His professional speaking colleagues were amazed and a little bit awestruck by his seemingly overnight success. What they didn’t realize was that he had been so fearful of public speaking when he first started that he couldn’t finish a complete sentence without stuttering. It took much practice and persistence before he was able to speak coherently.
What his professional colleagues didn’t see were the years spent honing his hard-earned craft before unimpressed audiences at local service clubs, trade shows, and any speaking venues that would allow him to speak for free. But he was motivated. He had a message and a passion for getting that message out. He was determined to do what it takes.
More years passed. He was now getting paid to speak. Audiences were moved by his message of optimism and hope. They responded to him. Soon, booking agencies wanted him on their roster of speakers. Meeting planners were scrambling to have him speak at their conferences. Business groups, finding his optimistic message good for the bottom line and employee morale, were willing to pay whatever it took to book him.
When he spoke before conferences of professional speakers, he would tell them that he was an overnight success—and it only took him eighteen years to achieve it. And, he wasn’t even at the level he wanted to be. He aspired to be more.
As with most good things in life, there is a price to pay to achieve anything worthwhile. You have to expend effort over a long enough period of time and use whatever resources are at your disposal.
The price of success is working smarter and longer. The price for living your purpose is a lifelong effort and commitment.
Ken West is a former U.S. Army paratrooper and the author of Get What You Want, available worldwide on Amazon.com and other fine online booksellers. In the U.S. at http://bit.ly/alF9vp. West is a former President of the New England Chapter of the National Speakers Association, and Association of Objectivist Businessmen.
No comments:
Post a Comment