Successful is a word that can be used in many different areas and what a person believes success to be is different from person to person. I believe success is when someone is happy and content with where they are in life. A homemaker can be successful if what she does she does with passion. Passion goes a long way in making something great. Without it whatever you are doing is just a job or routine with no goals to be reached. Many have jobs and even some are quite good at them, but without passion the job remains a way to survive only and will never go places it could with someone at the helm with passion.
You can tell a person with passion apart from one without. Passion brings drive to the project. Passion brings an atmosphere of awe to the place and even those that would normally be bored with the job or thing are awed by the person’s spirit. Passion sells. Have you ever been in a place where someone was pitching a sale? If so, did you purchase the thing being pitched? If you did and especially if you bought into the product or thing being talked about and purchased it that salesman had passion. Only someone with passion can sell. They can sell to people not even interested in the thing. Passion sells. Like the quote, ‘ They can sell ice to eskimos’ goes, so too can the person with passion sell their wares and those buying are the most stunned of all. How did this happen? they wonder. Passion came by. That is what happened. I can give you an example of passion bringing success.
I moved to Atlanta, GA. at the age of 24 along with my 4 year old daughter and husband. I was hired at a luxurious apartment community as the leasing consultant. Renting apartments to people moving to the area. These apartments were stunning and located in a great area of Atlanta. Along with leasing apartments, I was the social director of the community. Every month, I put out our newsletter and put together the themed social party for the residents. The budget was great and we had parties like no other. Most residents came. We were mainly an adult community with few kids. The residents loved it and when lease renewal came it was a no-brainer as to renew or not. We had waiting lists to move in and these apartments were not cheap. But, the reason we had waiting lists and closed out every month at 100%, no vacancies was because I loved my job. I gave it 100%. If you came to our property to look, you were sold an apartment before you left usually. If not then, you would be back. I won the Leasing Arc Award the second year there. Out of 800 leasing consultants at 500 properties, I was chosen as the best leasing consultant for the company that year. I believed every word I spoke about the community and people got excited. Only someone with passion can accomplish that feat. I was a success.
So, what does success look like? Who does it look like? Let me give you some characteristics of successful people. They are risk takers, not in the sense of hoping not to get caught in something. Those are people to stay away from. But, risk takers that are successful are not afraid to fail. They just get back up, dust off and try again. Risk takers take risks that are for the good and eventually these risks will lead to success.
Successful people are focused and disciplined. They seem to have this uncanny trait that will not budge on what they believe and remain disciplined until it is reached. I envy these kinds. Successful people. They understand their strengths and weaknesses. I only wish I had known mine sooner.
Successful people are optimistic and resilient. They look at failures as learning opportunities rather than defeat and maintain a positive outlook.
They have the ability to maintain focus on their goals and exhibit strong self-control to achieve them. My daughter would come visit on holidays and at times she had to work. She would get up and at her work time she would go into the spare room and work. She would come out at lunch then go back in that room afterwards. Her boss would have never known if she had not done this, but she was a different breed and that made her in my view a superstar, a successful performer.
She continues this ethic in everything she does today. With her job, her son, her husband and anything she puts her hand to. She always does the right thing with no shortcuts. She doesn’t get rushed to complete things halfway. She takes the time to do it right. Her standards are high and she expects the same from others. At the same time, she encourages those that may struggle.
I can think of few people that have been through hell and came out on top. When I think of success I think of her. Hats off to you Ms. Kate.
When God Speaks 
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