Roland Graham

This week I had several team members out with Covid, another member out with surgery, and a 4th member out with family vacation.

Have you had weeks like that in your life when the challenges 'pile up'? Haha, I'm sure that you have! We ALL face them! The question is, HOW do we face them?

As you ponder that question, listen to this....

A sports figure who's surfing career I respect and who I have followed pretty closely for decades is 11x World Champion, Kelly Slater. At 51 years old, Kelly Slater is still actively competing and currently ranked in the top 10 of the best competitive surfers in the world. DID YOU CATCH THAT? Kelly is 51 and still relishing the challenges of competing at the highest level in his discipline.

In a recent interview, Kelly was asked, "Kelly, how have you managed to compete at such a high level for over 30 years now"? Kelly's response was very enlightening. He replied, "Well first of all, I studied everyone of my competitors closely for my entire career. I keep an actual file on each of them. Their strengths, their history, their weaknesses, and their personalities. I have also actively analyzed every major surf break around the world where our surf competitions are held. And finally, I've made myself as much of an expert as possible on the judging criteria of each event AND on the most minutia of details of the equipment that I ride."

Do you hear Kelly's attitude? He doesn't shy away from the challenges, he embraces them. He has made it his passion, his mission and his life purpose to continually seek out the challenges, face them with his habitual positivity and work ethic, and embrace the journey of always getting better!

I share this with you to highlight for you the OPPORTUNITY that comes your way with each CHALLENGE that you face. It is the opportunity to actively CHOOSE to embrace the challenge, mentally, emotionally, and physically. When we make this choice, and when we takes active steps forward to fulfill that choice, we CHANGE. We become better! Incrementally, one challenge after the other...one choice after the other, we become better versions of ourselves.

Today, I encourage you to embrace a challenge that is facing you right now. Embrace it with the choice to have mental optimism, emotional acceptance and even gratitude. And embrace it further by taking physical steps forward towards positively engaging with that challenge.

With respect and encouragement!
Roland