10 Steps to Become the Greatest Salesperson In the World – Part 5

“I will live this day as if it is my last.” - from The Scroll Marked V, The Greatest Salesman In the World by Og Mandino

I’ll never forget the scene in “Dead Poets’ Society” when Robin Williams lines his students up in the hallway in front of the pictures of students from years past and whispers in their ears, “Carpe diem, boys…seize the day”. The Scroll Marked V reminds us of this valuable lesson in a powerful way: don’t just seize the day…seize it as if it were your last!

I encourage you to consider that everything you’ve ever been told about guilt and worry is wrong (that is, unless you’ve been fortunate enough to be told that they are both wasted energy). Unscrupulous and/or misguided parents, teachers, leaders and managers have for centuries used guilt and worry to manipulate those under their supervision to do what was expected of them; that kind of manipulation is certainly effective at motivating in the short-term, but the long-term stress it causes ultimately destroys any motivation and puts the subject in a state of constant, immobilizing fear.

Have a look around and you’ll see what I mean. Way back in 1854, Henry David Thoreau identified the cumulative effect of this kind of manipulation when he wrote that “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desparation”. How many of your friends, neighbors and co-workers does that describe? The problem, of course, is fear. Fear that yesterday’s transgressions will somehow prevent us from succeeding today; fear, too, that we won’t be up to the challenges that tomorrow presents.

That’s all wrong, though. The sole purpose of guilt and anxiety is to motivate us to behave differently, not to paralyze us. Feeling guilty about some past wrongdoing is okay so long as it moves us to do everything in our power not to repeat the pattern; wallowing in guilt to the point that we can’t move beyond it is missing the point. And anxiety over our future should move us to do everything we can, so long as we can, to make sure that future is bright; becoming paralyzed by the anxiety and worry is foolish.

The past and the future have one very important thing in common: you have no control over either. Fretting about things you have no control over is self-destructive. Wouldn’t you be much better served if you expended that same energy on the now, the only moment you have any control over? Of course you would. And yet so many of us struggle with remaining firmly rooted in the present moment. What can we do to make the most of the now? Mandino tells us:

“I will avoid with fury the killers of time. Procrastination I will destroy with action; doubt I will bury under faith; fear I will dismember with confidence. Where there are idle mouths I will listen not; where there are idle hands I will linger not; where there are idle bodies I will visit not. Henceforth I know that to court idleness is to steal food, clothing, and warmth from those I love. I am not a thief. I am a man of love and today is my last chance to prove my love and my greatness.”

The key is to recognize the destruction wrought by guilt and anxiety and to seize each day, each moment as if it were your last. How do you want to spend your last minutes? Worrying about a past you can’t change or a future you can’t control? Those aren’t fatalistic questions; they’re a wake-up call that should cause us to stop and assess how we’re spending our minutes. Are you spending yours wisely?

If, for whatever reason, you haven’t been living up to your potential, you get to start again today. You can choose, right NOW, this very moment, to start again. That’s the beauty of being present: each moment is NOW and can be a fresh start on your path to success. All you have to do is decide how to spend this moment, then this one, and again this one.

If you’ll choose to exercise that control and to spend each day living as if it’s your last on this earth, you’ll live a life full of purpose. And whatever your chosen path or profession, pursuing it fully on purpose will make you a great success.

“I will live this day as if it is my last. And if it is not, I shall fall to my knees and give thanks.”