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Some Good Rules for Bad Times
by Wally Amos
from Famous Amos Cookies
During the past four years of my life, I've been in
debt. I've been sued. I've lost my name and had
creditors calling me every day. This is how I got
through:
PATIENCE: I've learned that it really is a virtue,
especially if you're involved in a lawsuit. The wheels
of justice grind slowly, and there's nothing you can do
to hurry them.
ACCEPTANCE: Don't become part of the problem. I have a
friend who was chairman of a $4 billion company when the
board fired him. He started listing all of his options
for the future. He didn't waste a second. In very short
order, his life moved in another direction. He's happier
than ever. Once you accept, you can get on to solutions.
FOCUS: When I started Famous Amos, I was so focused, I
got it done in five months. Then I let my focus get
diffused. I was all over the place when I should have
been concentrating. I've learned to focus on starting my
new company. The Rev.Robert Schuller once told me that
the three important things are
FAITH,
FOCUS and FOLLOW-THROUGH-- and FULFILLMENT follows
these.
FAITH is intertwined with focus. I believe strongly in a
right outcome: It might not be the outcome I want, but I
believe it will be the right one for me. ("When God
closes a door, He opens a window.")
COMMITMENT: When you say "I will" with conviction, magic
begins to happen. I was committed to creating a new life
for myself. Commitment kept moving me on from one point
to the next.
ENTHUSIASM: It is the wellspring of life. It is
contagious. Many times I walked into a situation where
there was gloom in the room, and I walked in with a
joyful attitude, a cookie and a smile and was able to
change the whole energy. You do that by being
enthusiastic.
POSITIVE ATTITUDE: It's your mental attitude that
creates the results in your life. I went through the
lawsuit for 19 months. When it started, I was lying on
the floor with them steamrolling over me. But I had my
attitude in tact. It just kind of steers you in the
direction of looking for solutions.
BE GIVING: I have not allowed my troubles to keep me
from being involved with Literacy Volunteers of America
and Cities in Schools, or from visiting the Boys Clubs
and Girls Clubs. I believe good things have happened
because I continued to give.
HONESTY and INTEGRITY: You must be positively consistent
in what you say, think and do. That sends a clear
picture to people of who you are. People believe you and
want you to succeed and do what they can to assist.
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