Straight Talk for Success: Common Sense Ideas That Won't Let You Down [Excerpt]

- By Bud Bilanich


I love stories. I think they are a very powerful way of making important points.

Here's one of my favorites about self-confidence:

The business executive was deep in debt and could see no way out. Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He sat on the park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy. Suddenly an old man appeared before him. "I can see that something is troubling you," he said. After listening to the executive's woes, the old man said, "I believe I can help you." He asked the man his name and wrote out a check. He pushed it into his hand, and said, "Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time." Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come. The business executive saw in his hand a check for $500,000, signed by John D. Rockefeller, then one of the richest men in the world! "I can erase my money worries in an instant!" he realized. But instead, the executive decided to put the uncashed check in his safe. Just knowing it was there might give him the strength to work out a way to save his business.

With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended terms of payment. He closed several big sales. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again. Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the uncashed check. At the agreed-upon time, the old man appeared. But just as the executive was about to hand back the check and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man. "I'm so glad I caught him!" she cried. "I hope he hasn't been bothering you. He's always escaping from the rest home and telling people he's John D. Rockefeller." And she led the old man away by the arm. The astonished executive just stood there, stunned. All year long he'd been wheeling and dealing, buying and selling, convinced he had half a million dollars behind him. Suddenly, he realized that it wasn't the money, real or imagined, that had turned his life around. It was his newfound self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after. As nice as this story is, I doubt if it is actually true. However, like a lot of fables, it makes a great common sense point about career and life success. If you believe in yourself and your success, you are likely to find ways to make that belief come true. Think about it.

 

Positoovity

Cathy, my wife, and I had the pleasure of seeing "The Little Mermaid," a new Disney musical in its pre-Broadway engagement. It was very cool to be able to see a play that will likely become a big hit prior to its Broadway opening. It was even better because the title role of Ariel is played by Denver native Sierra Boggess, and I live in Denver. I bring up this production because of the first number in the second act -- Positoovity." If you don't know the story, Ariel has just sold her voice to her wicked aunt in order to leave the sea and become human in order to capture the heart of Prince Eric. There is one caveat. Ariel must entice the Prince to kiss her within three days. As the second act opens, Ariel is lying on the beach with her new legs. However, she finds that walking is a lot more difficult than she thought it would be. She is about to give up when Scuttle the seagull happens by. Scuttle, a master of the malapropism, tells her she can't give up and that she needs to get herself some "positoovity." Scuttle and his fellow seagulls then sing a rousing song about the power of positoovity to Ariel. I loved it.

"Positoovity" is a great, fun song, but its message is even better. We all need some positoovity in our lives -- positoovity, loosely defined, is belief in oneself. Positoove people look at the bright side of things and don't give up. And that's a great common sense message. Get some positoovity in your life, and you'll be well on your way to success.

 

Experience and Confidence

Stan Smith is a legendary tennis player. He has won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. In 1972, he ended the year as the number one player in the world. He is a member of the Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, RI. I once saw a great quote from him: "Experience tells you what to do. Confidence allows you to do it." I like Mr. Smith's quote because it relates to all three aspects of self-confidence: optimism, dealing with your fears, and surrounding yourself with positive people. Experience can be a cruel teacher. The best learnings often come from the worst experiences.

To take advantage of your experience, you need to be optimistic. You need to believe that you can learn something from your failures and put this knowledge to good use. You also need to be willing to face your fears. You need to be willing to put yourself back in a situation in which you have previously failed, and to try something new that will help you succeed. Finally, you need to have a cadre of supportive, positive people around you. These people can help you stay optimistic and help you face your fears. These positive people can also coach you to help you determine what you are going to do to turn around your performance.

The common sense point here is simple. We all fail from time to time. Career and life stars use the experience they gain from these failures to move ahead in their lives and careers. They use their optimism, willingness to face their fears, and the positive people in their lives to build their confidence to help them take advantage of their experiences.


About the Author:

Bud Bilanich, The Common Sense Guy, is an executive coach, motivational speaker, author, and blogger. He is the Official Executive Coaching Guide at SelfGrowth.com. He helps his coaching clients succeed by applying their common sense.
 
Dr. Bilanich is Harvard educated but has a no-nonsense approach to his work that goes back to his roots in the steel country of Western Pennsylvania. His approach to career and life success is a result of over 35 years of business experience, 10 years of research and study of successful people, and the application of common sense.
 
He is the author of seven books, including "Straight Talk for Success: Common Sense Ideas That Won't Let You Down," where he presents his blueprint for career and life success:
 

* Develop your self-confidence.

* Create positive personal impact.

* Become an outstanding performer.

* Become an effective communicator.

* Become interpersonally competent.

His clients include Pfizer, Glaxo SmithKline, Johnson and Johnson, Abbot Laboratories, PepsiCo, AT&T, Chase Manhattan Bank, Citigroup, General Motors, UBS, AXA Advisors, Cabot Corporation, The Aetna, PECO Energy, Olin Corporation, Minerals Technologies, The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and a number of small and family-owned businesses.
 
Bud is a cancer survivor and lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife Cathy.  He is a retired rugby player and an avid cyclist.  He likes movies, live theatre, and crime fiction.

Check out the Experts page for Bud Bilanich, the Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to Executive Coach and Executive Coaching.