Nancy Reagan Strikes Again!

Even Successful Folks "Just Say No”
To What They Are Successful In
Before They're Successful In Something Else


Many very successful people were actually very famous in two completely separate arenas. And many of them had to go through long painful periods of inactivity, between their 'old life' and their new one so the memory of them in their previous profile could fade from view.

Sally Field didn't glide directly from Gidget and the Flying Nun into being an Academy Award-winning actress. There was a time gap in-between where you didn't hear alot about her.

Likewise, there was a 26-year gap for Ronald Reagan between "Bedtime for Bonzo" and becomming President of the United States.

And perhaps a more telling example: Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes fame first become widely known for a chatty 1950’s talk show where he interviewed the famous and powerful of the day. (Think Larry King, in black and white, with a cigarette). A far cry from his eventual fame as an investigative reporter.

In his early 40’s Wallace had a big decision to make -- to continue to cruise in his current fame, or do what he really wanted, which was reporting. His big problem: No one wanted to hire him as a reporter.

Yep, I know today that sounds funny.

Wallace had to endure an extended period of unemployment, during his prime before someone would hire him. First, he had to prove to people he was sincere about his new career course, and wouldn’t bolt when a lucrative chance to return to his interviewing slot surfaced. Second, he needed the time to help cleanse the public memory of his previous persona.

Of course, we know how the story turned out.

And of course, I am not asking you to endure 18 months of unemployment. Usually it won’t take that.

What you do need to know is that many of the folks whose success we lionize, had to make some difficult (and costly!) decisions as to what they wanted to devote their lives to.

And went through hell before they came out the other side.

So if you’re going through the same thing, know that you’ve got a lot of company. And that a lot of the folks who hung with it are VERY glad they did.