We shape our lives and our success
Beata Bruggeman-Sękowska is a Polish and Dutch journalist and lecturer. She is also an author and publisher of language textbooks, including ‘Polish and Dutch Medical Terminology’, ‘Polish-Dutch Business Vocabulary’, ‘Russian and Dutch Medical Terminology’ and ‘Dutch-Romanian Business Vocabulary’. She is an advisor to governmental institutions and companies on issues concerning Central and Eastern Europe and is a member of the board of the Maastricht Institute for Central and Eastern Europe.
In 2004 she established Communications-Unlimited (www.communications-unlimited.nl ) offering language courses, including courses of Dutch, English and Polish in Poland and the Netherlands, as well as sworn translations. She supports the preparations for “Pole of the Year” contest and is a member of the jury of this contest in the Netherlands and she presides over the jury in “Miss Poland in Benelux’’ contest.
Interview with Beata Bruggeman-Sekowska can be found here:
We shape our lives and our success
The subject of the symposium we are organising is “Be successful in the Netherlands”. Looking at your achievements and high profile among Poles living in the Netherlands as well as in other parts of the world, one cannot help asking: What is the basis for your success?
There are various definitions of success, my favourite being the words of Anthony Robbins -the world-known American consultant andlife coach. According to him success is ‘’doing what you want to do, when you want, where you want, with whom you want, as much as you want.” Only then can we carry on doing what we are doing with passion , creative energy, unlimited determination and faith in yourself and what you want to achieve. But to do that one must answer a seemingly banal, yet difficult question:
What is it that we want to achieve in life? We, precisely, not others. What is our objective? Once that we know that, we have to work out a strategy, means of meeting our objectives, and then work towards further improvements.
What is your advice for Poles living in the Netherlands, who are just about to start their careers?
I remember the beginnings of my career in the Netherlands, which taught me a great deal. At that time people used to tell me that I would not be able to achieve as much as I could in Poland, that it was best to pocket one’s degrees and diplomas and to toe the line. The opposite might be badly seen. I’m grateful for these lessons, since they made me realize that that was not the way. The greatest enemy of one’s success is not believing in oneself, or thinking that success is for others. One of the frequently made mistakes is inventing reasons for failure. What we want to achieve depends on us and on how well-defined our plans are, on our determination and openness to change. We should not put constraints on ourselves. What is worth remembering is that if we want to change our lives, we must not fear making it happen. No one will do it for us. Inertia and maintaining the status quo mean no opportunity for making our dreams come true. We only make a success of things with determination and faith in ourselves.
Are the latest marketing strategies, so prevalent in today’s business world, a shortcut to success?
PR and marketing are crucial in business. In my company we can’t imagine either of them without a constructive use of the Internet and social media. Customers and their expectations are the pillar of a business. Without customer needs analysis, without a proper care for company’s image or its promotion, the task of attracting customers and convincing them that they need our products and services would be impossible. The Internet and social media provide us with that opportunity.
Please visit our website Communications-Unlimited at Facebook and Linkedin!
Now on to the symposium we are organizing – is it worth attending?
I am convinced of the necessity of self-actualization, self-development and facing new challenges. However, let’s not forget to use the knowledge we have gained at the symposium in what we are doing. And last but not least, let us believe that we shape our lives and our success!
By Richard Dudkiewicz
Source:
http://www.polonus.nl/pl/nasz-rzeczywisto-i-sukces-tworzymy-my-sami.html