THE CATERPILLAR MUST DIE BEFORE THE BUTTERFLY FLIES

I got thinking about how much fun I had chasing butterflies when I was a kid. Butterflies were everywhere, and they were beautiful in color and design. Today I seldom see a butterfly. Maybe we should put

them on the endangered list.

When I lived and worked in South Florida, I often drove by “Butterfly World.” This tourist attraction houses several beautiful gardens and is the home to thousands of colorful butterflies. People pay $14 to view the flowers and butterflies.

Though I never stopped and toured Butterfly Word, it reminds me of the concept called “The Butterfly Effect.” This theory says that a butterfly flapping its wings in Peking, China contributes to the tornado in Lawrence, Kansas. In other words, small causes have a significant consequence.

This thought suggests that every person can influence the actions, attitudes, and even the health of others. If one person can make a difference, can one act also makes a difference? Why not test, the idea? Decide each morning for the next week that you are going to say, “ Have a great day,” or “Thank you,” (depending on the situation). To everyone you encounter.

Follow this plan for one week. Address everyone with one of the above statements. You judge if the Butterfly Effect works. When you have a positive (or negative) impact on someone, the chances are that person will pass it on like a ripple in the lake.

If you only change your life, that counts too. Remember the caterpillar dies before the butterfly flies.

BEFORE YOU ASK. FIVE STEPS TO SAILING YOUR SUCCESS SLOOP

Often I buy a book because its title attracted me. One such book, “First You Have to Row a Little Boat,” caught my attention. The title revealed what the book was about, crawling before walking, walking before running. Placing fundamentals first is another way of saying, first things first.

As humans, we often believe that we can skip the fundamentals and become a success overnight. People become frustrated when they fall short or fail to reach their goal. Look at every day, week, month, a year as an opportunity to improve yourself; for self-improvement benefits you and the people around you.

I have never sailed a boat—little or big—but I have experienced attempting to overlook the fundaments and the small steps and try to get to the final goal. When we underestimate the steps involved in growing, the example of planting seeds comes to mind. There seem to be five essential and sequential steps required to produce a flower or to develop personal success.

STEP ONE. Plant the seed in fertile ground. Don’t be surprised when the weeds of defeat and discouragement spring up among your seeds. Goal-minded people know to expect and plan for adversity.

STEP TWO. Fertilize and water. The flower doesn’t appear overnight. Don’t become discouraged and quit. Like learning to row a small boat, success takes time, hard work, and concentration.

STEP THREE: Embrace change. Give the seed time to grow. Have faith and the hope of your future and don’t accept the criticism of others. Then one day you, like the little plant, will burst forth into a new environment. Like the planted seed, you want to grow into something majestic.

STEP FOUR: Concentrate on doing the first three steps, and you will reap the fruits of success. Appreciate and celebrate your success.

STEP FIVE. Replant. Look for future growth. There are greater things ahead. The seed of one success replanted carries within it the seeds of the next.

Success begins with successfully rowing a little boat or planting seeds. Sow the seeds of hard work and learn the fundamentals—determine your goal, focus on achieving it—you will excel. Start small, practice, and you will get a flower or sail a Sloop.

WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE?

There are many books, magazine articles, seminars and workshops devoted to telling people How to be Successful. It is the dream or goal for a lot of individuals who think of success as a future achievement; something just up ahead; something just around the corner; something over the next hill.

People make mistakes chasing success. They believe that tomorrow will bring success. Their mantra is, “If I can only get through today, tomorrow will be better.” This focus on tomorrow reminds me of the closing words of author Margaret Mitchell in her book, Gone with the Wind.  “After all, tomorrow is another day.”

Tomorrow is another day. But, in reality, all we have is today. So, here are thoughts that may help you live a life of success today.

WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE if you went to work today and worked?

WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE if you paid a genuine compliment to someone that wasn’t expecting it?

WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE if you got up 25 minutes early tomorrow and thought about the things you have to be thankful for?

WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE if you gave the homeless guy on the corner a couple of dollars and did not pass judgment on where he or she might spend it?

WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE if you picked up the check for a senior couple at the next restaurant you dine and they never knew you were their benefactor?

WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE if you visited a nursing home and spent some time with a complete stranger who has no one to visit them?

WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE if you asked someone to tell you how they got into their career and then let them proudly tell you about their life?

WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE if you quit swallowing the poison of bitterness and asked forgiveness of someone who had done you wrong?

WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE if you went to several garage sales and enjoyed capitalism at its best?

WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE if today you told someone, “I am proud of you?”

WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE if you see the glass half full and pour in more water?

WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE if you contributed to the solution and not the problem?

WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE if you really enjoyed today?

WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE if you smiled at everyone you meet today?

WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE if you made lemonade out of the lemons handed you?

WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE if everyone was like you?

EIGHTEEN ACTION STEPS FOR SUCCESS

Producing positive results and growing in personal relationships

 “The toughest thing about success is that you’ve got to keep on being a success.” —Irving Berlin

Success is an easy word to pronounce; it is often difficult to define. What defines success by one person may be viewed as a failure by someone else. Success and the “good” life are not synonyms. Many successful people — by which I mean those that have worldly wealth, power, and prestige — are not necessarily the most satisfied people.

I suppose it won’t happen, but I think the world would be a far better place if everyone in it defined success as producing positive results in their field of endeavor and growing their personal relationships.

A couple of years ago, I wrote a book—“The Mentor In The Mirror”—about my thoughts on personal success that I accumulated over my 52-year work career. One strategy was to encourage people to read. An education doesn’t end with graduation. So far, the book I wrote for people who don’t read has proven to be just that, an unread book. Maybe 196 pages are too lengthy.

Every author has a vision of their book appearing on The N.Y. Times Best Seller List. The verdict on my book? If you don’t care to know, I don’t care to share my abysmal sales result.

If you don’t read books, I can save you time and the $5.99 cost of the book on Amazon by listing 18 key action success steps from my non-bestseller.

1. Accept yourself for who you are. Be comfortable with yourself but never complacent.  

2. Daily bring out the best in others.

3. Because you choose your attitude, choose wisely.

4. Be a Problem Solver.

5. Never get mad at someone for being more successful than you, it’s not his or her fault.

6. Expect to excel and assume the responsibility for your success.

7. Keep your eyes and ears open and learn from others. Everyone has something unique to offer.

8. Keep your knowledge current and your skills marketable.

9. Concentrate on giving and not getting; it puts you in the best position to achieve success.

10. Always look for ways to change, to improve every single thing you do.

11. Never lose sight of the goal.

12. Devour books. Read every day. “If you spend one extra hour each day in the study of your chosen field…you’ll be a national expert in five years or less.” —Earl Nightingale

13. Listen for what isn’t said. As management guru, Peter Drucker wrote, “The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.”

14. Be a person of action. Focus on the task at hand and don’t get distracted by tasks with fringe benefits.

15. Believe you can do it, plan to do it, and do it! In the end, it is always belief, planning, and execution that determines success.

16. Celebrate your uniqueness. Like fingerprints and snowflakes, you are one of a kind.

17. Uncover and understand what you’re here to do.  Then pursue that purpose with passion and enthusiasm. If you don’t know your purpose read, “The Seed” by Jon Gordon.

18. Don't settle for mediocrity, commit to being the best you can be.

 I believe the failure of my book to sell is people don’t read today like they once did. Unfortunately, like so many communications today, the idea has to be said in 140 characters or less. So now I'm ending this article with a 91 character suggestion: Having read this far, look back at the 18 ideas listed above and find one idea you can use.