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THE BOTTOM LINE: ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING -- FOR YOU "ATTITUDE is everything!" "Attitude IS everything!" "Attitude is EVERYTHING!" "Follow your dreams -- or someone else, and regrets, will." (The author.) "The test is not whether you stumble -- which everyone does. The test is how determinedly and enthusiastically you get up -- and stay up." (The author.) "Always defy failure with courage -- for, while you are never so near defeat as when victory is at hand, you are never so near victory as when defeat is at hand." (The author.) "And never allow yourself to fail, to take the pressure of 'having to succeed' off of yourself -- for embracing failure is the most costly embrace of all -- for it never removes the 'having to succeed.'" (The author.) "What will not hold people back, whether they be rich or poor, are Lack of fear, a feeling of security, and self-esteem, Sufficient insight, regard for others, and specific knowledge of how to go about improving their own life circumstances, Sufficient enthusiasm, resolve, and relentless, "110%" follow-through, and last, but not necessarily least, Knowing when they 'don't know,' and doing something about it -- by themselves, and through others." (The author.) "The power of positive thinking." A phrase made famous by Norman Vincent Peale. "I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it -- and the glow from that fire can truly light the world." JFK. "I('d) heard he's an entertainer, and what he does on the field fires up his own team. I found out he's also one of the best people I've ever met. He's positive, a great guy to have around." San Francisco Forty Niner star Jesse Sapolu, of an irresistible, positive force that had recently joined his team: an exuberant, ebullient, effervescent, "joie de vivre," "charged particle" (-- I know we're getting carried away!) superstar, humbly(!) (-- yet, appropriately!) named "Prime Time" "Neon Deion" Sanders. "Illegitimi non carborundum!" The beginning words of a famous Harvard fight song. (As translated from Latin: "Don't let the bastards wear you down!") "Turn any depression over not achieving what you want into aggression... toward doing whatever it takes, toward overcoming whatever it is, that is keeping you back." A wise young owl. "The woods are lovely dark and deep; But I have promises to keep And miles to go before I sleep: And miles to go before I sleep." Robert Frost, in "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening." "The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one." Confucius. "Success is never final and failure is never fatal. It's courage that counts." George F. Tilton. "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." Anais Nin. "The world belongs to those who swing from the heels." "Press On!": by Calvin Coolidge (-- and later adopted as a motto by Ray A. Kroc, founder of the modern day McDonald's): "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." "He's no failure! He's not dead yet!" "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." Abbie Hoffman. "You can 'go home again,' if, by how you treat others, you never leave it." (The author.) "And when that glorious quest IS yours, and Failure itself stands irked, Remember both life's shifting sands, and those whom Fortune has shirked." (The author.) "If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me." Psalms 139:7-10. "In the spring of '27, something bright and alien flashed across the sky. A young Minnesotan [Charles A. Lindbergh] who seemed to have had nothing to do with his generation did a heroic thing, and for a moment people set down their glasses in country clubs and speakeasies and thought of their old best dreams." F. Scott Fitzgerald. They seem sometimes few and far between, but we have all known them: attractively effective people who are a pleasure to be around. They have fears just like anyone -- but they put their heads down and determinedly work through them. Failure is their friend -- for they know there is no failure without trying -- and no success without failure. They are sincerely interested in other people, sincerely cheerful, and sincerely unafraid to be friendly, even though they know a certain percentage of the world WILL reject them -- just as a certain percentage of the world WILL reject ANYONE -- and ANYTHING. The moral?: Be engaging, energetic, determined, and positive -- NOT negative or pessimistic. The more friendly and outgoing you are, the more associations you will make... ... and the more associations you make, the richer and more activity-filled your life will be -- AND, as an added, and more important, reward, the more happiness you will bring to others. PLAY those shorter odds that most people will like you -- and ACT upon the certainty that there IS a determining relationship between present efforts and dream attainment. Don't OVERLY worry about the approval of others, for YOUR view of yourself is far more crucial to your well-being, and success, than any view of another. Hold your head high -- even on those occasions when you do NOT feel confident. Remember that NO ONE feels confident and "in control" all of the time. ABSOLUTELY NO ONE! Excessive confidence can indeed be self-defeating -- especially where it is singularly unwarranted. But if you have, or project to others, a poor attitude about yourself, or your worth, then why on earth should anyone disagree? Indeed, Act like you're not, and you'll never be; Act like you are, and you can be. Prospective change and uncertainty are psychologically imprisoning for many people -- especially those who lack the confidence and optimism born of past self-help or other personal accomplishment. For these people and others, potentially the most liberating and exciting insight is the realization that every one of us is already "in the soup" anyway, as far as our not being able to avoid risk and uncertainty(!) -- and, thus, for this reason alone, we should TAKE those kinds of incremental, calculated risks, without which, it is very difficult -- if not impossible -- to improve one's life circumstances. Indeed, have you SUFFICIENTLY considered the REALITY that YOU are likely to imperil YOUR chances of advancement, if you do NOT take incremental risks??????!!!!!! Truly, we ARE all "in the soup" anyway, when it comes to risk being unavoidable -- so, Find UNDERBID SITUATIONS, Take FURTHER, CALCULATED risks, and -- AS A DIRECT RESULT -- ... ... SUCCEED!!!!!! When faced with situations which will require courage IN ANY EVENT -- such as the situation (= OPPORTUNITY!) of "having to find a job" --, SEEK TO APPLY THAT COURAGE IN DIRECTIONS THAT WILL BEST ASSURE YOUR FUTURE -- perhaps such as founding or buying a business, by yourself or with others. For the safer path is the path too often taken, And, when all is said and done, it is the more dangerous path -- both for you, and those you care about. DON'T unduly worry about whether you will fail -- Because failure is an integral part of achieving success, Because the more you fail, the more you have been trying -- and, the greater your chances of ultimate success, Because, if you are challenging yourself sufficiently, you will often fail -- just as we all fail (-- even though some(!) trumpet their successes more loudly than their failures!), Because, as a wise man once said, failure is an attitude -- not an outcome, Because, if you repeatedly risk failing, you will eventually fail at failing, Because you should only worry about the things you can control -- and, most importantly, Because, again, There is no failure without trying -- And no success without failure. Indeed, fear success -- for it is failure that achieves it. ACCEPT the realities That you are going to make mistakes, and That quarterbacking is more successful in hindsight -- but do not use these realities as a rationale for inaction -- for Failing to prepare IS preparing to fail, Failing to try IS failure itself, and Chutzpa/guts/subjecting yourself to some rejections/"going for it"/etc. IS the price the world exacts for attaining your dreams of any sort -- whatever they may be. Indeed, if you are not "achieving" failures, the chances are, you are not challenging yourself enough. You typically do not find a job without "achieving" failures; You typically do not finance a business without "achieving" failures; You typically do not attain the most important things in life without "achieving" failures; and, what should be the same, You typically do not attain your dreams without "achieving" failures. Failures are your friends -- not your enemies! Your enemies are never trying, self-delusionally "playing it safe," and under-challenging yourself. Your GREATEST risk will come from a "strategy"(!) of "never taking risks." And before you know it, LIFE will have passed you by. AND ALWAYS DEFY FAILURE WITH COURAGE -- for, while you are never so near defeat as when victory is at hand, you are never so near victory as when defeat is at hand. And never allow yourself to fail, to take the pressure of "having to succeed" off of yourself -- for embracing failure is the most costly embrace of all -- for it never removes the "having to succeed." Recognize that we all "short circuit" sometimes, in our attempts at life, and, certainly, in our dealings with other people -- so don't expect or demand perfection from yourself -- or from others! And always give others (-- AND YOURSELF!) the respect THEY need, in order to ALLOW them to succeed. Have THE WILL TO SUCCEED -- AND, THE COURAGE TO FAIL. NEVER see yourself as less than what you are: a person whose potential can, in fact, be limited by only one human being: YOU. NEVER let others, a job, or your present circumstances determine your worth. These wax and wane throughout one's lifetime. YOU determine your worth (-- which, by the way, is the case, in any event!) -- and don't EVER let anyone else determine that worth for you!!!!!! Indeed, people will usually accord you the respect, well-founded, you accord yourself -- and "well"-founded respect comes, ultimately, from Treating others "well" -- through continual self-effort, and Treating yourself "well" -- through continual self-striving. While you should always be alert to the effect you are having on others, and do what it takes to improve, YOUR maintaining self-confidence and a good attitude is YOUR responsibility -- and a sine qua non of your being effective. Don't let ANYTHING or ANYONE get you down for long! If a potential employer has no job for you at a particular point in time, or if any other of life's situations proves disappointing, don't move heaven and earth in order to regard yourself "a failure." SIMPLY MOVE ON TOWARD ANOTHER POTENTIAL SITUATION!!!!!! Don't be your own worst enemy -- because, indeed,... ... ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!!!!!! Moreover, we usually have to change only a few things, for our lives to turn around for the better. If those around you value others according to a job or present circumstances, swiftly exchange them for those who do not -- for life is too short for measuring yourself by the self-serving prejudices of those who look down upon others in order to stand tall. Again, YOU determine your worth -- and don't EVER let anyone else determine it for you. Others are seldom in the business of pumping you up, or of making others feel valuable. They have problems and selfish preoccupations of their own to deal with -- amidst their finer points. Regarding this aspect of life, Eleanor Roosevelt once "said it all":
AND NEVER EVER GIVE SOMEONE THAT CONSENT. When those around you drag you down -- either in terms of spirits, or spirits' "children," accomplishments --, swiftly exchange them for those who do not -- for life is too short for destroying your potential -- and yourself -- through self-defeating associations with self-limiting others. As Henry Ford once said, "My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me." When goals seem hard to achieve -- be they business or other goals -- remain what you should always be:
PRESS ON with energy, analytical thinking, common sense, "street smarts," enthusiasm, and friendliness. Actively and continually take those steps necessary to better your individual life circumstances, instill in yourself a sense of the inevitability of success and attractively radiate this to others, and see calculated risks and associated and inevitable failures and rejections for what they indeed are: your MEANS to success, and, therefore, your great friends and comforters -- for without them, you will get NOWHERE. Indeed, airplanes can fly, despite the pre-1903 experience of mankind suggesting otherwise. So, have a well-"grounded"(!) belief in yourself and your ideas -- and then stretch your wings and FLY! When people say, "It can't be done," what they are more often saying is, "I can't do it." But when they do say, "It can't be done," listen to them carefully, adjust as necessary, and then, if you still think it can be done, DO IT!!!!!! -- for no landing ever pillaged the majesty of a take off. And WHEN(!) you do it, you will feel better about yourself -- and any qualities of resourcefulness and perseverance you bring to bear, will stand you in good stead for the rest of your LIFE! Thus, opportunity may come to the dance disguised as something else (-- even a recession!). So, Go to dances, Do your screening, and then Dance! Remember that life is indeed like a series of auctions, and that what you should always be seeking are UNDERBID SITUATIONS. Remember to ask yourself what it is you are REALLY after -- and proceed linearly, immediately, and relentlessly toward your goals -- without procrastination or self-obfuscation, and their associated, excuse-laden "rationales" -- and without being afraid of approaching others (-- who seldom bite, anyway). Remember that approaching others -- or marketing other things, besides yourself(!) -- is a NUMBERS GAME -- and that to those who can accept doing so as a NUMBERS GAME, and who are willing to determinedly, relentlessly, creatively, and attractively play by its imperatives... ... GO THE SPOILS! Remember that while you must harden yourself to regard approaching others as a NUMBERS GAME -- and harden yourself to the inevitable disappointments, rejections, and, yes, even jerks --, you must never lose the ability to respond warmly to those who merit your responding warmly. The trick is to muster confidence, a thick skin, and the ability to feel good about the reality of playing a NUMBERS GAME -- WITHOUT BECOMING A HARDENED, UNATTRACTIVE, OR OVERLY WARY HUMAN BEING. View any disappointing encounter as an unimportant part of a much larger, and much more exciting, NUMBERS GAME -- WHICH IT IS(!) -- AND, after briefly reviewing what you might have done better, if anything, IMMEDIATELY(!) GET BACK IN ACTION(!) and CREATE(!) MANY(!) MORE(!) ENCOUNTERS(!) (-- before you have time to blow out of proportion, one encounter -- so cosmicly unimportant!!!!!!) (-- unless you make it important!!!!!!). Creating only few encounters will, almost always, NOT PROVE(!) ENOUGH -- AND ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOUR ULTIMATE SUCCESS WILL FOREVER BE A FUNCTION OF HOW DETERMINEDLY, RELENTLESSLY, CREATIVELY, AND ATTRACTIVELY YOU PLAY LIFE'S(!) NUMBERS GAMES(!) -- NOT a function of how easily you become discouraged over individual "sales calls" (-- in a sense, what all human encounters are!) not working out (-- EXCEPT IN THE REVERSE SENSE, OF COURSE!)! And as you proceed, ALWAYS remember that the warmth of a sparkle in your eye, or of some gentle humor, can surmount many a human hurdle. Even if you are not in the greatest of moods on a particular day, try secretly following counsel of Nat King Cole, who, once upon a lyric, urged, "Smile, though your heart is breaking... ." Hokey? ABSOLUTELY!... ... BUT, NEVERTHELESS... ... ABSOLUTELY WORTHWHILE! And on such a day, remember that, as with so many aspects of life, it is the journey -- the getting there, the striving, the realization of life's possibilities along the way -- that is likely to prove far more exciting than any destination itself (= our feelings and attitudes, once we have arrived!)! Use this thought -- that it is the savoring of the journey that counts -- to live even such a day to the fullest, for as John Lennon once said,
Recognize that all human undertakings -- industries, businesses, and, all too often, even relationships -- appear to follow a "life cycle" of exciting emergence, exhilarating growth, sometimes less than exciting adolescence, sometimes less than scintillating maturity, and, eventually, in the absence of life-extending "repositioning" or other effort of some sort, seemingly interminable stagnation, decay, and, ultimately, expiration (-- or, at minimum, the partial giving way to something new). Use this realization, not as an antidote for happiness(!), but as a spur to properly value your relationships with others -- and to summon forth that "'repositioning' or other effort" in those relationships with others -- because you can "go home again," if, by how you treat others, you never leave it. Yours is in some respects a lonely journey, for YOU are the only person responsible for YOUR future. But the positive side of this is that loneliness can breed a mental toughness that can go a long way toward helping you succeed. As Ken Venturi once said, "Adversity is always a fork in the road." Make yours a fork that feeds. For adversity IS what YOU make of it -- as is opportunity -- as is LIFE. Revisit this resource -- or something like it --, for the "decay rate" of our staying both motivated and aware of what we have to do, can be frustratingly great. Remember that life doesn't come to you. You have to go to it. Combine this with "Doing unto others as THEY would have YOU do unto THEM," AND Accepting the fact that achieving marketing success -- despite its inevitable and associated rejections(!) -- is a NUMBERS GAME(!) -- and you have, "'THE' SECRET OF MARKETING!" -- AND OF MUCH, MUCH MORE. Find that balance point in your life which is, for you, a wise tension between LEARNING TO WANT WHAT YOU HAVE, AND Both REFUSING TO ACCEPT "YOUR LOT IN LIFE" -- and "GOING FOR IT"! Live life as a series of ADVENTURES -- NOT as a series of fears! DO these things -- and you'll reap More associations with others, More respect from SELF and others, and, overall, A better life -- as well as, and LESS important, better job and business prospects over the course of that life. The choice is YOURS -- as are all the other choices we have put before you! And when that glorious quest IS yours, and Failure itself stands irked, Remember both life's shifting sands, and those whom Fortune has shirked.
The epitaph, on his Maui headstone, chosen by Charles A. Lindbergh, who, nearly fifty years younger, and uncertain of what lay ahead -- but marshalling the courage to embark upon a daunting venture --, had left Long Island for Paris -- on just such a morning.
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