Well, you made it … you know to the back page, “Mobile Motivations.” It’s good to have you here!
Now you may have read the whole magazine starting on page one and finished here, or it’s possible you skipped around glancing at whatever piqued your interest before arriving here. (It really doesn’t matter what method you used, because you made it here either way.) The important piece is that you set time aside to learn more about your business, whether by reading articles of sales advice and tips or perusing the “most wanted” tools and equipment focus pages.
Where are you right now? Lunch break? Your favorite chair in the living room? At your desk in the office after finishing paperwork? I ask this only to create a pause for you to realize what you are doing at this moment … hold your answers until the end. You’ve decided to set a few moments aside because of your perceived value vs. your available time. What do you seek when you open this magazine, or any magazine?
OUTSIDE INFLUENCES
No matter what walk of life we start from, we’ve all been influenced by people and events around us. The influences are too numerous to count, but include parents and family, teachers, friends, and even books, TV, radio and more. And as we get older, it seems that outside forces have less influence (as our minds “close.”) The funny thing is that every day we are subjected to so much input, we may lose the ability to recognize how much of an influence some things are over what we do.
Those little influences float across our conscious and may never be seen. Perhaps your mood lightened one day when an oncoming car stopped and waved to you to cross traffic because they saw you waiting so long. A slightly altered sales pitch based on another distributor’s opinion received in casual conversation. It could be as simple as reading through a magazine (like this one).
Influences are not prejudicial; they come in all flavors, good and bad. Ultimately we do have a say in what influences our decision-making and ultimately create who we are — but they are “apprehended only with difficulty.” Our lives are busy; add to the mix a family and a business and then time becomes the most sought-after commodity. But you have to take time out once in awhile to assess where you are and why.
CHANGE YOUR LUCK
Often it is the company we keep that lends the strongest influence. As “luck favors those prepared,” I believe we set ourselves up for the events that lay ahead. If we consistently surround ourselves with positive, like-minded people, it is easier to be positive and upbeat (and becoming a positive influence in the process).
Success comes at different levels and different times for all of us. Is that success our own doing or are there outside influences that played their part? You guessed it, both. It took from day one to create who we have become, and every day things happen that will alter our makeup to some degree if we chose to accept that influence.
I am not trying to make anyone paranoid about outside influences, only to shine a light on their presence and power. My success as a son, husband, father, friend and businessman is not solely my own — I have been influenced from many avenues, including by my best friend (my wife, Donna), my children, other family and friends and even strangers that I will never see again. Each day I weed through the next batch, making decisions on what to keep and what to throw away.
If you’re ever feeling like maybe the world is against you and nothing is going right, take a moment and question how you arrived at that point. You most likely will realize that some influences you let in should have been ignored. Reading this magazine tells me that things are not that bad, since you are seeking a positive influence on your business.
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving with your family and friends!
Joe Poulin is a mobile tool distributor based in Gray, Maine, for Mac Tools. Send any comments or feedback you have for Joe by e-mail to [email protected].
