The burning desire for recognition

As a young man in my twenties I was chosen to be a trainee together with other 5 kids my age.

We were sent to San Fernando Valley in the Phillippines, not too far from Baguio.

The plan was for us to gain experience and learn by working in the tobacco processing plant. This was a hot, dusty, noisy area.

The Phillippines a beautiful country with very nice people and great food was a new experience which I relished.

The first couple of weeks we worked during different 8 hour shifts.

In our time off we would go to Baguio which was a well known golf center in the mountains near San Fernando.

Being young and full of enthusiasm we spent all available time having fun, playing golf, drinking beer and fraternizing with the beautiful girls.

I soon realized that I had to do something different to stand out from the rest of the team.

I began to work two 8 hour shifts per day. No one asked me to and I did not get paid for doing this.

The rest of the guys began to tease me and ridicule me for trying too hard. What was I trying to prove? Why was I doing this? Who did I think I was? So many teasing questions to make me aware that I was thinking in a different way.

I continued doing this for several months.

Never asking for anything, never discussing why I was doing it.

One day I got a visit from the manager. He asked me to go to his office.

He asked me what I was doing, why I was doing this and in fact “who are you?”

I told him that I had decided that I was going to be a big asset for the company and wanted to show that I was capable of being above average.

He said, “we have been watching you, and thought this would last a week or two, but several months….”

I told him that action speaks louder than words and if he thought I had proved a point I would like it noted.

Within a week I was in Richmond Va in the office of the President of the company. We had a long conversation. I was then introduced to other directors, and leaders in the company.

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After a couple of weeks in the head office I was sent to Italy for more training, and from there was sent to Thailand as the Assistant Manager for the company which had over 400 hundred employees.

I had proved to myself that having a clear goal and motivated by a burning desire I could stand out from the rest.

My burning desire for recognition had paid off.

This however was just the begining of the experiences in my life's journey.