“There is no earthly bliss not watered by tears.”

Filipino proverb

I remember a distinct moment from grade school: I looked around the classroom and wonder if anybody else was actually listening to the teacher. My wandering imagination has always fascinated me. I would dream constantly; paying little attention to the boring or mundane. My imagination is like a trusted friend I can always rely on to entertain me. I would learn this was to be my blessed curse; a never ending imagination of possible wonders.

I read somewhere that writing is no more than a guided dream…

This dream starts in grade twelve English with the poem Ulysses by Lord Alfred Tennyson. It was the first time that literature would inspire me to take action. I was mesmerized by this poem and it would soon become a part of my soul. The great urge to travel the world pursuing distant horizons and unknown wonders filled my heart. I made a decision that day to travel Europe for the summer; and it was simply the most enlightening decision I have ever made.

“…I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethro’
Gleams that untravell’d world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish’d, not to shine in use!
As tho’ to breathe were life!…” Ulysses by Lord Alfred Tennyson

I found part of my true self that summer in Europe. I grew more in character then the previous 18 years of my life. The world was a grand vast place and I needed to contribute my verse. Everything was so fresh and alive; I was seeing the world in a new light. It was sensory-overload and for the first time, my imagination stilled. I didn’t realize it at the time, but somewhere between The Grand Place in Brussels and the snow covered peaks of Switzerland, I took my first step towards a few fleeting moments of enlightenment.

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“It’s simply beyond words. It’s incalculacable.”  Michael Scott – The Office

Everyday, I listen to people’s problems over the phone and do my best to offer them a solution.  I’m in sales, and most days I really enjoy it. In sales, when the dust clears, you can either give results or excuses. I have always been great with excuses. I have a long never-ending list that has been tried, tested, and true since as long as I can remember. Simply stated, a good excuse at the right time can be a beautiful thing. However, recently I noticed a very positive change in my work life: I developed a desire to be the very best.

Any salesman or woman, has probably read a hundred different sales tips and strategies. So I am just going to give you one. The greatest truth in sales: “People buy for whose reasons, your reasons or their reasons? People buy for their reasons.” Simple right?

I remember the feeling of closing a fortune 100 company at first sales gig. I roared a loud triumphant cheer and felt the rush of self-actualization pass through me. Closing that sale felt fantastic, and as with all fantastic things, I wanted more right away. Now that initial rush has changed to more consistent and complete feeling that I carry with me throughout my workday. The simple feeling that I am good at something, I have the power to enjoy it, and it brings me joy to succeed at it. So here are my essential teachings on finding the Zen of closing a sale. Read More→