Editor
I’ve always been big on quotes, whether they’re mine or someone else’s, because very often they distil ideas down to their essence. What Ben Franklin said many years ago could have been said today because it’s relevant and right on. We all have heard about doing our ‘due diligence,’ which is another way of being thorough.
It’s also the first step to bringing yourself some good luck. What Gary Player, the great golfer, said is quoted as the headline of this letter and remains solid nutshell advice that can apply to everyone. You can apply that to your own life, career and business as well. Look into the future a bit. Take the time to move yourself forward. If the indications are there, put in the extra effort to make something good even better or bigger or both.
That’s thinking big and I’m no stranger to that concept and you shouldn’t be either. The past few years of my life have been busier than they’ve ever been. Everything has escalated and it’s been demanding – but exciting. But I’ve also been preparing for it for a long time. I’m used to working hard and therefore I’m used to expecting results. Some people call it luck but like Ben Franklin said, diligence has something to do with it too.
For example if you’ve been working toward something for five years, I’d say you have a goal in mind, you’ve probably focused on that goal. Hopefully you’ve been diligent in pursuing it. If your work pays off, which is most likely, people might say you’re just lucky. Maybe so, because you’re lucky enough to have the brains to work hard! When I’m writing a letter, I will spend up to seven or eight weeks putting together notes, collecting articles, dictating stories and ideas before I even begin to actually put it all together. It’s a long process and it requires patience and perseverance to see it through.
I will admit that sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it because it is not an easy endeavour. But when the letter is done, it’s a great feeling. Recently while working on one of my letters, I spent some time thinking about the ‘entitlement mentality’ that seems to have affected this country. I think we can take it back a few decades to the emergence of what was called ‘instant gratification’ as personified by superstars and rock stars who emerged and made tremendous amounts of money, which impressed young people. Suddenly everyone thought they should have what those very few people had or that those people were ‘overnight’ stars and it should happen that way to them too.
In reality, it happens to very few people and rarely does it happen ‘overnight’ to anybody. Not everything works out as we might hope it will and certain fields require a bigger dose of luck to succeed than others, but a very good way to pave your own way to success is simply to work hard, to be diligent and to look at what you have going for you versus what you don’t – the old cup half full versus half empty test.
Part of doing your due diligence is to know what you want for you – which in many cases turns out to be not much! Take the time to move yourself forward. In other words, think; work – and be lucky because the harder you work, the luckier you get.
Surprise Elvin Basson
Weenen
