Striving for Excellence in Business and Life
Inspiration, Wisdom and Business Advice
In the depth of my computer, a Honors Convocation speech I delivered to SUNY Oswego students two years ago arose. Its “wisdom” enlightened my day. It’s funny that sometimes we can inspire ourselves when we least expect it. I decided to share a portion of the speech as my “Wednesday Wisdom” blog post hoping the inspiration will be exactly what you need today.
I couldn’t have predicted my career path back in 1986 when I graduated from Oswego but by pursing excellence and being dedicated to a personal and passionate mission statement it would lead me to you today 30 years later. My words of wisdom begin with suggesting you strive for excellence and allow the strong traits you possess, the dedication you display and the academic excellence you pursue to move forward in career or life decisions 5, 10, or 30 years from now. In order to succeed, I suggest you:
Be a Leader – Raise your hand. Keep raising it. Raise it as often as you can. Say yes to challenging opportunities. Say yes to leadership roles. Become a leader early in your professional career and in your community. By stepping up – you step out – into unlimited connections, possibilities and opportunities that open doors.
Continue to Learn – Education is the key to success in one’s professional career. Learn more by obtaining your masters or doctorate in your chosen field, securing certification in your profession that makes you more valuable to your employer, and learning from others. I couldn’t be the success I am today without constantly learning.
Give Back – It is the most important thing you can do – not only for others – but for yourself is to give back. My favorite quote on my desk reads, “What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.” I live by that. I want my life to count for something when it’s over. There is too much to do in this world, too many people to help, too many causes to be a part of – to NOT do something!
Today be reminded that personal happiness comes from helping others so I encourage you to think about what interests you, what stirs your heat, what injustice or cause resonates with you and then dedicate your time and leadership skills. We each have a unique calling in life – it’s up to us to hear it and do something about it.
Women TIES 