7 Lessons of Success: One Woman’s Life of Drive, Purpose and Inspiration

 “I hold in my hand a magic box” the speaker began.  “Inside this box are the mysteries of the greatest success you can ever imagine.”  In her hand was a small, brown, wooden box.  The box looked old; the finish was soft and well worn – but there was still the hint of a deep shine.

The speaker continued, “Haven’t you met a person who seemed to have it all together?  That person had something you wanted?  He had the secret sauce, the magic bullet, the ‘IT’ factor?  These rare individuals have a magnetic force – a personality with a gravity that pulls you toward them.  They simply have ‘ALL THAT’.   They can walk in a room and the energy rises.  They can be introduced to you and from that moment – you believe them to be your friend and advocate.  In a flash, you like them, trust them, and hope they will teach you.”

“Inside this box, are all of the secrets you wish to learn,” she paused.  “Why do some people seem to have ‘ALL THAT’ – that little ‘sumpin-sumpin’ that is so uncommon?”   The speaker gently held up the tiny box allowing the light to glow.

Carmen Kingston

Carmen Kingston is a Senior Director of Planning and Integration for Sam’s Clubs – a division of Walmart.  On February 22, 2010, we had a 20 minute meeting but within seconds of meeting Carmen, I knew she held the secrets of “the little magic box.”  There was something about her. I felt an immediate sense of connection, understanding, and empathy.  She had the ‘All That Factor’ and I wanted to know if she could help me quantify it.  The following is her story.

“Allyson, I don’t tell everyone this, but I want you to understand.  I was born in Torreon, Coahuila;  Mexico.  I have one brother and five sisters. My mother and father were my inspiration and they instilled in me the work ethic and drive you see today.  They didn’t just teach with words, they taught me by example.  My father said to us, ‘I have no money or treasure but I can give you an education and with this education you can accomplish anything.’  I finished college in Mexico at the age of 18 with a degree in business administration and a minor in  corporate law.  As soon as I graduated, I came to America”. 

Carmen continued slowly, “After six months of waiting in a border town, I realized my papers were not going to arrive and my hope was running out.  I had with me only $40, paid $20 to cross the Rio Grande River, using  an inner tube.  I crossed the border into El Paso, Texas with literally nothing but the clothes on my back, a good pair of running shoes, a plane ticket to Dallas, and $20 in my pocket.  I ran through the streets of El Paso, took a bus and caught my flight.  I could read some English, but could not speak it.  On the plane I communicated with the man sitting beside me by drawing pictures on paper.  When I landed in Dallas a van took me to a small town in Oklahoma, where I would find work, growing up in the city, I had never work at a farm nor at the fields.” 

She drew in a deep breath, “For one year I worked as a manual laborer in a field surrounded by very, very hard working people, who like me… also had a dream.”

“Twelve months of my life, hot sun, unbelievable physical effort.  It was very hard, physically and emotionally.  But, I had no papers and had to make the best out of that situation.  Hard work was not a problem.  I wanted to work, but I knew I had so much more to give.  After that year, I heard that factories in Northwest Arkansas were hiring so I left Oklahoma and moved to Rogers, Arkansas and worked in a factory for three more years.  Again, it was physical work but I put my heart and soul into being the best employee I could be, the factory owners were amazing people, who did not know of my situation.  Within a short period of time I was promoted to a line supervisor.  I always gave 100% – that is the standard my parents set for us.”

“After five years of living in the United States, I finally received my documents, the feeling of freedom I felt as I held the notification on my hands can’t be described.  Within two weeks I was working at Walmart as an hourly associate.  I wanted to go back to school.  By now, I was married with a child; joining Walmart has been without a question one of the best decisions I have made in my life.  Two years later I became a US Citizen.  I am now 36 years old and I love this country, I have spent half of my life here and will give back to my country and my community as much as I can, is the least I can do.”

Carmen’s voice grew slightly louder, “No one can tell you you can’t accomplish something.”

Point blank I asked, “Why do you seem so different?  What do you have that others don’t have?”

Carmen knew her answer, “I have understood my purpose from the time I was a child.  I have chosen to live intentionally.  I am not at all afraid of hard work and I will always give all of myself to the cause at hand.  Working for Walmart has been a great part of my personal journey.  I have intentionally surrounded myself with advocates.  When I am promoted, I actually interview the person I will be reporting to.  I want to make sure we can communicate easily and that they fully understand my strengths and my challenges.  I want them to draw out my full potential – I want them to give me a goal, the objectives and a deadline and then I want them to give me the freedom and the resources to create and deliver.  They better buckle up, because I am going to hit the ground running!”

“My strength is my gift of communication and collaboration.  I always keep my supervisor and my team well informed.  I look for teams that share common values.  But, my drive and my joy will always come from the lessons I learned in childhood – even today I can hear my father encouraging all seven of us…’Just be the best.  Do your job with pride. Give people more than they pay for – if they pay you a dollar; give them $1.50 in value.’”

I asked if you teach people to have the “All That Factor” and she replied, “There is a deep personal component.  You can’t change people, but with encouragement and belief in their abilities you can maximize their fullest potential.  But, you can’t teach heart and living with passion.”

Carmen’s last comment sums up what lies so deeply within her: “Without question, I love my life.”

Lessons learned from Carmen Kingston

1. Some people are born with drive and passion.

2. It is important to have parents (and to be parents) who teach by example.

3. You have to be willing to step outside the box – cross the border and run like crazy. Make sacrifices when necessary.

4. Perseverance matters, never look back unless is to remind yourself where you came from or how far you have come

5. Surround yourself with people who will draw out your full potential and believe in you.

6. The largest part of communicating is listening.

7. Love the life you have, if there is something missing; do something about it

There Really is a Magic Box

While you may wish it was as simple as signing up for a motivational workshop and having a wise teacher share and open the magic box for you – you already know you will have to open the box for yourself.  You will have to discover your purpose, your values, you hopes and your dreams.  You will have to re-discover your heart.   Inside the magic little box is a big heart, a bigger purpose, and a foundation of love.

Allyson Lewis is the author of, The Seven Minute Difference.  She speaks on improving time management, increasing productivity and rediscovering purpose.  Be a part of the “7 Minute” revolution, visit www.TheSevenMinuteDifference.com to find out more about her newest time management project The 7 Minute Life^TM Daily Planner.  Subscribe to her blog: http://www.allysonlewis.com/ or for more information you can email Allyson@TheSevenMinuteDifference.com.

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