No Action = No Gratitude
Sutton Parks, author of You Can Sleep in Your Car, But You Can't Drive Your House to Work, is one of the most giving individuals I've met. He is also honest and open about his successes, failures, and opinions. But what you'll notice most when you meet Sutton is he is genuinely grateful for everything that comes his way—both the positive opportunities as well as the challenging ones.
Sutton moved to Nashville in 1995 to pursue his dream of becoming a professional songwriter, yet after working in several careers he didn’t like and buying a house he couldn’t afford, he lost his home to foreclosure. For the next nine months he lived in his car. From that humbling experience he discovered his greatest trials were actually his greatest lessons. The biggest lesson Sutton learned? To be grateful for everything!
photo credit: symphony of love
Now Sutton owns his own business, plays music around Nashville, writes, and speaks. His mission in life is to appreciate, create, and encourage possibility thinking with music, writing, and speaking for all whom he is privileged to serve. Enjoy this brief and insightful interview with my buddy Sutton Parks!
SHOW UP AND SHINE Questions:
If you boiled life down to one philosophy that brings meaning and adds value to your life no matter what circumstances you face, what is that philosophy for you?
My number one philosophy that helps me the most in life is to find gratitude in all situations, good and bad. If I cannot find something to be grateful for in a bad situation, then I need to be grateful for needing God's love and support. Gratitude is the virtue that makes all other virtues possible and it is scientifically proven to be the antidote for fear.
Gratitude is also an action. You don't tell someone you love them, you show them. You are not grateful for your car until you change the oil and wash it. No action = no gratitude. Gratitude can change your life if you use it. It did for me!
What are one or two keys to success for you?
My keys for success are (1) set goals, (2) accept the suffering it takes to attain them, and (3) look at the progress you make along the way regardless of whether you hit your goal or not. The cumulative effect of setting and working towards your goals over as short as a six-month period will change your life!
What is one of the biggest mistakes you've made and what did you learn from it?
I've made tons of mistakes, but they have taught me so many valuable lessons I needed to learn. In a general way, I would say the biggest lesson I've learned is to let the past be in the past. Move on. You cannot saw sawdust. Just learn the lesson that needs to be learned or you end up repeating those same mistakes until you do.
What is your best advice for people who want to SHOW UP AND SHINE? What would you say to help people live into their bigger story?
Find that thing in your heart that brings you joy. Then abandon your fear and pursue it before it passes you by! My thing is music. Music is a young man's game and I didn't work at it as hard as I should have when I was young. There's still room for music in my life, but I regret trying to “get a good job” instead of having the courage to chase my dream harder. Life is short. Opportunities pass by. You can recover from failure, but you cannot retrace the steps you wish you would have taken. Be bold and go for it!
Question: Sutton packed a lot of powerful success principles in this short interview. Which success principle connects most with you and why?