Success is For Everyone!
But Why are so Few in this world truly Successful?
Why do the great majority not achieve the success they desire...
Happiness in marriage and family,
Job and financial security,
Good health, etc.?
It is not the result of mere chance or luck.
There are definite reasons!
What is real success?
How can you achieve it?
EVERYONE CAN BE SUCCESSFUL! No one needs to fail. Success need not be limited to the relative few. There is no law in nature requiring failures. MOST CHOOSE SUCCESS OR FAILURE by their actions or lack of actions.
Time and chance does happen to us all, especially when we don't take charge of our lives. People fail because of chance when they allow it to be so. Truly successful people don't leave their lives to time and chance.
Real SUCCESS is CAUSED BY LAWS as fundamental as the laws of chemistry and physics. FOR EVERY EFFECT or result THERE ARE CAUSES. This is a foundational principle of science underlying all truth. Successful people have somehow managed to learn and apply these principles, laws or KEYS that have BROUGHT them SUCCESS.
What are the keys that successful people follow and how can you apply them in your life?
Success is not merely the result of having superior ability or luck and failure the lack of these, though they can be contributing factors. Most people are not truly successful because they have not learned to be or they are afraid to be different. They would rather follow the crowd than take the responsibility of choosing for themselves what is right and what would make them successful. PEER PRESSURE and the desire to be part of the group is OFTEN STRONGER THAN the DESIRE TO BE SUCCESSFUL. The old saying is "Misery loves company". Why not become successful and help friends overcome their misery?
NO HUMAN BEING NEED EVER BE A FAILURE!
Many failures are misfits, the proverbial "square peg in a round hole". Had they known and applied the KEYS they could have made a success in another field. EVERYONE was ENDOWED WITH the POTENTIAL FOR SUCCESS. But just what is real success? Is it good looks, fame, fortune, great accomplishments and recognition? Many people that have these are not happy or truly successful.
REAL SUCCESS IS fulfilling the true purpose and potential of life. Success includes peace, joy, love, happiness, security. It is living life to the full, filled with interesting, exciting, challenging opportunities and satisfying achievements. It is an abundant life of GIVING AND SHARING.
You can't buy true success with money. However, there is a price. The price is that you must apply the laws or keys that produce success. The tragedy of history is that most people have not followed a single one of these basic keys. The way of success is not guaranteed to be the easy way, but it is guaranteed to be the only way to real success. SUCCESS TAKES EFFORT.
Success begins with purpose and goals. The FIRST vital KEY FOR attaining SUCCESS IS to SET RIGHT GOALS. There must be a goal and a desire to attain that goal to be successful.
Planning a trip requires setting a goal or destination. Without a goal, how can you know which way to go or when you get there. Ancient king Solomon wrote, "Where there is no vision [dream or purpose] the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18).
The process of setting goals BEGINS WITH a dream or DESIRE. The next step is to DEFINE your desires INTO definite GOALS. WRITE THEM DOWN, Then MAKE a definite decision and COMMITTMENT to them. Success in achieving a goal is about four times higher when it is written down and kept in a prominent place. A daily goal list, like a shopping list, is a proven highly successful method for getting things done.
Setting goals stirs up ambition. Researchers found that people who set goals are happier, earn more money and have more successful job records than those with no goals. Visualize your goal. Indecision, confusion and frustration are often the result of having poorly defined goals or having no goals at all. Wrong goals will also lead to failure.
If your LIFE is to have meaning, you MUST HAVE a PURPOSE. And to have purpose, you must have goals. Motivator Bob Conklin, developer of a highly successful training program gives this wisdom, "Deep within your consciousness is the realization that your life has a purpose, a destiny, a meaning which must be discovered. Until this is achieved, you will experience boredom, dissatisfaction, frustration and the feeling of hunger or despair".
Start CULTIVATING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE toward success and successful people. Goals generate purpose, hope, excitement and energy. Negative attitudes destroy hope and success. Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius once noted, "Your life is what your thoughts make it". King Solomon wrote, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). Harvard University psychologist William James wrote, "The greatest discovery of my generation is that men can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind". Begin programming your mind for success NOW!
GOALS should INCLUDE your PERSONAL, FAMILY, CAREER, SOCIAL and SPIRITUAL OBJECTIVES. Start by making a GOAL PLANNER to define your goals and priorities. Break them down into daily, weekly and long term objectives such as personal and family projects, job and financial objectives, social, educational and recreational goals, etc. YOU WILL SUCCEED when you set right goals and make a commitment to achieving those goals.
The SECOND KEY for success is MAKING the necessary PLANS and PREPARATIONS for achieving your goals.
All great achievers had to become great planners. They learned to organize their activities, sort out the unimportant things and invest their time in productive and meaningful effort.
SUCCESS is A STEP BY STEP PROCESS like a baby learning to walk. Each successful step brings you that much closer to your higher goals. You cannot start at the top until you have learned the basics anymore than a baby can run before it has learned to walk.
Start preparing by making a personal examination and INVENTORY of YOUR ASSETS and abilities, your strong points and your weaknesses. Modify your goals and priorities accordingly.
BEGIN PLANNING out your course. Make a road-map and SET specific PRIORITIES and TIMETABLES for achieving your goals. Pilots are required to establish check points and a time schedule for filing a flight plan to insure the success of their flight.
What education, training and experience do you need to achieve your goals? Make preparations to GET the necessary EDUCATION and TRAINING. Don't sell yourself short. Many give up on their education thinking they don't have the ability to learn. You have far more ability than you will ever use. According to scientists, the average individual uses less than 10% of his or her mental capacity during his or her lifetime.
Preparation and education includes more than book learning. Personal experience, learning from associates, personality development and leadership training are also important.
The Boy Scout motto is "BE PREPARED". Preparation creates new opportunities for success.
A THIRD KEY that successful people apply is MOTIVATION and ACTION.
It takes motivation and drive to produce action. Without action, nothing happens. Nicholas Butler, former president of Columbia University, said that there are three types of people, those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what's happening. SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE MAKE THINGS HAPPEN!
A boss is generally someone who can motivate or drive other people into action. There is "No free lunch" when it comes to success. Success REQUIRES WORK. Biblical principles back this up. "Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might" (Ecclesiastes 9:10). "A doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his doing" (James 1:25). "The hand of the diligent shall bear rule; but the slothful shall be under tribute" (Proverbs 12:24). "The desire of the slothful kills him; for his hands refuse to labor" (Proverbs 21:25). Successful people don't allow themselves the luxury of making excuses.
Don't let yourself get into the habit of making excuses. Become a doer. Take a 3 X 5 inch card and make yourself this self motivator, "DO IT NOW!". Keep it in front of you until it becomes a habit.
Don't be afraid to BE DIFFERENT. Follow the example of successful people, not failures. Procrastination and indecision are causes of failure. TAKE ACTION - Do It Now!
BECOME A MOTIVATOR to encourage others. You can have a tremendous influence on the success of others, especially your family, mate, children and friends. Our greatest source of motivation comes from someone who cares.
A FOURTH KEY necessary for success is achieving and maintaining GOOD HEALTH. Successful people as a rule enjoy relatively good health compared to the average of the population.
Good health is a necessary part of motivation, energy and drive. Success in sports is highly dependent on good health.
Many give poor health as a reason or excuse for failure. WHAT CAUSES GOOD or BAD HEALTH? What can you do to have good health?
HEALTH or the lack of it is GOVERNED BY Natural Physical, Biological and Spiritual LAWS. We generally tend to take good health for granted until it begins to fail. The great majority of people have little or no knowledge of the basic causes of health or of sickness and disease. We often disregard the laws of heath and then expect the medical practitioners to remove the effects of our neglect.
Our bodies and minds are very complex biological systems that must be properly cared for. Health starts in the formation of the sperm and ovum within the parents. Each individuals GENETIC POTENTIAL is SET at conception.
The DEVELOPMENT of ones genetic potential into a healthy individual DEPENDS UPON proper NUTRITION and a suitable ENVIRONMENT. The unborn fetus may develop congenital defects if the mother is careless in her health and nutritional habits or uses drugs or other potentially harmful substances. In cases of severe abuse, the fetus will die and be aborted.
The development and maintenance of HEALTH from conception through old age REQUIRES proper NUTRITION, learning and THINKING RIGHT mental and moral attitudes, having plenty of FRESH AIR and SUNSHINE, EXERCISE, sufficient REST and SLEEP, good hygiene and CLEANLINESS and AVOIDING accidents and INJURY.
On the other hand, poor health, sickness and diseases are caused by disregarding any of the above requirements for good health. Every individual is different. Everyone does not have the same capacity or tolerance for the same things. Prolonged deficiencies, stress, overindulgence, gluttony, junk foods, excessive drinking, drugs and other poisonous substances result in a condition of TOXEMIA in the body. Toxemia CAUSES DAMAGE to body cells and tissues weakening their resistance RESULTING IN SICKNESS, disease and even death. An unhealthy individual is much more susceptible to infectious and parasitic agents. Reasonable care in following proper health habits increases the bodies resistance to sickness and disease conditions.
In most cases good HEALTH CAN BE RESTORED to a great degree by correcting the improper health habits. In some cases therapeutic measures may be necessary.
Good health is no accident. You can protect and maintain it by learning and following good health principles. Without it you may be greatly handicapped if not totally cut off from achieving many goals. Good health should be a primary goal.
A FIFTH KEY successful people have learned to apply is RESOURCEFULNESS and DETERMINATION in OVERCOMING ADVERSITY.
Life is full of opportunities and challenges as well as obstacles and adversities. Wisdom, strength and character are developed through overcoming adversities. A motto of the Marines is "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Extensive training over obstacle courses help to develop the strength, resourcefulness and confidence to overcome adversities later when it may be necessary for survival or for the success of a mission.
An important part of resourcefulness is having a POSITIVE "I CAN DO IT" ATTITUDE. When emergencies or problems arise, keep a cool head, analyze the situation and work out a logical solution. Don't act hastily, but act decisively.
Look at problems as opportunities or challenges. A positive attitude will bring out resources you may not have realized you had available. On the other hand, a negative attitude is a major cause of defeat and failure.
Don't let obstacles or adversity block your determination for achieving your goals. The greater the adversity, the greater the joy of success.
The SIXTH KEY necessary for achieving lasting success is PATIENCE and PERSERVERANCE. No real enduring success can be attained without STICK-TO-IT-IVENESS, never giving up or quitting!
This key separates real champions and winners from all the rest. This is the key that will PROVE your COMMITMENT to your goal. Years ago, while visiting with 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal decathalon winner Rafer Johnson, I asked him what was his greatest difficulty in training for the Olympics. His answer was persevering, not giving up, enduring hour after hour, day after day, month after month of grueling training. I asked him what it was that kept him going, what helped him to endure and overcome the urge to give up. The answer was KEEPING his THOUGHTS ON the GOAL, the dream of being a champion and helping his people.
Many people fail because they lack patience. They want success and they want it now - without the persistent effort required for achieving it. Thanks to modern science, you can have your instant oatmeal, instant coffee and instant TV replays, but lasting success is something that requires patience and perserverance.
Today's world and societies are rapidly changing. Many growing up today are dropping out. Many reaching middle age are facing a mid-life crisis finding that their life goals are no longer challenging or valid in today's society. Sudden changes and loss of direction cause stress. Stress and the inability to cope result in depression, dropping out and in severe cases, suicide. Giving up is not the answer. Perseverance is keeping up. It may require change, accepting new challenges, setting new goals, changing your pace, but DON'T GIVE UP!
Many of those who have applied the first six keys and have achieved their goals and some measure of success in this world still find their lives are empty. They have accumulated material WEALTH, attained social status and importance, enjoyed many passing pleasures, but they have NOT found lasting, permanent, enduring HAPPINESS and TRUE SUCCESS.
They have left out the seventh and most important key of all.
The SEVENTH and final KEYs for achieving true and lasting success are MORAL - SPIRITUAL.
EVERYONE has been ENDOWED WITH the POTENTIAL FOR real and lasting SUCCESS! But most have never discovered what true success is and therefore do not know how to achieve it. Most have never even asked the right QUESTIONS. WHAT is REAL SUCCESS? WHY Were WE BORN? What is man and WHAT is MAN'S TRUE PURPOSE and DESTINY?
Where can we find the answers to these questions and how can we get started on the road to true success?
Men have discovered and applied natural laws governing the physical material world and have built great civilizations and created fantastic achievements in science and technology. But man has not been able to discover his own origin, purpose and destiny, nor has he been able to discover and apply the moral spiritual keys necessary for world peace, happiness and true success.
The MORAL-SPIRITUAL KEYS are FOUND IN the world's all time best seller book, the HOLY BIBLE, the book that many own but almost nobody knows.
The moral-spiritual KEYS are SUMMED UP IN TWO GREAT LAWS given in the book of Matthew, chapter 22, verses 36 through 40. "You shall LOVE the Lord your GOD with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. You shall LOVE your NEIGHBOR as yourself. On these two laws hang all the laws and the prophets."
Moral character is a result of training from childhood on up. The moral virtues defining HOW we are TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER are SUMMED UP by the GOLDEN RULE, found in Matthew 7:12. "Whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you even so to them."
Love is defined in the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 13 as well as in other places. The moral laws on marriage, business, finance, government and other subjects are spelled out in detail throughout the scriptures, "a little here and a little there" (Isaiah 28:9-12). They must be searched for as gold.
Biblical PROPHECIES TELL IN ADVANCE the BENEFITS of applying the laws revealed to us by our Great Creator God and the CONSEQUENCES of disregarding them (read Leviticus chapter 26 and Deuteronomy chapters 28 and 30).
The HISTORIES recorded in the Bible TELL the RESULTS of people and nations when they lived by those principles and when they forsook them. A great statesman once said, "History has a habit of repeating itself," and "Those who fail to learn from the mistakes of the past are destined to repeat them".
To make a mistake is human, but to repeat a mistake is folly. Truly SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE LEARN FROM their MISTAKES and from the mistakes and successes of others PLUS from the WISDOM REVEALED BY GOD. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him" (James 1:5).
The ANSWERS to the really big questions OF LIFE come FROM the SPIRITUAL DIMENSION. Man is made of physical flesh and blood, mortal. The world is physical matter and energy. GOD IS SPIRIT (John 4:24). Man cannot perceive the things of the spiritual dimension except that God reveals it to us (I Corinthians 2:9-11). HE REVEALS it BY his HOLY SPIRIT which HE GIVES to THEM THAT OBEY him (Acts 5:32).
The SPIRITUAL KEY, summed up by the first great commandment, teaches us where to find the real answers to life's problems. It reveals the GREAT GOD who created and sustains all things, the Giver OF LIFE, the One WHO INTERVENES in our lives WHEN WE ASK for help and direction TO FULFILL our real purpose and TRUE POTENTIAL (Matthew 7:7-8)
What is your TRUE POTENTIAL? That is the Mystery of Salvation!
Jesus Christ, the Son of God said: "Seek you first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and ALL these things shall be added unto you!" (Matthew 6:33).
Latest update: 10/25/01
Copyright ©: 1984 Allen L. Stout; May 2001 Serf Publishing, Inc.