Tycoon-ism: “Always remember that you’re unique, just like everybody else.” – Anonymous
It is a defining moment in anyone’s life when he starts to seek things that are better; when he starts to be fed up with mediocrity. This time for a man may come at a young age or as he is retiring, but when he does he will do almost anything to ensure that excellence will pervade him. When you are in this stage of your life remember that this journey is yours and yours alone. As much as you may want to include your friends or your relatives with your ideas of perfection you must determine from the onset that it is you who must decide in the end what is best. Excellence must be based on your experience and not so much on other people’s expectations of you. You can ask for their opinions but if you fear their unenthusiastic response then you are better off not asking the in the first place. Do what you think is best, after all, don’t we all only try to do what’s best? You are you, not a copy, and your idea might just be the thing that will change the world if you keep your ideas as pristine as possible.
A new perspective is what you get when you move away from where you are focusing. In so many ways just taking the time to rest and observe what you are doing will give you profound ideas on how to go about your tasks. Here are the times when you say, “aha!” or “why didn’t I think about that earlier?”. Being engrossed in a certain task may shrink your focus to the point that they become the size of pin pricks. What happens is you tend to focus on a part of the solution, enlarging it to sizes not in proportion to the whole, and neglect other important parts of the problem. By stepping back you give your eyes a chance to look at the totality of the issue and not just focus on one or two things.
The problem with some of our so called leaders today is that they have this irritating habit of always trying to please everyone at the same time. They seem to think that they are leaders just because they can negotiate what they perceive to be a fair deal with their opponent no matter what issue is under consideration. But in everything a line must be drawn. A true leader must take a stand and firmly must he do so if he wishes to maintain his dignity and self respect. Doing otherwise will lead to him wandering from one corner of the room to another seeking the approval of each side while important issues lie unresolved and frustrated parties resort to means which are, for lack of a better term, unpleasant. Leaders lead. It’s what they do. They don’t dither hoping that issues needing to be tackled will go away by themselves. Sooner or later they must make a decision, and it is important to understand that sometimes people will need to be turned down and feelings will be hurt but ultimately, once a decision is made a good leader must be able to stick to it and accept the consequences. There are some things in this world that contradict each other that one or the other must give in. A mouse will never make peace with the cat and what is right should never concede to what is wrong in the name of peace. It was done to Hitler before the 2nd world war began, and “appeasement” did not work, so why should we do it again today.
A friend of Samuel Morse once asked him if he has ever been in a situation where he did not know what to do next as he was experimenting on his telegraph. Professor Morse responded, “More than once, and whenever I could not see my way clearly, I knelt down and prayed to God for light and understanding.”
Barbara Boggs Sigmund lost an eye due to cancer in 1982 just when she was in the middle of her campaign for election as senator for New Jersey. She immediately went on with the campaign after her operation when she was invited to make a speech just 2 days after she lost her eye. On the podium everyone can see her bandaged eye and you could just tell that this woman was suffering from it. She surprised everyone when she made this remark, “you’re all a sight for a sore eye”. No, she didn’t get elected as senator because of her witty remark but they knew she was a woman of great courage to be able to say something so nonchalant after a tragic operation and she was elected as mayor of Princeton, NJ the following year. She died of cancer in October 10, 1990. Her greatest achievement, according to her, is the founding of Womanspace, the first battered women’s shelter in Mercer County, NJ. This shelter became the model for other shelters. On that podium, Barbara displayed uncommon strength. She didn’t falter; in fact she used her situation to get people to listen to her. She made lemonade when life gave her lemons.
