(excerpted from the book Seven Strategies for Wealth and Happiness)
Wouldn't it be wonderful to be motivated to achievement by such a lofty goal as benevolence? I must confess, however, that in the early years of my struggle to succeed, my motivation was a lot more down-to-earth. My reason for succeeding was more basic. In fact, it fell into the category of what I like to call "nitty-gritty reasons." A nitty-gritty reason is the kind that any one of us can have -- at any time, on any day -- and it can cause our lives to change. Let me tell you what happened to me . . .
Shortly before I met Mr. Schoaff, I was lounging at home one day when I heard a knock at the door. It was a timid, hesitant knock. When I opened the door I looked down to see a pair of big brown eyes staring up at me. There stood a frail little girl of about ten. She told me, with all the courage and determination her little heart could muster, that she was selling Girl Scout cookies. It was a masterful presentation -- several flavors, a special deal, and only two dollars per box. How could anyone refuse? Finally, with a big smile and ever-so politely, she asked me to buy. And I wanted to. Oh, how I wanted to!
Except for one thing. I didn't have two dollars! Boy, was I embarrassed! Here I was -- a father, had been to college, was gainfully employed -- and yet I didn't have two dollars to my name.
Naturally I couldn't tell this to the little girl with the big brown eyes. So I did the next best thing. I lied to her. I said, "Thanks, but I've already bought Girl Scout cookies this year. And I've still got plenty stacked in the house."
Now that simply wasn't true. But it was the only thing I could think of to get me off the hook. And it did. The little girl said, "That's okay, sir. Thank you very much." And with that she turned around and went on her way.
I stared after her for what seemed like a very long time. Finally, I closed the door behind me and, leaning my back to it, cried out, "I don't want to live like this anymore. I've had it with being broke, and I've had it with lying. I'll never be embarrassed again by not having any money in my pocket." That day I promised myself to earn enough to always have several hundred dollars in my pocket at all times.
This is what I mean by a nitty-gritty reason. It may not win me any prize for greatness, but it was enough to have a permanent effect on the rest of my life.
My Girl-Scout-cookie story does have a happy ending. Several years later, as I was walking out of my bank where I had just made a hefty deposit and was crossing the street to get into my car, I saw two little girls who were selling candy for some girls' organization. One of them approached me, saying, "Mister, would you like to buy some candy?"
"I probably would," I said playfully. "What kind of candy do you have?" "It's almond roca." "Almond roca. That's my favorite. How much is it?" "It's only two dollars." Two dollars. It couldn't be! I was excited. "How many boxes of candy have you got?" "I've got five."
Looking at her friend, I said, "And how many boxes do you have left?"
"I've got four." "That's nine. Okay, I'll take them all."
At this, both girls' mouths fell open as they exclaimed in unison, "Really?"
"Sure," I said. "I've got some friends that I'll pass some around to."
Excitedly, they scurried to stack all the boxes together. I reached into my pocket and gave them eighteen dollars. As I was about to leave, the boxes tucked under my arm, one of the girls looked up and said, "Mister, you're really something!" How about that! Can you imagine spending only eighteen dollars and having someone look you in the face and say, "You're really something!"
Now you know why I always carry a few hundred dollars on me. I'm not about to miss chances like that ever again.
And to think it all resulted from my own embarrassment, that when properly channeled, acted as a powerful motivator to help me achieve.
How about you? What nitty-gritty reasons do you have waiting to challenging and provoke you into change for the better? Look for them, they are there. Sometimes it can be as simple as a brown-eyed girl selling Girl Scott cookies.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn's Weekly E-zine. Copyright 2005 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved worldwide. To subscribe to Jim Rohn's Weekly E-zine, go to http://jim-rohn.inspiresyou.com
same day cleaning service Bannockburn ..J. Paul Getty appeared to be incredibly lucky, but it... Read More
Whoever first said that knowledge is power was probably selling... Read More
Nicholas Darvas, escaping his war-torn homeland, Hungary, sought refuge in... Read More
Give yourself a gold star Remember how rewarding it was... Read More
Did you see or hear about 'The Masters' golf tournament... Read More
My mentor, when I was 25 years old, dropped a... Read More
How can anyone with the brain of a cockroach make... Read More
If we eat too much at home, the public eventually... Read More
Being busy has become a way of life for many... Read More
The very first "motivational speaker" I heard as an adult... Read More
What if I told you that you could be more... Read More
Pain. All of us have felt that emotion some time... Read More
Here is a great way to create affirmations that may... Read More
Okay, so you've finally made that big decision to start... Read More
"The reason man may become the master of his own... Read More
If you are like me you have probably lost a... Read More
In his audio e-book, 10 Habits to Swell Your Bank... Read More
We all know as we are progressing towards our personal... Read More
Don't expect results over night - what??If you were to... Read More
How does an online marketer define success ? There are... Read More
Response means "to answer" and that idea, in its purest... Read More
Have you ever wondered if there was a way to... Read More
What Makes the Difference?On a warm spring afternoon, fifteen years... Read More
Our lives and the circumstances we live in are largely... Read More
We own a home on the island of Puerto Rico... Read More
housekeepers near Deerfield ..Take a page from Eastern wisdom Meditation, martial arts that... Read More
In Latin the word means 'to dare'.This word is so... Read More
Something For You To Consider?How To Create What You Want... Read More
Two weeks ago we took a look at the power... Read More
Hello everybody and a good day (or night !) to... Read More
How many times have people asked you what you really... Read More
Hey,Josh here from Investor Wealth Academy sitting 29 stories above... Read More
"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.... Read More
One of the hallmarks of all successful and high achieving... Read More
I am constantly approached by people when I am speaking... Read More
Critics can destroy or inspire you. Your own self critic... Read More
How can anyone with the brain of a cockroach make... Read More
I was in the gym, pushing my adolescent muscles to... Read More
FOCUSAs you're building your business, you can choose to win... Read More
We all want success. You do. So do I. Some... Read More
Hold a "progressive" goal party If you have a group... Read More
Pops first set the goal in high school, but when... Read More
Australians are loosing their laidback, carefree reputation, as we continue... Read More
In individualistic success models, success is not due to the... Read More
Are you looking for the secret or magical formula for... Read More
Study hard, get good grades and you will have a... Read More
When you look into the eyes of a winner, what... Read More
You must play by the rules. Everything has rules. You... Read More
The 90/10 secret is incredible! Very few know and apply... Read More
In my audio program Book Yourself Solid, The 7 Keys... Read More
Success |