Tom worked in his company for 20 years. He was a faithful worker, a smart worker, and perhaps most importantly, an observant worker. He noticed things that could be tweaked, changed, or even completely discarded to better streamline operations.
Unfortunately, Tom's new boss wasn't quite a visionary. Matt took over from a different business and didn't quite have the insight for his new position. Matt had ideas, some of which were good, but more often than not he missed important details or chose to ignore them.
Tom began to offer suggestions. Some were accepted, and some were ignored. The ideas that were implemented proved to streamline operations. The ones that were ignored were actually implemented later when someone else suggested them--and proved to be correct.
At one point, Tom came up with a simple solution to a company problem that would keep the company from having to do $20,000 in renovations to the facility. All it required was a very minor shift from Matt in something he was currently doing that no other boss in any similar related company was doing. It was unnecessary extra work that could have very easily been eliminated. But Matt wouldn't have it. He insulated himself and ignored Tom's suggestion.
So the company spent $20k on unnecessary renovations so Matt could continue his routine. And eventually, Tom was proven correct as consultant after consultant came in and proved that Matt could do his job without the extra steps he was taking.
Tom could have quit. Tom could have given up. Tom could have questioned himself and his ideas. Instead, Tom chose to believe in himself.
There are times in life when you might have a great idea but no one will listen to you where you work. Maybe they're just having a bad day, or maybe they're just to insecure to entertain the thought of you being right, but whatever it is, it happens. So how will you respond?
It is important to believe in yourself. The only way you'll ever succeed in life is to have confidence in who you are and what you do. If you constantly question or second-guess yourself and your decisions, you'll never get anything of any lasting importance done.
When no one else believes in you, believe in yourself. When no one else will listen, keep your ideas in mind and just wait to see what happens. When it seems like you are the only one who believes in you, believe in you!
Maybe you'll be proven right, and that's good. Maybe you'll be proven wrong, and that's still ok. The important thing is to not give up on trying new ideas. Every million-dollar idea came from somewhere! How many incredible things have we missed out on in the world simply because the person didn't believe in themselves enough to speak the idea to others?
The famous Alabama football coach Bear Bryant said, "If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride and never quit, you’ll be a winner. The price of victory is high, but so are the rewards."
Believe in yourself and your ideas! Stay strong in your convictions! That confidence will allow you to truly make a difference where you are!
You were not born to be average!
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