Straightforward Success
Having your physical, mental, and emotional needs
in a particular situation satisfied,
setting you up to succeed through your own efforts
Serendipitous Success
Being in the right place at the right time
to just by chance benefit
from someone else’s success
Introduction
Maria Holdsworth is right in saying “It was my good fortune that I was there that day.” Her good fortune began with her own success in getting out of bed and keeping a schedule while unemployed. Maria’s success was also the other woman’s good fortune. The other woman went to the right place at the right time to benefit from Maria’s straightforward get-out-of-bed success. Anyone who benefits from the other woman’s success at her new job will also enjoy serendipitous success from Maria’s straightforward get-out-of-bed success.
Maria’s Story
While I was unemployed I participated In Fremont’s ProNet chapters. I was unemployed for 10 months and showing up at ProNet gave me a schedule and some days even the motivation to get moving in the morning.
One day, a woman feeling hopeless walked into the office needing someone to review her resume. It was my good fortune that I was there that day. Her resume was in order, it was her self-esteem that needed help. I was able to lift her spirits that day, to the point where she smiled…briefly. Literally a few hours after meeting her, she called me to let me know she received an offer from the job she had applied for. I’ll remember that for a long time.
I guess what I saw was someone who was barely holding it together. She had such a wall up when she walked into the office where I volunteered. She was so afraid of the unknown, which was the only promise in her future. She rejected my recommendations that networking were just as important as applying for jobs. I reminded her (in a polite way) that insanity by definition is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. She had been looking for work strictly by applying for jobs online but was afraid to go to Meetups or other networking events because that was time she felt she could be spending in front of the computer looking for work.
She asked me a question, I don’t recall specifically what she asked but it had to do with what I thought about her. I think it derived from talking about her in-person interview skills. So, I was honest with her and told her I didn’t find her at all rude, but simply unapproachable. We talked on the subject a little more and the greatest reward was that she smiled. I remember I touched her wrist/arm just to reassure her.
After a few weeks I got the following reply to an email I sent inquiring about her new job:
“Don’t ever forget the impact you have on people like me.
You gave me encouragement to hang on a little longer and
I thank you so very much, Maria.”
Final Thought
Maria now carries with her the inner satisfaction of knowing she made a positive impact on someone else’s life. Maria’s straightforward get-out-of-bed success sparked serendipitous success for the other woman, and the other woman’s serendipitous success sparked satisfying success for Maria.
~~~~~
Paula M. Kramer
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Posts on this blog alternate with posts at the link below. Posts for both blogs are published on Wednesdays as they are ready to be published. Time between posts could be weeks or months.
Keep reading this blog for examples of 8 success choices and 8 failure choices. Use the examples to spark success and fight failure.
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