Lesson 1 Hope

No one's life is smooth sailing, and I am no exception. However, I always regard hardship as a challenge and never give up hope. I firmly believe that severe challenges mean new opportunities-opportunities to learn, opportunities to grow, opportunities to become strong, or opportunities to go up a storey still higher.

One day three years ago, I was lying in a foreign hospital bed and had a heart transplant. At that moment, my mind flashed the scene of my life. In the past, the right to choose was always in my hands, whether I was devastated or going forward bravely. However, this time, I tasted the feeling of being at a loss.

The initial symptoms were about 14 years ago. That day seems to be no different from the past, but I feel unstable in my heels early in the morning, as if I can't grasp my balance. Hardly had I reached the door when I bumped into the door frame. I tried to adjust my body, trying to move forward, but I lost control and turned left.

My wife Helen suggested that I go to the hospital for a check-up, but I refused, because I have always been indifferent to diseases. I am sure that as long as I have a little rest, my legs and feet will be as normal as before. But at Helen's insistence, I gave in.

However, we all thought that the doctor would only write a prescription, but he asked me to do further tests. The diagnosis is that I have temporary cerebral ischemia. The doctor explained that it was a precursor to a stroke or a heart attack and suggested that I change my lifestyle.

After that, I changed my diet to reduce my cholesterol intake and began to take physical exercise as a part of my life. Soon, however, I went back to the past-a tight meeting schedule, scheduled speeches, and dealing with the complicated daily affairs of Amway with my entrepreneurial partner Jay Van Roan.

One weekend three years later, my children Dick, Dan, Shirley and Fred and I took part in the Queen's Cup dhow race. The race will last all night, and the journey will cross Lake Michigan, starting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and ending in Grand Harbor, Michigan. In order to get familiar with the timetable, we set out from the big harbor at night and drove the 15-foot-long Windquest. I remember it was July 4th.

▲ Richard Devosse in his twenties is just a young sailor. Many years later, he became a navigator. He has also engaged in other sports, all of which are very professional.

I like the excitement of sailing, which requires the contestants to be strong and highly focused. I was helping to change the sail direction and put down the spinnaker when I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my chest. In order not to let anyone worry about me, I have kept silent, just trying to rest more at night. But the next morning, I could no longer ignore the pain in my chest. Soon after, he was carried by a plane, took off from Milwaukee and returned to his home in Grand Rapids.

After in-depth examination, the doctor found that my coronary artery was blocked. Louis Tomatis, a thoracic surgeon, thinks it is necessary to have a heart bypass operation. I never thought I would be the subject of "happy" surgery. I may have forgotten the serious consequences of my temporary cerebral ischemia and the doctor's warning; Or I may believe that a healthy diet and physical exercise have solved this problem. Anyway, in the face of such a situation, I feel shocked and even discouraged. I find it difficult for people to stick to their beliefs in the face of unpredictable challenges.

During the operation, the doctors found that the damage of my artery was far beyond their imagination. They planned to do three or four bypass operations, but in the end they did six. In any case, the operation was very successful. This experience gave me a chance to enjoy my life again, gave me hope and made me realize that "time waits for no man". I thought my future was particularly clear before, but this incident suddenly made it less certain. During my recovery, I learned to relax, arranged more leisure time for myself, and even began to conceive a dream dream that Helen and I had been thinking about for a long time.

Unfortunately, the fight against disease has just begun. 1992 summer, I had a stroke. Although my illness is not very serious, I still have to face a difficult choice: whether to continue to be the president of Amway. I like this job, and together with my partner Jay, I have contributed to the development of the company for most of my life. We have experienced ups and downs, the operation of the company is quite successful, and we have also seen the fruitful results of our own efforts. However, at this time, I have to consider such a question: will the daily pressure of managing a big company threaten my health? This is a question that I don't want to ask or give a clear answer.

▲ 1983, Richard Devosse has just recovered from heart bypass surgery. This is the first serious challenge to his health.

Since then, I have enjoyed the healthiest diet in my life, insisted on regular physical exercise and lived a leisurely life. However, despite this lifestyle adjustment, I was awakened by severe chest pain in the early morning of June, 5438+00, and I realized that my heart disease had recurred.

The ambulance rushed me to the emergency room of the hospital, when my heart almost stopped beating. A nurse in the emergency room is responsible for counting my pulse. I heard her say, "I have no pulse." I don't really remember what happened after that. Thank goodness, I survived!

The doctors are trying their best to save my life, but even they are not sure whether I can survive. Dr. Thomas and Dr. Rick McNamara told my family that Cleveland Medical Center is conducting experimental treatment research on my disease. They suggested that if I agreed, I could contact the medical center. My heart is full of hope again.

The best doctor in the medical center examined me, and my family asked him about the possibility of saving my life. He said he wanted everyone to know that he couldn't guarantee my full recovery.

I have vague memories of those days, but my eldest son Dick remembers that when I was pushed into the medical center, Dr. Cosgrove was very frank. After he gave me a physical examination, he looked at the chart and the test results and said that he would not make any judgment on my situation until the test results came out in the morning. The doctor later became my friend, and he quickly admitted that he had no hope that I would survive that night. My expression is: although there is little hope, surgery is my only chance of survival.

After confirming that we agreed to accept the risk, Dr. Cosgrove agreed to the operation. The operation lasted for quite a long time, and three arterial bypasses were done. Dr. Cosgrove said that my heart muscle was seriously damaged, and the doctors were full of confidence after the operation, because in any case, my condition was relatively stable than before. The hospital claimed that I was in a state of "guardianship".

Major surgery itself means that you may lose your life. At this time, people can't help but wonder if this will be the end of your life. So this moment is the moment to decide whether I will be with God or not, and whether I will enter eternity. I know I'm ready.

Although I was still weak, I went home for Christmas. However, the joy was short-lived, and soon my chest was infected with staphylococcus. In the next few weeks, the doctor performed three more thoracotomy operations for me to eliminate the inflammation of the ribs, sternum and incision. At this time, I have been scarred by knives, and many organizations have lost their functions. In order to heal the incision, plastic surgeon Moore had to remove my pectoral muscle and reset my chest. It was a long time before my physical strength partially recovered. Later, I learned from the doctor that I almost died of infection.

So far, I have passed death several times. I don't remember how I survived those days. I only remember that I was ready to shake hands with death. Major surgery itself means that you may lose your life. At this time, people can't help but wonder if this will be the end of your life. So this moment is the moment to decide whether I will be with God or not, and whether I will enter eternity. I know I'm ready. Although my life is chaotic, my hope for God's life remains unchanged.

The river of life is constantly flowing, full of big or small variables. Of course, death is the most fundamental and ultimate result, and each of us will face it at some point. I'm ready. I have a firm belief. However, you will never really understand this unless you have experienced the threat of death. It turns out that when I had a heart transplant, I accepted a huge challenge that I never imagined, and finally I survived.

For me, no matter how many ups and downs I have experienced in my life, hope is eternal. I like sailing. When I start sailing, the wind and waves will bring a lot of anxiety, and so will life. Those disturbing factors-the change of living environment, will either crush us or make us. The brilliance of life lies not in how to deal with the good days, but in how to spend the hard times.

Hope lit up my life journey, shining in the cloudy night sky. Is the source of my pursuit of Excellence.

You never know whether you can succeed unless you try. Such a simple truth is often ignored by many people.

▲ Richard Devosse had the most important quality in his early life-persistence.

Lesson 2 Persistence

Helen and I often read stories to children when they were young. What impressed me the most was the classic short story The Little Train Did It, which is also one of the children's favorite stories. This story describes a jet train trying to climb the highest mountain. "I think I can!" I think I can! "The sound of a small train once echoed in the memory of two generations and touched the hearts of millions of children.

The words and illustrations in the book are almost naive by today's standards, but they express a truth applicable to children and adults: if you persist, you will succeed. "I think I can! I think I can! " Will be translated into "I did it! I did it! "

Perseverance is one of the most important factors for success in life, which means: no matter what setbacks and difficulties you encounter, you should keep firm will and determination. If you can get up after falling and move on, you will achieve ultimate success. If you fall a hundred times, you can still stand up and say, "Let me try 10 1!" You will achieve ultimate success. Just as the train repeated "I think I can", victory only belongs to such a strong person.

If you fall a hundred times, you can still stand up and say, "Let me try 10 1!" You will achieve ultimate success.

However, it should be noted that persistence does not mean stubbornness, and we cannot confuse firmness of will with rigidity of thought. They are different. Perseverance can push you forward, and stubbornness leads to pedantic and meaningless actions; Perseverance enables you to proceed from the reality of life and help you keep the motivation to move forward. Stubbornness will make you ignore reality and act rashly. Persistence with a specific intention stems from a decision and leads to a goal. Stubbornness is a random and aimless behavior. If you work hard and stick to your goals, people will usually gather around you to push you; If you make a move, people can only walk past you. The choice is in your hands.

Most of the persistence I understand was learned from my grandfather in my early years. He belongs to the old-fashioned "peddler", and this proper title comes from ancient Dutch, which means "peddling along the street". Grandpa drives an old truck to the farmer's market to buy food every day, and then sells it door to door to his neighbors. At that time, I will help him sell some unsold goods. My first deal was with my grandfather. It's the end of the normal business day, and we have some onions to sell. With his help, I made my first business. Although I only earned a few cents, it gave me the first lesson about sales in my life, which made me understand the importance of persistence and possessed this lifelong quality. From now on, as long as my grandfather has unfinished dishes, I will help him sell them. I like this kind of work that requires unremitting efforts and persistence.

▲ Under the gaze of his grandfather Peter Decker, richard devos, a vegetable vendor, started his first business in his life. Although this transaction only earned a few coppers, it taught him the first lesson about persistence that benefited him all his life.

An experience in middle school made me realize the value of making decisions and perseverance. At that time, I was a freshman of 15, and my parents sent me to a Christian high school in my city, which required a lot of tuition. At that time, like most of my peers, I didn't think much. Originally, I just wanted to chase girls, fooling around all day and being indifferent to learning. When I was in the first grade, I tried my best to cope with the exam, but I only passed the Latin exam in the end.

At the end of this school year, my father said to me, "If you keep fooling around like this, I won't pay your tuition for private schools." So when I was in the second grade, I went to a public high school for further study. However, a year later, I really want to go back to that Christian school and be with my friends there. When I told my father this idea, he said, "If you really want to go back, you have to pay all the expenses yourself."

I have to make my own decision, and I have to bear the corresponding consequences. If I choose to go back to that Christian high school, I will have to bear a lot of expenses. After careful consideration, I chose to go back and decided to pay at my own expense. This is the first major decision I made in my life. I am glad that I have a clear goal, and I am determined to work hard for what I really want to do.

I got a part-time job in a gas station-filling the car and cleaning the windshield. I thought I could earn enough money to pay for all the expenses of going to school, but it turned out not to be the case. This money is only enough to pay tuition fees, and other miscellaneous expenses have not yet been settled. At that time, my parents gave me a helping hand. They said that if I could stick to my decision, they would pay other expenses for me.

Some small decisions can make your life full of passion. In fact, the decision to go back to that Christian school and pay for it by myself is not significant compared with other important decisions in my life, but it has had a far-reaching impact on my life. Some small decisions will accumulate together and one day become major and inevitable decisions. In other words, a few small decisions add up to a major decision.

Some small decisions will accumulate together and one day become major and inevitable decisions. In other words, a few small decisions add up to a major decision.

I often recall the scene when my partner Jay and I bought Amway's first jet: the aircraft manufacturer first provided us with the driving experience. To be honest, with this experience, you will easily make the decision to "buy it". Later, they left the plane for us to use for a while. It is also easy to make a decision to "buy it". Finally, they want the plane back! But this time we said "No!" We finally bought the plane. So, a series of small decisions led to a very important decision.

Whether it's big or small, making a decision means setting goals for yourself in life, which requires real courage. An important decision that holds the fate by the throat will change your life.

▲ Before * * * founded Amway, Richard Devosse and his friend Jay Van Roan used to run a take-away restaurant by the river. They took turns cooking and entertaining customers.

On the other hand, without pain, commitment, passion and perseverance, it is impossible to bring real returns. So, once you set yourself a goal and decide to devote yourself wholeheartedly, the next step is to calculate the cost. Think ahead of time and commitment to achieve your goals, and nothing can stop you.

Once you have set yourself a goal and decided to devote yourself wholeheartedly, the next step is to calculate the cost.

A few years later, Jay and I started to run Amway, which is one of the largest direct selling companies in the world. I preached to thousands of people and started my second career with Amway. Nevertheless, I have never tried to make people think it sounds easy. It was not easy to be an Amway direct seller in the past and now. When people with dreams of getting rich quickly come to me, I will tell them to pay attention to other things first.

In this world, success can not be achieved by taking shortcuts, but only through hard work. In addition, when you set yourself a goal and promise to work hard for it, even if you are tired or depressed, your perseverance will enable you to overcome difficulties and keep moving forward.

If you are an entrepreneur who has no funds but is full of dreams and passions, then you are likely to hear others say, "Are you crazy?" This is what I experienced when I pursued your goal. People usually call your tenacious perseverance a man's courage. I can't have my own company if I follow my friends' advice or give in to those criticisms. Fortunately, Jay and I were "crazy" enough to pursue our dreams at that time, and we persisted and made Amway a big company with billions of assets!

In fact, some beautiful dreams usually come from vague ideas. At first, my goal was simple: I just wanted to own my own business, and I was prepared to make sacrifices to achieve this goal, but I didn't know where to start and how to achieve it. When we first started our business, Jay and I succeeded again and again through constant persistence. To tell the truth, at that time, we couldn't have a vision, just insisted. When our fledgling company reached the sales of1million dollars for the first time, we began to dream of getting the second1million dollars, and we did it. Gradually, through unremitting efforts, we have a strong and successful international company.

If you are looking for a reason to be discouraged, you will find it easily. In the journey of life, there will be countless crossroads and fork roads. For example, early in our career, we planned to hold a large-scale sales meeting and made a lot of efforts to this end. We publicized through radio and news advertisements, lobbied different groups of people and rented a large gymnasium for the conference. The result surprised us: only two people attended the meeting. You can imagine how difficult it is to make a passionate sales speech in the face of an empty gymnasium. After the meeting, we had to drive home late at night because we didn't have the money to stay in any hotel, even the cheapest motel. However, this did not stop us from moving forward.

When you encounter setbacks or disappointments, you have only two choices: give up or continue.

When you encounter setbacks or disappointments, you have only two choices: give up or continue.