Be a Believer to be
an Achiever
The professor stood before his
class of 30 senior molecular biology students, about to pass out the final
exam. 'I have been privileged to be your instructor this semester, and I know
how hard you have all worked to prepare for this test. I also know most of you
are off to medical school or grad school next fall,' he said to them.
'I am well aware of how much
pressure you are under to keep your GPAs up, and because I know you are all
capable of understanding this material, I am prepared to offer an automatic 'B'
to anyone who would prefer not to take the final.'
The relief was audible as a
number of students jumped up to thank the professor and departed from class.
The professor looked at the handful of students who remained, and offered
again, 'Any other takers? This is your last opportunity.' One more student
decided to go.
Seven students remained. The
professor closed the door and took attendance. Then he handed out the final
exam. There were two sentences typed on the paper:
'Congratulations,
you have just received an 'A' in this class. Keep believing in yourself.'
I never had a professor who gave
a test like that. It may seem like the easy way out of grading a bunch of
exams, but it's a test that any teacher in any discipline could and should
give. Students who don't have confidence in what they've learned are 'B'
students at best.
The same is true for students of
real life. The 'A' students are those who believe in what they're doing because
they've learned from both successes and failures. They've absorbed life's
lessons, whether from formal education or the school of hard knocks, and become
better people.
Those are the people who you
look for when you're hiring or promoting, and the ones you keep if you're
downsizing. Your organisation needs their brand of thinking.
Psychologists say that by the
age of two, 50 percent of what we ever believe about ourselves has been formed;
by age six, 60 percent, and at eight years, 80 percent. Wouldn't you love to
have the energy and optimism of a little kid? There is nothing you couldn't do
or learn or be.
But
you're a big kid now, and
you realise you have some limits. Don't let the biggest limit be
yourself. Take
your cue from Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to reach the summit
of Mount Everest: 'It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.'
Believing in yourself comes from
knowing what you are really capable of doing. When it's your turn to step up to
the plate, realise that you won't hit a homerun every time. Baseball superstar
Mickey Mantle struck out more than 1,700 times, but it didn't stop him from
excelling at baseball. He believed in himself, and he knew his fans believed in
him.
Surround yourself with positive
people - they know the importance of confidence and will help you keep focused
on what you can do instead of what you can't. Who you surround yourself with is
who you become.
Never stop learning! I would
work this advice into every column if I could; it's that important. Don't limit
yourself only to work-related classes, either. Learn everything about every
subject that you can. When you know what you're talking about, it shows.
Be very careful not to confuse
confidence with a big ego. If you want people to believe in you, you also have
to believe in them. Understand well that those around you also have much to
contribute, and they deserve your support. Without faith in yourself and
others, success is impossible..
At the end of a particularly
frustrating practice one-day, a football coach dismissed his players by
yelling, 'Now all you idiots, go take a shower!' All but one player headed
toward the locker room. The coach glared at him and asked why he was still
there.
'You told all the idiots to go,
Sir,' the player replied, 'and there sure seems to be a lot of them. But I am
not an idiot.'
Moral:
Believe in yourself, even when no one else does.
[/size]
an Achiever
The professor stood before his
class of 30 senior molecular biology students, about to pass out the final
exam. 'I have been privileged to be your instructor this semester, and I know
how hard you have all worked to prepare for this test. I also know most of you
are off to medical school or grad school next fall,' he said to them.
'I am well aware of how much
pressure you are under to keep your GPAs up, and because I know you are all
capable of understanding this material, I am prepared to offer an automatic 'B'
to anyone who would prefer not to take the final.'
The relief was audible as a
number of students jumped up to thank the professor and departed from class.
The professor looked at the handful of students who remained, and offered
again, 'Any other takers? This is your last opportunity.' One more student
decided to go.
Seven students remained. The
professor closed the door and took attendance. Then he handed out the final
exam. There were two sentences typed on the paper:
'Congratulations,
you have just received an 'A' in this class. Keep believing in yourself.'
I never had a professor who gave
a test like that. It may seem like the easy way out of grading a bunch of
exams, but it's a test that any teacher in any discipline could and should
give. Students who don't have confidence in what they've learned are 'B'
students at best.
The same is true for students of
real life. The 'A' students are those who believe in what they're doing because
they've learned from both successes and failures. They've absorbed life's
lessons, whether from formal education or the school of hard knocks, and become
better people.
Those are the people who you
look for when you're hiring or promoting, and the ones you keep if you're
downsizing. Your organisation needs their brand of thinking.
Psychologists say that by the
age of two, 50 percent of what we ever believe about ourselves has been formed;
by age six, 60 percent, and at eight years, 80 percent. Wouldn't you love to
have the energy and optimism of a little kid? There is nothing you couldn't do
or learn or be.
But
you're a big kid now, and
you realise you have some limits. Don't let the biggest limit be
yourself. Take
your cue from Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to reach the summit
of Mount Everest: 'It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.'
Believing in yourself comes from
knowing what you are really capable of doing. When it's your turn to step up to
the plate, realise that you won't hit a homerun every time. Baseball superstar
Mickey Mantle struck out more than 1,700 times, but it didn't stop him from
excelling at baseball. He believed in himself, and he knew his fans believed in
him.
Surround yourself with positive
people - they know the importance of confidence and will help you keep focused
on what you can do instead of what you can't. Who you surround yourself with is
who you become.
Never stop learning! I would
work this advice into every column if I could; it's that important. Don't limit
yourself only to work-related classes, either. Learn everything about every
subject that you can. When you know what you're talking about, it shows.
Be very careful not to confuse
confidence with a big ego. If you want people to believe in you, you also have
to believe in them. Understand well that those around you also have much to
contribute, and they deserve your support. Without faith in yourself and
others, success is impossible..
At the end of a particularly
frustrating practice one-day, a football coach dismissed his players by
yelling, 'Now all you idiots, go take a shower!' All but one player headed
toward the locker room. The coach glared at him and asked why he was still
there.
'You told all the idiots to go,
Sir,' the player replied, 'and there sure seems to be a lot of them. But I am
not an idiot.'
Moral:
Believe in yourself, even when no one else does.
[/size]
Written
by Harvey Mackay
Author of the New York Times bestsellers
'Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive' and 'Pushing The Envelope.'
by Harvey Mackay
Author of the New York Times bestsellers
'Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive' and 'Pushing The Envelope.'
very inspirational story sonu.... 
