You're Average. Why Can't You?
Many of us have heard the story of Abraham Lincoln. He ran for the Illinois House of Representatives, but came in 8th out of 13. He went into business with a friend, but his partner died and the business went bankrupt. He was engaged, but his bride-to-be died which led to him having a nervous breakdown. Lincoln ran for Congress (multiple times) and lost, and he ran for the Senate and lost. We all know the “rest of the story”. He became one of our greatest Presidents in history.
Angela - my partner and co-host of The Job Search Boot Camp Show - likes to tell the story of Fred Astaire. A screen test report on Astaire for RKO Pictures is reported to have read: “Can’t sing. Can’t act. Balding. Can dance a little.” Most known for his dancing, Astaire went on to win three Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes, and a Grammy.
What they have in common is they persevered through criticism, defeat, and loss. They had a dream, and they stuck with it to live fulfilling lives.
Kent Julian was my personal Career Coach when I made my transition from Information Technology & Human Resources to Career Coaching. Kent is the owner of LiveItForward.com. When he was a young boy, he had a speech impediment. In a video blog, Kent said the report his parents received was “Kent can’t make the sounds associated with k, g, f, l, r, sh, ch, v, th, j, s, z, and related consonant blends.” He struggled through school, and had self-esteem and confidence issues. But, Kent was determined to persevere. Kent now does keynote addreses, he’s a former National Youth Director for middle & high school students serving 2000 youth groups across the US, and speaks to audiences of thousands. Not bad for a guy with a speech impediment. Who does he thank for success? His mentors - a teacher that believed in him, and a youth director who stood beside him - told him to “be intentional”, he CAN live beyond his average.
Live Beyond Your Average
What’s the difference between you, Abraham Lincoln, Fred Astaire, or Kent Julian? NOTHING! These are average people who set an intention and lived beyond just being average! You may be an average person with an average life. You may have problems - just like other average Americans. But, don’t you want to live beyond your average?
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Jay Markunas is an average guy living beyond his average! He is the co-host of The Job Search Boot Camp Show. He’s also is a Founding Partner of http://www.GreatOccupations.com which helps the fearful and the fearless find work they love.
Tags: Astaire, Career, career coach, courage, dreams, Job, job search, Kent Julian, Lincoln, LiveItForward, passions, Pay it forward, soul search, values