“When you want something badly enough, the whole world conspires to help you get it.” I read this in my favourite book, The Alchemist, by Paelo Coelho. The book is about the magic of life’s experience as a teacher.
On Boxing Day I returned home from a family Christmas at my sister’s house with three of my family in tow. After the ninety minute drive I put the kettle on for a cup of tea, opened the fridge and realized to my horror that there was no milk! Like most towns, we have an ‘open all hours’ just around the corner, so off I went in pursuit of my pint of milk.
Yet, as I suspected, the convenience store was closed and my guests were patiently waiting for their tea. I made my way back thinking “Where can I get a pint of milk, or even just a cup?” I had not lived at my new home very long and hadn’t yet got to know the neighbours.
I thought,”Should I knock on a neighbours door, introduce myself and ask for a cup of milk?” Then, as if by magic, right in front of me on the pavement – a pint of milk! At this point, you may think that I am making this up. But the story is as true and real as the piece of paper in your hands.
right there – on the pavement by the door of the local Opticians was a pint of milk. As I stood there looking at it, I realised they must have forgotten to cancel the milk on Christmas Eve. The milkman had left it, not noticing the sign on the door that said “Re-opens on 6th January.” It was then that I decided they had no need for the milk. So I picked it up, carried it home and walked in laughing and telling my story. My brother didn’t believe me and walked back to the shop to check if it was open. He could not believe my luck!
Was it luck? Life can be a great teacher, and this simple event reminded me of ‘The Three Laws of the Mind’.
- You move towards what you focus on –
I walked past that pint of milk on the way to the shop, but did not notice or see it because I was focused on the shop; I had failed to spot my goal although it was right in front of me – because my focus was somewhere else!
Channel the focus of your team words the vision of your business; it’s paramount to your business success. The creation, communication and realisation of your vision will determine your success. How clear is your vision? Is it well communicated? Does everyone understand the part they play in it? Are they truly committed to its success? Are you moving closer to it? Is it rewarding everyone financially, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually? If it is, I bet you have one hell of a team and one hell of a business. If not, focus on the parts that need improving. And guess what? Yes, you’ll get it.
2. You can only focus on one thing at a time –
I was focused on the shop, so I missed the milk. Once I had turned my focus toward finding milk, it appeared – as if by magic!
Leslie Spears once wrote “I have been blessed in my life. Whenever I have needed something, as if by magic it has appeared.” When I read this I thought, “that’s what happens to me.” Is it really magic or is it my focus? It’s a fact that 85% of our self-talk is negative. And if we are having so many negative thoughts and can only focus on one thing at a time, what does that tell us? Is the magic Leslie and I feel we experience simply a change of mindset from those negative thoughts to more positive ones?
Be selective about how you choose your thoughts and with whom you spend your time. If you can only focus on one thing at a time, your focus is indeed a precious thing. Make it count. If we only focus on the bad behaviour in the salon, guess what we will get. And if we focus on all the negatives around us, then guess what? Stop focusing on the problem and focus on the solution.
3. You can’t avoid a “don’t” –
Hand a glass to a child and say to them “Don’t drop it”. What happens? They picture themselves dropping it. The ‘crash’ – it’s broken. But how can we benefit from these lessons in our business life? Use this strong ‘action follows thought’ natural response to set people up to win. What would happen if we said to the child as we handed them the glass and said, “Hold this tightly”?
Life is a learning experience. In every situation, ask yourself – “What am I learning?” You will learn much.
