Weekend Words – The Secret of Success

Many of my readers are people who have achieved some form of success in their lives. Unfortunately, I’m sure many of them have learned along the way that success can breed contempt. It can prompt resentment even from those closest to you – your spouse and family members as well as your coworkers. Some of the people who may have patted you on the back at the beginning desire to see you fail once you have become successful. Sometimes they will try to hold you back and prevent you from even trying to achieve success.

When I first got into this business it seemed I was always butting heads with rival firms while competing for business. It happened so often that I even went to my sales manager and apologized. I’ll never forget what he told me when I did. He said, “Ro, you butt heads with these people so often because you’re always in the thick of things, hunting for new business. You’re always ‘in the fire.’ I’ll never have a problem with a salesman in the fire; out there fighting for new business is exactly where I want you. Don’t worry about the competition and what they might say.”

In life there will always be “haters.” I try to avoid those people now and associate mainly with people who take a positive attitude towards others’ success. Yet in my early days, I too would waste my energy resenting others for their successes. I was fortunate to realize what an absolute waste of time and energy this was. Dwight Eisenhower put it best when asked to explain the secret behind his own extraordinary success: “I never spent two minutes worrying about people I didn’t like.”

Many people around you would like to see you stay “stuck in neutral,” so to speak. But I think you should give it all you’ve got. If other people have a problem with your success, that’s their issue, not yours. Focus on your own goals and your own attitude, and you’ll do just fine.

Have a great weekend,

Ro