Your greatest success might be disguised. That was the case for William Wrigley, Jr. You recognize the name from Wrigley chewing gum. What you might not have known is that Wrigley started out as a soap company, using chewing gum as a promotional giveaway inside the box of soap.
Perhaps your greatest success is lurking right under your nose. And success does not necessarily mean growing your wealth – it could be a simple discovery about how to fulfill your potential.
At the age of 29, William Wrigley, Jr. moved to Chicago to sell soap for his father’s company. To sell more soap he began putting a pack of chewing gum in the boxes of soap. The promotion worked and soap sales increased. Two years later in 1893 he launched his first chewing gum brand – Juicy Fruit. After years of persistence and hard work, the company became the largest manufacturer and marketer of chewing gum.
Could your greatest success be right under your nose?
I’ve noticed that many people lack self awareness of their special talents and gifts. Those talents lay dormant, just waiting for the right situation or set of circumstances to trigger them. These dormant opportunities explain the gap between where you are now and your full potential. Wrigley acted on his hunch and exploited his opportunity.
The trigger that helps you unlock your potential might be an observation made by a friend, colleague or even a complete stranger. In many cases, the clues might be right around you. The clues may be just a whisper or they could be screaming at you to take notice.
You can help others discover their talents by making observations and then encouraging and supporting them as they begin to develop those talents.
Action Tips
- Reflect on the clues you might be receiving from the people you interact with, the projects you undertake and the challenges you overcome.
- Ask for feedback from people who know you best.
- Experiment, take some measured risks.
- Go out of your way to tell a friend, colleague or acquaintance about a strength you notice in them.
Like William Wrigley, Jr. I hope you can discover that next great idea that moves you toward fulfilling your potential.
