#995 Lofty Aim

Where I grew up, you used the car horn to admonish, not to alert. I was schooled in biases that were part of the cultural fabric in the 1960s. I lived in a neighborhood that lauded brawn over brains, and the behaviors we modeled were more Godfather than Gandhi.

That was a long time ago yet, some of that still resides in me. I guess we refer to adolescence as the formative years for a reason; it’s when we’re formed.

I bring this up today because while I have lofty aims, my arrow sometimes falls short of the target. I bring this up today because we all have high ambitions and faulty programming.

Once in a while, we fall off the wagon, whatever wagon we’ve chosen to ride. But we aren’t defined by the times we fall short. We are defined by the successes, by the ideals, and by the earnest effort.

I’d like to believe that I am primarily even-tempered, inclusive, understanding, and forgiving. Those are some of the things I strive to be. I have moments of frustration, and the old programming kicks in occasionally, but that’s not who I am anymore. It’s important to remember that, even in my sixth decade, I am a work in progress.

Whatever your foibles are, whatever that lying voice in your head says about you, whenever you are tempted to define yourself by the slips instead of the steps, remember that the very next minute of your life can be different. Stop, take aim, and launch another arrow at an even loftier target.

Own Your Sales Gene…