Disability Dialogue with Bill

Believe in Your Vision for Success

Do your goals ever seem out of reach? Have you had challenges or unexpected set-backs on your way to reach success? I sincerely hope we never stop stretching our self emotionally, physically, and educationally. As part of lifelong learning, we need to continuously increase our understanding and ability to value, accept and respect the differences in others, including the disabled, to help increase our successes. If we stop growing, one tendency might be to settle in a place we are familiar with, that requires no change or extra effort on our behalf. Settling for anything less than our clear vision for success will prevent us from fully flourishing in our professional or personal life.

To live with vitality, drive and positivity I believe we need vision and passion for life and work. Vision and passion can be considered fuel for our body and mind. If we are lacking in either of these sources of positive energy, it is very difficult to live up to our best potential.

How can we keep focus directed on our vision and believe in our abilities for success? How can we maintain our passions when we are at times, exposed to negativity, misunderstandings, experience difficulties and perceived road blocks? All such challenges need to be put into perspective or they will distract and blur our vision. How can we embrace the attitude to expect and dare to believe our vision will become a reality?
If we listen and believe the words of negativity spoken, and about doubt by some in our abilities and value, it could be possible for these words to suffocate our passions and drive.

Anything that diminishes my vision and belief in success and recovery I describe in the analogy below.
The smoke that occurs when a forest fire’s first embers smolder can be the first sign one is losing vision. Soon more and more wisps of smoke fill the air. Shortly after, if left unchecked, there is a blazing forest fire out of control. It is very difficult to get your vision and belief in success   back until the fire is out, the smoke has cleared, trees and brush have grown back and all of the wild life has returned, bringing the forest back to a place filled with life and tranquility.

Restoring the forest back from such a set-back can take as long to recover as recovering our vision, once we have lost our way. Therefore it is critical not to loose focus or be distracted by negativity or non-believers.

We should not hold negative past experiences in our hearts when we relentlessly, tactfully and ethically pursue our goals. This diminishes our effectiveness for success. Forget the past and those who did not understand and were critical, and pursue ahead confidently with a clear vision. Partner and network with others who share our passion for life and positivity. These partners will keep our forest of life strong and vital keeping any minor set-backs and embers of doubt from igniting into anything that cannot be easily contained and managed.

Remember on our journey to our vision’s success, we will not be able to please everybody our work touches. This mind-set is one of the more difficult lessons to remember for me when I drive to produce quality and beneficial work.

Just imagine what we can accomplish if we keep our vision and passion alive!! Do not give up your vision before you allow your seed of vision to mature, take root and turn into a forest of success.

Look forward to hearing your thoughts and suggestions to help us to have ever increasing expectations of our vision. We can benefit from hearing how your vision of success has become a reality and celebrate with you. 

Bill Tipton
Contributing Author,
Global Dialogue Center
http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

Adaptability and Attitude is Crucial for Success

Have you ever awoke and found yourself unexpectedly in complete darkness and discovered you were forced to immediately change the way you do everything in your life, including the way you work?

I recently had an opportunity to participate in an interview that was published in Careers and the disABLED that some might enjoy and find useful in their professional and personal life. In addition to my interview, you can read about other positive individuals that are truly making a difference in the world they live in.

The interview with me has dialogue on the value of networking, reskilling techniques, ideas for selling oneself, proper attitude for success, and other valuable lessons to be successful in what ever a person chooses to accomplish in life. A positive attitude and willingness to accept unexpected changes can help us during hard times. Adaptability and re-skilling to accommodate change is an especially critical and necessary skill needed to resolve the complex social, humanitarian, ethical, environmental and business challenges we are facing with so much uncertainty, and in some cases, fear in the world today. Accepting change, help and holding determination in our hearts and having the courage to walk alone at times in uncharted territory with self confidence is necessary so we don’t slow down any transformation we might be going through in our fast paced world.

I sincerely hope none of you have to overcome going into a coma for three months, loss of all vision, give up the ability to look into people’s eyes, and see the person looking back with thought and meaning in their bright eyes and expression on their face. Also, never again being able to look at a computer monitor with one’s physical eyes, while using a computer and other challenges I briefly talk about overcoming in the interview in the Winter edition of the Careers and the disABLED publication.

This publication is shared electronically with the permission from CAREERS & the disABLED -Equal Opportunity Publications.

 

What did you learn from the interview that you can use in your life? Any suggestions to help us handle critical changes with a positive attitude and willingness to accept unexpected challenges? I wish you the very best in overcoming what at first looks to be insurmountable barriers so when you come through your struggles you can be even more productive, have the ability to help others, and yourself more successfully than you ever dreamed could be possible. We all look forward to hearing from you.

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

Courage to Live and Create Meaning

Has anyone ever hit a roadblock that seems impenetrable? Have you been unable to sleep because the day’s challenges keep racing uncontrollably through your mind at lightning speed as you anticipate tackling challenges all over again the next day? Does your mind uncontrollably contemplate solutions, strategies and actions to solve your challenges as you try to force sleep? Does stress and anxiety ripple through your body?

I believe we can all help each other meet such challenges we face in an ever changing and complex world we live in.

Like others, I have faced many challenges, some small and some critical.

Skills learned during hard times can be transferable and leveraged to help us in our every day life. Have the attitude that such painful and uncomfortable learning’s are a blessing in disguise. We need to be observant as not to miss out on how we can gain knowledge from our difficulties and learn to live without fear.

With our shared experience, and lessons learned in handling such challenges we can help each other in our personal and professional lives.

A few key lessons learned from my experiences

Some thought they should unplug my life support when I was in a coma for 3 months.

• Trust your inner instinct, have faith like my wife Kathy, family and primary care doctor did when they decided not to end my life

• When you enable a life to live you never know how many others that life will have a meaningful impact on.

All medical specialists said I had no hope of ever walking again.

• Believe in yourself and do not fully rely on the opinions of others.

•Dare to live, have faith, take chances and do not believe all negative comments directed towards you.

I recently listened to the recording of an excellent dialogue: Putting Our Differences to Work: HARD TIMES: Gifts of INSIGHT hosted by Debbe Kennedy. Many insightful and passionate leaders discussed and shared valuable lessons about difficult times and the value of learning and accepting these as a new opportunity for a new beginning.

I hope we can all have the courage to live without fear and create meaning in our life.

How can we help each other confront and defeat our roadblocks, fear, challenges and other obstacles’ that prevent us from fully flourishing as the person we want to become? Any insight to help put our restless minds at peace when we try to regenerate in our daily needed sleep? Do you have a story to share with lessons learned?

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

New Year - Time for Reflection and Renewal

I hope you had a wonderful and fulfilling last year.

It is time for careful thoughts, reflection, re-examining our ethical morals and start planning on how we can be confident in handling uncertainty, stay positive, productive and loving to others as we precede down the road of this new year. This year has started out with some deep ruts, steep ditches just off the surface, large rocks, littered with other obstacles and plenty of dead ends that will temporarily halt our progress. To get back on our road requires self reinvention enabling us to successfully continue to our destination. It is important while navigating such a challenging road, we do not take on too much collateral damage projected by others to weaken our inner souls and true self core values and beliefs.

To help prevent us from going off our road of life will require our careful and undivided attention to successfully navigate down a road filled with such obstacles.

Have you had challenges, obstacles, barriers or other difficulties last year? Maybe last year was productive and fulfilling and all you hoped for.

With the economic meltdown, people losing jobs, and other critical global issues, I believe last year had more challenges to test us than other years.

With instability and uncertainty some people tend to stray from their faith and ethical morals and act selfishly, only looking out for themselves.

With the global issues we face today, we need to work together to solve very challenging and complex problems we have. During these difficult times, it is no time to trample over other people or intimidate them into submission to make small temporary short term advances for oneself, as tempting and easy as it might be. We need to stay our course of humble, strong humanitarian leaders to lead others successfully through the maze of difficult and unique obstacles and challenges.

In either case (negative or positive) experiences you had last year I hope we can learn from our experiences to help make this year all we wish for.

I truly believe, even from our most dire and uncomfortable experiences we can find valuable learning’s to help us in our personal and professional life.

Do you have any experiences (negative or positive) you want to share with us? Any lessons learned that will help us in this new year?

In your new year’s resolutions I hope you include being the best ethical leader you can be, to help guide lost and weak individuals who are tempted by quick fixes for solving challenging and complex problems, and help the ones who are losing their jobs and homes, by no fault of their own in most cases.

We look forward to hearing from you in this new year so we can all work together to help each other navigate a challenging new year successfully and rejoice in our opportunities for renewal.

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

Thankful For Unexplainable Guidance

        
I believe all things happen for a reason. Most of us have had unexplainable circumstances at some point in our life that have had underlying meanings.

One unexplainable event happened to me very soon after I got home from the hospital. I was in the hospital  for seven months and lost all of my vision and ability to walk, due to an extremely critical medical condition that hit me without warning.

Very shortly after getting home from the hospital I received a telephone call as I laid in bed recovering. The voice on the telephone asked “ is this Bill Tipton?”. I said with some hesitation, “yes, it is” Then the person on the telephone asked, “are you blind?” I answered “who is this? They quickly responded I am John Doe, from a church I had never heard of. John Doe  said a member of his congregation had found a Braille bible in one of their pews after a service. The Braille bible had my name and telephone number hand written in it. John Doe  said they were calling me to return my Braille bible. I responded with astonishment, my name is Bill Tipton and I am completely blind. I told them I had never been to or heard of their church. I also told them I just got out of the hospital after a seven month stay and that was not my bible and I did not know Braille. I graciously thanked them for taking the time to call, as we both were in wonder of who the bible belonged to. 

I felt sensations of bewilderment and amazement run throughout my body wondering with astonishment how this bible with my name and telephone number got into their church. I wondered  why that apparently lost bible was left on a seat in the pew of that church. I thought this unexplainable event must have happened for some very special reason.

To this day I never found out how that bible got in that church. Every time I think about that Braille bible with my name and telephone number written in it I am in wonder. When I think about that telephone call those same sensations I had when I got that mysterious telephone call run through my body all over again. 

Some incredible events in my belief that followed that mysterious telephone call.

 • I returned to church in my wheelchair without any eyesight.

 • Learned how to use a screen reader to allow me to use a PC and applications without eyesight.

 • Learned grade one and grade two Braille.

 • Learned how to walk again and left my wheelchair behind after many doctors from multiple hospitals said I had no hope of ever walking again.

 • Joined three non-profits in my community to help others.

 • Returned to work after a tremendous amount of re-skilling to enable me to contribute my very best to my employer  as I help many customers and employees from all over the world.

I truly believe others have experienced unexplainable events that have taken them on similar paths as mine. If you have not, maybe we need to take life slower, so even the dimmest simplest of signals do not go unnoticed. Even if you do not fully understand the underlying meaning, your heart and attitude needs to be open to let your inner self accept the signals. Unexplainable events if associated with proper timing to your calculated planned events can catapult your success. Just a few examples of the planned events  I talk about are  learning from co-workers, friends, observing others, networking, work experience, formal education and doing volunteer work to help others.

With everyone attempting to accomplish more in less time in their personal and professional life, it is vital to pay attention to your unexplainable events  as much as your planned events. This frame of mind is needed to take advantage of the catapult  effect I described when you associate different types of learning opportunities together. This is even more critical during our unstable financial and economic situation our world is in today, when we are asked to do more with less, some are loosing jobs and their homes. In some parts of our world some are fighting for the bare necessities of life to enable them to live without enough food, access to medication to fight critical deadly diseases, lack of shelter  and other very unfortunate situations. .   If you do not take advantage of unexplainable events, it is like throwing away a free learning opportunity.

In the US we celebrate Thanksgiving Day this week. This Thanksgiving Day one of my many things I am grateful and thankful for is the ability to accept help from unexplainable sources with humbleness and gratitude. Live with an attitude of faith and expectance to help your dreams become a reality. 

Has anyone else had a unexplainable event happen? If so, after the event happened did that event trigger any special learning’s to help you? Do you see any explanations from my mysterious telephone call? We all look forward to hearing from you.
 
 Bill Tipton
Contributing Author
Global Dialogue Center
http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

            

Insight Without Sight

Like a terrible storm with blustery winds blows out the flame of a candle or knocks out a city’s power, a storm hit me without warning one day. The strong winds from that painful and fearful storm blew out my candle of eyesight forever. My terrible storm was the critical medical condition that left me completely blind forever.

I am very grateful to be so blessed that I survived my storm of a critical medical emergency to live and experience life’s joys and challenges to the fullest. 

Now even though I do not see any physical light through my eyes, does not mean I do not have any sight! My sight is now experienced through many other senses and sensations.  Having no eyesight has enabled me to see things other people with eyesight might overlook or have challenges sensing. Some people with eyesight might be interpreting their surroundings and other sensory input through their eyes and might not allow their other senses to experience what the eyes can not pick up on.

I can now sense new ways of accomplishing tasks, taking advantage of dealing with  opportunities, obstacles in my path to my goals, and insights into personalities’ I could not see when I had physical eyesight. Others who do have eyesight might be able to pick up on these senses, but in my situation my other senses were enhanced and enriched to allow and provide me with valuable new uniqueness to enhance the quality of the work I do in my professional and personal life.

Now, when I have an obstacle that seems overwhelming at first, I am finding with my new senses and skills I can take my newly acquired approaches to handle my obstacles and difficulties with tactfulness, strategic thoughtfulness and grace.

Not being able to read peoples facial expressions I now rely on voice tones, volume, fluctuation, hesitation, vocabulary, and other auditory senses and writing styles to help me interpret how to best accomplish my professional and personal work.

I believe I can now grasp easier the inward or hidden nature of things and perceive in an intuitive manner as I go about doing life’s activities

I know other extraordinary leaders who have such senses who did not need to loose any of their physical senses to hone the skills I have talked about.

Do any of you have techniques to help us have better insight to keep us on our path of life? Did any of you loose any senses which enhanced any of your other skills?

We look forward to hearing your thoughts, comments and suggestions to help us all have better insight.

Bill Tipton
Contributing Author
Global Dialogue Center
www.globaldialoguecenter.com  

Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

." On Sept. 18, 2007, only a month after doctors told him that he had three-to-six months to live following a recurrence of pancreatic cancer, he presented a lecture called "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" to a packed auditorium at Carnegie Mellon.

The moving and often humorous talk recounted his efforts to achieve such childhood dreams as becoming a professional football player, experiencing zero gravity and developing Disney World attractions. In the process, he shared his insights on finding the good in other people, working hard to overcome obstacles and living generously.

"If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself," Pausch said. "The dreams will come to you." Listen to Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.

What I learned from Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture.

• Teach by story telling.

• Never loose the childlike wonder, it is just too important.

• Focus on people, not yourself. • If you do the right thing, people will listen.

• Find the best in everybody.

• Show gratitude

• Do not complain, just work harder.

• Brick walls are there for a reason. They are there to see how much you really want it. These walls are there to keep out the people who do not want it bad enough.

• If you are doing Pioneering work you will get arrows in your back.

 

What did you learn from listening to Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture?

What childhood dreams came true of yours?
Do you have a story around accomplishing your dream?

What lessons did you learn from making your dream a reality?

Did you learn something from not accomplishing your dreams?

How did your dreams help you in your personal or professional life?

 

We all look forward to hearing your comments and thoughts.

 

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

4 Square Without Eyesight

Recently I had the opportunity to play a game I had not played since elementary school called four square.

One difference from the last time I played this game is I am now completely blind and need two canes to walk safely. I am also about 35-40 years older than the last time I played

I am not sure if they play this game called four square in other countries? If so, maybe it is called something different.

How I Was Given this Opportunity to Challenge my Senses
I was at a recent family gathering enjoying everyone’s company and cheerful conversation. I walked out to the driveway to ask one of my cousins a question when I heard the laughing and the bouncing rubber ball near by. These sounds caught my attention with curiosity and wonderment. Thoughts raced through my mind wondering if I could play this game with no eyesight.

Soon my nieces, great nieces and great nephews asked me to join them in the game. At first thought I imagined how I might be able to play without any eyesight, and wondered if I should attempt to try this.

To play this game there are four squares on the ground. These squares are usually drawn on the ground with chalk. Each of the four people in the game stands in their own square. The goal is when the ball comes into your square you are to hit the rubber ball into another person’s square. The person who misses the ball or overshoots another person’s square looses that game.

I thought to myself why not give this new challenge and experience a try.

I folded up my long white cane and put it into its holder and fastened it to my belt. I folded up my white support cane and partially stuck it down the back of my pants to secure it since I only had one cane holder. I could have set my support cane aside while I played, but I wanted my support cane for emergencies in case I started to fall or get unsteady standing and moving around in my square with no canes.

With the help of the others in the game letting me know where my square was, I positioned myself into the center of my square. Then I heard the sound of hands hitting the rubber ball. Immediately after I herd the hands of another player hit the ball I heard a different tone as the ball struck and bounced off the ground. I stood there crouched down ready to turn in any direction quickly to try to hit the ball. I imagined the rubber ball being brick red in color since that is what I remembered the color was when I last played. I listened intently as I tried to follow the ball’s sound as it bounced from square to square and from person to person wondering when it would come into my square. I was intensely concentrating on the sound of the ball hitting the ground. Soon I could distinguish the different sounds of the ball hitting the ground depending on what angle, direction and speed the ball hit the ground. After a bit, once I got into a rhythm, I imagined in my minds eye the compression of the rubber ball as it bounced off the ground. With more compression I could gauge that the ball would be traveling faster. From the sound the ball made I could hear if the ball was going towards me and would bounce in my square. If the ball did bounce in my square I would gently time my attempt to hit the ball based on my methods of gauging the speed and location of the ball from my auditory observations. When I would make hand contact with the bouncing ball I would hit the ball towards another persons square. After a few successes, I was having a great deal of fun! I was amazed I actually was hitting the ball! I was very glad I tried to play the game instead of sitting out and never knowing if I would succeed, or fail. I played the game with eagerness and joy for quite a while. I eventually stopped when I could no longer concentrate intensely enough to follow the bouncing ball accurately.
To read about another of my recreational firsts, read Hitting a Softball without Sight.

Has anyone else ever tried something they were not sure they could accomplish? If so, how did you feel after you decided to try the unknown instead of sitting on the sideline and missing your opportunity to extend yourself? Even if you did not succeed, how did you feel after making the attempt? Not succeeding in my opinion is better than not trying; depending on if not succeeding will cause you or anyone else physical harm.

We all look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments.

Bill Tipton
Contributing Author
Global Dialogue Center
http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

Celebrating Life

I personally believe we all should take time to celebrate our passions and joys in our life.

Time goes by very quickly. If we breeze through the actions of living life like a robot with no emotions, enthusiasm or interactions we would truly miss out on life’s pleasures. We need to take the time to celebrate the joys of living. Be aware of your surroundings, others feelings and share mutual passions. Embrace how different each of us are and enjoy the uniqueness in personalities, viewpoints, skills and perceived abilities.

If we do not take advantage of life’s experiences, whether negative or positive, we will truly miss out on the true meaning of why we are living on this earth.

This month has been very special for me for many reasons. I want to share three celebrations I had the opportunity to experience during a week of vacation from my valued employer. This will get us started thinking about what we all can celebrate in our lives, and how we can help others unselfishly.

To start off my week of gratitude and celebrations my first thought is that I am thankful that I have the ability to celebrate. This month is my wedding anniversary. You can read a post I wrote last year to celebrate this very special occasion with my loving and caring wife Kathy; I call Anniversaries - What They Mean to You.

I tragically missed my twelfth anniversary. Read the post to see why I missed this anniversary and why I do not want to miss any more opportunities to celebrate my anniversary and why I believe I am very lucky to have the ability to celebrate the joys in life.

I was honored and grateful to attend a book release reception with my wife Kathy for a very exciting and valuable book titled: Putting Our Differences to Work. The author of this innovative book is Debbe Kennedy, my friend, colleague, Founder, President and CEO Global Dialogue Center and Leadership Solutions Companies.

I met many positive leaders at the reception who are truly celebrating life to the fullest. They are incorporating all people in their positive and meaningful work; valuing the individual’s unique differences. I have had the privilege to have worked with some of these outstanding creative leaders in the past. Some I continue to do meaningful work with and others I just met at the reception and will work with in the future. This was a very remarkable event to celebrate life and be engaged with others who are making a positive difference in the world.
Read: Putting Our Differences to Work, to learn more about the leaders and how you can learn to be a better leader and make a difference in your organization, community and in your personal life.

To end my week my wife Kathy and I had a very nice dinner with a friend I had not seen in years. My friend and I used to go on tandem bike rides in the foothills near where I live. I started going on tandem bike rides just after I learned to walk again after a very critical medical condition which took away all of my eyesight and the ability to walk for 1 year. I now walk with two canes. I have one support cane and one long white cane.

When I would ride on the bike I would fold up my canes and attach them to my larger fanny pack so I could get to them quickly and easily if I needed to walk. I always wore a helmet on my rides. As we rode I could smell the fresh air and scents of trees and flowers. I could feel the breeze blowing around my face, arms and legs. Our rides were relaxing even when going uphill as we peddled the miles away. I would listen to the birds as we rode trying to figure out what type of bird was singing. We did a lot of talking as we rode. I think I must have talked off my riding partners ears; it seemed to me. I especially liked coming down this one steep hill where we would go very fast through some gentle curves that went from side to side. At times we would have to pass cars on the side of the road or as we made turns down side streets. I could hear when the cars were relatively close to me; but I was never a bit scared or worried. I had complete faith in my friend and riding partner. We always had a great time celebrating life on our rides.
Our night out to dinner and our talk afterwards went by so quickly. It was a very nice way to end a week full of exciting life experiences and celebrations!

If I wanted to I could have stayed at home and not been engaged with others during my week on vacation. If I did this; just think of what I would have missed if I did not choose to share myself with others and allow others to reciprocate. If I took the perceived easy way of life and rushed through this month like a robot I would have missed many opportunities to enjoy what life has to offer and the ability to meet many outstanding people.

I hope that you can live every day to the fullest and can enjoy the celebrations in your life. I hope you do not pass up any opportunities because you are too rushed by the actions of just living life. Instead try focusing on the engagements and opportunities that may come up. If you do rush through life, it is like me and my friend on the tandem bike racing down the hills. You are going too fast to see the opportunities to celebrate life, meet new people and enjoy all life has to offer.

Does anyone have any celebrations you want to share with us? Do you have any suggestions to help others get engaged to find celebrations of life? What makes you feel life is worth celebrating?

We all look forward to hearing your thoughts, comments and suggestions’ to help us celebrate life’s joys.

Bill Tipton
Contributing Author
Global Dialogue Center
http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

Keep Up Your Self Confidence

Hello everyone,

I personally think it is difficult to keep up your self confidence when others are telling you that you are not able to complete certain tasks in their opinion. When others make verbal remarks to you that hurt and sadden you could negatively impact your self confidence. If the comments are focused on your disability; these comments may even hurt worse since nobody in my opinion ever chooses to be disabled.

I believe we can expand on our discussion we started in my post, SELF-CONFIDENCE: How to Improve to help us further. I am sure others have additional examples of how your self confidence could be negatively impacted with examples of resolutions.

I would like to know how you keep negative comments or inaccurate assumptions from diminishing your self confidence. How do you keep the anger and frustrations you feel deep down inside from negatively impacting the people you care about in your personal or professional life? How do you proceed ahead and keep positively focused on what is important so these negative attitudes do not impact the great work you may be doing? Do you have any possible solutions to help minimize the destructive feelings you may feel when your self confidence is in jeopardy.

What I try to focus on when these destructive feelings come up for me are the following:

• Don't allow your first thoughts be negative. If they are; take a breath before you speak or act. Maybe the comments are constructive to enhance your skills or talents and just may sound negative in the way they were presented to you.

• Gauge how much time you spend defending yourself. Fighting the battles to prove you are correct might take too long and use up too much of your valuable energy and resources. You will have to gauge how much time you should spend defending yourself and how much of an impact losing the battle will truly have on your life. If you let these negative feelings fester inside you, this negativity will show through in the other work you are doing in your personal and professional life.

• Think of overcoming this negativity or misunderstanding; look for the learning in the experience. I think that most leaders have to learn to deal with negative comments and you should think of your circumstances as good practice, no matter how painful they are.

• The obstacles you are facing might be a clue that one door is closing and another one is about to open for you. If this is true this is the time that is most critical for you to not let negativity cloud your mind, actions and visions.

• Maybe the work you are doing is pioneering work and has never been accomplished and is very technical and organizationally challenging. In these situations you will run into obstacles and more critical and negative comments than you would if you worked on more standard work. I would think that most leaders doing pioneering work have these same challenges before they can succeed in their dreams and goals.

If negative attitudes or misunderstandings are in your life; I hope they will not impact your self confidence. We are all valuable people in our own unique and different way and we should minimize the impact others have on our self confidence. I know this is extremely hard to achieve for sure. In the midst of your hurt and anger it is not easy to keep focused and continue to think clearly and rationally! If you want to successfully proceed ahead on your important life’s path; you will need to walk alone at times and leave the negative words and thoughts behind you.

We all look forward to hearing your thoughts and suggestions on this very essential topic. We are all too valuable and life is too short to let others extinguish the fire within us before we have a chance to light the torch of our passions!

Bill Tipton
Contributing Author
Global Dialogue Center
http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/