Is Your Mind Open or Closed for the Business of Success?
2002 Boaz Rauchwerger
Good Morning. It's a brand new day. Your mind is either open or closed for the business of success. Being successful in life means having a mind that is open to new ideas, to new techniques, to new things that we can learn.
Since a mind once expanded never returns to its original size, it's important to be constantly learning. The more you know and the more you expand your talents, the more satisfaction you'll find in life and the more rewards you will receive.
As a consultant and coach to CEOs, I'm finding that my retainers grow to the proportion of the number of services I can provide my clients. Recently I was asked if I could produce a PowerPoint presentation. That is similar to a slide show, on a computer, that tells a story. Often, in business, these are marketing presentations about a company.
I didn't have the first clue about creating a PowerPoint presentation. However, I was willing to learn. My mind is always open to the business of success. So, in response to the question, I said, "Sure, I can do it." My parents taught me to first accept a challenge and then find a way to achieve it. I found a couple of people who understood the program and asked for help.
By the way, I once asked a relative of mine why more Americans are not successful. He said, very simply, "They won't ask for help." Personally, I ask for help often because I need it. Success isn't a matter of knowing everything. It's a matter of knowing where to find the answers.
So, after a shaky start, I quickly found out that the PowerPoint program wasn't as difficult as it might have seemed at first. Learning something one step at a time, experimenting and making some mistakes, isn't so difficult. When we add enthusiasm to a new task, it seems to become easier.
Within a couple of hours, my efforts with the PowerPoint program began to pay off. I was able to create text, find and move pictures, add colors and more. The presentation began to come together and it actually looked good. During the process, I kept asking questions and I continued to learn.
The final presentation was very well received by the president of the client company. I was quickly asked to create a second presentation and it also was well received. Within a couple of weeks a second client asked me to also create a PowerPoint presentation. By now my confidence level was high and I eagerly accepted the opportunity. I learned even more during that exercise and that presentation also looked terrific.
Thus, the bottom line in all of this is that we all have many talents. All we have to do is keep an open mind to the possibilities. Next time someone asks you to do something with which you are not familiar, accept the challenge and then ask for help. As I mentioned, the more you learn, the more you expand your talents, the more rewards will come your way.
Every day, let's make sure your mind is open to the business of success.
I'd "But" Out of This If I Were You
I'd like to share a second article with you in this newsletter, but I don't know what to say. Wait a minute. That's not a very good way to move ahead in life.
A more productive way to express that thought would be: I'd like to share a second article with you in this newsletter AND I will find something productive to say.
Notice the important change in those two paragraphs. Instead of the word "but," I substituted the word "and." The second paragraph is much more productive. In the first paragraph, the word "but" negates everything that follows.
Just like the parent who says to a child, "I'm proud of you for getting three A's on your report card, but what about this C?" The child quickly forgets the approval for the good grades when the word "but" is used. A more productive thought would be "I'm proud of you for getting three A's on your report card and I'm confident youll be able to raise that C."
May I suggest that you take the word "but" out of your vocabulary. Substitute the word "and" and you'll see how much more productive that will be.
An Open Mind Daily Affirmation
I keep my mind open every day to the business of success!
Article reproduced with permission from Boaz Rauchwerger. You may reprint any of these articles in any publication or Web site so long as you credit Boaz Rauchwerger as the author and include this Web site address, www.Boazpower.com.