“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Thomas Edison
We often look back at a missed opportunity and think, “I really blew it. I’ll never get another chance like that one.” And we give up trying. Most people who don’t achieve as much as they want to in life don’t fall short because of a lack of ability, but because they gave up too soon.
People often envy high achievers, not for the effort they put in, but for their “luck” and their “golden opportunities.” They always say, “Oh, you’ve been lucky,” says B. Jenner (an American athlete). “I always believed that the harder I trained, the luckier I got. … Luck is part of the game, but when I prepare for something, I don’t prepare to be lucky, I prepare to be good.”
The dictionary defines luck as a force that brings good fortune. What is that force? In many cirumstances, it comes from deep within us. It’s the positive attitude that allows us to visualize a successful outcome of our efforts. It is the actual effort we expend, and the knowledge that this effort brings us closer to our goals. The result may not always be exactly what we’ve planned–we can’t win every race. But those who ride the ups and downs and don’t depend on luck to get them through have a much better chance of winning the next time.
Here are some examples of our graduates. Katerina, a graduate from our on-site New York program, eventually decided to go to Turkey and teach English there. She has just opened her own English school in the business district of Istanbul. She had saved every possible penny from her salary to make this happen. Why is she successful? She has a vision and the courage to live her passion–teaching English. She is willing to do the work associated with an own business. For her failure is not an option.
Look at Musa, another New York graduate. He used to say that no matter how many “no’s” schools in Saudi Arabia would give him, he would continue until he gets a “yes.” Musa is a Nigerian. Nigeria doesn’t really fall into the category “native” speakers, so a lot of schools rejected him. Today he works at a supermodern school of an oil company in Saudi Arabia and teaches English to their technicians.
Lady Luck has nothing to do with those two stories, absolutely nothing. You are lucky if you are sitting in the library, learning and doing research. You are lucky if you are working late. You are lucky if you are trying harder than the next guy–and I’ve got news for you, when you rest–nothing happens.
And finally, I wanted to thank Barry J. Farber, a noted author, speaker and consultant in the area of sales, management and personal development in helping me uncover the secret to finding my own value and making my own success.
Courtesy of International TEFL Training Institute New York
