A young woman was starting her career and leaving her parents' home when her father pulled her aside and said, "There are only three things you need to make a big success in this world -- three strong bones."

"Three bones?" the young woman asked.

"Three bones," her father repeated. "A wishbone, a jawbone and a backbone.

"You need a strong wishbone to dream big and imagine a life of endless possibilities," he said.

"Your jawbone is to ask for help when you need it," he continued. "Speak your mind when you have to and raise insightful questions to feed your curiosity and your intellect.

"Finally," he added, "your backbone gives you the courage, effort and determination you'll need to achieve your goals."

When it comes to a wishbone or dreaming, it's important to aim high -- to have dreams that inspire you to go beyond your perceived limits. Show me someone who doesn't dream about the future, and I'll show you someone who doesn't know where he or she is going.

Indecision can destroy your dreams, if you allow it. Dr. Seuss, the author of the beloved children's books, identified this common workplace malady in "Oh, The Places You'll Go." He takes the reader on a journey along beautiful streets and into wide open fields under clear blue skies. Then, there's a crossroads and confusion. Suddenly, we're in what he calls "The Waiting Place" -- a place where people just wait because they can't make up their minds or because they are afraid of change.

I often joke that it takes years to become an overnight success. But it starts with a dream. My dream was to own a factory. I wasn't even sure what kind of product I'd make, or exactly where it would be. But I pictured myself walking the factory floor, talking to workers. The pile of broken-down machines I bought might have looked more like a nightmare at the time. But dreams come true -- with a lot of wide-awake work.

I like to say: If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it -- if you are truly determined.

As for a jawbone, we all need help at some time. Don't be afraid to seek out advice. Consult someone you already know and trust. That person can usually lead you to someone who can help you if different skills are necessary. Use an expert to find another expert in the same profession. In other words, don't ask a lawyer to help you choose a doctor. Good advice is never cheap. And cheap advice is seldom good.

Successful people rarely reach the top without a lot of help along the way. The ability and willingness to ask for help is one trait that really stands out among those who are truly committed to success.

Ask questions -- a lot of them. I ask a lot of questions. There's so much information out there, and I want only the good stuff. I want information that will help me make the right decisions. There is an art to asking questions and discovering what is central to your success. Here's the secret: What is it that you really need to know? To get a good answer, ask a good question.

And don't be afraid to speak up. I received some good parental advice from my father, who told me: "If you want to be seen, stand up. If you want to be heard, speak up." And I would add to that, if you don't speak up, prepare to put up.

The backbone may be the most important bone of all. Courage is regarded as one of the major human virtues. Courage is bravery, valor, standing up to danger, guts and nerve all rolled into one. It's easier to be ordinary. Courage is what sets you apart from the crowd.

Determination is what keeps us hammering away. Determined people possess the stamina and courage to pursue their ambitions despite criticism, ridicule or unfavorable circumstances. In our culture of instant gratification, the attributes of patience and determination are hard to find.

I remember when I was first starting out in sales, I asked an experienced colleague I respected how many calls he would make on a prospect before giving up. He told me, "It depends on which one of us dies first."

Mackay's Moral: If you want to be able to do the heavy lifting required for success, start building strong bones.

We all need to laugh more, especially around tax time! I received so many positive responses to my column on humorous stories with good business lessons, I decided to do a sequel.

It’s been my experience that people remember information better when the message has a fun twist to it -- a punch line of sorts. These stories follow a similar theme: using your head and your sense of humor.

Think: It’s the hardest, most valuable task any person performs. You are driving in your car on a wicked stormy night. You pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for the bus: 1) An older woman who looks as if she is about to die; 2) An old friend who once saved your life; and 3) The perfect man or woman of your dreams. Which one would you choose to offer a ride, knowing there could only be one passenger in your car?

This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application. You could pick up the elderly woman because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first. Or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the ideal chance to repay him. However, you may never be able to find your perfect dream person again.

The candidate who was hired out of 200 applicants had no trouble coming up with the answer. He said: “I would give the car keys to my old friend, and let him take the elderly woman to the hospital. Then I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the woman of my dreams.”

It’s easier to change your own mind than to have someone change it for you.

I love the story about two elk hunters who were flown to a remote valley in Alaska. By the end of the hunt, they had bagged four elk, and their pilot returned to take them out of the valley.

When the pilot saw the four elk, he said, "There's a problem. The plane can only carry two elk."

The hunters were outraged. They said, "Listen, we were here last year. The plane that carried us out was the same, the weather was the same, and we had four elk then too."

The pilot said, "OK, I guess you know best." So, they loaded up the plane and took off. The plane started climbing out of the valley, but it began to lose altitude, the engine sputtered and, finally, it crashed. As they stumbled from the wreckage, one hunter asked the other if he knew where they were.

He said, "I don't know for sure ... but I think we're about a mile from where we crashed last year."

Ask the right question to get the best answer. A carpenter entered a doctor’s office. The receptionist asked him why he was there.

“I have shingles,” the carpenter replied. And so, a nurse was summoned.

“Why are you here today?” she asked the carpenter.

“I have shingles,” was the answer.

She took his blood pressure, temperature, height, weight, and told him to change into a gown and wait for the doctor.

When the doctor came in, the carpenter told him again, “I have shingles.”

“Where?” the doctor asked.

By now, the carpenter was losing his patience. “Where do you think? Outside, in my truck.”

Those who don’t know don’t know they don’t know. A classic story illustrates this point. A minister, a Boy Scout and a computer executive were flying to a meeting in a small private plane. About halfway to their destination, the pilot came back and announced that the plane was going to crash and that there were only three parachutes for the four people.

The pilot said, "I am going to use one of the parachutes because I have a wife and four small children," and he jumped.

The computer executive said, "I should have one of the parachutes because I am the smartest man in the world and my company needs me," and he jumped.

The minister turned to the Boy Scout and, smiling sadly, said, "You are young and I have lived a good, long life, so you take the last parachute and I'll go down with the plane."

The boy scout said, "Relax, reverend, the smartest man in the world just strapped on my backpack and jumped out of the plane!"

Mackay’s Moral: He or she who laughs, lasts!

The world is getting smaller every day. Thanks to advances in technology, we can be connected to points around the globe in seconds through our computers and telephones. We can even be on the other side of the world almost in person in a matter of seconds. Businesses can easily reach people and places that were inaccessible just a few years ago.

This is why I say the phone is one of the most awesome tools available. We’ve all had years and years of experience using a phone, so why are so many people bad at it?

Here are some of the techniques that I use.

First, when your call is answered, always ask if this is a good time to talk. This simple step can add years to your life -- and your career.

Get the assistant’s name if he or she answers the phone. And use their names when you talk to them. They are very important in getting your message across.

Obviously, you want to answer the phone on the second or third ring. Speak slowly and project so people can understand. When I switch to speakerphone, I want to make sure the connection is still acceptable. Try not to interrupt. Don’t get distracted when you are on the phone. Focus on the caller. Listen to what they have to say. Turn your cellphone ringer off on important calls when talking on your office line. Be sensitive to the tone of your voice. Don’t eat, chew gum or shuffle papers.

When someone calls you on the telephone, you should always greet the person pleasantly. Your pleasure at talking to this person must be evident in your voice. I ask our employees at MackayMitchell Envelope Company to answer the telephone with a smile because you can hear it in a voice. You want every customer to feel like they are your most important customer and virtually the only customer you have.

Try to start every phone conversation with good news, even when you have bad news to report. Also, have a good close. Have an agenda of what you want to accomplish. Every crucial phone call should have clarity of focus and clarity of purpose. Think through what you want to say and discuss before you even make a call. That’s how you build a network.

Start early in your career to keep track of the 100 to 300 most important people in your network. Find out their birthdays and call them every year on their special day. If you work in sales, make sure to call your customers on their birthdays. You won’t believe how much business you will write up.

I was one of the first people to get a car phone, and now it is hands-free. Driving is every salesperson's biggest time-waster. I'll do anything to make the time more productive, so I stopped making cold calls. I called ahead to make sure the buyer was in.

I never leave my name for a return phone call without a designated time I can be reached. Don’t risk playing telephone tag. I don't care to squander my time any more than the other person cares to squander his or hers.

And this is especially crucial: If my assistant or gatekeeper answers the call, I make sure they say, “Mr. Mackay is expecting your call.” This makes the caller feel special.

Can’t get a call back? Leave a message no one can ignore. I picked up this tip from my Florida Realtor. Start with your name, day, date and time, and then a pledge: “Leave your name and number, and I guarantee I will call you back within 24 hours. If I fail to do so, I will make a $100 contribution to your favorite charity -- as long as the charity is not you.”

Keep to a schedule whenever possible. Minimize interruptions by returning phone calls at a specific time of day. For me, it’s usually the end of the day. Of course, you will need to take some calls, but those that aren’t urgent, you can return when you have time to best deal with them.

I’ll let you make the call: How important are your phone skills to your career?

Mackay’s Moral: Don’t let your phone skills be a hang-up.