Friday, April 27, 2012

Axiom 21: Confidence is King


There are two types of people - those who come into a room and say, 'Well, here I am!' and those who come in and say, 'Ah, there you are.'" -Frederick L. Collins
"He who has confidence in himself will gain the confidence of others." -Leib Lazarow

A Tale of Two Job Seekers
Let's suppose at work you are assigned the task of hiring a new employee. You narrow the applications down to two candidates: Bob and John. You call them both to come in for an interview. On paper it looks like John is the better choice. He went to a more prestigious school, has a higher GPA, and has more relevant work experience than Bob.

Bob comes in first for the interview. He is dressed in a nice, clean, pressed business suit. He has a firm handshake. During the interview he maintains strong eye-contact. He answers all the questions without hesitation and without stuttering or saying, "uh". He looks completely relaxed, smiles often, and makes a few light-hearted jokes to ease any tension. Bob knows his qualifications on paper are not as good as they could be so he makes sure to talk about all of the other ways he could add value to the company if he was hired.

Bob leaves and John comes in for his interview. He is dressed in business casual attire. His handshake isn't limp, but it's not exactly firm either. He avoids eye-contact for very long. He hesitates when asked a question before responding. The tone in his voice makes it seem as if he is unsure about what he is talking about. He appears nervous, sweaty, and extremely tense. John knows his résumé is great and it speaks for itself so instead of talking about his accomplishments he asks about employee perks and benefits.

Needless to say confidence will most likely win the day and Bob will get the job, even though on paper he is was not the best man for the job.



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This is just one exaggerated scenario to demonstrate how important confidence is. Confidence plays a role in almost all of our social endeavors. Confidence comes natural to some people, while others have to consciously think about it and practice it daily. If you were unaware of the importance of confidence until now take this chance to start making a change. We will go into some confidence building resources in the axioms to come.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Happy 1st Anniversary!


The Axioms of Success started one year ago today and is still going strong. I've had a great time sharing my thoughts and stories from years past. This website has been a great release for me and has inspired me to become a better person and try new things.

With 20 axioms now posted you may be curious as to what's coming next. I have notes written for at least 30 more axioms. Future topics include: A Simple Guide to Time Management, Change Your Handwriting-Change Your Life, A Modern Revision to Franklin's Chart of Virtues, A Guide to Sane Finances in an Insane World, and much more. 

Besides more axioms I've also got some new food experiences to post about including a review of Texas' best BBQ places. So check back often or subscribe via email to get updates as soon as they get posted. Thanks for your support and if you have any suggestions please email me @ shawngregory@gmail.com.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Axiom 20: A Gentleman's Agreement


"A competitor will find a way to win. Competitors take bad breaks and use them to drive themselves just that much harder. Quitters take bad breaks and use them as reasons to give up. It's all a matter of pride.-Nancy Lopez

"Anytime you find someone more successful than you are, especially when you're both engaged in the same business - you know they're doing something that you aren't.
-Malcolm X

Hanging on the wall in my office is a signed contract simply titled, "Gentleman's Agreement". It is a friendly bet that me and my longtime college friend James signed back in 2005. Ever since we have known each other I've used James as a barometer for measuring my own success. We both graduated at the same time with the same college degree and possess similar skill sets. We both have similar work habits, interests in human nature, and resources available to us. Therefore at the time we both signed this "Gentleman's Agreement" it seemed natural to enter into a friendly competitive wager.

The bet was to see who could have a net worth of $1 million first. If neither one of us can get to $1 million the bet ends on June 2nd, 2020 and the person with the larger net worth wins. The prize? A $2000 bottle of Louis XIII cognac to be presented at the Imagine Monument in New York City's Central Park.

Today's date marks 7 years (and the halfway point) since we signed this bet. To my knowledge we are still evenly matched. Its hard to say who will win. Regardless of who wins the money is not the most important thing in this scenario. It is about friendly competition, goal setting, new experiences, learning accountability, striving to be successful, and using friends to build you up (not break you down).

The one thing you can take away from this is to begin writing down your goals. Its harder to cop out on yourself when you see what you want to accomplish written in front of you everyday. I'll go further into this topic in an upcoming axiom about time management. It is also important to use your network of friends to bounce ideas off of and use friendly competition when necessary.

Strive to become better. Hold yourself accountable by writing down your goals and sharing them with friends. The payoff is often much better than just money alone.