Auto Repair Shop Owner's Daily Dose 16: What do Stars Have to Do With It?

What do stars have to do with it? by Rick White, President 180BIZ

Last night I was taking Lucky, my dog, outside. It was about 10:30 or 11 o'clock. I love the country and last night the stars were absolutely breathtaking. I have an app on my phone called star walk that helps me find constellations and planets. So, I found Ursa Major last night, the night before I saw Pluto, Saturn, and Mars all lined up together. It was awesome. But why am I telling you about this? Because this morning, around 4:30, when I took Lucky out, the sky was overcast with clouds and I found myself thinking there are no stars. A little voice inside of me said, “Yes, there are. You just can't see them.” Just because I can't see something doesn't mean it isn't there.

My message for today is about the power of perspective.  I didn’t see any stars, but I guarantee that the stars were there.  If I could have gotten above the clouds, I would have seen the stars. How much is this virus is like that in our lives?  Do you see only the virus? Happiness, joy, and deep gratitude for life itself is on the other side of those clouds.  We are letting it be that way. I get that this virus is a real thing and it's scary. I get that we must be careful and smart about it.  But I refuse to let this virus dictate what I believe is possible. I refuse to let this virus dictate what I see in my life.

You know, one of the things that is great about this is that life is slowing down. It gives you a chance to step back, reset, and decide on what's important. I talked the other day about whether it was about a bank account or impact and making a difference.  Everyone wants to make a difference.

This is the time where leaders are born.  They're born in the crucible of fire, that leaders don't come out when everything is going great. Leaders step up when they are in the fire. This is when somebody that is ordinary taps into something amazing inside that they never would have seen or felt if it wasn't for the crisis. And sometimes that crisis is external like this pandemic or sometimes it's losing a business. I've done that. Sometimes it's going through a divorce. I’ve done that.  Sometimes it's going through the loss of somebody close.  I’ve done that. When we get on the other side of this, you will realize just how much stronger you really are. The next time something comes up, you’ll be more confident.

When you go through something like this, it has the ability to change you. And it will change you. It's either going to make you bitter or it's going to make you better. If you see this as a problem, all you’ll stare at is the problem.  All you stare at is this virus. If you are willing to put your life, your values, your beliefs, your relationships on hold because of this virus, then it's going to make you bitter. It's going to make you afraid. It's going to make you live small.  It would be powerful if you would step back, acknowledge that this virus is a terrible thing, but not let it control you.

I will not let it control me. I will not make it my complete focus. I am going to look to the future. It's still going to get worse so be prepared for that.  But must recognize what do we need to do? Each morning go to the CDC website and see if any guidelines have changed.  If so, make the adjustment.  Then give yourself a pat on the back because you did it. You fought and are doing the very best that you can.  The other thing that I do is be the bright light. I am going to be there for other people. I am going to let them know that there is something on the other side of this and I can see it. Come follow me because that's what we've need right now.

We have a choice. We either decide to stare at this thing and put our lives on hold and just freak out for the next couple of months or we recognize that you have your loved ones around you. For me, I get to wake up with the most beautiful woman in the world every day. I have kids that are healthy, I have grandkids that are healthy. I talked to my three-year-old granddaughter this morning and she was amazing. I will choose to see the joy. Yes, I'm going to deal with the fallout from the situation. This is not blind optimism. This is a realistic optimism. I'm doing everything I can. I'm going to enjoy life today because of how bad would it be?

What if I spend the next two or three months worrying, and then I don't get the virus, but I get hit by a bus.  I just wasted the last two months of my life staring at and worrying about something that never happened. So, step back, look at what's around you. There is joy in your life right now. There is love in your life right now. There is laughter in your life right now. There is an opportunity in your life right now. But you're not going to see any of it if you're staring at the virus, staring at the weeds.  Make a conscious decision every day. This is not a decision you make once. This is a decision you make multiple times a day.  Decide to see the potential, the beauty, the joy of other people.

People are stepping up. People in New York at seven o'clock every night get out on their balconies and just start clapping and whooping it up for all the first responders that are out there risking their lives. And I must tell you something. My son is a cop in Boston. We pray every night for his safety and for the safety of his family. But I will not let it rule me.

So, I hope this has helped. The stars are still there. The joy, love, laughter, and opportunities are still there.  Tap into them. Do something about it. Move forward. Take control and do the best you can with what you have. That's all you're going to be measured by. Right? How we're going to be measured is what we did with what we had available. That's all there is.  If you're biblical, it's about the talents. The guy that got 10 talents made it 20, The guy that had 5 talents made it 10. And what did Jesus say? He said, “You did well, my good and faithful servant.” We don't all have the same impact. There are people like Joel Olsteen and other thought leaders that are going to have more of an impact. I've got my own little world and whoever's going to follow me, we're going to make it through.

So, I want you to step back.  See joy. If you have a problem, reach out to me, [email protected]. You can get me on Facebook messenger. You can call me. My cell number is (540) 830-2293. We're going to get through this together.

Now, this is your tip for today.  This is a great time to reset.  Take a step back on your business.  Are there people in your business that shouldn't be there? Think about that.  For the longest time in the auto repair industry, it has been so hard to get help because everybody's working. Well, guess what? Not everybody is working right now. You can change it up. You have an opportunity to make a difference in someone else's life. Give them an opportunity.

Please share this video if you found it helpful. If you didn't, let me know and tell me what I can do better, but be nice. So thank you very much. Share this video. Let's make this world a better place together. I'll see you tomorrow morning. God bless.