Business Building Tips I Learned
from Parenting
By Shane Clevenger
We are Adults now!! How did that happen, and how do we make it stop.
I was chatting with Jenn (my wife) the other day, and I got to thinking...Wow
we are parents! Jenn and I have a blast together, and we live life on our
terms. When I think of my dad, and how serious he used to be about providing,
and working, and being a father to us kids. It blows my mind that I'm in
the same situation as me. But I have learned a ton more from my kids, then
I think I will ever have a chance to teach them. Here are a few things
that come to mind:
1. Childs determination- Child is not afraid to fail. When they see
something they want they beg, fight, run, etc I have learned to do the
same thing by developing proper goal setting strategies�daily affirmations,
etc
2. You have to get used to getting puked on.- When you are in a position
of leadership you have to be able to handle folks coming to you and spewing
negative, and throwing up emotionally on you. When you are a parent it�s
amazing how you can get used to getting thrown up on. You have to be able
to stay calm, and make your baby feel good again. No matter how you feel
you have to clean them up, and comfort them, and send them back better
then when they come to you.
3. Children need, and want to be recognized for their acts, and accomplishments.
When they draw a picture they come to you to show you how well they did.
Same as with our team. They want recognition from a job well done. It all
goes back to the child within us, we want to make our parents (upline proud).
4. Kids are always smiling and giving encouragement- A mentor of mine
coined the phrase "You Deserve what you Send Out" I never gave this much
thought until this morning. I never really thought about how my mood, and
attitude effected those around me. I thought about my 9 month old, and
how this morning as I was trying to change his diaper was moving all around
(as babies do). I found myself getting annoyed at the fact that I was in
a hurry, and "I" needed to do this, and that. I could feel frustration
start to run through my body, and then I looked down!
And what did I see????
My son Kye was giving me the biggest smile I have ever seen. I started
to smile, and all the frustration that began within my body began to melt
away. Babies are a great example of giving nothing but pure love and joy.
My 3 year old is always there to give me a hug when I get home from work,
or the clap, and jump around the house when something good happens.
What has happened to this attitude in adults???
We get bogged down with life, and work, and business, and money, and
we lose site of our true happiness.
Dale Carnegie had a great story about how a dog...is one the only few
animals that didn't have to work. A chicken has to lay eggs, a cow gives
milk, etc.
But a dog just hangs out, and is our constant companion. Dogs don't
yell at you, and find fault in you. They are there for you no matter how
the day goes.
Isn't it true that if you smile at someone they smile? This may not
happen all the time, but your percentages are far greater then if you approach
them with a frown.
5. Kids haven�t heard the word no a million times.- Sometimes we have
folks who join us who have never been in sales, or networking, and have
to talk to people, they get bogged down with this word called �NO� We have
been brainwashed into believing that most wants are not only self serving
no-nos, but impossible. You were told no, bad, you don�t want that 16,000
times by age 4 and 80,000 times by age 10. So, you associate wants with
bad. Feel good about your wants. Don�t wish for it, yearn for it, long
for it, sigh for it, or feel discouraged about it. JUST FEEL GOOD ABOUT
YOUR WANTS.
6. Fighting- �Just focus on what your doing, and don�t worry about what
others are doing. Sometimes we have to deal with folks calling us names,
putting us down for trying to do better.. Kids are cruel and call other
kids names on the play ground. In our business, as we all know from the
message boards. Folks are often cruel in trying to get across that their
deal is the best, and your just sucks�. We need to have a tough skin, and
know where we are going in life to get past all the crap.
7. I had to learn to NOT do too much for my kids and sit back and let
them make mistakes, fall and learn from them. Sometimes it's easier to
do it all for them, but then you end up raising cripples, and lazy people.
So I had to learn to be there for them but let them take the initiative
to learn.
A leader in my church says �If you carry your kids, and never put them
down, they will never learn to walk� Same in our business. We have to learn
to be there for our team, but also allow them to develop into leaders.
8. Kids do what you do-not what you say!! You have to set the example,
and move on. If your stagnant your business will be stagnant.
9. Take time out for yourself�as parents and business leaders we need
time alone, or with our spouses away from the kids and the business.
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