Exceed expectations

In 2016 the biggest disabilities I see are not the person in the wheelchair, the person (like me) walking with swagger, or the kid that doesn’t understand the supermarket is not a playground, the biggest disability is generated through those who don’t believe in themselves anymore and / or blinded by first appearances. An inability to believe that more is possible is one of the greatest hindrances we have when achieving our goals or living the life we dream of. Many of the greatest accomplishments in this world are not achieved through seeing things the same way day in and day out, but through embracing the learning of yesterday to see further today and exceed tomorrow.

So how do we start to see further today, to not limit ourselves, and exceed the expectations in this world? 

  • Look for the difference in routine: The other day as I was flying in the plane (which is generally how I fly) I looked out the window and saw clouds in ways I’ve never seen before.  It is through looking for differences in life's routines that stretch our minds, which stretch our potential. It's never just another walk around the block, it's never just another day at school, it's never just another drive to work, it's never just another trip to the mall, it wasn't just another plane trip, it's an opportunity to discover something new in you, in others, in the world.
  • Listen to people’s stores: When we hear someone’s story we eliminate assumption and we bend perception. 
  • Do things when we’ve never done them before: It was 4am and I was SKYPing my coach in Canada. The “crazy” early meeting was driven by living in different time zones but it inspired the lesson that if we’re wanting create something new, we probably don’t want to be surrounded by what we know. Working at a different time enabled me to explore different depths of my thinking, generating a completely fresh outcome from the meeting. 
  • Focus on what we want: I was meeting a family the other day and the mother kept comparing her “disabled kid” (her words) with “normal kids” (her words) and wondered why her “disabled kid” was socially isolated. It probably wasn’t helping anyone that her focus was on “disabled” and “normal” rather than kid. At the top of our human pyramid is the word person (kid) everything else follows e.g. person with an awesome smile, person with great wealth, person with superior strength. Focus on the person followed by the strengths and the dreams and that’s when we build connection, rapport and friendship.

When we do these things we don’t just make the world better for us but for every single human being. Excellence inspires excellence and the more people who believe that they can further enhance their world the more who will, I think that’s a pretty awesome thing.

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