Walk The Line

I often find my motivation when and where I can find it. Whether that's a book, an article, a great speech or a great movie, I always find myself looking for something that I can take away and apply to my own life or share with others.

Last week I had the opportunity to go see Walk The Line the movie about Johnny Cash. I was anxious to see this movie as you may or may not know, Johnny Cash was my second cousin. Though I never met the man, he did say hello to me at a concert in Albuquerque when I was like seven. I think it was because of him that I always wanted to be a singer and one day have a crowd of thousands shout my name. How cool would that be?

Though the movie follows Johnny through much of his early life, the thing that impressed me the most was the way it portrayed him dealing with his demons. Johnny had major dependency on drugs and alcohol and his behavior was nothing short of self-destructive. I think the movie does an excellent job of showing just how close to the edge he really was and just how differently his life could have gone if he continued to make the choices he was making.

All of us have our demons. We all have something that has our number. Whether that's drugs, alcohol, sex, need for attention, whatever. We all have something that we have to keep in check otherwise it could and would consume us.

In the movie, June Carter (who eventually marries Johnny) tells him and some of his friends that he can't "walk the line" and that she is leaving the tour that they had been on together. I listen to the lyrics of the now famous song Walk The Line coupled with the message that the movie gives and for me it is very powerful and motivating.

One of my demons, as I can assure you I have many, is about self-doubt. Am I good enough? Why would people listen to me? I am not smart enough. I am not valuable enough to contribute anything. I am not going to be successful at this therefore I am going to fail.

These are the little sayings that go through my mind when the demons come to play. For me, it is easy to empathize with Johnny when he turns to drugs to ease his pain. Though I never did drugs, I can relate to finding ways to retreat from the demons...ways to ignore them. As with much of life, you can only ignore things for a little while before being faced with an important choice; you can either give up or face those demons head on.

As it was for Johnny, it is a daily struggle to keep my demons at bay. However, it becomes easier when you stay your course and walk the line. Go see the movie, I think you will like it and if you find something motivational out it you care to share, please drop me a line as I woudl love to hear it!

Ripple On My Friends!

Today's Receptionist is Tomorrow's ???

I often tell the story of when I was a sales rep and called on a local bank and the great lesson I learned. The bank's receptionist was a fantastic woman, always polite and cordial to anyone who entered the bank. She was without question the singled best first impression the bank could make on a new or returning customer.

For about two years or so, I religiously called on her and in turn her immediate boss, the VP of the bank. Every time I was in the bank I always took time to make a connection with the receptionist because she was so genuinely nice and I liked her. Unfortunately not every sales rep treated her the same way.

One two separate occasions I watched the sales rep from my competitor, who actually had the bank's business at the time, essentially treat her as a second class citizen. It was her responsibility to direct incoming patrons and vendors to the appropriate destination when they first entered the bank. Both times, this brash young sales rep treated her as if she was so unimportant, often interrupting her when she spoke and impatiently huffing and puffing as if the whole bank's business should stop the moment he walked in the door. He was a jerk to say the least.

I was always amazed at the grace and composure with which this young woman handled these interactions. She remained always polite and always drummed up a smile and bid the man a "good day" as he left the bank. Having to be nice to someone who treated her as poorly as he did had to just kill her but it never showed.

Then one day it happened. The VP of the bank announced his retirement. Over the course of the next six months, he would be personally overseeing the transition of the person to take his place, a person he thought could lead the bank by example. Guess who that person was?

Too often people fail to remember the ripples that they start today do return to them. That simple logic is true for the good, as well as the bad ripples. Needless to say, my competitor lost the business in very short order.

Everyone you interact with has the potential to be something other than they are today. Just as you should never prejudge someone when you meet them, you should never fail to treat everyone with the respect and consideration, you yourself would want.

Ripple On My Friends!