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Life is often described as a journey, filled with ups and downs, twists and turns. Each of us is on a unique path, but the common goal remains: to support and protect one another. This journey is not just about personal growth; it’s about community, leadership, and making a difference. This blog will explore the importance of living intentionally, making choices that align with our values, and the lessons learned along the way.

Understanding Life as a Journey

Every person experiences life differently, but everyone has the capacity to choose their perspective. Life can be viewed as a blessing or a burden, and the choice is yours. This concept of perspective is crucial. It shapes how we interpret our experiences and informs the decisions we make.

• Life is about perspective.

• You control your own perspective.

• Choices shape your future.

• Empower yourself and others.

Recognizing that you have the power to change your outlook can lead to profound changes in your life. By choosing to view life as a blessing, you open yourself up to opportunities and possibilities that might have seemed unreachable before.

Living Life by Design

To live a life by design means to intentionally create the life you want, rather than simply existing day to day. This involves identifying your goals and putting intention behind your actions. Here are some key steps to consider:

1. Define your vision for life.

2. Set clear, achievable goals.

3. Take actionable steps daily.

4. Reflect regularly on your progress.

5. Adjust your course as needed.

When you wake up each day, ask yourself: "How can I create the life I want to live today?" This mindset shift can lead to meaningful change over time. Remember, the journey is as important as the destination. Embrace each step, learn from your experiences, and keep pushing forward.

The Importance of Teamwork

Life is often compared to a team sport, where collaboration and support are essential for success. Building a team around you can empower you to achieve your goals. Here are ways to cultivate a supportive network:

• Surround yourself with positive influences.

• Communicate openly with your team.

• Share your goals and aspirations.

• Encourage others on their journeys.

When you have a support system, you can share not only your victories but also your failures. This openness fosters accountability and encouragement. Remember that everyone has their own journey, and while you may share a path with others, each individual's experiences are unique.

Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Change

Throughout life, challenges are inevitable. The key is how you respond to them. Embracing change requires a willingness to adapt and learn. Here are some strategies to navigate through tough times:

1. Stay flexible in your approach.

2. Seek support from your team.

3. Learn from each experience.

4. Focus on solutions, not problems.

By maintaining a positive attitude and a solution-oriented mindset, you can turn challenges into opportunities for growth. Each setback can teach you valuable lessons that contribute to your journey.

Career Evolution: A Personal Journey

As you navigate your career, it’s important to find a path that aligns with your skills and passions. My journey has been filled with varied experiences, each contributing to my growth. Here’s a brief overview:

• Started in a family business.

• Engaged in sales training early on.

• Worked in diverse industries.

• Transitioned from sales to entrepreneurship.

Each role taught me something new. From sales coaching to tax strategy, every step has shaped my understanding of business and my place within it. The key takeaway is to remain open to new opportunities and to continuously learn.

Finding the Right Fit

In the quest for a fulfilling career, finding the right organization is crucial. Working in environments that align with your values and goals can make all the difference. Here are factors to consider:

• Company culture and values.

• Opportunities for growth.

• Alignment with personal goals.

• Supportive leadership.

When you find a company that resonates with you, it becomes easier to contribute meaningfully. This synergy can lead to greater job satisfaction and success.

Documenting the Journey

As I continue to navigate my path, documenting my experiences has become a valuable practice. Sharing lessons learned, both successes and failures, allows me to connect with others. Here’s why documenting your journey can be beneficial:

• Encourages reflection and growth.

• Inspires others on similar paths.

• Creates a record of your journey.

• Provides clarity on your goals.

By sharing your story, you not only hold yourself accountable but also inspire others to take charge of their own journeys. Life is a shared experience, and there’s power in community.

Conclusion: The Journey Continues

Life is a continuous journey filled with choices, challenges, and triumphs. By embracing the concept of living intentionally, surrounding yourself with a supportive team, and documenting your experiences, you can create a fulfilling life by design. Remember, it’s your journey, and you have the power to shape it. Let's continue to support one another as we navigate this beautiful adventure together.

Thank you for being part of this journey. I invite you to follow along, share your experiences, and let’s create change together.

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Daily Journal Transcript:

Life is a journey and we are all in it together. On this journey, our goal is to support and protect as many people as we can. If you believe we can be the change that we need in society, I invite you to follow the life with Justin Stephens as we live life to do that change.

Here's the space needle, the Seattle keep bright. Stay on I five south and the skyline of Seattle. Look how cool that looks.

Continue on I five south for 43 miles. Life is a blessing if you choose to look at it as a blessing. Everything in life is about perspective and you control your perspective.

If there's one thing I could leave with anyone who follows, my content is on this journey with me. It is that your life is yours. Choice.

No matter what's happening in it, it is based on choices you've made in the past. And you can change those choices today to get a new outcome tomorrow. Not immediately tomorrow, but over time.

And that's how you live a life by design. You have to know the life you want to live. You have to know the journey you want to go on.

You have to put intention behind your actions. And not just wake up every day to relive the same day, but instead wake up and look at how do I create the life that I want to live? How do I empower myself and those around me to be part of my team on that journey? Whatever that journey takes you, that's your choice. Whatever your goals are, those are your choices.

Don't worry so much about what other people think, why they think it, how they think it, what they think about you. All of that is irrelevant. One of my favorite Sandler rules is your opinion of me is none of my business.

And it's true. Your opinion of me is none of my business. I don't care.

What I care about is what's my opinion of me. How do I feel about the journey I'm on? How do I feel about the path I'm taking? How do I feel about the decisions I'm making? Because you can only see from the outside looking in. You are not me and I am not you.

So I just want to empower each and every one of you to live your life by design. Whatever that design may be. It is up to you to design it and to chase it.

And it is your choice if you do or if you don't. It is a choice. Anyways, we're off to.

I'm working with Jordan today and we're going to be running some sales calls and out seeing how he prospects and builds his business. I'm really excited. It's going to be a ton of fun.

So I will be taking y'all with me. So my story starts at 13 years old. My parents owned a stronghold, remodeling, which is this remodeling company.

And they ended up buying a sales training franchise called Sandler training. So they bought the franchise in Idaho, and I went through sales training between 8th and 9th grade, and it changed my life radically. And so after college, I went.

Started working with them. I spent about ten years working with my parents, doing sales coaching, training, mentoring, helping small businesses grow. I ended up leaving Sandler because I was learning digital marketing, and Sandler was built based on geography.

And so we got a cease and desist letter for my marketing practice is. And so I was like, well, it's your sandbox. You get to make the rules.

It's my life. I decide if I play by your rules. So I'm gonna go become an entrepreneur and chase my own dreams.

So the last six years, I spent. Well, from 2018 to 20. Yeah, so six years, 2022 is I spent trying to build my own business.

And I was successful in providing for the family, but I was unsuccessful in providing for my clients. So I was good at selling, but I was crappy at producing what I sold. And that's when I realized, you know, I need to be a part of a team that is not just reliant on me, where I can bring my sales skill set to the table and let other people handle that production side.

And so the last two years, I've been focused on finding a good company to do that with. I was working with an ex IR's auditor doing tax strategy, which I learned a ton about just taxes and how our whole world works. And that really changed the way I look at things and think about things.

So I started doing that, and then I transitioned from tax strategy to software sales, from software sales to robotic sales and marketing and HR. So these are all small businesses where, like you mentioned earlier, it's easier to get leadership role, but what are you really leading is questionable. So went into robotics, which was a ton of fun.

After robotics, I went into H Vac. So that was earlier this year. I spent two months trying to sell H Vac.

The company I was working for, though, had big disconnect between their business model, what they hired me to do, and how I got paid. So I was going on client calls every day, and they wanted me to upsell these clients new systems when their H Vac system is only five years old, which it works just fine. They don't need a new system.

And so that's when I transitioned over here to secure Pacific. And so now I'm doing security systems, access doors, fire monitoring, and the last one is video surveillance. Right.

Though there are four cores. So now I'm doing all that, and I run my blog and podcast to drive revenue into secure Pacific so that I get more leads and can maximize the return on investment of my time when I'm out doing all these things. So that's just a little bit of my story.

Just got back. Du Boise, Idaho. There's our flag right there.

I sat next to a gal from Poland who's coming to visit her family, and so she's getting straightened up, and then they're gonna be out in front of the gates waiting, and I'm gonna take pictures for her. So that'll be a lot of fun. So that's.

It's been a fun day. It's been a fun trip. Ready to see what the next step in life is? You never do know.

All right. You want me to video it or take pictures so it goes out there? Okay. Not over here.

Huh? Oh, it'll be outside, so they'll probably be right outside this door. Oh, hey, if I was gonna surprise. Here, hand me your phone.

If I was going to surprise someone, this is where you would do it. You sure my baggage is here? Yep. I promise you.

Hello. Thank you. You're welcome.

Enjoy your trip. Welcome to Idaho. Well, this has turned into quite the eventful evening.

I got home from the airport. It was about 10:00 my parents and Jason and Carmen and Alex and Alex were all hanging out. So I went and hung out with them, made some dinner, and we were just hanging out, and I passed out in the chair sitting next.

Everyone had gone to bed except my mom and daddy. And so I passed out sitting next to him. Apparently I was for a couple minutes.

And, yeah, they called 911. And so I have to the ambulance to the hospital, and now they are checking me out. I'm glad.

I got this gross thing on my neck that I've been trying to, uh. I been meaning to get licked at. Oh, my gosh.

It hurts so bad. Um, yeah, so that's my evening. How fun.

Thanks for watching today's journal entry. The best way to support my work is by following, liking, and sharing the content I create on a regular basis. I appreciate you being on this journey through time with me, and have a wonderful day.