Most of the time our thoughts are on auto-pilot. But what would happen if you deliberately sat down at the controls, grabbed the steering wheel and flipped auto-pilot into the “Disengage” position?
“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he…” is a line written by King Solomon, who is said to be the wisest man to ever walk the earth. You could also listen to the slightly more contemporary Earl Nightingale who said, “You become what you think about.”
Our thoughts have the amazing power to determine our actions. But what if you are thinking about yourself, or a version of yourself, that does not yet exist?
Do you think a world class Olympic athlete ever became such without first thinking about becoming one? What about an amazing businesswoman, a world renowned chef, or a famous architect?
In each of these categories (and people in any other category for that matter) individuals spent years envisioning what they wanted to become. They dreamed of becoming the best at what they loved. And it was those thoughts that helped determine their actions, and those actions ultimately led to who they became.
You are no different. If you are not who or where you want to be right now, do not let that discourage you. Start using the amazing power of your mind, think hard about who you ultimately want to become and what you want to accomplish. Write it down and read it out loud daily. Let yourself begin to envision what the new “you” looks like. Do that consistently for 30 days, and I guarantee you will witness a profound change for the better!
Last Monday I would have chain-smoked all day long…if I were a smoker. It was so intense and I was so distracted that I kept doing stupid stuff, like walking out of my gym (which requires a key card to get in) without my keys. I had to bang on the door until someone heard it and let me back in. My wife, Nicole, had a very similar day. Hers probably got downright dangerous, because being an artist, she’s typically pretty scatterbrained. (Don’t you dare tell her I said that!)
All we could do is think and pray for my family in Houston, as hour by hour, the water
Water in their street (which does not normally flood) was waste deep.
crept closer to their house. That morning we had offered to rush down with the truck and our largest enclosed trailer, but within a couple of hours they were completely inaccessible and we would have probably ended up being one more stranded vehicle on a flooded highway. So, from 9 and a half hours away, we waited, worried and prayed.
As I was leaving the house that evening for Cub Scouts with our son, Thatcher, Nicole showed me a picture taken from my parent’s front porch of a rescue boat driving down their street to take a pregnant lady to safety. Looking down at the ground, I could clearly see the water line. It was six feet from their front door. And the rain just kept falling.
I can’t remember a day when I prayed that much, but I’m pretty ashamed of myself. Why? Because I allowed my prayers to be limited by what I thought was possible. “Lord, please keep the water out of their house and keep them safe.”
“Oh, ye of little faith.” Yep, that was me.
The next morning, as soon as I woke up I texted my mom.
“Mom, what is the water level?!” My heart was racing as I waited for her response, fearing the worst.
“All of the water is gone!” she said.
Even though it rained off and on all night, by morning it was all gone. When I asked my mom how that happened, she said, “I have no idea! To me it was a miracle.”
“All of the water is gone!” I hollered upstairs to Nicole and the kids as my eyes teared up. She sent me a picture, and the same street that had a boat in it last night did not even have a puddle.
“Thank you so much, Lord.” I thought to myself repeatedly. I sure wish I had prayed for all of the water to miraculously disappear. But I just didn’t think it was possible. In retrospect, this reminded me of a powerful principle I live by….typically. Here it is:
In any given situation or pursuit, first decide what is ideal with a deliberate disregard for what is or is not possible. Once you decide what that is, go for it! If you are doggedly persistent, you will watch as paths form around obstacles that before seemed completely insurmountable.
The first meeting I had when pursuing the idea of a recycling facility for Watered Gardens Gospel Rescue Mission (which would provide work for the homeless and funding for the ministry) was with a lady who had worked for the government in the recycling industry for almost 20 years. She has been an invaluable resource along the way. My initial objective was to focus on electronics recycling, but as she listed government regulation after government regulation related to that industry, my heart fell. It would cost a fortune and take ages!
I left the meeting despondent, but as in similar circumstances with other businesses I have started, I don’t give up. I simply re-route. In my mind, I have a set of shelves (I literally see them when I do this) and I took electronics recycling in my hand as if it was an object, and set it on the shelf. If something gets put on the shelf, it means that it is a good idea, but the timing is not right.
We did get the recycling facility going via a far less complicated and expensive
This is just some of the people who are put to work on a daily basis in the recycling facility.
road. I then decided to take electronics recycling off the shelf and see if its time had come.
I made a call to my local recycling expert to find the most reputable electronics recycling company in our region.
“That would be ESCO,” Mary Anne said. “They are based out of Rogers, Arkansas. The owner is really nice and honest and I bet they would be willing to answer your questions.”
The day after I talked to the receptionist at ESCO, a great guy named Adam gave me a call. I told him what we were doing and said I was wanting to learn more about the world of electronics recycling.
This is Adam from ESCO, giving Gregg and me a lesson in the sorting process of e-recycling.
He volunteered to come to Joplin and while here, gave us some basic instructions, then extended an invitation for my good friend Gregg (who runs the Worth Shop where this takes place, and my fellow co-conspirator throughout this process) and me to tour their facility.
I was pretty excited about the tour, but more excited about the possibilities. When I was alone, I would think and allow my mind to dwell on the ideal. I didn’t waste a thought on what was likely, what obstacles there were, or what was possible. To put it another way, I allowed myself to DREAM.
When we arrived at their facility, it was enormous! We had to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) to tour their 275,000 square foot facility. I’d love to tell you all about it, but, well…the NDA had me give them a picture of Nicole, so I’m pretty sure she would go missing if I did. 😉
At the end of the tour, he took us into the conference room and the three of us sat down. It was obvious he had something on his mind.
“We do not deal with individuals,” Adam said. “When we receive and send shipments, it is by the semi-load. Our biggest client is WalMart, and we do not have time for small accounts.”
I was not sure where he was going with this, but it wasn’t looking good.
“But I have been talking with the owner, and we LOVE what you guys are doing at Watered Gardens! What can we do to help you succeed?”
This is exactly the possibility I had considered. No, this was the exact possibility that I had allowed myself to dream. And I knew EXACTLY what to ask for.
“If there is any way that we can be legally placed under your umbrella of legitimacy, along with all of your certifications, accreditation, etc., that would be ideal. That would allow us to confidently approach businesses and the community, so they will know that their computers and electronics will be properly handled,” I explained.
“We will draw up the legal paperwork and send it to you,” Adam responded, as if it wasn’t a big deal at all. But to us, it was HUGE!
This sweet young lady is breaking down a printer received from The City of Diamond, MO. Even though she ended up covered in ink, she kept on going because she was having a blast!
Two weeks later, the paperwork arrived, and with the time it took to write one’s name, every single obstacle that made opening a legitimate electronics recycling facility impossible was decimated.
Since then, we have picked up computers from a Fortune 500 company, small businesses, and even, get this…government agencies.
Don’t waste your time, my friend, worrying about what is possible. Let your mind go to that place where your heart comes alive; where there is no limit to what you can accomplish. Let yourself DREAM! And then pursue that dream with everything you have.
deliberately sat down at the controls, grabbed the steering wheel and flipped auto-pilot into the “Disengage” position?
In each of these categories (and people in any other category for that matter) individuals spent years envisioning what they wanted to become. They dreamed of becoming the best at what they loved. And it was those thoughts that helped determine their actions, and those actions ultimately led to who they became.
By Brian Phillips 