“Let a man in a garret but burn with enough intensity and he will set fire to the world” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery

 “Any guy that’s not working with the same amount of intensity and passion that I do, I don’t want to know.” – Zakk Wylde
 
There is nothing like pure and unbridled passion to drive results.  Sometimes the will to succeed is so strong that it literally overcomes all obstacle; the intensity so high that it creates its own momentum.  That energy, that focus, and that enthusiasm are one of the few intangibles I admire most in a team member.
 
I was reminded of this in a recent encounter/exchange with one of our fellow colleagues.  The story is worth repeating…
 
This past week I was working out of our corporate headquarters.  One of our key recruiting centers is located in this facility.  As it happens, I came across Rick Purcell as he prepared for his day.  Rick is an Englishman here on loan from the UK, and is serving as the head of recruitment delivery for that function. 
 
As he was preparing for his day he was listening to music.  I have to be honest, the music was god-awful, and I couldn’t pass one the opportunity to ‘haze’ him for this musical interests. 
 
“What in the heck kind of music are you listening to?” I asked. His response was both instant and classic, and the inspiration for this week’s message:
 
 “That’s my get-ready-to-recruit-a-boatload-of-candidates music!!”
 
When I heard Rick’s response (and let me say I’ve removed an expletive for sanitation purposes), I have to tell you I laughed out loud—yes, because of his response, but also because of the way he delivered it. This was early in the morning and he was completely pumped. He was ready to rock it.  But more importantly, he was ready to own his day—to own the results of his actions.  And he had no intention for those results to be anything other than absolute success. 
 
To be fair, I’m not suggesting that each of you start jamming to music every morning to get you pumped up for the day.  If you want to do that—great.  But that’s not my point.  What’s more important is the intensity and passion you bring to your job.  The focus and energy you direct in your actions.  And the conviction you have in owning your outcomes.
 
I’ve long been a believer in the power of perspective.  “You are what you think you are”, I’ve always said.  If you are focused on barriers, you’ll find them everywhere. But if you are focused on wins, you’ll find those, too. It’s not about rose colored glasses, but it is about moving forward with energy and positivity…
 
Maybe there really is something to be gained by singing in the shower?