As I approach my 55th birthday, having finished my 7th year in
coaching/mentoring, I reflect on the life I've chosen for myself
and family, which is now winding down.
When I started my fourth career as mentor/coach in 1993, I
clearly said I would embark on this endeavour with the same
robust nature I've attacked virtually everything since my first
career as a U.S. Army Officer; followed by the training ground at
Bear Stearns (a prominent Wall Street firm); followed by an
entrepreneurial stage laced with many mergers, acquisitions and
divestitures.
The above life cycle has spanned five decades, two centuries and
two millenniums. My conclusions are: I have found most people are
good; most people would rather take the high road; most people
want a better life; most understand the difference between right
and wrong; and most people (but not as many as you think), when
faced with greed and avarice, will do the right thing. Ergo,
there should be no reason why most people aren't successful at
whatever they choose - WRONG!
Most people lead lives of quiet desperation. Most people aren't
engaged in the perseverance of a dream. They are engaged in
something which produces a revenue stream, creating a lifestyle
which they get used to by default. They get comfortable and more
or less stay in that comfort zone their entire life.
Over this past weekend, while at my home at Guthrie Castle, in
between playing golf on my own private golf course, I worked [as
usual] and watched CNN. In between I watched three different
films on the satellite TV in my office: "Search For The North
Pole", "The Alamo", and "Saving Private Ryan". To relax at night,
I smoke a Monte Christo 'A' Cigar and have a few drinks whilst
doing my light work and watching a film.
I felt I should write a newsletter, so I've been thinking about a
subject matter. I was looking out my office window onto the golf
course, wondering why I'm here and others, not as fortunate, are
other places. It's light past 11:00 p.m. now. You can actually
play golf for about 20 hours a day.
People often ask me, "what was the turning point in your life ?"
I often say I never really looked at it this way but usually say,
my volunteering for military service at the height of the Vietnam
War as a private and ending my military career as an officer
(without a college degree) was the turning point. Of course, I
went on to graduate from college, which is a story by itself.
More than getting battered as a private and learning to be neat
and clean, I learned what was emphasized as "resolute
determination" - no matter what. The military is different now.
There is no battering, etc. to speak of. I believe we, in the
free world, are fortunate communism failed. In the three movies I
watched this weekend, this resolute determination was exhibited
over and over again. If you will indulge me, briefly, [it's my
letter and it's free !] I will illustrate what I mean.
Search For The North Pole: Admiral Perry, after a number of
attempts, finds the North Pole. He had dreamed of this since he
was six years old. He had planned his US Naval career around this
end. He learned how to raise money for the trips and promote
others into joining him for no money or pay for the privilege of
freezing to death for 2 - 3 years at a time - Sound familiar ?
Whilst his co-discoverer, Mr Henderson, (his black valet by title
but much, much more in reality) was breaking eight of his toes
off due to frost bite, Perry said, "It's a small price to find
the top of the world !"
He was 52 when he made his final, successful trip to the top of
the world. He was a hero! Of course, now his conquests are being
questioned. Every failure taught him something different. His
wife, children and others, whether they wanted to or not, became
part of the sacrifice - as have mine.
The Alamo: For my American readers this is an old story. The
young country was fighting Mexico for Texas. A few hundred "lads"
take on about 8,000 well-trained Mexican infantry and artillery.
The Americans knew they couldn't win. Their dream of freeing
themselves from Mexico could only be helped by their resolute
determination to merely slow the Army down and send a powerful
message to the oppressors. Texas would not give up, no matter
what the cost. All but women and children perished, gladly, as
the story goes.
This particular battle (and each country that has fought for
freedom has their own) is special in US history due to some of
the men that perished there: Colonel Jim Bowie, Colonel Travis
and General Houston, amongst many others - all extremely high-
profile heros! In the U.K., it would be analogous to Lord Nelson
and Lord Wellington dying in hand-in-hand combat.
Saving Private Ryan: This movie was full of resolute
determination to not give up no matter what. From landing on
Omaha Beach on D-Day to the actual act of trying to find the only
surviving son of Mrs Ryan (like a needle in haystack). She had
already lost three sons defending the U.S. in WWII.
In all instances, resolute determination was a given. The other
factor, more easily understood with Admiral Perry then the Texans
and finally saving a young private, is the great passion for
fulfilling a dream. With Private Ryan, as depicted in the movie,
it was asked "What if, Captain (Tom Hanks), we find the kid and
with all the bad going on, we can say this kid changed the world
for the better?"
For more than 30 years I have dealt with life as I do business!
All-out or nothing. As the Navy Seals say, "Go hard or go home"
and "The only easy day was yesterday". It had been difficult for
me to understand, after seven years of trying to coach people
what I can do naturally, why people still have great difficulty.
Now I know the single biggest difference between a super high
performance person isn't brains or education - though these
certainly can make it easier to succeed. It's the resolute,
undying belief in what you're doing. The constant perseverance
that it will get done - no matter what. The above is virtually
impossible unless your endeavour is wrapped around your dream and
your passion for it.
I could list countless success stories from the marine sergeant
(who attended my Castle Experience who willed his severed spine
to heal) to Helen Keller, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Richard
Branson, Golda Mayer, Margaret Thatcher, Anwar Sadat, Nelson
Mandela, Christ, Gandhi and Mohammed, amongst others.
Now don't misunderstand me. Resolute commitment, no matter what,
has caused me, along with the honor roll above, great
consternation, heart-ache and more, i.e., it cost a few their
lives, a few suffered poverty, humiliation and imprisonment
during their careers. It's not an easy trip! There is a "pay
price to action", as I call it.
It's your choice! But the old adage, "No Guts - No Glory", is
pretty much what my 54 years have taught me. Big Risk, Big
Rewards and Big Problems.
Ross Perot put it another way - "Success is always on the razor's
edge of failure". Henry Ford said, "You can't make a reputation
on something you haven't done". Roy Disney (Walt Disney's older
brother) said, "When values are clear, decisions are easy".
If the benefit perceived by you is clear, your decision to be
resolute will be easy(ier). If it's your dream and passion, you
will not question stretching way outside your comfort zone.
Without going beyond, you'll be where you are now - years from
now. I guarantee it! Remember, fear is False Expectation
Appearing Real!
I'm looking forward to seeing you outside your comfort zone -
Soon!
Come join me, or as the US Marine Corp motto says, "Come join the
few, the proud!"
To Your Quantum Leap, Dan Peņa
P.S. People have asked what my criteria is for a transaction. Of
course, I have tapes etc. I have two separate criteria:
1. Individual vis-a-vis a deal (in this order)
a) the energy of the person
b) the deal - legal, ethical, simplicity. Does it work?
c) experience - work. Have they failed?
d) education - information/formal
2. Deals
a) first or different
b) large market size
c) large gross margins
d) scalability and employment market
e) barrier to entry
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