The End is Always the Beginning

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Recently, I had the privilege of listening to a friend reflect on how rejection can lead to new direction. This rang true for me as I realized that rejection acted as the launching pad for my current trajectory. As for many in this industry, the landscape has a way of choosing you rather than you choosing landscape.

After college, I worked at the mall. The reality is I was disenfranchised after being cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers which effectively meant my childhood dream was out of reach. As a young person in need of opportunity, the mall was a great place to experience low-risk failure. After a few months, I was craving Vitamin D and learning what was important in my work life.

In my pursuit of sunshine and fresh air, a friend from church fortuitously offered me a position at a landscape company. I spent 9 years at that company, going back to school to become a horticulturist and arborist all while learning what it takes to run a business.

Avoidance of rejection is avoidance of exploration, whether personal or professional. Had I not been rejected by the NFL and sent floundering to the mall, I may never have discovered a love of landscape. The truth is that the familiar path can feel comfortable and steady, but the constant pacing is causing erosion beneath our feet. It’s hard when your dreams aren’t what you expected but sometimes to find a new path you must either be rejected or do some rejecting.

All great people through history have failed. Not just failed but monumentally, historically, and all-time failed. These are the heroes we admire for their perseverance, the ability to see a new way out when the door closes behind them. They failed because they tried, they risked, they pivoted. If you want to do great things in your life, you will fail. And you will win.

2022 has risk and rejection written all over it. Embrace the turbulence because you are about to reach new heights.

 

Get Rejected,

 

Matt Davenport

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DATA

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Have you ever watched America’s Funniest Home Videos? If so, you probably laugh the hardest when some middle-aged man wipes out trying to act cool. We have all been that guy who attempts something that seems doable but upon approach learns that we may have become overzealous. This is called collecting data.

Data collection can only come from failure. We try and then we fail and then we try something else. Orville and Wilbur Wright’s first attempt on December 17th, 1903 lasted 12 seconds. The next 2 attempts improved dramatically before reaching a flight time of 59 seconds on the fourth attempt. Failure by falling out of the sky is involved, getting back in the plane 3 more times on the same day is a called commitment.

The truth is if we see failure as data we can’t lose. It’s easy for us to look back and criticize our failures. Don’t. The only failure would be not stepping back into the cockpit.

 

Wheels Up,

Matt Davenport

 
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THE SPRINT

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Sprinting is defined as a short spell of running at full speed.

Short Spell is the key phrase.

We take off on year-long and oftentimes decade-long sprints. Why is that? So much of our self-esteem is measured by how we are keeping up. Some of us get out of the gates fast and slow down later while others walk for a few years and then catch up.  Our lifelong sprints are unsustainable and damaging to our mental health. 2020 felt like we were sprinting on a treadmill. 2021 feels like we stopped running and have been launched off the exercise machine. 

We all remember the story of the tortoise and the hair. You may be a turtle or you may be a rabbit but there is a pace that is right just for you. Looking around and comparing yourselves to others won’t help your situation and it certainly won’t help your feeling of self-worth. As your Chief Encouragement Officer, I’m obligated to tell you the truth. Nobody is timing you. In fact, nobody is watching and fretting as to why your behind or ahead. You are the only one thinking about what you are or what you are not.

Self-evaluation is a shortcut to despair. Put on some crocs, take the scenic route because you are right where you need to be! 


Keeper movin,

 

Matt Davenport

C.E.O.

 

 

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