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"My Birthday Surprise"
was created especially for
Michael Jeremy Smith
with love from
your best friend Linda
November 9th ， 2004
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Yes, it was birthday time
again, November 9th. Mike Smith of
Atlanta, had reached yet another
major plateau in his life - age 38.
Mike was a high flier, a born
leader, and a man of many
accomplishments. There was no
doubt about it - Mike was a legend
in his own mind.
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Larry,Wayne and Bob had
planned a big birthday bash for
Mike this year. Hand-written
invitations had been sent to all
his friends.
Fortunately forLarry,Wayne
and Bob , the job had been very
easy. Only a few invitations had
to be written.
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Larry,Wayne and Bob had spent
a lot of time
developing a theme
for this special birthday party.
It was
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Mike Smith
The ten keys to
success
in your life |
Obviously, the theme was a
very popular one. The party room
was
packed. |
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Larry,Wayne and Bob started
his success story by explaining that
the path Mike had followed through
life had been met with a series of
closed doors. 0ver the
years,
judging from the shape of his beak,
many of these doors had been
slammed
in his face.
Despite these setbacks,Mike
had still managed
to become a
success in Atlanta. It was evident
that these ten keys had worked a
miracle for Mike. |
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Mike and the rest of the party
group were quiet when Larry,Wayne
and Bob announced the first key to
his success. |
''Always be full of hot air" |
Mike had devoted much of his
life to achieving
this goal. Those
who knew him agreed that he was
definitely full of
it.
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The second key of success was
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| ''Stay young” |
Mike maintained his youthful
appearance by following a strict
exercise program. His favorite
activity seemed to be jogging to the
refrigerator.
Unfortunately, staying young
was difficult after 38 birthday
celebrations. In fact, lighting the
candles on his birthday cake was
considered a fire hazard for Mike
and everyone else present at the
party. |
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| Believing that |
"No mountain is too hard to climb" |
was another component of the success
formula for Mike.
Anyone who had ever seen Mike
demolish a
mountain of ice cream
topped with whipped cream and a
cherry realized the
truth of this
statement. He could whittle it down
in seconds. |
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The fourth key was a critical
factor in making Mike the success he
is.
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''Surround yourself with intelligent,
responsible people."
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Mike always kept snapshots of
his trusted friends in his wallet.
Come to think of it, that was about
all you could ever find in his
wallet ! |
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The excitement of the party
had almost been too much for
everyone. They
decided to briefly
interrupt this spell-binding
''Success Story'' and have Mike open
his many gifts.
Nobody had trouble buying Mike
a present. After
all, what can't
you buy for a man who needs
everything?
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After watching Mike open his
gifts, the anxious
crowd was eager
to hear the fifth key to his
success. It was
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| Don't be a horse's... behind. |
Unfortunately, Mike couldn't
help himself. It was just his
nature.
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The saga of Mike continued. The
next key to his success was
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| ''Enjoy the sweet things in life.'' |
There are many sweet things in
life: the presence of a
wonderful
companion, adventure-filled vacations
and lots of money.
Whenever Mike wanted to enjoy
sweet things,he went to his pantry.
This was the only source of sweet
things for Mike. |
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The seventh key was vitally
important for social climbers like
Mike: |
"Don't forget from whence
you came.'' |
On his long climb up the ladder
of success, Mike never once forgot
his roots. He was so very proud of
all his ancestors.
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To really be successful, you must
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| ''Only play games you can win.'' |
Talented individuals like Mike
pride themselves
on their athletic
and business prowess. Very few
adults had ever beaten Mike at any
of his favorite games. Everybody
knew he would have a temper tantrum
if they did.
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''Blow your own horn'' |
was certainly another vital part of
his success formula.
Everyone agreed that if Mike
didn't blow his own horn, nobody
would do it for him. In fact, he
kept stacks of horns and
whistles
handy for all the important moments
in his life. Mike would do almost
anything to call attention
to
himself !
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Mike always maintained that, to be
successful, you must |
''Picture yourself as you want to be.'' |
Mike thought that once he was
successful, his portrait would be
hung in the homes of all of his
friends.
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Dear Mike:
Now you know the ten keys to
the success in your life. We
had
originally planned to have you say a
few words, but we remembered
that
brevity is not one of your ten keys.
Congratulations on yet another
"successful'' year. Happy
Birthday!
your best friend Linda
November 9th ， 2004 |
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