Good enough is never just good enough, Barbra Higgins said.
Higgins was the speaker at Tiffin University's Good Morning World Lecture series Thursday.
She competed in the 1984 Olympic Games as a fencer in the women's foil competition.
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PHOTO BY NICOLE WALBY
Barbra Higgins speaks Thursday at the Good Morning World lecture series at Camden Falls.
Higgins presented her talk titled "Everything Matters," and she expressed that everything does matter.
"There will be something you do today that will change your life," Higgins said.
Every decision and every action may push you closer to or further away from your goals, she said.
Higgins discussed the dedication and discipline it takes to be an Olympic athlete.
"For training I would wake up at 5 a.m. and run. There were times when I didn't want to and I had a friend call me to keep me on my regimen," Higgins said.
"We have to train our brains," Higgins said, "It is important to have a clear vision for what you are looking for in life."
Higgins is originally from Panama and lives in California. She has had many successes not just as an athlete but also as a businesswoman. She is an internationally acclaimed entrepreneur, attorney, CEO and CFO. She is president of VenMundi and the Small Business Administration National Advisory Council, and vice president and CFO of the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.
She said she had to transfer her skills as a successful athlete into the business world. With any form of business there also has to be a clear vision, Higgins said.
"It is important to know what needs to be done and to make sure that everyone understands what is going on. You are not the only one involved," she said.
For students, Higgins said to be successful you have to have perseverance to get up and do something you may not want to do. Business is not for the faint of heart, or for someone who doesn't like taking risks.
"You have to be sure of yourselves and not have any doubt," she said.
Higgins has a law degree from the University of Miami and a bachelor's in Business Administration in Accounting from Florida International University.
"Every day there is a new opportunity. You have to go through life observing and pay attention to what is around you," Higgins said.
To get what you want out of life, Higgins said key ingredients are heart and passion because without a clear vision and the passion and drive you will not succeed.
