Succeed through Making a Contribution

Posted at August 26, 2009

Get Ahead Series

I had a friend in high school, let us call him Alexander. He wrote on the toilet wall “Alexander was here 1994-1997”. The next day they painted the school toilets. They wiped out his contribution.

How relevant are you? What do you do that has enduring value? Bill gates can say his dream of having a personal computer in every home and every office has largely been realized (in the developed world at least). What are you going to be remembered for? Your legacy is directly proportional to your contribution.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children…to leave the world a better place…to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

We are talking about getting ahead in this series of articles. What better way of getting ahead in life than making the lives of others better? The universe provides abundantly to those with an abundant mindset. The universe keeps away its goodies from those with a scarcity mindset. Thinking you cannot succeed by improving the lives of others is a self limiting belief.

Do not wait until you get rich for you to make a contribution. Make giving part of getting rich. Give until it hurts. Giving will open floodgates of blessings. Align your goals, actions and habits with making a contribution to others. I try my best on this blog to make a contribution in my readers’ lives. I want my success to be intricately tied to your success.

Succeeding by building others up is the most sustainable way of succeeding. If I work really hard to write great articles that will change your life, you are most likely going to keep coming back for more and maybe invite your friends to this site. It is the same in business and other areas of life. If you build other people up, they will be happy with you and spread the word on your behalf saving you big bucks in advertising costs.

Teachers Contribution

Teachers are some of the most under-appreciated contributors in society. I will dedicate some space for all the teachers today. I love teachers; maybe it has something to do with my dad having been a teacher and the fact that my sister is a teacher. I previously shared this video on the blog post about succeeding through building others up.

Video Transcript

By Taylor Mali
www.taylormali.com

He says the problem with teachers is, “What’s a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?”
He reminds the other dinner guests that it’s true what they say about
teachers:
Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.

I decide to bite my tongue instead of his
and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests
that it’s also true what they say about lawyers.

Because we’re eating, after all, and this is polite company.

“I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor,” he says.
“Be honest. What do you make?”

And I wish he hadn’t done that
(asked me to be honest)
because, you see, I have a policy
about honesty and ass-kicking:
if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won’t I let you get a drink of water?
Because you’re not thirsty, you’re bored, that’s why.

I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
I hope I haven’t called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, “Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don’t you?”
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.

I make parents see their children for who they are
and what they can be.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely
beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell
either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you got this (brains)
then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you make, you give them this (the finger).

Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a goddamn difference! What about you?

In other words…

No matter what you do in life, whether you are a teacher or a lawyer, a cleaner or a business man, you can succeed by making a contribution. Find what others need and give them exceptional value. Always ask yourself, “what can I do to build this person or people up?.

Take stock of your life; are you making a contribution to others? Is the achievement of your goals going to be humanity’s nightmare? Be on the look out for ways you can make a contribution to the lives of others. Ask not, what others can do for you, but what you can do for others.

In Summary

There is no better way of getting ahead in life than aligning your success with that of others. You will not only enjoy your success journey, but you will sleep soundly at night after you make it.

If you like this blog post, please be kind enough to share it with your friends. Make a contribution to their lives by sharing this blog post (or am I pushing it? Haha!)

Series NavigationHow to Get Ahead in Life»

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