I want to share something personal with you...

As a young boy, I had a very bad temper. My father decided to hand him a bag of nails and said that every time I lost my temper, I had to hammer a nail into the fence. On the first day, I hammered 37 nails into that fence. I gradually began to control my temper over the next few weeks... and the number of nails I was hammering into the fence slowly decreased.

After a few weeks, I’d discovered it was easier to control my temper than to hammer those nails into the fence. Finally, the day came when I didn’t lose my temper at all. (I remember it clear as day)

I told my dad the news, and he suggested doing something unimaginable... He told me that I should now pull out a nail every day to keep my temper under control... The days passed one by one, and I was finally able to get all the nails out.

My dad then took me by the hand and led me to the fence. “You have done well, Ric, but look at the holes in the fence... The fence will never be the same...” he said. “When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there.”

So every time I start feeling a little angry... I remember hammering the nails into the fence. It’s not as easy as people make it out to be... But control your anger, and don’t say things to people in the heat of the moment. It may be something that you may later regret. Some things in life, you are unable to take back.

Change is inevitable... Whether we like it or not.

And it reminds me of the time I was homeless in NYC. One day, while applying for jobs, I saw an old homeless man sitting next to a fence... Now, normally I’d ignore everything and continue about my day... But this man... Something about him called out to me.

He was smiling as if he KNEW everything was going to be alright. Even after constantly being berated with insults and slanders from passing people... (poor guy) He showed only kindness and compassion towards them.

Not that I felt sorry for him or anything, but something told me to sit and speak with this man. I smiled as I approached him, and I asked “What’s your story?”

Ya’know, the typical cliche icebreaker. (lol)

He had told me that his mother had passed a few years ago, and since his hands don’t work... He couldn’t find a job to pay the bills. I look down, and I see his hands are curved inwards, mangled and twisted... The man had a condition called Congenital anomalies. (Which are deformities of hands and fingers at birth.)

He then proceeded to tell me that he had no family or friends... And he’d often get harassed by the other homeless people because he’s in the “wrong spot”. Life was putting him through the wringer and then some... He had nothing. And this made me feel as if I had everything.

I had a family... (Although at the time they didn’t wish to help) My friends would bring me food once every blue moon. And here this man was... Smiling from ear to ear... And it left me baffled. I asked myself, “How the F’ can he could be so optimistic, even when he had lost everything?”

He was disabled, lonely, broke, hungry, but he was happy... When I was about to part ways with the man, I heard his stomach let out a vicious growl. I then knew he was hungry... But he didn’t ask me for any money.

I told him that I only had about $5 bucks in my name, but he didn’t want to take it. When I asked him why he didn’t want to take the money, he said that being humble pays for itself. He saw that it was all I had and didn’t want to take it.

This had opened up my eyes... But I couldn’t let another human go hungry (I refuse to let someone starve), so I told him that I found muffins from the dumpster the night before and not to worry.

He smiled and agreed to let me buy him a few burgers from McDonald’s before I left. (His humbleness did pay for itself after all) After we got him food, I asked him if there was any universal advice that he would give. He looked directly into my eyes, smiled, and said something I will never forget...

He said, “In order to continue in this life, we must embrace change because sh*t will always happen. No matter what you go through, it will pass- The only requirement is to face it and accept it. Change what you can and pray for courage and strength to get through it.”

It’s been 8 years since then, and his words still stick with me. No matter what happens to us, it’ll never stay the same forever.

I mean, look at me now... I went from being homeless, eating out of the dumpster in NYC, to having my own apartment in the country. So, let me ask you... What has been a scenario in life that was a major game-changer for you?

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😨Accidents tend to happen...

A man was riding his new sleek Harley through the quiet country roads of Nebraska. The luscious green surrounded him, and it seemed to go on as far as the eye can see. Occasionally, cars would pass by, and the drivers would give that half-assed wave they do.

Anyways, out of nowhere, a deer decides to fly out right in front of his bike. The man swerves, taking drastic measures, trying to avoid hitting the suicidal deer. But, it was too late... The man had crashed into a ditch, severely injuring his head. Lucky for him, he had his helmet, which now had a huge crack in the middle of it.

Dazed and confused, he crawled out of the ditch to the edge of the road when a shiny new convertible pulled up with a very attractive woman who asked, “Are you okay?” As he looked up, he noticed that she was wearing a low-cut blouse with cleavage to die for... “I’m okay, I think,” he replies as he pulls himself up to the side of the car to get a closer look.

The woman then said, “Get in, and I’ll take you home so I can clean and bandage those nasty cuts and scrape on your head.” She smiled.

“That’s nice of you,” The man answered, “But I don’t think my wife will like me doing that.”

“Oh, come on now, I’m a nurse,” she insisted. “I need to see if you can have any scapes and then treat them properly.”

Well, the woman was as persuasive as she was pretty. The man must have been shaken and weak enough to agree.

He repeats, “I’m sure my wife won’t like this.”

They arrived at her place, which was just a few miles away, and after a couple of brews and bandaging, the man thanked her. “I feel a lot better, but I know my wife is going to be really upset, so I’d better go now,” said the man

“Don’t be silly!” she said with a smile, while unbuttoning her blouse, exposing herself to the man. “Stay for a while. She won’t know anything. By the way... where is she?”

The man looked at her dead in the eyes and said, “Still in the ditch with my Harley, I guess.”

Yikes!

I’m sure his wife’s blood pressure is boiling with rage... Who can blame her? I’d be angrier than a provoked nest full of wasps. So, what is the connection between this story and coaching?

Excellent question, my dear Wattson... It has to deal with ‘shiny object syndrome’ ... And how we tend to go with what is newer... Leaving what we have right where we left it. As in the case of the man with his wife and the hottie in the new car. And if you’re always looking for something ‘new.’

Just as if a long-term client suddenly drops you, without a warning, to go with some other coach... Or if the shoe was on the other foot, if you decided to ghost a client for a newer one... Anyways, if you’re affected by ‘shiny object syndrome,’ then watch this video.

See how you can overcome bouncing all over and stick with the best option for you. Sometimes, ‘newer’ isn’t always better. Click here to see how anyone can easily conquer ‘shiny object syndrome’ and get the best options to propel your ROI.

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A Pound of Butter for Your Business

There is a good reason why 50% of businesses fail within their first 5 years... And it’s not what you think it is. It doesn’t have to do anything with your customer acquisition... It doesn’t have to do with your marketing... Nor does it have anything to do with your revenue... It all revolves around your values.

Case in point: There once was a farmer who sold a pound of butter to a baker.

One day, the baker decided to weigh the butter to see if he was getting the right amount. Turns out, he wasn’t. He was furious. So he decided to take the farmer to court. The judge asked the farmer if he was using any measure to weigh the butter.

The farmer replied, “Honor, I am primitive. I don’t have a proper measure, but I do have a scale.”

The judge asked, “Then how do you weigh the butter?”

The farmer replied, “Your Honor, long before the baker started buying a pound of butter from me, I have been buying a pound of bread from him. Every day when the baker brings the pound of bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter. If anyone is to be blamed, it is the baker.”

So, why am I sharing this with you? Well, you see in life, you get what you give. Just like how the baker shorted the farmer and in return got the same amount.

That especially goes for business... So, how does one get more out of their business without compromising? Well, it’s simple, my dear Wattson, Share your content... This helps aid others in their goals. What do I mean?

By giving value to others, you, in return, become more valued. Here is a short video on the Law of Cause and Effect to see how it impacts your business.

See how you can achieve success by following proven methods used by others throughout the centuries. Don’t be one of the 50%ers failing within the first 5 years... Click here to know how easily your business can thrive without compromising your goals or values.

That’s it for this series of the collection of stories that I wrote a few years back. Hop you enjoyed. And as always, would love your support.

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