Personal Development & Motivation

Beyond the specific strategies of business and management, Frank Besednjak's work is deeply infused with a philosophy of personal resilience, mindfulness, and motivation. Drawing from his own significant life challenges—including military service, cancer, financial loss, and addiction—he speaks with an authenticity that resonates with his audience.

He doesn't offer easy platitudes but instead shares hard-won wisdom about overcoming obstacles and finding strength in adversity. His motivational message is not about avoiding problems, but about how we respond to them.

Overcoming Obstacles

Since the month of May, I've noticed a couple of petunias growing in a crack in my driveway. Being a flower lover, I could not bring myself to yank it out or spray it with Roundup. I thought they would eventually die from being run over by my car, stepped on, or the gasoline spill, but they survived. Despite extreme heat and no care, they thrived.

These petunias made me reflect on people who overcome hardships. My life has had its challenges:

• PTSD from the military (ongoing therapy)
• Lost everything twice, near bankruptcy
• Lost $690k in retirement through business betrayal
• 7-year opioid addiction
• Divorced multiple times
• Prostate cancer treated with 43 radiation sessions (now cancer-free)
• Chronic ulcerative colitis and arthritis from treatment

I share these not for sympathy, but to highlight how challenges build strength. I consider myself fortunate and compassionate for understanding others' struggles.

Finding the Positive

My life has many positives:

• Successful children and stepchildren
• Four amazing grandchildren
• Supportive family and friends
• Flexibility to work and travel
• Beautiful home and landscaping
• Ability to help others through speaking engagements
• Satisfied clients

I find it frustrating when people expect others to solve their problems without effort. Let's appreciate our privileges and support those facing obstacles.

These petunias, thriving in minimal conditions, remind me of resilient people. They endure hardship with minimal resources yet flourish.

Mindfulness and Conscious Awareness

Have you ever been driving and then realize that you have not been paying attention? It happens to everyone. The reason is that although you may think you are in control and aware of everything you are doing all the time, you really are not. Our brain lets our subconscious take over whenever necessary so that we can focus on other things.

The Subconscious Autopilot

Can you imagine how difficult it would be if we had to be consciously aware of everything that we were doing, like walking? We would have to think about each step, what muscles to use, how far of a step, and how to properly plant our foot. It's too much! So, what happens is our subconscious takes over for us and handles things it has learned to do through repetition.

Engagement in Business

I visit with a lot of different people during my workshops and business coaching sessions. Every time I present a program, I make it a point to try and change it up a bit to avoid looking like or sounding like a mindless robot. I also focus on staying engaged and watching the responses and reactions of the people I am speaking to so that I can adjust or modify if necessary.

Sometimes, I've had this happen; I'm talking to a client, and they are looking directly at me, but then jump up and tell someone to handle something for them that has absolutely nothing to do with our discussion. At that point I can tell the client was not actively engaged in our discussion.

Breaking the Pattern

This also happens when a service technician goes out to a customer's home or business and instead of actively engaging in conversations with the customer, the tech is so subconsciously programmed into the same routine every day that they never actually converse and end up making assumptions about the job.

On occasion, a customer may disengage after a quote is presented because they didn't expect a certain price. Instead of listening to the technician, they get stuck in their head, wondering how they will pay for repairs or a new unit. I recommend re-engaging their brain and bringing up things that divert the thinking process from fight or flight mode to something more pleasant.

The Practice of Mindfulness

Mindfulness of what you are doing and saying takes practice and focus. Being aware of what you are doing, how you are doing it, and what you are saying is sometimes difficult to do because we've let memory and trained behavior take over for us.

When engaging with others, think about what you are saying, look for responses that ensure they are listening, and pay attention to your surroundings. It will keep you from becoming a mindless robot on autopilot.