Three-Step Dance to Success
Three-Step Dance to Success
One of the most influential books of the past 50 years is Viktor Frankl's, "Man's Search for Meaning." Having survived the horrors of Nazi death camps, Frankl observed that the most basic and enduring of human needs was for "meaning," or I might term it, significance. We want our lives to "amount to something."
So the question really boils down to, "What can I do with my life that will be fulfilling and make a difference for me and others?" I don't want to get too philosophical, but
that is a key question!
I think the answer is both simpler, and perhaps more difficult, than we like to admit.
The answer is simple because it's been known for thousands of years. Philosophers, teachers, theologians and poets have been talking about this for a long time. "There is nothing new under the sun." Unfortunately, it's also more difficult than we like to admit because we want an instant solution or a guaranteed formula and that (sad to say) hasn't been found.
Here, however, are three "simple" (not easy, but pretty straight-forward) steps that have been recommended by lots of smart people and, in my 25 years of observation, seem to work. Ready? Here we go:
1. The first step of the success dance is, as Socrates put it, to "know thyself." In Western culture, with our love of technology and speed and change, we don't do much "pondering." We are not patient, introspective people. In the famous words of Walt Whitman, we want to "be up and doing."
Too often, we are doing the wrong things. As Peter Drucker put it, too often we climb the ladder of success, "only to find it was leaning against the wrong wall." The good life seems to be a life lived out of our values, consistent with our talents and reflecting our aspirations. Success is about integrity, commitment and service. Often, money and other nice things arrive, too, but success is seldom found in anything as obvious as a bank account or fancy house.
2. The second step is about getting along with people. It's about teamwork, partners, community, and fellowship. As the poet, John Donne, wrote, "no man is an island," or as the Nobel-winning economist Milton Friedman observed, no one person can produce even a simple pencil. We need the cooperation of others. We need people who love and respect, appreciate, trust and cooperate with us.
Success is about the ability to get along with one another. We need our families, friends and business partners. At the very least, we need the trust (and purchasing power) of our customers!
3. The third step of the success dance is about making a difference. The third step is always action! It's about being flamboyant, taking a risk, reaching out, trying
something, getting our feet wet and our hands dirty. It's about making a contribution and serving as many people as possible.
The third step is to make life better, easier, and richer for others, before we focus on enriching ourselves. I love Zig Ziglar's quote that, "You can have anything you want in life if you find a way to help enough other people get what they want in life." What a wonderful challenge!
ThreeStep Dance to Success - To learn more about this author, visit Rodger Blaker's Website.
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Over and over again, I receive emails, inquiries from clients and invitations to speak on the question of "the good life." Every human being wants to live a great life! We want peace, joy, loving relationships, meaningful work, and a level of financial success. We want our lives to "mean something."
One of the most influential books of the past 50 years is Viktor Frankl's, "Man's Search for Meaning." Having survived the horrors of Nazi death camps, Frankl observed that the most basic and enduring of human needs was for "meaning," or I might term it, significance. We want our lives to "amount to something."
So the question really boils down to, "What can I do with my life that will be fulfilling and make a difference for me and others?" I don't want to get too philosophical, but
that is a key question!
I think the answer is both simpler, and perhaps more difficult, than we like to admit.
The answer is simple because it's been known for thousands of years. Philosophers, teachers, theologians and poets have been talking about this for a long time. "There is nothing new under the sun." Unfortunately, it's also more difficult than we like to admit because we want an instant solution or a guaranteed formula and that (sad to say) hasn't been found.
Here, however, are three "simple" (not easy, but pretty straight-forward) steps that have been recommended by lots of smart people and, in my 25 years of observation, seem to work. Ready? Here we go:
1. The first step of the success dance is, as Socrates put it, to "know thyself." In Western culture, with our love of technology and speed and change, we don't do much "pondering." We are not patient, introspective people. In the famous words of Walt Whitman, we want to "be up and doing."
Too often, we are doing the wrong things. As Peter Drucker put it, too often we climb the ladder of success, "only to find it was leaning against the wrong wall." The good life seems to be a life lived out of our values, consistent with our talents and reflecting our aspirations. Success is about integrity, commitment and service. Often, money and other nice things arrive, too, but success is seldom found in anything as obvious as a bank account or fancy house.
2. The second step is about getting along with people. It's about teamwork, partners, community, and fellowship. As the poet, John Donne, wrote, "no man is an island," or as the Nobel-winning economist Milton Friedman observed, no one person can produce even a simple pencil. We need the cooperation of others. We need people who love and respect, appreciate, trust and cooperate with us.
Success is about the ability to get along with one another. We need our families, friends and business partners. At the very least, we need the trust (and purchasing power) of our customers!
3. The third step of the success dance is about making a difference. The third step is always action! It's about being flamboyant, taking a risk, reaching out, trying
something, getting our feet wet and our hands dirty. It's about making a contribution and serving as many people as possible.
The third step is to make life better, easier, and richer for others, before we focus on enriching ourselves. I love Zig Ziglar's quote that, "You can have anything you want in life if you find a way to help enough other people get what they want in life." What a wonderful challenge!
ThreeStep Dance to Success - To learn more about this author, visit Rodger Blaker's Website.
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) Jay Kubassek is a Canadian born entrepreneur, internet marketing genius, professional speaker, international real estate developer/investor, executive film producer, extreme sport enthusiast and a passionate supporter of several charities worldwide. In 2007, Jay's vision and dedication to help other entrepreneurs and business owners duplicate his marketing success led to the creation of his fourth company CarbonCopyPRO, an internet marketing firm already worth over 15 million dollars that has over 20 employees and contract workers with clients is 12 different countries. Jay resides in NYC with his girlfriend Jamie, three year old son Milo and dog Cooper. As executive producer he recently premiered his first film in the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. As an adventurist he is racing the 2008 Baja 1000 off-road race and is a member of the 2008 U.S. National Elephant Polo Team, The New York Blue who will be representing the US in the 2008 World Championships in Nepal. Visit Jay's Blog: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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 Rodger Blaker (Visit Rodger's Website) Rodger Blaker Coaching LLC Phone: 214-485-2238 www.rodgerbla ker.com Rodg er@rodgerblaker.com Rodger is a Professional Certified Coach who is an expert at creating positive change in business behavior, working with solopreneurs and small business owners. Through a proven coaching process, Rodger helps very busy, successful leaders to slow down, reflect, and map out critical changes they need to make to significantly grow their business and improve personally. Before opening his coaching business, Rodger spent 25 years working for fortune 500 companies where he gained valuable leadership experience by working with senior and executive management as a senior project manager. Rodger is a graduate of the CoachU Certified Graduate Coaching Program and he is a member of the International Coaching Federation where he earned his certificate as a Professional Certified Coach. He is a member of the ICF North Texas chapter where he holds the position of Treasurer. Rodger also holds a certification as a Project Management Professional or PMP.
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