Tonya's Story
After years of success as a high-performance sales consultant in the surgical and software industry, I was ready for a change. I had tasted success but hungered for significance. I decided to take the plunge and walk away from my career and all that was familiar. Placing everything in storage, I lived with my parents before moving to Colorado to attend Bible College for 2 years.
At that time, my sister was going through a rough divorce. She and her five children also moved in, so nine of us were living under a small roof like a can of packed sardines. Though an imperfectly perfect family, we were strong in our faith and eager to grow … long before we knew personal development was an industry of its own.
During this transition, my parents and I enrolled in a university study and were required to complete a personality assessment introducing us to “The Model of Human Behavior.”
You would’ve thought we won the Texas lottery!
For the first time in our lives, we not only had a better understanding of ourselves and each other but it also exposed the untapped potential in each of us. For the first time in my parent’s 43 years of marriage where they able to move from a place of toleration to celebration and breathe life into each other’s needs. So many ah-ha moments for the Spence family! We learned how to build a genuine connection with the children as they are all so different! Understanding their communication style gave us the ability to meet their unique needs and ultimately reach their hearts. It didn’t happen overnight . . . it took hard work, patience and rugged perseverance.
Lasting change is never comfortable. I often reminded myself that everything worthwhile is uphill. My family has been my personal leadership development program and I believe if you can succeed with the ones you love and get frustrated with the most, you can achieve greatness anywhere else.
When you understand the specific way that people are wired, their unique strengths and what motivates them; it takes out the guess work. It eliminates people trying to be something they not and empowers them connect with the world around them. Better yet, your purpose will always be tied to your personality and allows you to live in the ‘sweet spot.’ It’s that place significance and success collide, and your circle of influence is changed because ‘you get it.’ Whether it’s the President of a large corporation or the midnight cleaning crew; not one person is more important than another when you are living on purpose to bring value to others.
The ability to reduce stress, increase productivity and capitalize on your strengths is a daily benefit when we apply these timeless principles. They are huge clues in how we are called to serve the world, not change it to be like us. Coupled with personal growth and leadership, this is the recipe to become unstoppable; this is how we make a difference.
Tonya Telesco