Live long enough and it’s likely, life will serve you a setback.
According to Tim Storey, minister, renowned motivational speaker, and life-coach to some of today’s most prolific figures — adopting the right perspective can be the launching pad to your most audacious comeback. Storey, having experienced two devastating losses as a pre-teen, knows a thing or two about utilizing life’s pitfalls as a launching pad for victory. In a recent conversation, he shared many of the ruling principles for staging your next comeback—the overriding message from ‘Comeback & Beyond,’ his latest book.
What motivated you to tackle the concept of the comeback?
The comeback message has been with me for 20 years. Basically I started noticing that for so many people life started with momentum, and then somehow they had challenges in their lives, usually falling amongst the 3 Ds… Some type of disappointment, (for many adults) a divorce, or often times when somebody close in their family dies. These 3 types of situations cause so many people to get stuck in a setback, and so I wanted to try to help in that matter.
Is going back to make amends part of staging a comeback?
Well, the first thing to remember is a comeback is never a “go back.” Though people will often say to themselves, “I gotta go back and fix things,” this is very difficult to do when you are in a setback mode. There are two ways you can go about it. There’s what I call a ‘carnal comeback,’ which is when you just say to yourself, “I’m going to get myself out of this,” which is not a smart way to go, because you are in setback mode and you might not be thinking clearly. The better way to go is by what I call a ‘core comeback,’ which is when God breaths into your spirit and gives you a comeback plan.
In preparation for a comeback, what is the first thing you must do?
All of us are moving so quickly whether we are raising kids or having a job or both… So the first thing to do is stop. We need to take time to hear. We need to look and we need to listen—which is particularly important —specially for those of us who believe our steps are ordered by the Lord. It’s really that simple because His sheep hear His voice.
As personal coach and confidant to some of today’s most prolific personalities,
do you find a difference in the way celebrities process a setback?
When you are a celebrity everything is amplified. So if you have a problem in your marriage or with your children, it’s a good possibility a lot of people are going to know about it. When I’m dealing with celebrities, what I try to do is get them to calm the noise from the outside world (as far as what the media is saying about them) and just really isolate the problem. So problems are the same, but with celebrities they are always amplified.
What should your mindset be in preparation for a comeback?
Number one realize that God is a comeback God.
Number two realize that God has done this before. (That’s why God said to Moses, “I’m the God of Abraham, Issac & Jacob.” Paraphrasing… I know you are in a tough position, but I have done it once. I can do it again.
And third, you most realize God is the author and finisher of your faith. And He is going to finish what he started in you.
What are some of the hindrances to the comeback?
When you decide to have a comeback, there will always be voices, whether from yourself or even people that are part of your life. So it’s important when you need a comeback, to partner with the right people. There’s a great scripture in Proverbs that says: “He who walks with the wise will stack up even more wisdom. But a companion of fools shall suffer harm.” And so you have to make sure you are partnering with people who lift you up.
The partners you find, may not even be people that you know very well. You might gain strength by someones book or biography, or even a mentor, a teacher, or a coach you listen to.
One of my greatest mentors was my 6th grade teacher, Mr. Provert. He taught me to believe in myself. My father had just passed and I was in need of direction, and Mr. Provert really saw there was a need and stepped up. He made sure I stayed on track with my homework. He made sure I stayed on track being good to my mother and even went to my little league games on his time off just to make sure I was OK.
Who inspires you?
My mothers is a big source of inspiration to me because she started off early in a setback… She lost both of her parents at an early age, and lived on her own in an apartment at age 13. She had discipline and she had a lot of faith. She always taught me the idea of, “this too shall pass,” no matter what.
What can we do today to change our present circumstance and move things in a
better direction?
What you have to do is realize that today’s decisions are tomorrow’s realities. If I make better choices today, I’ll have a better tomorrow. So, no matter what situation you are in, you can make good decisions to get you in a better place.
Fear is such an obstacle for many. What can we do to address the issue of fear?
Fear is a big thing to most people because they are seeing their dilemmas through the wrong lens. If you begin to renew your mind about what God can do for you, it’ll change the lens.The Bible says: “If God takes care of the birds of the air, how much more can He take care of you because you are more valuable.” You have to understand your value to God and that will change your lens. A lot of it is about how you see things.
As a successful author, preacher and motivational speaker you touch thousands of lives. What is the overriding principle that allows you to do so much and impact so many?
I think that #1, there’s really a God idea for your life, and for me I’m just doing my God idea. I believe that inspiring and motivating people is my God idea. It doesn’t make me any better than anyone else, it’s just what God has called me to do. I really do live in the moment. I don’t overthink, and I do my assignment. If my assignment is to do a bible study, I do that. If it’s to speak at a big missions trip, I do that. If my assignment is life coaching a celebrity, I do that. It’s important to submit to Him and to yield to Him. I’m constantly yielding to Him. I’m a servant.
Katie McCreary- Lee
link2usmag.com 