The Art of Accessibility

In my last blog, I ended with five tools for success. For me, everything that we do in life can reveal parallels and parables that teaches and trains us to become better people. Over the past few months I have been teaching several people in my area the art of playing guitar. During this endeavor I have begun to see how playing guitar can possibly change a person's life. Learning the art of playing the guitar doesn't unlock some secret magic but applying the learned principals, parallels and methods to your everyday life can.

"Your time is a zero sum game. When you say yes to one thing, you are simultaneously saying no to something else. The more successful you get, the more difficult this becomes. You find yourself saying no to good things—worthy things—in order to say yes to your most important priorities."- Michael Hyatt

Learning any new skill requires time, people, resources, tools, and practice. I understand that everyone isn't interested in learning to play the guitar but I firmly believe that anyone who really wants to can learn to play. The possibility for one to learn any skill is not a matter of having time, people, resources, tools, or opportunities. It is a matter of what one truly desires in his or her heart to do and believing that it is possible to be done. The first parallel that I drew from the 5 Essential Guitar Accessories post was that every guitarist needs a guitar stand and the art of accessibility.

Accessibility is the degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity. Having your guitar out on a stand makes it more accessible to the guitarist. When you inline your life with finding success, which is discovering your true passions and bringing them to life, you will need to discover the art of accessibility. These are 3 elements to the art of accessibility.

1. The Element of Time-

Have you ever made the excuse of not having enough time to take on a new task or learn a new skill? I know I have. We all have been given the same amount of time. The difference is in how we use that time we have been given. Knowing that alone can empower you or hold you captive. The difference in a successful persons time and an unsuccessful persons time is a matter of how it is spent. Timing is everything and the time to pursue your passions and dreams is now. Invest in prioritizing your time. This doesn't mean having some rigid schedule that you can never deviate from. It means setting objectives for each day that will bring you closer to seeing your goals and passions come to life.

2. The Element of Saying Yes-

When my children came into my life I promised myself to say yes to them as often as possible. I want to provide the best things in life for my children to have the best life possible. Saying yes for some people can be difficult. When dreams are crushed and when affirmation isn't given, fear becomes the root element in saying no to the pursuit of their dreams. They develop a belief system of fear in their unconscious mind.  Fear of failure and ridicule often is the reason why we don't say yes to our passions and dreams. By being accessible to saying yes and facing down fear you open doors of success.

3. The Element of Saying No-

 Choose who you give your attention and time to. Sometimes we get caught up in giving way more than we should. How can the hungry serve and feed others, if they haven't gotten their needs meet? We can only 'go' on just so much and if we truly want to give and help others, why not give them our best? Instead we say yes to everyone and opportunity that comes our way. These are the actions of a person tossed by the ocean of life. They don't know or have forgotten what their true passions and dreams are. They blindly say yes to everything. People make this mistake in church circles all the time. Understand that your faith isn't based on how much you give but on your intentions in what you do. Be intentional with who you give your time, mind, heart, attention, money, and trust to.

"The more successful you are the less accessible you become to people. Success has a way of pulling you away from people and because you can’t be with everyone you have to limit your circle and those people get 100% of the attention."- John Maxwell.

The Art of Accessibility is a matter of making the most of your time, knowing when to say yes, and knowing when to say no. Mastering this art will bring you closer to fulfilling your passions, dreams, and divine purpose.

Have you ever had to say no to opportunities that kept you from your goals? Leave your answers and comments in the 'comments' section or as you share this blog on Facebook with your friends. Be sure to also share the art of accessibility with your followers on Twitter.