What Do You Reach To When The Road Gets Tough?

by Paul Castain on January 19, 2012

I remember watching the “Wanted Dead Or Alive” video back in the day and shaking my head.

Here’s this great song and the whole time they’re portraying the band as worn out from the road but still embracing the “the show must go on attitude”

I remember thinking “poor f’n rock stars making all that money and being flashed by hot women at every concert. I feel real sorry for them . . . that’s almost unbearable . . . jackasses!”

Then I began to experience my own version of that . . . minus the flashing and the millions of dollars.

My business was really exploding!

This moment of realization happened to me this week as I traveled a few states. In between training gigs I was setting up new ones, selling mucho e-books and booking 5 new coaching clients . . .  but that’s not my “poor me” moment.

I was battling one of the worst colds I can remember and I actually think it was a respiratory infection. Here I am, in a situation where talking aggravates a horrible cough and yet I have no choice . . .

But to deliver the 110% my clients paid for!

I was having a moment back at my hotel this week where it was starting to become a bit much then it happened . . .

I reached into my computer bag and did the old “break glass in case of emergency”

I pulled out an old worn file folder that contains an essay that my son had written about me a few years ago.

The title . . .”My Father, My Hero!”.

I found my strength and opened my whupass!

I don’t care how tough we pretend to be to the outside world . . .

There will be times when we grow tired.

There will be times that we question ourselves.

There will be times when we wonder if we’re going to get through something.

Then we reach down and find our strength.

Perhaps through a pep talk to self?

Perhaps through our “spiritual GPS”?

Enough about me . . . What do you reach to when the road gets tough?

Paul Castain trains organizations and coaches individuals to attain new levels of rock stardom. For more information on how Paul can help you make 2012 your best year . . . click here!

  • Debbie

    I pray –then remember that same thing when the road smooths out.  Thanks for asking and enjoy the road.
    Debbie

  • http://yoursalesplaybook.com paulcastain

    Prayer . . . a wonderful place to turn Debbie!

    Thanks for taking the time to contribute to this thread!

  • Toni Hogan

    Paul,

    I hope you are feeling better!  There are a couple of things I do.  First, I have a conversation with my husband.  He always gets my head back in the game and makes me feel like he has my back even though physically he is not with me at the time.  Next, I listen to AC/DC.  For some reason, after a few head banging songs, I feel ready to take on the world! 

    Thanks for your wisdom and cheers to 2012!

    Toni

  • http://yoursalesplaybook.com paulcastain

    Fantastic Toni. These are great places to turn!

    Thank you for stopping by!

  • Jkublnick

    Love this post.  Chills.  We often belive we are put on the Earth simply to close business, build a network, complete forecasts and answer emails.  Truth is, those are all tasks in order to fufill a much larger commitment and promise.  Thanks for the reminder.

  • Jabba

    I just man up and get it done. Playing as a working nightclub drummer you usually were in a constant state of bronchial distress as smoking goes well with drinking. I remember once finished at an engagement the smoke cleaned off of my drums and cymbals as a thick nicotine goo. Many of the original Rock Stars were toured to death by media companies until Ray Charles in his deal made sure he owned the rights to his own masters. Later, a group no less than The Beatles formed Apple so they could actually gain from the fruits of their own labor. The Band “WAR” was another example where they did not even own their own name and the group that was WAR cannot use their own name which a different band now uses on behalf of the company who owns the name. In some ways the net has made it so good for everyman/woman in that the difficulty is still there but at least we get to prosper from the fruit of our labor. As to the flashings, AHHH! The memories of young days! Say! Did I ever tell you about……….

  • Lisa

    Sometimes I go to your website! Post your sons essay for us.

  • Daniella

    Great post, Paul. Most people will recognize this frustrating experience in some shape or form. I like that you hold on to your son’s inspiring poem about YOU. It seems to me that you have taught your son positive survival skills. Clearly, there is a “pay it forward” situation happening here. Your son’s future looks good.

  • Marc Zazeela

    Paul,

    What you have experienced, and described, is what I call “being human”.  Sometimes things happen that we cannot control but need to keep under control.

    How easily you could slip into a “woe is me” mindset.  In fact lots of people probably would under similar circumstances.

    At times when I begin to feel the weight of the world, I stop and think about the millions and millions of people who have nothing. No place to sleep, little food to eat, the clothes on their backs, etc.  You get the picture. And, through it all, most of them don’t complain nearly as much as many of us who have so much.

    I am lucky. What have I got to complain about?

    Cheers,
    Marc

  • Larry

    Paul,

    Great post and I love Marc’s comments below.   Everyone has a “Woe is me” moment…but then as Marc says there are other folks who have got it way worse than most of us reading this post.

    An “Attitude for Gratitude” is what will snap you back from the dumps.   Always be grateful for what you have because there is always someone who has it way worse than you do.

    Way to go Paul!

    Cheers,
    Larry

  • http://twitter.com/VYFCT VirtuallyYoursFromCT

    Paul,

    What a great post and reminder that we are never alone in our times of questioning! We’ve all been there at one point or another, and have different ways of dealing with it. But hopefully, for those folks who may be in despair about it, knowing that others have been in that exact place (sometimes more than once), and have gotten through it successfully, will help them push through it.

    And I agree with Larry and Marc – the stopping to be grateful for the blessings we have, and thinking of those whose only goal day to day is to simply (and literally) survive – can be quite an effective approach.

    Hope you’re feeling much better and that your whupass helped chase those germies away!  ;o)

    Have a great weekend!

    Virtually Yours,Anne-Marie

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