How to Be at the Right Place at the Right Time
Posted: Wednesday, July 28, 2010
by Donovan Baldwin
No Diet 4 Me
We've all heard it said about someone at one time or another...
"He was just at the right place at the right time."
However, it is often assumed that this is purely a matter of chance, and, in some cases, it is.
In many cases, it is not.
Think about it. Movie stars are often in the right place at the right time because they are somewhere near a place where actors gather, or are sought. Athletes, in addition to acquiring the skills necessary for their trade, tend to be where other athletes, coaches, trainers, and fans congregate.
In other words, they had chosen to be there at that time, if not for the event, but because it was near where their goal was located. When I say "where", by the way, I don't just mean a specific physical site.
Just a couple of stories.
In the 30's, a young singer, and would-be movie star, was having his cowboy hat blocked when he overheard that a local studio was looking for someone to play a role in a movie. He hurried over, auditioned, got the part, and, after a fortuitous name change, Leonard Slye, an ex-dump truck driver from Duck Run, Ohio, became Roy Rogers, King of the Cowboys. For years, he was the idol of millions, particularly boys of my era. He, his wife, Dale Evans, his horse, Trigger, his dog, Bullet, and even a jeep from his TV show, Nellybelle, were known around the world.
Right place, right time. However, he was there because "there", Hollywood, was where movies were being made and cowboy actors, who could sing, were being hired.
In the 40's, a young man to become famous and powerful in the U.S. and around the world, was born in a small foreign country to an ordinary family. His older brother outshone the somewhat un-athletic young man, but he set goals for himself, and one-by-one, he achieved them. Each goal achieved took him to places where he could meet people who would recognize his drive and talent, and help him move on to a higher level
Around him, at the same time, thousands of people took their shot, many achieving some level of fame or success, but few achieving the levels he achieved. The reason in most cases was simple. He was willing to try, try again and to always go to, and be at, the place or function which was important to his goals, interests, and desires.
In his teens, he won an important contest in Europe. This was a step in his preparation to compete in a world contest. Winning that competition allowed him to move to America and allowed him to put himself in contact with people who recognized his talent and drive, and who helped him to move onward.
This pattern repeated itself over and over again throughout his life.
Looking back, even he acknowledges that much of his present fame, success, and wealth depended a lot on being in the right place at the right time. However, he was there because he put himself there, and he put himself into potential "right places" time after time. Combine his efforts to achieve his specific goals with his recognition of the need to go where "the action is", at least as it related to his chosen life path, and his eventual success was almost guaranteed, even if life had only allowed him to succeed at a lower level.
Today, the little boy from the small, war-ravaged, European country, is an internationally recognized actor, with a multitude of movies to his credit. He is a member by marriage of the rich and powerful Kennedy clan. He is also the Governor of the state of California.
Ask Arnold Schwarzengger, and he will acknowledge that being in the right place at the right time played a huge role in his success. However, he was in those places at that time because that was where he realized he needed to be to get where he wanted to go.
Fame and fortune does not normally come to someone sitting on their living room couch. It comes to those who acquire skills, practice and improve them, and put themselves, over-and-over again, in the right place at the right time...not knowing if that time and that place is actually going to be the right one.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Donovan Baldwin is a 65-year-old accountant, amateur bodybuilder, freelance writer, certified optician, and Internet marketer currently living in the Atlanta, Gerogia area. A University Of West Florida alumnus (1973) with a BA in accounting, he has been a member of Mensa and has been a Program Accountant for the Florida State Department of Education, the Business Manager of a community mental health center, and a multi-county Fiscal Consultant for an educational field office. He has also been a trainer for a major international corporation, and has managed various small businesses, including his own. After retiring from the U. S. Army in 1995, with 21 years of service, he became interested in Internet marketing and developed various online businesses. He has been writing poetry, articles, and essays for over 40 years, and now frequently publishes original articles on his own websites and for use by other webmasters. He offers a line of do-it-yourself legal software at http://legalhelp.xtramoney4me.net .
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)I don't believe it's luck either, and I agree about the living room couch thing! I enjoyed your article, and love your last paragraph - and closing remark! Thanks.
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