Quantum Leap Coaching & Training Blog

John Chappelear, award winning author, motivational speaker, executive coach, and gifted business strategist, knows something about desperation. As a self-described “serial entrepreneur,” he has been at the top of the business world. In 1990, he owned a business that employed 250 people and generated an annual revenue of $50 million, a lot of money, especially for that time. He had a beautiful home, fancy car, country club membership, a picture perfect family.

Despite the success of his business, those were tough years for the economy, not too different from what we are experiencing today. As conditions worsened, banks exercised the right to shut down a business if they thought the debt to earnings ratio looked risky.

With no warning, John’s business was closed, and, although they said they wouldn’t touch his car, within 24 hours, that, too, was confiscated. Then he had to sell his house and then, it looked like he would have to sell his dream of owning his own business and living the life of a successful entrepreneur.

John sank into a deep depression, recalling days when he lay in a fetal position under his dining room table, crying uncontrollably. All that he owned and cherished, was lost. Or was it?

Never one to ask for help, John had to admit that he wouldn’t be able to win this battle alone. As he worked through the 5 stages of grief: Denial, Fear, Anger, Acceptance, and Forgiveness, he reached out to three friends.

It was from the wise counsel of these men and John’s own willingness to examine the role that he played in the sudden and traumatic turn of events, that he began to awaken to the “gifts of desperation.”

As he spoke to my Results 2009! Teleclass, he recounted many of those “gifts” which later became the basis of his award winning book, “The Daily Six.” You really need to buy the book to fully appreciate his guidance (www.changingthefocus.com) but here are a few nuggets:

• If you don’t pre-judge, you can become grateful for the behaviors that drove you to what you thought were your worst fears
• Just because you feel it, doesn’t make it accurate
• Be a friend and you will find a friend
• Put others first and you will always be first

John knew that he had to find a way to let go of the anger he harbored towards the bank if he was going to move on. His friends agreed but they went one step farther, telling him:

“ When you let go of your anger, you’ll begin to heal. When you replace the anger with gratefulness, you will recover and rise again.”

Pretty heavy stuff. How do you feel grateful for losing your business, a certain status in your community, and, most importantly, your self esteem?

Yet, that’s what John did. He now says that learning the true meaning of gratitude may have been the greatest gift of all. He went onto say that,

“You can’t win if you can’t lose.”

Some would say that John lost a in big way. From a material perspective, that’s true. House, car, business gone….over night! Imagine the worries and fears that began plaguing him. Yet, and here is another lesson, John said that

“All of the things that I worried about never happened. Not one of them!”

Not only did they not happen, today, John is making a wonderful living by using the “gifts of desperation” to help others. He is sought after as a keynote speaker, lecturer, and business coach.

His final words to my teleclass,

“Everyone on this call is going to be okay. You have everything you need to move forward.”

If you are an executive or an entrepreneur and are finding the current economic climate challenging, it may be difficult to think that “you have everything you need to move forward.” So, ask yourself:

What if everything you worry about just won’t happen (if you change your focus)?

What if you are moving in the direction of your greatest dreams?

What if it all works out?

What if it’s not as hard as you think?

What if your challenges today become tomorrow’s gifts?

To find out more about John Chappelear, visit his website at: www.changingthefocus.com.