Don't Take "No" for an Answer

After deciding to take up the sport of luge, I called the luge track in Lake Placid, NY, and told the guy who answered the phone, “I’m an athlete in Houston. I want to learn how to luge so I can be in the Olympics in four years. Will you help me?”

You have to ask in order to get. If you don’t get, you keep asking.

The guy who answered the phone said, “How old are you?”

“Twenty-one years old.”

“Twenty-one? You’re way too old. You’re ten years too late. By now you should have ten years experience. We start them up when they’re ten years old. Forget it. If you want to do it at your age and in just four years, I’ll be brutal. Nine out of ten people quit. Forget it!”

I couldn’t forget it. After all, this was my dream.

Whenever anyone tells you that you can’t do something, you’re talking to a small thinker; someone who does not believe as much as you believe. Chances are, they are telling you “no” because they simply don’t have the power to say “yes”.

Whenever someone tells you “no”, be polite and talk with someone a couple of levels higher. I promise you, the higher you go, the higher the belief level; and the bigger the belief level, the bigger the thinking. Remember, big people don’t laugh at big ideas.

The higher you go up the ladder of authority, the easier the people are to speak with. People who hold positions high up in organizational chart possess better interpersonal skills or “people skills.” Their people skills are a big reason they have these high positions. You just have to sound confident and respect their time.

What if I had listened to this naysayer? What if I had just hung up the phone? If I had, my whole life would have turned out differently. Remember that.

So believe in yourself, sick to your guns, and don’t let anyone steal your dream.

Share this with your friends and colleagues.

Learn the secrets of success here: www.TheLugeMan.com

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Ruben Gonzalez is an award-winning keynote speaker, a bestselling business author and a four-time Olympian in the sport of luge.

Ruben has spoken for more than 100 of the Fortune 500 companies about what he did to make it to the Olympics and how to use the same principles to become more successful at work and in life.

Ruben inspires people to face their fears so that they can be more successful.

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“If you listen to Ruben speak, your life will change for the positive!”

Lou Holtz

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“Ruben speaks from both his head and his heart, and inspires ordinary people, convincing them they can do extraordinary things. Ruben is persuasive, enthusiastic and very real. Invite him to speak to your group and you will be glad you did.”

Zig Ziglar

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“Ruben’s story is motivating and inspiring!”

Stephen Covey

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“Ruben is a great speaker. He’s real, he’s authentic and he lived what he teaches. If you get a chance to have Ruben speak at your event, don’t miss it.”

Dave Ramsey – National Radio Talk Show Host

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Watch Ruben’s demo videos here:

www.Ruben-Gonzalez.com

? Ruben Gonzalez