Peter Thomas- Five Foundations
Posts tagged Success Tips
Make Your Own Luck
Mar 14th
Do you find yourself constantly looking for that elusive pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? When I was young, it felt as if I was constantly yearning for my lucky break—when I was it going to be my turn. That quickly faded, and I realized that sitting around waiting would get me nowhere.
Growing up, I was faced with many “forks in the road” if you will, where whichever decision prevailed, would affect the rest of my life. Some of these were just minor detours, where others, significantly changed the direction of my future. Knowing what you value most in life can aid in creating a path that only leads to success.
A story that you may have heard me mention before, emphasizes my belief that you create your own luck. By knowing what you want, helps you focus on how to get it. At one of my first jobs, it was considered an honor to be invited out to coffee with a group of what seemed like the “cool-kids.” One day, I was invited, and I saw one of my co-workers—and #1 sales guy in the company—sitting at his desk. I asked why he wasn’t joining us, and he simply responded “Why would I waste my prime hours sitting around being unproductive?” Bam! It was the epitome of a “no-duh” statement that resonated with me the rest of my career. What on earth would I gain by sitting around a coffee shop discussing with cohorts our dissatisfaction and longing for a better pay day?
I truly believe people make their own luck. You constantly hear people whining about how lucky someone is, when in reality, if they spent as much time towards their goals as they do whining about not attaining them, they would be “lucky” as well. People tell me all the time how lucky I was to experience the success in business that I have; but really, I just knew what I wanted and worked hard to get it. The lucky ones, are usually the hard working ones.
Sometimes it seems like some people get all the breaks. There are those who get where they are by standing on the shoulders of giants; but if taking advantage of people is what you value, the type of people you surround yourself with, probably wouldn’t hesitate to do the same to you. Luck seems fleeting when you don’t learn the lessons, and gain the knowledge from working hard for it. The path to success is never a strait road; but you’ll never get anywhere by sitting on the side trying to hitchhike a ride.
Every time someone tells me how lucky I am, I say “Why yes, yes I am. I am lucky to have a good head on my shoulders and the love and support of the people around me.”
Be the Change
Mar 7th
As follow up to my previous post, and further development in Africa, I wanted to take this time to turn these National Revolutions into personal ones.
Day by day, the news emphasizes the weight of what the people of Northern Africa are accomplishing. Granted, Libya is not going quite as smoothly as Egypt, yet they are demanding change none the less. It really puts things in perspective when you look at our relatively easy lives when all things are accounted for. While we may be dodging hypothetical bullets, people every day are dodging real ones—praying to make it to see tomorrow.
So again, allow me to reiterate: We are going to take the core foundation of these revolutions and apply them to our own lives. As the great Mother Teresa once said, “Do not wait for leaders! You do it, person to person.”
With the onset of another revolution from the technical side, communicating to one another has become effortless. However, it seems to have become a catch 22. While we maintain contact daily, when was the last time to spoke to that someone face-to-face? We have allowed ourselves to be viewed as “usernames” rather than people—especially among our work environment.
In today’s competitive atmosphere, the ability to communicate your ideas is essential for success. There will be many times in your life, where you will feel silenced by your alleged superiors due to lack in email response or callback. In the end we are all human—remind them of that. If you feel strongly about something, don’t give up on yourself. Find a way to be heard. Be bold, and find a way to introduce yourself. By attaching a face to the caller or email sender, it will hold much more weight than those digital recordings.
Getting to know your colleagues, partners, or employees is a lost treasure among businesses. I am honored to say that some of my closest friends are people I have met through business; and on the other side, some of my best business deals have been through a connection made in conversation. Today, things are managed over the internet, signed and faxed back. The hand shake—something coveted amongst business cohorts—has become an endangered species. Make a personal habit to introduce yourself, shake someone’s hand and make an impression. That is the only way you will get anywhere in life.
As Mother Teresa and the community of Northern Africa have demonstrated, do not wait on your leaders to change. You need to “be the change you wish to see.”—Ghandi.
