week 111: embracing the gift of paradox
several things can be true at the same time
thank you to over 11,000 of you who read this weekly and share with your friends and family for behind the scenes on building a million a 5 million dollar business from scratch and beyond.
i also include a personal note in the end so i am grateful that you let me do that without judgement.
recently when i was talking to another CEO, it was apparent that we both were living in paradox.
for example:
there are a few red flags in the both of our businesses that are hard to overcome.
at the same time, there are very positive things happening worth celebrating.
literally on the same day, we would have a call with a customer who is very unhappy and the next hour we are talking to a very happy customer.
a team member could be totally frustrated and another doing the best work of their lives.
nothing seems to be a normal day or said another way, abnormal days become the way of business.
here is the biggest lesson i am learning:
living in paradox has forced me to stay calm in most difficult situations and suspend my reaction.
it’s an incredibly hard skill to master and i am far from it.
but when you know that day can change on a dime and your business is always fleeting, you become more even tempered with the highs and the lows.
you start finding good in every situation.
with a big win, you realize that is a high worth celebrating but not start resting.
with a big loss, you realize that is a low worth reflecting but not stop working.
on a personal note, even parenting is full of paradoxes.
we have a teenager and a 9 year old.
a boy and a girl.
an extrovert and slightly introvert.
a happy go lucky kid and a perfectionist kid.
but you know what, there is beauty is all of it.
my kids have helped me gain perspective.
my kids have helped me get better as a person in every way.
my kids have tested me and i had to overcome my own ego and still working on it.
once you realize that paradox is not negative, it changes how you view things in life altogether.
leader point: in life and in business, paradox is a gift that can expand your perspective.