Making Your Mirror Talk

“Look at your limitations and decide how you’re going to blow them away!”

-Don Whitehead

Making Your Mirror Talk

Eight of us were sitting around a long, rectangular conference room table with one single purpose.  We were there to help a friend work on a funding presentation.  He started his business in 2008, with some other talented people, and they were finding amazing success.  They were on track to produce more than one and a half million dollars in sales this year.  With a little more investment capital and the right partners they could really kick things in gear and grow their company into something really special.

All the people who were sitting around the table were also special.  They were donating their time, talent and experience to make a difference.

 If nothing else happened, they were making a difference to me.  I sat listening to their individual observations and advice with amazed captivation.  But, one comment really hit me between the eyes.

“Look at your limitations and decide how you’re going to blow them away!” Don said as we were outlining the challenges we could all see as we talked.

His words had an almost hypnotic effect on me and my mind started to drift away to another time and place.  I could see an old worn journal in front of me.  It was contained in a glass museum case.  I remembered it as clearly as if I was standing in there once again.

I had stopped in to look at a special showing of George Washington’s memorabilia in a small museum in Manhattan.  They were having an extraordinary exhibit related to President Washington.  And, out of all that was there to amaze, the one thing that caught my eye and notice was this small, hand written book; his book of “Rules of Civility.”

Whenever Mr. Washington would learn an important trait of character he would make a note of it in his book and would then work systematically to incorporate it into his own behavior and disposition.  He did so systematically and thoughtfully.  George Washington’s life is a demonstratively vivid example of the kind of great success that can be accomplished by careful adherence to Don’s wonderful advice.

So, when I got home I went to my personal library and pulled a well worn book from my bookcase.  I thumbed through the pages and reviewed President Washington’s Rules of Civility once again.  I had become lax in reviewing my own life and made a commitment to once again look at my own limitations and then decide how I am going to blow them away.

Who do you think you could become if you were to follow Mr. Washington’s example and Don’s advice?