Authentic Swing

“Inside each and every one of us is one is a true authentic swing. It is something we were born with. It is something that is ours and ours alone. It is something that can't be taught or learned. It is something that got to be remembered. Over time the world can, rob us of that swing. It gets buried inside us under all our “wouldas” and “couldas” and “shouldas”. Some people may even forget what their swing was like” This is quote is from the movie The Legend of Bagger Vance starring Will Smith, Matt Damon and Charlize Theron. It is based on the 1995 book of the same title by Steven Pressfield and takes place in the U.S. state of Georgia in 1931.

What is your authentic swing? What do you consider to be yours and yours alone?

Over the past year or so I have dedicated my time to mentoring a number of young graduates from the University of Toronto. Marc S. who is a member of the City Centre Toastmasters Club is one of my mentees. He would like to be a dentist and over the past year or more he has spent his time focused on preparing for entrance exams and interviews with dental schools in Australia.

Two weeks ago while I was away working in Trinidad and Tobago I received a call from Marc S. He was very excited. He informed me that he had just received offer of acceptance to prestigious dental school. I was elated. Last week I received another call from Marc S. He was even more excited this time as he informed that he had a second offer of acceptance to second prestigious dental school.

I am extremely happy for Marc S. His excitement was like a magnet with a momentous gravitational pull that almost brought me to tears. I remember clearly the first time he told me that he wanted to attend dental school. I told him that with a clear vision, goals and plan his dream will come through. I love when others succeed because it inspires me. I believe that I have a natural knock for keeping others inspired and motivated. My authentic swing is to inspire and motivate others.

Marc is reaping the benefit of power of belief. He did not need me to plant the seed of the importance of self-belief to be convinced that he would eventually get accepted to multiple dental schools. He needed reassurance. He needed a seal of approval or a vote of confidence. It is almost mystical and magical when we belief in our abilities as it manifest things we once considered impossible into possible and possibilities. Our authentic swing comes first from the power of belief and turning our dreams in realities. This not faith but we may be considered so. However, it is by far the most powerful and creative force in the universe. According to Albert Einstein, “imagination is the greatest creative force in the universe”. Your authentic swing begins with a dream and the power of belief.

A good example of the power of belief is world record of sprint 100m. Remember 50 years ago the 100M world record was around 10.25. Today it is standing at 9.58 held by Jamaican Usain Bolt in at the World Championship in Berlin, Germany on August 16, 2009. Here is an even better example. On July 30^th, I had the opportunity of listening to young Malala Yousafzai at the National Academy of Performing Arts in Trinidad. In October 2012, Malala boarded her school bus in the northwest Pakistani district of Swat. A gunman asked for Malala by name, then pointed a Colt 45 at her and fired three shots. One bullet hit the left side of Malala's forehead. She was attacked because of her passion for education of girls. Today, Malala travels the world as education activist. She is known for her activism for rights to education and for women, especially in the Swat Valley, where the Taliban had at times banned girls from attending school. Throughout history there are several example of mankind progression to greater things by merely the power of belief, dreaming and taking action.

Below I share six steps to developing your authentic swing:

1.            Have a vision and a plan. Visualise what you want and how to achieve it. Ask yourself, where am I now? Where do I want to be? How can I get there? Email me at mastbmckenzie@gmail.com and I will send you a copy of my developmental plan template.

2.            Be proactive and actively seek opportunities.

3.            Think outside the box. Do something new every day. Be innovative. Rekindle your childlike qualities and take some risks. Don’t fail because of inaction but rather because of your determination and courage to try.

4.            Be passionate and enjoy what you do. This will increase your motivation to work hard and drive up your creative energy for great ideas. Consider: What do you enjoy doing? What are you good at? What do you dislike doing? Where can you improve?

5.            Broaden your horizons and add new skill sets and competencies. The best way to increase your capacity and exceed your potential is to invest in your own personal and professional development. Network and connect with like-minded people.  Sound your seductive siren. Read about me in Share News.

6.            Most importantly, believe in yourself.

What is your authentic swing? Have you discovered your authentic swing?

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.