As I was reading WTF?! (Willing to Fail): How Failure Can Be Your Key to Success, a great short read written by Canadian entrepreneur, Brian Scudamore (Founder of 1-800-Got-Junk), I came across a line in which he stated, “Tell me what a person admires, and I’ll tell you everything about them that matters.” Reading that actually inspired me to run the test on myself. So, here’s my list:
1. I admire my wife’s patience.
2. I admire my daughter’s smile
3. I admire my son’s persistence.
4. I admire my mother’s love and encouragement.
5. I admire my father’s focus.
6. I admire the fact that even the greatest in the world have failed and succeeded.
What does this say about me? Here’s what I uncovered as I dug deep into the statements above:
I admire my wife’s patience
As an entrepreneur, this is beyond important. When building a business, you experience high-highs, low-lows and relentless, hard work 24/7. Having spent 7 years with Melissa by my side, she has embraced these situations and continues to have the level of patience that inspires me to do so many things others would deem impossible.
I admire my daughter’s smile
A simple smile can literally change a person’s attitude, day and even their life. My daughter’s smile constantly re-energizes me and gives me hope that anything is possible.
I admire my son’s persistence
Whether my son is persistently asking for a snack or looking for a toy that he so eagerly wants to play with, it inspires and gives me a fresh reminder that without persistence nothing is achievable.
I admire my mother’s love and encouragement
Unconditional love and constant encouragement, in my opinion, are the main ingredients to a solid foundation in life. You can literally move mountains if you embrace yourself in an environment filled with love, support and encouragement.
I admire my father’s focus
One of the most underrated traits of the successful is the sheer power to focus and get work done no matter what. My Dad’s focus is undeniably world class. His focus coupled with discipline is the reason why he was able to create an awesome life filled with opportunities for my sisters and me.
I admire the fact that even the greatest in the world have failed and succeeded
This keeps me humble. We are all human. If the greatest can fail and succeed, anyone can – I admire this. Success or failure does not define the person you are. What you do with your success or failure is what defines who you are as a person.
At its core, the above can really tell you that family, support, possibilities and doing the invisible, hard work to achieve my goals (both personally and professionally) really matters to me. I would love to see what you and Brian thinks! Is my interpretation correct? Let me know…
In the end, I believe having admirations set the tone for your life and also reminds you of 3 important things:
1. It reminds you of the things that matter and who inspires you.
2. It reminds you about who you want to make happy and proud.
3. It reminds you to realign, reflect and show gratitude.
I’m so thankful for reading this one line as it sent me on a path to self-discovery and more deep thinking, something that I encourage everyone to do frequently.
What do you admire? Comment and share – maybe Brian will reply to your comment with his thoughts.