Chapter 79 Street-Smartness.
Now that you have learned from failure and lifes bruises and blessings, you are turning into street-smart people, with flair and wisdom that have grown and matured from tough experience. You have come out of your cocoons and joined the veteran "fighters in the streets. Here, I will add my dozens of years of training to top up your intelligence and ingenuity:
First, identify all your assets and resources, including those of other people that can supplement yours; use them and go further and leverage them for maximum returns. Human resources are the most important capital. Invest in them, cultivate and empower them, and share credits and accomplishments with them. Show patience, understanding and graciousness at all times. Never slam a door, you might want to return!
Stay on the grapevine and keep everyone in your large network on tap. Extra contacts provide more opportunities and leverage. If you do not utilise the connections in business, you should not be in business! Besides, clients, associates and friends who enjoy your company can double your joy and achievements. Remember names, and get to know people better. Kindness and courtesy are powerful and persuasive and they enhance the pleasantness and security on your route to success.
Strive for win-win arrangements instead of greedy gains from others. Remember, everyone has his tough life to live and no one owes you a living. Bear in mind that every interaction or transaction is unique, so always proceed with an open, creative and adaptive mind, without any bias, cynicism or presumption. Modesty and humility go a long way in winning goodwill, as well as extra knowledge and information, which may be beneficial or strategic for you. Learn to ask the right questions. The more people open up and talk, the more they reveal their needs and weaknesses, so do less speaking but more listening, digesting and thinking. Another issue is trustworthiness and confidentiality, they are diamonds in human relationship. If you dont keep confidence and promises, and you betray peoples trust, you are heading for the dogs or down the drain; so be a person of your word.
On the other hand, be a person of the world. Society is full of trickery and deceit. Caution and discretion pay. It is easier to stay out of troubles and scandals than to wriggle out of them later. If you smell hocus-pocus or a red herring, investigate or at least ask: Where is it written? Can you put it in writing? Is there a guarantee or warranty in this deal? This is important when you are dealing with crafty businessmen, or even lawyers and bankers who may have the other partys interests at heart. Do not assume their so-called expertise and professionalism will protect you; they may write like an angel but pull wool over your eyes. Often, people can play on your uncertainty and fear; they can entice with a carrot to exploit your greed and needs.
Never overlook the importance and value of money. You can lose much money by carelessly dealing with certain type of employees, associates, sales people, suppliers, and even with certain customers! Be careful. A fool and his money are soon parted. (The fool is unlikely to have the money in the first place!) When a trusting man with money meets a crook with experience, the crook will end up with the money and the trusting man with the experience! Nonetheless, you have to take calculated risks, as Napoleon wrote, "The art of being audacious and very careful at the same time is the art of success.
Trust your hope, and ignore your fears. Build courage in commerce. The competitive world is likely to confront you like a battlefield. In better times it is still a game of chess, so be canny and cunning. Never take your competitors for granted. They may have better strategies and weapons. Get into their shoes and try to read them like a book, then you can better match or outmatch them.
Everything is good for something. All knowledge and information are useful and applicable at one time or another, combine and operate them in a powerful synergy. Keep abreast of the latest news, breakthroughs, technologies, inventions, novelties and market trends. Maintain coherent, harmonious and smooth-flowing thoughts, instead of haphazard, interruptive thinking. They enhance rapport, empathy, positive ideas and solutions, rather than competition and criticism. Furthermore, good direction, focus and balance will minimise distractions and aimlessness. Sharpen your saw regularly, physically, mentally and spiritually. Get organised, so you can think, plan and work efficiently. You can then set priorities, followed by good decisions and fruitful actions. Accept your circumstances and view your obstacles in the right perspective, then iron out the problems.
Avoid the ancient but timeless 7 deadly sins: 1. Anger. It drains and destroys you. 2. Envy. Avoid it. Are you so useless that you cant match others and keep up with the Joneses? Is the contest really necessary? 3. Conceit. Be humble, "Pride goes before a fall, as the proverb says. 4. Covetousness. This brings greed, discontent and unhappiness. 5. Gluttony. It is the road to waste, obesity, bad health, uncompetitiveness and probably, failure. 6. Laziness. The outcomes are obvious, or rather, unobvious and empty! 7. Lust. Many have given in to temptation and suffered the consequence. Self-discipline pays.
Stay realistic about your failures and successes, your strengths and weaknesses, and neither make-believe nor brag about them. If you show others how smart you are, you arent anymore! Keep some trump-cards to yourself. Meanwhile, have clear convictions, values and perception of your identity and worth; these reinforce both your character and street-smartness.
Measure your value by how much you get done not how hard you work! You may be very busy, yet ineffective and fruitless. As far as possible, enjoy what you are doing, especially your job. Do more than you have to, and seize opportunities to help your subordinates, superiors and mentors. Sometimes they will turn out to be your greatest benefactors, bringing promotion and prosperity.
Direct your energies to what you desire. Persevere and follow through to your goals and dreams. Life is like a battle ground. If you fight with unwavering courage, power, intelligence and skills, life will lay down its arms sooner or later, and will bestow you fame and fortune. Accept the challenge, and demand excellence of yourself and others from the start, right through to the colourful and triumphant finale.
"The knowledge of the world is only to be acquired in the world, and not in a closet." - Lord Chesterfield.
"When a thing is not worth over-doing, leave it alone!" - H. S. Haskins.