Meet Me in My Dreams

"Every night you are my last thought before I slip into sweet dreams, 

where my only hope is you will be there to meet me."

Push Me, Push Me Real Good

“I can’t do it! I’m sorry, I just can’t do it.”

Those words flew out of my mouth as I stood 630 feet above the sprawling concrete jungle of Auckland. What the, pardon my French, did I just get myself into?

I was standing on the tallest building in the southern hemisphere, strapped into a harness, toes on the ledge, looking out at the beautiful bay, and being told to JUMP! You can imagine my hesitation but perhaps not the meltdown that ensued, which is all too conveniently captured on video.

It was a great idea to begin with.

Why not jump from the SkyTower? It was only 192 metres in 11 seconds. I got that. Oh wait, you mean that’s really 630 feet? EEK, I’m not feeling so sure about this anymore.

Here’s the thing about great ideas, they sound sane until it’s time to execute. That’s when you uncover all of the excuses that will prevent you from growth.

So I’m standing on the edge, having a fear induced breakdown and ready to walk away when the jump therapist (not sure of his official title), asks if I’d rather jump backwards. Hmmm, now there’s an idea.

So I pull myself together, psych up my psyche and position myself to not face the impending doom.

“1-2-3-JUMP!” And I did. And I screamed. And I ooed. And I aahed. And eleven seconds later I softly fell onto the land pad target.

AUCK-MAZE-LAND-ING!

As I collected my thoughts from the landing pad, I scolded myself for being hesitant, for having doubt, fear, and anxiety. So when the young guy who helped to unhook me asked if I wanted to go again (free of charge this time) of course I jumped at the chance.

Interesting Note: Sky Tower used their employees or patrons as advertising. If people weren’t jumping, there was no attention being drawn to their business. Seeing people use their product (jumping off the tower) was the best was to develop interest and draw new people to their doors. Take Note: How are you showcasing your product or business? How are you gaining new prospects attention through demonstration?

So here I went again. Up the 54 floors in the elevator, out to the ledge, all ready to jump facing forward this time.

“1-2-3-JUMP!” I didn’t.

“OK Stephanie, Let’s try this again. 1-2-3-JUMP!” I couldn’t.

“One more time, you have to let go. OK? 1-2-3-JUMP” I wouldn’t.

“Can I go backwards?” I asked sheepishly as the self-disappointment washed over me.

“Sure.”

I turned around, got set, “1-2-3-JUMP!” I went flying.

The thrill and wonder of the experience subsided as I landed and again I was frustrated with my inability to jump face forward. Why was going backwards so much easier?

That’s when the AHA of the whole experience hit me. When I was facing backwards, I didn’t have to let go and jump. Instead, I was more or less pushed off by the jump assistant. I didn’t jump. I wouldn’t jump. I couldn’t let go (control-freak). But I was fine with being pushed, being shoved into a free-fall where once I was in it, I was able to master it.

All I needed was someone to push me. Twice.

Who is pushing you?

Who is throwing you off the ledge?

Who is catapulting you into the future you are meant to have?

Who is pushing you even when you are facing something you’ve already conquered?

Fear is idea-crippling, experience-crushing, and success-stalling. Fear is the biggest self-inflicted inhibitor you will face. Fear is to be pushed, pushed real good, pushed all the way out until you free fall into your dreams.

I’m your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?

Check out more pictures of me at the Sky Tower!

Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, please visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the Michelle at Buy Gitomer via email at michelle@gitomer.com or by calling 704-333-1112.

Breaking Up Bubba

I love a man who wears pink.

So, this past Sunday, as I half-watched, half-listened, and half worked, out of the corner of my eye, Bubba Watson, stole a little piece of my heart.

And then when I started to stalk further into this man's story, he stole a little bit more.

He had six, second place PGA finishes and three Major championships.
And then it happened. He won one of the most prestigious sporting awards of all time - the Masters. As I watched him be adorned with the elusive green jacket, I watched his innocent face fill with emotion. And during his interview, he simply stated, "I never got this far in my dreams."

Isn't that ironic?
No. It is life.
Aren't the majority of our most precious accomplishments ones that we never dream of?

We hear it all the time.
And the Oscar goes to so-and-so.
"Oh thank you, I'd never dreamed I would standing here, blah blah blah."

People never dream and yet they accomplish some amazing successes. They break-up to the next level. Why?

I never dreamed I would be working for Jeffrey Gitomer, speaking at a level where people pay to hear what I have to say, and writing in an e-publication that has hundreds of thousands of readers. No, I never dreamed that. But it happened. So I conclude: dreams are useless. You don't need to dream big to break-up to the next level of success.

Here's what you DO need to break-up to the next level:

1. Talent. It's the raw and impressive talent that you have a sense of ownership over. You know what you excel at. The problem is that most people don't know what their limitations are. If you know you are not good at something, stop wasting your time. Instead, focus on where your talent is, the skills that make others take notice of you, and develop them. Bubba Watson has a golf-given skill. He can drive a ball 194 mph. And he has never had a professional golf lesson in his life. That's talent. Raw talent. What's yours?

2. Persistence. People who reach the next level of success, don't quit - they persist. They push, pull, and fight to continue to grow, to learn, to improve, to gauge, and to accomplish. They understand the short-term and the long-term and their place in that picture and they use persistence to break-up to the next level. They have a level of drive that others may classify as "nuts," (hello, Steve Jobs - thank you for ignoring the doubters, otherwise I would not be writing this on my MacBook Pro), and they don't care, they simply persist; beyond anything.

3. Hard work. Nothing happens until someone acts. Hard work is a common word; with which we all have our own definitions. What I see as hard work, you may not. Let me define "hard work" in my terms to you - working harder than anyone else to improve your own skill set to your personal best. Hard work doesn't necessarily mean being the first to work and the last to leave, it just means working smart and diligently to improve and get better, everyday.

4. Passion. It's a part of life. Passion is a major driver in success. If you don't love and feel a connection with what you are trying to break-up to, you'll never succeed. The person with the heart and passion is the person who will figure out a way to make it happen, because of their love. Love will always find a way, right? RIGHT!

Bubba Watson broke-up. He broke-up in a big way and yet he never got that far in his dreams. What are you breaking up to? Where are your talents, persistence, hard work, and passion leading you? I bet it's to nowhere you have ever dreamed of.

I’m your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?

Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, please visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email at hirestephanie@gitomer.com or by calling 704-333-1112.