Success Story – Part 1: Who Helps You? Who Hinders You?

 

 

 The Key to Your Success Story

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Good morning.

Let me begin our week with a thank you… to the weekend Readers!

You made my lovely Mother’s Day Weekend – even better.

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As every current reader knows, I have at least one weekly article to add to my Dyslexia Series. That’s a given.

And out of the clear blue sky…

I decided to start another series on success (To be listed under the category: Sequencing).

So in the future, look for a periodic Success Story.

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Why write about Success?

Because life gives us so many opportunities to become intimately familiar with our foe called Failure.

We’re used to it. It seems like it visits often.

You know by now, that I believe in – The power of words – The impact of quotes.

What may seem like common knowledge at first glance, can become a meaningful mantra used to keep us on track.

Never underestimate well-written, succinct quotes to keep our minds focused and our hearts motivated.

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Quote #1 

“First they ignore you. Then they mock you. Then they criticize you. And then they praise you.”

(I like this modern day variation from the original quote from Mahatma Gandhi)

Sharp, young, millennial entrepreneurs know this quote or a derivative of it – by heart.

My own entrepreneurial son (who happens to be my webmaster) gave me this quote when I first launched my blog.

Please know, I don’t amuse myself by thinking for one nano-second that my blog lives near the zip code of a place called ‘Successful’.

But my oldest son wanted to prepare me for some not-so-positive people along my way.

This quote gives us an awareness to:

Be ready to ignore the people who ignore you.

Be ready to ignore the people who mock you.

Be ready to ignore the people who criticize you.

And Enjoy the praise…when you make it.

Sincere praise will come from the people in your life who did not choose to ignore, mock, or criticize you before you found your success.

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Quote # 2

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.

~Kent M. Keith

The prize of success overrides the small, insignificant negatives of faux friends and/or evil enemies. Right?

There are people who want to be in and around the winner’s circle without ever investing the sweat equity and the discipline of going for the gold medal themselves. Everybody knows people who seek to associate with highly successful people.

Everybody loves a winner.

But this quote keeps us from mistaking these ‘fair weather friends’ for genuine allies.

On your journey to success, remember that false friends are many times camouflaged and disguised.  At least your enemies are often easily identifiable.

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Quote # 3

Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.

Encourage me, and I will not forget you…

(Partial quote) ~William Arthur Ward

Forget the flattery.

Cross-off the criticism.

Ignore those who ignore you.

But…

Find your champions. The few in your life who will be on your team immediately, without hesitation.

The ones who celebrate your success and suffer your setbacks with you.

And never forget those who chose to climb the ladder with you – even when success was not the guaranteed ending of the story.

And, return the favor or pay it forward as soon as possible.

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The Cycle of Success

is continued when we enable and encourage another person with their own success story.

There is a worldly view that if you win, then I have lost.

I don’t buy this for one moment.

Success is not a zero-sum game.

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Here’s My Written Thought… from Me to You:

“I hope your friend, Sweet Success, will visit your life more often than that familiar foe called Failure.