First Person: How I Achieved My Empire State of Mind

I love to hear stories about children because they do and say the funniest things. One of the stories that I heard this week was about my leader's daughter. My boss, his wife and their 2 children were at the park when they observed another little girl with a lollipop. This little girl was minding her own business, enjoying her candy when my boss's daughter realized that candy was in the vicinity and that she needed to possess it. My boss and his wife predicted what would happen next, their daughter was going to take the candy, by any means necessary! Before they could catch up with their daughter, she'd taken the lollipop and of course, my boss made her give it back. His daughter was distraught and she began to cry. She told him, "Daddy, I want the candy". He tried to explain to her that she couldn't have it because it didn't belong to her and that she couldn't take someone else's things. With tears in her eyes, she stated, "But Daddy, I want it!" It amazes me that children know what they want at such a young age, that they have no regard for fear, and that they execute the necessary behaviors to accomplish the end result. What a lesson for us to learn as adults. I, too have to remove barriers, limits, and sometimes tap into my creativity so that I can possess what is rightfully mine. Quite frankly, I sometimes have to be aggressive and just go for it. This is what I call my "empire state of mind". Although my focus is on career and not candy, the principle is still the same.

When I decided to start my own business, I knew that I needed to think like an employer even though I'd spent my entire career as an employee. My first assignment was to eliminate distractions. I had to acknowledge that there are certain things that are out of my control. However, I have to decide who and what I give my energy to. I have decided to implement a strategy for success and to revisit my plan as needed to make sure that I stay the course with minimal distractions. The second assignment was to eliminate unrealistic definitions and perceptions that I'd created for myself. I have timeframes, plans, and expectations of what I want to do, when I want to do it, and how I want it done. The only problem is, some of these ideas aren't realistic which means I can't feasibly achieve them. I now understand that my plans don't have to be so rigid that there isn't room for flexibility and change so that I can accomplish the desired task. These assignments all start with a decision and they all start in my mind.

I can't help but think of the hit song "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys when I think of the impacts of a mind change. This particular song peaked within the top 10 in multiple countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, and Sweden. It was commercially successful in the United States, it was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks, and it appeared in 2009 year-end charts in Italy, Australia and the U.S. This song was actually recorded by someone else. Jay-Z heard it, changed all of the lyrics, added Alicia Keys and the rest is history, musical history! Empire speaks to power and authority which is the frame of mind that I need if I truly want to be successful. While I still need to eliminate distractions and unrealistic goals along the way, I have to see myself beyond the immediate. I have to implement change and focus on the end result if I am going to possess the success that I've envisioned.

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