It was Friday. I was about 10 minutes late arriving at work. Before I could put my lunch in the refrigerator, Wally & Fred called me into Wally’s office.
Something did not feel right.
“Perry, we’re going to have to let you go. Things just aren’t working out and it’s time to turn you loose.”
We’d had the pleading conversation about giving me one more chance 2-3 times already. That discussion just wasn’t gonna happen again.
2 years before when they’d hired me, Wally said, “Perry is a sales guy just waiting to happen.” Now Perry was *still* a sales guy ‘just waiting to happen’ and they were tired of waiting.
I drove the long commute back home. When I walked in the back door at 9:30 in the morning, it only took Laura about one second to figure out what happened. (It was about the 5th or 6th job I’d been fired from, and she was starting to get accustomed to this.)
Firing me was the l-a-s-t thing Wally and Fred wanted to do. Other than the long string of failed sales contracts, we all liked each other just fine. They all had families; terminating a young guy with an 18 month old baby girl who’d been born just after he started wasn’t exactly their idea of a fun team-building exercise.
But it didn’t really matter how much “I love you / you love me / we’re a happy family” we all had together, business is business and sales is sales. If you can’t bring home the bacon, you don’t get breakfast.
In moments like that, you make decisions, vows, inner resolutions.
I made a decision to prove to those guys that Wally had been right at the very beginning and I really *was* a sales guy waiting to happen. “Someday…. I’ll show those guys…..” I swore under my breath.
Part of me was tempted to want ‘revenge’ but I held that emotion in check. They were just doing what they had to do after all.
But even more than that, I made a decision that somehow or another I was going to find *something* that worked. Everything I’d tried to sell for the previous 7 years had failed.
It’s a horrible feeling when you’re X years old [however old that happens to be] and hardly anything you’ve ever done has been successful.
That was 12 years ago.
Well guess what happened the other day? Fred called me out of the blue.
He asked me if I could help him with his company’s marketing. I hadn’t seen him since the day I got fired. Shortly after we parted, he started a new firm.
Last week we had lunch on the patio of an Italian restaurant.
This time, he drove the long commute from the Northwest Suburbs to come see me.
He brought his operations manager. I was telling the guy how my time with Fred was just one of those seasons of life where nothing was working. Fred chimes in: “Well it wasn’t from lack of effort. Perry tried EVERYTHING.”
I nod. Yep that’s right, I tried just about everything.
Fred asks me, “Any regrets?”
I shake my head vigorously. “No regrets. Not one. Things happen for a reason and there are just certain things you have to learn. Sometimes the lessons are hard. That job didn’t work out but it prepared me superbly for the next job, which worked splendidly.”
As we’re talking I think back and am truly thankful for all the tools I put on my tool belt during that horribly painful time. Not a week goes by that I don’t draw from something I learned during those 2 years.
And I’m reminded how powerful it is to have an attitude of gratitude even when, in the moment, it doesn’t really feel like you have anything to be thankful for at all.
I can promise you, it didn’t *feel* like I had much to be thankful for then. But that just wasn’t true. There wasn’t much fat to go around, but I was building LOTS of muscle.
And you know what…. it’s been the same story in *every* department of my life. All the various times of relationship conflicts, problems with kids, therapy sessions, financial struggles, evil bosses, botched deals, deadbeat co-workers… all were seasons of building muscles, building muscles, building muscles.
During that time years ago I was desperate and I did LOTS of soul searching. Fred asked me what finally made my career start to click.
I said, “I was an ‘OK’ salesman back then and I was getting killed by the ‘good’ salesmen. But when I went from selling something where techie skills were *helpful* to selling something where techie skills were *mandatory*, everything started to take off.”
That made complete sense to him. The geek department is my #1 strength and everything I’ve done since then has taken full advantage of my geek background.
In hindsight, all the tweaking and wrangling in the world wouldn’t have made that job work well. Yes there are a lot of things we could have done better, failed projects we could have saved. Most of the key ingredients were there, but at the end of the day I was trying to pound a square peg into a round hole. The job was at war with my inner geek.
So…. was it the *wrong* job? Was it a mistake to work there in the first place?
No.
Sometimes you pick up a LOT of skills during those seasons of pounding square pegs into round holes. (To be completely honest, the pegs almost NEVER fit perfectly anyway, do they??? They sure haven’t for me!)
Whatever life is throwing at you at the moment, you focus on the positive, express gratitude, and believe that there is a bigger picture that you truly are cracking the code on.
And I’d like you to consider that if you happen to be in a situation like my old job where lots of things are almost working but nothing is actually working, it might be because all the little things are right and there’s just one “BIG” thing that’s wrong.
Sometimes when you fix that one BIG thing, your fortunes reverse.
Meanwhile, thanks Fred… and Wally… and Nick and Ron and Gary and Jim and Mike and all the other odd assorted characters I’ve moshed with along the way.
My friend, I hope you can feel gratitude for whatever crazy things you’ve gone through and whatever punches you’ve rolled with. There’s an old proverb “faithful are the wounds of a friend” and it’s really true. The laboratory of reality was saying “Time to move on” and Wally and Fred did the right thing by listening to it.
And just remember…. you never know when things may come full circle, when you find that you’ve earned the respect you so desperately craved in a prior season of life.
You never know when someone you were useless to way back when, will suddenly find you useful. And maybe even necessary.
You’re welcome to share your own stories, below.
Perry Marshall
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About the Author
Perry Marshall has launched two revolutions in sales and marketing. In Pay-Per-Click advertising, he pioneered best practices and wrote the world's best selling book on Google advertising. And he's driven the 80/20 Principle deeper than any other author, creating a new movement in business.
He is referenced across the Internet and by Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, INC and Forbes Magazine.
54 Comments on “Phone call from my old boss who fired me”
Perry: Thanks for the fine piece which I just belatedly discovered in my inbox searching for the term “attitude of gratitude,” which I had used myself in a talk once. (I stole it from Maya Angelou, but whatever the source, it’s a great concept.)
Thanks for this, Perry. This post has really uplifted my spirit. I feel like I’m in the same “Wally and Fred” situation now. From now on, I’ll be grateful for all the “crazy things and punches” that life brings to me. Great lessons are hard to learn and in most cases, these challenges are the best lessons that we can get out of life.
Very nice, congratulations for your achievements.
Thanks Perry,
Great article. It gives real motivation.
Perry, the attitude of gratitude … aren’t you happy now that the really painful times happened when you were young, and you had a chance to learn from them? I can relate; thanks for the post, and as always, thanks for allowing me to learn from you and to hopefully let some of your great writing style trickle down into the creative side of my own brain!
Hi Perry,
I have been following your blog posts for months.It is a really inspirational post.
These kinds of stories always give me a very positive perspective to future.I would like to share some of the quotes of Jim Rohn,a great man.
1.Work harder on yourself than you do on your job
2.Success is something you attract by the person you become
I hope these words have a strong relation with your story.
Thanks
Yes, I too am a fan of the late Mr Jim Rohn.
With regards to Point 2, what I find very exciting is the fact that in the process of achieving my goals I have to become that successful person.
If I don’t like where I am now, I can change the way I think and in doing so change my actions and habits. These dictate the results I get in my life.
I don’t use Perry’s services but came across this webpage. I had a successful one-man IT consulting business to Wall Street in the 1990’s, but then as the 2000’s rolled around and the tech crash happened, I found myself fired from three jobs in a row… Something was wrong, I just wasn’t into it anymore, and the office scene was so fatiguing. Eventually when my second daughter was born I took a leave of absence from what I’d been doing – but I never went back.
That was five years ago and I went through one false start but now have my own successful business and website blogging and selling software. My commute is across the hall to my home office, down the hall from the kids, and I’m never going back.
It was killer at the time but I thank the guys that let me go now because without them I never would have had the space and time to figure out what I really wanted to do.
Hi Perry,
this story of yours is such a gem!
Would you give me permission to translate it into German for those who (still) do not speak enough English to read this?
You can see from the comments that this should not stay “hidden under the bushel”
I am a professional translator so I would not tamper with the content when tranlating it into my mother tongue, I promise!)
May I? Please!
Thank you anyway!
Most certainly!
Hi Perry,
Great post, especially your nuggets of wisdom about gratitude and making the decision to find something that did work for you.
From 2000-2004 I took a job because it was the highest paying gig I’d ever been offered. But it quickly became obvious I was the round peg trying to adapt to a square hole. I did really well there and accomplished a lot & developed an incredible team around me–but it was not my passion & eventually the company outsourced the entire department I was running.
At the time it seemed awful but I encouraged my staff to take on the attitude you mentioned. Sure enough, everyone got hired elsewhere within days and moved on to bigger, better and more lucratic & fulfilling jobs & ultimately wound up in better shape than they’d ever been before.
Me? I wound up going back to my passion–the entertainment industry–and got hired by Cirque du Soleil—where I’ve been ever since, happier than ever!
I always tell people I should send thank you cards to my old boss for getting rid of us. Had he not outsourced us, it’s hard to fathom the great stuff we all would’ve missed out on. Just goes to show you never know what life has in store for you.
Thanks for bringing this topic up today!
Michael
Michael D Walker
http://www.TheSuccessSecrets.net
Congratulations!!!
Thanks Perry,
Great article. Great inspiration – shows what can happen with the power of focus.
Nicole
Perry,
Everything you said rings true to me. Things happen for a reason. Perhaps we won’t understand the reason until sometime in the future. Maybe never. Who knows??
But just know that there IS a reason, continue to learn, grow and press on when the going gets touch.
That’s how most fortunes are forged!
Best Wishes,
Carl Willoughby
http://www.One-Minute-Cure.com
Hi Perry,
your story motivates me to go on.
I´m searching for my BIG think to get successful.
Sometimes I´m very frustraded. Nothing works, no sales, no money. Then I feel myself useless.
But there is an inner voice who said to me: “Thomas, go on…success will be comming soon.”
As Brian Tracy said: You have to work consistantly.
It is no option to me to give up…and I will working harder and find my Big thing.
Thanks Perry for charing your story.
Regards from Germany
Thomas
Heya, Perry
REALLY nice story, man. I was reading the start and thinking “Hey, haven’t I… read… this… before…??” and then WHAMMO it changed and there was the twist in the tale. =)
Great story and good on you for sharing it. I think it’s the kind of thing that a lot of folks (like me!) can take inspiration and, hopefully, some reflection from.
I really like John Chancellor’s comments, too. VERY well put.
Congratulations on the “hard work in the right direction” paying off.
Best,
TheNightOwl
Wow Perry! I so much appreciate you’re being so open and telling us about all the ups and downs.
Me-laid off over a year ago, been learning Internet Marketing ever since. Think I’m on my way, but still haven’t scored that first $1 yet.
Better soon because with the medical insurance payments going up and breathing down my neck I need to succeed now – or it won’t be a good scene next month, not at all.
So I’m in that pressured situation, but I think I’m finally the round peg in the round hole. The marketing is looking more promising. And I’m trusting in the Lord Jesus, who has never let me down in over 30 years, walking together – as well as more new-found confidence I’ve been working on.
Your story brought tears to my eyes and gave me so much encouragement. You really gave me a “foot up” on the hard, stony road of life I’m in. It was just perfectly what I needed to hear today.
If you were trying to say something meaningful to those who are now – where you were then – then you succeeded wonderfully. Not the first time I’ve learned from you either.
You are such a “What a Guy!!” Perry :-)
Praise the Lord, keep the faith and Keep on Truckin’!
Thanks again from the heart Perry -You really helped me out today.
Nancy Nottingham
Nancy,
The fastest way to make some coin in this business is to sell your skills to an established business who doesn’t know how to navigate the complexities of the web. God bless ya.
Thanks for the great tip and encouragement, because don’t you know that is EXACTLY what I’m doing right now. I could see the writing on the wall and jumped right in! I’m also getting your new “bookstore book” -looks GREAT! (and in my minuscule price range)- right now, and plan on joining the Renaissance Club and getting the updated definitive guide real soon (wow, Jay Abraham seminar, all that other stuff – can’t wait!) Those supportive calls also sound very reassuring for us newbies.
Don’t worry -I would NEVER dream of trying to do ANYTHING in AdWords, not one penny, without YOUR advice Perry. I’ve at least got that dialed! But soon I’ll need to break into that. So, I just have to say: Man, aren’t WE GLAD you found your BIG THING! :-)
Onward and blessing to you and your “new book” venture. :-)
Nancy N.
Thank you for the reminder that how we respond to a situation is the key.
We may not appreciate being “let go” at the time, we may feel devastated and our self esteem may take a beating BUT it is what we do as a consequence that matters.
I am still learning that I am NOT my achievements and failures. It is when I make that distinction, that life flows.
I actually knew Perry in that former life. I remember a meeting at Quad Graphic corporation where I met Perry. It was OBVIOUS that Perry was the wrong guy in the wrong place with the wrong experience…. I remember remarking to Jeff Clark “Who is that guy and what was he doing there?” But I also remember thinking that he was one really great guy. Perry, I revel in your successful life and thank you every day for the sunshine you’ve brought into mine.
JR
John, it’s been a great ride. Here’s to the next 15 years for everyone!
Is this true story? Please tell me IT IS….if so, it gives me so much hope. Thanks
Of course it’s a true story!
Hey Perry – COOL POST.
It is a very rare copywriter who can not only resonate so clearly with their market, but encourage others to contribute *their* stories as well.
My hat goes of to you.
Will
Perry, you really knock it out of the park sometimes and this was one. Anybody who has tried and failed and tried and failed, again and again has to relate to this.
I know I sure do.
It’s also so true that you usually don’t know exactly what you’re being prepared for, but enough ‘forward motion’ will eventually reveal it to you. Thanks.
When I was young, I loved writing, and was told that unless you were a big novelist, you could never support yourself. So I bumbled from job to job…fast forward to a couple of years ago when I found internet marketing.
I find it fascinating and have dabbled quite a bit, but have always continued to work for someone else as well. I finally found a job as a writer for an outsourcing company – and everyone loved my writing! I was surprised to find that I could, indeed, making a living writing. Then, 2 weeks ago, the owner of the company up and let 3 of her 4 workers go. She had handled the business badly and just made cuts – so it was no issue with my (or our) work.
It felt like the rug was just yanked out from underneath me! But, you know, I think I needed that to push me to venture out on my own finally. It’s only been a couple of weeks and I have 5 paying clients already. Whew!
Thank you for your words. I guess I was building my muscle, too, over the last couple of years!
The first part of your story sounds sort of like mine. I always liked to write, had no idea there was $ in it until i discovered direct marketing. Congrats on your new biz!
Hi Perry,
I think it is nice that you did not harbor a grudge and still helped out the person, or one of them that decided to fire you.
The feeling to act upon revenge can be really strong, and it’s hard to let it go sometimes.
I think the best form of revenge is to do what you did, and find success.
Thanks for sharing such a personal experience I gained a lot from it.
Sally :)
THANK YOU MAY GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU UR FAMILY AN ALSO INCREASE YOUR BLESSINGS TOYOU.
Hey Perry,
Wish I was on the mountain top…but I’m still in the valley “building muscle” as you say.
$10k in debt from IM marketing guru plans. Only about $150/mo coming in from my last client from a previous insurance related business.
I know there is a purpose for all of it, but man I need a break soon.
Thank you, Perry. Your sharing of this story could not be more timely for me.
Although I was born with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, I also suffered through many jobs, and bosses, that were such a poor fit… sometimes I ran screaming from the building (not literally, but it sure felt like it) mere minutes from getting fired. I kept trying to mold myself to fit in the round hole. Ouch.
My big Aha! in reading your story is in shifting my attitude from “what a waste of time…poor me” to one of gratitude for what I learned and appreciating the humor in some of those crazy situations.
The timely part? I’ve been procrastinating from pushing the launch button on my new group coaching program for introverts because it is something I feel passionate about. This story reminds me that I am in the right place now, doing what I love.
Cheers,
Susan
Thank you for sharing that post Perry. We all have our ups and downs and sometimes it feels like there are more downs than ups. During those down times it is so easy to get into a negative head space and stay there, wallowing in it. Despite the knowledge that “everything happens for a reason” and perhaps this is the start of something new; we can tend to mope and dig a deeper hole than we are already in.
Last year, myself and a coworker were fired from my main nursing job for questioning a regional director of nursing in a staff meeting. Later I heard “no one questions her in front of others”. Oh well. I live to my standard of integrity and speak up when I feel I need to. PERIOD. I had a few options. Being a nurse, finding a job is not that difficult.
Nevertheless, being a “creatively independent” person aka Entrepreneur at heart, I KNEW this was the time to do my thing. I had finally been given that kick in the you-know-what to get out there and start my own business. So that is what I did.
Yes there are tough times but I am ABSOLUTELY loving it. I can relate wholeheartedly to your expression of how a seemingly negative experience (getting fired) can set you free.
Thanks again for sharing,
-Alicia
What a great story for a Monday morning.
I learned a lot of things from previous ‘jobs’ and unpleasant situations…
hi Perry,
your story inspired me to tell my own …
I grew up in the North of England in the county of Yorkshire. This was 1970s and Being a minority in the UK was not the best of things to say the least.
I come from a musical family and I totally sucked at academic studies. I have no idea how i got through school.
In my grammar school (same as High school in North America) in my penultimate year I met my career advisor. He took a look at my marks up to this point and adviced me – this is an actual quote from what he said and these words have been ingrained into my brain for life!
“Nitin, let’s face it. You’re not a very bright lad. You’re never gonna to do well academically, so i would suggest you look at doing painting and decorating as a trade!”
My heart sank and for the first time I actually felt that reality had jolted me and said “hey wake up … life is trying to teach you something!”
The only thought going through my mind was that “my dad’s gonna kill me!” – I am a Hindu (Indian not born in India though but that’s another story!) boy and my culture does not allow us to become anything less than doctors, lawyers, banker etc.. (although my caste is carpentry!!)
I think i had a kind of awakening from that moment and I realized that I really need to get my act together. Anyway I was kicked out of school because I failed my exams and I had to go to college to retake all my exams and start from scratch. But mow with an awareness and a purpose to succeed. At that time I hated that careers teacher and I really wanted to SHOW HIM that i can become something better.
Anyway to cut it short, I went to University to study Physics (i was good at Physics and Math) – got my degree and went on to follow my passion as a software developer. Been developing software for the past 20 years and still love it!
As time went on … I realized that I should NOT be hating that careers teacher – but THANKING HIM since without that JOLT who knows where I would be today!!
Nitin Mistry
Actually my story is about being told in Grade 12 that I did not have the aptitude for computers. In the meantime I have been in the IT business for over 35 years and still love my ‘job’. I ended up meeting that teacher many years later and told him what he told me and all he could say was “well I guess I was wrong”.
So the moral of the story is: If you can turn your ‘job’ into something you love to do – they can never take that away from you and you will have a ‘job’ for life.
Thanks for the great in site Perry.
I had an old “boss” who I really think had his frontal lobe removed somewhere along the way. He was completely wired to the emotional brain.
As an absolute matter of survival I became completely dogged about asking “what do you want… spell it out for me… why do you want that… what specifically are you hoping to get out of it… how am I going to remind you a week from now that that’s what you told me you wanted… when are we going to review these objectives and check them off… I think that’s a dumb idea and if you make me do it, and it is a dumb idea then here’s how we’re going to remember that YOU forced me to do it…”
Skill: Absolute precision in understanding what people want. It was so painful, and at the time I was only doing it because I had to… it was survival…
But, it’s been amazing to realize how valuable those skills are when dealing with more “adjusted” business people… and how humorous it can be when I approach a project that way…
Client: “Woh! buddy dial it down a bit”
Me: “Sorry, that’s just the left over neurosis from a former gig!”
Printing this one out for Julie to read :)
Listen Perry, I don’t care what everybody else says, I think you are a great guy……:)…kidding of course, the point is, you touched my heart with your story, and in fact reminded me not to worry so much about the small stuff, or of the failures I may have gone through, or whatever else, for each and every experience gave me new tools and knowledge, without which, I’d be a lot worse off today. I am glad to read your posts, glad to have you as a “mentor”, so thanks a lot, keep up the good work.
all the best
Harry
Amazing. I must have needed this lesson today. You and Clayton Makepeace had nearly identical messages today… although delivered in two very different ways.
Thanks,
Sean
Perry,
That’s the best story I’ve read in a while.
Gratitude to whatever happened is important because events happened for a reason and for sure if you look at that event positively it will make any person better.
It’s hard to accept again people that made your life a lot harder before, but then again it just depends on a person’s view on why things happened tha way they did.
Thanks for sharing.
I totally agree with you on “you never know when things may come full circle, when you find that you’ve earned the respect you so desperately craved in a prior season of life”. It’s a great read to start the Monday morning.
Perry, I really enjoyed your frank and heart-felt post because it brought back several reminders of my early career. Like Mike, I have had several ups and downs in my professional life and was twice fired. And I have also “fired” several employers when I no longer found challenge in the job I was doing.
My attitude has always been: regardless of the company name on my business card, I work for myself and my family. In other words, I was an entrepreneur with temporary company gigs that lasted from 1-5 years. I learned how to play the corporate game and had some interesting jobs in the B2B marketing world but last year decided to launch my company, Fusion Marketing Partners. While it has been challenging, we are doing well and I have no regrets.
Similar to your situation with your old boss Fred, I like to think that I could work with the two guys who fired me so many years ago. I’m sure they would both be pleased with the Chris Ryan of 2010. And although it wasn’t pleasant at the time, I would like to thank them for helping me on the path to bigger and better things.
Diane,
This really is for you. Keep up the work on the PTSD (post traumatic stress syndrome) bit. I had never even really heard of it until I became dear friends with a vietnam vet who suffers from it. He’s spent some time in San Antonio (or Waco I forget) at a treatment center. In the last couple of years he’s made great strides.
It’s a horrific disease. It’s painful just watching him. It’s one of the worst things I’ve ever witnessed.
Keep it up – There are those who need you.
And Perry, I read almost everything you put across- they encourage me constantly. Thank you.
John
Great story, with great lessons as always Perry. Your emails are the few that I take the time to read every one. It really hit home with me only in my case “boss” could be replaced with “girlfriend” Long story short, I’ve been building my internet business for about 4 years with modest success (ie paying the bills, but no luxury items) During that time, my girlfriend has stood by me, but recently told me she has “lost confidence” in me. Weeks later we split after 4 years. Needless to say, I’ve been doing some soul searching wondering if being an entrepreneur is worth the big sacrifices, but realize the tremendous amount of knowledge I’ve been gathering (as you say building my muscles). Getting paid to learn is never a bad thing including one very important lesson: find a woman who will be willing to stand by my side and believe in me through thick and thin :) Sounds like your wife was there the whole way believing in you and that perhaps is the most important part of this story.
Years ago, when I was a struggling free-lance photographer and not getting enough jobs to pay the bills, I used some shares of stock my mother had given me and took out loans from a bank using the stock as collateral. I would always pay pay the monthly amount on time and pay the loan off. I did this 4-5 times until the bank officer turned me down, saying things like: “Where is Heidi Walter going? What does she want to be?” As though I weren’t sitting across from him. I walked down Michigan Avenue feeling like the biggest failure on earth. I realized many years later that it simply wasn’t worth the bank’s time to give me a $1,000 loan, they just didn’t make enough from me. But this experience made me look at why i feel like such a failure. People got turned down for loans all the time. I dealt with it from a psychological viewpoint, what was money in my family system, what did it mean? And I figured it out! From that time, I have had a handle on money and don’t use it as a substitute for anything else. It was a very freeing experience and i thank that bank officer for turning me down so i could deal with this issue within myself.
Mmm good stuff Perry,
Thats what im waiting for in the UK market” the one big thing”.. the pub business over here is in turmoil..i have the working model solutions but know one is listening….people dont like to think they got it wrong and dont like change..
all getting a bit frustrating, always good to hear your stories Perry gives me hope!!!.
Lester Pyatt
Omark Strategic Hospitality Solutions
Great story! I was moved and touched by it, a pleasant surprise in my in-box for a Monday morning.
Thank you for sharing.
My beautiful girlfriend left me saying I was immature. I looked objectively at myself…I was! I soul searched, faced up to reality, learned, changed, improved and studied and now 2 years later I am a completely new me. My sales have doubled, twice and I am also about to start a new and exciting internet business. Things are great and getting better. Now I improve, improve and improve. Thank you Ms. S.J.
Thank you very much Perry.
It’s true the jobs from which I’ve been fired taught me a great deal.
While I still don’t know what my one BIG thing is… I continue.
It took me 5 years of owning my own Photography business to realize that I had crazy goals and a crazy sense that I could be a rockstar in the photography industry. My photography business did great but it got me to realize that I am constantly doing something that I am okay at when I have something that I am GREAT at just sitting around collecting dust. So a couple months ago I soldmy photograph business and started up my own website design and SEO business and am loving every second of it. Great post Perry!
Excellent post Perry. Thanks for sharing this information in such a wonderful way.
I must admit, Perry, that I have been deleting most of your emails in recent times because I only have so much time, and others have dealt with topics that feel more pressing for me right now. But this morning, I suspect I was led to read this particular one. After all, I needed to be reminded about the “attitude of gratitude” even when it appears things are not going according to plan–the plan my ego had constructed, that is. I am glad that you were able to move forth and obviously find your rightful place. I feel I have been helped in recent times by getting the book deal I did whereby I could write something timely that could make a difference–and then having the “Library Journal” recognize it as one of the “Best Books of 2009.” Nonetheless, while “The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Relationship” has also typically remained in the top one to five percent of all book sales at Amazon, I have been bemoaning that it hasn’t yet made me money—or these sales are still working off the small advance I received to write the book. That said, your email reminded me that I have to have faith that my greatest good is yet to come. Now it will be easier for ne to believe next week, as I meet military and corporate leaders at a conference in San Antonio who have the ability not only to get this book into the hands of PTSD sufferers and their partners for whom it was intended but also into the hands of professionals who treat them, that great things will come of this. For indeed, I know it is no accident that I was invited to be a media partner at this conference, either. But sometimes it is hard–especially in the financially turbulent times we’ve seen in recent years–to remember one is developing muscle so that when it is time to step forward and seize one’s highest good, it is possible to do so with humbleness. For doesn’t this help us better connect with those we are striving to serve as well as to keep us from self-destructing?
Perry … You have shared some very powerful, and if heeded, profitable lessons.
The two lessons I found most valuable here is to 1)maintain an attitude of gratitude 2) when things aren’t working take a good look in the mirror.
Too often we get stuck in our own head about how the world (our business, prospects, etc.) should work and keep trying to fit the square peg in the round hole.
We’ve got to be able to recognize the difference between needing more effort and needing to change direction.
Great lessons, thanks for sharing.
Talent in writing is reflected by the ability of the author to write copy that resonates feelings within the target reader. Perry does that as well as the best.
I have had more ups and downs in my life than a Coney Island roller coaster.
It hasn’t been easy, but nobody told me it would be when I accepted the assignment of living my life.
I haven’t taken my successes or failures personally. I know that they were something that happened to me, but they have NEVER been “me”.
I just try to keep moving forward.