I recently put down a refundable deposit to purchase the Tesla Cybertruck. That in and of itself may not be earth shattering news. While the truck's style is pretty "unique," unofficially, more than 700,000 people have put down the $100 deposit to purchase the truck when it goes into production sometime in 2021 (or so.) So I'm in good company...and honestly, the truck I'd like probably won't be ready until 2023 or later, so I have enough time to figure out how to pay for it!

The surprising thing about it for me is that a few months ago, I didn't like Teslas at all! When they first came out I immediately lumped Teslas in with other electric vehicles and wondered, "Why would anyone want one?? They're overpriced. They have limited range. And gasoline engines are here to stay!" Mind you, I didn't do any actual research, I just made a snap decision and then built my beliefs about Teslas around that initial decision.

Towards the end of last year my in-laws purchased a Tesla and when I sat it in for the first time I remember thinking these things:

• Meh
• I don't like it
• This is such a gimmick
• What's up with the "whoopee cushion" sound effect?
• AND-This might be the car of the future

Overall, I wasn't that impressed, mainly because I didn't want to be. I was pretty sure that I knew more than Elon Musk (whom I didn't like either, because he seemed eccentric) did about the demand for electric vehicles. But there was a part of that wondered, "Hmmm...is this where cars are heading???”

Then, something happened

I became intrigued by Elon Musk after watching SpaceX launch astronauts to the International Space Station in May. I have always been a space geek. My heroes growing up were astronauts and I wanted to be one-right up until the time I discovered that I wasn't built to do aerospace engineering or higher level math! (Hence the fact that I make my living as a motivational speaker and consultant and not an engineer!) So it was only natural I would watch the launch of the SpaceX/NASA Demo 2 mission. 

I have always been a huge fan of Boeing...and SpaceX beat Boeing in launching American astronauts back into space. Not only that, SpaceX landed the rocket on a barge in the middle of the ocean so it can reuse it. What??? My mind was blown. I wanted to know more. I was (kind of) ready to ditch my preconceived notions and open up my mind to different possibilities. 

So...SpaceX's CEO is Elon Musk. The same Elon Musk I didn't like (just because). The same Elon Musk who is the CEO of Tesla, a car company that I didn't like (just because). 

Life was telling me I could learn something from Elon Musk, so I purchased a biography written by Ashlee Vance about him. Then a funny thing happened; the more I read, the more I was really inspired by the guy and his companies. Yes, there were a few things he's said and done that made me cringe....but my mind was opened and stretched by what I read. 

Doing my own research allowed me to discover that the tech behind a Tesla is amazing. It really is. And once I opened my mind to learn beyond what I thought I already knew, I was amazed. 

Back to Tesla

One day, after I finished the biography, we were walking around my community and I saw a few Teslas in people's driveways. As we passed one although I actually thought it was pretty cool but I said out loud to my daughter, "I still don't like the way they look..." 

I realized that my brain kept needing to support the narrative I kept running with over the years. And since I had openly told my family that I didn’t really like Teslas, I guess I felt the need to keep the negative narrative going, even though I actually started to like them!

Have you noticed anything like this in your life?

If you’re like many people there are probably a few areas where you need to stretch your thinking; where you need to view things from a different perspective; where you need to embrace something new, different and maybe even something you always thought was “out there.” There are probably areas in your thinking that are holding you back from that promotion, making that sale, making that new technology work for you, raising your profile within the company, becoming the leader your people need you to be, becoming the person you always wanted to be. 

If that is the case, don’t feel shame or guilt about it! Choose to do something about it. Lean into the uncomfortable. Embrace the new and different. Choose to see things in a new way. Stop resisting change. That change you're resisting may be the very thing you need to succeed. 

As I have worked with thousands of people all over the country as a speaker and coach, I can tell you that the biggest obstacles to our success are normally the ones found within. 

So many of the problems you face today could be solved by renewing your minds and seeing things from a new perspective; embracing an idea you once thought was stupid; running with a vision you disagreed with at first; being open to trying something new. 

Some questions for you...

What do you need to let go of today? 

What do you need to embrace today?

Now…do it! 

And no, in case you’re wondering I'm getting nothing from Elon Musk, Tesla or SpaceX for this. (He doesn’t need my help!) But Elon, if you’re reading this and want to give me a Cybertruck, I won't turn it down. (=