You’ve probably never been asked this question, so please allow me to do so: “What VERSION Are YOU?” The use of version numbering is everywhere in our digital world, but did you know it can also apply to you?
If we were assigning a version number to a person, we’d say that Version 1.0 is who we are initially. We’d also say, in many instances, that people remain within Version 1 and into 1.2, etc., but never to Version 2 or beyond.
While this is not bad, it means we’ve accepted the narrative of who we are, who we should become and where we should go in life that was given to us by our parents, relatives, teachers, religious leaders and other individuals from birth to the present.
Using this analogy, we could then assert that any deviance from our original life narratives would constitute emergence into Version 2.0. Similarly, any other life-altering experience such as a major illness, accident, change in domestic status or even retirement could provoke our emergence into other versions, i.e., 3.0, 4.0, etc.
Having this understanding as early as possible in life is critical to both our ongoing and ultimate success and especially our happiness in life, both personally and professionally.
First, we must accept the fact that we are the product of our choices. While there is no doubt that our life experiences shape our attitudes, as a wise mentor once said to me, “Attitude determines altitude.”
So, at each juncture, the choice is ours. Do we choose to operate within the same version forever, or do we choose to step beyond our comfort zones and experience more of what life has to offer?
I will always remember my first step out of Version 1. It was 1976, and I attended a motivational seminar presented by Ira Gedan, a then noted speaker. Gedan marketed motivational programs, and after hearing him speak, I expressed a desire to know more. An appointment was made for him to come to our home at 6 p.m.
Upon informing my wife of just one year, she queried me regarding this stranger, Gedan, and his purpose in visiting our home. I shared with her my experience of meeting him earlier in the day and how I felt his product could help me become more effective, both personally and professionally.
While my wife has always been supportive of my business development efforts, I must confess that the $600 price tag for the motivational seminar (equal to $2,610 in today’s dollars) was a major expense for our young family. Needless to say, after meeting Gedan that evening and seeing my enthusiasm, she saw the value.
Since then, I have spent many thousands of dollars on professional coaching and self-improvement. Never content with being Version 1, I continue to enthusiastically seek out ways to produce a newer, and better, version of me, and I invite you to do the same!
While best known through his involvement in the financial services arena, JOE LOWRY SR. is widely respected as someone who possesses keen insights into human behavior and performance. His innate ability to see the big picture, while making the complex both understandable and workable, has won him the respect of many devoted clients and friends. Visit www.LowryAdvisors.com