SOLITAIRE, a Metaphor for Life and Business
I like to play Solitaire to relax. Actually, I have always been interested in everything people do with cards. Games and tricks as a child were always a part of life. Cards make me feel good. I like to feel good.
Now with the electronic media, my cards are always fresh. Every time I play Solitaire I have a fresh deck of cards. I like to play single card because it allows me more wins. It is easier than any of the other Solitaire games. I like to feel good. Winning makes me feel good.
Why we do what we do depends first on the outcome we expect. Feeling good is an outcome we should always have as our intention. At the same time, feeling bad at times allows us to understand how really good it is when we feel good. When we can go into an activity looking for a win and understand how to put the odds of winning in our favor, we have a greater likelihood of success. When we do things with intention (having the expectation of the outcome before embarking on the activity,) we realize a euphoric feeling more often.
Back to Solitaire, I play it to relax and feel good. Winning makes me feel good. Recently, when I discovered solitaire on the computer, I made a conscious decision to play single card versus three cards because I wanted to win and feel good.
In our personal and business lives we are driven by the goal of feeling good. When we understand that there are basically two types of emotion, good and bad, we then understand we are only looking for the good. This sounds overly simplified to the point of bordering on stupidity. If so, then why is it that we in our business lives and personal lives put obstacles in our way to success?
In our personal lives we are taught by our parents about the importance of a “hard day of work.” Some people I know wear their ability to work hard as a badge of honor. They will say to their peers, “I need to do this because no one else will (can, do it good enough, etc.”) Or they say, “The others don’t have (fill in the blank) that I do to do the job right.”
We see it in our professional athletes and entertainment media as well. Those sports heroes, actors, and actresses who strive to be world class work really hard to realize success. They are paid well for their time investment. Their salaries are mostly in the six figure range and up. They work hard because they are motivated to work hard and have predetermined intention for successful outcomes. That is why we often hear when an inspired young student of the entertainment/sports world says, “I want to become an actor/actress/sports hero.” The response from the adult is, “That is too hard.” Often the adults destroy the hopes and dreams of the less inspired.
In our small businesses we often hear the same refrain, “It is too hard.” Often we make this a reality by purposely (with intention) putting obstacles in our way. An example of this is when we go out grazing for new clients and prospects. We first hope to meet a client or prospect by being introduced through a stranger. Yes, we want to meet someone (a stranger) who will introduce us to another stranger. We go to a networking meeting to meet a new person who we hope knows someone who needs our product or service. We hang our advertisement, brochure, or name tag on a door post hoping that someone notices, will walk through the door offering to give us money for our product or service.
When we discover intention, we can understand that it is easier to find that our road to success can be more direct. When I walk into a room that is 100 percent People in Business (my target market,) I am almost certain to meet someone who needs or knows someone to purchase my offering. If my intention is to create success, why would I do anything but that?
Finally, back to Solitaire, winning is fun. When you start any activity from here on promise me and yourself that you will do so with a specific intention that makes you feel good. Then measure and manage the results so that when you repeat your action with intention you will get the same or better result. When you measure and manage you results with intention, you will create a win for your prospects, clients, and yourself. That is what playing Solitaire is all about! Have fun.
Gerry Rose runs INTEGRITY Networking Solutions in Oceanside, CA. He works with people in business who want to attract the right prospects and generate more referrals. More than 10,000 businesses have been presented the INTEGRITY Networking Solutions system in San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Orange Counties.
Gerry’s stimulating presentation Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals is ideally suited for small business owners, home-based businesses, and independent professionals who want clearer direction and want to attract more prospects, develop dynamic systems, and strengthen their companies’ accountability. Gerry does one on one consulting, conducts a range of keynote speeches from thirty minutes to full-day education workshops. His book series, Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals, are available on the website, www.integritysd.com.
Gerry has more than 20 years’ experience directing business owners how to grow their businesses. He is a networking dynamo. Those who know him will assure you that he does a great job of bringing people together—which is why he started INTEGRITY.
Involved with networking organizations since 1984, Gerry is a Distinguished Toastmaster, a member of Toastmaster International, and has chaired numerous chambers of commerce and non-profit organizations.
Are you truly committed to attracting the right prospects and generate more referrals? If so then contact INTEGRITY Networking Solutions for availability and information. You can contact Gerry by mail at 1610 Quiet Hills Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056. Direct dial (760) 439-4623; e-mail to gerry@integritysd.com. For more information, go to www.integritysd.com
