Walking Away from the First "NO"

While waiting for a meeting at Home Depot headquarters, a young stranger in the lobby asked a very interesting question.  He said, "How far in advance to you plan for new ideas and developments?"  That was a different question, then he went on to say, "Why do you keep fighting when you have been told 'No" so many times?  When do you give up?"

You know, I had never thought of it because, to me, one "No" is not the end of the movie.  One of our products has struggled to get running hard in the marketplace. We had been told "No" so many times.  Then while at a meeting at Lowe's, the seasoned merchandiser asked, "Why are you here to see me?"  You have been told ,"No" three times and yet you come back to the same category. You need to not be in the Storage Aisle but in Attic Ladders.  It is a perfect match."  Now that was a five hundred mile trip with zero placement results but I praised the Lord and figured He had a better plan.  I just had to listen.

Since taking his advise, things have begun to move much faster and the opportunities are growing because we made a move in categories. 

If we had stopped after the first or even second "No" then we would have missed the opportunity to see our dream grow. 

So how many times have you stopped at the first "No"?  Now that does not mean you never soul search, evaluate, get help from a mentor, or seek divine wisdom but inside you do all these steps and then see where the idea can be developed.  But here's the adder.

At first we think we had the vision and the dream  and we were given enough talent to make it happen.  For me after so many "No's",  I began heavily looking for the Lord's Favor and stopped relying on my training, experience, and wisdom.  No matter what that seemed to look like from my daily personal time with the Lord. 

Previously I had only asked for Him to connect me with the right person to move the product forward.  So you can understand my disappointment when the merchandiser at Lowe's made his first statement.  I had a flash, "God, why are you abandoning me?" 

But he had not abandoned me and now the doors are opening because I am still learning to trust every move as being guided by the Lord.

What about you today? Are you beating your head against the wall to see a dream come true?  It is when we get a new frame of mind that you will see results that bless our lives. 

How's your faith to move forward?