So you think you might not be qualified to go after something that you want?
Well, I will let you in on a little secret……….you are qualified.
How do I know? You are just going to have to trust me and yourself on this, because the universe is constantly providing concrete proof.
Whenever you dream about leaving your comfort zone to get what you want, like:
- Asking for a raise.
- Applying for a job that would appear “out of your league.”
- Creating something that already exists (a book, a song, poetry, a business) but with your fingerprints on it.
- Speaking up about anything that will improve your life or others.
- Changing your world.
Know this: you are well qualified. In fact you might even be over qualified.
The reason is simple but not so obvious for most people. The best evidence available is to look at a short list of successful people who have done outrageously successful things in their life without any “qualifications”:
- President Barack Obama– Forget about politics and just think about his career. Mr. Obama gets a great education and as a lawyer runs for the US Senate and wins. What were his qualifications? Mr. Obama was a community organizer and a college professor and then ran for President of the United States and won…twice. Again, forget politics. Think about his career.
- Neil Armstrong – the first person to walk on the moon. Mr. Armstrong was obviously qualified as a pilot and extremely educated and talented, but no one prior had ever walked on the moon.
- Steve Jobs – his story is well documented – but think about this: he never even attended college regularly and never graduated. Was he qualified to (co) start Apple? You are probably reading this on an iPhone.
- Paul McCartney – With no musical training at all – Sir Paul (alone and with John Lennon) is universally acknowledged as among the greatest popular songwriters in history. Not only did Sir Paul teach himself to write songs, he taught himself to play the guitar and piano- he even taught John Lennon how to play the guitar.
- John Lennon – see Paul McCartney. It never even occurred to Lennon that he could not write a song. He just did it. Did he wonder if he was qualified to write the song “Imagine”?
- Jackie Gleason – nicknamed “the Great One” – as a kid he taught himself to box and was undefeated in his matches. In addition Gleason could “out-dance, out-sing, out-eat” anyone. Gleason was an early pioneer and had several TV shows (he also was a band leader) and wrote “Moonlight Serenade” the song that plays during the credits at the beginning of each of the “The Honeymooners” episodes. Gleason also won awards for his acting on the big screen. What were his qualifications?
- Steve Kerr– a rookie first year Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors who just guided his team to win the National Basketball Association Championship. Mr. Kerr won titles as a teammate of Michael Jordan, but as a head coach in his first year? Was he qualified?
The thousands of names and stories of “unqualified” people who became very successful is too numerous for this article.
Other than someone who needs a license, what makes someone qualified or unqualified to pursue something that they want?
Nothing. If you believe in your heart that you are qualified, then you are.
Period.
As for the list of names above and the countless others who were supposedly unqualified: it never occurred to them that they were not qualified. Think about that for a moment. For a lot of people it does not even occur to them that they can’t do something.
So today, go after something that you are not qualified for and see what happens.
If you get rejected, so what? Try again tomorrow and the next day, and the next day.
No one has the formula. You are qualified just by thinking that you are qualified.
So never ever let anyone tell you that you are not qualified to go after something that you want or need.
Need a recruiter?
I am Bernie Reifkind, CEO and founder of Premier Search, Inc. I can be reached at 1(800) 801-1400 or email at ceo@premiersearch.com. I welcome your comments.