Well, it’s official – I’m a workshop/seminar/conference junkie. I just got back from an amazingly inspiring seminar by Dan Moore, the President of Southwestern Advantage, who talked to us about dreams and success. The seminar was organized by my wonderful Residence Advisor, Desiree, aka the best RA in Vanier UBC.

I’ve attended so many motivational workshops, speeches and seminars that you might think I’ve heard all there is to hear on the topic of “How To Succeed” – but the exact opposite is true. Dan’s workshop today taught me countless valuable life lessons, and I literally could not wait to share a few of them with you.
Firstly, and most importantly, in my opinion, remember the following mantra: I and I alone am responsible for my success. It’s so natural for people to attribute their failures and shortcomings to circumstance; many of us often blame a poor grade on a “bad” professor, for example. It sound corny, but the moment you stop blaming your failures on circumstance, you take full control over your success. Obviously, people’s circumstances vary: a person studying at UBC was likely born into far better circumstances than a child born into poverty. The bottom line is that, ultimately, your future depends on how much effort you put in. You are capable of turning your future around if you are motivated enough and don’t limit yourself.

Speaking of limits, remember Luca Patuelli and his motto “no excuses, no limits“? Dan told us the story of an incredibly inspirational guitar player by the name of Tony Melendez. The thing that separates Tony from other talented guitarists is the fact that he was born without arms. He plays the guitar with his feet and is extremely successful, despite doctors telling his parents that he would never be able to lead a normal life. If you don’t limit yourself to what society deems as “logical”, “realistic” or “possible”, you can open so many doors that you never even knew existed.

Lastly, Dan gave us some advice about how to become more productive and successful, especially with respect to the ever-dreaded school work. The key is to think of school work as exactly that – “work”. On Mondays to Fridays, from 8 to 5, focus all your attention and time on school-related work, whether it’s assessments, studying for a test, or reviewing lecture notes. That way, all your evenings and your entire weekend are free for leisure and, most importantly, sleep! Naturally, you can adapt and change this schedule to your own needs: some people have lectures later than 5pm, for example, or maybe you’re an athlete and have practice during the weekdays. Currently, I’m still a little skeptical about this regime (mostly because I’m a devoted fan of the twenty-minute-nap-between-classes) but I’ve vowed to try it out and stick to the schedule as rigorously as I can.

Dan is presenting another workshop this Friday, this time focusing more on sales and his organization, Southwestern Advantage. The bad news is it’s restricted to Sauderites; the good news is, it’s not too late to sign up on COOL – plus, there’s a free lunch thrown in too!

DFTBA,

Olivia

 

TUNES:

Smooth Criminal – Michael Jackson
Skinny Love – Bon Iver
Postcard from Italy (Beirut Cover) – Florence and the Machine
Raconte-Moi Une Histoire – M83