Everyday we face various Stop signs. Not only in a car, but in our professional and personal lives as well. When someone gives us unfavorable feedback, or we lose support, or we lose funding, or something does not work out, we face a Stop sign. But many people take these encounters far too literally and see “stop-trying signs.”
When you approach a Stop sign on the road I assume you don’t whine, or you don’t ditch your car, or turn back around. A Stop “sign” is just that: a signpost – a reminder to pause, think, reflect, and assess before moving forward once again.
As much as we may be annoyed by the interruption, many times Stop signs in life (as on the road) serve a very important purpose. Without them, we may never stop to examine our actions, our approach, or our assumptions.
I’ve met many Mavericks who have clutched their greatest opportunities not from serendipitous strokes of genius, but rather, a Stop sign that urged them to innovate.
How will your next Stop sign help you move forward?
Be a Maverick,
– Kent
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5 comments
[…] A Stop sign does not mean turn back | Maxims for Mavericks by Kent Healy […]
Maxims are nice, but a concrete, personal story would be a good addition to these kinds of posts.
Agreed. Perhaps some time in the future. Right now, unfortunately, this format is all I can find time for. The brevity of each post (on this blog anyway) is also something I am striving to maintain. Just simple, but uncommon, reminders to think and act in unique ways. I also want to encourage readers to share their personal examples in the comments sections, but I think that will come with time.
This was a post that I really needed to read. I’ve been coming up against a “stop” sign in my business and in my personal life but this post just reminded me that it is just a delay not a denial.
Thanks!
A Stop sign is does not mean turn back…