Your Today is Connected to Your Tomorrow

It has been a great week this week following up leads and preparing for an exciting booking next week in Southampton. I came across this article which intrigued me.

Preparation for your future

“What you are doing right now might seem insignificant and unrewarding, but it could be preparing you for something in the future.

When Daniel Webster started out as a lawyer, he took a case for a fee of just twenty dollars. The case turned out to be a very difficult one, and in preparing for it he had to make a trip to Boston, which cost him more than twenty dollars. But he determined to do a thorough job and win the case, which he did.

Years later a company approached him on short notice, asking him to undertake a case for which they were willing to pay him the largest fee he had ever received. In reviewing the case, he found it was almost identical to the one he’d researched and won nearly twenty years earlier, and for which he was paid only twenty dollars.

A great reward for seeing it through

He took the case, and just as before, the verdict was in favour of his client. When you do only what you feel like doing or enjoy doing, you can overlook relationships and undervalue experiences essential to your future.

Your destiny is made up of seemingly insignificant moments, experiences, and encounters. Your today is connected to your tomorrow, so maximise each opportunity and relationship that comes your way. ‘Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.’

Rotary Club free talks

This reminds me of the time when I was speaking free of charge just to get experience and I would speak anywhere to anyone who would have me. I spoke at many Rotary club meetings all over the Midlands. I remember the times very well and they were tough.

As I drove to each meeting, I would be asking myself why I was putting myself through this time and time again. I would arrive at each venue and set up my projector and screen and then have a meal with the group before standing up and delivering my 30-minute talk.

They were fast asleep!

I remember one club in particular where I had to drive a long way to get to and they met in a coffee shop at a fishing lake! It was tiny, and I had to set up their screen on some crates and I had a tiny space at the front to squeeze into to speak.

As I delivered my talk to the 6 members who had an average age of around 80 years, I noticed that 3 of them had there heads back and were fast asleep! This was one of the lowest points in the building of my business.

I remember driving back in heavy rain soaked to the skin and vowing to pack it all in – but I didn’t!

A great booking which changed everything

Then around a year later and many more Rotary Club talks delivered, I was contacted by the organisers of the Annual Rotary Club Conference for the region which was held in Southport in the North West. They asked me if I could deliver my talk at the conference for a fee which was 5 times more than I had ever received to that point.

Of course, I agreed, and I ended up speaking to 750 members in the Southport Convention Centre with two video cameras filming me. This resulted in excellent books sales, video testimonials and a Show Reel for my website.

Sometimes you need to go through the pain

All this resulted from going through the pain and trusting that it would all pay off in the end. It felt a bit like the comedians who go through the torture of the working men’s clubs where they have just a few people in the audience and get shouted down.

But all the famous comedians who are now on TV will confirm that they have been through that journey before they made it as it’s a great training ground.

I have been through many similar situations where I trusted what I was doing would finally pay off and it has. I have had the privilege to work across the length and breadth of this country including Scotland and Wales as well as Dubai, Washington DC, San Diego, Malta, Switzerland, Finland, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man and the Isle of Wight,

Your today is connected to your tomorrow

As the article stated ‘Your destiny is made up of seemingly insignificant moments, experiences, and encounters. Your today is connected to your tomorrow, so maximise each opportunity and relationship that comes your way.’

Thought for the week:

1. Do you sometimes come across opportunities or relationships which you think are not worth the bother?
2. If you do, then pause to think and just check whether this may be significant.
3. Don’t miss these amazing opportunities disguised as insignificant.
4. I can count dozens of bookings I have received from just doing this one thing.

Well that’s it for this week have a wonderful weekend and stay positive.

Warm regards

John

Off the Wall – How to Develop World Class Mental Resilience available here
http://www.jdmindcoach.co.uk/product/off-the-wall-how-to-develop-world-class-mental-resilience/ (Special offer. Put in code 10POUND when prompted to receive a signed copy for £10 including postage and packing – UK only)