Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:29):
Hello, this is Gabriella on the scene today with Talk
Network Radio. We have a real dread for you just
around the corner, and that is Empowered Living with Jeff Bird.
Jeff is the owner of Jeffrey for Coaching and.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
He will be coming to.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
You weekly to teach you more about empowered living. Now
let's join Jeff already in the studio.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Hello and welcome. This is Jeff with Jeffrey Bird Coaching
and this is Empowered Living. Our topic today is are
you more exceptional than you think? I started thinking of
this some time ago. My incredible wife, Angela was mentioning
to me that she really wants to be exceptional as
(01:18):
a wife, and well personally, I think she's pretty exceptional
in many many ways, and especially as a wife. So
the comment that she made took me a little bit
by surprise, and I started thinking about that and pondering
a bit what it is to be exceptional and why
each of us might be more exceptional than we think.
(01:39):
As I was thinking about it, it occurred to me
that there are really a number of myths surrounding exceptionality
that may keep us from realizing how exceptional we actually are.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
In many ways.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
I believe exceptionality isn't really found so much in having
arrived as being aware, and sometimes that means painfully aware
of where we really are and then taking steps in
the right direction. It's been said that a leader's first
responsibility is to define reality, and I think so many
(02:17):
people miss this when it comes to self leadership, actually
taking a brutally honest inventory of where am I right
now and then where I want to go? So many
of us we know where we want to go, but
we just never seem to get there. We just keep
having the same vision in the same dream, and we
never seem to be getting there. And the reason isn't
because we don't have a clear vision or where we
(02:37):
want to go or where we want to be. It's
because we haven't taken that brutal inventory of where we
are and what we need to do, what the next
step from where we actually are is going to be.
See if we do that enough in any area of
life on a daily basis, eventually it's going to become
evident that someone exceptional has walked among us, and that
person's going to be you if you do this enough.
(03:00):
My cousin Steve once told me that he's not nearly
so impressed by the superstars as he is by the
folks that just keep at it day after day, week
after week, year after year. They just keep moving in
the direction of where they want to go. They're not
making a big fuss, not a big fanfare. They're not
high maintenance. There's not a lot of flash and glitter
(03:21):
with them. They just keep focused on where they need
to go and keep taking one step after another. If
you remember that old song I think it was from
a cartoon, just put one foot in front of the other,
and soon you'll be walking across the floor. Put one
foot in front of the other, and soon you'll be
walking out the door. We'll be making progress in the
direction that we want to go at And that's the key,
(03:44):
keeping that vision in mind, keeping at it day after
to day. Developing our strengths, finding our We got to
find our strengths. We have to define what our strengths
are first, those areas of strength.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
There's different ways to do that.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
There's a book called Strengths Finder two point zero that
you take a little quiz and it will tell you
the top five or all thirty I think it's thirty
four of your strength areas and how they line up.
Sometimes other people, friends can help us with that if
we give them permission to really be honest with us,
and they're willing to do that. But we keep developing
our strengths, and then we keep working on those weaknesses
(04:17):
that hinder us and have a negative impact on others. Now,
usually that's attitude. You know, if you're not a very
good golfer, don't put all your time and energy and
golf you know you're probably not gonna get but so good.
But if there's something you're already pretty good at, keep
working on that. But then always watch those attitudes. It's
the attitudes that come up and get us. It can
be impatience, it can be procrastination, it can be having
(04:40):
a judgmental or belittling attitude. It's those attitudes. So we
keep working on our strengths, and then we keep working
on those weaknesses that hinder us, and keep reaching out
to build up the people around us, add value to them,
add value to ourself, and doing that consistently over time
makes an exceptional Somebody said that an exceptional life is
(05:03):
just a series of exceptional days, and an exceptional day
is one in which I develop and I help others develop.
So I want to give you some of the myths
that came to my mind about being exceptional. Myth number
one says that exceptional people have it all together. Ha.
Most exceptional people are the ones who are the most
(05:26):
aware that they do not have it all together? Right,
who has it all together? If you meet somebody that
thinks they've got it all together, they're their biggest problem.
That mindset is our biggest problem, because if you think
you have it all together, why are you ever going
to try to improve? Right? You got it all If
you think you know everything, why are you ever going
to try to learn something else?
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Which we can all do?
Speaker 3 (05:45):
So number one, the truth is that exceptional people are
often the most aware that they don't have it all together,
and it is what they do with this awareness that
makes them exceptional. See, none of us have it all together.
Can deny that and pretend that we've got it all together.
We can just go, oh, well, I don't have it
all together, and I never can get it all together.
(06:06):
That's another poor belief system. Or we can say, hey,
I don't have it together, but you know what I
can improve? Every day, I'm going to do something to
improve and to develop myself in a way that makes
a difference in the world around me. Okay, myth number
two says that exceptional people do not have weaknesses like
other people. The truth is, just like number one, exceptional
(06:30):
people are very aware of their weaknesses. They feel that
they feel the negative impact that those weaknesses in those
attitude areas that I mentioned have on their potential and
how they impact those around them. But you know what,
like my friend John Maxwell says, if you have a
bad attitude, you chose it, and you can choose another one.
(06:51):
So where exceptional people are aware of those weaknesses, so
so so many people that have made a great impact
on the world have become very aware of areas of
weakness in their life and they set out to change
those to change that attitude, to overcome those things and
to improve. So it's just like growing our strengths, we
(07:11):
also have to overcome those weaknesses that we all have.
And myth number three says that exceptional people are just
born that way. Well, and that couldn't be further from
the truth. It's true we are born with certain talents
and abilities. But for people who are born very talented,
so often those talents actually get in the way of
their progress because they think they've got to come into them.
(07:34):
Because they're good, Because they're talented, everybody's going to recognize them.
They're just naturally going to make progress, and they can
overlook the work and the effort that everyone has to
put into it to become an exceptional. The truth of
most of the exceptional people that I've been around or
read of will readily admit that anything they've meaningful, that
they've ever achieved was done against their natural tendencies, and
(07:57):
they had to constantly seek out good things, good practices,
good attitudes, and minded people to learn from and walk alongside.
For most people, this requires intentional, daily commitment. I call
that the law of intentionality. It says that growth doesn't
just happen. I have to work at it. I have
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to set my mind at it, and I have to
make sure that it's going to happen. Regardless of whether
how you're born. You might have been born very gifted
and talented, you're going to have to work on it.
You might have been born at a little bit of
a disadvantage, you're going to have to work on it.
Doesn't matter how you were born you're gonna have to
work on, just just like leadership. John Maxwell says that
a lot of times people come up to him and
they say, John, you know, our.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
People are leaders just born.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
And he said, well, I've never met an unborn leader,
you know, and I don't think I would care to you.
Thank you very much. But he's just joking with them,
of course. But all leaders are born. Some may have
talents that need to be developed, some may lack those skills,
and then they set out to develop those and then
they do, and then they make a difference. And it's
the same way with being exceptional, whether it's in leadership
or another area.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
So we have to remember and.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Be patient with ourselves because becoming exceptional, like anything else
in life that you set your mind to, it's gonna
take time. There is no exceptional button on the microwave,
you know, where you just put somebody in there and
hit the button. In thirty seconds later, you have exceptionality.
It requires commitment, It requires daily practice, daily development, daily
(09:25):
self discipline, and that's the only way to get there.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
But let me tell you.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Everything that I've experienced, all the good that's in my
life now, and so many people who are way down
the road beyond me.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
They will we will.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
All say that that's the path to getting there. It
happens daily, not in a day. So I've got to
I gonna come back to you and just when we're
gonna take a short break, and I'm gonna come back
with some uh, with some applications and some suggestions for
how to continue to grade grow towards exceptionality.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Jeff, We'll be back shortly to wrap up today's message.
This is Gabriela still on the scene today with Top
Network Radio. If you're just tuning in, you're listening to
Empowered Living with Jeff Byrd. If you've missed any part
of today's message, you can hear it again online as
well as the entire archive of Empowered Living at www
(10:21):
dot Topnetwork Radio dot com or search keyword hashtag empowered Living.
We would like to acknowledge our music partners, Sound Ideas
for Corporate to the Max and Kevin McLeod for Airport Lounge.
Any scriptures read during this broadcast are from the New
(10:41):
American Standard version.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Of the Holy Bible.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
If you would like to learn more about Jeffrey Bird Coaching,
visit www dot Jeffbirdcoaching dot com. That is j e
f f b y r d Coaching dot com. Do
a Facebook search for at coaching rocks or DRUP Jeff
aligne at Jeff at Jeffbirdcaching dot com Again j e
(11:10):
ff byrd coaching dot com. Let Jeff's coaching rocks be
the building blocks of your forward success.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Now let's go back to Jeff.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
For the rest of today's message.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Righty, thank you, and welcome back.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
So we've said that an exceptional life is nothing more
than a series of exceptional days. And the good news
is that each of us can make any day exceptional
by choosing to grow in the areas that make for
an exceptional life. I've got a few takeaways I want
to leave with you. At Number one is that we
become exceptional each time we give energy to becoming better
(11:52):
at some area that hinders us or others. Okay, so
the first thing is, let's take an honest and a
brutally honest inventory. What are the things we do that
aren't really good for ourselves and other people? And let's
instead of putting our energy in those same old patterns,
let's put energy into getting better at those That's number one.
Number two, as we grow towards exceptionality, each time we
(12:16):
give energy to gaining new insights and understanding in our
areas of strength. Again, we don't want to put a
lot of energy into something that we're just not that
interested in or not that good at. To start with,
if you're a two on a scale of one to ten,
ten being the highest in an area, and you really
really really work at and you get up to a four,
(12:38):
well you're still not that great. But now if you're
a six naturally, and now you work and work and work,
and you get up to a level eight, now you're
pretty good and you can make a lot of difference.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Number three.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Each time we keep on keeping on, no matter how
long it is taking or how far away the goal seems,
we are are working toward exceptionality. This is perseverance. This
is the law of perseverance, and this is probably one
of the most significant laws that we can ever in
(13:10):
the Bible and the Book of James. We're to let
perseverance have its perfect work in you, so that you
may be entire and complete and lacking nothing. I don't
know any other attribute that we can develop that promises
that will be entire and complete and lacking nothing except
(13:31):
for perseverance. Now, as you may know, the modern thing
these days is to get everything quick, and especially in
the millennial generation. And let me just say, I love
the millennial generation and so much of what they bring
to the table, but one of the areas that they
need to develop in is in perseverance. It's like Simon
(13:52):
Sinek once said, he went into an organization and there
were a lot of millennials, and he struck up a
conversation with one young man who was just very gifted,
very brighton. He said, yeah, I'm really thinking about quitting.
And Simon said, well, why do you want to quit?
He so, because I'm just not getting the results that
I want. He said, well, how long have you been
doing it? It's all about eight months. So for those
of us who are down the road a little bit,
we have to laugh at that, because eight months is
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a drop in the bucket when it comes to persevering
to get something worthwhile done.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
So we need to keep that in mind.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
And in the day of day trading and instant emails
and FaceTime and everything, we just need to remember that
personal development is not an instant microwaveable overnight thing and
keep on keeping on. And number four, this is the
last one, is that we work towards exceptionality. Every time
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we meet with others who are on the same growth
journey and we share our experiences, We encourage each other
in best practices, We think together on how to be
better and grow better and do better, and we're helping
each other become exceptional. So it may not be obvious
(15:04):
at any given moment, just like a child growing, but
if we keep on growing long enough towards towards an
exceptional living, one day it's going to be seen that
you lived an exceptional life. You are more exceptional than
you think and then has been revealed yet, So.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Keep on at it. Your day is coming.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
If it's not been recognized yet, you keep at it
long enough and it will be. Thank you so much
for tuning in. This is jeff Bird with Jeffrey Bird Coaching.
This is empowered living. God bless you.