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 Newsletter / February 2012 |
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SECOND CHANCES By Jim Stavis “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”—Maria Robinson The term “second chance” can have different meanings to different people. For me, my definition has more to do with receiving new organs that gave me a second chance at life itself. But for most, the idea of a second chance is more about if you were to make changes in your life, what would they be? It’s called a Mulligan–or a do-over–in gold vernacular. That is the question of this newsletter. We all need second chances. This isn’t a perfect world and we’re not perfect people. To succeed in life, you have to fail a lot. That’s just the way it is. We rarely get it right the first time. In fact every major accomplishment in a person’s life starts with the decision to try again–to get up after every failed attempt and give it another shot. The only difference between an opportunity and an obstacle is attitude. Getting a second chance in life is about giving yourself the opportunity to grow beyond your past failures. It’s about positively adjusting your attitude towards future possibilities. Here are 10 ways that I believe you can make it happen: 1) Let go of the past: What’s done is done. Every difficult moment in our lives is accompanied by an opportunity for personal growth and creativity. But to attain this growth and creativity, we must first learn to let go of the past. We must recognize that like everything else in life, difficult times shall pass as time marches on. With experience and attitude, we will be better prepared the next time. 2) Identify the lesson: Everything in life is a lesson. Everyone you meet, everything you encounter, etc. are all part of life’s learning experience. Never forget to recognize the lesson and remember it the next time a similar situation occurs. 3) Stay positive: Negative thinking creates negative results. Positive thinking creates positive results. Period. 4) Accept responsibility: Either you take accountability for your life or someone else will. And when they do, you’ll become a slave to their ideas and dreams instead of a pioneer of your own. You are the only one who can directly control the outcome of your life. And no, it won’t be easy. 5) Focus on the things you can change: Some forces are out of your control. The best thing you can do is to do the best with what you have control over, with the resources you have access to. Wasting your time, talent and energy on things that are beyond your control is an exercise in frustration. 6) Focus in on what you really want: Figure out what is meaningful to you so you can be who you were born to be. Don’t waste your life fulfilling someone else’s dreams and desires. You must follow your intuition and make a decision to never give up on YOUR dream. 7) Concentrate on doing instead of not doing: Instead of concentrating on breaking bad habits (unhealthy eating, smoking, etc.), concentrate instead on creating good habits (that just happen to replace the bad ones). 8) Create a daily routine: It sounds simple, but creating a daily routine can be the first step towards changing your life. As the saying goes, “Take it one day at a time.” After a while, you will be on your way to making changes in your life. And that’s what second chances are all about. 9) Maintain self-control and focus: The harder you work, the luckier you become. Stop waiting around for things to work out. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. 10) Lastly, forget about impressing others and live your life for yourself. So many people buy things they don’t really need or impress people they don’t even know. Don’t be one of these people. It is a waste of time and money. Just keep doing what you know is right and if it doesn’t work, adjust your approach and keep trying. You’ll get there eventually. If it’s not the second chance that works, perhaps it’s the third, fourth or tenth chance. Just don’t give up.  WISDOM OF THE MONTH One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is with two wolves inside of all of us. One is Evil—It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, self-pity, guilt, resentment, false pride and ego. The other is Good—It is joy, peace, love, serenity, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked, “Which wolf wins?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”  EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHTHolly Hees has worn many hats while working at Paragon Steel. Remarkably, Holly has been working for us since 1996 when she answered an ad for an accounting position. Previously, she had worked in the vehicle towing and impound world in their accounting department, but had grown tired of dispatching their trucks and impounding vehicles. She lived in Covina and Paragon Steel had an office nearby in Pomona. “That was short lived,” she laughs. “Shortly after taking the position, they consolidated back to Long Beach and I wasn’t sure if I’d keep my career with them, but obviously, I’ve gotten used to commuting.” That’s a bit of an understatement. Holly has become an integral member of the Paragon Steel organization over the years and has worn just about every hat imaginable. From accountant to receptionist to buyer to seller, and in every division, she’s done it all. “I am definitely a girl who wears many hats,” she confirms. “Because of my years here, if the receptionist steps out, I am at the front desk answering phones. Or if they need help in accounting, I step in.” Now as our company’s senior buyer, Holly’s main role—and favorite yet—is negotiating the best deals, whether she’s dealing with steel mills or purchasing items for inventory or customer needs. That’s because the best deals for Paragon Steel mean we can provide greater value to our customers. “You really learn something new every day because we promote locating hard-to-find items,” she explains. “There are so many different steel, aluminum and stainless items with different grades and sizes. Paragon is not your typical steel distribution company.” As a buyer, Holly plays an important role in our projects’ success, too. She’s probably most proud of the recent Mid-City Expo rail line project, on which she worked closely with project engineers. “I was the main buyer so seeing that job happen from the ground up was really cool,” says Holly. While Holly’s passion and loyalty for the projects and people at Paragon Steel have her joking that she “bleeds Paragon blue,” she’s just as excited about the time she gets to spend with her husband of 20-plus years, 23-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter outside of work. Both are very musically driven so there’s lots of singing and drama. She also enjoys spending time with friends and outdoors. “I am a living life kind of person!” she says.  |
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