The year fly’s by; each day seems to disappear as if by magic. Our daily experiences add up to be life lessons, some good and a few unwelcome. It becomes easy to ‘bank on’ outcomes and then find fate has chosen to play a different game. One certainty is there is no certainty.
We should never count on situations following the same path as previously, and expectations can sometimes fall well short of anticipated results. This is why my preferred approach to life is one of day to day, each one a building block of happy outcomes.
I begin these thoughts with a personal message. Because, for some unexplainable reason, many customers have recently expressed concerns about how their lives are not running as expected. Of course, clear questions and open minded reasoning must be the way to discover why a U-turn has happened. For example, why a customer turns to a competitor. Or why a job has changed from heaven to hell. Why people are no longer loyal to a cause.
Humans do not like change! Even the slightest adjustment can be seen as a significant change; people like consistency, wanting to feel comfortable with the situation. An unexpected shock of change can affect even the most stable of people. And suspecting the change is permanent can cause feelings of uncertainty and discord.
For example, we travel to a diner and enjoy a brilliant meal, and the food is consistent. Soon friends and family are encouraged to travel and taste the delights. And one day, the floor-plan is altered, a key member of staff or the chef leaves. Suddenly, the eatery is no longer the same, and the reputation slips. Friends and family question one’s judgment, soon the diner is no longer flavour of the month.
And this idea applies to every aspect of life! Nothing, and I mean nothing, can stay the same or attain the same standards forever. One must continually strive to heighten standards or slip down the ratings. And setting high standards means constant effort to maintain and better the product. Not an easy task.
So, when I was asked by a long time customer why her situation had changed from happy to uneasy, and wondered if the change was her fault, or some karmic balance. I asked, ‘Is the company you work for still the same as a year ago?’ She replied, ‘No, the standards of customer care is far lower, and management does not truthfully care for my customers.’ I pushed further ‘Do you think customers see the difference?’ She answered ‘We are losing clients, so they must realise there are problems. The worse part is that they see how false the management acts. The emphasis is on profit, not customer loyalty.’
And her statement is key to understanding why her life is changing. She is now working for a non-caring business, part of the system. Her feeling ‘out of sorts’ is due to the influence of the people who employ her.
Where am I taking this Sunday’s Thoughts?
The conclusion is simple: outside influence can restrict life’s progress, whether known or not. When an anticipated outcome fails to meet expectations, do not blame yourself. Most often, some aspects are unseen or beyond one’s control. And worse of all, for a time all may seem fine, changes being made take time to manifest as poor choices.
When the day or week is over, and one is left wanting or questioning the situation. Remember, success can be elusive, even when you have worked in every conceivable positive way or followed previous methods. Do not beat yourself up! Accept, that sometimes outside influence is beyond your control. And the influence is often based on greed or selfish attitudes of those who influence one’s life.
By accepting we cannot always control outcomes and taking each day at a time, it is easier to cope with life. And remember my original observation, nothing stays the same forever. Think with clarity and see the whole picture and you’ll be surprised how much better you’ll feel.
Have a wonderful week:
Liz
Liz Clark
MD LizianEvents Ltd
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