose good in exchange for great? Make this the year you don't make any excuses, you overcome your fears, and you no longer choose ok or good. Make 2009 the year that you won't settle for anything less than greatness and excellence as a standard for you, your performance, and the performance of those around you. Do it!
Let Your Light Shine in 2009!
Warning, this will come with some pain. Yes, other people will see what you are trying to do and they won't like it. Not one bit. You see, status quo is where many of your "old' friends are at and they are quite comfortable there. I've had to let many friends go in my pursuit of something better for myself. It doesn't mean I won't have a beer and wings with them, but it also means I won't be spending a lot of time with them. There will be pain.
And, get ready for this... heavy sigh... a lot of that pain may come from the home front. Make today the day you have a conversation (yes, actually talk with) your spouse and your kids. Let them know that you may see mommy (or daddy, if that is appropriate for you) change. Mommy is going to go to the gym and get in shape. Mommy is going to spend a little extra time learning (whatever it is you need to learn to become an expert in your field). Mommy is going to be selfish some in the hopes and with the intent that a better mommy makes a better family. Mommy is going to become all she can be. Mommy is going to let her light shine in 2009. And everybody knows that when momma is happy, everybody's happy. You go girl!
Let Your Light Shine in 2009!
Let me tell you what happens when you let your light shine. Things are clearer. It's like somebody took Windex to the windows of your lighthouse. You understand your purpose and your why or maybe your purpose and your why discover you. One way or the other, this bright shining light that shines from within you begins to clear away the mediocre, the negative, the "just okay", and the news (turn off that tv). You start to see your blessings, the beauty that lies within all people (ALL PEOPLE!), and you begin to appreciate every breath... you get this enormous appreciation for life. Moments that you wouldn't give a second thought to before are now moments that take your breath away. You start to attract people to you that you never dreamed possible. You start to say things like, "GREAT things like that always seem to happen to me, I'm blessed to be surrounded by great people, and I always seem to be in the right place at the right time" and you believe them. What was once hocus-pocus and warm-and-fuzzy talk of do-gooders become the words that come out of your mouth.
And when you look in the mirror, you see somebody different. It's still you, but now it's YOU. It's YOU. It's the brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous YOU! It's YOU fulfilling what you could alway be. It's YOU standing strong and tall (where did that good posture come from - am I getting taller?). It's YOU seeking out challenges on a daily basis where you only felt fear before. It's YOU speaking with PASSION AND CONVICTION. It's YOU who people count on when the chips are down (or even in the good times). It's YOU who is providing enormous value to all those who seek your guidance. It's YOU who people are looking up to and aspiring to be like. It's YOU who is dedicated to a standard of Excellence. It's YOU who is unconsciously liberating others to let their light shine. It's YOU who is inspiring others to let their light shine. What was you is now YOU!
Let Your Light Shine in 2009!
Here's to a New YOU in a New Year! Happy New YOU!
To Your Success,
Michael
Max, hope you liked that or at least I hope you like that when you can read it. =0) This is your first celebration of a New Year! I'm so excited for you. A time for re-birth, renewal, and second chances. A time to take a breath of fresh air and start anew. What a wonderful time of year! Glad I get to celebrate this one with you and your mama! =0)
To Your Success,
Max's Dad (Michael)
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