Everything in life has rules. Rules are written, spoken and unspoken. However they are portrayed, rules govern everything we do. If you learn the rules, and play by them you are going to go far. If you don't know the rules or know them and refuse to play along, well your life is going to be far less than you ever hoped.
When you are young, it is easy to have a misguided view of how life is to be lived. However, a few months out in the REAL WORLD will wake you up very quickly. Here are some rules that I have learned over the many years I've lived in the real world. Unfortunately I've had to learn many of them the hard way.
1) Small is BIG
5 minutes is not very long. You can be 5 minutes early or you can be 5 minutes late. If you are only 5 minutes late to many times, you are FIRED. Small things make big impacts.
2) Your Intentions mean NOTHING. Your actions are EVERYTHING
"I was going to but...." "I thought about it, but...." "I really really wanted to, but....." Listen, your boss, your spouse, your kids and all the people in the world don't give a flying flip about what you intended to do. All they care about is what you actually did.
3) No one gives you anything.
A job, a raise, a house, a car, a vacation trip to the Bahama's....you don't deserve any of those things. The only way you will get and keep the things in life that you want or need, is by earning them. You earn a raise, you save for the vacation, you get a job so you can buy a car. We live in a society of people that feel entitled to everything, when in actuality they are entitled to nothing. The sooner you learn that no one is going to give you anything, the faster you will get the things you want.
4) Your talent and a one dollar bill will get you a cup of coffee.
Talented people are a dime a dozen. The world is full of great athletes, amazing musicians and incredibly gifted communicators that never made it. Far to often gifted people rely solely on their looks, talents or abilities to take them where they want to go. However, talent will only take you so far. Talent is a wonderful commodity when combined with character, but alone talent is not very powerful at all.
5) A servants heart will take you places you never dreamed.
What do Donald Trump, Quick Trip, Toms Shoes and Samaritans Purse all have in common? They have mastered the art of SERVICE. I need something to watch on Sunday nights, Donald Trump serves my need every week by taking time to make the Apprentice. People need gasoline and snacks for road trips, Quick Trip serves those needs by offering them in their stores. People need shoes,food, and medical care Toms Shoes and Samaritans Purse serves those needs with all of the philanthropical things they do around the world.
If you want to be great, have nice things, make an impact on the people around you, you must have a servants heart. When you do, you will go places and do things that you never dreamed.
These are just a few of the lessons I've learned along my 39 year journey of life.