Success and the Great Deception

Good Morning!

I bet your week has been hectic and bordering on FRANTIC!  It always is at this time of the year...

Do not fret...it will stabilize again...that is...if you let it!

This is a time when my paraphrased version of the serenity prayer really means something...

Do what you can do...to make a meaningful difference...

Let go of worrying about things you can not effect...

...and seek the wisdom and ability to know the difference...

Stay your course...do not allow yourself to be diverted by the winds created by those who are weak in character and self-serving...if you do...you become one of them...

Last night I had a cool thought...about failure...

I wrote on Twitter...and repeated it this morning...

REAL failure is when you realize how close you were to success, when you gave up...

This is why I hold the character trait of persistence so highly...it is not a natural trait and is rooted in "courage" and industry (the trait).

Those who possess it...fully understand the axiom..."Nothing ventured...nothing gained..."

In order to be successful...one must follow-through to the VERY END...DUH!

This brings to mind a discussion that I had with a couple of people...

We were talking about career success...and these two people where boasting about the fact that they had never failed!  They had never been laid-off, or even (from their perspective) received a poor performance evaluation.

Whatever they set out to do or were assigned...they achieved...

As I listened to their "war stories" I suddenly realized that they had been working in a sheltered world...

None of the assignments were beyond what a normal person could do...and they really had not yet experienced what pushing the limits was...

I felt the immediate urge to burst their frail bubble...but the "nice" twin (I am a Gemini) told me not to do it!

I did say however..."If you haven't failed...you have never really tried to achieve that which is nearly impossible to achieve...

All I got was blank stares...

It is sad...these people will go through life thinking that they are fantastic...wonderful...higher performers...while in fact...they are just doing normal work consistently...

They will never experience the exhilaration of pushing to and beyond the limits of capability...and truly learn what they are able to do...

They will not learn the important lessons and grow...

They have been deceived by success...

...and ignore that fact that failure is a necessary and critical element of growth...

These people are not worth my time...

Speaking of performance...

I have been observing people lately...and an interesting thing is that they expect more of those around themselves than they expect of themselves...

That is demeaning...and RUDE!

This applies as much at home as it does in the workplace...

Standards of performance need to be consistently applied to all...and based on capability...

Do not leave jobs half-done...so that your significant other (spouse, mate, parent or child) has to finish it for you...THAT IS RUDE...THAT IS DEMEANING...

As a leader...do not expect others to do things to "clean-up" after you...

Leave a path of improvement...rather than a path of destruction...

No one should have to clean-up after you...that is a trait of a 2 year-old...

That kind of cute left your life...when you entered kindergarten!

Think about the subtle message that you send...

"Thank-you!" is just two "hollow words" if your appreciation does not show in your actions...

Do not expect of others...what you are not capable of doing...or at least willing to try...

You may fail at it...where others succeed...but you are not showing persistence or appreciation if it does not show in your actions...

Do not have A HIGHER STANDARD OF PERFORMANCE for others than you have on yourself...

SIMPLY STATED...If someone cooks for you...clean it up...show your appreciation...don't leave it for them...

Appreciation is more than words...it must be felt in action...

Talented leaders recognize this and make it a consistent part of their character...

Frauds...talk good talk...

Enough said...

This has been a great week!

Courtney has already received the Broward county clean-air award for her science fair project (Bio-fuel II) and we are anxiously awaiting word of her winning the competition...(I hope).  We are already planning the third part of the project (Bio-fuel III).

Tyler had his first official Lacrosse match...what a hoot!  We lost 14 to 1!

Rachel made team #4 in fast pitch...rated in the top players! 

I have a new "Author's website"  check it out at http://www.philreinke.com/ 

I know that your week has been full of new challenges and successes...it is all a matter of persistence...stay the course until you are successful...NEVER QUIT!  Know what you want and keep trying until you get it!

Have a great weekend!