Succeeding in Spite of the Opposition!

Do you ever get frustrated with negative people? I know I do. You know the type I’m referring to – the ones whose “glass is always half empty but never half full…”

My lovely bride of 38 years shared a passage with me that came from a book she was reading entitled Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis. Now, I cannot tell you a lot about the book because I didn’t actually read it. However, she spoke very highly of the book, and I think it contained some valuable lessons that I want to share with you.

Why do some people succeed at tasks, while others fall short of their goal? Rachel Hollis sums up the failures quite well. She states, “It’s simple, actually. It’s not about talent, skill, money or connections. It’s because when they went after their dreams and came up against a roadblock, when they experienced rejection, or when someone or something told them no…they listened.”

I ran into the same thing 22 years ago when I was considering the development of my consulting firm Success Strategies, Inc. Many said, “John, why would you leave a successful banking career for the uncertainty of having your own business?” I had a dream and followed it.

I never asked anyone else to manage that dream for me. Whenever I wasn’t sure what might be the future outcome of a decision, I would weigh out the pros and cons, consider the potential likely outcomes, and then make the best choice that I was capable of. As the character Gimli stated in the Lord of the Rings movies before going ahead with their battle plan & rescue mission, “Greatly outnumbered. Certainty of Death. What are we waiting for?”

How does this apply to your business & life? Here are some gems from Rachel Hollis:

1. “I am successful because I refused to take no for an answer.”
2. “When it comes to your dreams, no is not the answer. The word no is not a reason to stop. Instead, think of it as a detour or a yield sign. No means merge with caution.” Just re-evaluate your position & direction.
3. “It’s all about perception.” Is your perception accurate? Is it factual? In my case, I was so sure that my Success Strategies concept would work, I went ahead and left banking, its good salary & benefits package. I had enough savings to last for 12 months if things didn’t work out, but we never used those funds.

What plans do you have that you want to pursue, either in your current operations or in some new avenue? Why not start today? I wish you the best of success, and when you encounter the “no’s,” evaluate your plan to make sure you are still on course. With regard to those “No’s,” here is one of my favorite quotes:

“The dog barks, but the band marches on…”

If I can assist you in any way, please let me know at john@success-strategies.com or 209-988-8960.