Secret of Success

If you want to know more about Rene Godfroy, please see:
Rene Bio

The meat of the blog entry is here:
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Most of us have, deep at the center of our hearts,some things we would like to accomplish. But few of us dare to start on the journey.

We sit around blaming our circumstances on others andmaking excuses for our shortsightedness, then we go to our graves with unfulfilled dreams. Underneath it all, the real reason we don’t get the promotion, succeed in the business, or raise a happy, self-confident family is that we fail to prepare. We leave it to chance,
hoping somehow things will turn out all right. We float on the ocean of life until we run aground and wreck ourselves.

No Excuses: It’s Up To You!

In 1983, I left Haiti with a Haitian Theater company
to perform in Montreal, Canada. After a few
appearances, I escaped from the troupe. Because the
immigration department in Canada had no pity on
immigrants, I faced the threat of going back to Haiti,
and, believe me, that was not an option for me.
Instead I paid a truck driver to smuggle me into the
United States.

I remember how I had to wedge myself underneath the
tractor-trailer, between the rear tires, in a push-up
position. I was covered with dust, smoke and ashes. I
had cramps in my legs, and I was shaking. I wanted to
give up. But when I remembered my family and my
friends back in Haiti who were counting on me for
help, I had to hold on.

I finally made it to what I call the Promised Land —
America. The truck driver literally dumped me in
Brooklyn, New York. I was excited on one hand and
confused on the other. It was as if I were swimming in
a sea of change, and I had just two choices: Swim, or
die. My only possessions consisted of one pair of
pants, two shirts, and five dollars. In addition to
that, I was unable to speak English. The only thing I
knew for sure was that life was never going to be the
same again!

I share my story with you to impress one thing upon
you: No matter where you start in life, you can become
a leader the moment you realize that if it’s going to
be, it’s up to you.

Five Ways to Prepare Yourself for Success

1) Become an Avid Reader

"Good leaders are good readers" —Jim Rohn

Abraham Lincoln once said that if he were given eight
hours to chop down a tree, he would spend six hours
sharpening his ax and two hours chopping down the
tree. That is one of the true characteristics of a
leader. We all should take time to sharpen our axes —
by reading!

Believe it or not, the average American reads just one
book a year. What that means to you and me is that if
we only read one book a month in our field, we will be
twelve years ahead of the average person!

The late Earl Nightingale, in his book, The Strangest
Secret, said that if we read for two hours every day
on any subject, in five years, we would become
national experts on that particular subject. And in
ten years, we would have the equivalent of a Ph.D!

To me, reading quality books is the ultimate joy in
life. It rekindles my hope and takes me to new
heights. It rejuvenates me and gives me a boost. We
can no longer make excuses about not having time to
read. Today we can even buy most books on tape,
thereby turning our cars into a university on wheels
while commuting to and from work!

On the road to success, we must gather a lot of
information through quality reading.

2) Network with Successful People

In America, there is an association for continuing
education in every line of business. If we want to
meet the movers and shakers directly, we have to
become joiners. It’s amazing how accessible the "big
dogs" are when we attend the networking events. It’s
like being a small fish in a big pond. It allows us to
bypass the gatekeepers — the assistants — and go
straight to the decision-makers.

The best way to find out which associations you can
join is to go to the library and ask for the
Encyclopedia of Associations. Another great way to
network is to join the local Chamber of Commerce.
First, however, you must learn how to network and
build strong referral systems. There are many books on
the subject. One of them is by Harvey Mackay: Dig Your
Well Before You’re Thirsty.

3) Find a Mentor

Every great athlete, celebrity, and business executive
can point to a mentor — a coach. They each had people
who helped them to get where they are. One of the best
methods of preparation is to find a mentor — a person
who has been there, done that, and has gotten the
T-shirt — to guide you along the way.

Whether you want to move up in your company or
establish a solid business of your own, a mentor can
make a significant difference. And you don’t
necessarily have to have just one mentor; you can have
many. This may sound simple, but it is powerful!

No matter what line of business you are in, you need a
coach — someone you talk with about your failures and
successes, someone who can advise you. How do you find
a mentor?

Just ASK!

People normally love to talk about their successes and
how they accomplished them. They are eager to help us
if we courteously ask them. For many years I failed to
put into practice the old advice in the Bible: "Ask
and ye shall receive." Don’t let that happen to you —
ASK!

4) Attend Continuing Education Classes

Our minds are like leaky buckets; what we know is
constantly dripping out. I read a story about a man
who was working for a company for about twenty years.
It seems like they always passed over him for
promotions. Ironically, he had trained new hires who
would eventually become his boss!

One day he confronted the president of the company
about the situation. He told his boss that he was
being treated unfairly, especially since he had had
twenty years of experience with the company. The
president sat the man down and told him, "No!

You only have one year of experience repeated for
twenty years."

How long have you been in your line of business?

Are you getting new knowledge, or are you applying old
knowledge?

If we are going to thrive and survive in these
turbulent times, we must expand our minds. And one of
the best ways of expanding is to attend adult learning
classes at the local colleges, universities, and
technical schools. They are very affordable, and they
also have flexible schedules. There are no excuses:
IT’S UP TO YOU!

5) Find Time for a Quiet Reflection

The great philosophers, thinkers, scientists, and
business gurus always find quiet time to be alone — to
ponder, recharge, and flood their minds with images of
their future goals. We should never be so busy chasing
a dream that we are no longer able to visualize it in
our minds. There are times when the burdens are heavy,
but this is when we need to enter our inner world and
examine our lives. Socrates once said to his students,
"An unexamined life is not worth living." Quiet
reflection is a time to get to know the invisible
power that sustains our lives. Starting today, take a
few moments every day to reflect.

A Final Note

I would love to meet you personally to find out what
you are doing to prepare yourself for success. The old
adage says that the road to success is always under
construction. It is the same for our self-improvement.
If you are not constantly adding new tools to your
toolbox, you will always be where you are today. I
urge you to read, find a mentor, network with other
leaders, and find

time for a quiet reflection.

I wish you incredible success!


Rene Godefroy
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