THE DEFINITION OF SUCCESS

 You will become as small as your controlling desires or as great as your dominant aspiration.

If asked to define “Success”, you would probably list impressive achievements, wealth, fame, power, freedom and influence. You would be right, and you would be wrong. Success is so much more. Success is an attitude that unfolds the very best in EVERY aspect of your life. So why does it seem elusive? Because most people are so focused on selected results that they fail to understand that success isn’t a result, it’s a process with measurable steps all of which start with a singe choice. 

Success is not a thing – not a reward that awaits you at some far off time. Success lies in doing well whatever thing you are doing now. It is more a matter of mental attitude than of mental or physical capacity. You have all the fundamentals of it right now. But it is only the USE of them that can make you successful. It is the way you use what you have. You can succeed with what you have at this moment, if only you learn to use it correctly. Ask of yourself what ability you have which can be made to develop into something worth while. 

Great successes are simply a group of little successes built one upon another. Work hard, ask God for wisdom, listen to his answers and act on his direction and opportunities. But also be prepared for the hard times, because you never know when they will come knocking either. 

You have all that the greatest of men have had

Two eyes, two ears, two hands, two feet

Whether they were explorers or scientists or builders or speakers or motivators

They came here with no more or no less than you

The difference between the mighty and the mundane

Is what you do with what you have.

To your success and till the next time

Bruce

Success

The foremost stumbling block to success in life is cowardice, the dreaded fear of failure “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”. Spectators never won a baseball game. If you are to win at anything in life, you must first be in the game, you must place yourself on the firing line.

History tells us that the doors of opportunity are always closed. They have been that way since the world began. At no time when you walk down a street will you find any doors of opportunity standing open and inviting you to come in. Doors that are worth entering are usually closed, but the resolute and courageous knock at those doors, and keep knocking persistently until they are opened.

Working hard and applying the principles of success can help you attain your goals, but much of success is by chance – being at the right place at the right time. In light of that, my advice is to give it all you've got and don’t let up, for you never know when opportunity will come knocking. Waiting for perfect conditions usually causes a person to get very little accomplished.

Achievement never comes to the uninspired. To the man or woman that has always "thought small" it is frightening to "think success" or to "think big". It is too easy to entertain doubts, procrastinate, delay or make excuses. Success is not a thing – not a reward that awaits you at some far off time. Success lies in doing well whatever thing you are doing now. It is more a matter of mental attitude than of mental or physical capacity. Every successful man or woman has had more failures than successes in life, but the winner concentrates on his or her strengths and successes while the loser in life dwells on his or her miscalculations and misfortunes.

You have all the fundamentals in you to succeed right now. But it is only the USE of them that can make you successful. It is the way you use what you have. You can succeed with what you have at this moment, if only you learn to use it correctly. Ask of yourself what ability you have which can be made to develop into something worth while. Great successes are simply a group of little successes built one upon another.

You have all that the greatest of men have had

Two eyes, two ears, two hands, two feet

Whether they were explorers or scientists or builders or speakers or motivators

They came here with no more or no less than you

The difference between the mighty and the mundane

Is what you do with what you have.

Why you are sometimes not successful

Did you know you can actually limit your life by dwelling on the wrong things? So often, wrong thinking keeps people stuck right where they are. If you think you’ll never accomplish your dreams, then your life will follow your thoughts. If you think you don’t have the talent, the connections or the money, then you are limiting yourself.  

Your failure to get results may be a consequence of mentally making statements as:

• Things are getting worse
• I will never get an answer
• I see no way out
• It is hopeless
• I don’t know what to do
• I am all mixed up

When you use such statements, you get no response or co-operation from your subconscious mind (the universe).

You must remember that whenever your subconscious mind accepts any idea, it immediately begins to execute it. It uses all its mighty resources to that end. It mobilizes all the mental and spiritual laws of your deeper mind. This law is true for good thoughts, but it holds true for bad thoughts as well. Consequently, if you use your subconscious mind negatively, it brings trouble, failure and confusion. When you use it constructively, it brings guidance, freedom, and peace of mind.

Our words have creative power. Whenever we speak something out, either good or bad, we are giving life to what we are saying. Too many people go around saying negative things about themselves, their family, and their future. Things like, “I’ll never be successful", "This sickness is going to get the best of me",  "Business is so slow I don’t think I’m going to make it", "Flu season is coming. I’ll probably get it.” They don’t realize they are prophesying their future.

The Bible says, “...we will eat the fruit of our words.” That means we’re going to get exactly what we have been saying.

Here is the key: you've got to send your words out in the direction you want your life to go. You cannot talk defeat and expect to have victory. You can’t talk lack and expect to have abundance. You will produce what you've been saying. With your words you can either bless or curse your future. Make sure your words are what you want your future to be so that you can move forward in a life of success.

Till the next time.

Bruce

P.S. Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy. - Dale Carnegie

WHAT IS FAITH?

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase before you take the first step”. Martin Luther King

There are two ways to approach life, one is to live by sight and reason and base everything on what you see, this is how most people live. The other way is to live by FAITH, which is to base everything on what you can’t see. Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen, it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. All faith begins in belief, and the reward of faith is to see what one has believed.

So the question is, what must you believe in order to have faith?

Consider the following quote, “Whatever you are seeking is also seeking you. Whenever you act in complete faith and confidence, everything will unfold when and as it should.”

The method by which one develops faith, where is does not already exist, is extremely difficult to describe. Almost as difficult as it would be to describe the colour red to a blind person. Making repeated affirmations to your subconscious mind is the only known method of developing the emotion of faith voluntarily. Any impulse of thought which is repeatedly passed on to the subconscious mind will eventually be accepted and acted upon. All thoughts which have been emotionalized (given feeling) and mixed with faith begin immediately to translate themselves into their physical equivalent or counterpart. You will become as small as your controlling desires or as great as your dominant aspiration.

In it’s simplest terms, Faith requires action. It is the application of faith in yourself, your faith in your fellow man, your faith in opportunities that are available, and your faith in God under any circumstance.

If you have no faith then it is possible to induce it through Persistence. Persistence is the sustained effort necessary to induce faith. Since persistence is a state of mind it can be cultivated, and like all states of mind, the basis of persistence is the Power of will. When you mix willpower with persistence then you will achieve your objective.

In the book “Think and Grow Rich”, Napoleon Hill states that there are four simple steps that will lead to the habit of persistence. They call for no great amount of intelligence, no particular amount of education, and little time or effort.

The necessary steps are:

1. A definite purpose backed by a burning desire for its fulfillment. Knowing what you want is the first and perhaps, the most important step toward the development of persistence. A strong motive forces you to surmount many difficulties.

2. A definite plan, expressed in continuous action. Organized plans, even though they may be weak and entirely impractical, encourage persistence.

3. A mind closed tightly against all negative and discouraging influences, including negative suggestions of relatives, friends and acquaintances.

4. A friendly alliance with one or more persons who will encourage you to follow through with both plan and purpose. Get a mentor, someone who believes in you who can help guide you towards your goals.

H.L. “Bunker” Hunt, the Texas oil billionaire when asked in an interview about the secret of his success replied, that he believed there were only two things necessary to succeed. The first is that you have to decide on exactly what it is you want. This is the starting point and, in his estimation, this is where most people fail. They never decide what it is they really want. He observed that most people wander through life wanting a great many things but not wanting any one thing more than all the rest. They end up settling for far less than what could be theirs. Once you decide on what you want, he continued, the second thing you must do is determine the price you must pay to get it, then resolve to pay that price. However, many who get past the first step never get past the second. They never realize there is a price you must pay for success, and they are not willing to pay it.

Only a big challenging goal can provide meaning and purpose to your life. It gives you something to aim at, to work toward and to look forward to. Without a goal, you will wander around like a chicken without a head, with no direction attached to your efforts. Since you cannot measure any progress, you cannot feel any sense of accomplishment. Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States once said “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "Press On" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

So whenever you are facing challenges in achieving your goals or dreams remember to repeat to yourself, I will persist without exception, I am a person of great faith.

Till the next time

Bruce

Believe in yourself! You’re divinely designed

And perfectly made for the work of mankind.

This truth you must cling to through danger and pain

The heights man has reached you can also attain.

Believe to the very last hour, for it’s true

That whatever you will you’ve been gifted to do.

Believe in yourself and step out unafraid

By misgivings and doubt be not easily swayed.

You’ve the right to succeed, the precision of skill

Which betokens the great, you can earn if you will!

The wisdom of ages is yours if you’ll read

But you’ve got to believe in yourself to succeed.   Anon

Secrets from the Universe

At some point, we probably all reach a stage in our lives where we ask the questions: What is "My Destiny" and am I following "God’s Plan"?. Well, one day while flying to Dallas Texas I started reading a book called “The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die” by John Izzo. It was about interviews the author had with over 200 people between the ages of 60 -106 in an attempt to discover why some people find meaning to life and die happy.

The five secrets he discovered are:

• To thine own self be true
• Have no regrets
• Give back more than you take
• Live in the moment/present
• Be a loving person and spend time with people who lift your spirit

I know that many of us may have heard of these “secrets” before, but I was so intrigued by what I read that when I got back from my trip I started researching and trying to read everything I could on the subject. I discovered that they were called the Universal Laws. These are common truths that lay at the core of the most powerful philosophies, teachings and religions in the world. Without exception, every human being has the ability to transform any weakness or suffering into strength, power, perfect peace, health, and abundance. By applying the knowledge of these laws, you can change every aspect of your life. This is the secret to prosperity, health, relationships and happiness. This is what life is all about.


One of the best books that explains the Universal Laws and how to apply them is by James Arthur Ray called The Science of Success. Below is a synopsis of some of the key principles I learned from that book.

1. Success is a science governed by specific, unchangeable laws of the universe. You can put that science to work for you, if you are willing to:

• Change your thoughts and attitudes
• Realize that the past is not the future
• Think and act wisely
• Open yourself to your own worthiness

2. You don’t need to understand all the details of the laws and principles. You just need to put them into action, much like flipping on a light switch without understanding, the details of electricity.

3. In order to succeed, you must be clear on what you want in life - not what you don’t want — and connect that worthy ideal to a higher purpose.

4. Your mindset is the sum of all your beliefs, values, identity, expectations, attitudes, habits, decisions, opinions and thought patterns about yourself, others and how life works. Many of our mindsets, are handed down from our families, society, religious authorities and teachers, but we can change our thoughts and mindsets to attract more of whatever it is we want.

5. The mind is composed of body, conscious mind and subconscious mind. The conscious mind gives the order and the sub-conscious mind carries it out through the body. To choose your new path create a clear mental picture of your new mindset and give all your attention and energy to those new thoughts, attitudes and beliefs. The old thoughts will wither and die.

6. If you have faith and belief in your ability to succeed, you will be grateful in advance. Your subconscious mind begins creating exactly what you ask and expect. We always manifest our greatest desire through gratitude or our worst fear through the lack of it. Your controlling idea will always manifest into physical reality.

7. Challenges are our greatest teachers and make us stronger. We find our greatest strengths when we really commit to a certain course of action and stick to it. We will discover new courage in overcoming challenges and learning the lessons that they offer us.

I am no expert, but I have written a booklet that summarizes a small portion of many of the different “secrets” that I have learnt to date. Surprisingly many of these were taught to me by my mother when I was growing up, and who today in her seventies still shares with me words of wisdom and encouragement.

I hope that you will use this booklet to draw inspiration and to be reminded of things you may have forgotten as you go through your Journey of Life.

Regards

Bruce

Click here to download the booklet.


P.S. I would love to hear your feedback on what you think of the booklet