Are You Better Than Average?

Apparently we’re in a recession. Sorry if I’m the first one to break it to you. I know the news channels have been trying their hardest to hush it up and only deliver good news, but it’s here and who knows, maybe it’s here for a while?

Recessions aren’t good things at all because everybody has to put their life on hold and be miserable until the economy moves back into growth.

I even hear that smiling is now illegal, making money banned and parties have been prohibited in many States for fear that random joviality, good humor and frivolousness may break out. Quite right too if you ask me because the only way out of recession is by sitting around listening to Leonard Cohen songs and telling sad stories about the Wall Street Crash, the South Sea Bubble and the day M.A.S.H. finished.

As a Life Coach it would be easy for me to think that a recession is going to mean hard times for my family and I. After all, to hire a Life Coach you need some spare cash and according to all the reports there is no spare cash anywhere, Warren Buffett has it all.

I’m was going to quit and head back to England with my tail between my legs until I made the shocking discovery via the UK media that things aren’t great there either. Oh no I thought, the Universe is conspiring against me yet again.

Apparently unemployment is on the increase, petrol prices are going through the proverbial roof and somebody has stolen all the gold that was used to pave the streets of London. Damn! I can’t go there then, and that uses up all the countries that will allow me past their border control without offering huge wads of cash or mules as bribes. I’ll just have to stay where I am for the time being and tough it out.

Look at the activities below and rank where you think you are with each one:

Poor – Fair – Just Below Average - Average – Just Above Average - Good – Excellent

Driving
Making Love
Doing Your Job
Your Health (or if you’re not well, your ability to recover)
Your Potential
Your Open Mindedness

I know you, I bet you’ve rated yourself higher than average on most of those. You have, haven’t you, you little rascal? And good for you, because I think you’re well above average too, and you shouldn’t be afraid to say so.

The weird thing is that vast majority of people think they are above average or better when you ask them about many areas of their life. Of course math dictates that everybody can’t be above average, but that’s beside the point. What this says to me (and yes this is just my opinion), is that we’re all inherently optimistic and have a belief in ourselves that Society seems to want to condition us to keep under wraps.

Last week I was talking to a client that had just put his house up for sale. He was bemoaning the fact that it was going to take him about 2 years to sell it and even then he’d never get his initial asking price. Jeez I thought, this guys a soothsayer, I wonder if he can tell me whether tank tops will come back into fashion, or I just need to give it up and let them go to the charity store?

I asked him how he knew when he would sell his house and he told me that was the Florida average. Oh right the Florida average I thought, that explains it and the tank tops are staying right where they are.

I then asked him half a dozen questions similar to the ones above. Each time I asked him to rate his ability in a different area I got an answer of ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ and in each area I fully believed him because he was a successful guy.

“What if you took that belief in yourself and your abilities and transferred it to selling your house? With your contacts, ability to influence and passion for business, do you not think that you could sway the odds in your favor a bit more?”

I have no idea of whether he will sell his house more quickly, but I am absolutely sure he has more chance of doing so believing that it’s possible.

I’m actually happy to be staying where I am in the good ole US of A. I know that there is less money about and some people will see Life Coaching as a luxury they can ill afford, but I’m not going to get wrapped up in that. I know I’m an excellent coach, I know I can help people and I know it’s my job to demonstrate coaching is a sound investment in their future and not an indulgence. I have to believe all that otherwise I’m in the wrong job!

Whatever it is you do, I will guarantee you this. There will be some people in your industry or field of expertise that will have their best ever year this year. However, they wont be the people whining about the recession or complaining about how tough things are. They’ll be the ones that refuse to believe that the recession applies to them because they know they’re not average or even close to being average, they’re way above that.

Go out and make it your best year ever and then take great pleasure in thumbing your nose at all those that told you it wasn’t possible.

If you want to learn how to reframe which is a cunningly simple way to feel better about ‘negative’ situations. Watch this.

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19 Comments So Far.

Comment by Chris Moran on 8 July 2008:

Nice writing style. Looking forward to reading more from you.

Chris Moran
Comment by RJ on 8 July 2008:

I’d rate myself as fantabulous on all those activities, keeping in mind the direct relationship between the 2nd and last activities ^_^
Comment by Tim Brownson on 8 July 2008:

@ RJ - LMAO - I really have no way of knowing how to take that, but boy did it make me laugh! Fantabuolous is a great word btw ;-)
Comment by chris on 8 July 2008:

I guess I can brag about how great I am with everything listed above. I can even provide references…LOL

The good thing with being an educator is that we don’t really feel the recession. The bad thing is that every year, it feels like recession because of our relative salary. ;).

Thanks for making me feel great today! You rock dude!
Comment by Tim Brownson on 8 July 2008:

@ Chris Moran - Sorry buddy, just fished you out of my spam bin. Thanks for dropping by.

@ Chris - I have had a number of teachers as clients Chris and it really irritates me the salary they get in relation to their value to society. Without exception the ones I have worked with teach because they want to help others and that deserves recognition in terms of salary imho. Give me an educator or a nurse over an attorney any day ;-)
Comment by Evelyn Lim | Attraction Mind Map on 8 July 2008:

Tim, don’t bother to “escape” to Singapore either. I happen to glance at my petrol bills yesterday. For the first time, I became aware about how prices have increased. I was surprised at how much I was paying for a full tank.

Recession or not, it doesn’t quite make a difference for me! I’m of the opinion that this is going to be my best year ever in many years! My path is getting clearer. I’m moving in a direction that I wouldn’t have dreamed of, previously. Do wish me success in the months ahead!

Evelyn
Comment by Laurie on 8 July 2008:

I an educator as well but I left the security of the public schools to go out on my own. I am totally pumped about the future for my business and the impact we can have on students and teachers.

I really feel that God is leading the way with this business so if it fails it’s with a lesson to learn or another avenue to explore. Either way, I win. Am I worried about the recession? In a word…no. I trust God not to take me where he doesn’t want me to be. And just to be deep heart real here, I really think that a weird business like mine surviving at a time such as this will only make people say, “Well God had a hand in that!” My reply will be, “He most certainly did!”

Oh, and I was rated excellent on each one of the areas above with extra merit for “Most Improved” on the second one! ;O)
Comment by Mags | Woo-Woo Wisdom on 9 July 2008:

The media says “recession”. I hear “50% off sales” as companies try to entice me into their shops. I hear “excellent time to buy a house” as prices fall and I get lots of value for my money. I hear “opportunities opening up” as all the pessimists take themselves out of the running by hiding under their beds with their fingers in their ears going “lalalalala” :)

It’s all good, all the time, regardless what the media tries to tell me ;)
Comment by LMaxwell on 9 July 2008:

Thanks Tim, you have a cool writing style!

Come recession, I see opportunity written all over for the first time, and business has never been better. My economy depends on me!

Ha, regarding the ratings, I am good on my way to excellence.
Comment by Tim Brownson on 9 July 2008:

@ Evelyn - Good for you and you know I wish you all the best. I know you believe passionately in both yourself and what you do and that is 95% of the journey imho.

@ Laurie - Another excellent, that’s brilliant! I’m starting to realize that only excellent people read my blog. To quote RJ, how fantabulously cool is that??

@ Mags - I just drove to downtown Orlando and had Radio 1 on (Isn’t sat radio absolutely brilliant that I can be in Florida listening to BBC radio!) and they were saying motoring costs have actually come down because motor manufacturers have had to reduce costs. Some will always focus on the negative and the media leads them to that particular pity party. Fear sells unfortunately.

@LMaxwell - I feel like I should be typing your first name rather than something so formal! Recession definitely breeds opportunity, of that I have no doubt.
Comment by Tom Volkar / Delightful Work on 9 July 2008:

You make an excellent point my friend. We are the differentiating factor in our success or failure, are we not? So if we think we are above average it follows that we are in charge of creating an above average life. It’s up to us. The hell with the recession. You’re right someone is always getting wealthy regardless of the times.
Comment by Tim Brownson on 9 July 2008:

@ Tom - You’re right if it aint us I don’t know who it is ;-) Fancy getting wealthy?
Comment by Tom Volkar / Delightful Work on 10 July 2008:

Do I fancy getting wealthy? Yes, it’s clear that I do and I am in the midst of creating that wealth now! :)
Comment by jcrn on 10 July 2008:

I really enjoyed this and I’m looking forward to reviewing the book, too. You’ve captured my interest for sure. Intriguing post!
Comment by Tim Brownson on 11 July 2008:

@ jcrn - Glad you enjoyed the post and I hope you enjoy the book! Thanks for dropping by.
Comment by vered on 11 July 2008:

Tim, I love reading you. I don’t know what it is about you that makes me read things that I would normally dismiss, and think that they actually make a lot of sense. So thank you I guess. :)
Comment by Tim Brownson on 12 July 2008:

@ Vered - You’re very welcome and thanks for that. Don’t dismiss anything ;-)
Comment by Dan O'Neil | Personal Development Tips on 15 July 2008:

Hi Tim,

A recession may mean that people are less likely to see how they can afford life coaching, but then there is always the optimistic view that people are actually more likely to need coaching because they can see no other way out of their current situation without getting help. I find that the commitment of the money that life coaching costs helps a long way towards a person’s commitment to their own process of change. I’d say that people who do commit in a recession are more motivated to change because their money is worth that bit more, so will their coaching experience be.

There’s always a positive side to every negative situation and like you say, if you believe in the possibility it’s much more likely to happen!!

Incidentally, I’m keeping George’s Fish and Chips warm for you in case you ever do run home to the UK with your tail between your legs!!

Cheers, Dan
Comment by Tim Brownson on 15 July 2008:

@ Dan - Agreed mate and I hope that more people come to see it like that. I could murder those fish and chips rights now as I sit here and contemplate a salad!