I love a man who wears pink.
So, this past Sunday, as I half-watched, half-listened, and half worked, out of the corner of my eye, Bubba Watson, stole a little piece of my heart.
And then when I started to stalk further into this man's story, he stole a little bit more.
He had six, second place PGA finishes and three Major championships.
And then it happened. He won one of the most prestigious sporting awards of all time - the Masters. As I watched him be adorned with the elusive green jacket, I watched his innocent face fill with emotion. And during his interview, he simply stated, "I never got this far in my dreams."
Isn't that ironic?
No. It is life.
Aren't the majority of our most precious accomplishments ones that we never dream of?
We hear it all the time.
And the Oscar goes to so-and-so.
"Oh thank you, I'd never dreamed I would standing here, blah blah blah."
People never dream and yet they accomplish some amazing successes. They break-up to the next level. Why?
I never dreamed I would be working for Jeffrey Gitomer, speaking at a level where people pay to hear what I have to say, and writing in an e-publication that has hundreds of thousands of readers. No, I never dreamed that. But it happened. So I conclude: dreams are useless. You don't need to dream big to break-up to the next level of success.
Here's what you DO need to break-up to the next level:
1. Talent. It's the raw and impressive talent that you have a sense of ownership over. You know what you excel at. The problem is that most people don't know what their limitations are. If you know you are not good at something, stop wasting your time. Instead, focus on where your talent is, the skills that make others take notice of you, and develop them. Bubba Watson has a golf-given skill. He can drive a ball 194 mph. And he has never had a professional golf lesson in his life. That's talent. Raw talent. What's yours?
2. Persistence. People who reach the next level of success, don't quit - they persist. They push, pull, and fight to continue to grow, to learn, to improve, to gauge, and to accomplish. They understand the short-term and the long-term and their place in that picture and they use persistence to break-up to the next level. They have a level of drive that others may classify as "nuts," (hello, Steve Jobs - thank you for ignoring the doubters, otherwise I would not be writing this on my MacBook Pro), and they don't care, they simply persist; beyond anything.
3. Hard work. Nothing happens until someone acts. Hard work is a common word; with which we all have our own definitions. What I see as hard work, you may not. Let me define "hard work" in my terms to you - working harder than anyone else to improve your own skill set to your personal best. Hard work doesn't necessarily mean being the first to work and the last to leave, it just means working smart and diligently to improve and get better, everyday.
4. Passion. It's a part of life. Passion is a major driver in success. If you don't love and feel a connection with what you are trying to break-up to, you'll never succeed. The person with the heart and passion is the person who will figure out a way to make it happen, because of their love. Love will always find a way, right? RIGHT!
Bubba Watson broke-up. He broke-up in a big way and yet he never got that far in his dreams. What are you breaking up to? Where are your talents, persistence, hard work, and passion leading you? I bet it's to nowhere you have ever dreamed of.
I’m your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?
Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, please visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email at hirestephanie@gitomer.com or by calling 704-333-1112.
Showing posts with label passion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label passion. Show all posts
Monday, April 16, 2012
Monday, April 25, 2011
Passion Cake
I love cake. Chocolate cake, marble cake, cheesecake, ice cream cake, pineapple upside down cake, wedding cake, cupcake, pretty much any way you want to bake it, I'll take a piece of cake. And, I love Buddy the Cake Boss.
Do you know Buddy? Owner of Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey, star of his own TLC show, Cake Boss, you know, BUDDY? Well, Buddy is my perfect slice of passion cake.
Never heard of passion cake? Well that's probably because I just made it up! But here's what I'm talking about.
Passion cake (noun), as defined by the Melish Dictionary of Made Up Words: is a person who lives, breathes, dies, emulates, and exudes passion throughout their career, making it appear as if it's a piece of cake to accomplish being the best.
Buddy is a piece of passion cake. He is arguably one of the best cake bakers and decorators of our generation. Don't believe me? Catch an episode. You won't just salivate over the delicious cakes he produces, you'll also be amazed at the passionate energy he displays as he works on some of the most impossible works of cake art. He's a cake genius who's made himself THE BEST and surrounds himself with THE BEST. His army of family and employees share his passion for cake. It's a little family business that's struck it rich, one cake at a time.
Ready to be a passion cake? Sure you are. Here are the first few steps you need to start baking.
1. Identify - First things first, you have to identify the main ingredient in your passion cake. What is your passion? What do you love more than anything else? What makes you smile? What makes you want to jump out of bed or stay up all night? What gets you excited? What's the passion that shines out of you for everyone to take notice? Not sure? Can't identify it? Spend some time writing down your favorite activities, past times, or memories and see if there is a common denominator.
2. Evaluate - After you identify your main ingredient, you have to evaluate what you're currently baking. Are you in a position that uses that passion? And uses it to it's fullest? No? It's time to evaluate if you're ready, willing, and able to make a change so you can do what you love. Life's too short to be a piece of passionless cake.
3. Implement - Start baking! Get a plan together. Write down what you need to do to start putting your passion in action. You can start slow (think cupcake) and work your way up to it, or jump all in (think fully decorated wedding cake). You be the judge on that. Whatever you do, don't make excuses. The time is NOW!
4. Surround - Pick out your other ingredients. Surround yourself with a support system. People, who share your passion, vision, dream, or just want to see you happy. These people will help keep you accountable and be your biggest co-bakers.
It's never too late to start baking your own piece of heavenly passion cake. The moment you say the time has passed you by is the moment you've allowed your cake to burn.
By the way, did I mention I love cake?
I'm your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?
Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email or by calling 704-333-1112.
Do you know Buddy? Owner of Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey, star of his own TLC show, Cake Boss, you know, BUDDY? Well, Buddy is my perfect slice of passion cake.
Never heard of passion cake? Well that's probably because I just made it up! But here's what I'm talking about.
Passion cake (noun), as defined by the Melish Dictionary of Made Up Words: is a person who lives, breathes, dies, emulates, and exudes passion throughout their career, making it appear as if it's a piece of cake to accomplish being the best.
Buddy is a piece of passion cake. He is arguably one of the best cake bakers and decorators of our generation. Don't believe me? Catch an episode. You won't just salivate over the delicious cakes he produces, you'll also be amazed at the passionate energy he displays as he works on some of the most impossible works of cake art. He's a cake genius who's made himself THE BEST and surrounds himself with THE BEST. His army of family and employees share his passion for cake. It's a little family business that's struck it rich, one cake at a time.
Ready to be a passion cake? Sure you are. Here are the first few steps you need to start baking.
1. Identify - First things first, you have to identify the main ingredient in your passion cake. What is your passion? What do you love more than anything else? What makes you smile? What makes you want to jump out of bed or stay up all night? What gets you excited? What's the passion that shines out of you for everyone to take notice? Not sure? Can't identify it? Spend some time writing down your favorite activities, past times, or memories and see if there is a common denominator.
2. Evaluate - After you identify your main ingredient, you have to evaluate what you're currently baking. Are you in a position that uses that passion? And uses it to it's fullest? No? It's time to evaluate if you're ready, willing, and able to make a change so you can do what you love. Life's too short to be a piece of passionless cake.
3. Implement - Start baking! Get a plan together. Write down what you need to do to start putting your passion in action. You can start slow (think cupcake) and work your way up to it, or jump all in (think fully decorated wedding cake). You be the judge on that. Whatever you do, don't make excuses. The time is NOW!
4. Surround - Pick out your other ingredients. Surround yourself with a support system. People, who share your passion, vision, dream, or just want to see you happy. These people will help keep you accountable and be your biggest co-bakers.
It's never too late to start baking your own piece of heavenly passion cake. The moment you say the time has passed you by is the moment you've allowed your cake to burn.
By the way, did I mention I love cake?
I'm your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?
Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email or by calling 704-333-1112.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Read and Renew
Where is your passion?
Is it in your work, your friends, your hobbies, your family?
I re-found my passion in a book. A good friend of mine had been telling me about this book, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, for years. I had put off reading it because I thought, "Why in the world would I want to read a story about an alchemist?"
More importantly I thought, "What is an alchemist?"
Then a few Christmas' ago, I received the book as a gift. I was immediately interested -- now there were two people, who knew me well, leading me to open the pages of this mysterious book.
I quickly began on a literary journey that only lasted two days. As I was reading, it was as if each page was speaking to me. It had been a long time since a book had touched my soul in this way. I was mesmerized!
Overall, it was a quick and easy read, but more importantly, it was a read that changed my outlook on my life. You see, at the time, I had become bored with my job. I was lackluster, robotic, and completely unsatisfied with my work.
The Alchemist changed this. When I closed the book, a light switch clicked on. I re-discovered my purpose in life. My passion. My passion of teaching others.
That led me to where I am today… into my role as the Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. A job where I wear many hats (designer of course)! I sell, I speak, I share, I write, I train -- all allowing me to teach others along the way.
There was one simple line in the book that specifically re-sparked my love of teaching and confirmed that this is my life's purpose: "Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is."
When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a teacher. Plain and simple. Over the years, I have found that when I am helping another person learn how to do something new, like helping my dad with a computer, cell phone, GPS, or pretty much any new-age electronic, I am fulfilled with joy.
What did you dream to be when you grew up?
Where is your passion? Is it alive in you and the other lives you touch daily? Or is it lackluster, robotic, and unsatisfied?
The Alchemist helped me uncover or simply rediscover my life's purpose. If you are that lackluster, robotic, unsatisfied person I was, I challenge you to remember your dreams and take action!
What actions can you take to rediscover your passion?
1. Think Big – dream of what you wanted to do as a child, when you had no concept of limitations. What was it that you loved to pretend to be or do?
2. Act Big – take action steps to make that dream a reality. Look at ways that your passion appears in your day-to-day life and take action to spend more time doing those things.
3. Change Big – make changes that allow your passion to shine. Did you dream of being a veterinarian as a child? Maybe that isn't feasible now (or maybe it is), but volunteering for your local animal shelter is!
My passion was recently confirmed. After attending one of my Yes! Attitude training workshops, a young man was inspired to take action by my teaching. I see it everyday on his Facebook page and I smile. Passion accomplished!
Email me, subject PASSION! with YOUR best espresso shot tip on how you combine your passion with your work! One lucky person will win their own copy of The Alchemist and have their tip posted on my facebook page!
I'm your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?
Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, please visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email or by calling 704-333-1112.
Is it in your work, your friends, your hobbies, your family?
I re-found my passion in a book. A good friend of mine had been telling me about this book, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, for years. I had put off reading it because I thought, "Why in the world would I want to read a story about an alchemist?"
More importantly I thought, "What is an alchemist?"
Then a few Christmas' ago, I received the book as a gift. I was immediately interested -- now there were two people, who knew me well, leading me to open the pages of this mysterious book.
I quickly began on a literary journey that only lasted two days. As I was reading, it was as if each page was speaking to me. It had been a long time since a book had touched my soul in this way. I was mesmerized!
Overall, it was a quick and easy read, but more importantly, it was a read that changed my outlook on my life. You see, at the time, I had become bored with my job. I was lackluster, robotic, and completely unsatisfied with my work.
The Alchemist changed this. When I closed the book, a light switch clicked on. I re-discovered my purpose in life. My passion. My passion of teaching others.
That led me to where I am today… into my role as the Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. A job where I wear many hats (designer of course)! I sell, I speak, I share, I write, I train -- all allowing me to teach others along the way.
There was one simple line in the book that specifically re-sparked my love of teaching and confirmed that this is my life's purpose: "Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is."
When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a teacher. Plain and simple. Over the years, I have found that when I am helping another person learn how to do something new, like helping my dad with a computer, cell phone, GPS, or pretty much any new-age electronic, I am fulfilled with joy.
What did you dream to be when you grew up?
Where is your passion? Is it alive in you and the other lives you touch daily? Or is it lackluster, robotic, and unsatisfied?
The Alchemist helped me uncover or simply rediscover my life's purpose. If you are that lackluster, robotic, unsatisfied person I was, I challenge you to remember your dreams and take action!
What actions can you take to rediscover your passion?
1. Think Big – dream of what you wanted to do as a child, when you had no concept of limitations. What was it that you loved to pretend to be or do?
2. Act Big – take action steps to make that dream a reality. Look at ways that your passion appears in your day-to-day life and take action to spend more time doing those things.
3. Change Big – make changes that allow your passion to shine. Did you dream of being a veterinarian as a child? Maybe that isn't feasible now (or maybe it is), but volunteering for your local animal shelter is!
My passion was recently confirmed. After attending one of my Yes! Attitude training workshops, a young man was inspired to take action by my teaching. I see it everyday on his Facebook page and I smile. Passion accomplished!
Email me, subject PASSION! with YOUR best espresso shot tip on how you combine your passion with your work! One lucky person will win their own copy of The Alchemist and have their tip posted on my facebook page!
I'm your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?
Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, please visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email or by calling 704-333-1112.
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