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Make Weak Areas Strong

Bill Mansell

We all have areas where we are weak and areas where we are strong. Perhaps, you have difficulty with math, while I might struggle with social skills. Your strong point may be leadership, while someone else has the ability to keep an immaculate house. While these strengths and weaknesses seem to be simply part of our natural makeup, there is a way to make weak areas strong. And that is what self-improvement is all about — overcoming the difficulties of life and re-making these challenges into strengths. If you will work at it long enough, your weak areas can become your biggest strengths.  Just ask Bill Porter.

Fifty years ago, the Oregon State Vocational Office declared Bill Porter to be disabled and unemployable. Yet, in 1995, he was recognized as the #4 top sales consultant in personal sales at Watkins Products, one of the nation’s largest direct sales companies. Porter’s challenges are significant; he suffers from cerebral palsy.  Even though he was born with a serious birth defect that severely affects his speech, his fingers, and his motor skills, Bill Porter refused to give up on life as many encouraged him to do.

“They said I had too much motivation for my own good. They said I was unemployable and they wanted to give me monthly payments. I wouldn’t take them. I wanted to work!” he recalls with determination.

Bill applied everywhere for a job, but was turned down because of his disability.  Finally, he got his big break when the Watkins company gave him a chance to sell door-to-door, on commission only. Many wouldn’t consider this an exciting opportunity, but to Bill it was a chance to prove himself.

Every weekday morning for years Bill got up at 5:30, struggled into his clothes, and then rode the bus to the  nearby Hotel Vintage Plaza where a shoe-shiner tied his shoes for him and the bell man buttoned his sleeves and tied his tie.  Then he hit the streets. Most people said no; walking was a struggle; the suitcase was heavy. But occasionally, someone bought something. Since he couldn’t use his hands, Bill had the customer fill out the purchase order.

Bill tells of one winter day when it was snowing so hard the buses weren’t running. “I should have quit early but didn’t,” he remembers.  He finally got a ride home but had to crawl on his hands and knees up his icy driveway to get to his house.

I met Bill in 1995.  His movement was slow and difficult; his speech was hard to understand.  But in his eyes shone his motto of “patience and persistence.”  And, he never missed an opportunity to sell his products.

Bill Porter’s determination to live independently turned his physical challenge into an advantage.  Because of his disability, people looked at him, they admired his courage, they were inspired by his tenacity — and they bought.  In spite of his disability, he worked and struggled to develop his presentation skills to the point where he was referred to as “a vital backbone of Watkins distribution.”  His ability to make lemonade from the sourest of lemons allowed Bill Porter to live a full, productive, and independent life. “My work is my life,” Porter commented, ” I love it. I enjoy meeting people. I get to know them very well. I can remember what they bought three visits back!”

We all have areas where we are weak. Take a lesson from Bill Porter and work on it until your formerly weak areas become your greatest strengths. Pick a weakness.  Study, practice, step outside your comfort zone, enlist the help of others, and rise to a new level.  Face your weakness with the determination of Bill Porter and pretty soon, like a beautiful butterfly emerging from an ugly cocoon, you will find reservoirs of strength where before there was only frailty and doubt.

Article Categories: Attitude, Inspiration, Motivation

About the Author

Bill Mansell

Bill Mansell is president of MindPerk, Inc., one of the web's largest resources for self improvement and business training. A dynamic speaker and success coach, Bill is the author of a weekly blog titled, One Minute Motivators. Bill helps companies and organizations inspire and motivate their team members to consistently achieve more. His contagious enthusiasm has helped people from all walks of life to reach and exceed their goals.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarJanet Kirkpatrick says

    January 17, 2017 at 4:49 pm

    Dear Mr Mansell,
    Just started a group counselling using Daniel Amen and youself for finding safety for ourselves alone and with others.
    Thank you for offering resources that that are affordable and accessible.

    Sincerely,
    Janet

    Reply
  2. Avatarliz trice says

    August 7, 2013 at 8:57 pm

    How can i stay positive in a work environment when my social skills are pretty nill. I never have money to go anywhere, gas, food etc. so i stay home mostly. i get into social circles at work and all i hear is about vacations and we are going to dinner and lets go shopping etc. It’s so hard to be one of the girls when you have no money.

    it makes me feel very inferior and i can’t contribute to the conversations. I am a very experienced Customer service rep though. I have 25 years exp and have been running my own department for years, but my boss sees me as a “worker bee’ per HR and not a manger bee. I do however have 2 temps that I have trained and can do almost anything now since I’ve trained them so well. I also answer management questions for customers since none of my managers know about our warranty dept. I haven’t had a raise in 3 years and not feeling very positive.

    Sinking quickly,

    Liz

    Reply
    • Bill MansellBill Mansell says

      August 15, 2013 at 12:02 pm

      Hi Liz. Thanks for your comment. The answer to your questions is: you need to upgrade your social skills. Here are some fantastic, inexpensive, learning programs that I recommend for you:
      – How to Win Friends and Influence People
      – The Best Kept Secrets of Great Communicators
      – The Color Code
      – The Fine Art of Small Talk
      Learn the skills, then practice them! I promise, it will make a huge difference in your life. Hope this helps! Bill

      Reply

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