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Most
of us have, deep at the center
of our hearts, some things we
would like to accomplish. But
few of us dare to start on
the
journey.
We sit around blaming our
circumstances on others
and making excuses for
our shortsightedness, then
we go to our graves with
unfulfilled dreams. Underneath
it all, the real reason
we don’t get the promotion,
succeed in the business, or raise a happy, self-confident
family is that we fail to prepare. We leave it to chance,
hoping somehow things will turn out all right. We float
on the ocean of life until we run aground and wreck
ourselves.
No
Excuses: It’s Up To You!
In 1983, I left Haiti with a Haitian
Theater company to perform in Montreal, Canada. After
a few appearances, I escaped from the troupe. Because
the immigration department in Canada had no pity on
immigrants, I faced the threat of going back to
Haiti, and, believe me, that was not an option
for me. Instead I paid a truck driver to
smuggle me into the United States.
I remember how I had to wedge
myself underneath the tractor-trailer,
between the rear tires, in a push-up
position. I was covered with dust, smoke and ashes.
I had cramps in my legs, and I was shaking. I wanted
to give up. But when I remembered my family and my friends
back in Haiti who were counting on me for help, I had
to hold on.
I finally made it to what I call
the Promised Land — America. The truck driver literally
dumped me in Brooklyn, New York. I was excited
on one hand and confused on the other. It was as if
I were swimming in a sea of change, and I had just two
choices: Swim, or die. My only possessions consisted
of one pair of pants, two shirts, and five dollars.
In addition to that, I was unable to speak English.
The only thing I knew for sure was that life was never
going to be the same again!
I share my
story with you to impress one thing upon you: No matter
where you start in life, you can become a leader the
moment you realize that
if it’s going to be, it’s up to you.
Five
Ways to Prepare Yourself for Success
1)
Become an Avid Reader
"Good
leaders are good readers" —Jim
Rohn
Abraham Lincoln once said that
if he were given eight hours to chop down a tree, he
would spend six hours sharpening his ax and two hours
chopping down the tree. That is one of the true characteristics
of a leader. We all should take time to sharpen our
axes — by reading! Believe it or not, the average
American reads just one book a year. What that means
to you and me is that if we only read one book a month
in our field, we will be twelve years ahead of the average
person!
The late Earl Nightingale, in his
book, The Strangest Secret, said that if we read
for two hours every day on any subject, in five years,
we would become national experts on that particular
subject. And in ten years, we would have the equivalent
of a Ph.D! To me, reading quality books is the ultimate
joy in life. It rekindles my hope and takes me to new
heights. It rejuvenates me and gives me a boost. We
can no longer make excuses about not having time to
read. Today we can even buy most books on tape, thereby
turning our cars into a university on wheels while commuting
to and from work! On the road to success, we must
gather a lot of information through quality reading.
2)
Network with Successful People
In America, there is an association
for continuing education in every line of business.
If we want to meet the movers and shakers directly,
we have to become joiners. It’s amazing how accessible
the "big dogs" are when we attend the networking
events. It’s like being a small fish in a big pond.
It allows us to bypass the gatekeepers — the assistants
— and go straight to the decision-makers.
The best way to find out which
associations you can join is to go to the library and
ask for the Encyclopedia of Associations. Another
great way to network is to join the local Chamber of
Commerce. First, however, you must learn how to network
and build strong referral systems. There are many books
on the subject. One of them is by Harvey Mackay:
Dig Your Well Before You’re
Thirsty.
3) Find
a Mentor
Every great athlete, celebrity,
and business executive can point to a mentor — a coach.
They each had people who helped them to get where they
are. One of the best methods of preparation is to find
a mentor — a person who has been there, done that, and
has gotten the T-shirt — to guide you along the way.
Whether you want to move up in
your company or establish a solid business of your own,
a mentor can make a significant difference. And you
don’t necessarily have to have just one mentor; you
can have many. This may sound simple, but it is powerful!
No matter what line
of business you are in, you need a coach — someone you
talk with about your failures and successes, someone
who can advise you. How do you find a mentor? Just ASK!
People normally love to talk about
their successes and how they accomplished them. They
are eager to help us if we courteously ask them. For
many years I failed to put into practice the old advice
in the Bible: "Ask and ye shall receive."
Don’t let that happen to you — ASK!
4) Attend
Continuing Education Classes
Our minds are like leaky buckets; what
we know is constantly dripping out. I read a story about
a man who was working for a company for about twenty
years. It seems like they always passed over him for
promotions. Ironically, he had trained new hires who
would eventually become his boss! One day he confronted
the president of the company about the situation. He
told his boss that he was being treated unfairly,
especially since he had had twenty years of experience
with the company. The president sat the man down and
told him, "No! You only have one year of experience
repeated for twenty years."
How long have you been in your line
of business? Are you getting new knowledge, or
are you applying old knowledge? If we are going
to thrive and survive in these turbulent times, we must
expand our minds. And one of the best ways of expanding
is to attend adult learning classes at the local colleges,
universities, and technical schools. They are very affordable,
and they also have flexible schedules. There are no
excuses: IT’S UP TO YOU!
5) Find
Time for a Quiet Reflection
The great philosophers,
thinkers, scientists, and business gurus always find
quiet time to be alone — to ponder, recharge, and flood
their minds with images of their future goals. We should
never be so busy chasing a dream that we are no
longer able to visualize it in our minds. There are
times when the burdens are heavy, but this is when we
need to enter our inner world and examine our lives.
Socrates once said to his students, "An unexamined
life is not worth living." Quiet reflection is
a time to get to know the invisible power that sustains
our lives. Starting today, take a few moments every
day to reflect.
A
Final Note
I would love to
meet you personally to find out what you are doing to
prepare yourself for success. The old adage says that
the road to success is always under construction. It
is the same for our self-improvement. If you are not
constantly adding new tools to your toolbox, you will
always be where you are today. I urge you to read, find
a mentor, network with other leaders, and find
time for a quiet
reflection.
I
wish you incredible success!
Rene Godefroy
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