This week, I had the pleasure to be on a panel facilitated online by Financial Editor of NBC Today, Jean Chatzky and hosted by Citizens Bank. I was sharing my experiences and the impact of the pandemic on both of my businesses and how we pivoted.
As I look at how we and my clients pivoted, it occurs to me that entrepreneurs often experience all kinds of interruptions, disappointments, and delays. The pandemic was on a bigger scale, something we haven’t experienced as a collective human race.
As I was reflecting on what was shared and what I learned during this pandemic, Jim Rohn’s story, The 10 Simple Words, came to mind. And, it serves as a valuable reminder to use this time to work on your inner entrepreneur.
Ten Simple Words
by Jim Rohn
My first mentor, Mr. Shoaff, taught me—over a five-year period of time before he died—some extraordinarily simple things…
Mr. Shoaff only went through the 9th grade. He never finished high school, never went to college, and never went to a university. So he put his experiences and ideas into very simple language, which, I think for me—a farm boy from the state of Idaho—was so important.
When I would say, “This is all the company pays.” Mr. Shoaff would say, “No, that is all they pay YOU.” I thought, “That is a new way to look at it.” I told him things cost too much. But he said, “No, you can’t afford them.” Well, that too was a new concept for me. And he also promised me, if I would improve then I would be able to earn more money. So one of the first lessons I learned was, I didn’t need to work
on the company, I needed to work on myself.
If his advice to me had been technical, I might have missed it. If it had been mystic, I would have backed away. But it was just basic, blunt, “a-b-c” familiar stuff that I hadn’t thought of before. For me it was the beginning of what he called, personal development.
Mr. Shoaff also taught me that life puts some of the more valuable things on the high shelf so that you can’t get to them until you qualify. If you want the things on the high shelf, you must stand on the books you read.
With every book you read you get to stand a little higher.
Mr. Shoaff only needed to use ten simple words to forever shift my thinking when he said, “Success is something you attract by the person you become.” That phrase changed my life. It’s true! Success is not to be pursued… Success is to be attracted by the person you become.
Therefore, if you want to do something remarkable, put your energy into becoming a better you—the best you. Learn the skills. Practice the skills. Apply the skills.
Those ten simple words, “Success is something you attract by the person you become” helped change my life, forever, and for the better. Thank you, once again, Mr. Shoaff.
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