One Little Spark: One customer's response makes all the difference to one mom

So much of what we read these days is negative, with a capital NEGATIVE. Add in a presidential race and the negativity seems to escalate.

In hopes of offering something different, I wanted to share this with you. It is a story from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from Aisha Sultan.

In this story, you will see how one customer's response made all the difference in the world to a mom with a high-functioning autistic child. It gives us all something to think about and my hope is it encourages each of us to proactively look for ways to bring a little spark of encouragement to someone this weekend.

houston@figment-consulting.com

What others may say

There will always be those who find fault with what you do, how you do it, why you do it, and they will tell you how they would do it.

And that's the point. They aren't doing it.

If they aren't doing it, then what they say should not impact what you do.

Follow your dreams, stick with your plan, go after what you desire most, no matter what others may say.

houston@figment-consulting.com

When they go behind your back, what do you do?

You work diligently on a proposal for a new client in order to introduce them to a new market. Your research demonstrates what they can expect in returns, where they should go, even offering what they should say, and then you submit it.

You wait. Then, after a few weeks the response comes that "they can't afford you."

Fast forward a few weeks, and then you begin to see them put your plan into action.

What do you do?

You give. You give with gratitude.

You understand that you reap what you sow. And, by giving graciously with gratitude, you will reap rewards beyond measure.

This was my recommendation to a client of mine who faced this, and she has seen those rewards come far beyond what she believed possible. They didn't come from the potential client, however, they did come from the two other new clients she obtained by having the time to serve them.

In life we can either seek to take or we can search for ways to give. Choose give.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Keep moving forward

It worked for Walt Disney, Thomas Edison, Margaret Knight, Henry Ford, Melitta Bentz, Steve Jobs, Stephanie Kwolek, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Richard Branson, and countless others.

A simple yet profound principle called Keep Moving Forward, or perhaps you may know it as Persistence.

Whatever it is you are working on today, no matter the outcome, keep moving forward.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Staying positive when life feels negative

It goes much deeper than simply staying positive actually. Looking for the good, keeping thoughts positive, hoping for the best, will only get you so far.

There is a mental state that guides our thinking. And, either we allow circumstances and environment to determine how we think, or we ourselves decide what we will think.

Thoughts are continual. And, we can never not think. What we can do though is take time to think about what we think about, and determine to think differently.

We can discipline ourselves to focus on the truth of who we are, and what we can accomplish. By doing this, we begin to have a ruling mental state that is focused on what we want rather than what is, and what others say about us.

The only real limitations are the ones we place on ourselves. And, those limitations begin with thoughts.

Think deeper than positive.

houston@figment-consulting.com

What do you do with an idea?

You can run to it, or run away from it.

You can improve it, or dismiss it.

You can deny it, delay it, or try to deter it.

Or, you can allow it, grow it, and try to increase it.

You can fear it, or enjoy it.

You can hide it, or share it.

You can tear it down, or build it up.

What do you do with an idea?

It's really up to you. Remember though, another one is on its way. What will you do with it?

houston@figment-consulting.com