I was lucky enough to be part of one of the most progressive, innovative and forward thinking public school systems. My school recommended "What Color Is Your Parachute?" and "Discover What You're Best At" and a buffet of other books to put everyone on the right path to a successful life and career of their choosing. However, I have to say that it was the teachers who 'thought outside the box' who gave the foundation for Life Skills 101, creative thinking, problem-solving and making students put themselves in challenging situations, that made for a more successful road than books alone.

While I had many teachers who were inspiring in many ways, I had a select few 'outside of the box' thinking educators who presented very edgy, super-savvy ideas in teaching.

What's amazing to me, is that these teaching mavericks paved their own way by being different. Utilizing their own uniqueness as a means to be successful at their own craft, to me, means that they created THEIR OWN parachute. But perhaps what they didn't realize, is that the color of their parachutes were technicolored. Sure, it’s familiar and comfortable to always reach for the RED CRAYON. You know it. It’s timeless, it’s a classic, but sometimes you need to think outside the Crayola box. It's not always easy to be different. It's even more difficult to purposely be this way, like swimming upstream. But if you can succeed by doing such, you've developed quite an array of options for handling life because of out-of-the-box thinking. What was great about my teachers, is that they didn't just use ONE color out of the Crayola box of life, they used all 64 and even blended some to create colors of their own...standing out, being different and being uniquely brilliant. Just think the box is bigger now… 120 CRAYONS – PLUS PENCILS, CHALK MARKERS AND PAINT!

One of my teachers, Mr. Sal had the entire class walk the busy city streets and even try to cross them, with blindfolds on,
to see what it was like to be a blind person and what you would do, if suddenly one of your senses was taken away.

He did this to teach humility and gratitude, as well as to rely upon senses you take for granted every single day. This is stuff you can't learn out of a book... you learn by experience and by doing. These are important life skills which, if learned can provide a platform for success, like no other.

My second grade teacher was a Lifeguard. She made sure each one of her students graduated her class, not just in
academics, but also learned how to swim before going onto the third grade. We would learn to swim after a whole day of class.

The irony of 'sink or swim' and the life lesson in that alone is priceless. Not only as it applies to business, but to life itself... staying afloat, knowing when to tread, swimming for your life, looking out for sharks, making good timing, diving in, jumping in with both feet and knowing when to come out of the water.

Lots of people let their own egos get in the way of succeeding in life, not just as business people, but as human beings.
Somehow, what is lost and forgotten is how to put yourself in someone else's shoes or put someone else's needs ahead of your own.... or to be sensitive to the idea that people who are 'without' can succeed anyway - as it is merely about attitude, personal drive and overcoming obstacles.

Above all, having vision beyond the obvious is a key to succeeding in life and that requires taking the time to prioritize
about what really matters.

I have this refrigerator magnet which says "Success is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." And I whole-heartedly believe that is true. But I am also a believer that you sometimes have to pave your own path toward opportunity.

Nothing is more frustrating to me than seeing talent go to waste... and I have to wonder, as I see 'the total package' sitting there, undiscovered, untapped.... what's the problem?

While I know the world is sometimes unfair, cruel and unkind, and those who are 'due' for their time in the sun or spotlight should get their fair shake to be and do what they desire, I also look at the 'bigger picture.'

If you've ever questioned fate or destiny or wondered why timing was off ... QUESTION NO MORE! It is simply the Universe's way of saying "there are other things you need to be doing, learning, experiencing, achieving,
enduring or working on, right now." I think the sooner we all 'get this' ... the easier life becomes about accepting what dealt hands are presented for us to grow from. This is part of that refrigerator magnet... PREPARATION.

Some people think preparation is only about honing your particular skills toward your chosen craft. For example if you are an artistic type, maybe something hasn’t happened in your life to make you do your best work. Whether you are a photographer or a songwriter or a painter…. Maybe you need to travel or experience heartache, loss or a challenge in life to create your masterpiece. Usually life challenges help fuel artistic fire even more. I know this seems strange, but this is also part of 'preparation.' If you are a ladder climber in life trying to get to your next job position in the corporate world, maybe there is a lateral move you need to make to be better prepared for that big job you want. This is also part of preparation.

Part of growth and experience is because you've LIVED LIFE. So the question is posed - Wouldn't THAT make you better at your craft, too?

Instead of looking at the 'oh-poor-me' angle of life and life's events, sometimes the most heart-wrenching things are indeed gifts in other ways. AND THAT IS WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE and adds colors to our parachute
and helps us succeed in whatever we do personally or professionally.

If we stretch those muscles which make us different, show all our colors and celebrate the uniqueness within ourselves, and take the time to exercise our own individuality through adversity... we will have succeeded. Reach beyond the red crayon and color your world as you’d like to see it.

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