Preparing to Make Your Success Certain

Thousands of men have failed in life because they were not ready when their best chances for success came. Some of these golden opportunities slipped away unrecognized. Others, though perceived, could not be grasped. The men to whom they were presented had not prepared to hold and use such chances whenever they might arrive.

If you would make your success a certainty, you must get all ready for it in advance. Then you will not be taken unawares when you find your big chance. If you are thoroughly prepared, you will sight it quickly, realize its full value, and seize it with complete confidence in your ability to make the most of it.

Before you seek it, be sure of your entire readiness for the opportunity you especially want. You can much better afford to wait a little while for certain success than to rush, unready, into the field of your choice, risking the likelihood of failure that could be guarded against by intelligent preparation to succeed.

A young man was offered a position of fine opportunity with a great banking house. His ambition was to build his career in that particular organization. But when the duties of the proffered situation were explained to him, he declined to undertake them at once; though he risked the chance that he might not get another such opportunity for employment by the financial institution of his choice.

“I am sorry,” he said to the cashier, “but I do not know enough about accounting to fill that job now. It will take six months of hard work evenings to train myself to fit your needs. Please give me other employment in the bank meanwhile, so I’ll be able to study the job at close range while getting ready for it.”

This was excellent salesmanship. The candidate suggested in his words, tones, and actions that he recognized a real opportunity, that he comprehended all it involved, that he was willing to prepare himself adequately, and that he felt certain of his ability to fill the place after completing the necessary preparation.

The bank, however, was in immediate need of his services in the position offered to him. So the cashier, who had been very well impressed by the young man’s attitude, told him to take the place, and offered to supply him with an accountant aide for six months.

“I would rather not,” the applicant persisted in declining. “I mean to keep on climbing toward the top in this bank, once I get started; and I don’t want to begin as a cripple. I couldn’t give thorough satisfaction now, even with an assistant on the accounting. It is not good business for me to start by making a poor impression. I’d prefer that you do not think of me as a man for whom excuses need to be made. I wish to commence my work in that job, when I am ready, with your complete confidence that I can handle it—not as a weak sister.” He smiled winningly.

The failure of so skillful a salesman of ideas was simply impossible. There is no getting away from such a high quality of salesmanship. The cashier bought the present and prospective services of the young man who had demonstrated at the outset his comprehension of the first importance of preparation. The opportunity was kept open six months for the applicant in training, while he fitted himself for his future job. This successful salesman of true ideas of his best capabilities is now a vice-president of the great financial institution.

“But,” you say, “suppose the cashier had been unable to wait, would not the young man’s over-emphasis of his attitude on preparation have prevented him from succeeding in his ambition?”

No! A single turn-down cannot cause the failure of a successful salesman. If that cashier had not appreciated the worth of the candidate, an officer of some other bank certainly would have had a clearer vision of his value. The applicant might have been balked temporarily in his ambition. The best salesman occasionally has to try and try again. But a successful career for that young man was assured in advance. From the very start he was “certain to get there.”

On the other hand, if he had risked making a disappointing impression in his new job, he might have taken the first step toward failure. Suppose he had begun the work for which he was unprepared, and then had made serious mistakes due to his unfitness. His record would have been blemished. His ability might have been questioned. He prevented such possibilities by making sure his preparation was adequate before he accepted his big chance.

Your preparation for certain success must be two-fold. You need to prepare yourself in ability first to perceive; then to appreciate the full value of what you see. Golden opportunities are all about you. If you do not recognize them, or if you perceive but slight value in the signs of rich chances to succeed, you will fail because of your unreadiness.

Many a farmer in Oklahoma cursed his “bad luck” after he sold a farm on which a gusher was later discovered. But the oil had been there all the time. The “luckless” farmer simply did not perceive the indications of wealth under his plodding feet; or, if he saw signs of oil, he did not realize that they denoted the possibility of millions.

Perception can be broadened almost immeasurably. The physical eye, if normal and thoroughly trained, is fitted to be “all seeing.” So can your mind be made capable of widest vision over all the fields of possible opportunity. Some are within your present mental view, others you can see only after going farther or climbing higher in knowledge. The biggest possibilities of success cannot be comprehended in their entirety by narrowed mental sight.

The first essential of preparation to succeed is that you open your eyes fully, and look all around you for the opportunities within range of your vision. There are so many close at hand that your search would better begin right where you are. Even if eventually you seek far for the best chance to succeed, do so with thorough knowledge of what is near by. Before you leave your present environment, have an intelligent conviction that you are capable of a bigger or different success than is to be found within your immediate reach.

Also see and comprehend the especial difficulties you will find close at hand. It does not always pay to remain in “the old home town.” Often a young man needs to go to a community of strangers to gain appreciation of his ability. It is likely to be hard for him to win success among people who knew him as a boy and who still regard him as immature. He may find it much easier to succeed in a neighboring town.

It is possible to make the greatest success turn aside from beaten paths, leave the accustomed haunts of the successful, and go to a place where no such success ever before has been established. The Mayo brothers compelled their success as world renowned surgeons to come to them at the little city of Rochester, Minnesota. Elbert Hubbard brought fame to East Aurora, New York, by founding there his school of philosophy and the Roycrofters.

See Part two of Preparing to Make Your Success Certain

Last 5 Posts

• My TeleSeminar Secrets 2010 Bonus
• Social Media Training – Building Social Equity 2.0
• 12 Month Internet Millionaire 2.0 Success Program
• Goal Setting For You (Raymond Aaron)
• Are You An Author or Information Marketer?
• What Success Takes Book Tour with Alex Mandossian
• Garrett Pierson Success Goes Viral Secret Code of Success
• What Success Takes Main Video
• I was on TV with the SuccessFool
• What Success Takes Is Open To The Public

About the Author

I am a person that loves life, my family, my career and people. I love success and want everyone to understand "What Success Takes"! Learn how you can get my book absolutely Free by visiting today http://www.WhatSuccessTakes.com. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook!