“Jimmy Carter.”
“Sorry. The answer was Richard Nixon.”
“Jimmy Carter.”
“Sorry. The answer was Ronald Reagan.”
“Jimmy Carter.”
“The answer was the Canary Islands.”
“Jimmy Carter.”
“The answer was the 4-minute mile.”
“Jimmy Carter.”
“The answer was the New York Yankees.”
Playing Trivial Pursuit used to be one of my favorite games during my late teens and early 20s.
After a friend of mine got an answer to a political question wrong, he decided to use it as an answer to any of the future political questions he didn’t have an answer for.
The first time he used it on a geography question, it was pretty funny.
The 20th time he used it on a sports question, it was pretty annoying.
I suggested we could play Scrabble instead, but they insisted they were having fun. While it was annoying when playing a game, it’s even worse when it’s your life.
Day 1: Get up. Get dressed. Go to work. Come home. Eat supper. Watch TV. Go to bed.
Day 2: Get up. Get dressed. Go to work. Come home. Eat supper. Watch TV. Go to bed.
Day 1,000: Get up. Get dressed. Go to work. Come home. Eat supper. Watch TV. Go to bed.
This was a pretty good representation of my life until March of 2012.
A few days after my 38th birthday, I got laid off from my job, and I went into a very dark place.
Some amazing people came into my life and helped break me free from my rut.
Einstein’s definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
My friend’s strategy for a game was insane.
My very life had turned into something very similar to that game.
I was repeating that same cycle, each day hoping that my efforts would pay off.
As long as I was running on that hamster wheel, no matter how hard I ran, I was going nowhere – just faster.
If what we are doing isn’t giving us the results we want, we need to do something different.
How different?
It could be something as simple as reading a book instead of watching Netflix.
It could be something as simple as meeting with someone for coffee after work.
It could be something as simple as going to the gym before work
It could be something as simple as enrolling in a course.
It could be something as simple as starting a side hustle.
The important part is making a change.
Jump off the hamster wheel, break the cycle, and be willing to change.
My name is John, and I’m thrilled to introduce myself
I am a dedicated husband to my wonderful wife and a proud father of two amazing children. In addition, I am blessed to be a loving papa to three adorable grandchildren. These roles bring immense joy and fulfillment to my life.
Two titles i identify by, that tend to grab attention: Leadership Advocate and Storyteller. These two titles are closely intertwined and warrant further explanation.
To me, being a leader means being an effective communicator. I firmly believe that storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to convey a message and connect with others. A good leader possesses the ability to inspire and motivate through the art of storytelling.