Values and Change

Last time we talked about the importance of the right mindset to achieve success. We’re going to discuss two related ideas in this article.

Value Creation Proposition

The key concept behind the Value Creation Proposition is simple. It states that before you get opportunity you have to create value.

Wimpy, from the Popeye cartoons, always said, “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” Wimpy was ready to give you value if you gave him something of value first.

Folks with the entitlement mindset feel it’s your responsibility to give them the opportunity. Then, they will be in a position to create value for you. Their attitude is, “I’m not going to create any value unless you give me the opportunity first.”

Unfortunately, this attitude, or mindset, is pervasive in our society. It is why people want government to provide for them without having to do anything to earn that support.

Successful people say, “I’m going to see where I can create value first. Opportunities will come from my value creation.”

Brian Kurtz wrote an article called, “The Power of 100-0.” The idea is that you give without the expectation of any return. There seems to be balance in the universe and there is no way you can give more than you can get back.

There are “givers” and there are “takers”. Bill Alexander was a giver. He gave everything he had to his students, his fans and his friends. Bill even gave to those who we could call “takers”. Many people took advantage of Bill’s good nature. Yet, when we look at Bill’s life we see he got back a lot more than he gave. Perhaps there is a correlation — the more you give, the more you get back? Does not the Bible state, “Give and it will be given to you?” Case closed!

Change

The one thing that’s certain in our lives is change. How does mindset handle change? Some people handle change well, others not so well. Mindset makes the difference.

Most people react to change in different ways. Some fear it, some embrace it. Almost everyone resists it in one way or another. How can mindset bring bigger and better results to our lives in this environment of change?

The answer is to create a mindset that you’re going to make change into something good. You see, change is just change, it’s your response to change that makes it good or bad.

You need to create a mindset that turns negative experiences into positive capabilities. You may get blindsided by life. Change may catch you unprepared. Change may disrupt your life or throw you off balance. A mindset that:  accepts change as inevitable, and looks for the good in change, is productive.

For example, how many times have you looked back on a situation that, at the time, was a terrible experience? Upon reflection, you realize the experience had a positive effect on your life. Perhaps, that experience jolted you back onto the path from which you had wandered. In my own life, many experiences I first thought were bad turned out to have a positive effect on my life. Then, from the beginning, why not make the assumption that change is good? When something bad happens, why not ask, “What is this experience trying to tell me?” “What can I learn from what is happening right now?” “How will this experience benefit me.” O.K., it’s difficult. Sometimes events cloud our thinking. Developing this attitude toward change, though, can be rewarding and fulfilling.

What matters?

There is nothing outside of us that is either good or bad. It is how we meet other people, other situations and the kinds of change in the world that matters.

In our “You Can Paint” Master Class, we comment on a student’s work. Some students feel encouraged and empowered by our comments, while other students feel threatened by them. Our comments are our comments — they are what they are. It’s how students receive those comments that make all the difference. In the case of the first student, their paintings will improve and they will go on to become great artists. In the case of the second student, we can expect little progress. The only difference between the two students is mindset.

Summary

• Adopt the mindset that says, “I am 100% responsible for what happens in my life.”
• Give value first, before you expect opportunity. Think 100-0.
• Learn from change.

If you have developed these mindsets, you can expect great results for the rest of your life.