Title:
Magical Success Formula

Word Count:
693

Summary:
Are you looking for the secret or magical success formula? In this article, Ginny Dye opens wide the door to the success formula vault.

Keywords:
secret,success,success formula,perseverance and determination,make difference,integrity,giving

Article Body:
Magical Success Formula

Are you looking for the secret or magical success formula?
Do you think it's a well-guarded, password-protected
valuable locked away in some private vault? Good news! In
this article I open wide the door to the success formula
vault.

Here's The Secret...

The secret to success is having a strong vision and the
perseverance and determination to overcome whatever
obstacles get in your way, along with the courage to make a
difference. Not what you wanted to hear? Read on.

When Amadeo Peter Giannini (better known as A.P.) was only
7, his father died in a fight over one dollar. Times got
real hard. Eventually A.P.'s mother married a man in the
produce business. At age 14 A.P. quit school to work with
his stepfather. By 19 he was a partner in their thriving
enterprise. It was here that A.P. built his reputation for
integrity and honesty. At 31 years of age he had all the
money he needed or wanted, and announced his retirement.

At 32, A.P's real career started when he was asked to join
the board of the Columbus Savings & Loan society. It wasn't
long before A.P found himself at odds with the other
directors. He wanted the bank to loan money to hard-working
immigrants, but at that time banks catered only to business
men and the wealthy. His ideas of loaning money to the
working class were scoffed at.

But A.P. was determined to make a difference for immigrants
too - he had the vision, the perseverance and determination.
He raised $150,000, and bought a converted saloon across the
street from the Columbus S&L. A. P. kept the bartender on as
an assistant teller, and opened the Bank of Italy. It was
here he began to make a difference - to devise his real
success formula.

It was considered improper and uncouth, but A.P. began
ringing doorbells and talking to everyone he could about his
bank. He advertised. He kept the bank open longer hours and
on weekends to fit into working people's schedules. Business
boomed. He knew he was beginning to make a difference.

But making money wasn't A.P.'s sole measurement of success.
He believed he could make a difference by making other
people's dreams come true, too. He helped the California
Wine Industry get started. He bankrolled Hollywood when they
were trying to make movies popular. When Walt Disney ran $2
million dollars over budget on Snow White, he stepped in
with a loan.

A.P.'s story exemplifies the secret to success -- a strong
vision, the perseverance and determination to overcome
obstacles thrown your way and the courage to make a
difference, even in the face of opposition.

OK, I Gave Away The Secret -- Now Here's The Success Formula Integrity combined with "giving back" is the real success
formula. This was A.P.'s personal success formula. What
began in 1904 as the Bank of Italy is now the Bank of
America -- the world's largest bank.

And what about A.P.? Did he die a billionaire?

When he passed away at age 79, A.P.'s estate was worth less
than $500,000. This was purely by choice. A.P. looked down
on great wealth. He believed it would make him lose touch
with the people he wanted to serve. He worked without pay
for years. One year he was given a surprise $1.5 million
bonus and promptly gave it to the University of California.

It's a winning success formula -- integrity plus "giving
back."

There's One More Thing --

By every standard, Amadeo Peter Giannini was a success. But
his true measure of success was to make a difference every
day of his life. I hope that will be your measuring stick as
well. To achieve success, you've got to have a strong
vision, and the perseverance and determination to overcome
the obstacles that will come your way, permeated with
integrity. Adding to that, give back to your community -
make a difference and you'll be successful indeed!