I was going through old pictures this weekend and was reminded of the good old days. Those were the days little Jerry had not a care in the world except for to be back home before the street lights came on and to always put the toilet seat down.
While I still haven’t quite mastered either, I did learn a valuable lesson or two from childhood.
Today’s “Triumphant Tuesday” and I think it to be a good idea to talk about the fundamental rules of success. You ready? Here we go:
1. Commit– I always wanted to try out new and different things. I was not always a great athlete, so in my early years, I would constantly bounce around trying to figure out what I wanted to do. When I realized I wasn’t good at anything that I wanted to do, I just picked something and stuck with it. I eventually developed into a 6x All-American sprinter and later on a World Champion Powerlifter.
2. Share– We all know that sharing is caring, but I found out early on that the more you give, the more you inevitably receive. I’m not gonna say that I’m always a giver, but I try to at least air on the side of not being greedy. Greed will in any way always comes back to bite you.
3. Communicate – Any relationship without full disclosure, you can consider either dead or dying. There is really no way you can have a relationship with anyone if you aren’t talking to them and giving them some reason to trust you. My first “girlfriend,” Amy can attest to that. We hardly ever talked, because I was just so shy and we broke up like 2 days later.
4. Appreciate– This one is probably the most important. If you are gonna do anything it can’t be alone, from having a relationship to running a business, to having dinner cooked for you.
When I was a young lad. I remember I was trying to show my mom I appreciated her cooking. I had “learned” from a young boy at the playground that the middle finger meant “thank you.” In trying to show my appreciation to my mother for her cooking that night I gave her the finger when I was done with my meal. She obviously did not share the same “appreciation” for my gesture.
5. (Don’t) Go with the flow– Sometimes you have to be creative and avoid where
everyone else is going as well as doing what everyone else is doing. Success is something that very few people can honestly say they’ve achieved in their lifetime, so why follow what they’re doing if you’re looking for a different result.
Personally, I rarely do what everyone was doing and I have the opportunity to see and experience pretty cool stuff that I otherwise wouldn’t…like when all my classmates in San Antonio wanted to go the zoo and I skipped the field trip and made my dad take me to the zoo because I wanted to learn about Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. Made my quiz on Texas history that much easier a few weeks later.
These also happen to be the rules of many other successful entrepreneurs and all around great people like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Michael Jordan, or Dale Carnegie.
Funny how a photo can take you back and make you think so much about your life and where you’ve been.
Jerry “photographic memories” Washington
P.S. There is one more rule and that’s to find allies that will be there with you and for you when times are up as well as down. Remember, nothing great can be done on your own. No matter how dedicated you are and how much passion you have, you’re not going to do get far in this world without reliable allies. Talk soon!
