2023 - The Year of The GOAT!

Happy New Year! I have been thinking about a theme for 2023 and have landed on:

“The Year of the GOAT!” *Greatest Of All Time*

In general, it appears there is much caution and apprehension about 2023. I believe this will be a year of learning, a year of growth and a year to be remembered. I look forward to the joy and challenges that lay ahead as we celebrate Ozinga’s 95th year in business.

I hope the following 7 life lessons help make 2023 a success, enjoy!

1. It’s Not About Me

Everything today tells you to focus on yourself, make yourself known, be popular, be unique, on and on. I encourage you to think the opposite: it’s not about Me! Humility is desperately lacking these days. The reality is that the more we focus on ourselves, the more miserable and isolated we become. At Ozinga, we use the acronym QKA (quietly kicking ass). Let your actions speak louder than your words. Be filled with humble confidence in who you are and to whom you belong. Do your best to underpromise and overdeliver.

“Success doesn’t change you, it reveals you.” Johnny Depp

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” C.S. Lewis

“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” John F. Kennedy

“It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.” St. Augustine

2. You Cannot Control Your Thoughts, Only What You Do With Them

It seems the world is going crazy and having an identity crisis. People are encouraged to believe: if you think it, then you are. This is total bullshit! Can you imagine a world where everyone acted on every random thought!? Well, we’re on our way and it will definitely end in tears. The very fabric of our society is being ripped apart by this mentality. Thoughts are no more than thoughts, we need to filter them constantly and dismiss the negative ones as soon as possible before they take hold. You are beautiful, precious, unique, and loved. Never allow negative thoughts or anyone else to tell you otherwise.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

“I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”?Willie Nelson

“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”?Abraham Lincoln

“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t either way you are right!”?Henry Ford

3. Stop Trying!

What does that mean, should we give up!? Absolutely not; we should stop trying to be someone we’re not. Each one of us was created with unique gifts, talents, and abilities. It’s easy to see someone else’s success or talents and try to be like them. This hardly ever works. Find out who you are and what unique skills you were born with. Personality tests such as Meyers Briggs, Clifton Strengths Finder, and others will help you learn more about your natural talent. Early in my marriage of now 23 years, I was “trying” to please my wife by doing things I thought she would appreciate. This was a failure because we tend to love others the way we like to be loved but this does not translate and only leads to unmet expectations.

Instead, I stopped trying to be someone I’m not and just focused on improving my relationship with God. Lo and behold, she found that version of me much more desirable. Be your genuine self, it’s the least complicated, least stressful, and most attractive version of you!

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken” Oscar Wilde

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” Steve Jobs

4. Run Into The Fire!

When faced with a difficult situation at work or home, the worst thing you can do is ignore it: hope it goes away and wish that somehow gets better on its own. Good luck with that! The best thing you can do is run into the fire and deal with things head-on. Don’t let a snowball turn into an avalanche because you’re conflict-averse or lack the courage to be honest. Go directly to the person and lovingly discuss the matter. Talking to everyone but the person you have an issue with is a mistake. Life is full of problems, misunderstandings, and challenges. Do your best to see them as an opportunity to improve relationships not destroy them.

“People will forget what you said and did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

“Action is the foundational key to all success.” Pablo Picasso

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” Eleanor Roosevelt.

5. Accept Challenges and Never Stop Learning

There has never been another time in history that affords so many an abundance of “free time.” Just about every new technology today allows us to accomplish more in less time. You hardly have to leave your house to accomplish just about anything. The luxuries we have today were only science fiction just 20 years ago. My question is, what will you do with the extra time you have been given? I’m not saying there’s a right or wrong answer to this question but for those that desire to change the world, there have never been more opportunities to do so than right now. Just remember, your impact on people is the only thing that will last for eternity. By taking on new challenges and learning new things we open ourselves up to new worlds where we can have a positive impact.

The following paragraph is from one of my previous posts. One of the things you will learn from a winemaker is the best wine in the world comes from the grapes of vines that struggle. They are the vines planted on the hillside, in rocky soil, struggling to get enough water to survive. The grapes of struggling vines are smaller, more concentrated, and full of character. These vines also produce a much smaller yield, making it much more expensive to grow but the results are unique and full of depth. Cheap wine on the other hand is grown in very fertile soil with plenty of water, leading to much higher yields. These grapes are larger but watered down without much character at all. Many of us would not choose to go through the pain and struggle that is thrust upon us unexpectedly. It’s hard at times; really hard but if we are able to survive, it transforms us into unique characters who are rare, beautiful, and extraordinary.

“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” Steve Jobs

“Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.” George S. Patton

“Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.” Thomas Carlyle

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain

6. Stop Being So Hard On Yourself

We are all sinners saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. If you mess up, own it, make your amends and move on. Every mistake is an opportunity to learn and grow; a slice of humble pie. No one has it all figured out, not even close. If someone tells you otherwise, stay away! Do your best to be grateful, regardless of the circumstance. Try to laugh more and not take yourself too seriously. Time is short, life is precious, and all you have is today!

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2

“We are products of our past, but we don't have to be prisoners of it.” Rick Warren

"Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts". Winston S. Churchill

7. Redeem The Time

As long as you have breath, there is time to have a positive impact, there is time to heal broken relationships, and there is time to forgive and be forgiven. Don’t let another day pass without being honest with yourself and others. Take the time and effort to show genuine love to others, especially your own family.

“Lost time is never found again.” Benjamin Franklin

“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” Andy Warhol

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” J. R. R. Tolkien

“Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.” Bil Keane

Welcome, 2023!