You know, I truly LOVE my work. One of the reasons for that is I get to meet some really cool people.
Like Bruce for example.
Bruce and I have been in contact with each other since 2002 when I bought a car from him, the funny thing is, I never really met him face to face until this week. We did all of our dealings over the phone, and quite frankly, I have never been more satisfied with any other business transaction more than that one. My car has over 360,000 kilometres on it now, and it still runs like a brand new car. But, of course, it's a Toyota, so what do you expect. ( I can just see the reply e-mails now!)
I was working in the Grand Falls region of New Brunswick this week, so I decided to just drop in and see him, you know, to put a face to a voice. I am so glad I did.
We hit it off immediately.
Speaking to Bruce was like speaking to a fountain of motivational resources. He had advice and suggestions for just about every situation you could imagine, and as he talked, I wanted to stop and take notes.
From a very challenging childhood where he lost his father at 15, Bruce, through sheer determination, became a self made person. The day he was finished with school his mother asked him to leave the house. He then spent a few years in the Canadian infantry, was a roadie in a band that toured Canada for a while, cleaned buildings, then started selling cars and was promoted to sales manager where he is today.
As we talked, and he was telling me all about his challenges, he never once blamed anyone else for his misfortunes: He took complete ownership for who he was and what he had done. And as he talked about his business and his family and we got to know one another, I was struck with a powerful sense of pride for him and all that he had accomplished.
If we both had of had more time, I'm sure that I would have learned more, but time, the cruel fatalist that it is, forced us to end our conversation and go our separate ways. But I've been thinking about what he said, and I wanted you to meet him, even if it's only through me.
What I learned from Bruce:
- True success is being able to say that you love your work.
- A professional salesperson doesn't sell a product, they sell themselves.
- When you become laser focused you can get what you want.
- When you're down and out, it doesn't mean that you are down and out: It's just a temporary situation.
- When you create a vision of what you will be, and then get busy making it happen, what you want to create will happen.
- When the market changes, you don't sit around pitying yourself, you go to where the money is.
- When you've got nothing to lose, try a little bit of prayer.
- You've got to be willing to be different to be successful.
- Who you are is determined by the choices you make along the way.
I don't know how many people there are out in the world like Bruce, but I'm certain there must be more. I'd sure love to meet them, there is so much that I want to know and learn.
As I have been analyzing the conversation, I was struck by something I recently heard Paul Meyer, the founder of SMI, say: Truly successful people have one thing in particular that makes them successful: It's not their Genes, it's not their background, It's not their environment, It's their choices!
That's the great equalizer!
We all have the ability to make choices, the thing is, most people shy away from them fearing the consequences.
We can, each and every one of us love what we do and who we are. Unfortunately, most people would rather spend most of their time choosing to live in the past beating themselves up for the decisions they made in another time and place under different circumstances and finding things to complain about so they can justify their feelings and failures.
Stop it! Interrupt those thought habits. Don't fall prey to self pity.
Why not choose to create new patterns or new processes? Why not choose to be positive and look for positive? Wouldn't that be different? As Bruce said earlier, "The choices we make determine the results we get."
If you could enjoy your life even more, wouldn't that be good reason to be different? I know one thing for sure, if you were always a positive person, you would certainly stand out from the crowd. Some would love you and yes, some would loathe you. But who cares? This is your life... isn't it? Don't you have the right to make your own choices instead of following the crowd? So what if you are ridiculed because you choose not to criticize , condemn or complain? Ultimately, when the dust settles, you will be the one who will actually achieve happiness.
This week, why not take a page from Bruce's experience, and learn to love who you are and what you do? That choice alone will elevate you above 80% of the population. And when you do, what you will find will be peace and what you will create will be your own version of success.
Make this your best week ever.
2008 Paul Kearley CS, For 22 years, Paul Kearley has thrived in the personal development and coaching business. As a Master Business Coach, Paul's passion is in developing and creating increased potential, and coaching people to create success.
A newspaper columnist, and editor for "E-Motion", his own weekly ezine, and author of 3 e-books, Paul writes articles that address the everyday challenges we all have and face in life and in business, and offers suggestions for success.
If you'd like to connect with Paul to discuss your personal or business strategies or to subscribe to "E-Motion" , simply visit http://www.mustthinking.com or send an e-mail to carnegie@nbnet.nb.ca.
Visit http://www.mustthinking.com to review and purchase my NEW E-Book MUST Thinking: An easy four step guide for creating the results you want"
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