Positive Growth

We had a pleasant rain in the middle of the night. Not very hard. Just a touch of hail but it was minimal, and although it was a thunder and lightning storm, even that was very quiet. When I first went to the Azores, it only rained at night. I thought, “what a wonderful idea. How do they get the weather to cooperate like that?”

Actually, later, when I move there with my family, I learned I was just lucky the first time. This thought brings up another good question. How often do we see a rare occurrence when we are someplace new, and just think that that’s normal for the place we are? This is a fair question, which grows based on assumptions.  The question also works both ways. How often when visiting another area do we see something that’s normal for them, and consider the occurrence rare?

Both questions are based on what we know at the time. And, both thoughts could have right or wrong answers depending on whether or not we have all the facts. And to have all the information, we have to engage with others.

When you engage with others, you will open yourself up. When you open yourself up, you can share and learn, learning more and growing. Often this positive effort is hindered by fear.

When we open ourselves up, we have to trust in others. We fear they may think we are uneducated, unknowing, or nosy. What we may fail to understand is they probably have the same worries. Yet, if we are willing to take a chance, and they are also willing to take a chance, there could be a profound mutual benefit and positive growth on both sides.

I guess the question here is, do we want to live a negative life of fear, or a positive life of engagement? I think only our egos know for sure.  Yet I can speak from experience, there usually is more positive than negative in life if you look for it.

Have a positive day.

Author: Mike Balof

A retired Air Force Master Sergeant, Mike used to lay in bed at night and worry about what would happen if his plant closed or found himself without a job. One day his plant closed. Rather than panic and hysteria (OK, maybe a little) Mike found himself carried away on the adventure of his life. Mike started with the best job he ever had working at Home Depot. He spent 8 years working with job seekers at a local workforce center, helping them to find employment. He then started his own company developing courses, writing books and urging others to follow their own paths into the future. Mike holds a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training and a Bachelor of Business Management, earned through the University of Phoenix and an AAS degree in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Mike is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society. View all posts by Mike Balof