Saying it plainly, “It’s Time to Talk.”
As often is the case, many tend to reflect this time of year on what the last year has brought them and what they are looking to accomplish in the New Year. The idea of focusing our energies on one prevailing idea, concept or thought has been with us for some time and yet, I feel at this moment, an opportunity to not just identify one big idea to carry me through another year, but an entire decade!
I reflected on some of my previous “one word” commitments, like Resilience, Transformation, Perseverance, and realized that these pronouncements seemed to focus on me, not the people I seek to serve. While not a bad thing, I thought, maybe if I tweak my perspective just a bit, I could make my one word commitment more meaningful as a parent as well as my work as a trainer, author, speaker, perspective challenger and advocate for today’s students and young adults. This came to me during a personal conversation I recently shared and was enlightened that my answers to a specific question were nice, yet only serving of myself. I listened, sat back and realized I need to tweak a few things…maybe even change a habit.
As some of you know I have indeed lived the one-word commitments over the past decade. Yes, I’ve been resilient and transformed my life after divorce smacked me in the chin; I have persevered through choppy waters but again that’s about me. (Although I did those one-word commitments for the sake of my boys and myself)
As I’ve made the move to create and launch Talk Shop in 2019, I thought to myself, “Hey, wouldn’t it be great to have one concept that really got at the essence of what I am trying to accomplish. ” Well, as it sometimes happens, my ideas come to me while exercising, which is nice…but I don’t carry a notepad and pen and purposefully put my phone away while I work out. Thankfully I was able to recall it.
Born from an early winter’s workout “It’s Time To Talk” entered my frontal lobe and has become this decade’s focus for me.
Are we making a difference that matters? Are we tactfully and gracefully sharing live in person conversations? Are we seeing positive outcomes occur due to the decisions we make? Are answers we provide leading to improvement in the actual development of our children? Are the strategies we employ as parents, coaches, educators and anyone else working with today’s youth effective? Are they being evaluated with objectivity, and demonstrating with confidence that they are the correct strategies? Is the instruction we are supporting, implementing, developing the most meaningful and relevant instruction that is actually targeted on improving specific issues, or at least in readying today’s youth for new skill sets that truly matter?
Are we all modeling and supporting real and authentic relationships for our children?
Now more than ever the world needs more conversations and it’s time to talk!
But its more than just having the courage to have a difficult conversation with someone, its also about displaying patience and actually listening to one another. It’s absolutely amazing when we listen, when we actually pause; actively listen to truly understand someone else.
Today’s youth face a barrage of challenges vastly different than what I was exposed to in my youth….(dare I say the words, screen time?) It’s created a whole new existence but the fact remains, “Its time To Talk!”
Whether it is with our family at home, in our relationships, at work, with coaches, with teachers…we all need to get back to sharing more conversations. And oh yeah, did I mention anything about getting our children life ready? As in the need to have more clear, confident face-to-face conversations, such as a job interview?
Whenever I speak with today’s youth, or parents, I end each and every one of my public speaking engagements with a quote. It’s from the legendary Vince Lombardi. “In life you don’t get to decide your future, you get to decide your habits. It’s your habits that decide your future.”
It’s Time to Talk! Is my framework for the decade, I hope you will do the same to adjust your habits if need be.
I hope you give yourself an opportunity to adjust your habits not just this next year but to make a bigger commitment to those in your world. You deserve it, they deserve it, and those that you aim to serve, surely deserve it.
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