That’s why I will offer a powerful, practical webinar on Thursday, July 25th, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on The Timesaver’s Toolkit: 30 Ways to Save An Hour a Day at Work and at Home.
Click here for more information.
I absolutely believe in the power of those ten two-letter words: “IF IT IS TO BE, IT IS UP TO ME.” Of course, the question is how do you make those words come alive in your life and work for you? There are two things you’ve got to do.
► 1. Act with courage.
Success seldom falls upon the faint-of-heart. It comes to those who are not afraid to try … and try … and try.
And yet the losers in life don’t see all the trying behind the scenes. They look at a successful doctor and don’t think about the many years of schooling, internship and residency he endured before he even started to practice medicine. They read about the successful businesswoman and never realize the huge amount of work she put into the process of earning her position. They see the Olympic athletes get their bronze, silver, and gold medals but forget about the hundreds of hours of training that preceded those few winning moments.
That’s why the losers give up when they hit rocky patches on their road to success. They think, “It looked so easy when they did it. I must be doing something wrong.” And they give up. They don’t understand how success works and they lack the courage to keep on trying.
Insider’s Secret: On August 13th, we will be celebrating the 1000th issue of Dr. Zimmerman’s Tuesday Tip, one of the largest subscribed and longest lasting blogs and newsletters in the world. On that day, I will be giving away 93 truths that will ensure your unlimited happiness and success. And I will be giving away 1000 books. Don’t miss the Tuesday Tip on August 13th
But one young man understood the courage part of IF IT IS TO BE, IT US UP TO ME.
It was his last chance. He was a senior and his goal was to make it to the state wrestling championships. Unfortunately, when the match was over, the referee raised his opponent’s arm in victory. His high school wrestling career was over.
Walking off the mat, he heard the applause and cheers for his opponent. But the applause kept growing louder and louder. Then he looked up. All eyes were on him. The 800 fans who packed the small high school gym were standing and cheering him. They were giving him a standing ovation. He was overwhelmed. The emotions of the moment became too much for him to handle. He went down on one knee and cried.
You see, wrestling is a difficult sport for anyone. But it is even more difficult when you are born without a left arm. And his right arm, if you could call it that, was really just half an arm. He had two fingers growing out of an elbow-length stump.
They were giving this “losing” wrestler a standing ovation because the one-armed kid had taught everyone a lesson. Even though he wasn’t the greatest wrestler during his four years of competing, he taught them WINNING IS NOT THE ONLY THING … COURAGE IS.
Yes, you’ve got to act with courage … whether or not you feel courageous. Just do it. The courage will come after the behavior.
And then, to fully implement the ten words, If it is to be, it is up to me, you must …
► 2. Push beyond rejection.
You will encounter rejection and put downs as you try to get ahead in your life, work, and relationships. That’s a given.
Fred Astaire knew that. Over his fireplace in Beverly Hills hung a yellowed MGM inter-office memo, a souvenir of the dancing film star’s first screen test. Dated 1933 and sent by the testing director to his superior, it read, “Fred Astaire. Can’t act. Slightly bald. Can dance a little.”
You’ve got to push beyond any rejection you might receive. Fred Astaire did.
Randy Pausch wrote about that in his book, The Last Lecture. He talked about applying for a job as a Disney imagineer and receiving “The nicest go-to-h_ _ _ letters I’ve ever gotten.” But the rejection didn’t discourage him and eventually wound up doing work for Disney.
In the process, Randy learned a KEY lesson imbedded in the success process. He said, “The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.”
Randy went on to say, “The brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the OTHER people.”
So I ask you,
- How good are you at dealing with rejection?
- Are you climbing up, over, and around the brick walls to your success?
- Do you figure success is too hard to achieve?
- Do you think it takes too much work to get ahead, so you just give up instead?
- Do you abandon the ten most important two-letter words … If it is to be, it is up to me … all too quickly?
The great educator, Booker T. Washington, knew about overcoming adversity. He told his students back in the 1800’s, “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles that one has overcome while trying to succeed.”
I don’t know what obstacles you’re facing. Maybe it’s the economy, your company, your finances, your health, or your relationships. I don’t know the answer to every one of your difficulties. But I do know this … you will have an awful lot more success by acting with courage and pushing beyond any rejection you might receive.
Dr. Zimmerman’s Tuesday Tip, Issue 997– 10 Words That Ensure Your Motivation and Achievement