As many of you know, I consider myself a book junkie. Ever since I turned 35, I became a book store’s favorite visitor. My book shelf is jammed with volume after volume of sales and marketing texts … all underlined and dog eared.
From time to time, I grab a book off of my shelf and open to a page just to read what I underlined on that particular day at that particular moment.
On Saturday, I picked up Dr. De Angelis’ book titled “How Did I Get Here” and flipped randomly to page 21. There was a quote from Pema Chodron:
“The most precious opportunity presents itself when we come to a place where we think we can’t handle what is happening. It’s too much. It’s gone too far … There’s no way we can manipulate the situation to make ourselves come out looking good. No matter how hard we try, it just won’t work. Basically, life has just nailed us.”
Have you ever been “nailed?” I know I have, more than once.
If you are involved in sales in any way at any level, I think I might have just hit a tender chord, or worse yet, a nerve. Believe me. Hang on and you will find that “this too shall pass.
Sometimes we are the windshield and other times we are the bug.
That is just the way it is in this game of business… and in life in general I suppose. That goes for me … and that goes for you. And there lies the secret. Knowing that we are all in this together helps … at least a little.
When things go wrong, as they most certainly will, and you feel like quitting or giving up, just remember that if you are not being “nailed” today you will be getting “nailed’ soon. You can count on it.
Sometimes, we just get “nailed.”
The difference is that you and I will know that it is coming, and we will rebound, recover, and reposition ourselves back on the firing line. We will be getting ready to celebrate life as soon as the next opportunity presents itself. No surprise for us. Forewarned is forearmed.