Shortcuts to Success…

There aren't any shortcuts to success, and that concludes my post for today.

Nah, just kidding. Seriously, though, I know most people are always on the lookout for the quick fix. They want to feel better right away, but they don't want to have to work for it. They want to make a ton of money, but They would rather not work hard to get it. They would like to lose weight without changing their eating and exercise habits. It just doesn't work that way folks and I'm actually really happy about that.

Sure I have my days were I wish I could just snap my fingers and be working from home again, but when I take a moment to imagine what that would really be like, I change my mind. If I could really and truly snap my fingers or wiggle my nose or nod my head a la I Dream of Jeanie wouldn't I miss the journey? Ok, I can hear some of you grumbling already. "No, not another post about the journey! I'm so sick of the freaking journey". Here's the thing, the reason so many teachers preach on about the journey is because it truly is the best part. Your life is the journey, end of story.

If you want to fast forward to the end of your life, feel free. Doesn't appeal to you? Why not? You'd miss out on all the fun as well as all of the pain, right? It is the same with our personal and professional growth process. If we could snap our fingers and have that promotion or have a successful business we would miss the both the agony and the ecstasy of getting there. You would miss out on all the joy.

Here are some examples of what you would miss if you snapped your fingers and lost 50 pounds:

• the feeling of accomplishment when you got through your first week on the new plan without cheating.
• the surprise and excitement of one day finding you could zip your jeans without lying down and using power tools.
• the subtle looks of envy from your co-workers as they began to notice a change in your body while they suck down another enormous latte.
• the thrill you would get when you saw the first photo of yourself that you actually like!!

How about building a successful sales career with a nod of your head, what would you miss?

• the pride you would feel when went on that sales team call and announced you had landed that monster deal
• all of those sales Cd's you had listened to in your car that also helped to make you a better husband/wife, mother/father and friend.
• that impromptu happy-hour you and your team had when you stole that account away from your largest competitor. You remember, the one where you would have met your husband/wife for the first time?

College was a very difficult time for me. I worked my way through and went full time. It took me five years and there were so many days that I wished I could just snap my fingers and have my degree in hand. God how I suffered through those five years!!! Yet on my graduation day, my father put it all into perspective for me. He said "Hon, when you are up there on that stage today, remember that you did this all on your own. I know it was hard because you didn't have help from anyone, but you did it. That's something that no one can ever take away from you." To this day I can remember the respect and the pride in his eyes as he said those words to me. It was the first and only time I ever saw that look. He died unexpectedly the following year.

Even if the only thing I had gained from all of that struggle was those few minutes with my father, it would have been so worth it. Honestly, though, I am a much better person because I did struggle for those years. I made many mistakes, and had some spectacular failures during my time in college, but I learned from them and became a stronger and wiser person.

So I am very happy to report that there are no shortcuts at all to success in any endeavor, and I wouldn't have it any other way.