redactedDon't Call It a Comeback Ford, Everest, and Thorns In our living room, amid a mishmash of framed pictures, we have three written sayings that, to the untrained eye, probably seem a little strange. The First: Whether you think you can or can't, you're right. Classic Henry Ford quote. This is a foundational belief that applies to front handsprings, caffeine intake (or lack thereof), multiplication tables, and 100x’ing Chenmark. It’s a daily reminder that our beliefs about what's possible have a funny way of becoming self-fulfilling prophecies. The Second: Just a cold, dark night on the side of Everest. Yes, this is odd. But it's a wonderful reminder that if you want to climb the tallest mountain in the world, you need to be willing to spend some time being uncomfortably cold far from the peak. Worthwhile endeavors are difficult, and discomfort is part of the deal. At the end of a long day, the sign highlights that you don't get to the summit without spending some nights on the mountain. The Third: Roses have thorns. Yes, it's a callback from the classic 1988 Poison song. This one shares a similar sentiment with the Everest sign. Roses are among the most beautiful flowers in the world. But those thorns sure do hurt. The point is that the good and the bad often come as a package deal. You don't get to enjoy the roses while insisting they come without thorns. Perfection is not the goal. As our readers may have gathered, interior decor is not our strong suit. But these sayings have been in our living room for years, ensuring that we see them almost every single day. They sit on the mantel, a gentle reminder that we have the power to shape our world with our beliefs, perspectives, and habits. Of course, these perspectives are not unique and can be found in lots of success-mindset, motivational-speaker type content. But we’ll admit we did not expect to randomly hear LL Cool J, of all people, articulate our entire living room philosophy in a three-minute stretch on Joe Rogan. From the podcast: “People go through stuff. And that's legit. But you can decide to be better. I didn't say it's easy. But you can decide to be better… because a lot of times people, they suspend success in advance. They say “that's too hard… that's easy for you to say” means, “I interpret that to mean that's too hard for me. Or I think that's too hard for me.” No, it's not too hard for you. You just don't want to be uncomfortable.…what they fail to realize is when you dream of roses, you get thorns. If you and I decide we're going to go on an adventure and we're going to climb Mount Everest and we put the work in, that doesn't mean we're not going to deal with weather. We're not going to deal with slippery slopes. Our legs aren't going to be burning from climbing. It doesn't mean that. It doesn't mean it's easy. It just means that, you know, it's a challenge that we're going after, but challenges are difficult. So success is difficult.” Wow. Growth mindset, thorns, AND Everest all in a three-minute span. That’s what we’re talking about. Who knew we were on the same wavelength as LL? Seriously though, the more you dig, the more you realize these beliefs are foundational to success, regardless of the realm. At their core, all three are about managing expectations. First, your expectations of yourself. You have to believe something is possible before you have any chance of achieving it. Second, your expectations of the process. Worthwhile endeavors are difficult, and discomfort is part of the deal, not a sign that something has gone wrong. Third, your expectations of the outcome. Nothing is perfect, and even the best things in life come with trade-offs. You don't get the roses without the thorns. None of this is particularly complicated, nor is it original. But understanding something intellectually and actually living by it are two very different things. Which is why, questionable decor choices notwithstanding, we'll be keeping our signs. They serve as a daily reminder that we have a choice in how we approach whatever life throws our way. Just don't call it a comeback. Have a great week, Your Chenmark Team