Olina Qian

I am coaching five class memebers this time in Dale Carnegie Training. Ruoyu is a very shining one of them. She is a CFO of a company, she has her own CPA firm and she is even a dance instructor. We had a great time talking to each other and Ruoyu told me that she has a great leadership mentor Brett Mosher, she’d like to connect me and Brett together.

So Brett, Ruoyu and I had a great lunch together this Monday in Loving Hut, Milpitas. Great food, great people, great conversation and great spirit there. When I asked Brett what does he do when free. Brett said, he is out of town almost every weekend traveling around and spend time with families. I admire his wisdom and his life style. After the lunch, I decide to share with him my five year’s vision. I’d like to see his response.

It is amazing that Brett replied me very quick. He said:

Yours is a powerfully inspiring vision. I am sure it helps you focus your energy on continuing toward that day. You have clearly spent some quality time building the vision.

It is so powerful that it begs the question: are you going to be intensely disappointed if you don’t reach that image, exactly?

If no, then your vision is doing just what it should, propelling you towards an ideal future. If yes, are you better served modifying your goals?

I like his sincerity and I answered:

I think I can answer your question this way: always hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Another thing is: If you aim high, you might reach in the middle. But if you aim in the middle, then you reach the lower point.

You can tell by now that I am such an idealist. I have an eager want to success. Again my definition of success is: It is a journey to find my mission to this world, reach my maximum potentials and sowing the benefit for others. That’s exactly what I am doing everyday.

After I replied, I thought of a story, so I asked Brett,

Have you heard of that story? A Haas professor told their MBA student:

You know, even if you work hard here, only 20% of people here can be very successful.

Then the students asked: What about the other 80%?

The professor smiled, and answered: They live happy after…

And Brett answered me in an unpected way, he said:

No, I had not heard that one. My experience with hard work is different.

I find that only 20% of the people work hard. Almost all of them are successful. 80% dont apply themselves and they just pass through work, life, etc.

So, at the end of 2009, can you ask yourself a question: Are you working hard on your dream, or you just let the life pass through. If you are letting the life pass through, do you want to start to do something in 2010? I’d like hear your comment.