“Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty.” – Doris Day
The First Sip
When Tammie Jo Shults graduated from school, she knew precisely what she wanted to do…
She wanted to fly planes.
So she did what she thought she was supposed to do.
She went to the US Navy and told them she wanted to attend aviation school to become a fighter pilot.
And do you know what a recruiter told her?
“Go find something girls can do.”
Another one told her that the military “doesn’t need women pilots.”
Someone else asked her to “send her brother” instead.
Most people would let hurtful statements like these drive them away, but not Tammie.
She believed she had the raw skill set needed to become a fighter pilot and wasn’t going to let preconceived notions hold her back from achieving her goals.
She spent years chasing her dream – ultimately speaking with seven different recruiters before finally being accepted into the Navy’s Aviation Officer Candidate School in 1985.
Within years she would go on to be one of the first female fighter pilots to serve in the US Navy.
And then in 2018, as a pilot for Southwest Airlines, she safely landed a plane after an engine exploded mid-air.
“I think everybody has adversity in their life. I saw it in my dad’s and my brother’s lives and so trying not to be offended is really a big step towards not being a victim,” Tammie said in a recent interview.
“I thought I can be offended and a victim or I can just listen and see if there’s something I could do here. It seems like the doors were shut then I realized, ‘no they’re not.’”
We live in a culture where it’s easy to get offended when someone says something or things don’t go our way…
But maybe we should all take a page out of Tammie’s book and just keep on pushing.
A “no” isn’t the end of the world…
Sometimes it’s just a speed bump or a redirect.
Adversity rears its ugly head over and over again.
But when it looks like the doors are shut… remember that things are not always as they seem.
1 Caffeinated Neurohack
Every fall when daylight saving time hits, it takes me a couple of weeks to adjust.
This year has been no different.
It starts getting dark so early here…
And if I’m not careful, I can catch myself yawning as the light fades in the late afternoon.
(I’m an early bird… so late afternoon might as well be evening 😂)
But with so much to do, I have to be mindful of keeping my energy level as high as possible.
And I want to share a helpful insight with you…just in case you find yourself in a similar situation.
Did you know that one of the most effective ways to increase your energy is to do something creative?
Drawing, writing, solving a puzzle… creative activities ignite the production of serotonin, endorphins, and dopamine, which keep you alert and focused.
Creative expression also enhances brain function and memory, so you’re more likely to perform at your best.
So next time you feel yourself slipping…step away from your desk and do something creative.
I think you’ll like the results.
Marketing Psychology Quick Hit
Have you ever had a child who simply refuses to get dressed in the morning?
…You need to get them out the door to go to school and all they want to do is flail around and throw a fit.
Well, you’ve likely tried a number of tactics to solve this persistent problem. And, like many parents, you eventually stumbled upon the one that works best.
Rather than telling your son to get dressed – which requires him to make a bunch of choices about what to wear – you give him two options.
Do you want to wear the blue shirt with trucks or the green shirt with dinosaurs?
And what does he do?
He grabs the blue shirt and gets dressed.
What’s that got to do with anything?
Well…there’s a sales lesson hidden in there…
Rather than requesting a prospect do something specific, narrow down the options and ask them to make a choice between two outcomes.
In other words, don’t tell a prospect: “I think you need this policy.”
Instead say: “Do you think Policy A or Policy B would be best for your family?”
It’s a simple shift in vernacular…but it works.
Do This First Thing Monday AM
November is a month where we’re often prompted to be thankful.
But I come from the school of thought where I believe thankfulness is a trait we should cultivate year-round.
Some of the most successful people I know have a little habit…
And it’s something I’ve adopted into my own routine.
I’ll grab a pen, open up my notebook, and write down a couple of things that I’m thankful for.
These can be small things, like my dog Yuki or a good book…
Or they can be big things, like my health or faith…
My question to you is pretty simple: What are YOU thankful for?
But don’t just think about it.
I want you to perform this exercise first thing Monday morning and actually write down your answers.
There’s something powerful about moving your hand and putting ink on paper that solidifies the emotion and makes it tangible.
And if you set aside a few moments to truly focus on this, I think you’ll find it to be a powerful catalyst for the rest of your week.
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Let’s talk soon,
Jeremiah
