If you could step through an imaginary time mirror, and meet the person you will be 10 to 20 years from today, what would be your conversation with him? Would you even want this opportunity if you could have it? Would you have the courage to go through the experience?
If so, what do you think each of you would say? Would he be appreciative of the fact that through conscientious work and study you had kept abreast of constantly shifting conditions of our economy? Would he thank you for making the decision to keep learning through life so you had maximized your potential while avoiding unnecessary dead ends and roadblocks in your life’s journey? Or, would he drop his eyes and try to explain to you why he let you down? Would he confess he had been so involved with the affairs of the moment that he had been able to find little time for considerations of the future?
Well, I've got news for you. Strange as it may seem, you are going to meet this person someday and whether you like it or not, you are going to have this chat with him. You can't avoid him. You can't evade him. You can't escape him. Your eyes will meet his each morning in the mirror. You must work by his side during the day. You cannot even get away from him at night because he will be your constant bedfellow. Whether he is grateful to you, or whether he blames you, depends upon a decision you must make today. When you finally meet him, the hour will be too late to make the decision.
Before you read further, I want you to ask yourself two questions. Unless you can answer them in the affirmative, I suggest you stop now, for you are only wasting your time.
First, do you have a strong desire to prepare yourself for the future? Do you really want to grow in professionalism so that you can compete in an ever-increasing, competitive world? Don't be impulsive in your decision. Don't consider this question lightly. Not everyone has this desire. Many are satisfied to sit on life's sidelines and just watch the success parade go by. They not only have no desire to lead the parade, they don't even care to be in the parade. They are perfectly satisfied to be spectators and merely watch others march ahead. They prefer to endure the deprivations of failure than to make the sacrifices of success. Of course, this is their privilege.
The second question is of even greater importance. Even if you are sure you have the desire, is this desire strong enough that you will do something about it? Are you sure you are willing to do certain things now to insure your own future happiness and success? Man, throughout all history, has been plagued with this great choice - does he want to gratify his immediate impulse or does he want to accomplish his ultimate purpose?
This choice is yours at this time. Be honest with yourself! If for some reason you cannot answer these two questions in the affirmative; if for some reason your thirst for success is not enough to make you willing to undergo certain sacrifices, let me repeat, you should stop reading my message. It has nothing of help for you. On the other hand, if you desire the just rewards life can offer and if you want them enough to make some temporary sacrifices in order to obtain them, then this message can be the road map to the achievement of your dreams and ambitions.
Every individual has within himself the seeds of his own growth but also the virus of his own destruction.
Whether he cultivates a condition for growth or whether he creates a climate for destruction depends upon his decision regarding these two important questions.To answer the first question is not enough. Your decision must be made on both. For your sake, I hope you make them both in the affirmative. I sincerely believe you have the desire and ambition to do so or you would not have arrived at this point.
If you are willing to follow accurately and with precision, certain fundamental principles contained in this course as well as other training programs, doors of opportunity which you did not even know existed will open to you. Most importantly, when you meet your alter ego in the future, you can look him straight in the eye, and he will smile and thank you for making the journey of your life a great one. You have an obligation to this person. He is important to you. Don't let him down. It will be too late to do anything about it at that time. The time of decision is now.
Some people reading this message might say: "Why shout the obvious? I realize that in a world of changing values, shifting methods and increasing competition, I must constantly be improving myself to adjust to meet these new changes. Tell me exactly what I can do. I feel I am worth the investment, and I am willing to invest whatever time, effort and money necessary to keep pace with changing times."
If you belong to this group, I congratulate you. I salute you. I'm happy for you. Now let me give you a directional compass in the form of a simple formula which, if followed, will lead to the realization of your ambitions and goals. It is simple and certain in its results.
First, your preparation must be a constant process. School is never out for the person who really wants to succeed. Because of the rapidly changing phases of our economy, the constant demands of readjustment offer a challenge today that never existed before. No longer is preparation something that can be put in a drawer and forgotten about. Success itself has taken on a new definition. It might even be termed today as the constant and continuing preparation of ourselves to meet the constant and continuing changes of our economic system.
Yes, success today is a journey and not a destination. Furthermore, in making this trip, the important thing is that you must be constantly moving forward. When you cease to grow, you begin to die. I am sure you agree with me that regardless of how well-qualified a person may be to meet the rigors of life today, if he is lulled into a sense of false security that he needs no additional preparation for the future, soon he will find that he is lost in the frustrations of outdated thinking.
So, first and foremost, in order to keep pace with changing times, we must pursue a constant program of self-improvement - a never ending journey into new fields of knowledge and learning. I hope you choose this route to follow.
Now for the second principle in your formula for success. I present it in the form of a question. Are you trying to change your circumstances in life without being willing to make the sacrifices to change yourself? Are you looking for a better job without being willing to do a better job? Are you trying to build a future without being willing to build yourself?
A simple rule applies. You cannot accomplish anything greater than that which you are. It is a sad commentary on our present society that many people are more concerned with what they own than with what they are. Don't be one of them. Be willing to pay the price to become better at whatever you apply yourself to, but especially to your career. There is an old Chinese proverb: "Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you have satisfied his hunger for life."
Now for the third principle in our formula for success: not only must we realize that preparation for life's opportunities is a continuing effort; not only must we be mindful that we can only build a future by building ourselves, but we must have a constant source of material and instruction to help us in this constant growth and improvement of ourselves. Do you have a course of study and personal development upon which you can constantly draw for instruction and inspiration? If you don't, you are not traveling the professional road to success.
The average lawyer has an investment of $20,000 to $50,000 in his library - the source of which to receive his information. The average doctor has literally hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in his training, information and instruction. The architect, the professor, and certainly top sales people all have large investments in similar sources of material and training.
How professional are you? How much do you have invested in such material? Do you have material for constant improvement in sales methods? How much will you budget this year for your own ongoing sales training? If I asked you what is the most important thing in life to you, I believe your answer would be the same as mine. Next to your family and the spiritual aspects of life, it is your earning power.
Yet, isn't it strange that in spite of this fact, many people will invest in everything except themselves. Themselves! The only true investment that never fails to pay a dividend. The average person wouldn't drive his car down the street without insurance on it. He wouldn't sleep in his house at night without fire insurance. And yet, often this same person will not take out insurance on his job security and future earning power by investing a small amount in career instruction and self improvement.
Just before George Bernard Shaw died, he was asked: "Mr. Shaw, you have known all the great men of your time-the artists, the writers, the statesmen. You have known first hand those who have shaped the destiny of the world during your generation. Now, Mr. Shaw, if you could be born again and relive your life as anyone of your choice, who would it be?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Mr. Shaw said: "If I could relive my life in the role of anyone I could choose to be, I would want to be the man that George Bernard Shaw could have been, but wasn't."
Here is a man who by all ordinary standards of performance was among the greatest, and yet he was dissatisfied. He realized how much more he could have done. How satisfied are you with your life up to this point?
If you could live your past over again, would you do it differently? Do you plan to continue in the same pattern? I believe even those who claim to be self-made, if they had the opportunity to do it over, would welcome outside help. The world owes us nothing, but we owe ourselves to develop our own qualities to the ultimate. It is a great challenge and not an easy one to meet. It is up to you, and you alone, to make your dreams come true - your plans come alive.
However, unless you are willing to start this very moment, do you really believe someday, somewhere, someplace, somehow it will suddenly happen? Don't you remember - today is already the tomorrow you were going to do so much about yesterday? Soon this very precious, priceless day will be a long, long ago. Don't let life pass you by. It is such a tragedy to see unfulfilled dreams and unrealized ambitions.
You are guaranteed to avoid this regret if you are willing to start a continuous self-improvement program, especially with regard to your earning power. Again I ask, how much will you budget this year for sales training? Many people have reached this point only to hesitate at investing less than $30 in their own ability to sell. Let me suggest if you’re not investing at least 5% of your gross income in professional training and development, you are most likely underfunded!
Good luck in your journey ahead. It’s not by accident that you have arrived at this juncture. At the end of the day and at the end of your life are you going to look back with pride at the decisions you made for yourself by investing in yourself? Or will you regret that you neglected to do so? I hope you decide to prepare for your future because - and I trust you agree - you are worth the investment!
