Right now, millions of hopeful students are celebrating the receipt of acceptance letters from colleges and universities. But with school’s like Harvard accepting only about 2,030 applicants out of 29,000* you can bet there is also a lot of crushing news in the mail.
In “Before They Were Titans, Moguls and Newsmakers, These People Were…Rejected,” Shallenbarger reports on example after example of famously successful individuals—Warren Buffett to Meredith Vieira—who were flat out rejected by their first choice of higher education. The lesson learned, in most of the examples is, that our unrealistic expectations for what we think we have to attain often create an illusion of defeat when we don’t get what we desire.
Certainly, even illusions of defeat can create rubble in our lives. In these cases, much of the “digging” is a really a matter of asking how real the perceived obstacles really are.
In the cases that Shallenbarger describes, Buffett, Vieira, Tom Brokaw and others became phenomenally successful by finding a “plan B.”
Is an Ivy League degree the real goal? Or is it to be the best in your field? Or is it to be happy in your work? Sometimes if we reframe the situation against real goals that we can control, the rubble simply disappears.
My speaking engagement at the Tucson Festival of Books is presented by the Arizona Daily Star. The newspaper is staging two days of keynote speeches by some very notable writers and thought leaders.
Their Saturday, March 13 session, in which I will speak, is built around the theme of dealing with tough times.
From the Star…
If you want to help yourself but aren’t quite sure how, let the Star‘s lineup of inspirational authors, dubbed “Help for Tough Times,” show you the way.
“We have assembled the most inspiring authors we know to provide an unprecedented day of life-changing learning and discussion,” Star Publisher and Editor John M. Humenik said. “We know people are struggling at the workplace and at home due to terrible economic conditions. Our authors have answers to questions many of us don’t even know to ask.”
The list of speakers reads like an all-star shelf of self-help books come to life. [Full story here.]
Kudos to the Star for a thoughtful community service!
I’m honored to be invited to speak at the Tucson Festival of Books at The University of Arizona, Saturday, March 13. The weekend event (March 13-14) is a celebration of literacy where authors gather to share their work and meet their readers. The festival will include author panel discussions, workshops for attendees, events for children, food and fun. There’s an impressive roster of speakers this year including Alice Hoffman and Daniel J. Balz.
The Arizona Star is sponsoring me at the event. They have asked me to talk about The Ring in the Rubble at the festival and have also invited me for a luncheon address for an employee group at the paper.
What a great way to celebrate literature! Proceeds from the festival promote literacy in Southern Arizona through the Tucson Festival of Books Foundation that donates money to the Literacy for Life Coalition. Last year, the festival raised $200,000 toward this cause and made huge strides toward 100 percent literacy in the local community. If you are in Tucson during the festival, please join me!
Here’s a short clip we produced to help “reset” our perspectives in a way that makes us receptive to positive change that is based on the principles discussed in The Ring in the Rubble. Let us know what you think.
On January 15, I was privileged to talk about Dr. Spencer Johnson’s Peaks and Valleys a second time on New York’s WCBS with Pat Farnack. In Spencer’s book, he discusses how you can get out of your valleys and up to your next peak. One way to make this transition happen is to do those small little things to help other people out throughout your daily life. Our discussion includes the great example of ModestNeeds.org, a Web-based organization for people to express financial needs and for others to grant those financial wishes, that I wrote about below. WCBS has the interview available as a podcast, here on their website.
Currently, I do 25 to 30 keynote speeches per year. Needless to say, this puts me on the road a lot, away from my family. I love the work and am thankful for it. In addition, it’s nice to get a little recognition every now and then.
So, I’m happy to share with you that I’ve been named a “Top5 Speaker” by Speakers Platform, one of the most prominent speakers bureaus in the United States. It’s great to hit a peak, as Spencer Johnson might say.
I’m grateful to the more than 13,000 business leaders, educators, association members and others who cast votes for Top5 Speaker and to Speakers Platform for nominating me. And I’m grateful for my wife Dr. Peggy Bradt, who is an inspiration to me always. Thanks to all of my colleagues, friends and family who have supported me over the years. I appreciate you all.
Late last year, I was pleased to bring the Peaks and Valleys message to the radio audience on a number of stations’ programs. Eastern Michigan Public Radio makes the following podcast available of my discussion with WEMU-FM host Lynn Rivers.
The “Peaks and Valleys” keynote speech strikes a chord with everyone effected—and who isn’t?—by the financial crisis. Listen here.
In my keynote speeches for The Ring in the Rubble and Dr. Spencer Johnson’s Peaks and Valleys, there is a common thread in the value of giving. In Spencer’s work, he writes about “getting outside your self.” It’s a principle that creates a cycle of good works, help for those in need and fulfillment for the giver. You can sometimes get out of your valley by helping someone else get out of their valley.
You don’t have to be Bill and Melinda Gates to do it. Random acts of kindness are very affordable: a small task, a job lead, or modest financial support…in tens and twenties.
ModestNeeds.org receives millions of dollars in relatively small contributions from average folks who can select specific requests posted on the non-profit organization’s Web site. A person in need might post a request for a house-saving mortgage payment or, in the case of cancer and diabetes patient Gary Ribble, a pair of glasses.
ModestNeeds.org is a peak-climbing, ring-finding resource that is the result of a give-back from its grateful founder. Dr. Keith Taylor tells CNN.com that when his former employer paid his rent for a month during a rough patch, it left such an impression that he vowed to do the same when he was a financial success.
What’s really wonderful about the ModestNeeds.org story is that it started so humbly. But when people learned they could change-or save-a life for whatever they could afford to give (the organization’s maximum gift is capped at $1,000), the Internet-based charity was swamped with gifts of less than $100 and is now widely covered in the national media.
ModestNeeds.org also reports that an overwhelming number of its gift recipients, themselves, later become donors.
“The greatest joys in life don’t come in finding Rings…they come from helping other find theirs.”-The Ring in the Rubble
Speakers Platform has nominated your faithful correspondent as a Top5 Speaker in change management. I’m honored to be included!
From Speakers Platform: Each year, Speakers Platform recognizes five speakers within fifteen popular topic areas. Excellence in speaking is based on: expertise, professionalism, innovation within the topic area, client testimonials & references, presentation skills, original contribution to the field and votes (60% weight).
Anyone can vote for their favorite speaker can (including you) here.
I’m honored to be invited to speak at the 
Hear my discussion with WCBS radio personality Pat Farnack on Peaks and Valleys principles.