How Is It Possible To NOT Succeed?

You have heard of the flea, which can jump 200 times its body length, can be trained to jump no further than half that distance or less by simply putting it in a jar for 3 days. Remove the lid and they will never jump further for the rest of their lives. Furthermore, when a flea, which has learned to jump half the distance of its capability, has offspring, they too will follow their parent’s example and only jump half the distance of their capability throughout their lives. Though these fleas now live to a lower standard of what they were meant to accomplish, that doesn’t stop fleas, who have not been subjected to the jar, from jumping 200 times their length or beyond.

As human beings, how far can we jump?

Although we may all jump in different directions, we all have the ability to jump much further than the extent to which some would lower the lid of the jar upon us. We all have the ability to think as Einstein and Hawking; play sports as Jordan, Ronaldo and Manning; build business empires like Jobs and Gates; create like Stewart and Child; invent like Edison and Franklin, and perform like Presley and Jackson. So why don’t we?

Do you realize there is not a person in existence that is better than you at every skill? You also are not better than anyone at everything. Maybe it was set in creation to keep us humble but maybe we focus too much on those skills that humble us instead of those meant to make us superstars.

Maybe you are one of those blessed with many talents with which you can excel. However, if you try to excel at them all you will be good at many things but never great at one thing. If you happen to have but few talents and think of yourself as one of no talent and hide those talents you do possess, what will become of you?

Everyone has skills needed in this world and by the world. The world needs you to succeed and will help you along this quest if you put forth the effort. Yes, you could be the greatest couch potato ever in the existence of mankind but that is not what the world needs. You possess a talent people need and once you discover, focus on and build that talent, you will be successful. There is nothing that can stop you but you… you were meant to succeed. 'They' may hinder you but they can’t stop you.

Have you ever looked at those Youtube videos called “People Are Amazing” or “People are Awesome”? Many of these people have simply mastered their skill or job. They have figured out how to excel and reach beyond the norm. For many years, nobody believed a person could run a mile in 4 minutes. Once this feat was accomplished it was beat again and again after only a couple of months. Nobody had ever performed a backflip on a motorcycle. Once this feat was accomplished (in a bad way ending in a wreck), it soon became a standard in racing. In just a few years they started doing double backflips on motorcycles. What was the difference-- belief.

Look inside; catalog your talents (there are many). Decide on or ask others which talents they think you should focus on (should be something the world can use and would pay for) then build it. Don’t strive to be the best but the most unique and then you will be the best in the category you will create. Try to do your talent differently than anyone had ever thought of and you will be amazing to your peers. My degree was in electronics and I was quite good at troubleshooting, however, I soon realized I would not make enough money to take care of my family for at least 15 years so I went into sales. I had a manager tell me I should get out of sales because I would be a failure at it (the lid on the jar) since I would not perform the hustles he was conjuring up. I handed my resignation to the president of our company but he tore it up and sent me to a few seminars to teach me how to be a professional service person. That angle gelled with me and from there I started reading all the books, articles and textbooks I could find on sales and marketing. Later I discovered there were many great benefits available to large companies with large marketing budgets but not so much for the small businessperson. I then developed my own marketing method which earned me an invitation to be a guest speaker at the local colleges. One of them designated my program as the most practical method of marketing, for small business, she had ever seen. My wife said I was just creatively tight with money. ;-)

Find your niche. Improve your savoir faire. Be what you were made to be. Don’t let them keep the lid on you. Show the world the value you have been hiding and let them reward you for your excellence. Let them see the world is a better place because you're in it. The difference between you and the flea is… you can remove and rise above the lid.

About the Author

Scott L. Taylor is the author of The Opportunity In Every Problem” Mentor for unemployed and ex-offenders who are trying to get back into business society, and Director of Sales & Marketing for Cloudia Assistant. He is passionate about leadership, ethics, entrepreneurship, sports, positive reinforcement, motivational thinking, and loves helping individuals and organizations realize their potential and take the steps necessary to achieve it.

For more information, check out his LinkedIn profile, follow him or view the Cloudia Assistant website, www.cloudiaassistant.com.