Are the traits already there?

Are the traits already there?

Howdy. Hope you are well.

I’ve been writing a speech tonight. It’s about the lessons I’ve learnt as I’ve gone along in business and what I’ve found are the important aspects, for me, in success.

I’ve been thinking of examples of these traits in action. Examples of the trait and how it’s applied to whatever success I’ve had thus far. And just about every decent trait I’ve thought of so far have their basis in my childhood.

I’ll give you 2 examples.

1. Persistence

2. Hard working

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Persistence – it’s a little know fact, but nonetheless highly celebrated within the Sinclair family, that I am the Sinclair Family Hide and Seek Champion.

Undisputed.

Now that crown came to me when I was 7 years old. My young Aunty was looking after me, one of my brothers and little sister.

To pass the time we played Hide and Seek.

2 hours, 45 minutes later and I was the Hide and Seek Champion! Oh, yeh!

2 hours, 45 minutes of hiding behind the garage door.

My Aunty didn’t find me. Nor my brother. Nor my sister. Nor my parents when they got home. Nor any of my other brothers and sisters (I have 4 brothers and 2 sisters). Nor the kid next door. Nor his parents.

Yep. That’s champion Hide and Seek material!

I was found by one of the policemen who had been called to the house in response to the frantic “Missing Child” report.

For 2 hours and 45 minutes I stayed hidden. About 2 hours, 30 minutes of that time was spent behind that garage door ignoring the increasingly urgent cries of “Brendon, the games over. Come out, come out!!”

They weren’t fooling me with that! Oldest trick in the book, thought I!

That’s persistent. It also scary, worrying and downright freaky for my parents and Aunty!

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Hard working

My dad used to work at a place called the “Zinc Works” in Hobart, Tasmania. That was a 7 am to 5 pm job.

Hard, tough work.

…and then go to his 2nd job

After that he would come home and go to his second job as a Cleaner in Government Offices in an outer Hobart suburb called Derwent Park.

As a kid – from about 7 to 14 – I used to go out and help him 5 nights a week. From 6 pm to 9 pm.

It was my job to empty the rubbish bins, dust and sweep. I also had to burn all of the rubbish collected in an old incinerator out the back.

I was paid the sum of 20 cents a night for the work. And even then 20 cents wasn’t much!

It’s funny, but I used to love those nights working with my dad. Friday nights was a treat. We’d finish at about 9 pm and play Table Tennis for an hour or so in the Break Room they had the in the offices.

On the way home we’d always stop at the same late-night cafe and have a drink. Dad would have a coffee and I’d be allowed to have a chocolate milkshake.

Work ethic as a kid

So the work ethic as a kid was there – taught to me by my old man. And I still have it today. And it’s a part of the things I’ve done successfully.

(And looking back at that and psycho-analysing that, maybe I equate hard work with the reward and very positive memory of spending time with my dad??? Or is that too deep?!)

Whatever the case may be, persistence and hard work have been part of me – or I’ve identified those traits from back then – since my childhood.

And many of the other traits I’ve identified have their roots from childhood.

So I guess we can take a couple of things from that:

1. We’d all have positive childhood experience to draw upon – those same traits are the ones that can help you on your journey to success – whatever success means for you.

2. If you have kids, try and teach them the right traits. I saw a bumper sticker today that said “Be the change you’d like to see in the world.”

If I could say it better than that, I would. But I can’t. Have a good night.

I’m off for a run. Ooooooh, there’s that persistence again! (Or maybe it’s just plain craziness.).

Regards

Brendon