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3 Myths of the Midas Touch

Midas TouchWhy does it seem like some people have the “Midas Touch”?  Everything they touch turns to gold, while some people are stuck with piles of coal.

It’s hard not to compare ourselves to others.  Keeping up with Joneses has become part of our lexicon as well as the urgent desire to “get rich quick”.

Sometimes it seems like everyone else knows the secret to success, they know the secret password, and the secret handshake…and we don’t.

My job-seeking clients believe everyone else is getting job offers; my employed clients think their co-workers are getting the plum assignments and promotions; and my consulting clients are convinced that their competition has more clients than they know how to handle.

On one hand, competition can be inspiring and motivating.  It can elevate our game and make us even better.

On the other hand, it can be discouraging and deflating.  It can cause some people to feel defeated and lose hope.

Understandably, it’s frustrating when you try your best over and over, operate with integrity and the best of intentions, learn from the experts, modify your approach, and you still don’t achieve the results you want.

It’s hard to keep the green-eyed monster at bay when some people never seem to make a mistake or a misstep, and every product, career decision, and brilliant idea goes viral…like magic.

That’s the perception, but the reality is often very different.  Here are 3 Myths of the Midas Touch.

Myth #1 – “Overnight Success” Happens Overnight

Whether you are a musician, a movie star, or a business mogul, success rarely happens overnight.

Michael Jordan, arguably one of the greatest basketball players of all time, lost almost 300 games and missed more than 9,000 shots.

Thomas Edison, the brilliant inventor, attempted to perfect the light bulb 10,000 times.  Instead of giving up and moving onto another invention, he simply said, “I have not failed.  I have just found 9,999 ways that do not work.”

There are often years of trials, tribulations, and failures that contribute to career success.  What “overnight success” stories have in common is tenacity, unwavering commitment, and passion.

There is a “never say die” type of mentality that these people share…not the Midas Touch.

Myth #2 – Some People Are “Just Lucky”

Even though some people seem to always be in the right place at the right time, and catch all the breaks, are they really “lucky” or is it something else?

Luck is often defined as when preparation meets opportunity.  There is also a lot of truth to the idea that “the harder you work, the luckier you get”.

Could it be that a violinist had been practicing 10-12 hours a day for years, and that’s why she was offered a position with the Boston Symphony?  Or perhaps your co-worker had been learning Spanish online at night, and that’s why she was offered the promotion to open the new office in Mexico?

Some people are lucky and win the lottery, but most successful people work hard and know how to optimize opportunities.  Successful people also know how important relationships are to achieving goals.

“Lucky” people not only prepare themselves well, and position themselves strategically, but they also place enormous value on the people who can help them.  Luck has very little to do with it.

Myth #3 – Successful People Deserve Success

This is the biggest myth to bust, because it’s all about belief.

The fallacy is that successful people are inherently smarter, more talented, and therefore more deserving of success.  Some may be, but many are not.

The danger of this myth is that the flipside suggests that unsuccessful people are not deserving and are not worthy of success.  This speaks directly to your inner belief and challenges you to evaluate your own value.

According to Oprah, “When you undervalue what you do, the world will undervalue who you are.”

King Midas and his magic touch can remain a fairy tale with three simple questions…

  1. Do you have the tenacity to persevere through challenges and failures?
  2. Are you prepared to optimize each and every opportunity?
  3. Do you believe you deserve and are worthy of success?

If you answered “yes”, then you have everything you need to turn your goals into gold.

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