I have often heard people ask, what is the secret of success? The truth is there is no “secret” to success, but there are principals that, when applied, can and will enable all of us to become better at the things we do in life.
Webster defines ‘principal’ as chief in importance, first in rank, and character. I have observed people for many years and have come to the conclusion that very few people in life decide what is going to happen to them.
They rather ‘allow’ life to happen, not knowing that there are ‘Principales of Success’ that can be applied to create a better life for themselves and the people around them.
Before we can talk about the Principals of Success, we must first understand what true success really is.
The traditional view of success; a vague picture at best of what it means to be successful as a person, looks something like this: Bill Gates’ wealth, Cindy Crawford’s or Arnold Schwarzenegger’s physique, Albert Einstein’s intellect, Michael Jordon’s athletic ability, Walt Disney’s imagination, or Mother Teresa’s great heart.
Many people see success as looking like some other person, and then they set out on a journey to try to become them, and as long as they try to be someone else rather than what they would love to be, they never become the person they were designed to be.
The Wrong Picture of Success
Wealth – The most common misunderstanding about success is that it’s the same as having money. Even if you make $100 an hour, money by itself won’t bring happiness. Wealth alone does not bring contentment or success because some of the wealthiest people that ever lived died in misery.
King Solomon, the richest and wisest person that ever lived, once said, “Who loves money will never have enough; who loves wealth will never be satisfied with what he makes. So wealth alone is not a success.
At best, wealth and possessions are a temporary fix because and before the new wears off the possession; the sense of satisfaction wears off.
Donald Trump once said that the real measure of success is how happy you are and went on to say even though I have more money than all my friends, they are happier than I am, they have a better PSI (Positive Self Image), so they are the real success in life.
Yet his friends look at him and say he is the successful one, which demonstrates to us that many people equate success with sething they do not have.
Achievement – Many people have a destination disease because they believe if they can arrive somewhere, get the right position, perhaps a well-paying job in basic industries, accomplish a goal, etc… They will be successful.
While I believe very strongly in and teach people how to set goals, success is not a list of goals to be checked off one after the other. When we stop seeing success as a destination and begin seeing it as a journey, we then have the potential to be a success today.
The Right Picture of Success
Two things are required to be successful: the right picture of success and the right principales for getting there. Someone once said that success is understanding the purposes in your life, expanding to reach your full potential, and sowing the seeds to let others benefit.
1. Knowing Your Purpose
Nothing satisfying can take place until you know your purpose, also when that relates to finding the right career path. If you do not actively try to discover your purpose, you will most likely race through life at a mad pace doing good, but the wrong thing to find at the end of the day, there is no satisfaction.
Questions That Will Help Identify Your Purpose:
a) What are the deep desires of my heart?
b) Why was I created?
c) Do I believe in my potential?
d) When do I get started?
No one on earth can be what you can because they do not have the same gifts, talents, and backgrounds.
2. Growing To Your Potential
Everyone is capable of doing more than they think they can if they will only grow to meet their potential. Four keys that will help you grow to your fullest potential:
1) Concentrate on one main goal
a. Reaching your potential requires that you decide where you will focus your attention
b. No one can reach their potential while scattering themselves in twenty different directions.
c. This means you must decide what you are willing to give up. If you have a blog, check out the easiest ways to make your blog popular.
d. Chinese Proverb: If you chase two rabbits at once, they both get away.
2) Concentrate on continual improvement
a. Invest in yourself daily.
b. It’s our daily routine that determines success.
3) Forget the past
The past is a dead issue. We can’t gain momentum for tomorrow if we are dragging the past behind us
4) Focus on the future
a. Potential lies ahead of you, not in the past.
b. He that does not look ahead remains behind.
3. Sowing Seeds That Benefit Others
Without helping others in our success journey, it will be a shallow and lonely experience.
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. Powerful mentors know that and apply their skills and knowledge to support others. The real purpose of life is to serve others and to show compassion to the less fortunate.
True success in life has little to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself; it’s about what you do for others. If I want to experience true success, I must begin sowing seeds into the lives of others.
Small seeds that been sown daily that will make a major difference in life:
a. Small acts of kindness
b. Keep your word
c. Make your expectations clear
d. Be a person of integrity
e. Be loyal to those not in your presence
f. Be quick to admit mistakes without excuses