WOW, that first day. We were Working On Wonderful! That was the day when we took our first breath in the real world! Those first few moments are wonderful. The doctor slapped our bottom, we screamed as loud as possible and everyone was excited to see us open our eyes. We were truly diamonds in our parents eyes.

Then, it happened. The diamond in their eyes may have turned into a piece of coal!  

For me, I was the last of five children and my parents knew there was work to do! The former diamond that was born that day, through tears of joy, needed some pressure applied to create the diamond they wanted me to become tomorrow! 

With one brother a little over fourteen years older than me, another brother about ten and a half years older than me and my twin brother and sister that were almost four and a half years older than me, the pressure was mounting. If I would have been a true piece of coal, that much pressure could have turned me into an instant diamond with the finest clarity! 

Sure, some call that brotherly/sisterly pressure by the term of “love” but why would love put anyone under that much pressure? 🤣 

I think that all of us deserve to be the finest diamond in our parent’s eyes. I know my children are to me and I hope your children are to you. 

But how do each of us learn to be a higher quality diamond from the day we were born until the day we become parents and working adults? How do each of us manage the pressures of life to create our own four “Cs” of quality and value like the accepted standard for measuring a diamond from cut, color, clarity and carat?

The pressures of childhood and learning to talk, our manners, then our ABCs, then math, then science, then grammar and the engineering of solving our problems. Oh, yes, speaking of engineering, what about those years of dating!!! Physics turned into only a mission and vision for our eyes! 🤣 How does that person I want to date look today? 

As we completed high school, with many of us turning 18 thinking we already knew it all, there were thoughts of college and possibly becoming a true engineer, doctor or president. Of course, there were other pressures. Since I was the baby of the family, my brothers and sisters thought they knew it all before me so I (like many of you) had to teach the older siblings a thing or two about life!😁 

Many of us are lucky and we had great parents and siblings. We also had wonderful cousins, aunts and uncles too even though they might have also pressured us in diverse ways as we grew older. 

But, with all the wonderful family, how did we learn about anger, hate and prejudice? When all of us were incredibly young, we had no pressures of age, color, disability, education or gender. 

When we were that young, we were all cut from the same mold. Our color was an item of beauty and a caring interest. Our clarity was fun as we learned to communicate about who we believe we are and share it with others. Our carat, our quality, was defined by us as we built our life on what we learned from yesterday, those around us. 

Where did we “learn” the pressure of an emotional, mental or physical challenge to be a non-healing cut from someone else’s viewpoint? Why didn’t we learn their viewpoint was possibly not valuable to them or me and was without merit? 

Where did we “learn” the pressure that the color of our skin meant any more than our parents skin was possibly lighter or darker than someone else’s parents?

Where did we “learn” the pressure that the clarity in our life may be different from another and that a person’s clarity could be judged negatively, also without merit?

Where did we “learn” the pressure that the carat, the qualities and values in our life, that did not physically impact anyone else, were also judged negatively? Who taught us those same qualities of one person were not accepted by another person because of a preset quality from someone else that we probably do not know, also without merit? 

Are our “learnings” a culture? Are these emotions and attitudes toward others pressured upon us as we grow from that finest diamond in our parent’s arms to a lesser diamond in someone else’s viewpoint because of their unqualified and undefined anger, hate, judgement, labeling or prejudice? 

There is no level of anger, hate, judgement, labeling or prejudice that is OK or can be accepted. We must stop any level of pressure in a negative direction immediately. Negative pressure has no merit, no value. Positive pressure can create and produce the highest quality diamonds. 

To start with just one emotion as an example: Anger is still anger even if nothing is broken, no one yells or even if there is no physical exchange. Anger, like other emotions, has no value. It is a choice. 

We must control our anger (and all other negative emotions) if we want to grow forward to succeed. Anger, and the other emotions, grows negatively like the way a virus grows and impacts others in contamination, failing health and sickness. 

We all must feel the WOW (Working On Wonderful) as we understand that any negative pressure, from anyone, creates a deficit in the real world! The positive pressures will, instead, improve the way we all view another person’s cut, color, clarity and carat (values). 

We hope the doctor does not slap our bottom again and we can eliminate the need to scream at any level as we can share excitement when we help each other open our eyes to global success. 

Red, yellow, black, brown or white, we can be caring and professional in each other’s sight.  

We can all be diamonds in each other’s eyes. 

If you, or someone you know, is encountering pressures because of someone else’s anger, hate, judgement, labeling or prejudice and wants to learn more about transforming the pressures of today into the diamond of tomorrow, please schedule time with me immediately. I coach and collaborate with individuals, parents, groups, corporations and enterprises as a Sr. Transformational Coach to develop new habits and sustainable improvements as we resolve issues by creating solutions at home, in the office and socially. 

I would also be honored to speak at your next event on Achieving Unity: It is not Rocket Science; we can stay grounded by caring, helping and including others. I want to collaborate with you to speak to as many Associations, Corporations and Colleges/Universities as possible.  

Do you, or someone you know, schedule speaking events? Please let me know. 

I am looking forward to talking with you today at 303-362-8733 (303-Focused) or another communication channel that works best for you. 

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.AchievingUnity.com/ 

Calendar: https://www.Calendly.com/MarkEntrekin 

Today is yours. Make it awesome. Release those pressures today, personally and professionally.