Feeling comfortable with being uncomfortable...

Dear...

Ask a relatively big group of people: 'Is any opportunity without risks worthwhile pursuing?' and you probably can divide this group in two sub groups by their reactions and answers.

One sub group is more risk averse and would like to know what kind of risks we are talking about, their fear of failing is typically greater than the excitement of a possible win, life has made them more cautious and they have a tendency to take make safe choices.
The people in the other group are more risk takers and show more interest in what the possible winnings could be and their excitement of succeeding is typically bigger than their angst to fail. This last group has learned that the rewards are big when the risks are big and they typically see failure as just another attempt to get closer to success.

Most great opportunities, if not all, force us to leave our comfort zones. It is very likely that none of the people in either of the mentioned groups feel 100% ready for an important life opportunity. But when it comes to take these opportunities then: risk averse people need to have the feeling that they are prepared in all details before they come into action; risk takers on the other hand feel more comfortable with being uncomfortable and therefore, they step easier out of their comfort zone. Risk takers know that growth and success are just outside their comfort zone.

It perhaps does not surprise you that successful people are more found in the risk takers group.  The reason why someone belongs more in one group than the other is often related with the personal experiences they went through.  Successful people see their experiences less as failures and more as learnings.

Thomas Edison had more than 2000 'failures' before he finally succeeded inventing the lightbulb. When asked if he was ever discouraged by these failures, he answered: "No, I just had a 2000 step process to make the first lightbulb". John F. Kennedy said: “Nothing worthwhile has ever been accomplished with a guarantee of success.”

jeandorff@googlemail.com
facebook.com/jean.dorff
http://www.pinterest.com/jeandorff/inspiration/


"Be inspired and you shall inspire." ~ JD

Welcome to acceptance, a lesson for dancers and non-dancers

Dear...

A long time ago, or may be I should say a really long time ago, my partner and I were competing at a small regional dance competition. We didn't use this three letter acronym at the time since this was before the time of mobile phones, but my partner said: "OMG... I forgot my dance shoes". Now the most untactful question I could ask at a moment likes that was: "Didn't you check before we left the house?". So the tone of our comp was set and we went both pretty tensed on the floor.

Now the point is not that we still won the comp and that the couple whom we borrowed the shoes from came in second.  The point is that we've put unnecessary pressure on our dancing by things we had in our own hands: first we were not well prepared, secondly I added useless tension to our communication. This created more competition stress than needed.

You can manage "competition stress" better if you:

• Take care of the things you can control: like being on time, nutrition, sleep, clothes, routine and communication.
• Accept the things you can't control: like the floor, light, temperature, the music and the adjudicators.

You wonder, dancing is not so much different from real life, is it?

Enjoy yours and others' dancing

jeandorff@googlemail.com
facebook.com/jean.dorff

"Be inspired and you shall inspire." ~JD

Give up on your dreams and your dreams will give up on you

Dear...

What are your dreams? Do you still have any? What popped up in your mind when you read the first question? Are you someone who secretly thinks their dreams will never happen? Or are you someone who says dreaming is for when we are asleep? Or maybe you are one of the few who still dares to dream big?
Did you know that a vast majority either gave up on their dreams or have no dreams at all? A smaller group still have dreams, but deep in their heart don't really believe that they can be achieved. And only a few of us have a clear vision how to get to their dreams or are already living them. The people that belong to the last group are the game changers of the world. These are the people that don't give up on their dreams and achieve the impossible.

For example the Wright Brothers, they pursued with unstopable persistency their dreams until they were finally able to fly. Only a handful of people were witness of what was believed to be impossible.  History however showed something remarkable. Orville Wright said after his first flights: "No machine will ever fly from New York to Paris because no engine can run for four days without stopping". Today we fly in about 5 hours from New York to Paris. You see even the Wright brothers didn't dream big enough.


Do you still dare to dream big, to pursuit your dreams and to make the impossible possible?
Nelson Mandela said: "It always seems impossible until its done."


Respond to this post or drop me an email if you want to know more how to pursue your dreams.

"Be inspired and you shall inspire" ~JD