Small Business Blog from Atlantic Canada

I am "CA" Atreya (PMP, MBA), the author of this blog. I help businesses in Atlantic Canada achieve their BHAG successfully. You may subscribe to this blog using a feed reader (RSS).

We talked about your dreams and BHAG in our earlier post - Don’t let anyone steal your dream. What is it about those dreams and visions that changes your life? When you think about it, it boils down to one word: COMMITMENT. Here is a quote from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:

The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never have otherwise occurred. A while stream of events issues from decisions, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.

Here is Phil Johnson’s inspiring story in his own words and how commitment changed his life. I trust it will motivate you towards that commitment you have been vacillating about.

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When did you know you were committed?

January 1968 - I was 14 years old at the time.

I was born 6 weeks prematurely in Brantford, Ontario Dec 1, 1953. Our family lived in a 2 bedroom war time home where my mom and dad were raising 3 boys … Fred, John and Phil … I am the youngest … and quite a surprise as my mom was 42 years old when I was born. Three boys in one small bedroom with no air conditioning … it wasn’t always pretty.

My parents were born in the early 1900’s … and went as far as grade 8 in school. My dad played semi pro baseball. He was a good athlete … he also boxed and played lacrosse…and he made his own beer … I used to help! His friends called him “Buck.” He volunteered to serve in WWII, as did many Canadians he was in his early 30’s at the time … and ended up in North Africa as Sergeant of a mortar artillery platoon … his men called him “the old man” and he referred to them as “the lads.”

After the war my dad worked in a Brantford factory … where he never made more than $5.00 per hour. I was born 6 weeks prematurely … weighing ~ 4 pounds … I spent my first 6 months in an incubator at the hospital. I have dyslexia … it’s a neurological disorder that I was born with … I notice it most when I’m spelling or reading … it can cause me to re-arrange numbers and words in my mind … I didn’t realize that I had the condition until about 15 years ago. I failed grade 3 and grade 5 … I used to pray that the teacher wouldn’t ask me a question … I never made eye contact … many times the back of my shirt would be soaked with sweat by the time class was over.

I started working when I was 9 years old pulling copper out of the back of dumpsters and selling it for 5 cents a pound … that was my “allowance”. My mother died when I was in grade 7 … December 3, 1967 … 2 days after my 14th birthday … she had developed cancer, gone through chemotherapy and had a radical mastectomy … One month later I made a decision that was to change my life.

It was snowy January night around midnight and I was taking my dog Duke for a walk … he was a Blue Tick Hound dog that my parents had bought for me as a puppy when I was 5 years old … standing behind the Johnson’s Wax factory I decided to “go for it” … I was going to see what was on the other side of the hill. That year I became an “A” student (my dad died later when I was in grade 13). I graduated near the top of my class from the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University in 1978 … and went on to study Electrical Engineering, while continuing to work full time, in the early 1980’s.

During my 20+ year career in the semiconductor industry we achieved over $750M in revenue … was traveling over 40,000 per year (that’s 4 flights per week!). In 1990 I was living in a house with a fully landscaped 40 foot in ground pool on a ravine lot backing on to the Credit River in Mississauga, Ontario … I had all the toys and my career was on the rise … the President of the company that I worked at offered me the V.P. of the Division that I had started.

And yet … I remember talking with one of my older brothers and commenting … is this all there is? I had accomplished more than I … or anyone else ever thought I would and yet I was surprised that I felt less than fulfilled … and not very happy. I was disappointed at the quality of the leadership that I’d experienced in my life to that point. It was around this time (1990) that I remembered the 2nd half of the promise that I’d made to myself on that snowy night in January of 1968 … that I was going to come back and help the kids that at 12 or 13 had already given up on life.

I met my wife and best friend Brenda February 6, 1993. My focus has changed from a focus on “success” to a focus on significance … I established Silicon Synergy Inc. and I’ve never been happier in my life.

Do I remember when I became committed? Every day.

-Phil Johnson,

MBL Coach

http://www.silicon-synergy.com

Phil’s LinkedIn Profile

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Thank you, Phil for granting me permission to publish your story. Phil Johnson is the founder of Silicon Synergy. His executive coaching has been recognized in North America, Dubai, India and China.So if you are thinking about entrepreneurship, relationship, marriage - whatever it is that you want to do, commit yourself and just do it. Just make sure your decision adheres to the highest ethical and moral standards. Care to share your success story?

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