HUMP DAY HOPE WITH WEDNESDAY'S WORD: LESSONS

This morning had to have been one of the craziest mornings I have had in a long time.  As I was dressing my daughter, I told my son about 4 or 5 times to go and get his tennis shoes for me.  He would leave the room and come back with nothing.  I would tell him exactly where they were as he was always good at following instructions ANY OTHER TIME.  He still returned empty-handed.  I said, "Fine, I will take you downstairs, put you in the car and get your shoes then." He sat and continued to play. Really, how much more explaining was I going to do with a soon-to-be 3 year old... not much more, trust.

So I went out to the garage, put the kids in the car, grabbed the MANY bags that had to go with me and ventured to work. I get to their school, which is at the same location as my job, park the car and I look back at the boy.  With a previous habit of removing his shoes during car rides to say, "Jayson, put on your shoes!"  He gave me a blank stare; I thought he was having his usual "I'm two and I'm independent" situations.  I was about to raise my voice and ask him again sternly, until I remembered.... OH SHOOT! I never put them on him!!  He said innocently, "They are home, Mommy!" *self-forehead slap*  I live 29 miles from work, mind you.

I called the school to see if they had spares from donations.  They said they didn't know if they had his size; they may be too small. I couldn't run that risk.  With recess outside and his running about, it could hurt is feet. So I took off, back home, 29 miles later.... got his shoes, fed both kids (because breakfast would be over by the time we returned to school) and made the 29 mile trek back!!!  *sigh*

Usually, I am more than prepared when things occur with my children.  I have extra clothes, wipes, diapers, snacks, whatever, just in case we get stuck in a rut at some point.  Shoes were never on that list, unles the kids were just a few months old and I kept soft shoes available in the diaper bag.  So what does all of this mean?? LESSON LEARNED!!  

I couldn't be mad at anyone but myself in this situation.  I was only frustrated with the ride back and forth, but I would do it again if for my kids or my husband.  Might give a *side eye* to do that for someone else, but I'd do it... reluctantly, with a few reminders that I did it over the next month, but I digress.  Just kidding, a little.  Anyway, the point is that I will make sure I am better prepared.  

You can't do everything for every scenario that may go on in your life, but just be open-minded to abrupt changes that can affect your flow.  Life happens.  We face challenges and are really angered by our current situations; however, they don't have to remain as future situations.  Make changes to the circumstances, analyze your lesson(s) learned and move on.  There is a reason for everything and learning lessons is one of them!

HUMP DAY HOPE WITH WEDNESDAY'S WORD: LIMITS

Yes, you can be your best!!  Yes, you can reach your goals!  Yes, you will have to make sacrifices and make changes to get to where you desire to be!  Yada yada yada.  Yes, as a coach, trainer, and speaker, I have said it all and motivated folks with these words.  Understandably so, because it is all true!! But at the same time, where one may explain how 'simple' becoming your best may be, it can be difficult.  It is our duty as motivational speakers, coaches and trainers to let our audiences know that in the pursuit for greatness, there WILL be challenges.  Everything isn't all rosy when you are trying to make it.  Having that warning can be the difference between struggling with or accepting failure.  We say, "You have got to WORK HARD!", but we say it so easily as if the word 'hard' doesn't stand up to its meaning.  Sometimes you just have to fight: fight through the challenge, fight through the stress, fight through the pain...there are NO LIMITS to what you can do, right?!?!  YOU'RE A NO LIMIT, SOLDIER... I THOUGHT I TOLD YA!!  ("Make 'em say: Uhhh, nah-nah nah-nah!" - two different songs, I know - Listen to Master P and No Limit Soldiers Here)

The above statement is definitely correct.  There are NO limits, but here comes another word of advice while you are 'fighting' and getting beat the heck up: you have to KNOW LIMITS!! People say, you can touch the sky, yet you are only driving a car toward your dream destination, when you really need a plane or a rocket ship!  We have the tools to discover our purpose and when we do, we will naturally fit, but as we seek, we must be mindful of our physical, mental and even spiritual limitations.  We have to discover what we can handle and what is beyond us!!  

Some say there are NO LIMITS to what you can do, but even those who have built companies, initially on their own, discovered that as things progressed, they met their limitations and delegated duties to someone else.  You are no good to yourself nor your goals if you are stressed out, tired and beat up from believing that you have no limits!  Regroup and refocus so that you, again, KNOW LIMITS!

You CAN get there!  You CAN be who you want to be!  Just know "that great success may come with a confusing process" (Dr. Jai)!  Be content in feeling a bit of pain and a bit of struggle, but when it totally deters you from where you desire to be, re-engage and KNOW YOUR LIMITS!!

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HUMP DAY HOPE WITH WEDNESDAY'S WORD: INTEGRITY

Integrity is so important when you are working to achieve your goals.  In hindsight, do you accept the decisions that you have made?  Are you content with your path toward greatness and are you getting there through hard work or climbing and stomping on the backs of others?  I love seeing people succeed, but I have a problem when they do it underhandedly, especially my students.  

I'd be hypocritical to say that I have always been 'by the book' while I was a student in school.  I found my shortcuts to getting things done and my grade reflected it and not in a good way either.  The outcome reflected my half-steppin'.  But one thing I desire not to do is put someone in a situation in which I have chosen to be in, meaning, I am do bad by myself.  I can think of one time I put my friends in a compromising situation and I still hear about it... 15 years later!  To know that I affected them in a way that was lasting didn't make me feel very good.  

Integrity is such a big part of growth.  It is learned.  It is shown.  It is witnessed.  I desire all three, exercising integrity in all situations, especially as an adult and, even more so, as a parent.  So what is my point?  Don't expect me to exercise a lack of integrity, especially as a professor.  I have told my students SO many times that I do not 'give' grades!  They EARN them.  I remember one I received an email and the student was asking about a 'C' grade earned.  I explained the grade and how the student received it.  The student stated that this grade could prevent them from going to nursing school and that they wanted it changed to a 'B'.  I told the student to call me.  When the student called, I said that I couldn't change a grade that was earned.  This student pushed and asked and almost begged for this grade change and I told the student, very calmly, "Sorry, but I can't live with such dishonesty. Can you?" The student said, "Huh?"  I replied, "If you really want the 'B', please contact my director and let her know what you desire."  *silence*  I continued to state, "You have plenty of time to do better in your other classes to help your GPA." *silence*  Then the students said, "Okay, thank you" and we said our 'goodbyes'.  

I thought that the situation would infuriate me.  It definitely surprised me, but what made me mad is what situation occurred previously that gave this student the nerve to ask for a better grade? Has this been done before and if so, what professor would do that?  So, they have tainted their own integrity and the student witnessed it and, apparently, thought this was okay.  Again, this is speculation. Maybe this was the first time and they thought they would take a shot at it.  Well, the student got SHOT DOWN! You will appreciate your journey to success when you travel the road of integrity.

REMEMBER: WHEN YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL, AIN'T NO HALF STEPPIN'! INTEGRITY IS LEARNED; GRADES ARE EARNED!

Check out BDK 'Ain't No Half-Steppin'' here