Category: Lunar Letter (English)

Life is cyclical in nature and we are on a never ending roller coaster of emotions. As we travel through the roller coaster of life, we experience a wide range of emotions and feelings. Commencing our journey we are filled with excitement and expectation. We learn and grow as we initiate a steep climb that is frequently interrupted by twists and turns. As we move towards our goal, we feel exhilaration and anticipation of what is yet to come.

For many of us the culmination of our studies whether it be high school, college or beyond signifies the attainment of a tremendous goal. To be sure it is a wonderful achievement and is a terrific reward for a job well done. Yet it is only the beginning. As we reach the top of that first climb, we look out over the landscape and see all that is possible. Our imaginations run wild with the possibilities and the options that life offers.
It is at that moment that our ride through life takes on a new dimension. We feel the need for speed as we rocket down the other side of the steep climb. The curves come fast and furious as we twist and turn through a series of thrilling moments which take our breath away. Some of us laugh and shout, others cower and cry.

As we reach the bottom, we have a gamut of emotions; relief, excitement, exhilaration and anticipation. We begin to wonder if the ride has ended or if we still have another opportunity to continue on our fantastic voyage.

Our lives are much like that roller coaster with one incredible exception. We have a tremendous amount of control over duration and intensity of the peaks and valleys in our lives. While we never know when the ride will come to an end, our capacity to bounce back from adversity intensifies our experience and determines our destiny.

When the cycle of life brings us down, we have a choice to make. Will we stay down for the count or will we bounce back and give life all that we have to give? Each of us has the power to control our thoughts which ultimately control our actions. Our mind can initiate a new climb to magnificent heights or it can wallow in the worries of why.

As we increase our capacity to welcome the ever changing cycles of life and bounce back from even the most difficult circumstances, we create power to determine our destiny and direction.

∞ Rob McBride ∞

LL I 10

Our lives are constantly changing and evolving. Frequently, these changes involve stress and worry. Following is an idea I have been working on which encourages us to embrace and welcome change.

Imagine for a moment that you are in the mountains. The vegetation is dense and the smell of the soil, trees and flowers impregnates the air. There are butterflies with intense colors, blue, red and yellow which fly haphazardly among the flowers of equally intense color. The sun’s rays which penetrate the tree branches above appear to be threads of silk which connect the trees with the earth. Gentle gusts of wind whisper through leaves which dance and vibrate.

The sound of a river winding through the valley murmurs as it passes over rocks that have formed over thousands of years. A small waterfall spills the contents of the river into a small pool. Small waves form from where the water enters the pool and undulate while losing intensity until they disappear completely into outer limits of the pool. The water is clear and transparent. There are rocks, branches and leaves on the outer borders which detain the contents of pool until it continue on its voyage.

There is an unorganized order which only nature can create. The water and other objects come into the pool from unknown sources. After staying for an indeterminate length of time, they continue on their merry way. There are insects, animals, plants and trees which utilize the pool as a source of energy, power and sustenance. The pool exists as is and with its imperfections is, in fact, perfect.

Our lives are like the mountain river pool. The events of our days, months and years are like the objects that enter the pool. Some people and some things stay for a very long time. Others come and go unperceived. Regardless of how hard we try, it is impossible to keep things unchanged in our lives, in our pools. Change is inevitable and it is constant.

The pool in the mountain exists in harmony with nature. When there is a storm, the water in the pool becomes cloudy and disturbed. After the storm, the form and content of the pool are changed but the essence remains the same.

The same applies to us as human beings as we encounter change. Our lives and our minds are initially in turmoil as we process the new events. While we assimilate this new information, our minds are similar to the cloudy and disturbed pool. When we adopt change as a normal process in life, we have a powerful tool to embrace change.

Our capacity to value the importance of change in our lives determines our happiness, direction and destiny.

∞ Rob McBride ∞

LL I 9

There is an e mail message written by an anonymous author that I have received several times over the last few years. The message is powerful and surely, many have received it. The title is The Difference. Nevertheless, it leaves unanswered a very important question.

What to do with the information?

Each time I have read it, I have thought not only of the words but of the best way to take action with regards to each suggestion. Without action, words disappear in time.

The difference between wealthy and poor countries does not have to do with their age, natural resources, intelligence or ethnicity of the population. The difference has to do with the Attitude of the people. Attitude! Attitude is the difference that makes a tremendous difference!

Attitude is the exponential component of the formula I have created for success and confidence:

C=EPPA²

Success comes from Confidence which is a product of Experience, Preparation, Perseverance and an excellent Attitude².

Let’s take a look at ten interesting ideas to obtain and maintain a terrific Attitude² with action ideas for each.

Integrity:
Our integrity is the basis of our character. Integrity with ourselves and others. What do we do when no one is looking? Our integrity does not depend on what others think of us but rather about what our own internal voice tells us. While brushing our teeth each night we can look in the mirror and ask ourselves if we have lived that day with integrity in our actions.

Punctuality:
Being punctual is a habit which is formed by our experience. If our experience has taught us that everyone else will be late, we will tend to be late as well. Instead of trying to get someplace exactly on time, we can arrive ten minutes early for everything. When we get there, we will be calmer and better prepared. To take advantage of the time, we can develop the habit of taking something to read, such as a book or a magazine so we don’t “waste” our time while waiting for everyone else to show up.

Responsibility:
Being responsible to others highlights their importance in our lives. When we honor our word and our obligations we show everyone that they are significant. One of our greatest needs as human beings is to feel important. In order to be more responsible, we can maintain a list where we keep the promises and obligations we have assumed. Reviewing this list on a daily basis will emphasize the significance of our responsibilities.

Economy:
It is not easy to economize. Today’s world is based on mass consumption. Spending money today on the promise of tomorrow has become, in many instances, a badge of honor. Never in history have we had such a variety of goods and services at our disposal. To be certain, we should take advantage of modern advancements but only when all other basic necessities are satisfied.

Love of Work:
To love our work sounds spectacular and it would be wonderful if we all did exactly what we love doing! But what do we do when we are working somewhere which is something other than our “ideal” job? First, is to utilize the marvelous mind we all have to create a strategy to obtain our dream job, if we have not yet achieved it. Second, is to give significance to our job regardless of what it happens to be. When we give importance to our job and give it our best effort, new roads within the same area or in a totally different area will open.

Order and Cleanliness:
Order and cleanliness are often the first things we notice about an office, a house, a city or a country. When everything is orderly and clean, we suspect the people our proud of that particular place. As individuals, we can concentrate our efforts on our work place and homes as a starting point. It is difficult to change an entire society but easy to commence with our own surroundings. The seeds we plant today will grow and embellish our environment tomorrow.

Desire for improvement:
People do not age due to the passing years but rather for a lack of interest in life. While we are advancing, learning and growing, we remain young. All of the health and beauty products that are currently offered pale in comparison to the internal beauty that radiates from a person who is progressing towards a worthy objective. Reading, learning and studying are elements which assure we will always be young at heart.

Morality as a Basic Principle:
Morality is evident in all we do. It’s not a word to be heard only at church on Sundays. When we have to make a decision, it’s important to take a few seconds to ask ourselves, “Is what I am about to do true and correct? Could I tell my children what I am doing and feel proud?” The answers to these questions will help to keep us on the right road.

Respect for Law and Order:
Laws exist to maintain harmony within a society. When laws are respected by most, there is peace and tranquility. When laws are respected by few, hostility and anxiety reign supreme. In many cases we are taught that being tricky and sneaky, or “looking the other way” is acceptable behavior. Respecting not only the law but the spirit of the law allows us to be an integral part of society and not to isolate ourselves from it.

Respect for the Rights of Others:
We live with our own thoughts 24 hours a day. It’s natural to think of our own well being as well as those we love. When this idyllic state, however, infringes on the rights of others, there is internal and external conflict. The age old advice of treating others the way we would like them to treat us is the most effective procedure to respect the rights of others.

Abiding by each of these values is no easy task. To be sure, there will detours and challenges along the way. If, however, we adhere to these principles and take appropriate action, we will have a terrific Attitude² which will lead us to achieve more confidence and success in all that we do.

Committing to an objective, establishing a plan and taking action is the start of an adventure that can take us to whatever destination we desire.

∞ Rob McBride ∞

LL I 8

During this time of the year, many of us reflect on what happened last year and what we would like to happen for the coming year. Normally, we think about doing more exercise, losing weight, working harder and reaching new goals and objectives.

Often it is an exercise which we perform mentally during the holidays. We have the best intentions and when we are creating our ideal year, it sounds easy and we are excited about the prospects of the coming year. We return to work and start back on our routine and, in many cases, it’s like waking up after a night of too much eating and drinking. The “hangover” that we wake up to is accompanied by work that has accumulated during time off. We think, “This is crazy! What was I thinking about when I made these new resolutions and goals?” If we don’t accompany our goals and objectives with action, it is likely that the wonderful thoughts we have will become nothing more or less than an unaccomplished dream.

What are the steps that we can take to assure that we don’t carry out the exact same exercise with similar results next January?

In most cases, we already know the answers. Most of us have read or heard about the steps we need to take to establish goals. We know that they must be attainable, that we should write them down, break them into smaller goals and take action. Taking action is, however, most often the difference between accomplishing or failing in our goals and objectives.

How can we establish powerful goals with an action plan?

1) Write down our goals and objectives

There is nothing more powerful than writing down our goals and objectives on a piece of paper. Our mind is a magnificent machine that is capable of creating incredible ideas but until we put our ideas in black and white, the ideas continue to be only a dream. When we see what we desire in writing, our goals and objectives take on a new dimension. We are able to adjust, modify and analyze that which we most desire.

2) Establish a time frame to achieve our goals and objectives

When we fix a date to our goals and objectives, our mind begins to work on the task at hand. We begin consciously and unconsciously to develop that which we must do to accomplish our objectives within the stipulated time frame. Sharing the information with others who are interested or involved in our goals makes the exercise even more powerful. There will always be someone who will tell us, “So what’s going on? What about the goals we talked about?”

3) Create an action plan

Regardless of how difficult a particular goal may be, it is always possible to break it down into smaller steps. Most often, the first steps are the most difficult to take. It’s like a baby who is learning to walk. The first few steps that a baby takes are tough, but once they start walking, we can’t stop them! The first step in our case might be a phone call, a letter or an e-mail. It may involve doing some research to better understand what is needed to accomplish the objective. When we define what needs to be done it is like having a recipe for success. Without the recipe it’s possible that we just may happen to stumble upon our objectives but when we follow our action plan we greatly increase the odds of reaching our goals.

4) Take action

We can write down our goals, establish dates for completion and create an action plan but without action we are stuck. Many goals which are postponed until “next year” are the victims of inaction. We create a brilliant plan but fail to take action. It’s a fact that if we fail to take action within 24 hours of creating a goal, that our chances of achieving it are reduced considerably. The best time to take any action is right now!

5) Persevere

Achieving our goals and objectives normally involves creating new habits and routines. Not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination. We all have a habitual way of carrying out our daily activities. Normally our routines involve handling problems and challenges at work and at home. When we add another piece to this wonderful jigsaw puzzle that we call life, everything gets much more complicated. Scientific studies have shown that it takes 21 days to create a new habit and only five days to lose it. The ability to confronting challenges and persevere in the face of adversity have been the hallmark of those who have attained important objectives in their lives.

Finally, we should dream and believe in our capacity to create. Anatole France said:

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act but also dream. Not only plan but also believe.”

We all possess the tools and knowledge to achieve our goals and objectives. If we write down in black and white what we desire, establish a definite time frame for completion, create an action plan, take action and persevere in the face of difficulty, we will attain all that desire!

∞ Rob McBride ∞

LL I 7

Our ability to be creative can make a tremendous difference in our lives. Many years ago, Earl Nightingale suggested the opposite of courage is not cowardliness but rather conformity. The road taking us away from cowardliness is the road less traveled, the same one where we must be creative because it is usually laden with uncertainty and the unknown. While most of us know that creativity can set us apart from the masses, it can be elusive and difficult to ascertain.

We can talk about four steps used:

• Define the objective
• Analyze the problem
• Generate solutions
• Take action

While these elements are important, there is another element perhaps even more important than all the others. Our belief in our creative power is fundamental if we want to achieve more creativity in our surroundings. The power of our mind has no equal. Some of the wisest men in the world have written about our ability to change our lives by changing our thoughts.

Whatever you can conceive and believe, you can achieve.
~ Napoleon Hill

A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it.
~ Marcus Aurelius

Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.
~ Henry Ford

Man is buffeted by circumstances so long as he believes himself to be a creature of outside conditions, but when he realizes that he is a creative power and that he may command the hidden soil and seeds of his being out of which circumstances grow; he then becomes the rightful master of himself.
~ James Allen

We can learn techniques to generate ideas, buy software to facilitate the creation of mind maps and we can even meditate about our deepest desires, but until we establish a firm belief in our creative power, we will come up short with any tool that we choose to use. When we sow seeds which confirm that we can be creative, the land becomes fertile to achieve our objectives.

How can we empower creative thought? The answer is different for everybody and there is no magic answer but we can focus on the following:

Read accounts of creative people
Recall creative ideas we have generated
Take time to be alone and to reflect on what we most desire
Recognize all that exists in our world today started with an idea
Realize the creative power our mind possesses through our dreams
Consider the fears, uncertainties, and doubts creating obstacles in our mind

One of the surest ways to empower creative thought is to take the road less traveled, break routine and utilize our mind to create and not conform. Robert Frost eloquently expressed this thought in a famous poem indicating one of the paths towards creativity.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

~ Robert Frost

Creative power lies within each of us!

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL I 6

 

 

Our ability to be creative is one element that can make a tremendous difference in our lives. Many years ago, Earl Nightingale suggested that the opposite of courage was not cowardliness but rather conformity. The road that takes us
away from cowardliness is the road less traveled. The creative road, e road which is laden with uncertainty and the unknown. While most of us know that creativity can set us apart from the masses, it can be elusive and difficult to ascertain.

We can talk about the steps which have been proposed to lead us down the creative path. For example:

1. Define the objective
2. Analyze the problem
3. Generate solutions
4. Take action

While these elements are important, there is another element which is perhaps even more important than all others. Our belief in our creative power is fundamental if we want to achieve more creativity in our surroundings. The power of our mind has no equal. Some of the wisest men in the world have written about our ability to change our lives by changing our thoughts.

Whatever you can conceive and believe, you can achieve.
~ Napoleon Hill
A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it.
~ Marcus Aurelius

Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.
~ Henry Ford

Man is buffeted by circumstances so long as he believes himself to be a creature of outside conditions, but when he realizes that he is a creative power and that he may command the hidden soil and seeds of his being out of which circumstances grow; he then becomes the rightful master of himself.
~ James Allen

When we sow seeds which confirm that we can be creative, the land is fertile to achieve our objectives. We can learn techniques to generate ideas, buy software which facilitate the creation of mind maps and we can meditate about our desires but until we establish a firm belief in our creative power we will come up short with any tool that we choose to use.

How can we empower creative thought? The answer is different for everybody and there is no magic answer but we can focus on the following:

Read accounts of creative people
Recall creative ideas that we have generated
Take time to be alone and to reflect on that which we most desire
Realize the creative power our mind possesses through our dreams
Recognize that all that exists in our world today started with an idea
Consider the fears, uncertainties and doubts that create obstacles in our mind

One of the surest ways to empower creative thought is to take the road less traveled, break routine and utilize our mind to create and not conform. Robert Frost eloquently expressed this attitude in a famous poem which indicates one of the paths towards creativity.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

~ Robert Frost

Creative power lies within each of us!

∞ Rob McBride ∞

LL I 6

 

Confidence is one of the most important attributes of people who attain excellence in their professional and personal lives. Applying the formula EPPA² will create more confidence in all areas of our lives. EPPA² is made up of the following elements:

E xperience
P reparation
P erseverance
A ttitude²

Attitude is squared in our formula because it is the most important element. For better and for worse, our attitude is an exponential factor in our confidence. When we have an excellent attitude, we are able to achieve our objectives often times in spite of lacking Experience, Preparation or Perseverance. Numbers greater than one represent positive attitudes (10² is 100). On the other hand, if we have a terrible attitude, it is very difficult to achieve our objectives even if we possess the other three attributes. Numbers less than one represent negative attitudes (0.1² is 0.01). Attitude² works on the upside and the downside!

Let’s take an example of two people who are both trying to get a particular job. Let’s suppose they have both studied at the same university and have the same knowledge. When they go for the interview, chances are the person with a better attitude will be the one to get the job.

As human beings we tend to gravitate towards those who make us feel better. People who make us feel better normally have a better attitude towards us and towards life. Sometimes we like to be with those who are negative, particularly if we are also in a negative frame of mind. Misery loves company. Together a lot of negative people can have a wonderful pity party. Normally speaking, however, we prefer to be in the company of those who have good attitudes.

How can we have a more positive attitude? The question is one we ask ourselves often. Fortunately, we intuitively know the answer. All of us have been positively motivated, and have had a terrific attitude at some time in our lives. It is important that we focus on what works for each us. All of us are different and each of us has different sets of stimuli leading us to a better attitude.

Recently, I conducted a survey and the following ways of improving our attitudes are the result:

• Thinking moments in our lives where we have been positive and motivated
• Giving yourself a prize (chocolate for example)
• Listening to your favorite music
• Exercising
• Dancing
• Painting
• Reading

Each of us needs to determine and seek out those activities that will give us a better attitude.

It’s very important to understand that our attitudes come from our thoughts. Over 100 years ago William James said:

“A human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.”

There isn’t anyone who forces us to feel good or bad. Our attitude is a result of our perception of our environment and what happens to us. William Shakespeare said:

“There is nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so.”

An excellent Attitude will make an exponential difference in our lives. It enables us to confidently bounce back from difficult situations and can be instrumental in achieving our professional and personal objectives.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL I 5

Perseverance allows us to achieve our dreams and increases our confidence. In previous editions of the “Lunar Letter” we have talked about and referred to the formula:

C = EPPA²

Success comes from confidence and confidence comes from experience, preparation, perseverance and an excellent attitude. Today we will embark on an adventure in perseverance.

Many know the story of the Chinese Bamboo. The bamboo seed is planted, watered and cared for during one year and nothing can be seen. There is no sign of life. The seed is watered and cared for during an additional year and still nothing. The years pass and one wonders what is going on. Somewhere around the fifth year the Chinese Bamboo tree sprouts and then grows 90 feet in 6 weeks.

We know that the Chinese Bamboo was preparing for its incredible growth. During the five years nothing could be seen above ground, an elaborate system of roots was formed to enable the extraordinary growth in the fifth year.

Our success and confidence comes from the seeds we sow in our mind. We water the seeds of success and confidence with our actions and habits each day. Similar to the Chinese Bamboo, if we stop watering our seeds, they will wither away and die before we can see the results.

The secret many of us desire is to know how to persevere when we want to “throw in the towel” and quit. There is no easy answer and no magic formula. What we can do is to concentrate on the results of all that we do and be bold in the actions we take in order to achieve our objective. In the times we need it most, we can focus on the words of wise men who have persevered under the most difficult of circumstances:

“Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.”
~ Winston Churchill

“It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”

~ Albert Einstein

“It is not the critic who counts. Not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or how the doer of deeds could do better. The credit belongs to the man, who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

~ Theodore Roosevelt

By following these steps, we can be sure to put our best foot forward in all that we do and never have to look back wondering what might have been.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL I 4

 

I was awaiting a call to set an appointment for an important meeting. The call came through and the person asked if I had time to talk right then. I was anxious to talk to the person, so I said, “Sure!” The truth of the matter was that I was in the middle of another project and getting ready to leave for another appointment.

I said, “Hang on just a minute.” I rushed downstairs, found a pen, paper and some notes I had written. I then ran back upstairs to the phone. When I got back on the line, I was out of breath. Perhaps 38 seconds had passed. Not an incredibly long time on a clock but an eternity when you are waiting for someone on the phone.

As I made a quick apology for my absence, the first question came like a rocket. “In addition to what you have already sent, what else can you tell me about the program and how it will specifically help our people?” As I tried to catch my breath and scan my notes, I started mumbling something but still did not have my breath. The few words I uttered, I am certain, made no sense. I was still trying to get my bearings.

Then like a machine gun firing into its weakened opponent, the next question drilled me without mercy, “What are some of the specific action steps you have generated with other groups taking the course?” My mind went blank. In spite of having given the course numerous times and have generated dozens of concrete examples, my mind was in a fog and, inexplicably, I was still out of breath! I tried to recover as I went along, but to no avail. I was being battered ruthlessly and it wasn’t a pretty picture.

A final question went straight to the heart. “What kind of follow up do you plan to ensure objectives are met and how do you plan on doing this while being several thousand miles away?” I continued to dig myself into a deeper hole, knowing the work I had put into the project was slowly being drawn into a dark whirling black hole.

As the call came to an end, I realized there was little chance of achieving my objective on that particular call. She said she needed to check with someone else and promised they would “think” about my proposal. Of course, as soon as I hung up the phone, all the answers came to me in a flash. I sent out a follow up e mail to elaborate what I knew but could not articulate on the phone. Nevertheless, the damage had already been done.

One week later on the follow up call, I received a polite e mail saying, “I spoke to our training people in New York. They want to review other programs in addition to yours so let’s put it on hold for a few weeks.” The final blow hit its mark relentlessly.

What happened? How could the disaster have been averted?

1) Always be prepared.
When leaving a message which implies a return call, be prepared to handle that call when it comes. Make sure that we have a clear concise presentation prepared in order to assure that all points are covered in a professional and thorough manner.

2) Take a call only if we are prepared and have all of the necessary resources at hand.
If we are not prepared to put our best foot forward, explain we are not in a position to talk at that time and offer to call back and set a mutually convenient time when we can devote 100% of our attention to the conversation.

While the most desirable scenario is the first solution, it is not always possible to make an effective presentation when we are running up and down stairs or in the middle of rush hour traffic talking on a mobile phone.

The key is to always be prepared. We never know when the call comes in that can make the difference between achieving our objective and getting the most deadly answer of all, “Let me think about it…” While being prepared takes time and energy, it is vitally important in today’s business world where we never get a second chance to make a terrific first impression.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL I 3

 

What is the value of experience? Experience can be a double edged sword. When we don’t have any experience, we may think it prudent to wait until we have experience to pursue what we most desire. On the other hand, if we already have experience, we may think that we already “know it all” and feel there is no need to continue to learn and take risks to achieve personal and professional excellence. Either of these ways of thinking can be dangerous to our well being.

The amount of experience we have or don’t have isn’t nearly as important as our ability to take action. We will fail from time to time, but the more we try and fail, the more successful we will become. Many of us know the story of Thomas Edison and all of us benefit from his inventions. After more than 2,000 attempts at making a light bulb, he finally succeeded. A reporter asked him, “How does it feel to have failed over 2,000 times?” Edison replied that he had simply learned 2,000 ways how Not to make a light bulb. Experience is important but not nearly as important as what we learn from our mistakes that we often make in gaining experience.

Think for a moment of the first time that we are attracted to someone who rocks our world and makes our knees weak. The question arises, “How can I approach the person to find out if they will go out with me?” We tell our friends of our new found love and they tell us, “Go ahead, what are you waiting for?” In some cases, despite the suggestions and ribbing we get from our friends, we do nothing. We think of the possible rejection and “chicken out.” In other cases we take action and put our best foot forward. Sometimes we are successful and sometimes we crash and burn. Nevertheless, by taking chances and taking action, we gain experience and confidence. The result is of this experience is quite evident. The successes far out weigh the failures and as a result there has been a population explosion on planet earth!

From the time that we are born, we are taught that “no” is bad. A scientific study concludes by the time children reach the age of eight, they have been told “no” over 100,000 times! We rapidly learn we should avoid “no” at all costs and get to “yes”. While this seems to make sense, the real world functions quite differently. We must be willing to fail and to learn from those failures in order to achieve what we most desire.

Let’s remember the following:

1) Failure is an event; it is not a person. When we fail to achieve the results we desire, we should ask ourselves, “What can I learn from what has just happened and what can I do differently next time?”

2) People who achieve outstanding success in this world are not the people who never fail but rather those who fail time and again but who learn from those mistakes to make tremendous contributions to society.

Experience has a tremendous impact on our confidence both on the upside and the downside. The more we learn from our experiences, the more confident we will be in facing life’s challenges. As we face challenges and look for solutions to the difficulties we encounter, we obtain positive experience leading us down a road of personal and professional excellence.

∞ Rob McBride ∞

 

The road to success has been studied for thousands of years.

How do we achieve it?
What is the secret?

Without a doubt, there are several ways to get there and each of us has a different definition of success. One thing that we do know for a fact is that confidence is a primary factor of success. People who have a high degree of confidence tend to be exceptionally successful. People who are not confident tend to struggle.

Success ultimately does not depend on how much money we have or how smart we are. There are people who have a lot of money but are miserable. There are also incredibly intelligent people who haven’t figured out what to do with their knowledge. Given a choice, rich and brilliant is a great place to start but unfortunately, it isn’t possible for all of us.

Confidence can be obtained by experience, preparation, persistence and a positive attitude. One way to express this mathematically is:

C = EPPA²

The product of experience, preparation, persistence and a positive attitude squared will give us confidence.

Of the four elements, one comes with time and the other three can be controlled. The only way of gaining experience is by getting out there and doing whatever it is we do. There is no substitute. Everything that we do is difficult before it becomes easy. Just think of going to work for the very first time. Terrified is a word describing the experience for most of us. Now it is done without even thinking about it. Often this is exactly the problem.

Preparation is entirely up to us. The more prepared we are for any encounter; whether it be professional or personal, the more confident we will be in handling the situation. Most of us wouldn’t dream of going to the beach with out being prepared with our swimming suit and a towel but how many of us routinely make telephone calls or go into meetings without being prepared? It happens all the time.

Persistence is another factor over which we have complete control. When we are attracted to a member of the opposite sex, what happens to our persistence? We invent every way possible to get that person to notice us and to be close to them. Yet in the work place when a client or a colleague tells us they don’t want our product or service, we often take them at their word and give up trying. Knowledge and persistence lead us to achieve things others believe are impossible.

Attitude is squared in our equation because of its importance. Often times a terrific attitude can overcome lack of experience, preparation and persistence. While all elements in the equation are important, an outstanding attitude can make up for deficiencies in other areas. A Harvard study concluded that 85% of all promotions in a company are directly related to the employee having a positive attitude. That is powerful information.

When thinking about what to do to be successful, we need only remember:

C = EPPA²

Zig Ziglar is fond of saying, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” Confidence will come to us through experience, preparation, persistence and a great attitude. This will enable us to help others get what they want and in turn get everything that we want out of life.

@RobMcBride
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