Everyone wants to succeed! And nobody wants to fail! However, the vast majority of people believe that success is a matter of luck and chance. Being in the right place at the right time is the secret, they say.
“Yeah, but you started at the right time,” many people tell me. “Today, it’s not like the old days!
Pfffft! Nothing happens by itself. Not before, not now.
LET’S TALK ABOUT SUCCESS
I have always thought that human beings, apart from reproducing, have a life mission to improve themselves and, by the same token, to contribute to the improvement of society as a whole. For me, success is that. Being better than yesterday, and less than tomorrow, in every respect.
From Einstein demonstrating the law of relativity, to the parents who help their young child gain confidence, to the guy who invented Velcro, everyone in their own way is trying to make the world a better place.
What about you? Are you currently trying to improve, or are you whining about someone or some circumstance or “system” getting in your way?
HERE’S THE SECRET
Since the 1970s, I have been reading books that teach success in all its forms. Personal, health, professional, financial, sports, business, etc., all forms of success and self-improvement interest me.
As long as there are humans, they will always want to have a better life and will always be looking for the best way(s) to get there. It is a never-ending quest that will never end.
But this quest for improvement is fraught with unforeseen events, pitfalls and discouragement. That’s why those who teach success have always tried to offer tools to make it easier for us, if I may say so.
In the ’40s, it was Dale Carnegie who wrote “How to Make Friends”, a best-seller to this day. In the 50s, it was Napoleon Hill who came up with “Think and Grow Rich”. In the 60s, it was Dr. Joseph Murphy who launched “The Power of Your Subconscious”. A book that still sets the standard today. The 70s and 80s were flooded with books on success. The magic of thinking big by Dr. David Schwarts and numerous other books (and tapes) by Zig Ziglar and Og Mandino. In the 90s and 2000s, Anthony Robbins and Deepak Chopra took over, among others.
Today, countless videos on Youtube (TedX, among others) and mobile applications (Jayo, TopCloser, RunKeeper, My FitnessPal) serve as tools to help people understand the nuts and bolts of success and apply them to their own lives. Even business people have their “business coaches” and athletes have their mental trainers. In short, these days, the psychology of success is accessible everywhere, to everyone, for our greatest happiness.
Just for fun, as a conclusion to this column, let me summarise what all these books, tapes, videos and applications teach:
- Has an intense desire to succeed (not just a vague wish).
- Set clear goals and make a clear plan to get there (it will change along the way).
- Acquire all the knowledge you need to achieve your goal.
- Cultivate your human relationships. You cannot succeed alone.
- Build a network of contacts worthy of a prime minister.
- Work! Work! Work! And work again!
- Despite the obstacles, don’t give up until you reach your goal! (perseverance is the key)
- Use autosuggestion and visualisation.
- Learn to manage your stress and fears.
- Make your actions beneficial to everyone you come into contact with.
This is roughly the recipe.
Now stop wondering and take action!
Success is guaranteed!
Guy
