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What does it take to light your fire? What does it take to spark your career or your business into overdrive? To rocket you into higher orbit.
Darn Vilfredo! He did it to us.
Why?
This famed Italian economist and sociologist, (1848-1923), just plain knew too much. He messed us all up. Vilfredo Pareto did it on purpose. He did it with his principle. You know the one.
It's now known as the Pareto Principle, the 80-20 principle, universally applicable. 80% of all the problems are caused by 20% of the people. 80% of all the sales are closed by 20% of the sales force. 80% of X is caused by 20% of Y.
The problem is he's right.
It's safe to say that 80%, probably more,of any population stays on the low road. For life. They stay firmly self-tethered in the mire of mediocrity. They don't lignite hot interest in their services. And 20%, probably fewer, of any population make it into the pantheon of high achievers. None of us is immune from this possibility.
Which is it to be for you? An ordinary life or an extraordinary life? A tract house or the gracious home on the hill? Dining, at least sometimes, in the white tablecloth restaurant, escorted to your table by the Maitre D'—or the greasy spoon around the corner? Which is it to be for you? The light you hold high, illuminating others—or the feeble candle lighting only musty corners and those not too well?
Which is it to be for you? A life that is a shining example of what a life can be, a glowing influence for all who see you, a life modeling the possible human, a life of grace, charm, and spiritual abundance—or a life of getting by, keeping the bills barely paid? Did you decide? Was your decision a wishy-washy, froth-laced, half-hearted hope? Or was it rooted in incorrigible resolve, clear commitment, and bulldog blood?
What does it take to light your fire? What does it take to spark your career or your business into overdrive? To rocket you into higher orbit? What does it take to fly in the front of the plane at least some of the time? What does it take to earn the recognition, the respect and the gratitude reserved for the best, for those who think big, dream grand dreams of the possible and then work earnestly to make that possibility a throbbing reality?
As I see it, it takes 7 keys, 7 aspects of Self:
1. It takes iron resolve, resolute persistence backed by passion, energy, and endless effort.
2. It takes street-smarts. It takes studying your business until you know it inside-out, upside down, backward and forward.
3. It takes going the extra mile and then some. Thorough preparation for each activity. Never doing just enough. Lavishing love and caring and commitment on making each service, each product you deliver, your best, your very best ever up to that moment. It takes doing more than is expected, more than is required, more than anyone in their right mind would do.
4. It takes staying on the leading edge of your specialty. Make that being the leading edge! Not just keeping up. That's what ordinary folk do. Endless research in obscure corners. (Brilliant AHAs emerge out of forging disparate findings into new insights.) Think of that Harvard University dropout, Bill Gates. Think of that store manager, Sam Walton, who decided he could serve people better —and opened his own store, then another and another and another.(Today Walmart is the major retailer in China!)
5. It takes integrity. Integrity that knows no degrees. Integrity that is absolute. As absolute, predictable and dependable as the phases of the sun and the moon.
6. It takes loyalty to your constituencies: The resource that supplies raw materials for your products, or the decision-maker who hires you, and the customers/clients/organizations that pay your fee. It takes serving each wisely with due regard for their respective interests.
7. Finally it takes fidelity. Fidelity to your special trust. The trust of those who look up to you. Those why rely on you, who regard you as one who knows. And fidelity to the trust of your Creator whose omnipotent presence governs your every attitude, thought, word and action. Burt Dubin, 20 year veteran of the business of speaking, mentors speakers and wanna-be's world-wide. Burt works with people who want to be speakers and with speakers who want to be masters.
The words of his clients, the admiration and respect expressed for his work by some of the world's most successful speakers, testify to the values you receive. For samples of the wisdom available to you, simply go to http://www.SpeakingBizSuccess.com.
Burt Dubin, 1 Speaking Success Road, Kingman, Arizona 86402-6543, USA. Phone 800-321-1225 Fax 928-753-7554. mailto: burt@SpeakingBizSuccess.com
© Copyright 2003 Burt Dubin
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