“It is much harder to hope than to remember,” is a thought I have to remind myself of as often as possible. While navigating my daily life, it is apparent to me that I have a tendency to dwell on my past experiences.

I love thinking about decisive moments in my life, such as graduation ceremonies, a job well done, corresponding promotions, winning a championship game, the birth of my children, and the day I reacquainted with the true love of my life.

We all have these types of beautiful memories. What about the not so wonderful, which include bad decisions that hinder us?

If I let myself dwell on these memories, I find myself doubting my next move, second-guessing myself, and sometimes abandoning my ambitions altogether. We all have our self-doubt moments, so how do we put them “in their place,” so to speak?

When left to our own devices, our doubting self and lingering questions, can hinder us and sometimes blind us if we allow it. Success is rarely guaranteed, but growth will always be pertinent.

When we make a conscious decision to grow, we often make hard decisions that puts us in an uncomfortable place. This is challenging, yet rewarding, regardless of whether we achieve our desired outcomes or not. We learn from our mistakes in the process. From my experience, positivity becomes evident if we look at it this way. 

As we strive to achieve our goals, roadblocks and obstacles will always show up. Some will be easily overcome, while others may take a significant amount of effort and many attempts to achieve the desired outcome. A conscious decision to push forward and refuse to give up is the difference between getting a win or accepting defeat.

The situation is not always so black and white. Sometimes we have clearly outlined  win and loss columns, but the grey areas in between are our growing points. These are undefined places that are somewhat intangible. 

The bottom line is never to consider expended energy as wasted, but as energy well spent. Keep your hopes up. Keep your eyes on the prize and your goals. You will achieve and be successful if you are able to recognize your mistakes without dwelling on them. Instead, cultivate an ability to change because of them. Use your tact and creativity to be a problem solver. Give yourselves the “attaboy” or “attagirl,” relish in your success, learn from our mistakes no matter how large or minuscule, then keep it moving in the right direction.

Live as a “Genshai Warrior” – Never treat another in a manner which makes them feel small, including yourself. This is when we step into excellence and own our success. After all, we cannot give away what we do not have, and we all have this excellence ready and waiting inside each of us. Ready to be shared. Be blessed and have a tremendous day!

Robert W. Payne will release his book “Chaos Agent” (working title) in early 2019. He grew up mostly in Bolingbrook, Illinois (south of Chicago) and is an agent of change based on his life experiences. He is a member of the Genshai team – a word meaning, “Never treat another person in a manner which makes them feel small, including yourself.” 

Genshai is an ancient word that means “Never treat another person in a manner that would make them feel small – including yourself.”

You are the gift. You are the meaning in your life, and an element of that meaning in the lives of many others. So often too many of us feel selfish if we focus on ourselves or we are simply too hard on ourselves for a choice or decision we have made. Let that history be exactly that… history. 

Your present moment is to allow yourself the belief that you are good, beautiful, loving, kind, generous, and sometimes just fierce – for showing up to fight for  goodness in our world. Be real and raw. Let go of facades. Ask someone for help. Drop your pride or ego. Step into your own excellence. The royalty in your life is giving these gifts to yourself.

This is real authenticity. These traits are what make you look in the mirror and say, “I can do this” or “I have this.”  “This” is belief followed by action.

Some days you may feel a mess and be a mess. No worries. Genshai Warriors overcome. You are never alone, yet you must always show up alone. Bring your confidence, and the courage of your convictions. Live it up! See yourself and see other people. Make your mission to embrace the gift of YOU. 

When you are a Genshai Warrior you are part of a powerful energy. It’s a  connection regardless of geography, culture, creed or history. It’s the creation of a new world; one we prefer and choose to live in. It’s our new frontier. 

Throughout the ages, humanity has experienced changes and shifts. How we choose to show up each day depends on our awareness and choice. The word Genshai is a word that awakens us. It reminds us to check in with ourselves and do our best to correct what is wrong within ourselves. It reminds us to do our best to fight outside forces that can seize us if we’re not properly equipped to release its grip. 

Living, giving and mastering Genshai is possible together and as an individual – in a co-created world. To explain these three elements further:

You begin with giving to yourself first because you cannot give what you do not have.

Next, you implement by living, meaning you embody the meaning of Genshai in your everyday interactions with others and with yourself.

Then, you practice mastering each day, which leads to you realizing excellence. A master never stops learning, and once we learn, we want to give back, which takes us back to the beginning of the cycle.

Who have you told they have meaning in your life? If you have not done so lately, do it now, this minute.  The outcome will:

Create a wave – who is your water?

Stir an ember – who is your fire?

Draw a breath – who is your wind?

Ground you in excellence – who is your earth?

Elevate grace? – Who is your spirit?

Earth- grounding: Your Genshai Earth Warriors bring you stability through practical advice, acceptance and reliability. They escort you through life’s changes.

Water – flowing: Your Genshai Water Warriors connect you to the ebb and flow of the experiences in your heart. They help you relate to others and exemplify compassion.

Fire – ignite: Your Genshai Fire Warriors challenge you to be passionate about how you show up in the world and serve as a light within it. They kindle your possibilities.

Wind – freedom: Your Genshai Wind Warriors liberate your thoughts and ideas and give them flight. They lift you and breathe into your dreams. 

Spirit – grace: Your Genshai Spirit Warriors elevate your awareness of the nature and goodness of humanity. They bring out the divine in your soul.

Kristin Andress is the CEO of Andress Strategy Consulting, a California-based firm that enables entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and corporations to maximize their capacity. She is the co-author of the bestselling book “Imagine Being In a Life You Love.”

 

As we show up every day in our leadership roles as supervisors, fathers or elders, we have labels that identify our natural role. What true leadership means to me goes deeper than just our responsible or identifiable roles. 

It speaks to our personal integrity – “what we do when no one is looking”.  This is the next right thing. It’s leading through example.

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Our reflection of self happens when we engage a fellow shopper at the grocery store. It is how we react to other commuters on the bus, subway, train or in the car. It is the “Thank you” while engaging eye to eye with a smile. It is the holding of a door, the offer to help someone with their groceries or assisting with a walk across the street.

Most importantly and with practice, these actions become a part of our identifiable character. All of this is felt and seen by our youth. Remember, the youth are sponges and absorb all. Whether we realize it or do not, they take in the negative or positive. 

I prefer to engage people, especially younger people, with an attitude of gratitude. I talk to them as my equal. I do not dumb down, but I choose to let them ask questions and create an understanding. 

Words make a difference and when they lift their eyes from the phone or device and listen and observe. What I find is they are extremely receptive to a challenge. I challenge them to grow and better their vocabulary, their conversational skills, and most importantly, how they represent themselves as they use the everyday tools to thrive and be successful. The simple stretching of vocabulary and integrating meaningful words excites the young mind. They surprise themselves with their own growth. In turn, it has a direct effect on we who are “older” and perhaps more knowledgeable, the leaders who take this leadership role to heart. We grow within ourselves as we witness young people growing.

We must make this awareness and behaviors a part of everyday interaction. There is no turning off after a rough day. No excuses for poor behavior. Let us all identify our own shortcomings and possibilities. After all, we all are works in progress. Let us shape new generations, new leaders as an example of challenging ourselves, as well as challenging them. Our future leaders will thank us and keep us all moving in the right direction. Let us all step into our excellence and show up today and every day to follow.

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Robert W. Payne will release his book “Chaos Agent” (working title) in early 2019. He grew up in Bolingbrook, Illinois (south of Chicago) and is an agent of change based on his life experiences. He is a member of the Genshai team – a word that means, “Never treat another person in a manner which makes them feel small, including yourself.”