Wednesday 17 February 2016

Matthew Parker Indiana On Adaptability and Attitude

The only constant in life is change. Jobs come and go. Friends come and go. Financial fortunes change. Career aspirations change. We are constantly dealing with change, says Mathew Parker Indiana, a motivational speaker.

In the short run anyone can be successful, clinch a deal, start a business or flourish their career, but the long term success depends on our attitude. It is those who are best able to adapt to changing fortunes and their place in life that truly get to live a fulfilled existence.

When things don’t go your way, how do you react? Do you get angry or do you step out to find solutions? Most of life is not what happens to us but how we react to it. In moments of uncertainty we can either choose to be resilient and fight it out or give up. The frame of mind that governs our everyday decisions matters far more than our skills, talents and fortunes.

Talents will take you far, your gifting can open many doors, even your place in life can guarantee you some favors, but those who truly last are those with great attitudes.

Attitude is simply the metal posture that we adopt as our way of interpreting life as it happens around us. We can have a negative attitude and see everything as ‘gloom and doom’ or we can adopt a versatile attitude that takes life’s challenges in stride.

Our attitude is what determines how we get along with others and cope with life. “No one really rises beyond their personal attitudes”, says Matthew Parker Indiana.

Thursday 11 February 2016

Matthew Parker Indiana On The Power Of Networks

What is the quality of your network? I’m asking this question based of the faulty assumption that you’ve already spent some time trying to build one. In a sense, we all have networks.

“A network is simply the group of people around us who range from confidants to acquaintances on whom we can rely on for our career, friendship or support”, Says Matthew Parker Indiana. The people we went to school with, those we’ve worked with and the social circle in our neighborhood all make part of our network.

It pays to invest in building a good network around you. Most business and career opportunities we will ever have will come from the network that we have.  The best part is that the people in your network know you or at the very least have an idea of how you work, so it’s easier for them to entrust you with opportunities.

The people in your network will also be your brand ambassadors. It is from this group that you will get most of your referrals. They are the people who are most likely to put in a ‘good word’ for you to their friend and families. Make your network as diverse as possible in terms of age, geographical location, professions and lifestyle. There is little to gain when you surround yourself with people just like yourself.

“Our networks are never stable, people move away, others move out of town, some pass on and others just cut themselves off”, explains Matthew Parker Indiana. The dynamism of our network means we should always be investing in growing and replenishing it.

Saturday 6 February 2016

Mastery of our Trade by Matthew Parker Indiana

The things that we work with everyday are faster, leaner, softer, lighter and on and on. The idea of having to patiently wait for a process or maturation are nearly gone. Impatience might have as well become a virtue.

In this day and age of fast foods, microwave and convenience stores, it is much harder for us to be willing to take the time and pay the price of success. The temptations to cut the process short are all around us. While many of the conveniences that we have are actually time and lifesaving, there comes a time when we have to pay the price.

You most likely have heard of the 10,000 hours rule. For all of our love of ease and convenience there are things we wouldn’t want to compromise on; no one wants a surgeon who has never operated. We would bolt at the sight of a pilot who hasn’t taken the time to master his craft.

We all have a thing or two for which we have to put in the time, sacrifice and resource to be able to come out at the top. Whether it is learning an instrument, training for a sport, learning a particular trade or building lifelong friendships the 10,000 rule applies to all of us.

According to Matthew Parker Indiana motivational speaker, there are certain habits and reward systems during training that rewire us when we invest the time in mastering our trade. It is this reinforcement of the reward system that keeps most of us motivated to continue becoming better at our trade.