Education Opens Doors

Throughout my youth, I always heard ‘get a good education, get a good job and work hard.” In my case, the inference was a good high school education. My father believed there was no point educating a female beyond high school because she would not amount to anything anyway. He insisted his son attend college.

Fortunately for me, I had other ideas. Long story, short version, I not only graduated from college with honors but proceeded to earn masters degrees. No blame or “feel sorry for me” inferred. He passed along what he learned from the old country and from his parents. Even though I was a bit miffed at the time, I quickly devised a solution. The point of impact is that just because something was true several generations ago does not mean it remains valid today. Women hold prominent positions in industry and all professions in the 21st century.

Education served to change my life in numerous ways. My degrees opened doors for me which might have remained closed without those pieces of paper. Like education, talent also opens doors. Celine Dion’s talent captivated producer David Foster’s attention enough for David to invite Celine to sign a record contract. Talent opened the door.

I lived in Steamboat Springs ski resort for 29 years. In that period of time I became acquainted with scores of talented and highly educated individuals who were working as lift operators and restaurant or bar employees. Neither education nor talent alone propels anyone through life’s hoops and hurdles. Education proves to be a valuable asset. Talent attracts attention. Both of these elements assist a person; however, neither or both are enough to achieve the pinnacle of success.

Getting the door open with a degree or talent constitutes step one. Once that door opens even a small crack, persistence and passion must take the reins and drive. An impressive resume may entice a prospective employer to grant an interview. Unless you demonstrate desire and command of yourself and your professed skills, employment will not result. When you present yourself in a credible manner and your skills match their need, you may be hired. Now the work begins.

Many an employee has been the victim of their own bad judgment. Acting as if the duties or your fellow workers are beneath you causes tension and discord. The fault is not the duties, the employees or even the company. Look squarely in the mirror and view the problem. Education and talent open doors but bad decisions close doors.

Even though I jumped through many hoops and climbed over numerous obstacles to pay for my own college, once the degree is earned, it is totally up to me. Education becomes more than shelf development, buying books; true education requires implementation. In order to receive the full value of education, there must be self development. Jim Rohn, noted business philosopher, admonished us to “work harder on yourself than you do on your business.” Shelf development may impress visitors to your library, but life seeks evidence of self development.

Developing your education or talent into usable skills creates the true platform for achievement. Work hard on yourself and your skills. Maintain a congenial and cooperative attitude in the process and you will thrive. Education and talent may open the doors for you but once you step over the threshold, your attitude and performance take control. Many talented and well educated people fail to survive or thrive because they stopped learning, stopped growing and maintained a disagreeable attitude.

Education and talent open doors but lack of performance, bad attitudes and bad decisions close those doors. You control your present and your future. Anything you created in the past can begin its improvement in the present. Just as my father held old beliefs about educating women, so other people hold on to old beliefs and attitudes which no longer serve them or anyone else. They may hold old erroneous beliefs because they did not know any differently. Now you know. Your excuse evaporated. If your attitude and performance are not serving you profitably and productively, stop doing that and change to something which will work. Good attitudes and diligent work overcome a multitude of other deficiencies.

Education and talent open the doors but your passion, persistence, great attitude and diligent performance swing them wide open.

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Excuse Generator

The current American economy has so many people holding desperately on to a thin fraying rope tied to the open tailgate of a small truck heading down a cliff. Time to stop clutching to the old job mentality and start taking charge of your life. If you think holding on to a job which may or may not even exist a few months from now represents security, good luck.

No one can withhold your destiny from you except you. The ship of failure floats on a sea of excuses. Don’t blame your parents or your boss or the economy or even education level.

Parents excuse – Gaius Julius Caesar, Johann Sebastian Bach, Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy, John Keats, Henry Morton Stanley, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, Steven Paul Jobs, Aristotle and Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong were all orphans.

Boss excuse – For every boos who schedules a working “doughnut and chips” lunch meeting and frazzles us with a 6 pm assignment to be completed by the “end of business day” there are courteous bosses. When I worked as a student secretary in college, Doc Reilly knew that I could not be paid overtime nor could he add additional wages, so he delivered a long stem red rose to my desk the morning after an exceptionally long assignment. Amazing how appreciative a boss can become when you also go the extra mile for them. Hmmm. It is a two way street.

Economy excuse - At the beginning of the economic decline, nice way to say the beginning of the recession, a real estate sales meeting revealed shocking results. One salesman had over 400% better results than anyone else in the district. During his interview it was revealed that his success strategies were two fold. He declared that there was gold dust in the air and proceeded to conduct his business as if that were a fact. He then called every one of the customers in his file and told them that now is the time to buy since the prices were down. Since he believed the economic change was a good thing for him, it became a good thing. His mental success training gave him a powerful edge over the competition.

Education excuse - Edison only had a few years of formal schooling and yet he became one of the most brilliant and most accomplished inventors in the history of the world.

In network marketing or home based businesses, there is the frequent excuse of “but I don’t know marketing” or “they have this long list of people they know and I don’t so I can’t do it” or “they have a big marketing budget and I don’t.” Bottom line is if you want to find an excuse, you will find one. If you want a reason to succeed, you will not only find the reason but also the way to make it happen. Jay Kubassek, now a multi millionaire, was a broke Midas Muffler salesman when he entered the industry. He did not know marketing or have a marketing budget. He taught himself Google and prospered. Yes, Jay is a great guy; but he is not really different than any of us. He simply rolled up his sleeves and went to work learning what he needed to learn to succeed. Know and believe you can achieve, learn what needs to be done and do it.

Success is a choice, not an accident. Excuses are the nails that built the house of failure.

I see people who can hardly speak English come here and succeed. I see people with zero budgets, all age levels, all experience levels and all walks of life rise from the ashes and thrive. Examine your own life. Examine your internal excuses. Decide how badly you desire success. You can have it.

As Tony Robbins said, “Everything you need is already in you.” I stand for your greatness.

Always Be Growing - Mind Candy

We all know that what we feed our body, determines our health, our weight and our energy. How much attention are you giving to your mind? What diet are you feeding your mind?

Are you listening and watching the electronic income reducer – TV? How many of those programs actually pick up your spirits and stretch your imagination in a positive direction? If you watch Constantly Negative News, CNN, you generally find depressing news followed by a commercial for an anti-depressant, followed by more negative news and followed by another commercial for another anti-depressant. See a pattern here?

If you continue to feed your body unhealthy food, you will have health problems. The same goes for your mind. If you feed your mind a diet of depression and violence, how can you possibly expect a happy, upbeat outlook on life?

Fill your mind with mental nutrients, especially first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. You subconscious mind is the most receptive when you are just coming out of an alpha state (sleep) and just before you drift into an alpha state. The last thing in your mind before sleep and the first thoughts into your mind when you awake are the most important. Use these times to program your subconscious mind with what you truly desire to achieve.

Avoid television, especially violence or depressing news at least an hour before sleep. Personally, I do not watch television. I prefer to read at least 10 pages of a really good book the last thing before I go to sleep.

The first thing on awakening, I like to read positive affirmations. It sets the tone for the day. The next activity is always my treadmill. I listen to inspirational or educational cds during that time. It not only makes the time go faster but it fills my mind with uplifting and mind stretching thoughts prior to starting my work day. Periodically throughout the day, I repeat the positive affirmations.

I have not listened to regular radio stations in my car. I prefer educational or inspirational cds in my car as well. Even a traffic jam is more tolerable with something soothing and pleasantly stimulating.

What we think about, we bring about. I prefer encouraging and enlightening thoughts and events. How about you? What are you feeding your mind on a daily basis?