THE SEVEN-STEP METHOD TO ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS

 

      

                  FEW STEPS TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

                        THERE ARE SEVEN SIMPLE STEPS THAT YOU CAN FOLLOW TO SET AND ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS FASTER. THERE ARE MORE COMPLEX AND DETAINLED GOAL-ACHIEVING METHODOLOGIES, BUT THIS SEVEN-STEP METHOD WILL ENABLE YOU TO ACCOMPLISH TEN TIMES MORE THAN YOU HAVE EVER ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE, AND YOU WILL DO SO FAR FASTER THAN YOU CAN CURRENTLY IMAGINE.

                           STEP 1 

                                  DECIDE EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT

                       BE SPECIFIC. IF YOU WANT TO INCREASE YOUR INCOME, DECIDE ON A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF MONEY RATHER THAN TO JUST "MAKE MORE MONEY".

                             STEP 2

                                       WRITE IT DOWN

                       A GOAL THAT IS NOT IN WRITING IS LIKE CIGARETTE SMOKE. IT DRIFTS AWAY AND DISAPPEARS. IT IS VAGUE AND INSUBSTANTIAL. IT HAS NO FORCE, EFFECT, OR POWER. BUT A WRITTEN GOAL BECOMES SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN SEE, TOUCH, ROAD, AND MODIFY IF NECESSARY.

                              STEP 3

                                        SET A DEADLINE FOR YOUR GOAL

                          PICK A REASONABLE TIME PERIOD AND WRITE DOWN THE DATE WHEN YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE IT. IF IT IS BIG ENOUGH GOAL, SET A FINAL DEADLINE AND THEN SET SUBDEADLINES OR INTERIM STEPS BETWEEN WHERE YOU ARE TODAY AND WHERE YOU WANT TO BE IN THE FUTURE.

                        A DEADLINES SERVES AS A "FORCING SYSTEM" IN YOUR BRAIN. JUST AS YOU OFTEN GET MORE DONE WHEN YOU ARE UNDER THE PRESSURE OF A SPECIFIC DEADLINE, YOUR SUBCONSIOUS MIND WORKS FASTER AND MORE EFFICIENTLY WHEN YOU HAVE DECIDED THAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE A GOAL BY A SPECIFIC TIME.

                     THE RULE IS "THERE ARE NO UNREALISTIC GOALS, THERE ARE ONLY UNREALISTIC DEADLINES".

                     WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU DON'T ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL BY YOUR DEADLINE? SIMPLE. YOU SET ANOTHER DEADLINE. A DEADLINES IS JUST A "GUESSTIMATE". SOMETIMES YOU WILL ACHIVE YOUR GOAL BEFORE THE DEADLINES, SOMETIMES AT THE DEADLINE, AND SOMETIMES AFTER THE DEADLINES.

                    WHEN YOU SET YOUR GOAL, IT WILL BE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF A CERTAIN SET OF EXTERNAL CIRCUMSTANCES. BUT THESE CIRCUMSTANCES MAY CHANGE, CAUSING YOU TO CHANGE YOUR DEADLINES AS WELL.

                              STEP 4

                     MAKE A LIST OF EVERYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY DO TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL

                       AS HENRY FORD SAID, "THE BIGGEST GOALS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED IF YOU JUST BREAK IT DOWN INTO ENOUGH SMALL STEPS"

                     * MAKE A LIST OF THE OBSTACLES AND DIFFICULTIES THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO OVERCOME, BOTH EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL.

                     * MAKE A LIST OF THE ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS THAT YOU WILL NEED IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL.

                     * MAKE A LIST OF THE PEOPLE WHOSE COOPERATION AND SUPPORT YOU WILL REQUIRE TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL.

                   * MAKE A LIST OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN THINK OF THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO DO, AND THEN ADD TO THIS LIST AS NEW TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OCCUR TO YOU. KEEP WRITING UNTIL YOUR LIST IS COMPLETE.

                      STEP 5

                              ORGANIZE YOUR LIST BY BOTH SEQUENCE AND PRIORITY

                             A LIST OF ACTIVITIES ORGANIZED BY SEQUENCES REQUIRES THAT YOU DECIDE WHAT YOU NEED TO DO FIRST, WHAT YOU NEED TO DO SECOND, AND WHAT YOU NEED TO DO LATER ON. IN ADDITION, A LIST ORGANIZED BY PRIORITY ENABLES YOU TO DETERMINE WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT AND WHAT IS LESS IMPORTANT.

                         SOMETIMES SEQUENCES AND PRIORITY ARE THE SAME, BUT OFTEN THEY ARE NOT. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU WANT TO START A PARTICULAR KIND OF BUSINESS, THE FIRST ITEM IN ORDER OF SEQUENCE MIGHT BE FOR YOU TO PURCHASE A BOOK OR ENROLL IN A COURSE ON THAT BUSINESS.

                      BUT WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IS YOUR ABILITY TO DEVELOP A BUSINESS PLAN, BASED ON COMPLETE MARKET RESEARCH, THAT YOU CAN USE TO GATHER THE RESOURCES YOU NEED AND ACTUALLY START THE BUSINESS YOU HAVE IN MIND.

                            STEP 6

                 TAKE ACTION ON YOUR PLAN IMMEDIATELY

                           TAKE THE FIRST STEP - AND THEN THE SECOND STEP AND THE THIRD STEP. GET GOING, GET BUSSY. MOVE QUICKLY. DON'T DELAY. REMEMBER: PROCRASTINATION IS NOT ONLY THE THIEF OF TIME, IT IS THE THIEF OF LIFE.

                         THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUCCESSESS AND FAILURES IN LIFE IS SIMPLY THAT WINNERS TAKE THE FIRST STEP. THEY ARE ACTION-ORIENTED. AS THEY SAID IN STAR TREK, THEY "GO BOLDLY WHERE NO MAN HAS EVER GONE BEFORE. "WINNERS ARE WILLING TO TAKE ACTION WITH NO GUARANTEES OF SUCCESS. THOUGH THEY'RE WILLING TO FACE FAILURE AND DISAPPOINTMENT, THEY'RE ALWAYS WILLING TO TAKE ACTION.

                       STEP 7

                               DO SOMETHING EVERY DAY THAT MOVES YOU IN THE DIRECTION OF YOUR MAJOR GOAL

                          THIS IS THE KEY STEP THAT WILL GUARANTEE YOUR SUCCESS. DO SOMETHING, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 365 DAYS A YEAR. DO ANYTHING THAT MOVES YOU AT LEAST ONE STEP CLOSER TO THE GOAL THAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU AT THAT TIME.

                       WHEN YOU DO SOMETHING EVERY DAY THAT MOVES YOU IN THE DIRECTION OF YOUR GOAL, YOU DEVELOP MOMENTUM. THIS MOMENTUM, THIS SENSE OF FORWARD MOTION, MOTIVATES, INSPIRES, AND ENERGIZES YOU. AS YOU DEVELOP MOMENTUM. YOU WILL FIND IT INCREASINGLY EASY TO TAKE EVEN MORE STEPS TOWARD YOUR GOAL.

                      IN NO TIME AT ALL, YOU WILL HAVE DEVELOPED THE DISCIPLINE OF SETTING AND ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS. IT WILL SOON BECOME EASY AND AUTOMATIC. YOU WILL SOON DEVELOP THE HABIT AND THE DISCIPLINE OF WORKING TOWARD YOUR GOALS ALL THE TIME.

                                                          MAKE A PLAN

                     ONCE YOU HAVE WRITTEN OUT THIS GOAL, CLEARLY AND SPECIFICALLY, AND MADE IT MEASURABLE, SET A DEADLINE ON YOUR GOAL. YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND NEEDS A DEADLINE SO THAT IT CAN FOCUS AND CONCENTRATE ALL YOUR MENTAL POWERS ON GOAL ATTAINMENT.

                   MAKE A LIST OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN THINK OF THAT YOU COULD DO TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL. ORGANIZE THIS LIST BY SEQUENCE AND PRIORITY.

                    SELECT THE MOST IMPORTANT OR LOGICAL NEXT STEP IN YOUR PLAN AND TAKE ACTION ON IT IMMEDIATELY. TAKE THE FIRST STEP. DO SOMETHING. DO ANYTHING.

                   RESOLVE TO WORK ON THIS GOAL EVERY SINGLE DAY UNTIL IT IS ACHIEVED. FROM THIS MOMENT FORWARD, AS FAR AS YOU ARE CONCERNED, "FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION". ONCE YOU HAVE DECIDED THAT THIS ONE GOAL CAN HAVE THE GREATEST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE AND YOU HAVE SET IT AS YOUR MAJOR DEFINTE PURPOSE, RESOLVE THAT YOU WILL WORK TOWARD THIS GOAL AS HARD AS YOU CAN, AS LONG AS YOU CAN, AND THAT YOU WILL NEVER GIVE UP INTIL IT IS ACHIEVED. THIS DECISION ALONE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

ABOUT MONEY, RESPONSIBILITY AND SITUATION

 

                         

                                MONEY AND EMOTIONS

                    MANY OF OUR BIGGEST PROBLEMS AND CONCERNS IN LIFE HAVE TO DO WITH MONEY, EARNING IT, SPENDING IT, INVESTING IT, AND ESPECIALLY, LOSING IT. AS A RESULT, MANY OF OUR NEGATIVE EMOTIONS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH MONEY IN SOME WAY. HOWEVER, THE FACT IS THAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR FINANCIAL LIFE. YOU CHOOSE. YOU DECIDE. YOU ARE IN CHARGE. YOU CANNOT BLAME YOUR FINANCIAL PROBLEMS OR SITUATION ON OTHER PEOPLE. YOU ARE IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT.

                   SO IT IS ONLY WHEN YOU ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR INCOME (WHO CHOSE TO ACCEPT THE JOB YOU ARE WORKING AT?) YOUR BILLS (WHO SPENT THE MONEY THAT PUT YOU INTO DEBT?) AND YOUR INVESTMENTS (WHO MADE THOSE DECISIONS?) CAN YOU MOVE FROM BEING AN "ECONOMIC CHILD" TO AN "ECONOMIC ADULT".

                                           RESPONSIBILITY AND CONTROL

                            

                 THERE IS A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ACCEPTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY AND THE AMOUNT OF PERSONAL CONTROL YOU FEEL YOU HAVE OVER YOUR LIFE. THIS MEANS THAT THE MORE YOU ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY, THE GREATER SENSE OF CONTROL YOU EXPERIENCE.

                     THERE IS ALSO A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AMOUNT OF CONTROL YOU FEEL YOU HAVE AND HOW POSITIVE YOU FEEL. THE MORE YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE A HIGH "SENSE OF CONTROL" IN THE IMPORTANT AREAS OF YOUR LIFE, THE MORE POSITIVE AND HAPPY YOU ARE IN  EVERYTHING YOU DO.

                    WHEN YOU ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY, YOU FEEL STRONG, POWERFUL, AND PURPOSEFUL. ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY ELIMINATES THE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS THAT ROB YOU OF HAPPINESS AND CONTENTMENT.

                   IN EVERY SITUATION, THE ANTIDOTE TO NEGATIVE EMOTIONS IS TO SAY, "I AM RESPONSIBLE" . THEN LOOK INTO THE SITUATION TO FIND THE REASONS WHY YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED OR FOR WHAT IS GOING ON.

                 YOUR INTELLIGENCE IS LIKE A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD. IT CAN CUT IT EITHER DIRECTION. YOU CAN USE YOUR INTELLIGENCE TO REATIONALIZE, JUSTIFY, AND BLAME OTHER PEOPLE FOR THINGS YOU ARE NOT HAPPY ABOUT, OR YOU CAN USE YOUR INTELLIGENCE TO FIND REASONS WHY YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENDED AND THEN TAKE ACTION TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OR RESOLVE THE SITUATION. YOU CAN MAKE EXCUSES OR YOU CAN MAKE PROGRESS. YOU CHOOSE.

                EVEN IF AN ACCIDENT HAS OCCURED, SUCH AS YOUR CAR BEING DAMAGED IN THE PARKING LOT WHILE YOU ARE AT WORK, YOU MAY NOT BE LEGALLY AT FAULT FOR THE ACCIDENT. BUT YOU ARE STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR RESPONSES, FOR HOW YOU BEHAVE AS A RESULT OF WHAT HAPPENED.

                                       NEVER COMPLAIN, NEVER EXPLAIN

                       THE MARK OF THE LEADER, THE TRULY SUPERIOR PERSON, IS THAT HE OR SHE ACCEPTS COMPLETE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SITUATION. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO IMAGINE A TRUE LEADER WHO WHINES AND COMPLAINS RATHER THAN TAKING ACTION WHEN PROBLEMS AND DIFFICULTIES ARISE.

                       THIS SENSE OF "RESPONSIBILITY" IS THE MARK OF THE HIGHLY DEVELOPED PERSONALITY. YOU TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LIFE BY RESOLVING, IN ADVANCE, THAT YOU WILL NOT BECOME UPSET OR ANGRY OVER SOMETHING THAT YOU CANNOT AFFECT OR CHANGE. JUST AS YOU DO NOT BECOME ANGRY ABOUT THE WEATHER, YOU DO NOT BECOME ANGRY OVER CIRCUMSTANCES AND SITUATIONS OVER WHICH YOU HAVE NO CONTROL.

                        FUTHERMORE, YOU ESPECIALLY DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE ANGRY AND UNHAPPY IN THE PRESENT BECAUSE OF UNHAPPY EXPERIENCES OR SITUATIONS FROM THE PAST. YOU SAY, "WHAT CANNOT BE CURED MUST BE ENDURED".

                    IT IS AMAZING HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE UNHAPPY TODAY BECAUSE OF A PAST EVENT, SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED MANY YEARS AGO. EACH TIME THEY THINK OF THE NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES, THEY BECOME ANGRY OR DEPRESSED ONCE AGAIN. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT AT ANY TIME, YOU CAN STOP THINKING ABOUT, DISCUSSING, AND REHASHING THE PAST. YOU CAN LET IT GO AND BEGIN THINKING INSTEAD ABOUT YOUR GOALS AND YOUR UNLIMITED FUTURE. AS HELEN KELLER SAID, "WHEN YOU TURN TOWARD THE SUNSHINE, THE SHADOWS FALL BEHIND YOU".

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.