Winning Against Your Goliath

Feb 12

Written By Andrina Valdes

“A challenge only becomes an obstacle when you bow to it.” ― Ray Davis

Face your Giants… Don’t be defeated!

Watch this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbW3avTBK1g

God has gifted you with the ability… DON’T WASTE IT!

Notes that Resonated

Life’s challenges help you discover who you are
The thing that gives a giant, his size is also the key to his greatest weakness. Understand it, so you can leverage against it
The key is to understand where the competition is weak
The conquering fear creates acceleration
Courage is a result of going through the tough times and realizing they’re not as bad as you think.
We are not only liable to fear, but we are also prone to being afraid of being afraid. (David & Goliath)
Where do you need to stop being afraid? What fear can you embrace to help you grow?
“Adversity causes some men to break & others to break records.” ― William Arthur Ward….. Which will you be?
Plants are growing even in the winter…. But you may not see it because they are working on the roots and not baring fruit.
Some of us are in a winter season in real estate but that doesn’t mean you can’t be growing. Work on the roots of your business so they can bear more fruit when spring arrives.
Your problem isn’t the problem. Your reaction is the problem
Do you see the obstacle as a puzzle to solve or a reason to not succeed?
Narratives dictate our results
Internal narratives can be disempowering excuses - what story are you telling yourself about the current situation

Things to read:

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

At its core, this book is about people experiencing adversity and how it remarkably shaped their life. It’s also about courage, motivation, and leveraging your strengths over your “giant” of an opponent and how you can win.

The audio version is great.. unfortunately, the book and the audio don’t match up well so you can’t listen and read along. 😞

8 Lessons I learned to win as the Underdog:

lesson 1: Embrace Adversity. Living a privileged life can hinder your ability to win or succeed (be mindful of this with your children). Adversity builds character and overcoming it breeds long term success. Don’t avoid adversity push past it.

lesson 2: Study their Strength. More or Bigger is not always better- when facing a giant, study their strength as it can also be a weakness. Being too large or having a lot of money is also a weakness.

lesson 3: Never play the Giant’s game- adopt a different strategy to win. Use your unique abilities and advantages against a competitor… never toe to toe on their terms or by their rules. Leveraging your unique ability and what you do best is your unfair advantage

lesson 4: Strategy is key. Beating a giant comes from creativity and determination.

lesson 5: The weaknesses is the strength- learning disabilities and other “desirable difficulties” can become an advantage. Many develop almost supernatural adaptive skills overcoming personal obstacles. ex. not being able to read well can make you a great listener. Leverage a weakness to build a strength. (There is a whole section on learning disabilities.. very interesting)

lesson 6: Courage wins battles. Courage comes from enduring struggles and learning they won’t kill you. Be grateful for your challenges they create you. Nietzsche was right when he said, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger”

lesson 7: Be unreasonable and relentless. Innovators and creatives share the trait of being disagreeable. Being too agreeable will keep you from achieving break through success. Progress comes from the unreasonable man. To overcome a giant, you must be unreasonable.

lesson 8: Choose your pond wisely. (Big Pond little fish effect): Being the small fish in the big pond (or vice versa) has a negative consequence to growth and success. Surround yourself with likeminded people that will inspire you, not discourage you. (There is a whole section on choosing the right college, but this also applies to areas of work)

Podcasts to listen to:

Wow! Understanding where your genius comes from…. A very lighthearted and moving speech about your creative genius. Ted talks daily (where I discovered this content) is a good podcast to follow for quality content. It highlights only top Ted talks over the years. ($4.99 a month)

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ted-talks-daily/id160904630?i=1000598591106

Here is the video of the same talk. No subscription required.

Your elusive creative genius | Elizabeth Gilbert

Videos to watch: Tips to taking great photos with your phone

Simple yet very practical tips to taking beautiful and creative photos with your phone

https://youtu.be/_ZYGsx1i5L8

Get better photos by improving the composition

https://youtu.be/VArISvUuyr0

Top Quotes (Overcoming Obstacles):

“You are no greater than the friends you keep, the books you read, the heroes you admire, and the obstacles you overcome.” ― Matshona Dhliwayo

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.” ― Henry Ford

“When you see an obstacle approaching, grab your courage and speed up.” ― Angela Lynne Craig