Blog #139: Halloween, more than pumpkins??- 5 beliefs for success

Today, exactly 4 years ago, I lost my dad. 18/10/18. Losing a dad is so much more than losing a dad. It is at least half of who you are... It was the most unexpected event. He was in good health, we believed. My mother had been suffering from cancer for almost a decade, so losing my dad was not on my mind at all. Horror ...

In life, you can always expect the unexpected... Lesson number one related to his passing away...

In this time of year when Halloween decorations are all over the place, we tend to forget that originally on Halloween, it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. So, let's not just trick or treat but also take the time to commemorate the dead.

My father was a self-made man who did not have the opportunity to have a higher education, but he had big dreams and ambitions. He has realised most of them, so I am proud to share his beliefs as they can help us, find and attract talent, and also get the results we aim for. These are his tested and validated beliefs for success??.

??First belief: Think long-term

My father understood that making a change takes time. The biggest change he wanted to make was changing his social class. His parents went to school till the age of 14. My grandfather was a blue-collar, strong as a giant, thanks to the trucks he unloaded manually. My grandmother served as a maid in a wealthy family.

He managed to make this change ?.

??Second belief: Have clear goals

My father listed clear milestones towards his long-term goals. I found a booklet where he noted down these concrete goals as well as the tracking and monitoring of these goals. He was very focused and disciplined about it. The moment we understood, he explained to us his vision and he wanted us, both children, to be part of his dream.

He met the goals I could retrieve ?.

??Third belief: Have an open mind

He understood that the world was bigger than the village he grew up in. As a child, he did not leave the country, but on his honeymoon back in 1968, he took my mother to Tunisia, a very 'exotic' country at the time that just opened up for tourism.

(The picture here is 25 years later when they celebrated their wedding anniversary in Iceland.)

As a child, we went camping all over Europe. Local cuisine, the local language, and the local way of life were the fixed ingredients. So, we learned a bit of Portuguese, a bit of Spanish, a bit of Slovenian, and a bit of Polish,... in order to live locally in the country for a few weeks. And this was in Europe in the '70ies, '80ies when the Berlin Wall was still standing.

He, with the big support of my mother, of course, wanted to show us the world and open our minds and hearts. ?

??Fourth belief: Learn languages

He encouraged both my brother and me to learn languages, and study abroad. He did not have the same opportunities, but as a Dutch native speaker, he took his military service in French in order to learn the language.

And the story goes that he was asked to get a 'brush' to clean a weapon, but he understood a brush for swiping. This was interpreted as making fun of the officer so my dad was severely punished for that. Learning a language the hard way...

Thanks to his support and view of the world, I got the opportunity to live one year in Iceland after secondary school, to do my bachelor's at a French-speaking university (Namur, Belgium) and one semester at a German-speaking university (Salzburg, Austria). ?

??Fifth belief: Taking risks as an investment for the future

As one of the goals of my father was also to build financial autonomy, he experimented to find ways to broaden his income, next to the salaries of both my parents. My mother was encouraged to work full-time, rather an exception in the '70ies and '80ies. Both her sisters were not working at the time.

My father believed that investments should be done and that included also some risk. A balancing exercise. I do not know all the details of his initiatives but I do remember my mother saying: 'Sometimes the budget got really tight and I had to look for coins in order to pay for your milk at primary school.'

But again, he managed to build the financial autonomy he longed for, with the support of my mother for sure. No pain, no gain.?

Employer branding is based on the identity of your company. Your identity is built on your roots. Honouring your roots makes you stronger.

I do not believe that the ghosts of the dead will come and hunt us on Halloween??, but I do believe their soul is still around and that we should honour their legacy. And this time of the year is perfect for that.

This is?my?139th blog?to inspire you, decision-makers in the hiring process, to attract and keep the talent you need to grow your business, now, and in the future. For you to see how you can join the Talent Treasure Hunt.

Now, it is your turn.?Please answer the questions below:

What is your story?

What are your roots as a person and as a company?

Thanks a lot for reading till the end and I am looking forward to reading your reactions.??

Sharing is caring, so if you believe?this?newsletter or my White Paper might benefit other people within your network, please feel free to share it with them or tag them below. I appreciate it??.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Enjoy your Treasure Hunt Journey.

Katherina

P.S. Did you check out my newest?White Paper 9 Effective Ways to Stand out from the Crowd when Hiring??You can check it out or share it with any person who is hiring.

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About?Katherina Swings

An inspirational?connector, a multi-lingual?contributor?with international (working and living) experience, an inspirational speaker, a seasoned HR person with two decades of corporate experience, an experienced change?manager?with business savvy, a creative?writer, a certified professional?learning facilitator, a certified inclusive leadership trainer, a certified employer brander, a?multi-cultural networker, an active?listener…

My?vision?is to create a positive world by connecting people who discover each other’s strengths. The tagline of my company Co-Wings is 'Using everybody's wings to fly ??????'.

My?mission?is to support?100 000 managers worldwide to become (more) in-clusive.

================================================================???????????????????? Do check out my?138?previous blogs.?Let me know your feedback after reading them!?