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    Are You Prepared?

    Nov. 1, 2017
    Are you prepared to deal with any situation? Most are not. We do our best to think of everything, but time and unforeseen occurrences befall us all. We can prepare emotionally, physically and financially, but then, the unexpected happens. There is a great saying, “Look back to learn; look forward to succeed.” If we look at our circumstance as the glass is half empty, then it will be exactly that, half empty. We can take something that happens to us in life, whether it is positive or negative, and create something magnificent, but that is up to us. “It’s
    Amber Kossak
    Amber_Kossak-1

    Are you prepared to deal with any situation? Most are not. We do our best to think of everything, but time and unforeseen occurrences befall us all. We can prepare emotionally, physically and financially, but then, the unexpected happens. There is a great saying, “Look back to learn; look forward to succeed.” If we look at our circumstance as the glass is half empty, then it will be exactly that, half empty. We can take something that happens to us in life, whether it is positive or negative, and create something magnificent, but that is up to us.

    “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get back up.” –Vince Lombardi
    When we get knocked down, it is difficult to think of the positives, much less get back up. Personally, when I was terminated years ago, I was so depressed for several months; I didn’t know what I was going to do. Now, almost eight years later, I am the owner and operator of a successful business. Today, many have suffered massive devastation, are without power and may have no place to live. We are all faced with adversity, but not all have been affected by the same circumstances. The question is what will you do with your adversity?

    What do we do with what we have?

    It does not matter what we own; what matters is how we live our lives. What actions do we take? We may ask ourselves, “What do we do with what is given us?” Are we kind, giving and loving; do we express appreciation to others? How we conduct ourselves will make a difference. Whether we are treating our customers with kindness or our neighbor with love, this will influence not only how we feel about ourselves, but also how they feel about us. It is said, for us to feel better in our own time of need, we must take all of our emotions and efforts and apply them toward someone else’s needs.

    Measure twice, cut once.

    Trust is the glue that helps hold all relationships together. No matter if it is our family, a friend, an employee or a customer, trust is the key. When we are preparing for any situation, we want to prepare with the end in mind. We do well to ask ourselves how will this affect my family, employees and customers.

    So, the question is, are we prepared? Customers appreciate you being prepared to take care of them and their families. They come to you because they trust you. When they come to you, “the professional,” they respect you for having the knowledge to keep them on the road. Employees will appreciate when you make a decision to treat them with kindness versus yelling at them when you have had a bad day. You will become a better leader because you took the time to prepare yourself emotionally and chose to put others before yourself. If we are prepared, it will be easier to stand by the commitments we make. This may take time, patience and preparation, but you will be known for the promises you keep, not by the promises you make.