Staying the Course
10/12/2023
I’ve become a fan of a weekly series of feature articles in Investor’s Business Daily. Always offered on Page A4 of the Monday weekly print edition, the heading “Leaders & Success” always has an inspiring story of someone who has achieved success in his or her field of business, sports, medicine, science, academia or public service.
Reading these features fuels my imagination and my motivation to keep the fires of ambition burning in my heart and soul. No matter the situation I find myself in, I take heart in the stories of people going above and beyond in many ways to reach their goal. Age is not an impediment to me. I plan to keep going as long as I’m able, mentally and physically.
Be sure to finalize your plans to attend the ASAC Annual Convention in Fresno, CA, November 5-7, 2023.
The registration link, hotel link and detailed schedule, including receptions and meal functions, can be found at: https://www.agconsultants.org/2023_annual_conference.php
I’ve become a fan of a weekly series of feature articles in Investor’s Business Daily. Always offered on Page A4 of the Monday weekly print edition, the heading “Leaders & Success” always has an inspiring story of someone who has achieved success in his or her field of business, sports, medicine, science, academia or public service.
Reading these features fuels my imagination and my motivation to keep the fires of ambition burning in my heart and soul. No matter the situation I find myself in, I take heart in the stories of people going above and beyond in many ways to reach their goal. Age is not an impediment to me. I plan to keep going as long as I’m able, mentally and physically.
The feature of the week highlighting an individual who has attained some great achievement is equally bracing and demonstrates that success comes in many forms, not simply for fortune or notoriety, but also in achieving a goal that is beneficial to mankind.
This week’s feature is about Michael J. Fox, an actor who starred in the 1985 movie hit, Back to the Future. In a rare occurrence, Michael received, in his 20s, an early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. To say he has made lemonade from lemons is an understatement. He took to heart the memorable line from the movie, spoken by Doc Brown, the mad scientist and cosmic mentor, as he departed, “The future is whatever you make it.....so make it a good one.”
Facing his difficulties with optimism and gratitude, Fox forged ahead and founded a leading-edge Parkinson’s research foundation. Certainly, his income from his television and movie career helped a lot. Nonetheless, taking the resources he has and deploying them for the benefit of mankind, along with assistance from other like-minded individuals, helped to propel a vision for finding a cure for Parkinson’s.
Fox is quoted in the article, “With gratitude, optimism becomes sustainable. If you grasp that, you might be living your best life”.
A few recent features include Brian Lamb, the founder of C-SPAN, on listening to others for advice and mentoring; Leonard Kleinrock, considered one of the founding fathers of the internet, about taking on the challenge of continuous learning; Bernie Marcus, a co-founder of Home Depot in 1979, sharing his success story of he and his co-founders after being fired from a previous home improvement products company; and Eileen Collins, two-time Space Shuttle Commander and two-time Space Shuttle pilot, sharing her story of perseverance through demanding educational and training programs as she ascended through the ranks of the U. S. Air Force and the astronaut corps.
IBD’s Secrets of Success is another key feature of the weekly “Leaders & Success” page. This list of ten traits has been honed and refined over several years, providing invaluable resources to help one stay focused on ambitions, goals and objectives he/she has set forth.
IBD’s Secrets of Success
(Investor’s Business Daily)
1. HOW YOU THINK IS EVERYTHING:
Always be positive. Think success, not failure. Beware of negativity.
2. DECIDE UPON YOUR TRUE DREAMS AND GOALS:
Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them.
3. TAKE ACTION:
Goals are nothing without action. Don’t be afraid to get started. Just do it.
4. NEVER STOP LEARNING:
Go back to school or read books. Get training and acquire new skills.
5. BE PERSISTENT AND WORK HARD:
Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up.
6. LEARN TO ANALYZE DETAILS:
Get all the facts, all the inputs. Learn from your mistakes.
7. FOCUS YOUR TIME AND MONEY:
Don’t let other people or things distract you.
8. DON’T BE AFRAID TO INNOVATE, BE DIFFERENT:
Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity.
9. DEAL AND COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE EFFECTIVELY:
No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others.
10. BE HONEST AND DEPENDABLE; TAKE RESPONSIBILITY:
Otherwise, Nos. 1 – 9 won’t matter.
I encourage you to locate and invest in a subscription to Investor’s Business Daily – www.investors.com – and study these items each week. These features provide a wealth of information to be gleaned and put to use in your consulting practice as well as with your client’s business strategy formation and implementation.
Certainly, there are hundreds of sources of information in the realm of the business universe, over and above specific agricultural sources. We can be overwhelmed by it all and get bogged down in trying to determine what can be put to immediate use.
We must determine what is relevant to us and to our clients and get to work.
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This article is the opinion and perspective of the author and may or may not be consistent with those of other ASAC Members. Endorsement of specific items mentioned in the article is not an endorsement of the individual, the company or the organization from which it originates. ASAC as an organization does not advocate opinions or positions on issues.
Pete Weisenberger
Weisenberger Agricultural Services, LLC
Be sure to finalize your plans to attend the ASAC Annual Convention in Fresno, CA, November 5-7, 2023.
The registration link, hotel link and detailed schedule, including receptions and meal functions, can be found at: https://www.agconsultants.org/2023_annual_conference.php
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