EVERYONE CAN DO IT! GRAHAM VIVIAN LANCASTER
For Barry and Tracy
TRAYBERRY PRESS
L
TRAYBERRY PRESS A division of ALEXANDER HOUSE 29Howick Road Pietermaritzburg tel. (0333) 427978 cell:0836388813 First published 1998 2000,2001,2002,2004,2009, 2010 Copyright 1998 Graham Vivian Lancaster Copyright 2012 in this published edition. TRAYBERRY PRESS All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holders and publishers ISBN: 0-620-23535-7 Cover design: Graham Lancaster Distributed by Trayberry Book Distributors +27836388813
Works by the author: NOVELS:
Wind Song Storm Song Strength Of ten
SELF HELP: Everyone Can Do It Its Never Too Late Surviving The Ladder The Cost Of Money Who’s Shrinking Your Money? The Happy Customer POETRY:
Marks On My Soul Gypsey Whale Song Gravel Roads Fledgeling African Ride Moments of Truth Picaroon Journeys Rusty Gates Poetry Study Guide
HUMOUR:
Bert and Co. Bert Another Story Nothing For Mahala
ADVENTURE SERIES: Wild and Dangerous + Study Guide Secrets of the Sea Cyclone Tracy Wrath Of The Gods Dangerous Alliances When The Earth Thunders + Study Guide Awakening Africa Flying With Eagles Over The Edge + Study Guide ******************* The Adventurous Life Of Rory Flint Rat To Riches + Study Guide Dock Town Mayor and Mayoress
CONTENTS; 1 3 7 8 11 19 20 22 23 26 29 34 37 39 47 49 51 56 58 59 61 64 67 70 78 83 86 93 95 96 99 101 107 109 112 115 120
BLAME AVOIDANCE WHO ARE YOU WHAT ARE YOU WHY ARE YOU THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON LOW SELF ESTEEM FOREVER YOU LEADERSHIP THE THIEF RESPONSIBILITY STRESS PRESSURE COURAGE LOOSE ENDS CONFRONTATION MANAGEMENT PRESTIGE WORK ETHIC WHAT IS HAPPINESS GENEROSITY IN THE MIND SWOT ANALYSIS ONE YEAR PLAN FIVE YEAR PLAN PERCEPTIONS MONEY WHAT’S IN THE BANK AMBITION SUCCESS / FAME SELF CONFIDENCE POWER OF POSITIVE THOUGHT POWER OF POSITIVE SPEECH POSITIVE ATTITUDE WHAT CHANGED US MOTIVATION ADRENALINE SHOTS BUZZ WORDS MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEES
FOREWORD You don’t need a lot of money to become someone in life. How small and how helpless is the seed of a redwood tree? Only when it reaches fertile soil will it slowly and without fanfare take root and become one of the largest trees in the world. It didn’t get to the right place unassisted. It too was dependent on something until it found its way. As the rooster said to the hens when surveying an ostrich egg. “I don’t mean to be critical, I don’t mean to be disparaging, I merely wish to draw your attention to what is happening elsewhere.” Isn’t it frustrating that everyone around us seems to be successful while we keep slogging away but don’t get anywhere? Then, just when you thought things were looking up your car was stolen. In the blink of an eye you’re back to minus square one. You understand it though because when you were at school and two captains were picking teams you always had that sinking feeling with each choice they made, because it wasn’t you, even though you were in front flicking your hand in the air, “Yes! Yes!” Yet someone behind you wasn’t even flicking their hand because they knew they would be chosen for either team as a valued player. And your heart sank lower and lower with every choice they made and you wished for once you wouldn’t be the last one left when the captains publicly argued over whose side you would be in - because neither of them wanted you. “But I had him last time!” That sort of humiliation. They didn’t want you because you didn’t have the skills, the fitness or the
enthusiasm required. So what! You did other things they couldn’t do. Look hard enough and you’ll find them! It just isn’t fair! Unfortunately, life isn’t designed to be fair. Your neighbour doesn’t treat you like he wishes you to treat him - although he’s most indignant when you don’t. Now your suspicions about life have been confirmed, don’t throw up your hands in despair, because we are going to look at life a little differently. I have deliberately kept Everyone Can Do It as user friendly as possible without intending to insult your intelligence. It will take you back to basics and build up from there. There are things in here that will have you saying, “For goodness sakes, I knew that!” Well, if you knew it, why aren’t you doing it? Most of us know what we are supposed to do but our memories are too cluttered with the problems of life to think straight. Everything you read in here won’t be to your liking. It might make you laugh, but many a true word is said in jest. Perhaps it will make you furious, but then the truth does hurt. If it does either or both it will have provoked thought and perhaps touched a nerve, but I won’t reach you if I’m blowing sunshine all the way. So please get as mad as you wish, but when calmness returns, some begrudging truth could be at the bottom of it all. As a successful business, production, productivity consultant, and author, I have often been asked why I don’t produce a book which will make this information more accessible. My first thoughts were, it’s a difficult subject to compete in - but then what greater challenge than life itself? I have always believed, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for one day. Teach him to fish, and he will feed himself for the rest of his life.” This philosophy has been detrimental to my bank balance because I have never been called back to consult further at any business, but the 100% success rate stands. I reasoned, if I can resurrect dying businesses; train and uplift people; completely change my career five times; be published in eight different genres by five different houses; get children and adults to read, “who will not read;” and a few other
things, then I should write the book. I have used material which works, because I have made it work out there. For the cost of six and a half minutes of my consulting time you have some of that information. Make it a bargain. We will laugh at ourselves, and at others without feeling the slightest twinge of guilt, political incorrectness, sexism or racism, because that is life. I was watching a formula one grand prix when a German fellow walked up and asked; “Vot it is da score?” “Mika Hackinnen is leading and Michael Schumacher is coming second and - -” “Vell that is not so baaat to coming secont. Ve are used to it! No disgrace! Tvice da Chermans ve fighting two vorld vorse and tvice ve coming secont.” He almost had everyone rolling on the floor - including himself. I have related incidents which I found amusing, tragic and educational. One day I was walking in town when a delivery man on a motorcycle came flying up a side street. He was all business and aggression, crash helmet and snoopy flying goggles, pulling in the clutch, revving the motor with flicks of his wrist, foot out, braking hard for the stop street. The tail wind was blowing so hard up the side street he could have cut the motor and sailed to the top on his handkerchief. As he came to a stop the wind lifted the unlatched glass fibre lid on the box behind him with great speed. “Whack!” It slammed against his crash helmet with a force that snapped his eyes shut. They jumped open like saucers as he whipped around to see what had attacked him. I almost collapsed on the pavement but he wasn’t even the littlest bit amused, which of course added to my mirth. He managed a glimmer of a smile as he rode off. Then there are the man / woman jokes and the woman / man jokes, blonde jokes, Jewish, Polish, South African, Black, White, religious and the whole range of Irish jokes. It doesn’t all mean an internationally orchestrated attack on other races, sexes, sexual preferences, peoples’ handicaps or you personally. It means we have taken the trouble to notice others and to pick
up on the things they do which are foreign to us, just like they are doing to us. So let’s cast a different light on people and situations. Why do we get so offended at something which appears so innocuous to others? At this point, authors tell you how many degrees they have and how rich they have become off people like us, and exactly why you can’t do without the book. We’ll cover a bit of my story later, but believe that I have been to the top - and the bottom, more than once and there have been many major shifts of focus in my life. From metallurgy, to beer brewing, making furniture in metal and timber, beds and mattresses, business consulting to becoming an author. Tinker tailor soldier sailor rich man poor man beggar man thief. All of these I have been. The thief bit - we’ll cover later. Ranging from much happiness to shattered dreams, stress, fear, disappointment, heartbreak, tragedy, unhappiness and success, I have slept with them all. You will have heard, you can’t succeed until you have failed. After all I have been through, I can only believe it is the truth. “Everyone Can Do It” has been kept as short and concise as possible so you don’t have to wade through screeds of repetitive material, and it won’t be difficult to find your way around for quick reference. Two things which are repeated over and over is the word you (who is a most important person in your life) and we, for you are never alone if you don’t specifically want to be. We will tackle this together, so if you get tired of reading the word, you, please forgive me, but who else am I talking to? Allow it to settle for a few days then sit down quietly and read the book again - looking at it from a different angle. Perhaps it isn’t you at all, in which case you need go no further. If you can identify with any part of it, highlight whatever bothers you then break it down and take a closer look. You have the book in your hands, you paid for it (hopefully) and you are in charge of your own destiny.
QUESTIONNAIRE Before we start I must ask you to go through the following so we have a clear idea of where we are going. You have one minute, and not one second longer, so get someone to time you, and no cheating. Read everything through carefully before putting pen to paper. A simple answer will suffice as time is limited. You can only do this once!
You only have one minute! REMEMBER: YOU ONLY HAVE ONE MINUTE! NAME:-------------------------------------------------STREET ADDRESS: -----------------------------------------------------------------BUSINESS ADDRESS:----------------------------------------------------------------TELEPHONE WORK: ------------------------------TELEPHONE HOME: ------------------------------OCCUPATION: --------------------------------------SPOUSE: ----------------------------------------------NEXT OF KIN: ---------------------------------------1 What do you enjoy most in life? --------------------2 Do you have a car?-----------------------------------3 What is the colour of your car? ---------------------4 Is your accommodation adequate?--------------------5 How much time is left?-------------------------------REMEMBER: YOU ONLY HAVE ONE MINUTE 6 Would you like to move?-----------------------------7 Would you move city?--------------------------------8 Would you take the car with?-------------------------9 Do you have animals?---------------------------------10 Would you take them with?---------------------------REMEMBER: THE TIME! 11 Would you emigrate?----------------------------------
12 Briefly, why?------------------------------------------13 Would you take the animals?-------------------------14 What would you like to be?--------------------------15 How much time is left?-------------------------------REMEMBER: YOU ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME 16 What else could you be?------------------------------17 Why?---------------------------------------------------18 What if you can’t change?-----------------------------19 Why not? ---------------------------------------------20 The only thing required of you, is to write your name on the paper-------------------STOP! OK, 100% score? No? Did you not read the foreword either?