NO IFS OR BUTS

NO IFS OR BUTS

Have you come to the point yet, that you no longer accept your present situation? Then, let’s get going! Leave your former life behind. No Ifs or Buts! From now on, you cannot afford to go through a day in your life, without thinking of how things should be. Don’t say, that you’re ‘going to do it’. Just do it and now is as good a time as any. You have the power to improve your future, not your past. Start living your dream. Just go for it. Don’t be a quitter, but keep pushing yourself. Write down, what you have got going for you. What are your ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ assets? Everybody has to start somewhere, mostly at the bottom and go through the motions. It’s not what you are anyway, it’s what you will become. Keep learning, all the time. There are no shortcuts. Accept some more risk and uncertainty. Real planning would be ideal, but most of us have to go through a process of trial and error. As long as you keep moving, you are on your way. You are now in search of your breakout opportunity. These opportunities come and go. If you don’t seize them, you lose them. Also, nothing is permanent in life, because the world is not static. Therefore, you cannot rest on your laurels.

You are a work in progress at all times. But try to be the best in your little corner of the world. You have to carve that out. Nobody else will do that for you. The world couldn’t care less, if you fail. There is no safety net. That’s fine, because as long as you become successful in the end, after countless failures, you have become unbeatable. You learn from failure. The ladder of success requires you to fail in order for you to become better than anyone else. You’ll be able to defeat an entire army singlehandedly. That’s right. Once you have unleashed your own super powers, you’ll be forever inspired and you inspire other people. Great success flows from that. You’ll be looking forward to an exciting future. You can’t wait to get up in the morning!

Nobody is really self-made. That’s just a good story. You need mentors. You need to become part of a network of allies, that share your interests. You need to recruit and build a dream team. Collaboration is the name of the game. Are they rowing in the same direction? Make sure, how to deal with any bad apples in that team. You also need to hang out with people, who are already the way you want to be. Don’t think, what can I get from this person, but rather, what can I do for this person? Send him a note about a subject, that may be of interest and go from there. He may not respond immediately, but that’s fine. He may be very busy. But, over time, he will remember your great little attentions, which may have become helpful to him. That’s the way to get reciprocity going. That will magically open doors!

Remember, character and integrity create word of mouth. Your reputation is everything. Never compromise on that, because that’s 80% of your success. Accept responsibility and tell the truth. Don’t ever accept mediocrity. Also, if you are consistent in delivering an insanely good service, people will remember you, talk about you and refer their friends to you. If you come across as nice, then you are giving people a pleasant experience. You may have to go to acting school for that! No, it may be acting up to a point, but you should sound genuine at all times. Which could be a challenge, especially with people, who’ve got issues. Look for ways to help these people and they may actually become your friends or customers for life.

Not living your dream has a price too. It’s called ‘regret’. But don’t dwell too long on ‘I should have’ or on ‘I shouldn’t have’. The past is the past. Your aim should be to attract the future the way you want it. A sensational life may be waiting in the wings. Others seem to have such a life. Why not you?

RICK SCHMULL

6th November, 2014

WESTCLIFF-On-SEA, Essex, U.K.

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