***This is ANOTHER long one, but I felt it worth writing out*** Occasionally Im questioned on how to become successful. Before I go on, let me fix the question. Notice the quotation marks? I dislike that word- Successful... Full of success. Full: containing or holding as much or as many as possible; having no empty space. If you, as an individual, think youre containing or holding as much success as possible, youre wrong. Youve quit... And quitting is no way to become successful! So let me, rather, give my thoughts on how to be successy. (You may laugh, but youll remember!) 1. Success is Shapeless Like super-scientist-man Einstein once suggested, Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. Too often act as if were uneducated and classify success too simply; by wealth, popularity, and power. Absolutely stupid! But dont worry- its okay, we all do it. Your T.V. has been telling you that since (and during) your brains formation. Step back a few miles from the television and look around. With this in perspective youll find unlimited success in life. There is not only success in the lives of CEOs, actors and politicians, but also in people who run before sunrise, friends who *always* write thank-you cards, folks who pick-up trash off of the side of the road, and any one who lives past twenty-four and still smiles at sixty. 2. Success as a Verb Begin to realize success isnt attained like money and property, it is an attitude, a mantra, a lifestyle, a decision, an action. Youre either being successy or youre not being successy. 3. Motivation vs. Discipline Stop clinging desperately to motivation. It is our greatest self-created illusion. Motivation comes when it wants then deserts you just as quickly. Motivation is dependent on how you feel about it *at that moment*. Im too often motivated to run while I sit and watch exercise commercials, but that ball of motivation rolls straight off of my lap as I stand up to do it. Now, Im not saying dont be motivated- motivation is our minds way of telling us it knows that what you desire is exactly what you need. Discipline, an integral part of successification, comes when you realize *why* you need to. Acting on a desire not because it feels good, but rather it is good. Discipline doesnt ask you how youre feeling, it doesnt tell you you can skip just this once, and it doesnt toss piles of dirt on your goals to hide their importance. It wakes you up at 5am and gets you out of your cozy, warm bed even while your pipes are frozen. . Motivation drives you to build a magnificent mansion, discipline puts the nails in each and every board. 4. Get Uncomfortable A ship in port is safe; but that is not what ships are built for - John A. Shedd. Cast away your bubbles. You know... Bubbles! Those warm, comfy (constricting) balls of safety. They separate us from what we will and will not / can and cannot do with our lives. Ask yourself, how often do I do something I never thought I would or could do? Seek these times, lust for these moments. Drastic situations cause drastic learning. When was the last time I sat cornered with no idea where to begin? Corners are frightening, theyre also the best vantage points. Use your bubble as a place of safety for recovery when youve been lured out by the wrong, but never stop growing your bubble. Be a person that can do anything they want, who doesnt let a stormy sea keep you from exploring the good earth. 5. Gut, Mind, and Heart The Judicial, Executive, and Legislative branches of the body. The most successful people I know use their checks and balances. No decision is made due to the reaction of one part. Your gut carries inherent knowledge of how it will all turn out, but it is without reason. Quantification, logic and rationalization is the minds duty- uncovering needed solutions, but it lacks warmth and purpose. Our hearts are loving and passionate, they motivates us, drives us; but are quite reckless. Each hold a piece the others need. Master your internal checks and balances- learn to make important decisions with clear intent. If you cannot trust yourself to make important decisions no one will. 6. Act Like the Person You Want to Be To be continued...
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 03:51:38 +0000