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Lesson #3: Do Not Accept a Crisis, Act on It
Article Overview: “I got my start by giving myself a start,” said Walker.
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Free Download - Madam C.J. Walker Quotes By Madam C.J. Walker |
Lesson #3: Do Not Accept a Crisis, Act on It
“I got my start by giving myself a start,” said Walker.
Walker was 37 years old when she found herself slowly losing her hair. She would wake up each morning with new clumps of hair on her pillow that had fallen out the night before. She did not know what was causing it, but suspected a combination of poor diet and stress. It is now known to have been a common problem among black women in that time. But while others might have just disguised their problem with a wig, or hidden themselves away from the rest of the world, Walker decided to turn the crisis into an opportunity.
At first glance, life did not seem to have much to offer to the young Walker. Sharing a one-room cabin on a cotton plantation with her family of seven was less than accommodating. Living with an abusive brother in law and being widowed at the age of 19 did not help the situation. Losing her hair in her 30’s was icing on the cake. In each of these cases, however, Walked demonstrated her ability to not only live through the crisis, but to change her fate and act on them.
As a young girl, Walker recognized that her family was living on the brink. They were poor, and sleeping on the mud floor of their cabin made that point all too clear. But instead of spending her childhood playing with friends and doing normal kid things, Walker put herself to work and accompanied her parents onto the cotton fields every day almost as soon as she could walk. She was determined to make her own little contribution.
After the death of her parents, Walker decided it would be best to move in with her older sister. An abusive relationship with her sister’s husband quickly changed her mind. Instead of accepting the treatment as did her sister, Walker looked for a way out. She found her answer in a marriage of her own.
Being single again and losing her hair proved to be the ultimate crisis combination. Together, they would give her the motivation she needed to start up her own business. She needed to support herself since no one else would, and she wanted to find a solution to her hair problems. She chose to act on the crisis instead of accept it.
Walker began to “tinker” with a few different existing solutions until she found something she liked. And, instead of just keeping it for herself, she decided to go one step further and market it. And, instead of just selling it within the U.S., Walker decided to take her product international. She embarked on a selling campaign throughout Jamaica, Cuba, Costa Rica, Panama and Haiti.
Walker was always on the lookout for an opportunity, and by and large, she took those opportunities when she was in the midst of a difficult time in her life. It was by acting on crises instead of accepting them that Walker was able to turn a scanty living into a success.
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Article Tags: 37 years, abusive relationship, black women, brink, clumps, cotton fields, cotton plantation, fate, first glance, icing on the cake, lesson 3, motivation, mud floor, older sister, own business, poor diet, rest of the world, wig, world walker, young girl
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Self Development Tips
- I find this old article about self development and very liked it. I think here a lot practical rules!
As long as you are still alive, you are capable of changing and growing. You can do anything you want to do, be anything you want to be. Listen to some positive thoughts on how to continue your self development and then apply them in your own life.
1. Accept personal responsibility for your own growth; no one can do it for you. What you do today will determine your readiness for tomorrow.
2. Take time every day to do something for yourself.
3. Take classes to stay current in your field of expertise. The world is changing rapidly and you must learn to manage change to avoid obsolescence. The way Will Rogers put this was that "Even if you are on the right track, if you just sit there you will get run over."
4. Listen to cassette tapes on personal and professional growth topics.
5. Never look back to the past - you only can control your actions in this instant, so what should you be doing right now?
6. Learn from "other people's experience" rather then having to try everything for yourself. It shortens the time needed to learn.
7. Dealing with a problem helps you learn patience and strengthens your management skills; it is good mental exercise.
8. Analyze, in a non-judgmental way, mistakes in which you were involved. It will help you to prevent these in the future.
9. Reward yourself when you catch yourself working on the most important priorities.
10. Never say something can't or won't be done. Keep looking for ways to do it.
11. After attending a seminar, report to your boss or other people in your organization, what the most important things are that you learned from the program.
12. Eliminate one time waster a week from your life.
13. Read a minimum of one chapter of a book a day.
14. Read a minimum of one book a month.
15. Be hungry for what life has to offer and go for it.
16. Decide what you really desire to do - then do it.
17. When you have the option of reading a book or listening to the cassette tape version of the program, listen to the tape. It will be more to the point and can be done while you are driving, jogging/walking, or getting other routine things done.
18. Develop a "master mind" group of four or five people with whom you can openly discuss ideas in a nonjudgmental way.
19. Develop yourself as a resource for others by networking. Find out who does what, when, and for whom. You may find excellent contacts for your future needs and for the needs of others you meet.
20. Work for balance in your life goals: family, financial, professional, social, spiritual, recreational.
21. Always keep your goals in mind as you start a new activity.
22. If you do a lot of work with the calculator, run the machine with the hand you don't use for writing.
23. Do not be afraid of failing at something. You can learn and change as a result of it.
24. The most difficult projects are opportunities for your biggest successes just as the most difficult people could become your strongest allies.
25. Put up pictures of your dreams and goals where you will see them frequently. They will remind you and aid you in focusing and visualizing your goal.
26. We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Learn from those people who get more done than you do. Perhaps you can find a way to improve what you are doing.
27. Find a nonjudgmental mentor who will help you by providing feedback, suggestions, challenges and support.
28. Identify some "models" and observe their style and actions. Do not copy them but learn from their experiences.
29. Learn from the errors you see others make as well as from their successes.
30. Fill your mind with positive ideas, thoughts and inspirations and you will have no room left for the negative.
31. Trade jobs with someone so you gain additional experience.
32. Ask for and accept lateral moves in the organization so you learn more about the entire operation.
33. Do more than your "self doubts" say you can.
34. Have confidence that you can get through and learn from anything and everything you experience.
35. Reward yourself with a treat when you have completed a learning objective.
36. Keep a daily journal, recording your thoughts, ideas, feelings and personal growth progress.
37. Ask questions, listen, then ask more questions. You will learn as well as help others learn.
38. Ask yourself, "How can I manipulate my fate?"
39. Do things with someone you respect. They will be supportive of you and you will learn from interacting with them.
40. Seek new information on projects for which you have responsibility. Look for new "ah ha" ideas all the time.
41. Challenge yourself to learn something new every day.
42. Remain flexible and constantly adaptable.
43. Be open to others and sincerely interested in them. You can learn from everyone you meet.
44. Mentally rehearse a new skill. Your subconscious does not know the difference between actual practice and mental rehearsal.
45. Keep a record of what you accomplished the previous day(s)/week. If you did not accomplish as much as you wanted, it gives you extra incentive to do better in the next time period.
46. Make notes of the questions you want answered. Then as the answers come to you, jot them down next to the question.
47. Work on overcoming personal, nonproductive habits; for example: overeating, smoking, gossip.
48. Keep an "Idea File" ring binder or notebook in which you record all new ideas. At least once a week in a standing appointment with yourself, review your ideas.
Very interesting to know other practical self development tips.
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