I wanted to write something that would motivate those of you who are taking the time to read this post. For many people, the paths we decide to take in life are indirectly dictated by those who surround us. Whether it’s our parents, friends, professors, and co-workers we always think about the consequences and trade-offs in whatever it is we’re trying to decide upon. Most of the time we make a decision, or choose a path, that we know is safe and will be accepted amongst the people in our lives as well as society. That’s why there are more Average Joes in our society than there are champions. People settle for mediocrity, let Average Joes influence their decisions, and being them down to a lower standard of thinking. In my opinion, being a champion doesn’t have to mean you’re great at a sport or on a team that wins championships. Being a champion is someone who is able to take control of their life despite of what may others think and the criticisms that may come along with those actions. The difference between an Average Joe and a champion is that the champion is willing to go the extra mile in whatever it is he is putting his mind to.

So first of all, in order to be a champion, one must create good great habits. Ask yourself, when no one else is looking what are you doing? A Champion is always doing something productive–in a sense always learning. Learning new techniques to become better at whatever it is he’s doing. While he’s going the extra mile the Average Joe is sitting on the couch watching television only wishing he could live the life he visioned 15 years ago. The Average Joe is making excuses to why he can’t get up and go for a run or workout to better his health even though he made a new years resolution to better his health. The Average Joe is saying to himself “I have time to do that tomorrow,” “someone else will do it for me,” and “I don’t want to do that right now.”

Creating great habits is essential to becoming successful. Let’s say, for example, you’re building a team in your business. You hire someone and they’re doing a great job. As the leader that person looks up to you. You’re constantly under a microscope. If that person sees you slacking off, cruising Facebook on the computer, taking 15 minute breaks every hour that person is going to pick up on those habits say to himself, “he’s doing it so I can do it” and those habits will be increased ten fold. When you hire someone else they see that person taking a 15 minute break and start taking a 30 minute break. These bad habits will grow exponentially. Yikes! Everyday that goes by and you tell yourself I’m going to sleep in for ten extra minutes. Have you noticed that after a month goes by you’re still laying in bed and that ten extra minutes has become an extra hour. That’s an hour of your life that you can NEVER get back! You need to hold yourself accountable for your actions and stop blaming everyone else and their mothers for your problems or why something didn’t turn out the way you had hoped for.

The quote above is perfect. I hope you take it to heart. It’s just like the saying you are what you eat. Create good habits in the workplace, being a parent, as a friend, as an athlete, and good things will come from them. Nothing comes easily, only through hard-work, dedication, and time will you see results. Yeah, life blows. It’s hard. Nothing’s easy. Get that through your head. The leaders and Champions that we look up to on a daily basis didn’t get to the top of the pedestal without dedication and hard-work. Get back up on your feet and figure out what you need to differently so you don’t fall down again. If you fall down again get back up. It’s the people that fall down and don’t get back up that become Average Joes. Champions ALWAYS get back up on their feet.

It’s the mindset you take with you wherever you go and with whatever you do that separates you from the Average Joes. Champions and successful people are made. They created the habits necessary to reach the top. They had visions and goals that towered the obstacles that got in their way. When times got tough they didn’t give up when the others around them did. They pushed harder and fought harder until they reached the other side of whatever obstacle that was slowing them down. Once Champions reach the top they don’t slack off. They work harder than everyone else around them because they have to. Making their way to the top was easier because they knew what they had to do in order to become the best. When someone was better than them they did those things and figured out a way to do them better than the person ahead of them. Seeing that other person above them just fueled the fire.

What I’m trying to get at is that Champions don’t have bad habits. When Michael Jordan missed a free throw to win a game what do you think he did while the other athletes showered and went home? He was on the court after everyone else left shooting free throws. When Tiger Woods misses his putts where is he after the day is over? On the putting green tweaking whatever it is he needs to tweak so he makes his putts the next day. When Tony Gwen was in a slump what did he do? Took extra batting practice before a game and after the game. These guys had the desire to become the best. Being just like everyone else and complacent with where they were at wasn’t good enough for them. They wanted more and they did what they had to do to get to where they wanted to be.

Next time you find yourself making excuses or blaming everyone else but yourself pouting because this and that didn’t work out the way you had hoped for. Take a second to step back and re-evaluate yourself. Change your mentality, attitude, and blame no one else but yourself. You’re where you’re at because that’s where you set yourself up to be by the habits you, not anyone else, created.

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Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images | Life.com

In my last post “Put Two Feet In” I mentioned that we must be quitters at quitting. I will stand by that statement and guard it with my life.

Take a second to reflect on the past. I’ve been doing quite a bit of soul searching and self-reflection lately and realized that I have quit many things during my short 23 years on this planet. I didn’t practice the piano when I was younger and stopped receiving lessons, I got bored with Tae Kwon Do and quit, I dedicated countless hours to practicing and playing baseball wanting to play in college and decided not to play, and I could keep going if I wanted to.

Why have I been doing a lot of soul searching and self-reflection lately? Because I’m not really enjoying life right now. We all have these dreams of our ideal lives and…most of the time…it doesn’t work out as planned. I never, for the life of God, even wanted to consider about getting a sales job post college, but I did. And like I’ve mentioned in previous posts I’m actually enjoying it to an extent. However, lately I’ve had probably a million thoughts running through my head. I wanted to write this in my journal, but decided I’d rather share it on my blog for others to relate to. Sharing is giving, right?

Anyway, during the last few weeks I haven’t been performing very well out in the field. Specifically, the week of August 2nd through the 7th. During that week I closed two accounts. Fuck. As the week went on I felt like giving up. Quitting a job that I, in a sense, voluntarily show up to every morning since I don’t clock in. I was having a hard time out in the field letting objections from customers get to my head. It was affecting my performance and day after day I was letting it drag me deeper into a hole. Instead of walking door-to-door thinking about how I could have better rebutted the previous customer the thoughts running through my head were somewhere along the lines of, “fuck my life why the hell am I doing this?,” “this is bullshit I could be doing something else,” “I’d rather be working for minimum wage,” and the list goes on. I was putting a front up at the office. Smiling and appearing as if I was still confident and happy, when inside I was hurting and down right miserable.

Fortunately, on August 5th, 2010 I knocked on the door of a man by the name of Frank in Yorba Linda. I saw him the previous day and he blew me off. Since I was in a shitty mood I decided to knock on his door again and see if I could get my pitch and presentation in before he closed the door on me. First of all, I was shocked he actually answered his door. I had knocked on his door a previous six times without him answering knowing he was home. Frank comes out stands behind the gate and listens to my pitch. As I moved into the why I was there he stopped me and said that he didn’t want to upgrade his services, but wished me luck going to the doors down the street. This kind of caught me off guard, but I went into deeper questioning and so forth. Skip forward a bit, he looked at me straight in the eyes without the slightest of movement. Our eyes locked and after a few moments of silence he said that my pitch was good, my overall appearance was good, and that I was personable–to him all great qualities to have in the field. He said that he understood what I was going through. I asked him how he knew what I was going through? He pointed to his withered faced and said “I’ve done sales my whole life. Started off commission only just like you going door to door and made a damn good living off of it.” I asked him is he had any advice for a young guy like me just starting off. Frank said, “Stick with it and don’t give up. You’ll have your ups and downs, but guys who can overcome the downs and stay persistent will make it.” He also told me not to rely on what we call “go backs” that they mean shit. The only day that matters is the day you speak with the person and you better damn well get them to sign on the dotted line.

He also told me many things of which I’ve learned in the office. Set short-term goals and learn from the best. To set realistic goals, ones that I don’t fall short on every day, week, month, but ones that I accomplish and set a higher standard for next time. To look at the best performing person in the office as my mentor. To ask questions and keep track of my closing ratio always trying to improve on it. To have a vision that’s crystal clear. A plan of exactly how I’m going to get to where I want to be a year from now.

As I walked away from Franks house I had more thoughts and emotions running through my head. This guy has done sales his whole life and has obviously done well for himself. He was a complete dick, asshole for that matter, the first time I saw him outside and that day he shared with me his story and gave me advice and words of encouragement that will stick with me for the rest of my life.

I’ll be honest, I was going to quit my job after the 7th. I was going to set up a one on one and tell my leader that I was throwing in the towel and calling it quits. But after my encounter with Frank my whole perspective changed. I also couldn’t build the courage to actually tell David face-to-face that I was done. I look up to him and he’s done a lot for me. I didn’t want to see the disappointment on his face after I told him that I was quitting. I’m glad that I became a quitter at quitting.

Now you’re probably wondering how I did the following week (this last week August 9-14). I started the week strong by closing 2 accounts on Monday. I thought to myself that “hmm, something’s working here,” and came to the conclusion that it was the change in my attitude. I finished the week with 6 accounts ending up 2 short of my goal of 8 for the week. I’m going to be fully committed this upcoming week. I’ve decided that I’m going to stick with this NO MATTER WHAT for at least a year and see where I get.

Related posts:

1. What is the Key to Staying Motivated?
2. To Wake Up with a Smile
3. Put Two Feet In…

Photo by Flickr User klorrainegraham

So, where to begin. These last four weeks have been exhausting. I’ve been working literally 12 hour days with my sales job. To top that off I haven’t had a day off from work because I spend my weekends working at a restaurant in Fashion Island in Newport Beach. Now you’re saying to yourself, “man Gregg must be making some big bucks.” Not yet. I’m still working on that part. I’m doing alright, but not performing at the level I know I can perform at. It’s rough though, I just want some time to myself and to be able to have the freedom to do the things that make me happy. I just don’t understand how people manage to work their whole lives. How they’re content with mediocrity and with the same rituals and habits everyday living paycheck to paycheck. I want more in my life and am willing to sacrifice anything to get to where I want to be.

I mentioned that the job is challenging, fun, and discouraging and I mean it in every sense possible. It’s challenging because I’ve never done entry-level sales business-to-business or business-to-residential. I’m not going to lie, I’m a shitty sales person and I know that I have a lot of ground to make up if I ever want to be a top dog high rolling the office every week. It was a reality check when I saw my name at the bottom of the production list last week. I never want to see my name at the bottom again and I never want to feel the punch in the gut I felt when I saw my name at the bottom. It was like, damn this is embarrassing I don’t want to experience this feeling of shame ever. I’ve always been good at anything I do…but I’ve never been great. So now I’m challenging myself to be great at what I do (sales for the time being).

I was fortunate enough to have the chance to listen to a bronze medalist speak at my office earlier this week. His name was Simon Cho. This kid is 18 years old. He grew up on skates since he was 3 years old and it’s the only thing he knows. I was able to take a lot away from the things he said, which I hope to apply to my life in general. First of all, Olympians are the top 1% of athletes IN THE WORLD. You don’t become an Olympian by half-assing it all the time when you’re training. You must have the willingness to sacrifice everything else. Like I said, you can’t half ass something and expect to be great. For Simon, he put 100% of his time into skating. This made him better than his fellow peers because they were putting 50% towards skating and the other 50% towards their studies in school. You must have the diligence and consistency to keep at it. It takes someone special to keep doing something for 10 years and not giving up. To stay motivated you must be able to answer the question why you’re doing it. Simon, for the longest time, was doing it for his father. He saw how much time his father sacrificed for Simon’s career to get him where he is today. Simon finally began skating for himself and not his father. We have to be doing something that we want to and not because someone else wants us to. You must have the support and atmosphere to act as a backbone when you truly just want to call it quits because you don’t think you can take it anymore. Athletes mentally quit all the time and lose track of their vision and don’t see the future. When Simon wanted to quit and didn’t think he could make the Olympic team. He was having a bad season so he called his Dad and said “get me out of here,” and his Dad said that he believed in him. He was right. We all go through struggles and have to overcome those struggles. Quitting cannot be an option. We must be quitters at quitting. When standing on the podium Simon said that is was like a piece of Utopia. He had flashbacks of all the hardships he overcame to get to that point. It was the journey that got him there that’s been the most valuable.

Now that I got through that I wanted to bring up the fact that you should ALWAYS have a student mentality when it comes to any endeavor you take on personally and professionally. Knowledge is priceless and I’ve realized that I can learn something new every day as long as I apply myself and am willing to grow as a person mentally, physically, and emotionally.

My job is also fun. I get to surround myself with a bunch of young, like minded individuals who want more out of life than to settle for average. I’ve never been in an atmosphere with so many young go getters who are also there to support each other every day while at the office and in the field. It truly amazes me how much of a family everyone is outside of work as well.

Lastly, working in general is discouraging, but sales has made me feel quite discouraged at times. I’ve learned that I must keep my head held high and a positive attitude. Not to let the little things get to me and know that there’s always tomorrow. It’s discouraging when you come home from a long days work and didn’t close an account. “Fuck, I just worked a 10+ hour day for absolutely nothing.” There’s nights I’m driving home constantly asking myself “what the fuck did I get myself into” or “why the hell am I putting myself through this/doing this when I could work a shitty job for a wage that’s less demanding and requires less energy.” Yup, that’s what goes through my mind. Then I take a step back and realize that I need to take a deep breath and focus on how and what I need to improve.

Overall, the experience has been great. Having experienced first hand entry-level sales has allowed me to develop a skill set I can take with me anywhere I go for the rest of my life. Sales is a great vehicle to develop a strong root system and grow from that point on. At first I was worried about the performance based commission only structure, but have become fond of the whole structure. This is because at a job that pays a wage the employer pays his employee just enough so he doesn’t quit. The employee works just hard enough not to get fired. With a commission only structure I have to work my ass off to get paid. I have to be willing to learn and stay motivated in order to succeed out in the field. It lights a fire under my ass because if I slack off I won’t close any accounts and if I don’t close any accounts the bills don’t get paid.

What I wanted to get at is that in whatever you pursue you must be willing to put two feet in. You’ll never reach your true potential if you never dedicate 100% of your efforts towards whatever it is you want to excel at. That’s why my short-term goal is to close enough accounts in during the week (8 accounts) so I can generate a steady income every week high enough to quit my job at the restaurant. This is so I can work my sales job Monday through Saturday with nothing else on my mind and have one day (Sunday) to relax, reflect, and gather my thoughts for the upcoming week.

And no, I wouldn’t trade this job in for anything else. Give me one year and we’ll see who’s on top!

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Photo by Flickr User Pixelinthebox

Some of you may recognize this poem, some you may not. I came across this poem in Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, of which I’m currently reading. It was written by Jessie B. Rittenhouse.

In this economy many people have been hit hard. It has forced the masses to think differently and redefine the conventional way of doing things. For some, that may come in the form of inventing products or services that improve our way of life and for others it may be to improve upon what is already existing by effectiveness and efficiency.

Let me tell you something. I’m a dreamer. Not just a dreamer…a BIG dreamer. You’re probably a big dreamer as well. What we all have in common is that we let others tell us something can’t be done and that whatever it is that we’re on a mission to accomplish is impossible. GET THESE PEOPLE OUT OF YOUR LIVES! THEY’RE POISON. The difference between you and those people is that you have not been defeated. “No one ever is defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality” (Napoleon Hill). Dominating thoughts, negative or positive, consume our mind. Our minds are like a magnet and will ultimately believe what we think and what others tell us. If, for some reason, you believe you can’t do something, guess what? Whatever it is that you thought you couldn’t do or accomplish will become a reality. If you believe you can do something you WILL be able to do that something. It’s not that hard of a concept to grasp. Magical isn’t it?

There’s nothing wrong believing in a dream or goal that is not yet tangible; something that’s just a pigment of your imagination. If you believe in a dream or goal so much that you believe it’s really there, actually happening, it will become a reality sooner or later. Assuming that you’re willing to do whatever it takes to get there! To have faith, overcome obstacles, and have courage when it seems like you have nothing more to give. Believe in your dreams and goals and they will eventually come true.

I hope this lesson has helped you in some small way. It may seem like I’m regurgitating what is said in Think and Grow Rich. My word may not seem a lot to you, but take it as you please. I was in a position, we’ll say 3 weeks ago for the sake of this post, where my mind was full of misdirection and doubt. I have finally understood what others have been trying to tell me and the message authors such as Napoleon Hill try to help guide people and understand. To think positively about success and put that energy in my daily life to attract the things I desire. To believe in myself.

Don’t get me wrong either. I still have days of doubt, but I’m working on it. What I’ve realized is that it takes time and that I must have the courage and desire to change. If I don’t have the willingness to change or take risks than the lifestyle I’m living won’t change. If I don’t change my bad habits, thinking process, or take on challenges that seem impossible to overcome then what I want and desire will never become a reality (so help me God if anyone or anything gets in my way!). I’m finding out that I must grasp onto what I desire most and run with my gut feeling, my first instinct, and what I believe in most. I don’t want to get old sitting around regretting decisions I made in the past. We only live once and I want to make the most of it. Personal development is something I must accept. It’s been a rough journey really thinking about why I want to change. I know what I want in life and it’s just a matter of getting there.

All I want for you to get out of this is that you should follow your dreams and believe in yourself. There’s no reason why you should be working for another man’s dreams your whole life. We all have aspirations, dreams, and goals. Too many people have thrown those aspirations, dreams, and goals out the window because they lose faith in themselves. Regain that faith and know that you are capable of doing anything you set your mind to.

I keep hearing successful people say that the journey to the top was the most gratifying thing and what they appreciate most. That the journey was worth it. My journey hasn’t been quite so sunny…pretty gloomy if you ask me, but I know when I finally make it to the top by accomplishing my personal and financial goals. I’ll be able to look back and appreciate everything that I will have learned and the person I became.

Related posts:

1. To Wake Up with a Smile
2. A Kid’s Mentality…Dream Big or Go Home

I wanted to say thank you for helping me realize that we all can, in some small way, help others with our efforts. That no matter how small we may be, in comparison to the world, we can never know when our words will inspire and reach others. I may not be an expert in my field or profession, I may not be a well-known motivational speaker, I may not be a celebrity or popular athlete, but I am human just like the rest of them. Though my level of influence may not be as great theirs I hope to inspire others just as they do.

Here is the email I received:

Hi Gregg,

really nice site. I will keep this short. I really liked your goals & buckets.
Now even I’m planning to write down my to do things with life. I think it really
helps to see whether we are on right track pursuing or chasing our dreams
however small or big. I really liked particular goal of yours i’e, your desire
to see sunset & sunrise in 20 countries. Such a nice thought. Very much
attainable. Really, Mother nature has answer to everything but we hardly ask
her. I’m basically a photographer, a learner of photography rather. so I relate
or ask many question with her & she mesmerizes me every single time. Hope your
dreams come true & you achieve your goals.

Best Wishes,
Sanath

To which my response was:

Hey Sanath,

I appreciate your feedback! I’m glad that you checked out my website and in some small way it has helped you want to follow your dreams and make your own goals/bucket list. I have found that writing things down really does help–especially in motivating my drive to want to succeed and pursue what makes me happy.

A lot of my list hasn’t been completed, but I plan on accomplishing a lot of those things within the next year (money is a factor unfortunately).

You’re actually the first person to contact me since I’ve redone my website and I’m receiving anywhere around 50-100 people visiting everyday. So thank you for taking the time to write. I was wondering if you would be willing to share with me your list once you’ve completed it? Also, could I share what you wrote in your email in a future post on my blog?

Lastly, do you have a website I could visit?

Regards,
Gregg Hawkins

I do hope the best for Sanath and your development as a photographer. Maybe we’ll see many pictures of the sunrises and sunsets you capture through the lens around the world sharing, giving, while providing hope and inspiring others at the same time.

With that said, if anyone is reading this and would like to contact me feel free to do so! I always love to meet new people and see what other people’s dreams, goals, and bucket lists are. Maybe I can put up a page dedicated for my reader’s goals and bucket lists if I get enough people contacting me wanting to share.

Related posts:

1. Life is Too Short to Wake Up With Regrets
2. What is the Key to Staying Motivated?

I have found that it’s true…if you read, listen to, or watch something positive everyday for at least 15 minutes it changes the way you process things. It’s amazing what happens to your thinking, to your beliefs, and your commitment level towards wanting to be successful, the desire to accomplish something, and to achieve a goal.

With this post I wanted to get into what makes a good leader. You’ve probably noticed that I’ve added a MonaVie page and banners to my site. That’s because my brother and I have become independent distributors for the company. That’s a whole other post, though. Anyways, I was reading one of MonaVie’s on the move magazines from last year and a Hawaiian Blue Diamond Executive, Paul Barrios, made a list of what makes a MonaVie leader. I don’t think that this applies to ONLY MonaVie, but other professions and areas in life as well. Here’s the list:

• A leader doesn’t look at how things are; A leader looks at how things can become.
• A leader knows time will expose you; A leader also knows time will promote you.
• A leader will never succeed with self-doubt; A leader has complete belief in his convictions.
• A leader is not lazy and never procrastinates; A leader knows that nothing happens without a sense of urgency.
• A leader remains consistent; A leader does not want to become non-existent.
• A leader doesn’t ask, ‘why me;’ A leader asks, ‘why not me.’
• A leader knows that it’s not the skill of the man; A leader knows that it’s the will of the man.
• A leader is never arrogant; A leader is humble and always ready to learn more.
• A leader is not afraid of the future; A leader looks forward to the future, full of courage.
• A leader understands that he is not the leader of his group; A leader is a leader in his group.
• A leader knows when it’s time to quit; A leader will never quit if the dream is big enough.
• A leader knows that tough times never last; A leader knows that tough people do.

There are many areas that I agree with Paul Barrios and can relate to. I know that I’m a great leader, or so I think I am, but I also know that there is always more to learn and improve on. I really like the last line “A leader knows that tough times never last; A leader knows that tough people do.” It’s about overcoming adversity in every aspect of life and never giving up. We’ve all heard the cliché, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” I wish life was easy, but I know that in order to become who I want to become and to live the life I envision myself living in the future that I must face each challenge that presents itself with courage and the heart of a lion. I must be persistent and consistent to find success and to be a good leader.

Leaders instill in their people a hope for success and a belief in themselves. Positive leaders empower people to accomplish their goals. -Unknown

It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up. -Babe Ruth

The difference between the impossible and possible lies in a person’s determination. -Unknown

I dream of men who take the next step instead of worrying about the next thousand steps. -Theodore Roosevelt

Leaders are not born. They are made. They are made just like anything else…through hard work. That’s the price we have to pay to achieve that goal or any goal. -Vince Lombardi

A leader is one who knows the way, shows the way, and goes the way. -Unknown

Real leaders are ordinary people, with extraordinary determinations. -John Seaman Garns

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he
wants to do it. -Dwight D. Eisenhower

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Photo by Flickr user dip108

Would you agree with the statement that there is ALWAYS somebody looking? You probably read that sentence and asked yourself, looking for what? Keep on reading and then figure out whether you agree with the statement or not.

People are always looking. Looking for opportunities. Opportunities to better their financial standing, health, family environment, and of course the list goes on. In business why do you think that companies advertise over and over? Because they want to generate awareness for their product or service as well as increase the consumer’s purchase intentions for that product or service they’re advertising. A lot of people say that, in order for a person to remember an ad or want to purchase a product or service they must see it at least seven times. Whether or not you agree with that is up to you. Let’s go back to why do you think companies advertise continuously. They’re creating brand awareness, but they’re also seeking to connect with the consumer who is actively “looking.”

There’s one company that sticks to my mind when I think about advertising. Allstate. It’s not because Dennis Haysbert appears in their commercials that I remember their company so distinctively. It’s the message Allstate promotes. Their television commercials connect with potential consumers on a VERY personal level. People remember their advertisements because they can personally connect with the message portrayed in the 30 second time slot. People care about their loved ones and Allstate will put you and your loved ones in good hands. The reason why I brought up Allstate’s advertising was because if I were to ever want to purchase insurance in the future I would probably do additional research and consider their company. Right now I’m not actively looking for insurance, but in the future I guarantee you I will be looking for car insurance and Allstate will pop into my mind.

No matter what you do or who you are never assume that someone isn’t looking (in a business sense). Assuming, will only cause you to miss out on potential (business) opportunities. In sales you can’t assume that someone won’t be interested in the product or service you’re selling. If you don’t knock on the door or pick up the phone you’ll never know. The person you assume won’t be interested, and will ignore your knock or hang up on you, may become someone else’s account. That girl standing on the opposite end of the bar may be looking for her prince charming. If you don’t approach her because you assume she has a boyfriend or is already married you may have missed out and at the very least, missed out on a great friendship. There are countless examples of missed opportunities and these are just a couple. People are always looking for something to fulfill their needs, wants, and desires.

The reason why I bring up the fact that people are always looking is because Rob, who I mentioned in my post What is the Key to Staying Motivated?, brought this topic up as well. I was listening to the radio the other day and my new favorite station 89.3 K-LIFE (positive alternative) told a story. A Christian singer, I believe it was the lead guy from Seventh Day Slumber, mentioned that a fan of his was looking for a positive inspiration in his life. This fan was at an all-time low in his life and was considering suicide. The lyrics from a song helped this guy view life in another perspective and literally saved him from ending his life.

You never know when you can act as a positive influence on someone else’s life. I don’t want to make it seem like people are always looking only in a business atmosphere. People are always seeking out and looking for new friendships and people to help guide them in the right direction. Go out of your comfort zone and approach people, let others into your inner circle, offer them your support, and be open to anyone and anything that presents itself. Someone you met in your social network may have just lost their job and you may have the perfect solution to their need that could change their financial situation. Someone may be looking for a shoulder to cry on, possibly yours. Someone may have goals they want to achieve and you could be the catalyst that gets them going on their journey towards accomplishing those goals. I really don’t know why I said those last few sentences, but the greatest thing is that you don’t know when you’ll cross paths with someone at the right time.

Quote of the day from the author, Michael J. Fox, who wrote Always Looking Up. “Every Failure I have considered my own, but every success has been shared. I can always come up with a list of people who have had something to do with what went right.”

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Filming for The Pacific was in Australia and began in August of 2007 and was completed in late May of 2008. Originally, the project was estimated at $100 million (U.S.) to produce, but had a budget of more than $150 million (U.S.). It follows three main characters Joseph Mazzello who plays Corporal Eugene “Sledgehammer” Sledge, Jon Seda who plays Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, and James Badge Dale who plays Private First Class Robert Leckie. Eugenee Sledge was a university professor and author after the war, John Basilone was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor because of his actions at Guadalcanal, and Robert Leckie was an American author of many popular military history books in the United States.

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We’ve all experienced the highs and lows of feeling motivated. One day you want to change the world and accomplish every dream and goal you have written down on a piece of paper. The next day you go back to your old habits, laziness sets in, and those dreams and goals are nothing more but ink on that piece of paper that you crumble up into a ball and throw it through the air towards the trashcan like a free throw hoping to score a point. I have gone through this so many times in the last few years of my life and have finally figured out what the key to staying motivated is.

Yes, you read it. The key to finding the motivation to succeed and staying motivated is inspiration. My brother and I had the pleasure of listening and speaking with a very successful business figure last week on Saturday (March 6, 2010), when we went back home to Bakersfield for the weekend. I learned a lot listening to what he had to say to a small group of us who stayed after everyone else had left the house we were at. What I learned was that you must think positive regardless of how you feel and not let all of the negative people and thoughts have a stronger effect on you. Once you let those negative aspects of your life take over you will ultimately fail at staying motivated and succeeding in your endeavors, whatever they may be. If you don’t make that sale that was going to bring in a huge commission to your pockets don’t get down on yourself and let it consume your mind. You need to let yourself know that there is a tomorrow and other opportunities will present themselves.

Rob asked us a question that had me thinking for a while. It went something along these lines, “When was the last time you were inspired? Inspired by a person or group of people you were with?” I thought and thought… What bothered me was that I couldn’t think of any recent time that I was truly inspired by an individual or group. Inspired to the point where I felt like a new person, someone who wanted to take the initiative to make a change, someone who wanted to start a new path in his life, and someone with a clearly defined objective to find the light at the end of that path. A light bulb finally went off, thank God was I relieved. The last time I was truly inspired was when I participated in the Ray Scherr Business Plan Competition in the beginning of 2009. All of the work and research I did was outside of the class and I didn’t receive any units for participating. I couldn’t tell you the day, but it was when I was sitting in a classroom listening to two successful Cal Poly entrepreneurs who now run multi-million dollar businesses. Hearing their stories and how they overcame obstacles, stayed motivated, and put in long hours all for the one idea they truly loved was priceless. I left that room with a new found motivation that inspired me to want to succeed. If they could do it, I could surely do it.

There was something else that I liked. It was when Rob said, “I got rid of the I have to in my life and replaced it with I get to.” He doesn’t HAVE to go to work, but GETS to go to work and do something he enjoys doing. He doesn’t HAVE to make time in his busy schedule to go to his children’s soccer games, but GETS to go to his children’s soccer games without worrying about when he has to get back to work. He’s free to do what he wants and when he pleases.

Listening to Rob’s story of how he lost everything, only three years back, and had to put a for sale sign up in front of his house and see where he is today truly inspired me. I thought I had it bad when I have my whole life in front of me! Rob had a wife and children to worry about. I couldn’t even think of how devastating it would be to tell my children that we were going to lose our home.

What I want to end this post with is that if you feel that you’ve lost the motivation you once had you can always get it back. I have and it feels great. Listen to something positive for at least 15 minutes every day or read something that’s positive. You will become inspired and find the motivation to succeed. What I like to do is watch/listen to success stories and I have also been reading ever day. It’s helped me and I hope it will help you out as well.

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Since graduating I have been applying and interviewing to various positions in multiple companies. Much to my dismay I have been playing the waiting game like many of my friends and other college graduates around the nation. Before graduating I heard it a lot from older peers, but have experienced it time and time again while going through the interview process. It is a trend many companies have adapted to, but is it right or wrong? What I am talking about is a graduate’s grade point average, otherwise known as GPA. The two questions I have are: Should GPA be used to weed out potential employees by prospective employers? And is GPA a direct indicator of ones one’s ability to perform in the workplace? The answer to both of these questions, in my opinion, is a mild yes and a strong no.

To answer the first question “Should GPA be used to weed out potential employees by prospective employers?,” I believe it’s a decent safeguard used by the human resource departments but not the best practice. For example purposes only I’ll use California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) in comparison to California State University of Bakersfield (CSUB). Let’s take a look at a Cal Poly graduate who applies to a company, gets to be interviewed, and is told a job offer is being written up. Human resources hadn’t seen this graduate’s GPA yet, but this graduate has worked for the company part-time for the last year and has done his job exceptionally well. Once human resources saw this graduate’s GPA, slightly under a 3.0, it was set in stone that this graduate would not receive a job offer regardless of the circumstances. Why? Because there are policies the human resource’s department must follow. Is this implying that a graduate with above a 3.0 GPA from California State University of Bakersfield would get this job instead? I can’t answer you that since I don’t work in the human resource department! The point I’m trying to make is that ALL colleges and universities vary between the caliber of their courses and coursework.

Not only does the caliber of courses and coursework vary from colleges and universities but so do the professors. At every college and university there are multiple professors that teach the same course. With multiple professors teaching the same course you’ll have a similar curriculum but completely different personalities and level of difficulty in the course. I experienced this multiple times during my time here at Cal Poly. I had a finance professor who used to teach at Northwestern University and expected an introductory level finance class to perform and execute at the same level of difficulty as he could. Nonetheless I learned A LOT by the end of the quarter, but I spent twice as much time studying and completing practice problems for the course versus the other courses I was taking. At the same time I had a friend taking the other professor for the same introductory finance course who never had to study because “the class was a joke and an easy A.”

Someone who allocated less time, energy, and effort into the same course with a different professor got that easy A which boosted their cumulative GPA. While I on the other hand struggled alongside my classmates and received a C- in the course, but learned a hell of a lot more than our peers with the other professor. Sure, some of us choose to take the professors everyone tries to avoid because they’re more difficult but that’s because we hear great things about those professors and how much more knowledge previous students walked away with after taking that course with that professor.

Let us take a look at the second question “Is GPA a direct indicator of ones one’s ability to perform in the workplace?.” My answer and personal opinion to this question is absolutely not! After explaining my opinion above I hope you understand why my answer is what it is. My cumulative GPA isn’t above a 3.0, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not a hard worker, won’t be able adapt to a fast working environment, or set goals and continuously accomplish or exceed them. Depending on the major, GPA could be used as an indicator of one’s knowledge on a particular subject especially with the “Learn by Doing” aspect incorporated in many of the architecture and engineer courses here at Cal Poly. But like I said this doesn’t take into account the intangibles and characteristics of an individual.

Many companies are missing out on candidates that would perform and excel in the workplace by setting GPA requirements in order to land a job with their company. Okay, so yeah there’s thousands of applicants to some companies. But as a company wouldn’t I want to at least go through most if not all of those applicants to find the best one to fill a position? Most of these companies have personnel, usually in the human resource department, being paid full-time salaries to do this vary job. They’re getting paid no matter what to go through resumes, cover letters, and writing examples to find the best employee. At least go through every application and/or resume because you might just find that needle in a haystack. Setting GPA requirements is a form of discrimination, not too extreme, but something I think companies should strongly reconsider lifting if they have that kind of a policy in place.

On another note, I’d love to hear your comments and opinions about GPA requirements used by companies. Feel free to post them down below in the comments section!

Painting by Ann Altman

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