Special guest Tom Morris shares his recipe for success in the face of adversity with a TCU Neeley audience.
May 11, 2021
By Nicholas Ferrandino
Dean Daniel Pullin hosted the Tandy Executive Speaker Series with Tom Morris as the featured guest. Morris is an American philosopher, business and motivational speaker, and author whose works are considered integral to contemporary philosophical theology. For this speaker series, Morris discusses how one can best confront their hardships to benefit the most from them.
The first step in Morris’ process is to be able to remain calm when faced with adversity. Adversity, though at first disheartening, may in fact be worth more than its initial appraisal. Morris posits that, instead of viewing these hurdles in the scope of their immediate impacts, it is important to not rush to judgement, take a step back, and view the problem from a distance. From there, it becomes easier to not only think of a solution, but to find in it a new opportunity. And it is in this discovery that step two begins.
“Uncertainty is an open field of possibilities; a kaleidoscope of innovation,” Morris said. “Uncertainty is a gift.”
It is often necessity that drives innovation, shortfalls that inspire new heights and relentless hardships that create industry leaders. Many of humanity’s worst disasters have led to massive strides in medicine and technology. It was the 1918 flu pandemic that led scientists to break new ground in vaccine development. And over the course of the second World War, the United States invented everything from new sonar technologies to duct tape.
When our emotions are in check and we see the new avenues open to us, it is then time to follow them.
“The most successful people are ones who are action-oriented,” Morris said. “With the right attitude, having found the right opportunity, they take the initiative.”
The third and final step in Morris’ recipe for success is what he refers to as the seven Cs of success. They are the guidelines for what our actions must adhere to in order to achieve our goals.
- A clear CONCEPTION of what we want, a vivid vision, a goal clearly imagined.
- A strong CONFIDENCE that we can attain that goal.
- A focused CONCENTRATION on what it takes to reach our goal.
- A stubborn CONSISTENCY in pursuing our vision.
- An emotional COMMITMENT to the importance of what we're doing.
- A good CHARACTER to guide us and keep us on a proper course.
- A CAPACITY TO ENJOY the process along the way
-Tom Morris, “True Success: A New Philosophy of Excellence”
With these tenets, Morris ensures that any adversity can become an opportunity, and even the sourest of lemons can be turned into something sweet.
“We’re not going to enjoy everything that happens. We’re going to have tough days, obviously. But if we cultivate a capacity to enjoy whatever can be enjoyed about the process, then we get better at the process.”
