It is early in the morning. King Chip ascends to his throne, stands tall, and confidently announces to the world that he has arrived.
King Chip, or as we call him, the Lord of the Woodpile, is a chipmunk. Each day, he climbs to the top of a woodpile in my back yard, stands tall in the morning sunlight, and chatters loudly to the entire neighborhood, as if to tell us ‘this is my kingdom, and none dare enter my territory!’
At first glance, this is a story of a cute little [7 ounces full-grown] rodent with an attitude. However, yesterday it occurred to me that King Chip is a model for how to live a life of ACTION and courage.
As I watched him chattering away to no one in particular, I had the following thoughts:
Be confident in your actions. When King Chip chatters to the neighborhood, he’s letting everyone know that he’s arrived, he’s claiming his territory, and you better not mess with him. He chases away other chipmunks, stares down nearby squirrels, and stands tall on his throne of wood to announce his presence.
LESSON #1: If you don’t have the confidence to tell the world who you are and what you do, you won’t be noticed.
Be courageous. King Chip doesn’t let his size hold him back. Local cats, dogs and hawks, which are much larger, would love to have him for a snack. Yet every day, he bravely announces his presence to the world, and goes about his business, ruling his kingdom.
LESSON #2: If you don’t exhibit the courage to take action, even in the face of great obstacles, you won’t succeed.
Be bold. Have a grand vision. King Chip acts as if the entire yard is his [for all intents and purposes it is, based on all of the holes in the lawn]. He scurries from the wood pile to the back steps, to the front yard. In the process, he has a grand time. In a world loaded with predators, he enthusiastically lives his life.
LESSON #3: If you don’t live life boldly, you can’t live it to the fullest extent.
I don’t know how long King Chip will be around, but I appreciate the example he sets. He shows me every day that life is a great adventure, and it’s up to me to make the most of it. Thank you, Your Highness, for the reminder.
Michael’s mission is to help leaders, managers and sales professionals communicate with more confidence, impact, and influence. This passion is born from his own communication difficulties early in his career.
Fortunately, he discovered that public speaking is like riding a bike, swimming or driving a car - it’s a learnable skill. Once he discovered this ‘secret’ he became a voracious student of the craft. He took courses, studied some of the world’s best speakers and storytellers and continues to study presentation and business storytelling skills.
He is hired by companies and organizations, leaders, managers and sales professionals, and TEDx speakers to help them become more confident, impactful and influential communicators.
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