To Survive, And Perchance To Dream…..

Let me throw all the crap against the wall and lets just see what sticks!! It seems to me that the older I get; the more I hear about the people who have forgotten about why they got in “The Game” and settle instead into complacency and give up on the successes they had plans for or the dreams they once held near and dear. This is not to place myself on a pedestal, because I have had my share of mucking through the mire trying to find the golden key of success. Guess what? I’m still looking….and will continue.
How does anyone know whether or not they are successful? Is it the entourage you gain, the gems on the fingers and the newest toys and technology that money can buy? Is it your name on the company letterhead; or being on the cover of Forbes Magazine before you hit the age of 40? Or is it retirement after finding the client on the golden goose? Lofty goals…each and everyone of them….but guess what…(and you may be shocked by this) SUCCESS COMES WITH A PRICE !!!!!
Without the hard work associated with the success, you may as well find a really deep hole and jump in, because that is where your success may lie if you don’t start looking at reality. We all want the golden egg (see above..leads to early retirement), and we all want everyone to see us as the truly great and good people we seem to be; lending out our skills to others in the hope that the bigger picture will be achieved sooner, and all the while having a secondary objective which would torpedo the whole thing. At some point if you are not careful, people will see you for the pariah you are and run for the hills; not even stopping to get directions because all their business sense is screaming that anyplace is better than where you are.
Hard work equals success? Possibly not, but there hasn’t been a day go by in my lifetime where I haven’t risen each and every day, looked at myself in the mirror, and stated that “Today is going to be a Great Day!” It’s understood that this encompasses all the people I will affect this day, yesterday, tomorrow, or at some point next year- It really doesn’t matter; because no one goal will be achieved (large or small) without some sort of a team around you. And don’t put yourself behind a curtain, because you don’t like the attention. TOUGH….and suck it up, Buttercup… because this ride leaves in 5 minutes and you don’t have the option of staying home.
Business RELATIONSHIPS are like a marriage or a really cool club that everyone wants to be part of. Show your leadership potential some of the time and SURPRISE, another cog in the big wheel is formed. Will you make mistakes?Probably. Will your feelings be hurt? Definitely. (again, see above, Buttercup).
This is where you have to ask yourself…”After all the pain, agony and effort that went into this project, am I any worse off for the experience?” Probably not—A good team isn’t all that easy to find—everyone has to be on board for the same reasons, and have the same goals in mind. So you may not be the figurehead 100% of the time—but I’m sure the cost of a winning team is worth standing in the shadows some of the time. If not, take what you have learned, and what you have taught; SHAKE HANDS with the team on the way out; and WISH THEM WELL—and don’t start a smear campaign the minute you are out the door, it simply adds credence to why they may not have really needed you in the first place.
A harsh lesson; a free-form document written from the heart, with the hopes that those reading this will find the magic formula for success, and once doing so, share it with others who have dreams just like you.
blah,blah..class dismissed..blah, blah, blah, Something to Think About!!!
©2011 thedanieljsmith
(Writers Note: This was written August 24th, 2011, on the 15 year anniversary of my mothers death. Fortunately she hasn’t been around to see some of the set-backs, and failed projects that are my source of inspiration….I will reach the summit and see you on the other side)
(p.s. No business models, company standards, plans of future wealth or successful teams were harmed in the writing of this piece—DJS)

And On The Eighth Day...He Said, "Invent Yourself"

Over the last number of days, I have been listening to a lot of opinions in the areas of Sales and the Marketing of oneself (aka branding). Everyone has a valid argument on how you can succeed and where you could fail…..The lists are endless.  All the points could be considered relevant depending on your situtation at any given time.
This brings me to today’s rant: Who is REALLY responsible for your success or failure.
The answer is real simple: YOU ARE!!!
From a real early age you learned how to communicate, both verbally and non-verbally, using both words and body-language and understanding which method is most effective and when.  Reputations are formed the first minute we are introduced to the world, as are opinions by others on our potential for success and how they have “Big Plans” for our future.  At this stage we don’t understand what is going on, just that we are being liked for ourselves.
Flash-forward a few years to the playground.  Here we learn we aren’t really as special as we have been led to believe.  It is here we learn that those with all the cool toys get the attention, and those without, don’t.  We also meet our first “bully”, that person who has made a negative decision about you based on no information, and has already made his/her opinion of you known to all he/she “controls”.
We all want to be liked and we want to be successful on the playground; yet everytime we think we know all the right answers and etiquette to handle the situation, THE RULES CHANGE!  This is something we have to get used to, as it will be one of, if not, the major hurdle we will have in life.  Fast-forward again, this time to “The School Years”- This is where alot of our self-worth or ambition for the future will be formed.  This is where we find out how good we really are, and learn to stand on our own merit.
Are we good at sports, at music, at drama, or at studies? Do we spend the time necessary to prepare for the inevitable future, or do we try and take as many short cuts as possible?  Again, perception is everything, and again, not everyone will be liked for everything they do.  Keeping a positive attitude is tough during these years; as we really didn’t get a clear set of rules on how to act or treat others.  Adaptation is key at this stage, as is Improvisation on life skills.  The people who get a handle on those skills usually find some tasks easier than others, and find that “Growing Up” and preparing for the future rests on their own goals and aspirations.  The more education (school or street) we receive, then the better we are prepared to face the unknown.  Those individuals who feel they are not as fortunate, discover new skill sets to take the place of “the golden ring” (or the Silver Spoon).  Yes, they too do have the potential to be successful but in order to do so, they have to take a different path to the top.
Which now brings us back to the original question: Who is Responsible for Your Success?  All successful people have a different vision of where that magic comes from, and success becomes measured by different standards.  To truly be successful, I feel you have to be happy with yourself as you are, not trying to change to fit the crowd.  Being that individual is what will make you feel good about you and what you choose to do, as you are the captain of your own ship named “Success”. It can be daunting at times, trying to live to everyones expectations, but, and that is a major” But”, if you disregard all opinions of you except your own, you will find the trip easier to manage.
Every minute of the day brings us in contact with new choices, new people and new challenges which can either assist or torpedo our goals.  The important thing is to keep pressing forward, and measure your success by the achievements we make that put a smile on our face, and give us peace…
Something to think about…When was the last time you looked in the mirror and smiled at yourself?  You may find the answer harder than you think.