“And once you live a good story, you get a taste for a kind of meaning in life, and you can’t go back to being normal; you can’t go back to meaningless scenes stitched together by the forgettable thread of wasted time.” — Donald Miller
When I was in 8th grade, I won a trip to Maui for selling A LOT of newspaper subscriptions. There were ten of us who got to go on this trip. When I met the other winners, it was clear that our approaches to selling had been quite different.
The other kids seemed to share a few traits in common: (1) They were very confident; (2) They were very competitive; and (3) They were smooth communicators. In 8th grade, I was NONE of these things. In fact…I was shy. I avoided competition where possible. And I wasn’t a very good conversationalist.
So how did I end up in this group of top sellers?
It comes down to having the right story.
Let me explain…
I love, love, love Donald Miller’s definition of a story. He says, “A story is a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it.” That’s it. Very simple.
Let’s break down my story…
Character = Our Strengths, Weaknesses and Mindset
Like I said, I was shy, avoided conflict, and didn’t converse. Those were definitely weaknesses. AND they could have stopped me dead in my tracks. These could have kept me trapped inside of myself. But I’m NOT just my weaknesses.
My mom had taught me the right mindset. She taught me to tap into my talents and strengths.
I wasn’t sure what all of those talents were but I knew that I was full of ideas and strategy and I could adjust quickly. I just needed a vision to pull me.
The Vision: I Wonder What It Would Be Like to Go to Maui?
Taking our family to Hawaii was never in the cards for my single mom. She worked odd jobs so that she could be at home to raise us. These jobs didn’t pay a lot.
So when the selling contest was presented, a vision was born. “I wonder what it would be like to go to Maui?” I said. My mom told me that I should go for it.
With her encouragement, I knew I could. But how?
Overcoming Obstacles: Habits, Champions, and Next Steps
As soon as I decided that I was going to Maui, I came face-to-face with my biggest fears: talking to people and rejection. These things terrified me.
In order to act in the face of fear, I came up with a plan:
- I would knock doors everyday after school.
- I would keep the conversations short and to the point. The point being that I was trying to win a trip to Maui. This was my pitch:“Hi. My name is Bobby Brady. I am trying to win a trip to Maui. Would you like to help me go?” When they asked how they could help, I sold them a subscription. When they said not interested, I told them they didn’t have to be interested in buying a newspaper, they only needed to be interested in helping me go to Hawaii. Then I sold them a subscription.
- In the many cases where they didn’t buy, I just went to the next door.
- I kept the vision of Maui constantly before me by updating my friends on my progress.
- I sought the encouragement of my mom and other adults.
- I always looked to the next step and where I was on the leaderboard.
By tapping into my talents and strengths, by getting clear on my vision, and by overcoming obstacles, I was able to go to Maui in 8th grade!
Knowing your strengths and talents isn’t enough. You NEED a compelling vision to stretch for. You NEED to embrace the challenges that are part of the journey. Overcoming obstacles makes your story interesting.
Live a strong story. The world needs it.