Lenny Peters, M.D., is the author of the new book Peters' Principles of Success: Common Sense Pathways to Prosperity and Fulfillment. He also has written the book Barefoot to Benefactor, and he founded Bethany Medical in High Point, North Carolina, as well as the Lenny Peters Foundation.
Q: What inspired you to write Peters' Principles of Success?
A: I get inspired when I see people empowered to take risks and apply the discipline required to establish themselves in business. I did so many times throughout my life, whether venturing off to school at 14, pursuing my passion for healing others by becoming licensed to practice medicine on four continents, or establishing myself as an entrepreneur in the fields of health care, commercial real estate, and banking.
Along this journey, I have had to remain self-confident and overcome a multitude of obstacles through faith and the power of forgiveness. That is not to say I have been successful all on my own. There have been many people who – often without my asking and at moments I was most in need – appeared along my path to help usher me along. I call them my angels without wings.
Now, in addition to my philanthropic efforts through the Lenny Peters Foundation, I wanted to share the lessons and practices I adopted en route to my success. Perhaps I can encourage or inspire someone else who is destined for great accomplishments and, knowingly or not, is in need of a bit of guidance.
Q: Who do you see as the perfect audience for this book?
A: I expect those who will most benefit from my experience and example are the young entrepreneurs just starting out in business or perhaps just graduating from college. There is always a level of uncertainty and trepidation early on in one’s career, and my principles can help curtail some of that.
Still,
there might be someone a little farther down the road in need of reassurance or
realignment in their thinking to overcome stagnation or a barrier in their path
to take them from where they are to where they aspire to grow to reach.
And lastly, I understand that some of us who have achieved success in life might like to think we have done so all alone, that we have all the answers, and that it is we who know best. I also understand this is a fallacy, false pride, and ego. Sure, we have bet correctly and moved wisely to get to this point, but that does not mean we do not need reminding that we have had help, that we can evolve in our thinking and that we owe it to our communities to lead and to give back.
Q: How do you define success, both for yourself and for others?
A: In terms of accomplishments and gains, success is uniquely defined by each of us.
For me, success has meant acquiring the ability to treat and help others. As a physician, I always served by the motto: I treat, God heals. Through my good fortune and unwavering faith, I have been blessed to also do well in business, to provide a life for my children and grandchildren that allows them opportunities and comforts I never knew as a child. And that legacy of hard work and self-sufficiency is the greatest wealth I can pass on to them.
For me, the last tenet of success is perhaps the most important. Because I have been blessed to acquire the means to do so, I have the responsibility to give back and help others.
Real success means becoming someone others can turn to in times of need for leadership and support – not just financial but through infrastructure – and being someone who betters their community through direct involvement, not simply writing a check and turning a blind eye toward his neighbors and friends.
Q: In the book, you describe 10 principles. How did you come up with this blueprint?
A: I came up with the idea to write this book during the pandemic when the world – including myself – was forced to slow down for a moment and reflect on where we all were and how we got there. I had known for a long time that I wanted to share my life story, which I did in my previous book, Barefoot to Benefactor. As I came to the end of that book, hoping to inspire others who might come from foreign countries or impoverished backgrounds, I recognized that I had more to share.
I had a blueprint, which, if adhered to and applied with faith and confidence, would assure success for those who use it. Now, the degree of success each person aspires to and the areas in which they choose to pursue success are up to the individual. But anyone, regardless of their current place in the world or the obstacles they might face, can improve their situation and set upon a path toward more outstanding accomplishment by following these principles.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am always working to improve myself and strengthen my faith and relationships with others.
I continue to work to grow my business, expanding to serve more communities and improve the access and quality of health care to all who need it, regardless of their income, address, or identity.
Also, I am working to improve my home, the city of High Point, North Carolina, through investment and construction projects downtown, which we hope will inspire other companies and residents to do as well. We aim to create a live-work environment downtown that will help restore this once-vibrant international community hindered by the economic collapse in 2008 and the global pandemic in 2020.
Finally, I am working with my team of directors and staff to grow the Lenny Peters Foundation, now with 10 homes for children and cancer patients in India and South Africa, and to deliver on our mission, to be a helping hand here at home and around the world. We have accomplished a lot and helped many people, but we can do more, and we shall.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Yes, I have mentioned I am a Christian man of faith. Coming from India, we comprise only five percent of the population there.
I am also an American, in the truest sense. I am a person born in another country who, through hard work and education, created a pathway for myself to come to America, become a citizen, work hard, earn a living and raise a family.
I am a person of dark skin color, with an accent not shaken despite more than 40 years in the US. And I have known and overcome racism and other biases in my lifetime, here in the US and elsewhere.
What I am saying you should know about me is – and you should discover this about yourselves – I learned to employ my faith, my will, and my patience in the face of adversity to remain committed to the principles I outlined in this book to achieve all I ever dreamed and more. So can you.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
No comments:
Post a Comment