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Is This Really a Key Ingredient to Business Success?
By Daniel Herzner
If you want to learn how to succeed in life, then there's a habit you need to adopt starting today. And since it's a habit you'll need to put it into practice every day. This vital habit is something you'd also want to exercise if you wish to learn how to succeed in business too
This habit can be best illustrated with a story...
Suppose for a moment you've decided to start a home based business. As anybody who has ever tried will tell you, starting a home business is always a challenge. Getting your business up off the ground requires a healthy dose of focus, dollars, times and effort. There could be lengthy periods of time where you'll be investing everything you've got into your business with very little, if anything, to show for it. |
Eventually, however, the fruits of your labor will begin to show. Maybe a small sale is made or you receive a phone call from a good, potential client. Whatever the case, something happens which is a positive step in the right direction.
Make sure you celebrate and fully appreciate every result you see regardless of how small or insignificant they may seem.
To the new entrepreneur inexperienced in how to start and grow a business, it's easy to be disappointed over seemingly insignificant results. By nature, we are impatient. We want things to happen in short order.
Always remember; the big results you desire can only be born of the small, initial results. Or, to say it another way, you must walk before you can run.
For example, let's take a farmer. Farming has got to be one of the most physically demanding jobs you'll find anywhere. Farmers put in a whole bunch of effort gearing up to plant seeds early in their growing season. And, after the seeds are planted, there is a tremendous amount of effort which goes into nurturing the seeds. Finally, after a great deal of effort, seedlings begin to sprout.
Do you suppose a farmer is disappointed to see the seedlings - a small result - or is he happy to see them? You can bet he is thrilled to see his crops begin to grow.
A farmer invests tons effort to see those seedlings come up out of the ground but there is literally nothing he can do with them. He can't yank them up and sell them at that point to make his effort worthwhile. The farmer can only continue with his long days of arduous work in order to get the seedlings to a point to where they will reward his hard work.
So what's the moral of this story? What can we learn from this example of the farmer? It can be summed up in one word and it's also that magic habit you need to adopt: appreciation.
Indeed, you have got to learn to appreciate every victory you experience in your business no matter how small it may seem. Every day get into the habit of recognizing at minimum one good thing to come about as a result of your efforts. Appreciation is so important to the growth of your business. Because if you don't learn to appreciate the small stuff then chances are good you'll never see the big stuff.
Appreciation is a habit the author of this article, Daniel Herzner, would encourage all entrepreneurs to adopt and use daily. Learn more about the power of appreciation and 17 other success principles in his new self help book. You can get the book free but only for a limited time.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Herzner
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"Nothing For Granted"
By Junichi Lockett Jr
"Alright, Devil Dogs, stop and dig in, this is where we will be sleeping tonight.” The enthusiastic Sergeant announced from the front of the platoon. Normally, anyone would be content with the fact that we were about get the opportunity to get some sleep, rest and relaxation. But in that moment a few things were a reality: 1. We were standing on top of a mountain! 2. We had no shelter, other than the stars above and God's grace.3. Our food had to be opened with a knife! 4. It was like 20 degrees and we were freezing our boot socks off. For the next 10 days these sleeping conditions were a reality, and in the midst of the discomfort, pain and strife I began to undergo a major mentality change. Before I entered the U.S. Marines, even though I'd grew up in the “hood” I had been blessed to have never tasted real lack and struggle, but the gift and curse of that was that I had taken life for granted, and ultimately it fueled laziness, lack of ambition and a spirit of complaining. But being forced to survive with very little, under harsh conditions and having near death experiences gave me a new appreciation for life, which has been instrumental in enduring the many trials that life has issued and becoming the purposed filled man that I am today.
Unfortunately, in pursuing my passion to build leadership in youth and young adults I often deal with young leaders who are focused on and complain about things that are simply insignificant to their success. I had a young man that I was mentoring, whom had gotten in trouble at school, and for his punishment his mother had taken away his Playstation and ordered him to read and write book reports. His reaction was, “Man, this is messed up, I can't wait until I get out on my own!”
Well, I briefly explained that his mother was actually doing him a favor, because the reading and writing was actually more beneficial to his success then the mere entertainment that the Playstation provided. To no avail, he still continued to whine and complain about his punishment. Immediately I snapped into my “intense tough love” persona and responded, “Well, you are 17 now, so let's go right now and pack up your things and move you out, so you can run your own house. Well since he had no place to go, he realized that he would be homeless and he quickly change his perspective, began to appreciate what he had at home, and refocused on his future.
Many of us, are failing to progress towards our vision, because we are simply complaining about insignificant circumstances without finding the solutions that will lead us to our success. This shows a lack of appreciation for the time and life that God has given and irresponsibility towards the purpose that He has called to march in. Now is the time for us to refocus on our mission and the lives that depend on us accomplishing it.
Our charge: For the next 30 days we will refrain from complaining and only create solutions to our issues.
Junichi Lockett Jr. is an empowerment speaker, educator, author and youth activist who has committed his life to building leadership in youth and young adults. Please visit www.soldiermentality.com to register to receive for the latest blogs, articles and updates You can also support the “Soldier Mentality” Youth and Young Adult Leadership: Balancing Education, Empowerment and Entertainment book project.
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