Welcome to What IF Weekly, where keynote artist Mike Rayburn shares powerful ideas to challenge the status quo and inspire personal and professional breakthroughs.
Every post is a chance to ask, “What IF?” – and turn it into action.
Many of you were like me, saying to 2019, “good riddance, don’t let the door hit you on the way out! 2020 is my year! And it was… until about Friday the 13th of March when 2020 went into a fatal tailspin, shot down by a bogie called Coronavirus. COVID-19. Lockdown. Shutdown. Rationing. Stay-at-home orders. People being arrested for simply leaving their homes… in America! And worst of all… no freakin’ toilet paper!
There is a reason they chose Jackie Robinson to break the racial barrier in Major League Baseball. It wasn’t because he was strong enough to fight, though he certainly was. No, they chose Jackie precisely because he was strong enough not to fight, and if you saw the movie, “42” you heard that point made by Harrison Ford’s character. My question is, in a country so steeped in racism at the time, what did Jackie do instead of fighting?
When learning stops, growth stops, scarcity abounds, and life fades. When learning grows intentionally, life expands, relationships flourish, and income, abundance and joy multiply. One of the smartest things the most successful people do is improve themselves. They invest their time and resources in CAMI: Constant And Measurable Improvement. If you want the best in life, pursue growth, wisdom, knowledge, and self improvement. Read.
This pandemic will end. The economy will return, though not in rushing wave of activity, but in a slow and cautious roll out. And nothing will be the same. Those businesses and individuals who are most successful will be those who will accurately predict what lies ahead, and take the actions NOW to position themselves for the new economy. Sadly, most people and businesses will not be in that category. Most will wait to see… and be left behind.
You are experiencing a historic event. One third of the world – close to 3 billion people – are on lockdown, and I don’t need to list the frightening and lethal statistics… they’re beyond sobering. We have talked about what the coronavirus crisis has revealed to you about your foundation and shoring it up. Now let’s talk about something way more salient. Long ago I wrote a song with the lyric, “It’s only when you lose it all that you know what you’ve really got.”
Social distancing? ABSOLUTELY. It’s actually working. But whatever you do, do NOT hunker down. Here’s what I mean… What They Know Us For… Many of you, like me, have travelled so you’ll know this. Once you get past the surface stuff, what do you think most other countries and cultures say about the United States? What do they collectively know us for, even our detractors?
This is now disrupting the world. First of all and most importantly, this virus like any contagious illness is serious! Take every precaution you’ve heard about, especially washing hands. Do not kid around with this. That said, most people will not get the virus. 80% of those who get it won’t even know they have it. So, for the massive percentage of us who will be physically unharmed by Corona Virus we have two choices…
OK, I want you to think about your passion, your “thing…” your career, purpose or ministry… the thing you love. Got it? Now… think BIG about it. Bigger than you have before. Create a new vision for it right now. Got it? OK, now… think even BIGGER than that. Go beyond that vision… what’s even bigger? What all could it be? Got it? OK, now… think even crazy bigger than that! Get grandiose, bold, beyond what you can imagine is possible! Got it?
Movies and stories have a very specific and intentional format. We have the hero who’s living his or her life. The hero is good but he/she has a weakness which holds him or her back. A disaster occurs! The disaster is caused by a villain, who must be defeated. Now the hero must go on a journey into the unknown to save the day. The journey is fraught with danger, challenge and at times the outcome is doubtful. At the darkest moment the hero meets a guide who teaches him or her how to overcome their weakness and defeat the villain. The hero ultimately battles the villain and wins by overcoming his or her weakness.
Evan gathered his team together and in the face of flood waters and every adversity said, “The community needs what we sell to recover from this flood. I know this is crazy, but what if we could open today, by 8AM, how would we do it?
