The Strength of the Sword

At the DollarMakers Joint Venture Broker Bootcamp in Toronto on Saturday, I acquired a new MP4 Player, preloaded with some amazing audio books, from JV Forum Member Mike Cecotka. This little gadget is quite amazing – it’s a voice recorder, a radio and an MP3 player – music, videos… I wouldn’t be surprised if I could train the thing to wash the dishes! It’s a tiny miracle and I couldn’t wait to get my music onto it. I am, however, a self-confessed Luddite, a non-techie, a technological idiot. I have a big old black, paper diary that I call “Barry” – my own Blackberry. I am somewhat behind when it comes to computer things, so I rely on techno wizards and geniuses like Winston Bromley, our Technical Director, and Shawn Christenson, Techie Extraordinaire.

It took me years to get a DVD player, and even longer to learn how to download music from the Internet. Now I have a nice little collection of my favorite songs, and imagine if I could get these and my Ayn Rand audio books onto this little thingamabob! Especially since I spend many hours every month on the world’s friendliest airline, WestJet. What an exciting prospect! The only challenge I had was that I had no idea how to actually use this widget. NO idea. But my level of motivation was fifteen on a scale of one to ten. Every little victory in my progress has been really exciting. When I actually heard my favorite radio station, Rock 101 on it, I nearly flipped. Then I managed to download my tunes, and freaked out when I saw that I had captured Jethro Tull, Francoise Hardy, Bob Dylan, Santana, Otis Redding, Elvis and others on this miniature jukebox!

The Strength of the Sword is in the heart of the warrior who wields the weapon. Nothing and nobody was going to stop me from discovering how to use my new toy. Not jetlag, frustration, time restraints, mistakes, or temporary failure. That’s the simple difference between winning and losing – persistence, and the insistence on victory. If your motivation is high and your belief in yourself is high, you are unstoppable. When your passion is perfect and your belief is bulletproof, your ultimate success is guaranteed. When you decide to win, whatever it takes, regardless of obstacles or the opinions of others, you will reach whatever destination you choose. This is a simple illustration of a balding, middle-aged man fiddling with a simple IPod thingy, but the principles of success remain the same. The tools you buy are only as valuable as their application. If you leave them under your bed, you won’t wake up in the morning to find they have built you a new kitchen cabinet.

I encourage you to dust off the books, the tools, the gadgets and the skills you spent so much money on. Most of all, dust off your dreams and take your goals back down off the shelf. 2007 is going to be the best year of your life so far, if you decide to make it so. And if you’re really smart, you can surround yourself with people who can share their skills with you so that you don’t waste time or miss out on the wonderful opportunities that surround us all. I know that I can pick up the phone and call Mike any time and he will gladly show me how to make my MP4 player work. Right now, I’m just loving listening to Santana, the Eagles, Jimmy Hendrix, and Tony Bennett.

Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com