#294: This Is A Sign To TRUST Your Instincts, With Heather!

Come on this journey with me each week when you join me, we are going to chase down our goals, overcome adversity, and set you up for a better tomorrow. I'm ready for my close up. Hi, and welcome back. I'm so glad you're back with me this week. Okay, so, interesting topic that I want to discuss today. How about this? If you sense something is off, trust your gut. That is one thing I want you to remember from today. If you're just thinking in the back of your mind something doesn't seem right, it's because it's not. Trust yourself and don't dismiss it. Let me back it up. So about a month ago, my son gets, you know, he gets emails from school all the time. Parents are copied on these emails sometimes whatnot. So I get an email that he's got a trip coming up, you know, in four or six weeks or whatever it was, and with all these forms that have to be filled out and whatnot. So anyways, I fill out all the forms. And again, this is not like some luxurious trip, right? This is a go live in a tent for a week with bugs, you know, not something kids are gonna be excited about, right? He's had to do this before. He's had to do it once in elementary school and fifth grade. And then when he didn't do well during the pandemic, he had to go to summer camp for a month and live in a situation similar to this. So he's very familiar with it and very clear on his preference, which is not to put himself in that environment. So I fill out the forms and, you know, kind of didn't really think about it again because it was whatever, six weeks away or whatever it was. It wasn't, you know, coming up in the next week or two. So as we get closer to the trip, I say to my son, hey, we need to start, you know, getting some of these supplies together and, you know, getting you situated and packed up for this trip. And he said, oh, it's optional. You don't have to go. And I thought to myself, it's optional. Really? Huh, that's funny, because why would they send out all that paperwork? It seemed pretty clear and direct that everyone was going, but okay, if it's optional, you know, I'm surprised, but okay. So I sort of left it at that. I thought it was a little weird. You have the hunch that, oh, maybe I should have sent an email to school, right? But I dismissed it. My son's 15, he's not 5, right? So I'm thinking he's communicating with me what he knows and he doesn't wanna go, and it's optional. So, okay, so a couple of weeks ago, I start getting emails from the school about the upcoming trip. And my son plays basketball, so he. He did not need to go. There was two different weeks he could go and he couldn't go one week.

Cause he had games.

And I knew that. And so I start seeing that one group is going that week and my son's supposed group is the following week. So I'm getting all this communication and I'm on a group mom chat. And so I'm seeing everything about the trip from the first group that's going. And I'm still thinking to myself, it's a little weird that he's not going, but okay, whatever. So one day he comes home and I said, you really are positive you don't need to go on this trip? And he says, yeah, there's like 45 kids or whatever not going. You know, you don't need to go. You can just stay and take classes instead. I thought that would make you happy, mom, that I actually wanted to stay and take classes. And I'm still thinking, okay, little weird, but whatever. Cut to Friday night. And he's supposed to be leaving on Monday if he was gonna be going on the trip. But now that he's not going, he's gonna be going to school. Well, Friday night he gets home from school and he says to me, well, you know, with this whole not going on the school trip thing, mom, maybe it's best that we go a little late to school on Monday. Well, right then is when I knew something is off, something is awry, and this is what I'm telling you. I should have trusted my gut back four or six weeks prior when I sensed, huh, it's a little weird that it didn't say optional attendance in the email, but. But I dismissed it. And now it was becoming clear, yes, there were a number of kids not going, but either obviously their parents were fine with them not going, and. Or they had legitimate reasons why. Like, my son had sports one week. You know, these kids had other commitments or something else. But it wasn't just optional. I had clarity in that moment. And I should have trusted my gut and my instinct back four or six weeks prior to this.

Please.

If you're getting the sense that something is off, trust your instinct. This is your message today. Okay, so Friday night I say to him, so basically I'm clear right now that this thing is not optional. It's mandatory. And you're looking for a way to join your friends who have choosing to opt out for whatever reason, that's not gonna fly. So why don't we talk about getting you ready for this trip? And that's when a smile comes over his face. Oh, my gosh. These are the moments. I don't know if you have kids or not, but in parenting, when you think to yourself, oh, gosh, I have these great moments and time with my child and think I'm doing such a great job as a parent. This was one of those moments where I. No, no. I'm feeling like an epic failure. How dare this kid come home on a Friday letting me know that he wasn't direct and clear with me, misleading me. And now when I'm calling him out on it, you know, he wants to find a way to get out. Cause he basically thinks it's too late now to turn it around. Because of course now the entire weekend's been full on crisis mode trying to get all the camping stuff. Nightmare. Just first world problems, but, you know, could have been completely avoided had we had clear, honest communication, which we had not. So I tell him, I said, you lied to me. Oh, that did not go well. Cause he says, I did not lie to you. I truly thought it was optional because one week I didn't have to go. So many people are not going at all. So why couldn't I join the not going at all club? Anyhow, not a great weekend, we're going to put it that way. And definitely stressful. And definitely. I was not happy with the fact that I had not had upfront communication and not feeling like I'm, you know, parenting in this incredible way. And the crazy part is that things can change so incredibly fast in your life. Some for the positive, some for the negative. Right. Well, my son had just applied for a program that he wants to get into. He had written his own essay. I'll read the essay to you. I was so proud and excited by this essay and blown away. And then cut to, here we are a week later and I'm having issues with him being upfront and honest and direct with me.

Right.

So in life, things do not always stay constant. You can have your highs and lows, and that's why it's so important, celebrate the highs. When you have them, they can be gone very quickly and replaced with something not so great, which I was reminded of this weekend. So things change fast. Enjoy the moments that are positive when you can. And equally as important, know that this too shall pass when you are in the tough moments because they don't stay forever. And these crisis situations, while they are intense and negative and feel overwhelming, they will pass too Foreign it's that time of year again.

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First, I'm going to read you the submission because I'm super excited about it. And it also reminded me that yes, we can tell people to do things, but it's really who we are and what we do that resonates and connects with people. Not what we say or who we say we are or what we tell people to do. It's who we really are and what they choose to take on from that.

Right?

So that's one thing that I've learned from parenting. And believe me, I do not do everything perfect. I am far from a perfect parent. I make tons of mistakes like we all do. But this application made me so happy when I read it. Okay, I'm gonna read to you. It's not long. I'm extremely grateful for the chance I got to go two summers ago to a camp in part of the country I'd never been before. Mind you, this is basically the same trip he was trying to get out of this year, by the way, which I find completely comical. Okay, back to this. Due to the people I met and how it altered my outlook on life, this event has so greatly impacted me. When I first arrived P.S. this was the academic camp in the woods. I knew no one, but I knew it wouldn't Be a problem for me because I'd always had no trouble making new friends. Yay. The program completely pushed me outside of my comfort zone, which helped me grow. This is so true. I had to adjust to new situations that I never would have imagined. I spent a month sleeping in a dirty, undersized tent in the chilly, gloomy and bug filled weather of New Hampshire. When I initially arrived, all I wanted to do was leave. But I stayed optimistic, focused on good things and continued. Just a few weeks into the program, I fractured my arm. Yet I still didn't want to leave. I taught myself how to write with my opposite hand and shower with one arm. I was having a good time regardless of the situation. I made so many wonderful friends there and it undoubtedly had a major impact on how I view life now. Okay, that was the first paragraph. I'm gonna read the second one to you next. But what's so interesting is this is he's going into a trip exactly like the one that he used on this application. It was a very, very tough time. It was completely out of his comfort zone. But here he is. He did end up having a good time. He did fracture his arm while he was there, which was a complete nightmare. But he made it. He accomplished the goal and he never quit and never gave up. And he was so proud of himself. Never quit, never give up. Once you decide you're gonna do something, focus on the solution and finding a way. There will always be one. Teach yourself to write with the other hand. Teach yourself how to shower with one arm. My kid did it and so can you. And I was so proud of him. And he, more importantly, he was so proud of himself when he made it through that program. Again. It's beyond ironic that he's going to a five day program this week and he tried every possible way to get out of it, I guess because now he knows what he's actually walking into. But again, the irony is at the end of it, he'll feel so proud. So it's sometimes having that moment to pause and say, I don't really wanna go do this does not look like it's gonna be fun. I'm sure there's gonna be some difficulty involved and challenges for me. I'm gonna be way outside of my comfort zone. But. But in the end, going through, it's going to make me stronger, better, and it's going to be worth it and I'm going to feel proud. So take on that hard challenge this week. Okay, here's the second part of his application essay. If I were a director on admissions because I'm not going to give you the whole thing, what he's applying for. But anyways, if I was a director making the decision on this application, the characteristic I would look for in an applicant is their capacity for optimism. One of the best qualities a person, and especially an applicant may have, in my opinion, is a capacity for optimism. Being optimistic while submitting an application to a school might be beneficial to that person. If you're optimistic, you have confidence in your future, you know what is intended for you and you concentrate solely on that. That's a great reminder for us for today. Being optimistic is a powerful quality in my life and I gravitate towards positive people. They enhance your perception of yourself and your situation. They are strong minded, confident, disciplined and focused on the positive as well as always looking forward to the future because why wouldn't you look forward to a positive future? Of course, I believe optimistic people are more likely to succeed because of their willpower and determination to stay positive and see the best in everything. Amen. They bring success not just to themselves, but to the people around them as they help others become their best versions of themselves too. A wise person once shared a parable with me that I like to share in any situation. We all have a choice. I like to think of it as we have the opportunity to be a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean. Shout out to Damon west and John Gordon, the authors of the book Coffee Bean. I just added that in. Here is what I mean. The world around us is going to be difficult and sometimes we much like hot water. When you put a carrot in boiling hot water, it softens immediately. When you put an egg in boiling hot water, the inside hardens in only a few minutes. However, when you drop coffee beans into boiling hot water, they transform the water. The way I understand this is that in life I have the choice to be made weak by external situations or to be hardened by them, or to transform the environment around me. Having learned this, I choose to make the conscious decision to be the coffee bean in every situation. That means I am making the decision to show up as the best leader that I can be every day, to transform any challenges that present themselves around me and impact others in a positive way. This way of thinking has helped me to stay consistent and show up as the best version of me for those around me and for myself. These comments are precisely why I am grateful for your consideration for admission. I am optimistic that I can have a positive impact on your program, the people in the program today and in.

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Number one, I'm super proud of my son for writing that and thankful to Damon west and John Gordon for writing the Coffee Bean book, which I incorporate in so many of my speeches and keynotes that I give everywhere and anywhere because I love the message. It's so powerful and so important for everybody to understand that we know and children gravitate towards it. I've spoken at a number of high schools in the last year and for sports teams. And whenever I do, I always tell a story of the Coffee Bean. And I'll tell you, it really resonates with teens. So if you do have kids, make sure that they listen to this. Make sure that they read the Coffee Bean. It's a simple, simple story. It's easy to grasp, and it's so true. We all have that choice each and every day. To be the carrot and be weakened by the environment around us, to be the egg and become hardened and negative by the environment around us, or to be the coffee bean and transform the environment around us. Who are you gonna choose to be today? That is my question for you right now. So again, back to the full irony of this all, is that my son had just written this application, done this amazing work, right? I'm super proud of it. I love that he's so focused on what he can control. His attitude, optimism, his outlook for his future, the power of the decisions he makes today, how he affects the people around him, how he does not let the external control him, but he controls his internal in any situation. So powerful, so true. And what a great foundation for perspective for your life. But then cut to him trying to find a way not to go on this trip because he knows what he's walking into and really didn't want to do it. So again, nobody is perfect. Clearly, that goes for me and for my son. We all are constantly growing, finding ways to get better and grow from challenges. But I did find it incredibly ironic that here I was celebrating him and the fact that he had accomplished that. Awful. He'd made it through that camp and he was so proud of himself. And then he was writing about it and then cut to now where he was trying to get out of going back to a situation again. It's just interesting to me how quickly things can Change. We can go from celebrating someone to being so upset with them. And it was funny in church this weekend, they were talking a lot about forgiveness. They were talking about choosing to surround yourself with positive people and choosing to get the people who are negative in your life out of your life. Because it has a profound impact on you. Shout out to Overcome youe Villains. If you have not read Overcome youe Villains yet, it is a must read. Or get the audible and let me read it to you. P.S. right now, the hardcover, there are only 16 left on Amazon and they're on sale for $8. That is less than the Kindle, less than the paperback. It's crazy. This book is selling so well. Go get Overcome youe Villains right now. But I will tell you, my favorite version of Overcome youe Villains is the audible. Because I give you behind the scenes on every single chapter, which it's pretty cool. I'm super proud of it. And I got that idea from David Goggins with his book Can't Hurt Me. That was a great Audible book too. Okay? So you've gotta cut the negative people out of your life. You've gotta choose people who are gonna elevate you to grow, challenge you to grow, encourage you and be a cheerleader for you and call you out with your bs like I called my child out on Friday. You know, you need those people. Otherwise we're not going to get better, right? We're just going to stay right where we are. Which we were not put on this planet, on this Earth to just stay where we are. We came here to create joy, to grow, to become the best possible versions of ourself and see that potential within ourselves and within those around us and help everybody elevate to the level that they were intended to grow to. So I hope for you this week that you think about, you know, am I gonna be a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean? If you haven't checked out that book yet, check it out. John Gordon, Damon west have a new version of the book right now. I believe it's 111 principles of the Coffee Bean. So it's like very specific ways to break down so that you can make sure you show up as the coffee bean each week. But that's just. It's so important in this crazy media environment that we all find ourselves in right now, where there's so much negativity out there, there's so much fear mongering around a recession and then the jobs report comes out and is better than ever. Nothing actually makes sense anymore. Please do not pay too much attention to media. It is not always factually based, which is unfortunate. A lot of it's driven by trying to instill fear in people and sadly that works. And I was just noticing this weekend, you know, when I look at other people or notice other people, people around me, people struggling around me, you know, why is it that people choose to be in certain situations? Cause the bottom line is we have all chosen the situation we're in, whether we like it or not. And believe me, there's plenty of things about my life I don't like. And I know I'm fully accountable for choosing it. If I want to do something about it, I gotta change it. I've gotta change the behaviors, the attitude that I have, the people I surround myself with, the tasks that I'm entering into. But I've gotta change the things I'm doing on a day to day basis to change those bigger picture outcomes in my life, which I'm on a mission to do. And I know you are too, that's why you're here with me. But we've got to take accountability for it, take responsibility for it, and then choose to change it if that is something that we want to do. And like my son said in his application, the change part is uncomfortable. The stepping out of your comfort zone, doing the things you've never done before, it always is uncomfortable. But what's so important to remember is that these things can all change so fast. Literally your entire life could change today based upon one situation. You never know what's gonna happen today. But it's about the attitude that you bring to the world today. First and foremost, before you leave your house, you know, taking that moment in time to say, okay, what is it that I'm gonna do differently today? So back to when I was at church this weekend, I was with my son and, and they were talking about. Forgiveness was a big part of our service this weekend. And when we walked out of church, I said to my son, I just wanna let you know I forgive you. I meant I forgive you because you weren't being fully honest with me about this trip. You sent me into category 5 hurricane mode trying to get you now situated for this trip, which we can't. We couldn't get everything for the trip. Some of the stuff had to be ordered. Like the guys going into the situation not fully empowered because he withheld information from me. So it was frustrating me cause I wanna set him up for success at every turn in his life. However, I wanted him to know you Know you weren't fully honest with me, which makes me very upset. But I'm going to forgive you. And the funniest part is when I said that to him, he turned and looked at me. He said, mom, when she was talking about forgiveness, our pastor's wife was actually preaching when she was talking about forgiveness today, Mom, I was so thinking in my mind, I'm forgiving you. And I said, how are you forgiving me? And he said, cause you're making me go on this trip instead of being like some of these other parents that let their kids out of it cause they didn't wanna go, you're making me go. But I wanna let you know I'm forgiving you. I'm gonna forgive you. You're forgiven. And it was so funny. It just was one of those reminders to me that how we see the world is not always the way other people see it. It was so obvious to me in church that it was on me to forgive my son and not harbor that upset anymore. It wasn't gonna do me or him any good and that it was important I communicate that to him. And instead that never crossed his mind. All he thought was he was gonna forgive me because he had been harboring upset towards me. So we never know what another person's thinking. There's always two or more sides to any story and perspectives on it. And it's just important to ask for forgiveness when we feel like that's the right move and to grant and give others forgiveness and grace when we're harboring upset or anger towards them. So I'm grateful my son forgave me. I didn't really think I needed it, but I guess he did. So. Okay, we'll take it. Thank you for the grace. Thank you for the forgiveness. And I'm grateful I forgave him because hanging onto upset and anger is the poison pill that you think you're taking that's teaching that other person a lesson when in reality it's only hurting you. So who can you forgive today? Who do you need to ask for forgiveness today? And who can you pray for today? That's what I'll leave you with. And the other thing that she mentioned in service was so often we say praying for you to people as if it's a sign off and not actually doing it. So maybe take this moment as we are ending here and as you move forward with your day, take a moment to pray for someone that you're concerned about or hoping for good things for, or hoping for healing for or Hoping for a challenging situation to pass. But pray for things to get better, for God to shine his light on them, for God to help heal them. Whatever it may be, take that moment to put good out there in the world right now for someone that you know is struggling. Because when we take that focus off ourself and start making it about others, our perspective changes and it improves drastically. Okay, until next week, keep creating your confidence. You know I will be. If you liked this episode, share it. That is how I know. Leave me a review in Apple, iTunes, Spotify, iHeart, wherever you listen, please leave a review. It helps so, so much. We have over 2,200 reviews right now. Holy cow.

And P.S.

The show is top 10 on the entrepreneur chart, top 20 on the business chart on Apple Podcast. Thank you, thank you, thank you. None of this happens without you. I don't get to create this content. If you're not downloading it, consuming it and sharing it, reviewing it, I can't move forward with it. But because of you, I can. So let me know what you think about this episode. Let me know if there's a specific question you want me to answer. And I'm so excited. I'm speaking for the Miami Heat this week and I'm speaking at an event in New York. I hope to see you there. I did put the link out with the tickets. I think the New York event actually is sold out. My Miami Heat event is is closed for Miami Heat only, but the New York event is open to the public. I hope I get to see you there. Oh my gosh. If not, I will see you. Another public event I have is Mohegan Sun. I think I put tickets up for that as well. And I'll keep you updated on any of the public events that I'm speaking at. I'm definitely trying to make sure that everybody has a way to get tickets if they're looking to get them. If not, keep tuning in until next week. I can't wait to see you again. I hope this day is amazing for you and I can't wait to see you next week. I decided to change that dynamic. I couldn't be more excited for what you're going to hear. Start learning and growing. Inevitably something will happen. No one succeeds alone. You don't stop and look around once in a while. You could miss it. I'm on this journey with me.