Must Be Present To Win
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(from left) Steve Berthiaume, Alex Mitchell, Travis
Waiwaiole, Chris Pedrina, Joe Kindrich, Warren Lung
and Georgie DeCosta finish up a Hicks Home in
Kaneohe
As business professionals, we always look for a way to succeed. One ingredient for success is to “show up” because only those who show up will get the prize. For example, when a baseball player steps up to bat, he must first step up to the plate and be ready. Next, he must swing for that home run. Sometimes he will strike out, but he will always get another chance at bat. Sometimes he gets extra hitting practice or he may see a batting coach. Sometimes he may switch teams or try another position. Sometimes it can take many tries at bat until that homerun comes.
We can have that homer un too; we just need to step up to the plate.
If you think that I meant for you to get involved, well, you’re right. Get into the game, step up to the plate and take your turn at bat. Nobody likes to get “involved” because they think it will take up their time. If you don’t get involved, then you have one less chance at bat and one less chance to hit that homerun. To say, “I don’t have time” is just an excuse, and an excuse is just a reason for failure. How can you succeed if you never have “time?” You are not allowing yourself the opportunity to succeed.
As you get involved, and take your turn at bat, you will discover that doors will open with opportunity. This doesn’t happen overnight, and it could take a few turns at bat before the door with the best opportunity opens. Soon you will discover how you actually have time and how you have made time work for you. Then you will be able to pick and choose among the doors of opportunity.
Just last week I was a winner of a prize. I participated in a charity golf tournament and our team came in second to last. You may be asking how I could be a winner. Well, I attended the banquet that followed and the raffle prizes were displayed on the table for all to see. I stayed, met some other attendees, and even won not just one but two prizes - a great cash prize and useful computer software. As the raffle numbers were called and no one was present to claim the prize, someone in the crowd would bellow out, “He left, pick another!”
Sound familiar? Yes, you must be present to win. The intangible prize was the good business contacts that I made that day.
To be involved is to know. Do you know the difference between “knowledge and knowing?”
Knowledge is fixed in time, what you’ve got now, like a balance sheet in business. Knowing is continual; it never ends. When you stop knowing you stop growing. You can’t have success without personal growth. For example, my company builds homes, and the way we build a home today is different than building methods used 10 years ago. I could not expect my company to succeed if I didn’t learn anything new since 1995.
You may be asking yourself, “What does this guy mean, being involved?” Get involved with a professional or trade business group. Join a business-related organization or a civic group, like your neighborhood board. Don’t expect to change a system or method if you don’t get involved. Don’t expect to succeed, if you aren’t ready to step up to the plate and take your turn at bat.
You Must Be Present To Win!
Next week: John Norris of TransPacific Hawaii College
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