Success - Work Smart

Chuan and Jing joined a wholesale company together just after graduation. Both worked very hard.

After several years, the boss promoted Jing to sales executive but Chuan remained a sales rep. One day Chuan could not take it anymore, tender resignation to the boss and complained the boss did not value hard working staff, but only promoted those who flattered him.

The boss knew that Chuan worked very hard for the years, but in order to help Chuan realise the difference between him and Jing, the boss asked Chuan to do the following. Go and find out anyone selling water melon in the market Chuan returned and said yes. The boss asked how much per kg Chuan went back to the market to ask and returned to inform boss the $12 per kg.

Boss told Chuan, I will ask Jing the same question. Jing went, returned and said, boss, only one person selling water melon. $12 per kg, $100 for 10 kg, he has inventory of 340 melons. On the table 58 melons, every melon weighs about 15 kg, bought from the South two days ago, they are fresh and red, good quality.

Chuan was very impressed and realized the difference between himself and Jing. He decided not to resign but to learn from Jing.

My dear friends, a more successful person is more observant, thinks more and understands in depth. For the same matter, a more successful person sees several years ahead, while we see only tomorrow. The difference between a year and a day is 365 times.

Think! how far have you seen ahead in your life. How thoughtful in depth are you ?

Success Stories - THE IRON HORSE

An old couple made their way down the mountain to witness the “iron horse”. As they approached the railway station their hearts began to pound faster and faster since this was the first time they were going to witness a train – the iron horse. Both of them were amazed at the size of the iron horse. They looked at each other and “Ma” asked “Pa”, “What do you think?” “Pa” said, “It will never get moving”. Just then the whistle blew and the train started moving slowly and then gathering speed. After a while the train began to gain more speed and disappeared around the sharp corner. “Ma” asked “Pa” again, “What do you think?” “Pa” was still recovering from his shock, and he replied, “I don’t think that it will ever stop”.

Success Stories - THE FASTEST WOMAN ON EARTH

Wilma Rudolph was born into poverty in the state of Tennessee. When she was four years old she had double pneumonia with scarlet fever, which left her paralyzed with polio. She had to wear braces and the doctor said that she would not be able to walk normally again. Her
mother encouraged her and said that she could do anything she wanted if she only believed. Wilma said, “I want to be the fastest woman on this earth.” At the age of nine, against the advice of the doctors, she removed the braces and took her first step. At the age of thirteen, she took part in her first race and came way, way last. She entered various other races and came way, way last until one day, she came in first. At the age of fifteen she went to Tennessee State University where she met a coach. She told him that she wanted to become the fastest woman on the track, on this earth. The coach replied, “With your spirit nobody can stop you.” In the 1960 Olympics Wilma Rudolph, the paralytic girl, became the fastest woman on this earth by winning three gold medals - in the 100 meter race, 200 meter race, and 400 meter relay.

Success Stories - THE THREE VISITORS

A woman came home and saw three old men sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them but invited them to enter her house to have something to eat. They asked, “Is the man of the house, home?” She said, “No, he is out!” “Then we cannot come in,” they replied. When her husband returned, she told him what had happened, and he told her to invite them in. When she
invited them, they replied, “We cannot go into the house together.” One of the old man explained: “His name is Wealth,” he said, pointing to one of his friends, and pointing to the other one, “He is Success.” “I am Love.” “Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home.”

The couple had a discussion. The husband wanted to invite Wealth, in order to fill their home with wealth. The wife on the other hand wanted to invite Success. Their daughter heard the commotion, and came to join the discussion. She said that it would be better to invite Love so that their home will be filled with love. Finally the couple agreed to follow the daughter’s advice. The wife went out to invite Love as their guest. Love started walking into the house. The
other two men also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success, “I invited Love. Why are you two coming in?” The old men replied together, “If you had invited
Wealth or Success, the other two of us would have stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever he goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!”

Success Stories - TWENTY YEARS LATER

In 1953 Yale University did a research on its graduating seniors. The graduates interviewed were
asked if they had a clear, specific set of goals written down with a plan for achieving those goals.
Only 3 percent had their goals written down. Twenty years later, in 1973, these surviving graduates were tracked down and interviewed again. It was discovered that the 3 percent with specific written down goals were worth more financially as compared to the 97 percent put together. They were also more successful in other areas of their lives.

Success Stories - OVERNIGHT PACKAGES

Fred Smith attended Yale University business school. He wrote a project paper on overnight packages deliveries, and was given a C minus for it. The professors commented that nobody would want to send overnight packages when they have the service of the US Mail. This result did not deter Fred Smith and he later put all his money into his idea and started Federal Express. On the first day of operation Federal Express intended to deliver 167 packages. However, they only
delivered seven. Five of the packages were to themselves and only two were to outsiders. Did Fred
Smith quit? We know the answer because Federal Express is now a billion dollars corporation.

Success Stories - TWENTY YEARS COMMITMENT

Oliver Napoleon Hill was born to a poor family in 1883. He fought his way out of his backwoods Virginia town with a burning desire to be successful. He was always searching for ways to improve himself and was involved in numerous ventures, including managing a coal-mine,
practicing law, and becoming a business journalist. His big break came when he had the opportunity of meeting Andrew Carnegie, the “Steel King”. Andrew Carnegie asked Napoleon Hill if he would take up the challenge of devoting 20 years of his life in order to prepare a
formula of success for helping others to become successful. Andrew Carnegie would provide him with letters of reference to meet hundreds of successful people in the likes of Woodrow Wilson, Henry Ford,Thomas Edison, Theodore Roosevelt, John D. Rockefeller,to name a few. Napoleon Hill made his decision to take up the challenge in less than 60 seconds. Later he came to know that Andrew Carnegie had given him 60 seconds to make up his mind, failing which he would have lost his chance of undertaking the important assignment. After 20 years of dedicated research in 1937 he came out with his best seller, “Think And Grow Rich”, which has helped countless of people around the world to achieve success. One of his famous saying was, “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve”.

Success Stories - FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

She was born normal on 27th June 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. When she was 19 months old she had a severe fever and illness which left her blind and deaf. As a result she could not speak. Over the next five years she was a problem child, always in uncontrollable rage and violence. When she was seven years old her parents sought help for the young girl. Help came in the form
of Annie Mansfield Sullivan. With love, patience, and understanding given by Annie, the little girl gradually awaken her intellectual faculty and was “born again”. The stubborn, headstrong, self-willed, and almost unmanageable child became patient, gentle and obedient. She developed an eagerness to learn. At 16 years old she could speak well enough to enter college, and she
later graduated from Radcliffe College.

After her graduation Helen Keller dedicated her life to bringing messages of hope and courage to the handicapped people everywhere. Helen Keller’s books were translated into more than 50 languages. She lectured in over 25 countries and raised millions of dollars for the benefit of the blind.

Success Stories - HE BURNED HIS BOATS

A long time ago there was a great General who was faced with a situation which made it necessary for him to make a drastic decision to insure his success on the battlefield. He was about to send his army on shore to face a powerful enemy, whose men outnumbered his. He loaded his soldiers into boats, and sailed to face the enemies on shore. When they reached the shore, he ordered them to unload the soldiers and cargoes. He then ordered for all the ships and boats to be burned. Addressing his men before the battle, he said, “You see the ships and boats going up in smoke. That means that we cannot leave these shores alive unless we win! We now, have no choice – either we win, or we perish.” They WON!

Success Stories - HOW TO BOIL A BULLFROG?

Years ago some scientists did a simple experiment on a bullfrog. They threw a bullfrog into a container of boiling water, and the bullfrog instantly popped out of the boiling water. Next they put the bullfrog into a container of cold water. The bullfrog liked it and stayed in the container. The scientists then turned on the heat at the bottom of the container. As the water got warmer, the bullfrog relaxed and took a nap. The bullfrog was so comfortable that it stayed in the container and was “cooked”.

Success Stories - DREAM OF FLIGHT

In the late 1800s, a well-known bishop was travelling the United States, speaking to religious and academic leaders. At one of his stops, he was invited to have dinner with some prominent leaders. During the dinner he was asked, “What do you think the future holds for us?” After a moment’s pause, he replied, “The future is bleak, and in my opinion, we have discovered all there is to discover, created all there is to create, and invented all there is to invent.” One of the leaders commented, “I think someday, man shall learn to fly like the birds.” To this, the bishop replied, “You are mad, flight is only reserved for the angels.” With that statement he stormed out of the room. The good news was that the bishop’s last name was Wright! Years later, his two sons Orville and Wilbur, made the dream of flying real on the windswept salt marshes of Kitty Hawk.

Success Stories - WHO PUSHED ME?

There was a wealthy man who wanted to choose a husband for his only daughter. One day he invited the eligible young men from the whole town. During the occasion, when everyone was present he made an announcement, “Today, I am going to choose a husband for my daughter.
Anyone who can swim across this pool can have my daughter’s hand in marriage and inherit half of my wealth. The only challenge is that the pool is full of alligators.” With that announcement everyone present was silent. Suddenly, there was a loud splash, and in a matter of seconds a young man swam across the pool to the other side. Everybody cheered at the heroic feat of the young man. The wealthy man walked towards the young man and congratulated him. The young man said, “Sir, I am not interested in marrying your daughter. What I want to know is the name of the person who pushed me into the pool?”

Success Stories - CATCHING MONKEYS

The way to catch a monkey is to use a box with a small opening at the top- big enough for the monkey to slide its hand inside. Inside the box are nuts to lure the monkeys. The monkey will grab the nuts with its hand and forms a fist. When the monkey tries to get its hand out, the opening will be too small for the fist to come out. The monkey has a choice to either let go of the nuts in order to escape or to hang on to the nuts and get captured. It is sad that the monkey will hold on to the nuts and risks being caught.

Success Stories - THE MAN WHO WILLED HIMSELF TO DIE

There was a man who worked for the railroad. One day as he went into the freezer compartment to do his routine work, the door accidentally closed and he found himself trapped in the compartment. He shouted for help but no one heard him since it was past midnight. He tried to
break down the door but he could not. As he lay in the freezer compartment, he began to feel colder, and colder. Then he began to feel weaker, and weaker, and he wrote on the wall of the compartment, “I am feeling colder, and colder; and I am getting weaker, and weaker. I am dying, and this may be my last words”. In the morning when the other workers opened up the
compartment they found him dead. The sad twist to the above story is that the freezing apparatus in the compartment had broke down a few days earlier. The poor worker did not know about the damaged freezing apparatus and in his mind the freezing apparatus was working perfectly. He felt cold, got weaker and literally willed himself to die.

Success Stories - MY DOG CAN WALK ON WATER

There was a hunter who came into the possession of a special bird dog. The dog was the only one of its kind, because it can walk on water. One day he invited a friend to go hunting with him so that he could show off his prized possession. After some time, they shot a few ducks, which fell into the river. The man ordered his dog to run and fetch the birds. The dog ran on water to fetch the birds. The man was expecting a compliment about the amazing dog, but did not receive it. Being curious, he asked his friend if the friend had noticed anything unusual about the dog. The friend replied,
“Yes, I did see something unusual about your dog. Your dog can’t swim!”

Success Stories - THE SMART DRIVER

There was once a very famous motivational speaker. He had a driver who followed him to all his speaking engagements. The driver saw and heard the motivational speaker spoke so often that he knew word for word what the motivational speaker was going to say. He became an expert too. The driver told the motivational speaker that he could speak just as well. One day when the
motivational speaker was not feeling well, the driver asked for a chance to speak in his place. The motivational speaker agreed and the driver went on stage confidently and gave the best motivational speech of his life. The motivational speaker was shocked because the driver spoke and moved exactly like him. The driver got a standing ovation from the big audience at the end of his speech. After the speech, it was question time. One of the audiences asked a very difficult question. The driver knew that there was no way he could answer the question. He paused for a
moment and confidently told the audience that the question was too easy for him so he will ask his driver (the motivational speaker) to answer it instead.

Success Stories - NO FREE LUNCH

Once upon a time there was a king who wanted to compile the “wisdom of ages”. He commissioned his wise men together and asked them to carry out the urgent task immediately, and condensed it into a book. The wise men began their research and after one year they returned with a thick book on the “wisdom of ages”. The king was pleased, but requested them to condensed it further. The wise men later came back with one chapter, and yet the king insisted that it was too long. Finally, they condensed it into a sentence. When the king read it he was very pleased and said, “This is truly the wisdom of ages.” The sentence simply said, “There are no free lunch” – and there “aren’t”.

Success Stories - THE TRAP

There was a village that was attacked by wild boars. Everyday the wild boars would enter the village to rampage the whole village of their food. The villagers tried various means to fight and chase away the wild boars, but without much success.

One day a wise man approached the village headman to offer his advice. He told the villagers that they will have to follow all his advice and directions. Out of desperation, the villagers agreed. The wise man told the villagers to gather all the food from every household and put it in the middle of a big empty field. They followed his advice, and immediately they saw hundreds of wild boars approaching the vicinity where the food was placed. The wild boars were
apprehensive initially, but after a while they went for the food. Once the wild boars had a taste of the food they came back for the free food everyday. And everyday the villagers would put more food in the field and the wild boars would come to have their free meals. After a while, the wise man asked the villagers to erect four poles at the four-corners of the field.

The wild boars were too busy having their food that they did not take notice of what was happening. After a few weeks, the wild boars developed the habit of having free food. The wise man then asked the villagers to put fencing around the field, with a large gate through which the wild boars can enter to have their food. Finally once the fencing and the gate were completed
the villagers closed the gate and all the wild boars were trapped inside the field. The wild boars were finally defeated!

Success Stories - TWO HORSE POWER

There was once an old Indian who was poverty stricken. But one day, he strike it big when oil was discovered on his land. He became wealthy overnight and decided to reward himself by buying a Cadillac touring car. In those days, the Cadillac touring cars had two spare tires on the back. The old Indian wanted to be different and so he placed four spare tires at the back of his car. He bought himself a beautiful suit and hat. Everyday, with a cigar in his mouth he would drive into the hot, dusty, little Oklahoma cowboy town nearby. He wanted to show off his new car. He waved and spoke to everyone that he passed by, on the right and on the left. He sometimes turned all the way around to speak to the folks. The strange thing is that he never ran into anybody or over anybody. He never did hit anybody or anything. Guess why? Directly in front of that big beautiful car, there were two horses – pulling it!

Success Stories - THE JUNK DEALER

There was once a junk dealer who made his living by picking up things other people had thrown away. He lived in a run down house on his own. Everyday he would go out early in the morning and return late at night. He had no relations or friends, as he was a loner. One day he fell sick and never recovered. He passed away and since he had no close relatives, the police entered his house to investigate. They found the whole house littered with old furnishings and assorted items from
his past. However, to their surprise, the police discovered more than $100,000 in old bills packed in small boxes throughout the house.