From Success to Service

What do you know for sure? Seriously, have you ever sat down and thought this through. If you haven't, I highly recommend taking some to think about where you stand on life and where you stand as a contributing member. Once you know where you stand as an individual, then take some time to describe where you stand as a cancer registrar. What is important to you, where do you see yourself in this profession, career or service? What is it that you want to accomplish and why? This is serious stuff now, so don't cheat yourself by repeating someone else's thoughts or coming up with materialistic goals. Really think it through and decide what it is that you know for sure!

Dr. Martin Luther King said, "Everyone has the power for greatness - not for fame but greatness, because greatness is determined by service." What is your plan? How do you want to take who you are, what you want to become and what you do well and use it for something greater than yourself?

Now, here's what I know for sure. Real success comes when I surrender myself to a higher power and to those principles and values that I have chosen to guide my life and actions. If I choose to become highly successful then my focus needs to be on how I can serve the needs of others and help others to be successful first. You see, one of the keys to being successful is to not focus on success or worry about whether you are successful or not, instead it is to work on doing something of significance or of value for someone else. For cancer registrars this means our co-workers, staff, physicians, administrators, hospitals and the patients we serve. Every registry task, big or small, is about serving others.

If you compromise ANY aspect of your work you have chosen failure over service or success. It is as cut-and-dried as this. You either serve others or you serve yourself and self-gratification never leads to success. When we work on becoming a value-added member of the healthcare team we shift our focus from success to service. By focusing on service we instantly add meaning and significance to our life work. It is at this moment we truly become successful! And, when you practice this mindset and behavior each day your level of success will grow into something that is beautiful and remarkable.