One of the common characteristics that I have noticed is how people impose limits on what they can do with their life. I recall a time when, I heard family members say regularly “I’ll never be anything but a blue-collar worker”. I have heard people say they will never be in management or they can’t do something with their life. Everybody has opportunities that at some time or another will appear. When they have imposed limits on what they can accomplish, they let these opportunities pass by believing they’re not qualified. When it’s all boiled down the self-imposed limits are generally based on a fear of failure. People don’t have to worry about failing publicly if they take no risk. So they let opportunities pass them by, not even realizing the growth that they could experience.

                                                      
Recently an example was brought to my attention, where reaching out of your comfort zone brought success. My stepson, Mike Sebo plays cards every Friday with some friends from high school. One of these individuals is Michael McGill, Mike runs an IT department. Michael was talking about an individual that many years ago encouraged him to step beyond an hourly computer repair shop employee and reach without limits towards his future. As he described this individual, Mike Sebo realized he was talking about his stepdad. I remember with great fondness these conversations and how they ended, when he was no longer working at this computer repair shop. I was so disappointed in his departure, that this repair shop no longer had my business. This was over 10 years ago that I had conversations with Michael McGill and surely never expected to hear anything about the outcome.
 
Last week in a hotel room my stepson called me to let me know how these conversations inspired Michael McGill to move out of his comfort zone and live without limits. His success stands as a testimony to everyone around him including his family, that reaching for the future and working hard will bring positive results. The reason to talk about this experience I had is not to lift me up or sound important. It’s that taking the time to encourage and uplift those around you brings benefits far greater than money.
 
I encourage all of you to take the time to care about others and express hope for their futures. You may never hear about the result of those conversations however, many years later they still might have an impact on someone’s life. There is no greater joy than having conversations you had years ago, coming back to say that you made a difference. Live your life without limits and always lift up others around you, by doing that will always make a difference to you!
 
Sincerely,
Rob Gehring, President
Fixed Performance Inc.
rgehring@fixedperformance.com

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