If someone is successful, she is often asked "How'd you do it? Did you take classes? Get a certificate? Degree?" And when you tell them "No, I self-appointed myself" or did it on your own, most can't believe you were able to do so without getting certificated or validated by some "official" or "expert."
The questioning should then follow "Well, who made a particular person, group, or system of beliefs the only option?" Such as in the case of degree accreditation which supposedly ensures an institution's educational quality, accountability, and public confidence in said institution. Unfortunately, there are 6 private regional accreditors (academically oriented, non-profit) and 52 private National accreditors that are not beholden to any government agency and produce thousands of "graduates" that are still poorly educated and little prepared for the harsh realities of not only the work world but the challenges of life to come.
"It is a known fact that the graduates of many "accredited" universities in the USA are semi-literate students who have studied irrelevant out-dated curriculum. There is awareness by employers and the public of the failure of many accredited universities to live up to their promise" (informed mind dot com).
Here's another example to support the point I'm making.
In the September 2009 Bill Glazer & Dan Kennedy NO B.S. Marketing Letter , a question is asked by a dentist "How did a bartender become a dental consultant?" Dan Kennedy's response is "The way a former bartender becomes a dental marketing and business consultant is the same way a high school grad with zero experience becomes owner of an ad agency and goes on to become the highest paid direct-response copywriter in America, as well as a consultant to all kinds of businesses including dental practices and, at one time, a consultant to thousands of chiropractors without ever having been a chiropractor, or a consultant to Fortune 500 companies without ever having been a CEO."
Personally, I am self-taught and have taught myself to write, play guitar, do standup comedy, teach at the college level, and build products and services for my business venture all with little to no outside help. I've read and researched a lot and got a lot of advice and inspiration from those better than me in the various endeavors I've taken on, but no degree or certification gave me anything close to what I needed to be successful in any of the above.
There are a lot of misnomers about success and popular thought.
There are often perceived popular notions about how certain sectors of society get along-entertainment, business, academia, and so on-that are not accurate. For instance, in business most not involved think that one must wear a suit, be a type "A" personality, conservative, and formal. Yet there are many successful people in business who who are not what many would perceive to be of the "norm."
For example, I went to a publishing seminar and listened to one of the most successful publishers who happens to be one of the laziest people I've ever met. He doesn't get up before 10:00 a.m. "Ever," as he says, and likes to spend the majority of his time, "Just hanging around."
A couple more examples consist of an Internet Marketer by the name of Frank Kern who likes to wear a Viking helmet and cuss up a storm at seminars. The second is Dan Kennedy who gives "no holds barred" advise, such as he gave to the dentist in the story above who asked the question "How did a bartender become a dental consultant." Kennedy scolded the dentist by stating "Don't be a snob. At least bartenders have personalities," but goes on to give advice and insight that has made him tops in his field of information marketing second to none.
Inaccurate, lazy, sloppy thinking has killed off more careers than any gift or talent can make up for, regardless of how that knowledge was dispensed-even if it was with a large, lumpy grain of salt.
Another factor that kills is the closing of the mind.
If one does not remain open to possibilities and allows the negatives of the world to infect, that person will be fighting the negative influence so much so often that there will be no time for the good or positive he or she needs to become infected with to not only succeed but to be happy and content in life.
I once encountered a woman on a social media site who had stored up considerable negativity and was simply looking for a place to unload. I made a statement that was in no way inflammatory, but she took it the wrong way (her way) and found me at fault. I quickly apologized in an attempt to unruffled her feathers, but to no avail. She ended up deleting me from her communication stream and that was that.
But something she mentioned made me think.
She told me at one point that "You're full of yourself." Let me use this as a phrase to support another aspect of failed or faulty thinking.
After hearing this, most would get upset. I did slightly, but did not let it linger, a learned response. Instead I thought, "Well, aren't most full of themselves'?" And in itself, that's not a bad thing. Keep in mind that it's not necessarily a cold world; it's just that people are feeling the heat to survive and your survival happens to be a distant second to theirs.
To support, consider that when a person gets cut off in traffic the normal response is "Jerk" "Idiot" or some other despairing remark. We are offended. Most rarely think, "Well, he's having a bad day"--loss of loved one, a job, divorce, dozens of possibilities. But even if the person is just a "Jerk," what of it? If we get upset at him, it does us no good, for anger is a passion that feeds on itself only worsening in the process. And we are not able to control those around us, so what is the point?
I speak from personal experience as one who's had to overcome anger, one who used to push people over with my car to jump out and confront the driver. I have learned, once again, how to overcome poor thinking or emotion based response behavior.
We all need to be more aware and realistic of that which goes on around us.
If I was to think being "full of myself" as bad and only took in the criticism at an emotional response level, I would soon be doing so for all slights coming my way, holding onto them never to advance.
Besides, I am "full of myself" and glad for it. I used to be full of others' opinions, poor thinking, criticism, and such only to end up depressed, suicidal, angry, and unable to do little for myself or live in any considerable positive light. I spent decades believing I was nothing as the darkness enveloped my life. Now that I am "full of myself" (understanding based on constructive, progressive, active thinking), I am the happier for it. And because of this able to be of great benefit to my family, friends, and potentially to the thousands or more I will someday encounter.
Here's to ignoring the loud and oft wrong majority to discovering the joy of the unexpected and un-ordinary. And here's to the woman at the seminar who said that making lots of money for little work (working smart not hard) is not "normal," I say bring it on sister, bring it on.
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