I just read a great article on the future of journalism and the perceived improvements that the web brings to the process. We’ve all been witness to the changes in the way we as individuals consume the media that interests us and most of us have now become active contributors to the process – whether through writing a personal blog, posting a tweet on twitter, or sharing a link to a funny video on YouTube. Read the article here
All of us are always searching for the “formula” for success, and many of us achieve it through general hard work, dedication, and positivity. On a personal level for the past several years I’ve been following the methods and teachings of Jack Canfield, Tony Robbins, Jeffrey Gitomer, along with the spiritual writings of Deepak Chopra and Joel Osteen. I’ll include Malcolm Gladwell in the mix as well, because he brings us all back to earth in his book “Outliers” which describes the unique circumstances that allow some to succeed or have an edge over others.
There is a common theme in all of their lessons which generally refer to positive thinking, the power of saying Yes before thinking No, and visualization of positive outcomes to challenging situations. They all talk about the value of making mistakes, extracting lessons learned, and applying what you learned when making future decisions.
I would say that the first real job I ever got out of college was really just blind luck in that my father knew someone who knew someone and I got an interview to apply for a position as an MCR technician and editor at ABC’s international news gathering division – WTN. The interview went well, I got the job, and 2 weeks out of college I was working in a real live working news room. My first day on the job was the day after Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman were found dead, the war in Bosnia was going on, and the NY Rangers were busy winning the Stanley Cup. At the time I thought “How lucky am I to be in this position!?” .
Over the years at WTN, several opportunities presented themselves to me, such as editing with BBC producers for their “Breakfast News” program (the equivalent to Good Morning America here in the U.S.) There were memorable pieces such as the O.J. verdict, the opening of Sunset Blvd on Broadway, and Mike Tyson’s trial
The chance to move from editing and MCR into Operations presented itself and a year later I was booking crews, feeds, and remote productions, then field producing remote events. 2 years after my graduation, I was standing 5 feet away from then President Bill Clinton running a camera for German Television at a rally in Des Moines Iowa, and then covering Clinton’s election win 8 months later in Little Rock, Arkansas .
These 2 events bookended a month in Atlanta covering the Olympics, and both political conventions in San Diego and Chicago. As the days and months went on, the opportunities and experiences got more and more interesting. I found myself traveling the world to work on some great productions in Sao Paolo, Panama, El Salvador, Vancouver, and finally Havana Cuba when the Pope Visited in 1998.
All of the above happened to me by the age of 26. None of it came without mistakes, frustration, and obstacles. Anyone who has worked in live television will tell you that anything can happen. Bad audio, bad phone lines, power loss, unconfirmed satellite bookings, missed flights, stolen and lost equipment, downed upconverters and even satellites that actually dropped from the sky (does anyone remember Telstar 401? )
You’re probably thinking “OK, those are all great things, but what’s the point? ” I’ll get to it shortly, I promise… To have achieved such success and experience some great things, I figured “This MUST be luck!!” My dad knew someone who knew someone, and it’s all luck!” Was it really luck? Years later now that I’ve had to overcome some real adversity and have achieved even more success, I can see it all crystal clear.
Was it luck that I put together a resume with only college experience and did a great interview? Was it luck that my first month in television I worked 27 days straight and in the subsequent months worked every holiday including 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day? For 2 years I dedicated my life to learning everything I could about the newsgathering and production including writing, producing, transmission, engineering, lighting, and logistics. The mistakes I made and the challenges I overcame helped me to learn that in television you have to expect the unexpected and have a plan A, B, and C.
Years later I moved on to successfully work with corporations and PR agencies to help them communicate their messages to TV stations, consumers, and stakeholders via broadcast TV, Radio, and online tools.
Throughout this time, I began discovering the advice of the authors mentioned above, discovering that there was a still hidden untapped potential within me that was screaming to come out. In fact it was my drive for perfection and even more great experiences that ultimately led me to seek the secret formula for success. How foolish I felt when I discovered that the true formula came from deep within including:
A.) consistent thinking of positive outcomes
B.) acceptance that mistakes and perceived failures will and can occur with the understanding that a lesson can and will be learned each time
C.) you must establish and maintain a belief system that works into your every day routine
D.). Surround yourself with like-minded, positive individuals. Negative people are like cancers and spread negativity thus infecting your outlook and possibly influencing negative outcomes.
The key takeaway from all of this is that everyone has this untapped potential within them. Self deprecation or overall negativity will mask this potential and keep you down. No matter what the situation, positive thinking and belief in yourself are the keys to the kingdom of success. It may take you longer than you think, but if you have the goal in your sights, you will eventually reach it.
