Identify
What’s Most Important and Honor It
by Rick Weaver
After
10 years of working in the hotel industry as a sales professional,
I woke up one morning and wondered what my life would stand for
when it was over. As Director of Sales for a really great hotel
in downtown San Francisco, I was relatively happy - but something
was missing.
I
had the opportunity to sit in a seminar offered by my company
for its managers entitled "Value Based Leadership".
In this seminar, we were asked to identify our values and goals;
make sure they are in alignment with each other and then act
upon them. I had done this type of work on many occasions and
am always happy to take a moment out of my busy life to re-assess
where I am in my growth process. I was quite surprised however,
to find that when I turned the page to the chart where we were
to list our goals, I listed the following as Goal #1: Improve
my quality of life. Make more money, get a better job, build
a nicer home, secure the perfect life partner, etc. had always
been the types of goals that I had listed in these exercises
previously. It was clear these things were no longer going to
be my panacea – they were just a means to an end.
I
tossed and turned all night after the seminar and then went to
work the next morning in a bad mood. I was lethargic, depressed
and in general a grouch. I called my staff into my office about
9am to let them know that I was in a bad mood and to please bear
with me. I made it clear though that it had nothing to do with
them – they were doing a great job and to keep up the good
work. For another hour I sat at my desk, stared at the wall and
shuffled papers - have you ever done that?
Exactly
one hour later at 10am, I sat straight up in my chair and the
words came out of my mouth, "It’s Over!" I got
on the phone and called my best friend in Nashville and said, "I
want to come home and I want to come home now!" He said, "Then
pack your bags". I hung up from him, walked into my General
Managers office and resigned. I haven’t looked back since.
I
have always wanted to pursue my dream to build a career for myself
in personal development training. So I left San Francisco, moved
back to Nashville and started my own training and development
firm. Walking through the fear has been a certain challenge,
but one filled with great joy and happiness.
Balancing
my personal and professional life has been no easy task. Managing
the demands of family, work and friends seems to be never ending.
It was clear that when I took the time to identify what was most
important in my life (improving my quality of life) …I had
to honor it, lift it up and validate it! If you are like I am,
I had to get back to basics and break it down into three easy
steps:
-
Who
am I?
-
What
do I want my life to stand for?
-
How
do I get there?
When
I honestly asked these questions and walked through the fear
of the potential answers, I began the process of breaking down
the barriers that have kept me at unrest in my life. Balance
can provide the respite most of us seek. As with any principle
though, one of the most powerful witnesses of its reality is
the consequence of living with its opposite – imbalance.
One of the definitions for balance in the Webster’s New
World Dictionary is "equality of debits and credits…" When
I find myself focusing on sure and strong credits (honoring)
of the important things in my life, I always find the inner peace
and balance that I continue to search for.
Several
years ago I heard Stephen Covey say in one of his Seven Habits
workshops, "I have never met a man who on his deathbed
said, "I should have spent more time at the office." I
knew then that my life had to be about more than my checking
account balance or the title on my business card. A dear friend
once said "Meaningful work brings balance into ones life." Improving
my quality of life begins by sharing with others the things I
do that result in peace and joy. With that in mind, do YOU know
what is most important in your life and do YOU honor it?
Rick Weaver
Chief Inspiration Officer
Lifeteacher.com
111-32 76th Avenue, # 7E
New York, NY 11375
(718) 544-4851 direct
(917) 591-1351 fax
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