NEVER take NO for the Final Answer

Tiny Wisdom: Not Taking No for an Answer
“Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn’t have the power to say yes.” -Eleanor Roosevelt

Many times in life we ask questions of people and then put way too much weight on their answers.

We ask people we admire if they think we have what it takes, and then consider their opinions fact. We ask people we respect if they think we should take a chance, and then follow their advice as law. We ask people if they’ll take a chance on us, and then interpret their response to be a reflection of our potential.

Other people can’t tell us how far we can go. They can’t tell us how our talents could evolve. They can’t tell us if our risks will pay off. Other people’s “nos” aren’t what limit our future–it’s our own “nos” that do that.

I read an interview with television producer and former American Idol judge Simon Cowell. He admitted that if Lady Gaga had auditioned for the show, he would have instantly rejected her because of her over-the-top persona. Like her or not, Lady Gaga has emerged as a force to be reckoned with n the music industry–a bona fide record-breaking pop icon, who likely isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Odds are she heard her fair share of “nos,” as does anyone with a dream.

Sometimes we hear “no” before we even get a chance to contact the person we really want to reach. We hear “no” from assistants, and publicists, and agents, and associates, and a number of other gatekeepers. Those “nos” are rarely final since a gate is made to be opened.

We can take all these “nos” and use them as proof that we shouldn’t move forward with our goals. Or we can learn from them, release them, and then keep moving ahead, driven by a deep internal yes that refuses to be ignored.

Today if you come up against rejection, remember:
This does not mean “no.” It just means “not this way.”

Quotes That Dismiss Failure...

The Quotes to Help You Crush Your Fear of Failure

1) "I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan

2) “Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic.” - Anonymous 

3) "Don't be afraid to fail. Don't waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the next challenge. It's OK to fail. If you're not failing, you're not growing." - H. Stanley Judd 

4) "There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible: the fear of failure." - Paulo Coelho

5) "I'm intimidated by the fear of being average." - Taylor Swift 

6) “You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” - Wayne Gretzky

7) “Forget about the consequences of failure. Failure is only a temporary change in direction to set you straight for your next success.” - Denis Waitley

8) “I really don’t think life is about the I-could-have-beens. Life is only about the I-tried-to-do. I don’t mind the failure but I can’t imagine that I’d forgive myself if I didn’t try.” - Nikki Giovanni

9) "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up" - Thomas Edision

10) "Remember that failure is an event, not a person" - Zig Ziglar 

11) “I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate.” - George Burns

12) “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” - Theodore Roosevelt

13) “There is no failure except in no longer trying.” - Elbert Hubbard

14) "If you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative" - Woody Allen 

15) "Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing." - Denis Waitley 

16) "There is no such thing as failure. There are only results" - Tony Robbins 

17) "Success is not built on success. It's built on failure It's built on frustration. Sometimes it's built on catastrophe." - Sumner Redstone 

18) "One who fears failure limits his activities. Failure is only the opportunity to more intelligently begin again." - Henry Ford 

19) "Most people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure." - Napoleon Hill 

20) "The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually be afraid you will make one." - Elbert Hubbard 

21) "Failure is success if we learn from it." - Malcolm Forbes 

The Remarkable Employee

Good Morning All,

I hope you are all in great form for a great week.

Coach Chris

Remarkable employees spend significant time helping other people succeed: their company, their employees, their customers and suppliers...

But remarkable employees also spend a little time helping themselves succeed, both for "selfish" reasons and because their success creates success for others.

1. Be first, but with a purpose.
Many people try to be the first to arrive each day. That's great, but what do you actually do with that time?

Take care of unresolved problems from the day before. Set things up so it's easier for other employees to hit the ground running when they come in. Chip away at an ongoing project others ignore.

Don't just be the one who turns on or off the lights – be the one who gets in early in order to get things done. Not only will your performance stand out, you'll also start to...

2. Master a specific -- and valuable -- skill.
Meeting standards won't help you stand out.
So go above the norm. Be the leader known for turning things around Be the shipping manager who makes a few deliveries a week to personally check in with customers. Be the MD who promotes from within. Be known as the employee who responds quicker, acts faster, or always follows up.

Pick a worthwhile mission and excel at it. I promise people will notice.

3. Create your own side projects.
Excelling at an assigned project is expected. Excelling at a side project -- especially one you created -- helps you stand out.

Try it. For example, experiment on a new process or service with a particular customer in mind. The customer will appreciate how you tried, without being asked, to better meet their needs... and you'll never be forgotten.

4. Put your effort where your mouth is.
Lots of people talk a lot. Few take a stand and put actual effort behind their opinions.

Say you think a project has gone off the rails; instead of just pointing out its flaws so you can show everyone how smart you are, jump in and help fix it.

Everyone talks about problems. The people who fix problems are the few who stand out.

5. Show a little of your personal side.
Personal interests – help people to remember you. That's a huge advantage for a new employee or a company competing in a crowded market.

Just make sure your personal interests don't overshadow professional accomplishments. Being "the guy who does triathlons" is fine, but being "the guy who is always training and traveling to triathlons so we can never reach him when we need him" is not.

Let people know a little about you; a few personal details add color and depth to your professional image and it makes you likable.

6. Work harder than everyone else.
Nothing – nothing – is a substitute for hard work.
Look around: How many people are working as hard as they can? Very few.

One way you can always stand out -- regardless of talent, experience, or skill -- is by outworking everyone else.

It's also the easiest way to stand out, because I guarantee you'll be the only one trying that hard.