Winning Words

Amazing success comes from within and without

Column by Michael Norton
Posted 10/22/19

Years from now someone will be sharing their life stories with the world and recognizing the people who influenced them the most and contributed to their successes. People will stand on stage, at a …

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Winning Words

Amazing success comes from within and without

Posted

Years from now someone will be sharing their life stories with the world and recognizing the people who influenced them the most and contributed to their successes. People will stand on stage, at a lectern, write a column or blog, and give credit where credit is due.

They will refer to things like the people who served as role models for them when they were younger, or who offered sage wisdom or timely advice. Some will acknowledge coaches and mentors, parents and siblings, teachers and professors, managers and coworkers and the impact that they all made and the role that each had played along the way.

Humbly, I have received that kind of appreciation and recognition over the years. People have given me credit for providing hope and encouragement or guidance of some kind, and many times I was completely unaware of what I was doing, writing, or saying at the time and any impact that I might have had upon their lives. And I say humbly because for many years, learning from own of my own friends and mentors, that the credit goes to the person who applies the wisdom, advice and teachings, and not to me.

I remember time after time watching as someone would approach Zig Ziglar and thank him for his motivation, guidance, and shared wisdom. Appreciating how what he said and how what he wrote changed their lives for the better. The letters and emails would pour into the office, thanking Zig for saving their marriage, helping them quit a bad habit, lose weight, control their diabetes, fight cancer, advance in their career, open their own business, and grow deeper in their faith.

And each time, Zig would thank them and let them know that it really wasn’t him who made the difference. Instead, he would remind them that they were the ones who heard him, or who read his books, and who decided to take responsibility and the actions necessary to achieve personal and professional success. Zig was such a great ambassador to his profession and a true difference maker in the world. Some might credit Zig with helping them to achieve a little bit of success, and others will credit him with contributing to their tremendously amazing success.

As I began this column with the notion of how years from now people will continue to give others credit for their success, my intent was to remind us all that what helped us to achieve success in the past, even tremendously amazing success, are the same practices and principles that contributed to our successes yesterday, fuel our success today, and drive all of our successes yet to be realized. And the person responsible for acting on those practices and principles is you.

There are new authors and experts out there today, people with really cool perspectives and very insightful wisdom. I personally enjoy reading their posts, blogs, books and columns. I also love listening to their inspiring podcasts whenever I am traveling or commuting to work. And what I appreciate about these women and men of all ages, is how they maintain the integrity of the practice or principle, and yet share it in new and engaging ways.

Tremendously amazing success will mean something different for us all as we each pursue our own goals for our own reasons. For some it might be a financial goal, and yet for others it is a fitness goal. For some it’s staying in recovery from addiction, and for others it’s making it through that first day of sobriety. For some it might be becoming our own boss, and for others it’s getting a clean report on our next CT scan. Tremendously amazing success is defined and owned by each one of us as individuals.

So how about you? Are there people out there who have given you hope and encouragement, timely guidance and wisdom? Has it positively impacted your life? I would love to hear you story at gotonorton@gmail.com and when we can apply the motivation and teachings of others to enjoy our tremendously amazing success, it really will be a better than good week.

Michael Norton is the grateful CEO of Tramazing.com, a personal and professional coach, and a consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator to businesses of all sizes.

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