Thoughts On: What Drives Us

BY CHUCK MORRIS

I may pause for a few minutes from time to time to reflect on personal achievements and the direction I have taken in life. Part of that encompasses thinking about the people I have met and how they have influenced my decisions.

We succeed because of others. If our interactions with people are stymied because of fear, jealousy, greed, or disregard for others, the road would be a very long and difficult one indeed! We get to where we are because we care. We care about people and that includes our staff, our customers and people in general.

Once in a while we may be confronted with someone who is running in the opposite direction we may be taking. That can be an opportunity to pause and re-check what we are doing and reaffirm what is driving us. We want excellence in our lives and we want to encourage others to improve. We provide opportunities for others, and if it is within our power, we may push them from time to time. Who pushed you?

Most of us have been exposed to real leaders within our profession or activities we are involved in outside of work. Even if that exposure may be for only a short time, I am sure most of us could think back and pinpoint that moment! What did you learn from that experience or that person? Every little bit of information you receive from coaches and mentors is a real nugget! How did it affect what you do, how you deal with others and how you treat your staff and peers?

Do you feel you are successful? You should! Look around and take stock of what you have accomplished. Do you have further to go? Keep going because the secret, is we all have further to go! We are never at the end, no matter if you are just starting out in your career or nearing the end of that phase of your life. There is so much more out there and so much more you can influence. We are never finished as long as we are able to contribute to work, contribute to your staff, your friends and those you have not met yet. As long as we are a contributing member of society, we learn and we pass on what we learn to others.

That is what drives me. I learn, I practice what I learn, and I coach and mentor—passing on what I have learned to others. Share it folks. That person you met twenty years ago passed something on to you. You nurtured that knowledge and expanded on it, allowing you to broaden your circle of influence. It turned out to be valuable, and now that it has grown through “compounding,” give that new and improved nugget to someone who could use it. That is what drives me!

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