| The Missing Cornerstone of Success Send
this report to me by auto-responder
1. A Hero is someone who the moment prior to becoming
one was a reckless, irresponsible dreamer.
2. One is successful just in the sincere attempt to
become successful.
I wrote the above while in deep reflection, mulling
over whether I was truly prepared to take on the mammoth
job of successfully launching an Internet marketing
company. Having survived several start-ups of this
magnitude, albeit not in the cyber-world, I knew this
undertaking would be one that involved much more than
just plain positive thinking.
However, as part of the process, I did return to my
favorite "success" books, reading through them like
familiar old friends. This time though, I experienced
a new "awakening", not from what I discovered in the
books, but from what I found was sorely missing in
most of them.
Please bear in mind that I believe with all my heart
in statement 2. above, however, for the sake of this
article I will refer to "achieving success" as the
actual attaining of ones "goal of success".
The majority of books and other motivational materials
fail to address the piece of the proverbial puzzle that
is most often the single determining factor between
achieving success, or not. If this key element were
included as such, the infinite collections of
you-can-make-it resources wouldn't be such an easy sell.
The omitted "truth" would put the reality of achieving
success in the cold hard light that it should be
presented in.
This required ingredient has little to do with the stuff
we should think, but has everything to do with the
potentially high cost of "doing".
I am referring to Sacrifice. Ask almost any successful
entrepreneur what sacrifices he or she has had to make
and they will without hesitation tell you they paid,
"a big price".
The reality of Sacrifice can include the following:
Sustained periods of time when 18-hour days are the norm,
when one hardly knows what day of the week it is because
they all seem the same. Days turn into weeks and weeks,
months. Entire seasons pass with little notice. I often
refer to this as The Fog.
Pivotal moments when one wrestles with their own mind over
whether their goal and their plan were after all, valid.
Self-doubt can be a success killer.
Replenishing of the deep inner-strength required to fend
off the effects of setbacks - bitter disappointment,
discouragement and quite often, disillusionment. Whether
one can bounce back from the devastating effects of a
major setback can be the single determining factor in
achieving success.
Financially, let's not discount the fact that one will
generally spend several times more than what they in
their original optimistic mindset had set as "the budget".
Under funding is among the first reasons why start-up
businesses fail. A smart business plan will allow you
to not only survive personally, but will provide for
implementing contingency plans.
Physical suffering can often accompany one on the ride
to success - the stress-related effects of weight loss
or gain, fatigue, even depression. Mental and physical
resiliency is a rudimentary quality to achieving success.
Too often, the largest sacrifice that an achiever has to
make is irreparable damage to relationships in his or her
life, when the gift of focus and determination is perceived
as, or becomes, obsession. The "perfect balance" may find a
home in books and on the lecture circuit, but reality has
it that true understanding and support by loved ones are
rare commodities. Countless families have fallen apart
because the entrepreneurial spirit was alive in a household.
Although this subject is deserving of much more attention
than I can give it here, communication is the key that will
see relationships not only survive, but flourish on the road
to success.
I find it amusing when someone just blurts out a quick and
disparaging remark about a successful person. The "yeah, he's
got it easy" kind of envious, thoughtless blurb. I've been
known to rebut more than once, "if you only knew". Thing is,
they have no idea what it has taken this person to achieve
success. Unfortunately, it's a concept they will probably
never "get". And a result they will probably never achieve.
The road to success is often a steep and rocky one. There
are mountains in your way, not on the roadmap that you must
be prepared to climb. This is the stuff that true
entrepreneurial heroes have to face. The ones who are
willing to fight the fight and often pay the high price.
By the way, and for the record, I did decide to start my
Internet marketing company and I'm pleased to report it
is doing just wonderful. I'm also duty bound to say that
many of the above sacrifices have been, and will continue
to be made along the way.
Greener valleys lie over the horizon for all of us. But
before you leave, know that Sacrifice is the Missing
Cornerstone of Success.
Written by Rick Beneteau
(c) 1998 NetProfit 2020 Inc., Marietta, GA
Rick also publishes/edits his own newsletter, The Hallway
Mirror (subscribe@thehallway.com)
EZINE OWNERS:
to subscribe my column Of Mouse & Man, please
go to http://www.thehallway.com/MOUSE%20AND%20MAN/MM1.htm
.
 |
