It was the first time he had won the award.

Super salesperson Joe Girard was at a banquet put on by the automobile company whose cars he sold.

They announced that he had won The Number One New Car Salesman Award.

He received hearty applause as he walked to the stage to accept his award.

The following year he won the award again.

He received applause, but not as much.

The next year he won the award again.

He was stunned that when his name was announced he received jeers and catcalls from his fellow salesmen.

He looked at his wife sitting at his table.

She was in tears.

Shocked by the reaction he was receiving, he conjured up the image of one of the greatest baseball players of all time, Ted Williams.

Every time the crowd would boo, William’s batting average would go up.

Girard tossed away his prepared acceptance speech and instead said…

“Thank you.  I’ll be back again next year.  You have given me the right to come back.  You have fuelled my tank to keep my motor running.”

He went back to his table and his wife explained why she was crying.  She said she was shedding tears of sympathy for him and she had tears of anger for the others.

Joe took her hand and said…

“The day they quit booing me is the day I’m no longer number one.  They’ve paid me a compliment.”

Girard won the award many times after that.  The same thing happened.   All the while he tried to analyze why it was that they were booing him.

He determined that it was envy, jealousy, and a willingness to settle for second best and in some cases just give up.

He knew if he was to remain number one, he must never let those emotions happen to him.

“Those who are number two and number three in life are not content until they pull the number ones down to their level,” he says.

In life, in order to succeed, we must all be our own number-one fans.  In fact, Girard says the number one rule in life is to have faith in yourself.

Here are his ten rules to keep yourself as the number one person in your life:

  • Buy a small number one/lapel pin (or ring, necklace, or bracelet) and wear it proudly every day.
  • Tape a three-by-five file card with “I Am Number One” printed on it to your bathroom mirror where you can see it first thing every morning.  Read it out loud and smile.
  • Keep a similar card in your office or shop or kitchen or locker.  Put another on the sun visor of your car.
  • Repeat this statement ten times every morning, upon rising,  “I am my own best Salesperson.”
  • Repeat this statement ten times every night before going to bed, “I Am the Number One Person in my life.”
  • Associate with others who know how to sell themselves and who are winners.
  • Avoid the losers from now on.
  • Put negative thoughts – envy, jealousy, greed, and hate – out of your life.
  • Determine that you’ll take every catcall in life from now on as a compliment and build on it.
  • Give yourself a pat on the back at least once a day.

Are you number one in your life?  If not, what are you going to do to change that?