SELF DEVELOPEMENT

 

                                             SELF SHINE

                    STUDY THE VALUES YOU ADMIRE. YOU LEARN VALUES BY STUDYING THEM CLOSELY. THE LAW OF CONCENTRATION SAYS THAT "WHATEVER YOU DWELL UPON GROWS AND INCREASES IN YOUR LIFE",

                     WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT WHEN YOU STUDY AND READ STORIES ABOUT MEN AND WOMEN WHO DEMONSTRATED THE KIND OF VALUES THAT YOU ADMIRE AND RESPECT, AND THEN THINK ABOUT THOSE STORIES AND THAT BEHAVIOR, THOSE VALUES SINK EVER DEEPER INTO YOUR MIND. ONCE THESE VALUES ARE "PROGRAMMED" INTO YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS, THEY CREATE A PROPENSITY WITHIN YOU TO BEHAVE CONSISTENTLY WITH THOSE VALUES WHEN THE SITUATION REQUIRES THEM.

                   FOR EXAMPLE, IN MILITARY TRAINING, SOLDIERS ARE CONTINUALLY TOLD STORIES OF COURAGE, OBEDIENCE, DISCIPLINE, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING THEIR FELLOW SOLDIERS. THE MORE THEY HEAR THESE STORIES,DISCUSS THEM, AND THINK ABOUT THEM, THE MORE LIKELY THEY ARE TO BEHAVE CONSISTENTLY WITH THESE VALUES WHEN THEY ARE UNDER THE PRESSURE OF ACTUAL COMBAT.

                   THE CORE VIRTUE OF CHARACTER IS TRUTH. WHENEVER YOU TELL THE TRUTH, HOWEVER INCONVENIENT IT MAY BE AT THE TIME, YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOU EARN THE RESPECT OF THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU. ONE OF THE HIGHEST ACCOLADES YOU CAN PAY ANOTHER PERSON IS TO SAY THAT "HE OR SHE ALWAYS TELLS THE TRUTH".

                  EMAULATE THE PEOPLE YOU MOST ADMIRE. MUCH OF YOUR CHARACTER IS DETERMINED BY THE PEOPLE YOU MOST ADMIRE, BOTH LIVING AND DEAD. WHO ARE THEY? LOOKING OVER YOUR LIFE AND HISTORY, MAKE A LIST OF THE PEOPLE WHOM YOU MOST ADMIRE, AND NEXT TO THEIR NAMES, WRITE OUT THE VIRTUES OR VALUES THAT THEY MOST REPRESENT TO YOU.

                  IF YOU COULD SPEND AN AFTERNOON WITH ANYONE, LIVING OR DEAD, WHAT ONE PERSON WOULD YOU CHOOSE? WHY WOULD YOU CHOOSE THAT PERSON? WHAT WOULD YOU TALK ABOUT DURING YOUR AFTERNOON TOGETHER? WHAT QUESTIONS WOULD YOU ASK, OR WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO LEARN?

                 CONSIDER THIS AS WELL: WHY WOULD THAT PERSON WANT TO SPEND AN AFTERNOON WITH YOU? WHAT ARE THE VIRTUES AND VALUES THAT YOU HAVE DEVELOPED THAT MAKE YOU A VALUABLE AND INTERESTING PERSON? WHAT MAKES YOU SPECIAL?

                  PRACTICE THE VALUES YOU RESPECT. YOU DEVELOP VALUES BY PRACTICING THEM WHENEVER THEY ARE CALLED FOR. AS THE ROMAN STONIC PHILOSOPHER EPICTETUS SAID, "CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT MAKE THE MAN, THEY MERELY REVEAL HIM TO HIMSELF". 

                 WHEN A PROBLEM OCCURS, PEOPLE TEND TO REACT AUTOMATICALLY BASED ON THE HIGHEST VALUES THAT THEY HAVE DEVELOPED UP TO THAT MOMENT.

                  WE DEVELOP VALUES BY REPETITION, BY BEHAVING CONSISTENTLY WITH A PARTICULAR VALUE OVER AND OVER AGAIN, UNTIL IT BECOMES A HABIT, AND LOCKS IN SO THAT WE COME TO PRACTICE IT AUTOMATICALLY . MEN AND WOMEN WITH HIGHLY DEVELOPED CHARACTERS BEHAVE IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH THEIR HIGHEST VALUES, AND THEY DO SO WITHOUT THOUGHT OR HESITATION.  

                   THERE IS NO QUESTION IN THEIR MINDS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING.

                                                       DO THE RIGHT THING

                       

                         IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHARACTER THAT IS BASED ON SELF-DISCIPLINE AND WILLPOWER, LONG-TERM THINKING IS ESSENTIAL. THE MORE YOU THINK ABOUT THE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR BEHAVIOR, THE MORE LIKELY IT IS THAT YOU WILL DO THE RIGHT THING IN THE SHORT TERM. SO WHEN YOU HAVE TO MAKE A  CHOICES OR DECISION, ALWAYS ASK THE MAGIC QUESTION, "WHAT'S IMPORTANT HERE"?.

                        PRACTICE THE UNIVERSAL MAXIM OF IMMANUEL KANT. "RESOLVE TO BEHAVE AS THOUGH YOUR EVERY ACT WERE TO BECOME A UNIVERSAL LAW FOR ALL PEOPLE". 

                    ONE OF THE GREATEST QUESTIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHARACTER IS THIS, "WHAT KIND OF A WORLD WOULD THIS WORLD BE IF EVERYONE IN IT WAS JUST LIKE ME"?

                    WHENEVER YOU SLIP, WHENEVER YOU DO OR SAY SOMETHING THAT IS INCONSISTENT WITH YOUR HIGHEST VALUES, IMMEDIATELY "GET BACK ON YOUR HORSE". SAY TO YOURSELF, "THIS IS NOT LIKE ME"! AND RESOLVE THAT NEXT TIME YOU WILL DO BETTER.

                                         WHAT YOU DWELL UPON GROWS

                       IF YOU ARE IN A SITUATION TODAY IN WHICH YOU ARE NOT LIVING UP TO YOUR HIGHEST VALUES, MAKE A DECISION, THIS VERY MINUTE, TO CONFRONT THE SITUATION AND STRAIGHTEN IT OUT. THE MINUTE YOU DO, YOU WILL ONCE AGAIN FEEL HAPPY AND BACK IN CONTROL.

                       THERE IS AN OLD INDIAN STORY, "ON MY SHOULDERS ARE TWO WOLVES.

                       ONE IS A BLACK WOLF, EVIL, WHO CONTINUALLY TEMPTS ME TO DO AND 

                      SAY THE WRONG THINGS. ON MY OTHER SHOULDER IS A WHITE WOLF 

                      THAT CONTINUALLY ENCOURAGES ME TO LIVE UP TO MY VERY BEST".

 

                   A LISTENER ASKED THE OLD MAN, "WHICH OF THESE WOLVES HAS THE GREATEST POWER OVER YOU"?

                   THE OLD MAN REPLIED, "THE ONE I FEED".

                

                          BY THE LAW OF CONCENTRATION, WHATEVER YOU DWELL ON GROWS AND INCREASES IN YOUR LIFE. WHEN YOU THINK AND TALK ABOUT THE VIRTUES AND VALUES THAT YOU MOST ADMIRE AND RESPECT, YOU THEREFORE PROGRAM THOSE VALUES DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS UNTIL THEY BEGIN TO OPERATE AUTOMATICALLY IN EVERY SITUATION.

                     WHENEVER YOU EXERCISE YOUR SELF-DISCIPLINE AND WILLPOWER TO LIVE YOUR LIFE CONSISTENTLY WITH THOSE VALUES THAT YOU MOST ASPIRE TO BE KNOWN  FOR, YOU BEGIN TO MOVE RAPIDLY ALONG THE PATH TO BECOMING EXCELLENT PERSON.

ASK YOURSELF

 

            

                         HOW TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL

                          THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENT OF SUCCESS IS THAT EVERY STEP IN THAT DIRECTION IS REWARDING IN ITSELF. EACH STEP YOU TAKE TOWARD BECOMING A BETTER PERSON AND ACCOMPLISING MORE THAN YOU EVER HAVE BEFORE MAKES YOU FEEL HAPPIER, MORE CONFIDENT, AND MORE FULFILLED. 

                       YOU'VE HEARD IS SAID THAT "NOTHING SUCCEEDS LIKE SUCCESS" WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT THE GREATEST REWARD OF SUCCESS IS NOT THE MONEY YOU MAKE BUT RATHER THE EXCELLENT PERSON YOU BECOME IN THE PROCESS OF STRIVING TOWARD SUCCESS AND EXERTING SELF-DISCIPLINE EVERY TIME IT IS REQUIRED .

                          IN THE NEXT CHAPTER, I WILL EXPLAIN HOW YOU CAN BECOME THE TRULY EXCELLENT PERSON YOU ARE CAPABLE OF BECOMING.

                     TAKE OUT A PEN RIGHT NOW AND WRITE DOWN YOUR ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS BELOW.

                 1. IF YOUR WORK LIFE AND CAREER WERE IDEAL, WHAT WOULD THEY LOOK LIKE? WHAT ONE DISCIPLINE COULD YOU DEVELOP THAT WOULD HELP YOU TO ACHIEVE IT?

                 2. IF YOUR FAMILY LIFE WERE IDEAL, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE, AND WHAT ONE DISCIPLINE WOULD HELP YOU THE MOST TO MAKE IT A REALITY?

                3. IF YOUR HEALTH WERE PERFECT IN EVERY WAY, WHAT DISCIPLINES WOULD YOU HAVE THAT MAKE IT POSSIBLE?

                4. IF YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION WERE IDEAL TODAY, WHAT ONE DISCIPLINE WOULD YOU HAVE THAT WOULD HELP YOU THE MOST?

                5. WHY AREN'T YOU ALREADY AS SUCCESSFUL AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE, AND WHAT ONE DISCIPLINE WOULD HELP YOU THE MOST TO ACHIEVE ALL YOUR GOALS?

               6. WHAT ONE SKILL COULD YOU DEVELOP THAT WOULD HELP YOU TO REALIZE MORE OF YOUR GOALS?

              7. IF YOU COULD WAVE A MAGIC WAND AND BE COMPLETELY DISCIPLINED IN ONE AREA, WHICH ONE DISCIPLINE WOULD HAVE THE GREATEST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE?

                        "HOLD YOURSELF RESPONSIBLE FOR A HIGHER STANDARD

                                          THAN ANYONE ELSE EXPECTS OF YOU.

                          NEVER EXCUSE YOURSELF. NEVER PITY YOURSELF.

                BE A HARD MASTER TO YOURSELF AND BE LENIENT TO EVERYONE ELSE".

                                                                                --- HENRY WARD BEECHER,' 

                                                             NINETEENTH - CENTURY CLERTYMAN

                        THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHARACTER IS THE GREAT BUSINESS OF LIFE. YOUR ABILITY OF DEVELOP A REPUTATION AS A PERSON OF CHARACTER AND HONOR IS THE HIGHEST ACHIEVEMENT OF BOTH SOCIAL AND BUSINESS LIFE. RALPH WALDO EMERSON WROTE, "WHAT YOU DO SPEAKS SO LOUNDLY THAT I CANNOT HEAR A WORD THAT YOU SAY".

                        THE PERSON YOU ARE TODAY, YOUR INNERMOST CHARACTER, IS THE SUM TOTAL OF ALL YOUR CHOICES AND DECISION IN LIFE UP TO THIS DATE. EACH TIME YOU HAVE CHOSEN RIGHTLY AND ACTED CONSISTENTLY WITH THE VERY BEST THAT YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE STRENGTHENED YOUR CHARACTER AND BECOME A BETTER PERSON. THE REVERSE IS ALSO TRUE. EACH TIME YOU HAVE COMPROMISED. TAKEN THE EASY WAY, OR BEHAVED IN A MANNER INCONSISTENT WITH WHAT YOU KNEW TO BE RIGHT, YOU HAVE WEAKENED YOUR CHARACTER AND SOFTENED YOUR PERSONALITY.

                                                 THE TEST OF CHARACTER

                             IT IS ONLY WHEN YOU ARE UNDER PRESSURE - WHEN YOU ARE FORCED TO CHOOSE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, TO EITHER LIVE CONSISTENTLY WITH A VALUE OR TO COMPROMISE IT - THAT YOU DEMONSTRATE YOUR TRUE CHARACTER. EMERSON ALSO SAID, "GUARD YOUR INTREGRITY OF YOUR OWN MIND".

                        YOU ARE A "CHOOSING ORGANISM". YOU ARE CONSTANTLY MAKING CLOTHES, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. EACH CHOICES YOU MAKE IS A STATEMENT ABOUT YOUR TRUE VALUES AND PRIORITIES. AT EACH MOMENT, YOU CHOOSE WHAT IS IMPORTANT OR OF HIGHER VALUE TO YOU OVER WHATIS LESS IMPORTANT OR OF LESSER VALUE.

                     THE ONLY BULWARK AGAINST TEMPTATION, THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE, AND THE EXPEDIENCY FACTOR IS CHARACTER. THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU CAN DEVELOP YOUR FULL CHARACTER IS BY EXERTING YOUR WILLPOWER IN EVERY SITUATION WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED TO DO WHAT IS EASY AND EXPEDIENT RATHER THAN WHAT IS CORRECT AND NECESSARY.

HOW TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL MAN

 

                               SUCCESS IS PREDICTABLE

                           SUCCESS IS NOT AN ACCIDENT, SADLY, FAILURE IS NOT AN ACCIDENT EITHER. YOU SUCCEED WHEN YOU DO WHAT OTHERS SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO, OVER AND OVER, UNTIL THESE BEHAVIORS BECOME A HABIT. LIKEWISE, YOU FAIL IF YOU DON'T DO WHAT SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO. IN EITHER CASE, NATURE IS NEUTRAL. NATURE DOES NOT TAKE SIDES. NATURE DOESN'T CARE. WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU IS SIMPLY TAKE SIDES. NATURE DOESN'T CARE. WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU IS SIMPLY A MATTER OF LAW - THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT.

                           YOU CAN LOOK AT YOURSELF AS A MACHINE WITH A DEFAULT MECHANISM. YOUR DEFAULT MECHANISM IS THE ALMOST IRRESISBLE ATTRACTION OF THE EXPEDIENCY FACTOR AND THE PATH OF THE ADSENSE OF SELF-DISCIPLINE, YOUR DEFAULT MECHANISM GOES OFF AUTOMATICALLY. THIS IS THE MAIN CAUSE OF UNDERACHIEVEMENT AND THE FAILURE DTO REALIZE YOUR TRUE POTENTIAL.

                     WHEN YOU ARE NOT WORKING DELIBERATELY, CONSCIOUSLY, AND CONTINUOUSLY, TO DO, BE, AND HAVE THOSE THINGS THAT CONSTITUTE SUCCESS FOR YOU, YOUR DEFAULT MECHANISM IS AT WORK. YOU END UP DOING THOSE FUN, EASY, AND LOW-VALUE THINGS IN THE SHORT TERM THAT LEAD TO FRUSTRATION, FINANCIAL WORRIES, AND FAILURE IN THE LONG TERM.

                                                    THE SECRET OF SUCCESS

                           THE GREAT OIL MAN, H.L HUNT, WHO WAS AT ONE TIME THE RICHEST SELF-MADE BILLIONAIRE IN THE WORLD, WAS ONCE ASKED BY A TELEVISION JOURNALIST FOR HIS "SECRET OF SUCCESS". HE REPLIED: " THERE ARE ONLY THREE REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS. FIRST, DECIDE EXACTLY WHAT IT IS YOU WANT IN LIFE. SECOND, DETERMINE THE PRICE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY TO GET THE  THINGS YOU WANT. AND THIRD, AND THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT, RESOLVE TO PAY THAT PRICE".

                        ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS, ONCE YOU HAVE DECIDED WHAT IT IS THAT YOU WANT, IS THE QUALITY OF WILLINGNESS. SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE, WHATEVER IT IS AND FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES, UNTIL THEY ACHIEVE THE RESULTS THEY DESIRE.

                     EVERYONE WANTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL. EVERYONE WANTS TO BE HEALTHY, HAPPY, THIN, AND RICH. BUT MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE. OCCASIONALLY, THEY MAY BE WILLING TO PAY PART OF THE PRICE. BUT THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO PAY THE WHOLE PRICE. THEY ALWAYS HOLD BACK. THEY ALWAYS HAVE SOME EXCUSE OR RATIONALIZATION FOR NOT DISCIPLINING THEMSELVES DO DO EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED TO BE TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS.

 

                                                             PAY THE PRICE

  

                                 HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU HAVE PAID THE FULL PRICE OF SUCCESS? IT'S SIMPLE. LOOK AROUND YOU. THERE IT IS! YOU CAN ALWAYS TELL HOW MUCH OF THE PRICE OF SUCCESS YOU HAVE PAID BY LOOKING AT YOUR CURRENT LIFESTYLE AND YOUR BANK ACCOUNT. BY THE LAW OF CORRESPONDENCE, YOUR OUTER WORLD WILL, LIKE A MIRROR, ALWAYS REFLECT THE PERSON YOU ARE AND THE PRICE YOU HAVE PAID ON THE INSIDE.

                THERE IS AN INTERESTING POINT ABOUT THE PRICE OF SUCCESS, IT MUST ALWAYS BE PAID IN FULL - AND IN ADVANCE. SUCCESS, HOWEVER YOU DEFINE IT, IS NOT LIKE A RESTAURANT WHERE YOU PAY AFTER YOU HAVE ENJOYED YOUR MEAL. INSTEAD IT IS LIKE A  CAFETERIA, WHERE YOU CAN CHOOSE WHATEVER YOU WANT, BUT YOU MUST PAY FOR IT BEFORE YOU EAT IT.

                  MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER ZIG ZIGLAR SAYS, "THE ELEVATOR TO SUCCESS IS OUT OF ORDER, BUT THE STAIRS ARE ALWASY OPEN.

TOP 20'S IDEAS TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL

 

                                

                               JOIN TOP 20 PERCENT

                     IN OUR SOCIETY, THE TOP 20 PERCENT OF PEOPLE EARN 80 PERCENT OF THE MONEY AND ENJOY 80 PERCENT OF THE RICHES AND REWARDS. THIS "PARETO PRINCIPLE" HAS BEEN PROVEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN SINCE IT WAS FIRST FORMULATED IN 1895 BY VILFREDO PARETO. YOUR FIRST GOAL IN YOUR CAREER SHOULD BE TO GET INTO THE TOP 20 PERCENT IN YOUR CHOSEN FIELD.

                   IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY, THERE IS A PREMIUM ON KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL. THE MORE KNOWLEDGE YOU ACQUIRE AND THE GREATEST SKILL THAT YOU APPLY, THE MORE COMPETENT AND VALUABLE YOU BECOME. AS YOU GET BETTER AT WHAT YOU DO, YOUR INCOME-EARNING ABILITY INCREASES - LIKE COMPOUND INTEREST.

                 UNFORTUNATELY, THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE - THE BOTTOM 80 PERCENT - MAKE LITTLE OR NO EFFORT TO UPGRADE THEIR SKILLS, MOST PEOPLE, ACCORDING TO GEOFFREY COLVIN'S 2009 BOOK TALENT IS OVERATED, LEARN THEIR JOBS IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT, AND THEN THEY NEVER GET ANY BETTER. IT IS ONLY THE TOP PEOPLE IN EVERY FIELD WHO ARE COMMITTED TO CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.

                      BECAUSE OF THIS INCREASING DISPARITY OF PRODUCTIVE ABILITY, BASED ON KNOWLEDGE, SKILL, AND HARD WORK, THE TOP 1 PERCENT OF PEOPLE IN AMERICAN TODAY CONTROL AS MUCH AS 33 PERCENT OF THE FINANCIAL ASSETS.

                                                STARTING WITH NOTHING

                             INTERESTINGLY, ALMOST EVERYONE STARTS OUT THE SAME IN LIFE - WITH LITTLE OR NOTHING. ALMOST ALL FORTUNES IN AMERICA (AND WORLDWIDE) ARE FIRST GENERATION. THIS MEANS THAT MOST INDIVIDUALS STARTED WITH LITTLE OR NOTHING AND EARNED EVERYTHING THEY OWN IN THEIR CURRENT LIFETIME.

                      THE WEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN AMERICA ARE ALMOST ALL FIRST GENERATION MULTIBILLIONAIRES. THIS IS THE CASE WITH WEALTHY AMERICANS SUCH AS BILL GATES, WARREN BAFFERT, LARRY ELLISON, MICHAEL DELL, AND PAUL ALLEN. FULLY 80 PERCENT OF MILLIONARIES AND MULTIMILLIONARIES STARTED WITH LITTLE MONEY, OFTEN PENNILESS, AND SOMETIMES DEEPLY IN DEBT AND WITH FEW ADVANTAGES, SUCH AS SAM WALTON, WHO DIED WORTH MORE THAN $100 BILLION. WHY HAVE THESE PEOPLE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE SO MUCH WHEN SO MANY HAVE ACHIEVED SO LITTLE?

                   IN THEIR BOOK, THE MILLIONAIRE NEXT DOOR, THOMAS STANLEY AND WILLIAM DANKO INTERVIEWED MORE THAN 500 MILLIONAIRES AND SURVEYED 11000 MORE OVER A TWENTY-FIVE-YEAR PERIOD. THEY ASKED THEM WHY THEY FELT THEY HAD BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE WHEN MOST OF THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM, WHO STARTED AT THE SAME PLACE, WERE STILL STRUGGLING. FULLY 85 PERCENT OF THIS NEW GENERATION OF MILLIONAIRES REPLIED BY SAYING SOMETHING LIKE "I DIDN'T HAVE BETTER EDUCATION OR MORE INTELLIGENCE, BUT I WAS WILLING TO WORK HARDEN THAN ANYONE ELSE".

                                            HARD WORK IS THE KEY

                       THE INDISPENSABLE REQUIREMENT FOR HARD WORK IS SELF-DISCIPLINE. SUCCESS IS POSSIBLE ONLY WHEN YOU CAN OVERCOME THE NATURAL TENDENCY TO CUT CORNERS AND TAKE THE EASY WAY. LASTING SUCCESS IS POSSIBLE ONLY WHEN YOU CAN DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO WORK HARD FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.

                  AS I MENTIONED IN THE INTRODUCTION, I STARTED MY OWN LIFE WITH NO MONEY OR ADVANTAGES.  FOR YEARS, I WORKED AT LABORING JOBS, AT WHICH I EARNED JUST ENOUGH TO GET FROM PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK. I STUMBLED INTO SALES WHEN I COULD NO LONGER FIND A LABORING JOB, WHERE I SPUN MY WHEELS FOR MANY MONTHS BEFORE I BEGAN ASKING THAT QUESTION. "WHY IS IT THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL IN SELLING THAN OTHERS"?.

                   ONE DAY, A TOP SALESMAN THEN TOLD ME THAT THE TOP 20 PERCENT OF SALESPEOPLE EARN 80 PERCENT OF THE MONEY. I HAD  NEVER HEARD THAT BEFORE. THIS MEANT THAT THE BOTTOM 80 PERCENT OF SALESPEOPLE HAD TO BE SATISFIED WITH THE REMAINING 20 PERCENT, WITH WHAT WAS LEFT OVER AFTER THE TOP PEOPLE HAD TAKEN THE LION'S SHARE. I DECIDED THEN AND THERE THAT I WAS GOING TO BE IN THE TOP 20 PERCENT. THIS DECISION CHANGED MY LIFE.

ABOUT SELF-DISCIPLINE (THE LIFE CHAPTER)

 

                              DINNER BEFORE DESERT

                    

                        THE SIMPLEST RULE IN THE PRACTICE OF SELF-DISCIPLINE IS TO EAT "DINNER BEFORE DESSERT". IN A MEAL, THERE IS A LOGICAL ORDER OF DISHES, AND DESSERT COMES LAST. FIRST, YOU EAT THE MAIN COURSES AND CLEAN YOUR PLATE, ONLY THEN DO YOU HAVE DESSERT.

                           THERE IS A CUTE BUT MISLEADING BUMPER STICKER THAT SAYS, "LIFE IS SHORT, EAT DESSERT FIRST".

                             JUST THIKN WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU COME HOME AFTER WORK AND, INSTEAD OF EATING A HEALTHY DINNER, YOU ATE A LARGE PIECE OF APPLE PIE WITH ICE CREAM. WHAT KIND OF APPEPITE FOR HEALTHY, NUTRITIOUS FOOD WOULD YOU HAVE AFTERWARD? WITH ALL THAT SUGAR IN YOUR STOMACH, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL? WOULD YOU FEEL RE-ENERGIZED AND EAGER TO DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE? OR WOULD YOU FEEL TIRED AND SLUGISH AND READY TO WRITE OFF THE DAY AS LARGELY FINISHED?

                     YOU GET THE SAME RESULT WHEN YOU GO FOR A DRINK OR TWO AFTER WORK AND THEN COME HOME AND TURN ON THE TELEVISION. THESE ARE SIMPLY DIFFERENT FORSM OF "DESSERT" THAT LARGELY ELIMINATE YOUR ABILITY TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL FOR THE REST OF THE EVENING.'

                  PERHAPS THE WORST PART OF ALL IS THAT, WHATEVER YOU DO REPEADTEDLY SOON BECOMES A HABIT. AND A HABIT, ONCE FORMED, IS HARD TO BREAK. THE HABIT OF TAKING THE EASY WAY, DOING WHAT IS FUN AND ENJOYABLE, OR EATING DESSERT BEFORE DINNER BECOMES STRONGER AND STRONGER, AND IT LEADS INEVITABLY TO PERSONAL WEAKNESS, UNDERACHIEVEMENT, AND FAILURE.

                                        THE HABIT OF SELF-DISCIPLINE

                     FORTUNATELY, YOU CAN DEVELOP THE HABIT OF SELF-DISCIPLINE. THE REGULAR PRACTICE OF DISCLINING YOURSELF TO DO WHT YOU SHOUD DO, WHEN YOU SHOULD DO IT, WHETHER YOU FEEL LIKE IT OR NOT BECOMES STRONGER AND STRONGER AS YOU PRACTICE IT. YOU REFUSE TO MAKE EXCUSES.

                  BAD HABITS ARE EASY TO FORM, BUT HARD TO LIVE WITH. GOOD HABITS ARE HARD TO FORM, BUT EASY TO LIVE WITH. AND AS GOETHE SAID, "EVERYTHIG IS HARD BEFORE IT'S EASY".

                   IT IS HARD TO FORM THE HABITS OF SELF-DISCIPLINE, SELF-MASTERY, AND SELF-CONTROL, BUT ONCE YOU HAVE DEVELOPED THEM, THEY BECOME AUTOMATIC AND EASY TO PRACTICE. WHEN THE HABTIS OF SELF-DISCIPLINE ARE FIRMLY ENTRENCHED IN YOUR BEHAVIOR, YOU START TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN YOU ARE NOT BEHAVING IN A SELF-DISCIPLINED MANNER.

                  THE BEST NEWS IS THAT ALL HABITS ARE LEARNABLE. YOU CAN LEARN ANY HABIT YOU NEED TO LEARN IN ORDER TO BECOME THE KIND OF PERSON THAT YOU WANT TO BECOME. YOU CAN BECOME IN EXCELLENT PERSON BY PRACTICING SELF-DISCIPLINE WHENEVER IS CALLED FOR.

                  EVERY PRACTICE OF SELF-DISCIPLINE STRENGTHEN EVERY OTHER DISCIPLINE. UNFORTUNATELY, EVERY WEAKNESS IN DISCIPLINE WEAKENS YOUR OTHER DISCIPLINES AS WELL.

                   TO DEVELOP THE HABIT OF SELF-DISCIPLINE, YOU FIRST MAKE A FIRM DECISION ABOUT HOW YOU WILL BEHAVE IN A PARTICULAR AREA OF ACTIVITY. YOU THEN REFUSE TO ALLOW EXCEPTIONS UNTIL THE HABIT OF SELF-DISCIPLINE IN THE AREA IS FIRMLY ESTABLIGHED. EACH TIME YOU SLIP, AS YOU WILL, YOU RESOLVE ONCE AGAIN TO KEEP PRACTICING SELF-DISCIPLINE UNTIL IT BECOMES EASIER FOR YOU TO HEHAVE IN DISCIPLINED WAY THAT TO BEHAVE IN AN UNDISCIPLINED WAY.

                                      
                                                          THE BIG PAYOFF

                        

                     THE PAYOFF FOR DEVELOPING HIGH LEVELS OF SELF-DISCIPLINE IS EXTRORDINARY! THERE IS A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-DISCIPLINE AND SELF-ESTEEM.

                             * THE MORE YOU PRACTICE SELF-MASTERY AND SELF-CONTROL, THE MORE YOU LIKE AND VALUE YOURSELF.

                             * THE MORE YOU DISCIPLINE YOURSELF, THE GREATER IS YOUR SENSE OF SELF-RESPECT AND PERSONAL PRIDE.

                            * THE MORED YOU PRACTICE SELF-DISCIPLINE, THE BETTER IS YOUR SELF-IMAGE. YOU SEE YOURSELF AND THINK ABOUT YOURSELF IN A MORE POSITIVE WAY. YOU FEEL HAPPIER AND MORE POWERFUL AS A PERSON.

                      THE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF THE HABIT OF SELF-DISCIPLINE ARE A LIFELONG TASK, ON ONGOING BATTLE. IT NEVER ENDS. THE TEMPTATION TO FOLLOW THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE AND THE EXPEDIENCY FACTOR LURK CONTINUALLY IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND. THEY ARE ALWAYS WAITING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO POUNCE, TO LEAD YOU ASTRAY INTO DOING WHAT IS FUN, EASY, AND UNIMPORTANT RATHER THAN WHAT IS HARD, NECESSARY, AND LIFE-ENHANCING.

                    NAPOLEON HILL CONCLUDED HIS BESTSELLING BOOK OF THE SAME NAME BY SAYING THAT "SELF-DISCIPLINE IS THE MASTER KEY TO RICHES". SELF-DISCIPLINE IS THE KEY TO SELF-ESTEEM, SELF-RESPECT, AND PERSONAL PRIDE. THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-DISCIPLINE IS YOUR GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL EVENTUALLY OVERCOME ALL YOUR OBSTACLES AND CREATE A WONDERFUL LIFE FOR YOURSELF.

                    THE ABILITY TO PRACTICE SELF-DISCIPLINE IS THE REAL REASON WHY SOME PEOPLE ARE MORE SUCCESSFULAND HAPPY THAN OTHERS.

KNOWLEDGE OF THE DAY

 

                                       TAKE CONTROL

                 ANOTHER DEFINITION OF SELF-DISCIPLINE IS SELF-MASTERY. SUCCESS IS POSSIBLE ONLY WHEN YOU CAN MASTER YOUR OWN EMOTIONS, APPETIES, AND INCLINATIONS. PEOPLE WHO LACK THE ABILITY TO MASTER THEIR APPETIES BECOME WEAK AND DISSOLVE, AS WELL AS UNREALIABLE IN OTHER THINGS AS WELL.

               SELF-DISCIPLINE CAN ALSO DEFINED AS SELF-CONTROL. YOUR ABILITY TO CONTROL YOURSELF AND YOUR ACTIONS, CONTROL WHAT YOU SAY AND DO, AND ENSURE THAT YOUR BEHAVIORS ARE CONSISTENT WITH YOUR LONG-TERM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES IS THE MARK OF THE SUPERIOR PERSON.

                 DISCIPLINE HAS BEEN DEFINED AS SELF-DENIAL. THIS REQUIRES THAT YOU DENY YOURSELF THE EASY PLEASURES, THE TEMPTATIONS THAT LEAD TO DO ONLY THOSE THINGS THAT YOU KNOW ARE RIGHT FOR THE LONG TERM AND APPROPRIATE FOR THE MOMENT.

               SELF-DISCIPLINE REQUIRES DELAYED GRATIFICATION, THE ABILITY TO PUT OFF SATISFACTION IN THE SHORT TERM IN ODER TO ENJOY GREATER REWARDS IN THE LONG TERM.

                                                      THINK LONG TERM

                    SOCIALOGIST DR.EDWARD BANFIELD OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY CONDUCTED A FIFTY-YEARS STUDY INTO THE REASONS FOR UPWARD SOCIAECONOMIC MOBILITY IN AMERICA. HE CONCLUDED THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT SINGLE ATTRIBUTE OF PEOPLE WHO ACHIEVED GREAT SUCCESS IN LIFE WAS "LONG TIME PERSPECTIVE", BANFIELD DEFINED "TIME PERSPECTIVE" AS "THE AMOUNT OF TIME AN INDIVIDUAL TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN DETERMINING HIS PRESENT ACTIONS".

                     IN OTHER WORDS, THE MOST SUCCESFUL PEOPLE ARE LONG-TERM THINKERS. THEY LOOK INTO THE FUTURE AS FAR AS THEY CAN TO DETERMINE THE KIND OF PEOPLE THEY WANT TO BECOME AND THE GOALS THEY WANT TO ACHIEVE. THEY THEN COME BACK TO THE PRESENT AND DETERMINE THE THINGS THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO DO - OR NOT DO - TO ACHIEVE THEIR DESIRED FUTURES.

                   THIS PRACTICE OF LONG-TERM THINKING APPLIES TO WORK, CAREER, MARRIAGE, RELATIONSHIPS, MONEY, AND PERSONAL CONDUCT - EACH OF WHICH IS COVERED IN THE PAGES AHEAD. SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING THEY DO IN THE SHORT TERM IS CONSISTENT WITH WHERE THEY WANT TO END UP IN THE LONG TERM. THEY PRACTICE SELF-DISCIPLINE AT ALL TIMES.

                    PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT WORD IN LONG-TERM THINKING IS SACRIFICE. SUPERIOR PEOPLE HAVE THE ABILITY TO THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES MAKE SACRIFICES IN THE SHORT TERM, BOTH LARGE AND SMALL, SO AS TO ASSURE GREATER RESULTS AND REWARDS IN THE LONG TERM.

                   YOU SEE THIS WILLINGNESS TO SACRIFICE IN PEOPLE WHO SPEND MANY HOURS AND EVEN YEARS PREPARING, STUDYING, AND UPGRADING THIER SKILLS TO MAKE THEMSELVES MORE VALUABLE SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE A BETTER LIFE IN THE FUTURE, RATHER THAN SPENDING MOST OF THIER TIME SOCIALIZING AND HAVING FUN IN THE PRESENT.

         

              LONGFELLOW ONCE WROTE:

                  THOSE HEIGHTS BY GREAT MEN, WON AND KEPT,

                  WERE NOT ACHIEVED BY SUDDEN FLIGHT.

                  BUT THEY, WHILE THEIR COMPANIONS SLEPT,

                   WERE TOILING UPWARD IN THE NIGHT".

                       YOUR ABILITY TO THINK, PLAN, AND WORK HARD IN THE SHORT TERM AND TO DISCIPLINED YOURSELF TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND NECESSARY BEFORE YOU DO WHAT IS FUN AND EASY IS THE KEY TO CREATING A WONDERFUL FUTURE FOR YOURSELF.

                     YOUR ABILITY TO THINK LONG TERM IS A DEVELOPED SKILL. AS YOU GET BETTER AT IT, YOU BECOME MORE ABLE TO PREDICT WITH INCREASING ACCURACY WHAT IS LIKELY TO HAPPEN TO YOU IN THED FUTURE AS THE RESULT OF YOUR ACTIONS IN THE PRESENT. THIS IS A QUALITY OF THE SUPERIOR THINKER.

MIRACLES OF SELF-DISCIPLINE

 

                                       SELF-DISCIPLINE

                         WHY ARE SOME PEOPLE MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN OTHERS? WHY DO SOME PEOPLE MAKE MORE MONEY, LIVE HAPPIER LIVES, AND ACCOMPLISH MUCH MORE IN THE SAME NUMBER OF YEARS THAN THE GREAT MAJORITY? WHAT IS THE REAL "SECRET OF SUCCESS"?

                       OFTEN I BEGIN A SEMINAR WITH A LITTLE EXERCISE. I ASK THE AUDIENCE, HOW MANY PEOPLE HERE WOULD LIKE TO DOUBLE THEIR INCOME"?

                          ALMOST EVERYONE SMILES AND RAISES THEIR HANDS. I THEN ASK, "HOW MANY PEOPLE HERE WOULD LIKE TO LOSE WEIGHT? GET OUT OF DEBT? ACHIEVE FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE"?

                      AGAIN, EVERYONE SMILES, SOME PEOPLE CHEER, AND THEY ALL RAISE THEIR HANDS. THEN I SAY, "WONDERFUL, ! THESE ARE GREAT GOALS THAT EVERYONE HAS. WE ALL WANT TO MAKE MORE MONEY, SPEND MORE TIME WITH OUR FAMILIES, BE FIT AND TRIM, AND ACHIEVE FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE.

                      NOT ONLY DO WE ALL WANT THE SAME THINGS, BUT WE ALL KNOW WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO ACHIEVE THEM. AND WE ALL INTEND TO DO THOSE THINGS, SOMETIME. BUT BEFORE WE GET STARTED, WE DECIDE THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A LITTLE VACATION TO A WONDERFUL FANTASY PLACE CALLED "SOMEDAY ISLE".

                      NOT SURPRISING, THEIR EXCUSES ARE LARGELY THE SAME, "I DIDN'T HAVE A HAPPY CHILDHOOD, " I DIDN'T GET A GOOD EDUCATION,"  " I DONT HAVE ANY MONEY", MY BOSS IS REALLY CRITICAL", "MY MARRIAGE IS NO GOOD", NO ONE APPRECIATES ME", THE ECONOMY IS TERRIBLE".

                     THEY HAVE COME DOWN WITH THE DISEASE OF "EXCUSITIS", WHICH IS INVARIABLE FATAL TO SUCCESS. THEY ALL HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS, BUT AS EVERYONE KNOWS, "THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS".

                     THE FIRST RULE OF SUCCESS IS SIMPLE. VOTE YOURSELF OFF THE ISLAND!

                     NO MORE EXCUSES. STOP USING YOUR INCREDIBLE BRAIN TO THINK UP ELABORATE RATIONALIZATIONS AND JUSTIFICATION FOR NOT TAKING ACTION. DO SOMETHING. DO ANYTHING. GET ON WITH IT! REPEAT TO YOURSELF, " IF IT'S TO BE, UP TO ME!".

                     LOSERS MAKE EXCUSES, WINNERS MAKE PROGRESS. NOW, HOW CAN YOU TELL IF YOUR FAVORITE EXCUSE IS VALID OR NOT? IT'S SIMPLE. LOOK AROUND AND ASK".. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS MY SAME EXCUSE WHO IS SUCCESSFUL ANYWAY"?

                 WHEN YOU ASK THIS QUESTION, IF YOU ARE HONEST, YOU WILL HAVE TO ADMIT THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS AND EVEN MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD IT FAR WORSE THAN YOU HAVE WHO HAVE GONED ON TO DO WONDERFUL THINGS WITH THEIR LIVES. AND WHAT THOUSANDS AND MILLIONS OF OTHERS HAND DONE, YOU CAN DO AS WELL - IF YOU TRY.

                IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT IF PEOPLE PUT AS MUCH ENERGY INTO ACHIEVING THEIR GOALS AS THEY SPEND MAKING SPEND EXCUSES FOR FAILURE, THEY WOULD ACTUALLY SURPRISE THEMSELVES. BUT FIRST, YOU HAVE TO VOTE YOURSELF OFF THE ISLAND.

                                             HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

                      VERY FEW PEOPLE START OFF WITH MANY ADVANTAGES. PERSONALLY, I DID NOT GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL. I WORKED AT LABORING JOBS FOR SEVERAL YEARS. I HAD LIMITED EDUCATION, LIMITED SKILLS, AND A LIMITED FUTURE. AND THEN I BEGAN ASKING THAT QUESTION. WHY ARE SOME PEOPLE MORE SUCCESSFUL THAT OTHERS? THIS QUESTION CHANGED MY LIFE. 

                OVER THE YEARS,  I HAVE READ THOUSANDS OF BOOKS AND ARTICLES ON THE SUBJECTS OF SUCCESS AND ACHIEVEMENT. IT SEEMS THAT THE REASONS FOR THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED AND WRITTEN ABOUT FOR MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS, IN EVERY CONCEIVABLE WAY.

                 ONE QUALITY THAT MOST PHILOSOPHERS, TEACHERS, AND EXPERTS AGREE ON IS THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-DISCIPLINE. DISCIPLINE IS WHAT YOU MUST HAVE TO RESIST THE LURE OF EXCUSES.

                    IT IS SELF-DISCIPLINE THAT ENABLES YOU TO "VOTE YOURSELF OFF THE ISLAND". IT IS THE KEY TO A GREAT LIFE, AND WITHOUT IT, NO LASTING SUCCESS IS POSSIBLE.

                   THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-DISCIPLINE CHANGED MY LIFE, AND IT WILL CHANGE YOURS AS WELL. BY CONTINUALLY DEMANDING MORE FROM MYSELF, I BECAME SUCCESSFUL IN SALES AND THEN IN MANAGEMENT. I CAUGHT UP ON MY SCHOOLING AND TOOK AN MBA DEGREE IN MY THIRTIES, WHICH REQUIRED THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF DETERMINED STUDY. I IMPORTED SUZUKI VEHICLES INTO CANADA BEFORE ANYONE ELSE, SET UP SIXTY-FIVE DEALERSHIPS, AND SOLD $2.5 MILLION WORTH OF THE VEHICLES, AND THIS IS ALL AFTER I HAD STARTED WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE INDUSTRY. WHAT I HAD, HOWEVER, WAS THE DISCIPLINE AND DETERMINATION TO LEARN WHAT I NEEDED TO KNOW AND THEN APPLY WHAT I NEEDED TO DO.

                     I GOT INTO REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OR EXPERIENCE, APPLIED THE POWER OF DISCIPLINE, WHICH WAS THEN BACKED BY HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF WORK AND STUDY. I THEN WENT ON TO BUILD SHOPPING CENTERS, INDUSTRIAL PARKS, OFFICE BUILDINGS, AND RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISIONS.

                  WITH SELF-DISCIPLINE, I HAVE BUILT SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS IN TRAINING, CONSULTING, SPEAKING, WRITING, RECORDING, AND DISTRIBUTION. MY AUDIO AND VIDEO PROGRAMS, BOOKS, SEMINARS, AND TRAINING PROGRAMS HAVE SOLD THAN $500 MILLION IN THIRTY-SIX-LANGUAGE AND FIFTY-FOUR COUNTRIES, OVER THE YEARS I HAVE CONSULTED FOR MORE THAN 1,000 COMPAINIES AND TRAINED MORE THAN 5 MILLION PEOPLE IN LIVE SEMINARS AND TALKS. IN EVERY CASE, THE PRACTICE OF SELF-DISCIPLINE HAS BEEN ESSENTIAL TO MY SUCCESS.

                       I DISCOVERED THAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE ALMOST ANY GOAL YOU SET FOR YOURSELF IF YOU HAVE THE DISCIPLINE TO PAY THE PRICE, TO DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, AND TO NEVER GIVE UP.