Seth Saunders Leadership

Join the I Quit Movement

I Quit!

That’s right, I quit, and here’s why.

Because…

  • True happiness is worth it
  • Anxiety, depression, feeling alone are real but won’t control me
  • Doing hard things will always be required
  • Family must come first
  • Internal peace is more important than worldly recognition
  • Talent and skill should define us not what others say
  • Ethics and values can never be compromised
  • Finding the good in others helps your own outlook
  • Service must replace selfishness
  • Good friends are a must have
  • Time is precious and must be used wisely

That is why I Quit. I quit comparing my life with others. I quit allwoing trials to define me. I quit thinking about what could have been. I quit waiting for others to see my value. I quit judging others. I quit being a victim of my circumstances. I quit using social media as a crutch to blame my mental health challenges. I quit feeling/thinking this world would be better off without me. I quit hurting myself whether it be physically, mentally or spiritually.

It can be so easy to fall into the trap of negativity, self-pity and even depression when life is not going how you planned. The tornado of frustration can take us to dark places which will influence almost all aspects of our life. When this happens the statement misery loves company becomes all too real. There is only one way to turn things around and that is to make a decision to change then take the action to quit what has led you down that unhappy path.

In all honesty, this change may need to include mental health professionals. Let me state this as clearly as I can, it is okay to get help, it can be necessary. We are human and as such we can often be our greatest roadblock to change. This is especially true when it comes to our mental health. There is absolutely nothing wrong asking for help. With help comes hope.

We were not put on this earth to live an unhappy and unfulfilling life. I believe we were sent to be happy. I believe that our strengths were given to us in order to help others. I believe we all will need help. I also believe that we become happy when we focus on loving ourselves, learning, loving others, developing our strengths, serving, believing and caring. Those are hard to do when we allow tough times take over our life and use our weaknesses as our default.

Being happy should be a habit we instill in our lives. Being happy is truly a strength. We deserve to have peace, joy and hope. You and I have great value on this earth. This value is to family, friends, pets, teachers, colleagues, teammates, roommates, etc. Never underestimate the strength that comes from your ability to change your life.

Always know that you matter and people care.

We’ve Got This,

Seth

Seth Saunders Inspirational, Leadership, Learning

The difference between excuse and execute

What is the difference between excuse and execute?

execute No Excuses

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There has been so much written, researched and presented about what makes a great leader. There will continue to be a focus on this important topic as great leaders will continue to be needed in all areas.

My focus for this post is one of the main concepts that I have seen and experienced when it comes to leading. There is no question that those leaders who stand out are the ones that not on achieve results but often exceed expectations. This is often a direct result of being accountable and taking action or in other words it they clearly understand the difference between excuse and execute.

To make a quick and simple comparison between these two words let’s take a look at their general definition:

Excuse is an attempt to lessen the blame attaching to (a fault or offense); seek to defend or justify.

Execute is the carrying out or putting into effect of a plan, order, or course of action.

After reviewing these two definitions it hopefully starts to become quite obvious what makes a great leader. They are the ones that focus on execution and not excuses. They are the ones that realize that nothing happens until a plan is decided upon and action is taken. When challenges present themselves, they don’t look for a way out but rather they look for a way to overcome and press forward. This is not always easy but it is worth it to achieve success.

I have mentioned many times that leaders come in many shapes and sizes. To be a leader you do not need some corporate title but rather the ability to set an example, influence others and get positive results. This comes from eliminating excuses and focusing on execution.

I want to share an incredible example of this with the man called The Iron Cowboy aka James Lawrence. If you have not heard about him, you will. Let me share with you why.iron cowboy.JPG

James is a goal driven individual who is focused on execution while eliminating excuses, no matter how easy it might be to have legitimate reasons to quite.

The Iron Cowboy accomplished something that has never been done before; he completed 50 Ironman Triathlons in 50 consecutive days in 50 states. You read that correctly, he traveled to every state and completed an Ironman Triathlon. What is an Ironman Triathlon?

You start by swimming 2.4 miles, then you bike 112 miles and finish by running a full marathon, 26.2 miles. Not sure about you but I am tired just reading that. So he did this 50 times which means he swam a total of 120 miles, biked a total of 5,600 miles and ran 1,310 miles, not to mention the fact that he was traveling to every state. Now you can clearly see that if there was anyone who might have a legitimate reason to find excuses not to finish, it would be The Iron Cowboy. However, he was 100% focused on execution of his plan.

In speaking with James about his experience completing this monumental goal he would mention that quitting was never an option. He had set a goal and was going to accomplish it no matter what. His focus was on the overall impact that what he was doing would have on others, not necessarily himself.

Were their legitimate reasons or excuses that he could have used to stop, you decide:

  • He averaged around 4 to 5 hours of sleep a nightexcuses
  • In some of the states he had to accomplish all 3 components of the triathlon in a gym due to weather
  • He feel asleep on his bike and wrecked
  • His feet were often torn up and bloody
  • He had flat tires
  • He was stopped by the police

resultsYou can clearly see that most people would have allowed any one of these cause them to stop but James did not. He was focused on execution. He knew that what he was doing was helping to inspire others in so many different ways. I love hearing him talk about how there was almost a reciprocal motivation happening with each race. He was inspiring others to come out and not only support him but join him and as people came out, he was motivated to keep going.

I have learned so much from watching and talking with James and IJames. I have seen first hand how his ability to maintain focus on execution instead of finding excuses makes all the difference in the world. Amazing things can happen when we commit to our goals which is just one reason James is not just a great leader but what I would call a Hero Leader.

His continued focus on execution is evident as he continues to inspire others every day. He will be the first to tell you that there is no such thing as a good excuse, it is still an excuse. He will then say something to the effect of, set a goal and then do whatever it takes to achieve that goal, otherwise, execute.

If you would like to learn more about James “The Iron Cowboy” Lawrence, check out the links below.

I am honored to call him a friend and a great example of a Hero Leader.

Thanks James for being a

hero [Converted]

Links

http://www.ironcowboy.co/story/

http://www.success.com/article/the-most-enduring-man-in-the-world

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/12/28/triathlete-completes-50-straight-ironman-races.html

http://www.esquire.com/sports/a40363/the-iron-man-james-lawrence/

Seth Saunders Inspirational, Learning, Value

Give Thanks Invitation

 

What is one of the mpbs-givethanksost awesome, powerful and rewarding gifts you could give someone? Simple, gratitude.

That’s right, giving thanks is something that can turns someone’s day around, it can make brighten the spirit of someone, it can be an answer to a prayer, it can literally change a life.

See when you give thanks, I mean a heartfelt, genuine and thoughtful gratitude to someone, you are giving something that money cannot buy. You are allowing yourself to connect with that person in a very special way. You are opening up an opportunity for that person a window to hope.

During this week of Thanksgiving it can become easy and almost repetitious to show our love and gratitude for family and friends which is awesome. However, I want to invite you to do something a little different this year. your invited

Take some quite time to ponder or mediate about those outside your everyday circle. Maybe its an old classmate or co-worker, maybe its a neighbor, maybe’s a teacher, coach or church leader, maybe it is a family member who you have not had much communication with for a while.

As you think about them, think about how you might show your gratitude to them. In many cases it will be an email, text or phone call. No matter what the form of communication might be, jot down what you feel impressed to share with them.

Now, go ahead and reach out to them. Share with them your heartfelt gratitude and be specific. Let them not only hear your words but feel them. The truth is, you may be an answer to their prayers or even the prayers of that persons family and friends. As you do this, there will be a warmth and peace that comes upon you. You won’t get worldly recognition but more importantly, you will receive internal and personal confirmation of your own goodness. Interesting, one more thing to be thankful for.

Leaders, the best leaders know how to give thanks. They know that without the support and efforts of others, they would not be successful. Ironically, heroes receive tons of thanks and gratitude but more often than not feel uncomfortable with the publicity. Yet, if you listen to them they give thanks for things like, being prepared, being at the right place at the right time, being raised with strong values, having faith in a higher power, etc. It seems they are never at a loss for showing their gratitude. We can all learn from true heroes and great leaders but showing our real gratitude.

lighten the load

 

I hope you will join me during this time of Thanksgiving and lighten the load of someone by giving your thanks and gratitude to them.