I got a wakeup call this past week. It was harsh and direct. Painful, but needed.
But how can we change unless we know that we’re wrong?
How else are we forced to confront what we’ve been avoiding?
How else will we be the best if we’re not told that we’re the worst?
The last thing said to me during this wakeup call was this: “Now, can you kick your own butt?”
Since then, I haven’t dropped it. I’ll certainly never forget those words. I’ll remember how I felt. I’ll remember that moment of feeling hopeless, yet angry-determined. I’ll remember the look.
In a way, I want to celebrate that this wakeup call comes from someone who refuses to let me stay in the rut that I’ve been in. On the outside, I did my best to maintain a look of, “I know I deserve this. You are right.” I sat and stared right into their eyes. I tried to “take it like a man,” but when asked to speak, I did with as much confidence as I could muster through the shaking. But I’m going to become a better person because of this.
“Now, can [I] kick [my] own butt?”
I can, and I will. That afternoon, I analyzed myself and wrote down every flaw that came to mind. Then, to my surprise, a book on my bookshelf came to mind: Thinking for a Change by John C. Maxwell. Maxwell is known as an expert in leadership. He founded the INJOY Group, which is an organization that is dedicated to developing leaders and helping them become the best leaders they can be. You may have heard of him through leadership conferences (but it’s okay if you haven’t).
Thinking for a Change elaborates on one simple phrase: “To do well in life, we must first think well.” It goes on to show how thinking can truly transform your life. This phrase from Maxwell is one that all of us could spend some time with, one that has lots of power and truth behind it. In theory, thinking “well” can help us kick our own butts.
Has there been a time in your life when you’ve gone through something similar? Do you have a topic that you’d like to see covered? If so, leave it in the comments below.