A while back I wrote about the 4P’s, an idea passed down to me by one of my mentors – John Bowman at Saatchi & Saatchi.
A few weeks ago I had the wonderful, albeit stressful, opportunity to test this theory. Unfortunately, I had run into a few visa problems when trying to re-enter the country on my student training extension. Within a week I was:
- Denied entry to the US on both my visas – extensive time at the border
- Stranded in Canada with just the clothes on my back, my car, my laptop and my camera
- Informed on the day I was supposed to start work in the US that I would have to wait 6-10 weeks for an appointment in Canada
- Flying back to Indonesia the next morning, arriving the following evening
- Appointment and interview at the US embassy the next morning
- Fly back a week later – complete with “random” screenings on ever leg
- Flying through Chicago to get to Toronto – and getting stopped at the border again
- Taking just a 6 hour break between 45 hrs of flight travel and an 8 hr drive
Passion Plus Perseverance Prevails
- Fuel your passion
- Steel your resolve to persevere
- Picture yoursellf prevailing over obstacles
- Achieving goals
In the past few weeks I have discussed with many different people the concept of instinct. I can’t believe I haven’t written about it yet.
Personally, I believe that some people have or develop an innate ability to read/decipher a situation without having a logical reason as to how this process happens. This is called the gut or the instinct. Sometimes, your gut feeling pulls you one way, whereas logic and reason pulls you the other way. On some occasions, your gut may be right. On others, it may not. Some people have trained their instinct a little more, some people are just born with it.
Do you think that somebody who is very good at what they do calculates the pros and cons of the situation every single time? After a while, the processes become innate to the point where the person simply knows which decision is good or bad.
I came across an interesting article today on Newsweek.com. In his piece “Less (Information) Is More”, Wray Herbert discusses a new take on the strength and credibility of trusting your gut.
Check it out! “Less (Information) Is More”
Filed under: adam steen, advice, attitude, business cards, maturity, preparation, responsibility
One thing that I would like to emphasize strongly is the concept of always being prepared. You never know who you can run into during the day, and it’s a good idea to be ready from a professional standpoint to deal with it.
This doesn’t mean you have to fold up a resume and keep it in your pocket at all times. However, it would be a good idea to carry around a set of business cards. In your wallet, in your car, in your bag. That way, if one place runs out unexpectedly (though you should always keep track), you will have a backup.
Why is this important you ask?
Today I had the opportunity to sit down with Adam Steen to chat about a few things at a coffee shop. In the middle of our conversation, he noticed that a friend of his had come into the coffee shop. He introduced me to Cheryl. Cheryl is a recruiter/headhunter, a person who can help you find a job after graduation. I had remembered to refill my business cards in my wallet the night before, so I handed her one. She didn’t have one, but because she had mine, she has a way to contact me. If I didn’t have my cards, this would be a lost opportunity.
Not only are business cards a great way to pass on contact information, as a college student it represents a level of maturity that stands out from others. It proves that you are responsible, driven, but most importantly mature and serious. It shows that you have a strong attitude about your future.
Do you have your business cards ready? How have they helped you before?
As much as you would like to try, you can’t be perfect everyday. Stuff happens.
You studied for a large exam for the past 3 weeks, and blanked out as soon as the exam occurred. You tried to make time for lunch, but something else popped up. You ordered a sandwich and realized you wanted a salad. You locked your keys in the house/dorm and none of your roommates are around.
Stuff happens.
What you can do, is take it light-heartedly. An exam score is just a number on a sheet of paper. You can eat later. Sandwiches are healthy too. You can go visit with other people while your roommates are gone.
The most important thing to do in situations like this is to look at the situation from another point of view. It is not the end of the world if any such situations happen. Sometimes stuff just happens, and there’s absolutely no way anyone can explain why it happened.
We are like cars. Our body and soul requires maintenance to keep us running. Food is our fuel. We don’t run properly if some parts are broken. And, just like cars, on some days we just don’t work as we should. Just as a car won’t start on a cold day, your body and mind may not start on a bad day. In either situation, it’s not the end of the world. You can take a bus and try to start the car the next day. Instead of groveling about how bad the day is, you can take a different point of view, take it easy, and come back the next day and try to start the right way.
It’s all about attitude.
Keep this in mind
“I don’t have a cent
Will I pay my rent
And even my car doesn’t work
Me and my man, he’s the one
To die for, we have split up
Can’t you see, life’s easy
If you consider things
From another point of view”
- db boulevard
And Remember
“The most successful people are those who are good at plan B.”
- James Yorke
Filed under: advice, attitude, change, comfort, comfortable, life, location, spontaneous
Change is important.
A change of location, a change of image, a change of attitude or a change of lifestyle can all bring benefits.
After being in the same situation for extended periods of time, people become accustomed to and comfortable with their lifestyle. Although we always seek that comfort, it is good to keep in mind that change is also important.
Change challenges the body, the mind and the soul. It opens you up to new horizons, and forces you to adapt to your new environment. Change re-invigorates you.
In the last few months I had gone from
To
To
In a matter of days/weeks.
Each place has its own culture, values, lifestyle and speed at which everything is moving. By changing location, you open yourself up to many new experiences that may even change your outlook on life itself.
How can you change?
- Pick up a new hobby
- Study Abroad
- Wake up earlier and start a new routine
- Be adventurous (food and other experiences)
- Get a new haircut, new clothes (remember, clothes can make you feel like a million bucks)
- Do something spontaneous during the day
And remember, just because you are comfortable with where you are doesn’t mean that you are experiencing life to the fullest! If change ever sneaks up on you, you’ll be ready to deal with it!
We recently had the opportunity to listen to a presentation by Adam Steen from Transition Capital Management. He discussed a variety of different subjects, but what interested me the most were his points and advice for communicating in college.
1. Get Networked
- Each person is a resource
- Get the courage to add value
- Creating a blog as a resource –> blog can network for you
2. Create Success For Others
- What goes around comes around
- Helping others is a great way to help yourself too
3. Don’t Hesitate to go to Lunch or Coffee
- There is a 0% chance if you don’t try
- Professionals, more likely than not, want to help students in college (have you seen “Catch Me If You Can”?)
4. Read everything you can, but don’t believe everything
- Reading a variety of opinions is a great way to create a well-rounded opinion about different topics
5. When you get in a jam, THINK
- Don’t let constraints bother you!
We had a speaker come into our Journalism Ethics class a few days ago, and he made some strong, valid points. Larry Fish is the Chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland group, and was present at our school, his alma mater, to discuss a variety of issues faced by leaders today.
A few of the most important points he made were:
“You will not be successful if you’re not ethical”
- Guilt and remorse are emotions that hang around for a long time
“There are no B+’s in Ethics”
- It’s either pass or fail. There is no grey area. You’re either ethical, or you’re not.
“You will never recover from a bad ethical decision”
- The way human nature has developed, guilt and remorse is an emotion that we feel quite frequently. With ethics it is the same. Just as you feel bad after buying something, you will have second thoughts when making an ethical decision. And just as you will feel bad for a long time when buying something that you don’t need or can’t afford, you will feel bad for making a bad ethical decision.
A strong belief in ethics adds to your personal brand, strengthening You, Inc.
As I was sitting in class the other day, the professor started discussing a variety of real world situations. He mentioned the idea that when hiring, employers favor Attitude over Aptitude. I couldn’t agree more.
Aptitude is the innate ability to learn quickly. As each year passes, more and more candidates for different types of jobs graduate, and the chances of nailing the dream job get smaller. Given the fact that these candidates have graduated from a secondary education system, it can be assumed that they all have some form of innate intelligence, Aptitude.
It is attitude, however, that sets the best apart from everybody else. Each new employee at a company receives the exact same training, and everyone is placed in the exact same boat. All of these employees will have similiar a similar aptitude. In order to stand out, one must have the right attitude towards everything.
A positive attitude is the best attitude. Although it is not possible to be 100% positive and cheery all the time, it is important to remember that attitude shapes our thinking and mindset. Attitude also rubs of onto others, which is why we tend to stay away from negative people with bad attitudes. Whether positive or negative, attitude always gets noticed, both verbally and nonverbally.
Just as dressing the part is an important physical factor of setting oneself up for success, a great attitude towards the work environment, towards others and towards oneself is critical in preparing for a long and strong career.
Filed under: Excellence, Exclamation, Steve Amos, advice, andy drish, attitude, change
It’s funny how much wisdom you’ll find trapped inside a fortune cookie. Usually, it’s not very much. But this time around, I was very intrigued by the comment and decided to keep the slip.
“Make your life an exclamation, not an explanation”
I can’t stress how important this is. There are 6 billion people in the world. And it is the duty of every single one to live their life to the fullest to the best of their abilities. So that years from now, you sit back on that old rocking chair with the feeling that you had truly accomplished something in your life.
I would like to shed the light on two wonderful individuals I have met at Drake University. These young gentlemen are truly out there to make an exclamation of their lives.
Steve Amos
With the help of his brother and a couple of close friends, Steven saw a vision and created it. Out of his vision spawned Student Films Across America, a student film festival that is travelling across the country, showcasing movies that have been sent in for judging. He has spent a year of time and effort putting this event together. I attended today’s screenings in New York, and I was impressed. Here is Steve, between his sophomore and junior years in college, travelling in a van across the United States, screening films for a festival he organized. Talk about an exclamation with a capital !.
Check out Student Films Across America and see if you can catch any dates in your city.
Andy Drish
If you know this person, you will understand that there isn’t a complete set of words to describe how inspirational he is to others. Andy has not only set up a group which helps underclassmen with their business image, but currently writes a blog. His vision is to write a book and travel around the country and the world, speaking the wise words he preaches on his page.
People like Andy are remarkable. He will definitely make his life an exclamation. Check him out at Connecting in College
These young gentlemen are fine examples.
So how are you going to make your life an exclamation?
