Auto Repair Shop Owner's Daily Dose 46: What Can I Learn?

What Can I Learn by Rick White, President 180BIZ

Yesterday I talked about how we don't always understand why things work out the way that they do. Not right away. Sometimes we need the gift of time to see what something does for us. So, I'm going to do something a little bit different today. I want to share with you a video that I found yesterday posted to YouTube by a group called Sustainable Human. It's only two minutes long, but it's so well worth it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX0OARBqBp0

[Once upon a time there was a Chinese farmer who lost a horse. It ran away. And all the neighbors came around that evening and said, “That's too bad.” And he said, “Maybe.” The next day the horse came back and brought seven wild horses with it. And all the neighbors came around and said, “Why, that's great, isn't it?” And he said, “Maybe.” The next day his son was attempting to tame one of these horses and was riding it. He was thrown and broke his leg. And all the neighbors came round in the evening and said, “Well, that's too bad. Isn't it?” And the farmer said, “Maybe.”  And the next day the conscription officers came around looking for people for the army. And they rejected his son because he had a broken leg.  And all the neighbors came around that evening and said, “Isn't that wonderful?” And he said, “Maybe.” The whole process of nature is an integrated process of immense complexity. It is really impossible to tell whether anything that happens in it is good or bad. Because you never know what will be the consequences of the misfortune or you never know what will be the consequences of good fortune.]

How amazing is that? I found that video yesterday and it amazed me because it fits exactly into what I was feebly attempting to share with you yesterday. Sometimes the things we think are good end up being bad and sometimes the things that we think are bad at the moment end up being one of the biggest growth areas of our life or blessings of our life.

I think what you really need to do is in every moment instead of judging good or bad, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this? What can I do to grow?” Because you are getting stronger through this. You are getting better through this. You are more empowered and more confident in going through this. And it's so important for you to see that this is not “a bad thing”. This is “a thing.” And some of it is bad and some of it is good. That's what I want you to understand. Every one of your days is a mosaic. It's little moments that make up our day and it's the definition and focus that we give those moments that define whether it’s a good day or a bad day. You can have a bad fight with your spouse and that would be bad. But if significant growth comes out of it, then that's amazing. You could have an unhappy customer coming into your business and that's a bad thing. But through that, you show them how much you care and that's a good thing. You were able to plug a hole you didn’t know you had that's a good thing.

There is good and there is bad. It flips and flops all the time. So, stop defining good or bad. Step back and observe your life. Not through your eyes, but through a spectator’s eyes.  There are several ways to look at a situation.

Through first-person eyes. When I'm looking at things from the first person, that's through my eyes.

Through second person eyes. When I'm looking at things from the second person, I’m imagining myself in the other person's shoes and looking at the situation from their perspective to the best of my ability.

Through third-person eyes.  The third-person view is when I pull myself out and I'm looking at it as a spectator. That is such a powerful position to be in because it takes all the anxiety and emotions out of it. It allows you to watch what's going on like watching a movie.

Start thinking about what you can learn from this. Go into that third person in your mind. Go into the third-person perspective and watch the whole interplay. That's interesting because what happens is when you're in the first person, you will typically see only one or two options. That's it. If you go into the second person, you will probably see one or two different options. That will give you a possibility of up to four options.  We think linearly; an either/or mentality. However, when you go into that third-person perspective, that is where a multitude of other options show up that you could not see before. And it's amazing.  It’s one of the most powerful tools that I use as a coach. I use it to help see other options that they weren't aware of. I help them see past blind spots. That's a gift.

So, listen, stop defining your moments as good or bad or your days as good or bad. You will find that your energy level is higher. You will feel better at the end of the day. Start asking yourself, “What can I learn from this?” Let's face it. There will be some days that have one or two lessons and there will be some days that have 10 or 11 lessons. Just be a student and see it from a third-person perspective. That is your business tip for the day.

Have a great day. Go make some money and make a difference today. Take care. God bless.