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Fifth rung: Make it happen. Never, never, never give up.
| First rung: | Decide on your dreams and goals. |
| Second rung: | Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything. |
| Third rung: | Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success. |
| Fourth rung: | Action. Take action. Pursue your dream plan with courage and determination. |
| Fifth rung: | Make it happen. Never, never, never give up. |
Fifth rung: Make it happen. Never, never, never give up.
People set goals because there is an underlying, strong motivation for achieving them. They are not created in a vacuum; they have significance, meaning, purpose, and value! Bringing anything of such great importance to fruition, seeing it impact your life, and making it your reality, should never be commenced without a huge quantity of “mental preparedness.” Count on it…there will be obstacles, complications, disappointments, and, yes, problems. Being an achiever, you know this to be true. Through your own experience and that of others, it is profoundly evident that winners will triumph because they refused to be defeated by whatever difficulties were encountered. They simply breathe persistence. Success will never come without a mindset of steadfast tenacity……persistence!
When it comes to persistence consider this:
- Admiral Robert Peary attempted to reach North Pole seven times before he made it on his eighth try.
- NASA had 20 failures out of 28 attempts to send rockets into space.
- Oscar Hammerstein had five shows fail miserably before his success with Oklahoma and it is still a sell-out today.
- The first published novel by Tawni O’Dell, Back Roads, was selected by Oprah Winfrey for her book club. That book made Tawni an “overnight” success. That is, after 13 years, six unpublished novels, and 300 rejection slips.
- 20% of Americans listed as millionaires never went to college. 21 of the 222 billionaires never finished college. And, 2 never even finished high school.
Stephen J. Cannell is an inspiration to me. Growing up, he lagged behind other kids, failing his first, fourth, and tenth grades. For him, learning to read became an almost insurmountable task. His parents were given little hope by his teachers; underscoring his lack of performance, they concurred, he just was not too bright. However, their astute judgment did not take into account Stephen’s belief in himself and his burning desire to succeed. And, that he did! With confidence in his abilities and a limitless amount of perseverance, he formed his own production company. There, he created, produced and wrote over 350 scripts for 38 different shows. Those included “The A-Team,” “The Rockford files,” “Baretta,” just to name a few. At the height of the company’s production, he had 2000 people on his payroll and enjoyed great success. Then, after that illustrious career, he sold his studio, and went on to write 11 bestselling novels. So much for the opinions of others.
Be persistent, and never, ever, give up!
Nothing in this 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.
–Calvin Coolidge
Fourth rung:Action. Take action. Pursue your dream plan with courage and determination.
| First rung: | Decide on your dreams and goals. |
| Second rung: | Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything. |
| Third rung: | Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success. |
| Fourth rung: | Action. Take action. Pursue your dream plan with courage and determination. |
| Fifth rung: | Make it happen. Never, never, never give up. |
Fourth rung:Action. Take action. Pursue your dream plan with courage and determination.
Yes, your dreams, goals, positive thinking and superior plan of action are very important however nothing happens without actual action. You cannot practice your goals or dreams but you can accomplish your dreams and goals by acting on your plan of action. The fourth rung of our dream ladder is “Take Action”. Pursue your dream with courage and determination. It can be said goals and dreams are nothing without action. So take action. In the book “The Greatest Salesman in the World”, scroll marked 9 states:
“I Will Act Now”.
With these words I can condition my mind to meet every challenge which failure avoids. I will walk where a failure fears to walk.
“I will act with courage and determination”.
“If at first I don’t succeed then I will try and try again”. “I will never, never, never give up”.
Taking action and moving forward with your dream plan is where the rubber meets the road. This is where your desire, emotions and character are tested every day. Only the strong have the will, determination, focus and resolve ultimately succeed. Teddy Roosevelt (USA President) once said, “Make up your mind on how you could realize your dream – then go after it with a vengeance”. It did not come easy for President Teddy Roosevelt. He is an excellent example of someone taking action with determination and courage. Due to his strong will and determination, Teddy was able to achieve most everything he set out to accomplish in spite of his challenges. Teddy Roosevelt suffered from heavy asthma since he was young. Because of his condition, doctors told his parents that they should not expect him to live a long life. Teddy’s parents also realized that he had a great mind. His father would constantly tell him, Teddy you have a great mind but you do not have the body. Without the help of your body you would not go too far so you need to develop your body.
Teddy always dreamt that he would be a success so he accepted this challenge. He began exercising. He outlined a vigorous exercise and fitness plan and took action. Soon he started getting stronger and ultimately proved his prophetic doctors wrong. His father also told him together with a strong body, he should pursue education from a reputable university. Teddy picked Harvard. He applied same determination he had applied to building his strength and endurance to studying for entrance examination to Harvard. At the age of fifteen, he began studying for his exams. Teddy set up a study regimen for himself. Every day he would study 3-5 hours, five days a week. When someone has tenacity and determination like Teddy – they always succeed. Sure enough Teddy was accepted at Harvard. By applying the same principles of dream achievement, Teddy Roosevelt ultimately became President of United States. As Paul Meyer puts it,
“Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon will inevitably come to pass. Never, never give up on your dreams”.
Lesson here is “if you really want something, the whole universe conspires to get you what you want”. Teddy Roosevelt achieved his dreams even though odds were stacked against him. Till next time let me leave you with a thought from President Calvin Coolidge;
Nothing in the world can take place of Persistence. Talent will not.
Nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
Second rung: Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything.
| First rung: | Decide on your dreams and goals. |
| Second rung: | Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything. |
| Third rung: | Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success. |
| Fourth rung: | Action. Take action. Pursue your dream plan with courage and determination. |
| Fifth rung: | Make it happen. Never, never, never give up. |
Second rung: Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything.
In the last posting, we reviewed five keys to leading a successful, productive and meaningful life. They were:
· Abundance mentality
· Attitude of gratitude
· Prosperous choices
· Productive habits
· Commitment and action
Having discussed the importance of an “abundance mentality” and how the mindset of having plenty for everyone, it is then a natural progression to the second key or characteristic, “attitude of gratitude.” Sarah Ban Breathnach suggests a life changing, two month exercise. As she says,
“Consciously give thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. By doing so, you set in motion an ancient spiritual law which states, the more you have and for which you acknowledge gratitude, the more will be given to you.”
Robert Emmons, psychologist and author of Gratitude Works, after spending a career concentrating on this characteristic, definitively states that gratitude is one of the few things integral to our well-being. He illustrates this by citing his 21 day experiment with volunteer participants. Simply stated, after establishing a baseline measure of state of mind/attitude/level of contentment, he charged each participant with committing to paper daily, 3 specific things for which they were grateful. The results were astonishing to Dr. Emmons, yielding an across the board positive effect. Each one who had followed the instructions, compared to the baseline, measured happier, more optimistic, more socially connected and enjoyed better sleep. In general, they reported a brighter outlook toward their lives. They reported that this simple process was a catalyst for a profound transformation in viewing life.
At the heart of Positive Psychology is the given understanding that everything in the tangible world of shape and form began as a thought, an idea, or conceptualization. One’s state of mind is therefore affected by the nature of his focused thoughts. Then, they become beliefs and, ultimately, a self-fulfilling prophecy. The power of those very thoughts are undeniable. We are actually able to influence and guide what we bring into our experience; whether it is positive or negative, what we become is built by our thinking. Consider well, then, where your focus lies. If it is on what you don’t have, don’t like, don’t want, and don’t deserve, your experience will likely continue and even increase. Conversely, if your focus is based upon a sense of gratitude, that mindset will lead to recognition of blessings before overlooked, opportunities, possibilities, prospects, and abundance.
No one says that developing an attitude of gratitude is an easy process. The philosopher, Eric Hoffer, addressed this by saying,
“The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.”
A concentrated effort, with vigilance and consistency, is required to bring forth a state of mind-full gratitude. To implement this, based on my personal experience, start a journal compiled of daily entries. At the end of the day, take a moment to reflect upon 3 things for which you can be grateful. To be effective, they must be specifically defined. Generalizations are not part of this particular process. But, surprisingly, the most significant ones may the simplest; a humble gesture, a modest donation, receiving an act of kindness, a heartfelt laugh…all hold the potential for building and bringing about transformation.
Zig Ziglar, the author and inspirational speaker, was known and beloved throughout the world. His audiences remember Zig as a man full of energy, vitality, and joy. Although he was always upbeat and enthusiastic, his life had not been easy. In his own words, he had started out life in Mississippi dirt poor and one of eleven children. At 6 years old, his father died leaving his mother to raise the children alone. Considering their poverty, his mother had little she could give the children except an appreciation for what they did have. She instilled a core value system, 1) Faith in God, 2) Attitude of Gratitude, and 3) Value of Work. As Zig recalled, there was not a single day when thanks was not given to God. She also wanted to hear a summary of “gratitude’s” from each child. Whatever work they did, she expected it to be done with a spirit of enthusiasm, giving the best effort, and finishing with pride. The way Zig Ziglar lived throughout his life and contributed to the lives of others was his mother’s legacy. He never failed to acknowledge the impact it made on how he was able to live his life, enjoy whatever he had, give generously of himself, and appreciate all that came to him.
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and then not giving it.”
William Ward
Third rung: Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success.
![images[8]](https://dreamladderblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/images8.jpg)
| First rung: | Decide on your dreams and goals. |
| Second rung: | Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything. |
| Third rung: | Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success. |
| Fourth rung: | Action. Take action. Pursue your dream plan with courage and determination. |
| Fifth rung: | Make it happen. Never, never, never give up. |
Third rung: Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success.
A favorite author of mine, Brian Tracy, was asked in an interview, how does a person achieve success; irrespective of the particular field, advanced information, knowledge, or technology. He replied that most people think that success just happens. Successful people just got lucky. With that mindset, less than 5% of the population is able to achieve their dreams and aspiration. He continued, outlining four basic principles which are keys to success.
- First, everything you want to accomplish or ever hope to accomplish is up to you. You and you alone control your destiny and you are totally accountable for the results of your actions and decisions.
- Second, is a “belief” in yourself. Whatever you vividly imagine for yourself and believe is possible, sets the stage for what you will achieve. Expect to win in advance is the concept.
- Third, life is challenging; always been and always will be. Being successful at anything requires study, preparation, planning, and diligent pursuit. Be relentless.
- Fourth, and perhaps most important, is the ability to handle challenges, obstacles and problems we face. Over 80% of business failures occur because of this inability.
Mind and Action:
Tracy’s four basic success principles are comprised of intangible and tangible factors which form the individual’s belief system. The conscious and subconscious mind is always in control of every aspect of life. All that a person achieves and that he fails to achieve is the result of his own thoughts. The first and second are the “mind” principles. They create the intangible foundation for your success. Whether your outlook is positive or negative, your actions will be propelled in that direction. The power lies within you to define the process and forge the path. This can only occur if your thinking is always consistent with the achievement of your goals. As you think, so will you act. Your mind, only then, is prepared for the tangible skills necessary to bring that goal to fruition. Habits, learning, studying, trial and error, planning, Tracy’s third and fourth, are “action” principles. They are a practical reflection of your desire to actively pursue and bring forth success. These are manifest in a hundred ways to name a few:
- Write down your specific goals and plan to reach them.
- Never stop learning, get training, read books and acquire skills.
- Learn to analyze details. Get all the facts, all the input.
- Innovate, be different. Don’t follow the herd.
- Focus your time and money on the main thing.
- Take responsibility. Hold your-self accountable.
- Take action……… nothing happens until you act.
If you can master the principles and implement the necessary skills, you are on the road to success. For me, William James says it profoundly, “Belief creates the actual fact. Or, to put it another way, you do not necessarily believe what you see but you see what you believe.”
Let me leave you with this;
There is one quality which one must possess to win,
and that is definitiveness of purpose,
the knowledge of what one wants,
and a burning desire to possess it.
Napoleon Hill
Third rung: Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success.
![images[4] (4)](https://dreamladderblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/images4-4.jpg)
| First rung: | Decide on your dreams and goals. |
| Second rung: | Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything. |
| Third rung: | Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success. |
| Fourth rung: | Action. Take action. Pursue your dream plan with courage and determination. |
| Fifth rung: | Make it happen. Never, never, never give up. |
Third rung: Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success.
The definition of “expect” is to “look forward to something certain.” Throughout my career, studying and observing the qualities of successful people, a significant truth has been common. Success, be it personal or professional, is about what one expects to achieve. In particular, unconditional expectations become a certain reality; nothing less. If a person expresses that he “hopes to achieve,” that implies doubt and uncertainty. It is only a hope or merely a wish.
My firm belief is that life is a self-fulfilling prophecy. A person with positive expectations empowers a will to persevere and succeed. Conversely, a person with a negative outlook must use his energy to overcome doubt and fear. That negativity weakens the resolve to persist until his dreams are realized. If you expect that good things will happen to you and through you, they will. If you expect that you are going to encounter problems and eventually fail, then, you will. The power of positive expectation can never be underestimated. Strive to achieve a positive perspective.
Wilma Rudolph is an inspiring example of positive self expectations, determination and belief. She was the 20th of 22 children, born prematurely. Her survival was doubtful. At 4 years old, she contracted double pneumonia and scarlet fever which left her left leg paralyzed. Doctors advised she would only be able to walk with the support of a metal leg brace. Later, Wilma said, my mother taught me very early to believe I could achieve anything I wanted too. The first one would be to believe that I would be able to walk without braces. Wilma developed this expectation. She would visualize how walking without a metal brace would feel. With total dedication she developed and performed her rudimentary exercises to strengthen her left leg. At age 9 she was able to get rid of metal leg brace and by age 12 she had developed a rhythmic walk, which doctors said was a miracle. That same year Wilma decided to become a runner. She entered a race and came in last. For the next few years every race she entered, she came in last. Everyone discouraged her but she was determined to become an Olympic runner. She persevered and one day she actually won a race. And then another, until she won every race she entered.
Eventually Wilma, who was told she would never walk again, went on to win three Olympic gold medals.
Summarizing, what lessons/principles can we glean from Wilma Rudolph:
- Others can stop us temporarily – we are the only one who can do it permanently.
- Desire to succeed does not come from physical capacity; it comes from an indomitable will.
- Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
- God has given all of us enough potential – it’s the belief that separates us.
- Winners expect to win in advance because life is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Consider…………
Expect your every need be met.
Expect the answer to every problem.
Expect abundance on every level.
In the end high achievement always
takes place in the frame work of
high expectations.
First rung: Decide on your dreams and goals.
![images[2] (9)](https://dreamladderblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/images2-9.jpg)
| First rung: | Decide on your dreams and goals. |
| Second rung: | Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything. |
| Third rung: | Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success. |
| Fourth rung: | Action. Take action. Pursue your dream plan with courage and determination. |
| Fifth rung: | Make it happen. Never, never, never give up. |
First rung: Decide on your dreams and goals.
Jesse Owens, winner of 4 gold medals in the Berlin 1939 Olympics, had a dream. One day he told his coach,
“My dream is to be the fastest man in the world.”
His coach looked at him and said,
“Jesse, that’s a great dream. Fact is, I don’t know if I’ve ever heard such a great dream. You see dreams have a way of floating high in the sky without ever becoming a reality unless you have total faith and belief in your dream.”
We know that our thoughts and expectations wield tremendous power and influence on our lives. We don’t always get what we dream about but we certainly get what we sincerely believe. We receive what we believe. This principle works as strongly in the positive as well as in the negative. Dreams of whatever kind are the crown of belief, thought and appropriate efforts.
Through mid-1900’s, there was a general consensus among sport experts, doctors, and trainers that it was physiologically impossible for a human being to run a four minute mile. The belief was that our bone, heart and muscle structure could not sustain the stress of running that far, that fast, and for that length of time. With that belief accepted as fact, they were right. No one ever ran a mile in less than four minutes. However, nothing can overestimate the power inherent in a person’s desire to achieve on his own terms and by his own definition. Success simply can’t be denied even when all the existing thought and expert opinions say it is impossible. Take as a prime example, Roger Bannister, who on the 6th of May, 1954, achieved the impossible by running a 4 minute mile.
During the press conference the main question for Roger was, “How did you do it?” Roger said, first of all I trained my mind and body for this achievement. But most importantly, there were other men who were as physically able as I was, however I possessed an unconditional faith and belief that not only it was possible but I would positively succeed.
Looking at Roger Bannister story, it is remarkable to note that within ten years of breaking the record, 336 additional runners had broken the 4 minute mile record as well!!! So what did Roger really break by running a 4 minute mile…..“A belief barrier.” We can truly achieve what our mind can conceive and believe.
Conversely, there is a thought provoking story about Nick. He was a strong, tough man who worked in the railroad yards for many years. Nick was one of his company’s best employees, but unfortunately he was also known as the most pessimistic man of the job. He perpetually feared the worst.
One summer day, the work crew was told that they could go home early. All were to attend a company function later in the evening. Assignments and tasks were shut down as the workers prepared to leave. Nick had been assigned to refit and repair a refrigerated box car. A last trial had shown all was working at an optimal level. In haste to leave, Nick failed to secure the spring loaded door as he stepped back in to retrieve the last of his tools. Panic set in as he heard the familiar, vacuum sealing sound as the door closed and locked with him inside. He started beating on the door and shouting for help. Everyone had left so his pleas were unheard. Aware that the refrigeration system had all checked out, he guessed that the temperature in the unit would drop to freezing within a very short time. He started vividly imagining the worst. Unless someone rescued quickly, he would positively freeze to death. Alas, no help cam and Nick’s “reality” set in. He decided to write to his family of his last hours. With a pen he had in his pocket and a piece of trashed cardboard, Nick wrote, “It has become unbearably cold; my body is becoming numb; I am shivering uncontrollably. If I am not rescued immediately, I will freeze to death.”
The next morning, his co-workers arrived and opened the doors. The sad outcome was revealed as his body was found. A medical exam was ordered and the results were astonishing. He had all of the symptoms of a person who had frozen to death. What Nick had not known was that, before leaving the night before, one of his co-workers had noticed the running refrigeration and turned the system off. It was estimated that the temperature in the box car never dropped below 65 degrees. However, the death certificate noted the cause of death as “freezing.”
What is the moral of the two stories? We receive what we believe. All of us have the potential within us to control our destiny. Since our brain cannot tell the difference between a real activity and visualization, our mind believes everything we say or feel with emotion and conviction as the reality.
Roger Bannister sincerely believed that he had the ability to run a 4 minute mile in spite of the accepted fact that it was impossible. Ultimately Roger Bannister’s belief triumphed and unfortunately, so did Nick’s. The key point, the battle is in our own mind. The only limitations we have are the ones we have imposed on ourselves.
Until next time let me leave you with this;
“We cannot consistently perform
In a manner which is inconsistent
with the way we see ourselves”.
Make it happen. Never, never, never give up.
![images[2] (8)](https://dreamladderblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/images2-8.jpg)
| First rung: | Decide on your dreams and goals. |
| Second rung: | Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything. |
| Third rung: | Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success. |
| Fourth rung: | Action. Take action. Pursue your dream plan with courage and determination. |
| Fifth rung: | Make it happen. Never, never, never give up. |
Fifth rung: Make it happen. Never, never, never give up.
Benjamin Disraeli once said;
Action may not always bring you success; but there is no success without action.
We’ve all been told that information is power. Actually, that is only partially true. Information holds the potential of great power. However, information is not transformation. Nothing happens until you act on the information. Real power comes from action. Success is taking action. Failure is inaction.
What distinguishes successful people is not how much they know, it’s that they take action with what they know. Successful people do not always know how their destiny will unfold. However, they do know that taking action with the information they have at hand is the only way to move toward the realization of their dreams. There are those who will wait for the right moment in time, the right opportunity of lucrative possibilities, and the right set of circumstances. All must be in place before they move forward in pursuit of their dreams. The basic cause of this reluctance is fear; fear of taking risks and experiencing failure.
Achieving anything in life involves an element of risk. As the saying goes, you can’t steal second base by keeping your foot on first base. Having big dreams and imagining success is important. But, without a positive, goal directed, course of action, nothing will be realized. Author, Earl Wilson, said it best,
“Success is simply a matter of luck. Ask any failure.”
Success is always a matter of taking action.
However, if you keep your faith and take action, things will change for you, like they did for Alex Miller, the successful children’s story book writer. This is her story in her own words.
For most people, graduation is an exciting day – the culmination of years of hard work. My graduation day… was not.
I remember that weekend two years ago. Family and friends had flown in from across the country to watch our class walk across that stage. But like everyone else in my graduating class, I had watched the economy turn from bad to worse my senior year. We graduates had degrees, but very limited prospects. Numerous applications had not panned out and I knew that the next day, when my lease ended, I would no longer have a place to call home.
The weeks ahead weren’t easy. I gathered up everything I couldn’t carry and put it into storage. Then, because I knew my small university town couldn’t offer me any opportunities, I packed up my car and drove to Southern California to find work. But what I thought would take a week dragged into two, and then four, and 100 job applications later, I found myself in the exact same spot as I was before. And the due date to begin paying back my student loans was creeping ever closer.
You know that feeling when you wake up and you are just consumed with dread? Dread about something you can’t control – that sense of impending failure that lingers over you as you hope that everything that happened to you thus far was just a bad dream? That feeling became a constant in my life.
Days felt like weeks, weeks like months, and those many months felt like an unending eternity of destitution. And the most frustrating part was no matter how much I tried, I just couldn’t seem to make any progress.
So what did I do to maintain my sanity? I wrote. Something about putting words on a page made everything seem a little clearer – a little brighter. Something about writing gave me hope. And if you want something badly enough… sometimes a little hope is all you need! I channeled my frustration into a children’s book. Beyond the River, was the story of an unlikely hero featuring a little fish that simply refused to give up on his dream.
And then one day, without any sort of writing degree or contacts in the writing world – just a lot of hard work and perseverance – I was offered a publishing contract for my first book! After that, things slowly began to fall into place. I was offered a second book deal. Then, a few months later, I got an interview with The Walt Disney Company and was hired shortly after.
The moral of this story is…don’t give up.
Even if things look bleak now, don’t give up.
Two years ago I was huddled in my car drinking cold soup right out of the can. Things change. If you work hard, give it time, and don’t give up, things will always get better. Oftentimes our dreams lie in wait just a little further upstream… all we need is the courage to push beyond the river and take action.
No matter how you feel…Get Up.
Dress Up. Show Up.
And never give up.
Second rung: Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything.
![images[1] (13)](https://dreamladderblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/images1-13.jpg)
| First rung: | Decide on your dreams and goals. |
| Second rung: | Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything. |
| Third rung: | Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success. |
| Fourth rung: | Action. Take action. Pursue your dream plan with courage and determination. |
| Fifth rung: | Make it happen. Never, never, never give up. |
Second rung: Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything.
Investor’s Business Daily, in my opinion, is the most astute business related publication in circulation today. In the process of analyzing successful people in all walks of life, IBD has isolated 10 specific traits. The #1 trait identified is “character.” Further underscoring its’ importance they say,
“Without character, the other 9 traits will not matter.”
WHY DOES CHARACTER MATTER?
The following passage (quoted previously, Blog #9) encapsulates the significance of individual character.
Watch your thoughts, for they become words
Watch your words, for they become actions
Watch your actions, for they become habits
Watch your habits, for they become character
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny
—anonymous
From ancient times, there is a recurring theme of character and its’ presence or absence. The Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, said so simply, “Character is destiny.” The element of character flows from the individual to all aspects of human life and the destiny of society. As Cicero said,
“Within the character of the citizen lies the welfare of the nation.”
History bears this out when, as observed by historian, Arnold Toynbee,
“Out of 21 notable civilizations, 19 perished not by conquest but from within due to moral decay.”
All of our relationships are impacted by individual character; personal, professional, societal. Character is the most valuable quality you possess. It is the essence of who you are and the significance of your existence. Care for it with unceasing vigilance.
WHAT EXACTLY IS CHARACTER?
Your character is revealed through consistent patterns of behavior. It gives reason for you to be trusted or not. It holds you up to deserving respect or not. It speaks to your honor and integrity or not. It defines you.
True character is making a commitment in one set of circumstances and continuing with the same commitment even when the circumstances change.
A great friend and mentor often repeated this analogy.
It would be very easy for an honest person to return a 10 dollar bill if it were found lying around, but what would happen if the amount was a million dollars? Would the same level of commitment and integrity exist? It becomes a conscious choice based upon principles of character that have defined who you are.
3 CRITICAL ASPECTS OF CHARACTER:
1) Principles: Principles can be defined as your “statement of truth”. They are true no matter what…under stress, facing a challenging situation, or not. Jim McEachern, past CEO of Tom James Co., always said,
“My confidence is totally derived from my faith in long standing principles which I hold to be true in all aspects of my life.”
He believed that if one led a principle centered life, it would be based on nothing but truth. For Jim, this defined character.
2) Attitude of gratitude: Is acknowledging an appreciation for life; looking for any and all possibilities to be thankful. From this, a sense of gratitude is nurtured with the result being a positive outlook on life.
It is intriguing to hear of research conducted by the renowned psychologist, Robert Emmons, who studied personality types and acquired behavior. In general, he found that consistently grateful people were more energetic, emotionally intelligent, forgiving and less likely to be depressed, anxious or lonely. Throughout his career, data was collected and analyzed; which demonstrated that a direct relationship existed between a basic sense of gratitude and positively perceived life events.
3) Integrity: Integrity is adhering to a moral code of honesty. When a promise is broken, it says that the person’s word is meaningless. A lie shows that the person is capable of deceit. Steven Covey in his book Principle Centered Leadership says,
“The key to realizing our dreams and aspirations is our ability to make and keep commitments and promises. The commitments we make to ourselves and to others and our integrity to fulfill those commitments is the essence of achieving our dreams.”
I am personally inspired by the story of Bob Wieland who lost both legs in Vietnam. His determination led him to learn walking on his hands. While recuperating in the hospital, he committed himself to causes of the disadvantaged and disabled. On September 8, 1982, he left his California home and set out on a journey to walk across America on his hands. It took him 3 years, and 8 months and nearly 5 million hand steps to reach his destination of Washington DC. He received thousands of sponsors. To his admirers, he said,
“I wanted to show that through faith in God, dedication and keeping your promises there’s nothing a person can’t achieve.”
For me, he personifies character of the highest order.
In closing let me leave you with a message posted at Vanderbilt University:
Today I am going to give you two examinations
one in trigonometry and one in integrity,
I hope you will pass them both,
but if you must fail one,
let it be trigonometry.
Madison Saratt
Fifth rung: Make it happen. Never, never, never give up.
![images[2] (3)](https://dreamladderblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/images2-3.jpg)
| First rung: | Decide on your dreams and goals. |
| Second rung: | Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything. |
| Third rung: | Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success. |
| Fourth rung: | Action. Take action. Pursue your dream plan with courage and determination. |
| Fifth rung: | Make it happen. Never, never, never give up. |
Fifth rung: Make it happen. Never, never, never give up.
Napoleon Hill said,
“Effort only fully released is the reward a person receives who has refused to quit.”
With absolute certainty, wherever success can be observed with great feats being achieved, at the center is a person who has encountered obstacles; some heart breaking and overwhelming hope. We might even say it is a rite of passage. Discouragement and defeat are, more often than not, part of that price. Resolving to overcome those significant hardships, gives great value to the goal’s ultimate accomplishment. Remember, a price is always paid for triumph.
So next time when you feel like giving up, consider this:
- In 1953 Julia Child, along with two colleagues, signed a publishing contract to produce a book about the intricacy, delicacy, and refinement of French cooking. Their primary objective was to demonstrate how sophisticated techniques of the French could be adapted to the American kitchen. It became, for all three, a single-minded, all consuming passion. After five years of devotion, they produced an 850 page manuscript. It was summarily rejected by the publisher. Disappointing? Yes, it was. Defeating? Not by any means! Because the value of the goal’s achievement remained, work simply resumed. Another year’s effort was dedicated to a total revision of the precious manuscript, only to have the publisher reject it once more. Julia’s team, rather than give up, started looking for new avenues to bring life to their work. A new publisher was found in 1961, and the rest is history. Eight years after beginning, their famous work was published, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It sold more than 1 million copies and remains relevant today as the quintessential reference. Julia Child’s renown grew and in 1966, she was featured on Time Magazine’s cover. She remained at the top of her field for at least 30 more years.
- Novelist, Stephen King, came very close to making a huge, multi-million dollar mistake. After countless rejections, he took his manuscript, and in exasperation, threw it in the trash. At the time, no one seemed interested in science fiction and dealing with negative utopias, he was told. It just wasn’t sellable. Refusing to allow her husband’s work to be discarded and forgotten, Stephen’s wife retrieved it from the garbage. She recognized its worth and continued encouraging him to persevere. That he did! His novel, Carrie, was eventually published, selling more than 4 million copies. The resulting film became a blockbuster.
- Dr. Ignatius Piazza is an example of persistence and unrequited dreams for success. As a recent graduate from Chiropractic College, he chose to set up his office in the Monterey Bay area of California. He approached the local association for advice. Giving him no encouragement, they advised him to open his office elsewhere. There were already too many chiropractors in the area for him to find success. Undaunted by this reception, he proceeded to set the opening of his clinic in Monterrey, 4 months away.
Every day, from early morning to sunset, he personally went door to door, introducing himself as the new young doctor. He expressed his desire and commitment to make a difference in the lives of his patients and to contribute to his community. By the time he opened his clinic door he had knocked on 12,500 doors and spoken directly to over 700 people. Some received him well while others were less than welcoming and skeptical. He himself wondered if he had made the right decision, but the clinic opened. To his great satisfaction, the first month in practice, he saw 235 new patients and earned a record income of $72,000. Dr. Piazza had more than prevailed in an area that was not in need of another chiropractor!
Success should never be considered a sprint to the finish line. It is a marathon!
“Courage is not defined by those who fought and won,
but by those who fought and fell and rose again.”
Anonymous
Third rung: Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success.
![images[1] (3)](https://dreamladderblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/images1-3.jpg)
| First rung: | Decide on your dreams and goals. |
| Second rung: | Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything. |
| Third rung: | Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success. |
| Fourth rung: | Action. Take action. Pursue your dream plan with courage and determination. |
| Fifth rung: | Make it happen. Never, never, never give up. |
Third rung: Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success.
Vince Lombardi once said,
“I do not think that winning is the most important thing. I think it’s the only thing. Winning is not a sometime thing. It’s an all-time thing.”
In order for this to occur, one must possess a definite, unwavering sense of purpose, direction and a winning attitude. With that knowledge in place, propelled by a relentless desire for achievement, fueled by character and determination…winning becomes a sure destination.
The inspirational message conveyed by Dr. Charles Swindoll addresses the role that a positive attitude has in achievement. It inspires me daily.
Attitude
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think, say or do.
It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.
We cannot change our past. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you.
We are in charge of our attitude.
The challenge to a positive attitude comes when the outlook loses promise. Obstacles can become so convincing that purpose and direction is lost. Intensity fades. At this very moment, reaffirming and, even possibly redefining, that original sense of purpose and direction, with clarity and conviction, will work to transform those obstacles into objectives. You are on a relentless pursuit, remember?
I am reminded of a story about a little boy who aspired to be the best baseball hitter in the world. One day this boy went out to the back yard to play with a baseball bat and ball. He said to himself,
“I am the best hitter in the world.”
Then he threw the ball up in the air and took a swing at it, but he missed. Without a moment’s hesitation, he picked up the ball and tossed it in the air again, saying as he swung the bat, “I am the best hitter in the world.” He missed again. Strike two. He tossed the ball up again, concentrating more intensely, even more determined, saying, “I am the best hitter in the world.” He swung the bat with all his might. Whiff! Strike three. The little boy laid down the bat and smiled real big. “What do you know?” he said.
“I am the best pitcher in the world.”
Now, this is the attitude we want to have! When things don’t work out as you planned, rather than complaining, look for something good in your circumstances.
After all,
“The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.” “In the end success is the accomplishment of that which most people think can’t be done.”
Second rung: Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything.
![images[2] (6)](https://dreamladderblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/images2-6.jpg)
| First rung: | Decide on your dreams and goals. |
| Second rung: | Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything. |
| Third rung: | Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success. |
| Fourth rung: | Action. Take action. Pursue your dream plan with courage and determination. |
| Fifth rung: | Make it happen. Never, never, never give up. |
Second rung: Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything.
Charles Goodyear, whose invention eventually resulted in the Goodyear Tire Company, had numerous business failures. He was known to say,
“If you fail once, don’t give up, keep trying.”
Wilson Lululemon founder of Lululemon Athletica, a yoga retailing giant once was asked why some people succeed in business when many fail. He responded,
“Life is full of setbacks. Success in life is determined by how you handle the setbacks. Persisting until you succeed is the key”.
The question remains, what gives some people the resiliency to persist and get up one more time whereas the majority of others do not?
The key to persistence is self-esteem; specifically, how you feel about yourself. It is the emotional component of your personality and the foundation of high performance. Self-esteem is always a reflection of what you think, say, do and feel. It is so powerful that it can determine success or failure. One of the principles which is promoted at Tom James Company is
“Others can stop you temporarily – you are the only one who can do it permanently.”
Self-esteem can be determined by two factors:
- How much do you value yourself? Are you able to establish your own self- worth and like yourself?
The first is how valuable and worthwhile you feel about yourself, how do you like and accept yourself as a person. This is especially true when you suffer a setback. When you face a setback what do you say to yourself? The words you say to describe the experience as well as feel the experience has a profound impact on your self-esteem.
- How competent and capable do you see yourself when confronted by challenging circumstances?
The second factor determining your level of self-esteem is how competent and capable you feel you are in whatever you do. This is the performance side of self-esteem. This is where your self-confidence and self-respect is built. Positive thinking and positive self-talk are the key tools to overcome any obstacles.
Recently, I read a simple story pertaining to an Olympian of 64 years ago, Sammy Lee. He was the son of Korean immigrants, who won the gold medal in diving in 1948. It was the first time an American of Asian heritage had ever accomplished this great feat – even while discrimination (restricted access to public swimming pools) and other obstacles were part of his daily training. Sammy once said if you want something badly, and you keep repeating that thought long enough, you will find a way to achieve your goal.
Till next time let me leave you with this quote:
When you dare to dream,
dare to follow that dream,
dare to suffer through the
pain, sacrifice, self-doubts and
friction, until you realize it.
Laura Schlessinger, Talk Show Host
Fifth rung: Make it happen. Never, never, never give up.
![images[1] (8)](https://dreamladderblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/images1-8.jpg)
| First rung: | Decide on your dreams and goals. |
| Second rung: | Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything. |
| Third rung: | Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success. |
| Fourth rung: | Action. Take action. Pursue your dream plan with courage and determination. |
| Fifth rung: | Make it happen. Never, never, never give up. |
Fifth rung: Make it happen. Never, never, never give up.
There is one thing for certain, nothing occurs in a vacuum. The impetus to move forward can start with an idea, thought, wish, desire, necessity, yearning…but it is only conceptual until the energy force is mobilized to “Take Action.” W. Clement Stone, one of the most successful insurance executives of all time, always wore a lapel pin which said,
“Do It Now!”
He freely shared his winning strategy with aspiring young people in training. If nothing else, he would say,
“Act as if you are already where you want to be. And, that means, think like, talk like, dress like, feel like you have reached your goal!”
You are that person; nothing less. In the process of acting, “as if,” you are sending a powerful command to your subconscious mind. The key word here is “command.” There is no choice but to obey that direction and the mind will search out creative ways to bring it into reality. There is no provision for thoughts of failure because you have already commanded success and expect to win. As life is a self-fulfilling prophecy, the responsibility lies within the individual.
Take for instance the story of Susan. She was a poised, confident and caring nurse. She was the perfect image of what a nurse should be. Professional in every way, respected by her associates, astute in her performance, loved by her patients…she became known for her cheerfulness and consistently positive attitude. Remarkable in every way.
One particular day, the hospital was unusually busy. Working with her close friend and aide Sharon, they set a record for number of patients admitted within a very short span of time. With all settled and comfortable, they congratulated themselves on a job well-done and decided to go out for dinner to celebrate. Sitting across from each other in the restaurant, Sharon was unnaturally subdued and withdrawn. Her face reflected weariness and worry. There was no way to ignore the evident weight of her distress. Susan gently coaxed her to share her feelings. Feeling great appreciation for her friend’s concern, slowly, she shared,
“I can’t do this for the rest of my life. I have to find a better way to support my family and nurture my children. We are barely getting by.”
Susan couldn’t help but notice that there were severe bruises on Sharon’s arms. Inquiring about her husband, Sharon confessed that her husband couldn’t hold a job and his alcoholism had made their relationship untenable and abusive. A while after they talked, Susan put forth a suggested plan for Sharon. She would work only day shifts at the hospital. Then, at night, she would enroll in classes to attain her nursing degree. This would greatly improve her earning power and the independence from her husband. With that, the crying started. Sharon said, “It is too late for me. I am too old to go to school.”
At this point, Susan was compelled to share her story; something she had never felt before. At thirteen, an eighth-grade student, she had married her twenty-two year old boyfriend. A young child became an adult overnight. His abusive and possessive nature was part of their daily lives. Fighting was routine. During their six years of marriage, they had three sons. Her life was a living hell. One night, after a nasty fight and a savage beating, losing her front teeth, she decided to leave with her children. She was only nineteen.
At the divorce, the judge gave custody of the three children to her husband. Because Susan had no means of supporting the children without a job or home. The husband, in triumph, accepted custody and proceeded to move to another city. With that, all ties with her children were lost. Devastation and grief was almost more than she could bear. Even surviving was doubtful. She lived on a diet of milk and crackers while she fought loneliness and depression. Then, with time, she found a waitress job and somehow started asserting control over her life. Her heart began to heal and she found direction, even remarrying and having a daughter.
As Susan rebuilt her life, circumstances were not easy. Her mother fell ill and was admitted to the hospital for surgery. As she watched the loving care given her mother by the nurses, she had a glimmer of inspiration that would become her goal, her mission in life, “I can do that. In fact, I will be a nurse!” With that affirmed, reality presented the obstacles standing in her path. An eighth-grade education would not permit admission to nursing school. She would have to obtain a GED before there could be any thought of pursuing a nursing career. It seemed like a huge mountain to conquer. But, with courage and determination, she went back to school. Against all odds and hardships, she earned her high school diploma…she was 46 years old.
Not being satisfied with this accomplishment alone, she made application to nursing school and was accepted. As she started, it was obvious that the demands of higher education would be exhausting and difficult. However, convinced of the worthiness of her goal, she was, with great effort, able to overcome self-doubt, fear of failure, and lack of self-worth. She wasn’t going to be deterred; giving up on her dream wasn’t even a possibility. And, succeed she did!
As Susan’s story came to a close, she reached across the table for Sharon’s hand and said,
“I can’t tell you how wonderful it felt to receive my cap and pin.”
She had achieved her goal and now was a nurse at the young age of 48. The two friends wiped away tears of profound emotion. Then Susan gently bid her friend to take action,
“Let’s climb this mountain together.”
With Susan’s great encouragement and example, Sharon also became a registered nurse. They continued working together, both delighting in each other’s success, until Susan retired. Now, Sharon sits across the table taking the hands of those who are bruised in body and soul, telling them, “It’s never too late. Let’s climb this mountain together.”
Famous writer, author and motivator Zig Ziglar often said,
“You can have everything you want out of life
if you help enough other people get what they want out of life.”
Third rung: Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success.
![images[9] (3)](https://dreamladderblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/images9-3.jpg)
| First rung: | Decide on your dreams and goals. |
| Second rung: | Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything. |
| Third rung: | Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success. |
| Fourth rung: | Action. Take action. Pursue your dream plan with courage and determination. |
| Fifth rung: | Make it happen. Never, never, never give up. |
Third rung: Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success.
At the University of Pennsylvania, there is a plaque on the wall which reads, “All the failures or successes in life depend upon your expectations. We tend to get what we expect.”
Winning at anything has two components;
- Winning Expectations
- Faith and belief in your plan
A) Winning Expectations:
Muhammad Ali, the most renowned boxer of our time is a perfect example of winning via positive expectations. He would constantly affirm himself by saying,
“I float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”.
Then he would predict the round in which he would knock his opponent out. In most cases his opponents would comply.
The law of expectation says that whatever you expect with confidence becomes your prophecy. Winners expect to win. Winners believe in winning in advance. They have eyes of faith, believing that they are going to win no matter what. Our positive expectation and beliefs cause our circumstances and results to unfold like we anticipated. On the other hand unsuccessful people have an attitude of negative expectations which causes results to work out exactly the way they expected.
B) Faith and belief in your plan:
The second critical component of winning expectations is having a specific plan. Winning expectations are rooted in that plan and the belief it can be accomplished. If we have 100% confidence in our plan, winning expectations will also be extremely high. However if we have lukewarm faith in our plan, more than likely we’ll have tentative expectations.
The magic of a specific plan:
If you climb to the bridge of a ship and ask the ship’s captain, “What is your next port-of-call?” he would name it. For 99% of the voyage, he will not see the port, but the captain is absolutely certain that if he followed his navigation plan day by day, he would ultimately get there. In spite of thousands of miles of shore line and only a few hundred feet of narrow entrances, he would get to his port-of-call. It is estimated that the chances of that ship coasting into the port-of-call without a precise navigation plan is one in 800 million. Whereas, with a precise navigation plan the odds are 100%.
Summarizing:
The chances of winning at anything in life without winning expectations and a specific plan are 1 in a billion.
Thomas Watson, Jr., who succeeded his father at IBM, wrote in his autobiography, Father, Son & Company: My Life at IBM and Beyond,
“I wanted to be remembered as a worthy son of a worthy father.”
After taking over IBM in 1956, IBM shares increased 295% in four years. His dream was defined by a strong winning expectation, commitment to excellence, and a precise plan of action. Thomas Watson took his father’s dream, and with an intense desire to honor his father along with winning expectations of his own, helped IBM grow to levels beyond anyone’s anticipation.
Until next time let me leave you with this quote:
“The will to win is worth
nothing unless you have
the will to prepare.”
Anonymous
First rung: Decide on your dreams and goals.
| First rung: | Decide on your dreams and goals. |
| Second rung: | Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything. |
| Third rung: | Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success. |
| Fourth rung: | Action. Take action. Pursue your dream plan with courage and determination. |
| Fifth rung: | Make it happen. Never, never, never give up. |
First rung: Decide on your dreams and goals.
An article about Jesse Owens, the Olympic Gold Medalist in 1939, Berlin Germany, quotes him saying, “We all have dreams. But in order to make those dreams become a reality, it takes determination, dedication, self-discipline and a whole lot of effort!” An optimistic statistic referenced in the article states that, in general, 60% of dreams are realized if the following criteria is met:
- A clearly defined dream/goal.
- Having a reasonable plan to bring it to fruition.
- Relentless commitment to take action.
- A refusal to ever quit.
The article further states, that most people will realize success when they have a defined dream even with a reasonable plan of achievement. With that given, a startling 95% take no action what so ever to move closer to achievement.
The old Chinese saying,
“A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step.”
In other words, forget the journey, if you can’t take the first step.
Why is this so challenging? There are two reasons why people find this leap of faith so difficult.
- Lack of faith in themselves
- Fear of failure
Author, Shawn Achor, in The Happiness Advantage, gives these reasons why many talented and capable people fail to reach their potential.
Individuals, who develop a mindset of fear, sabotage their future and create obstacles which are difficult to overcome. There are, however, ways to take control of their destiny.
At Tom James, every year we have sales candidates join us with every apparent qualification for success and yet, their results are disappointing. Then, others perhaps, less qualified, achieve outstanding successes under the same set of circumstances.
A significant indicator of future failure is “self-talk”. Successful salespeople consistently talk about personal achievement and perseverance, whereas unsuccessful ones repeat and relive the problems, difficulties and unfavorable circumstances which have caused failure. Positive self-talk is critical to success in every aspect of life. This leads to a mindset of power. People with positive self-talk develop the ability to control their destiny in spite of circumstances. In the same way, an individual’s negative out- look tends to give responsibility to circumstances.
1) Faith in Ourselves:
Your self-concept has a direct relationship with how well you do in any area in your life. You cannot consistently perform in a manner which is inconsistent with the way you see yourself. Self- concept is built as a result of what has happened to us since we were an infant. Ideas about us and our abilities, whether negative or positive are usually based on information or impressions we have taken in and accepted as true. Likewise constant visualization of these impressions and information has ultimately been programmed into our belief system, positive or negative; true or false.
2) Fear of Failure:
It is a proven statistic that 90% of the things we are afraid of never materialize. “FEAR” can be described as False Expectations Appearing Real. It can manifest into anxiety, worry and indecisiveness. It destroys ambitions and undermines resolve, leading to a comfort zone of playing it safe and weak decision making. Guard against letting fear of failure becoming a major obstacle to your success.
What can we do to overcome these road blocks and pursue the path to our success?
1) Visualization:
The way our mind got programmed to think negatively is the same way we can program our mind to think positively. Our brain cannot tell the difference between a real activity and visualization. This is perhaps the most powerful teaching of self-image modification. There are two keys to visualization.
- Vividness: This refers to clarity and how vividly we can see a desired goal/dream in our minds eye. We all have often thought of something we want. When we first start, our thoughts are vague and fuzzy. But as we gather more information and the thought of our goal/dreams and its attainment becomes intense, our mental picture becomes clearer. At this exact juncture, start closing your eyes and start visualizing your dream with absolute clarity – the odds now of realizing your dreams have increased exponentially.
- Intensity: This refers to the amount emotion we can generate together with the mental picture. Whenever we reach the point when we can visualize the dream clearly and feel the intense emotion to go with it – the dream realization is 100%.
2) Affirmations & Verbalizations:
Affirmations are based on three “P’s”. All affirmations must be positive, present time and personal. An example of correct affirmation (if you are trying to lose weight) would be “I enjoy weighing XXX pounds”. If you are trying to quit smoking an affirmation like “I am not going to smoke anymore” is incorrect. Instead you should say, “I am a nonsmoker”.
Verbalization is to affirm aloud, with others or alone. Whatever your affirmation is, say it clearly and loudly. Anything that you say aloud with conviction and enthusiasm has double the impact of an affirmation that you make quietly to yourself. These two techniques of visualization and loud affirmation practiced consistently and repeatedly will positively help you change your self-concept.
A recent story in Houston Chronicle, illustrates a successful outcome of dream achievement by use of visualization and verbalization technique. The story is about Shirley Swinbank who has built one of the most successful private schools in Houston in the last 20+ years. Swinbank says, while she was in college, she developed a dream to start her own school, not any school but one of the best schools. Soon the dream became so compelling that she started talking about it. She says “if you don’t dream and say it, it will never have the opportunity to be born, develop and grow. So I visualized my dream and boldly spoke about it.” The result was 20 years later this dream has transformed into “Yorkshire Academy”, one of the best private schools in Houston. I can vouch for it because my two kids started there.
Let me end this blog by saying:
The best way to realize your dream
Is to decide and then get busy
finding out how to do it.
Do not give up, the beginning is
always the hardest.
Fifth rung: Make it happen. Never, never, never give up.
![images[2] (5)](https://dreamladderblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/images2-5.jpg)
| First rung: | Decide on your dreams and goals. |
| Second rung: | Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything. |
| Third rung: | Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success. |
| Fourth rung: | Action. Take action. Pursue your dream plan with courage and determination. |
| Fifth rung: | Make it happen. Never, never, never give up. |
Fifth rung: Make it happen. Never, never, never give up.
Mr. McEachern, founding partner and CEO of the Tom James Company until 1999, was an inspirational leader and dedicated mentor to many. One day, while working with me and seeing the need, he shared a simple parable. He said; let’s say that today you are on your way to see a new client. As his location is not familiar, you become lost en route. Subsequently, there is no alternative but to call your desired destination. Asking for help and direction, your call is fielded back with the question,
“Well, where are you now so that we can give you guidance?”
Now, if you respond giving specific road signs, identifiable landmarks, street names, etc., you could expect to be effectively given the necessary guidance to reach that important destination. Mr. McEachern, at that moment gave me a clear, acute awareness of the value in knowing where you are at. There is a direct relationship in being aware of where you are as you move towards your ultimate destination. There is a direct relationship between the process of measuring and tracking and knowing where you are in relation to your destination.
The importance of clear, meaningful goals can never be underestimated. These goals have intrinsic meaning to you far beyond personal, economic benefits. What gives the goal significance? What is the motivation reason for making this a goal? Is its achievement worthy of your effort? What is its value to you, and no one else? A key element to assess the value and worth of achieving a particular goal is your willingness to track and measure the results of all activity in its pursuit.
Basically there are two types of inner motivation that influences a person to perform.
(1) “Have-To Motivation” driven by those policies, procedures and regulations necessary to maintain a culture and existing environment. Although this type of motivation is restrictive in nature, some is necessary to maintain order and to achieve an organization’s goals and objectives. The measurement associated with this environment is usually required behavior and does not encourage individual creativity.
(2) “Want-To or Desire Motivation” driven by personal dreams, goals or objectives. With this type of motivation the discipline to measure and track is driven by the desire for pleasing results. With this type of motivation individual creativity is stimulated and enhanced by a passion to achieve personal dreams and goals.
In his Personal Success Plan, Mr. Paul Meyers Waco author and founder of Success Motivation Institute listed five steps to success:
1. Crystallize your thinking. Determine what specific goal you want to achieve.
2. Develop a day by day hour by hour plan as to how you will achieve your goals and a target date for its achievement.
3. Develop a sincere and burning desire for those things you want to achieve in life.
4. Develop supreme confidence in yourself and your own ability.
5. Develop a dogged determination to follow through on your plan, regardless of obstacles, criticism, or circumstances or what other people say, think or do.
To arrive at any predetermined destination we need a plan-otherwise our progress is left up to happenstance and circumstance. A plan is a specific path to follow. Achieving our dreams and goals is the destination. People, by nature, do not measure or track activities, based on a schedule they are asked to work. Goal oriented and dream directed; individuals measure and track activities because they have determined that by doing those very activities, they will achieve their dreams and goals. They know where they are at all times.
So in the final analysis according to Albert E. N. Gray in his booklet “The Common Denominator of Success”,
“Your future is not going to depend on some outside influence of circumstance over which you have no control; your future is going to depend on your purpose in life.”
Let us challenge ourselves each day to measure and track, keeping ourselves personally accountable for doing those things that will bring those dreams and goals to fruition.
Now, clearly, tracking and measuring is critical to individual’s success in the pursuit of his dreams. But, let’s extend its value and worth. With its importance understood, you will be able to counsel and advise others on their journey. Your own success can be shared and duplicated in others. This is a terrific opportunity to contribute….Get out there and make a powerful, positive difference in all those whose lives you touch!
“In your hands you hold the seeds of failure or the potential for greatness. Your
hands are capable, but they must be used and for the right things to reap the
rewards you are capable of attaining. The choice is yours.”
~Zig Ziglar
Fifth rung: Make it happen. Never, never, never give up.
![images[1] (7)](https://dreamladderblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/images1-7.jpg)
| First rung: | Decide on your dreams and goals. |
| Second rung: | Reinvigorate your thinking. How you think is everything. |
| Third rung: | Expect to Win. Develop a plan for your success. |
| Fourth rung: | Action. Take action. Pursue your dream plan with courage and determination. |
| Fifth rung: | Make it happen. Never, never, never give up. |
Fifth rung: Make it happen. Never, never, never give up.
Many times in order to make it happen we need to know exactly where we are. Mr. McEachern, founding partner and CEO of the Tom James Company until 1999, was an inspirational leader and dedicated mentor to many. One day, while working with me and seeing the need, he shared a simple parable. Let’s say that today you are on your way to see a new client. As his location is not familiar, you become lost en route. Subsequently, there is no alternative but to call your desired destination. Asking for help and direction, your call is fielded back with the question,
“Well, where are you now so that we can give you guidance?”
Now, if you respond giving specific road signs, identifiable landmarks, street names, etc., you could expect to be effectively given the necessary guidance to reach that important destination. Mr. McEachern, at that moment gave me a clear, acute awareness of the value in measuring and tracking as well as knowing where you are at. There is a direct relationship between the process of measuring and tracking and knowing where you are in relation to your destination.
The importance of clear, meaningful goals can never be underestimated. These goals have intrinsic meaning to you far beyond personal, economic benefits. What gives the goal significance? What is the motivation reason for making this a goal? Is its achievement worthy of your effort? What is its value to you, and no one else? A key element to assess the value and worth of achieving a particular goal is your willingness to track and measure the results of all activity in its pursuit.
Basically there are two types of inner motivation that influences a person to perform.
(1) “Have-To Motivation” driven by those policies, procedures and regulations necessary to maintain a culture and existing environment. Although this type of motivation is restrictive in nature, some is necessary to maintain order and to achieve an organization’s goals and objectives. The measurement associated with this environment is usually required behavior and does not encourage individual creativity.
(2) “Want-To or Desire Motivation” driven by personal dreams, goals or objectives. With this type of motivation the discipline to measure and track is driven by the desire for pleasing results. With this type of motivation individual creativity is stimulated and enhanced by a passion to achieve personal dreams and goals.
In his Personal Success Plan, Mr. Paul Meyers Waco author and founder of Success Motivation Institute listed five steps to success:
1. Crystallize your thinking. Determine what specific goal you want to achieve.
2. Develop a day by day hour by hour plan as to how you will achieve your goals and a target date for its achievement.
3. Develop a sincere and burning desire for those things you want to achieve in life.
4. Develop supreme confidence in yourself and your own ability.
5. Develop a dogged determination to follow through on your plan, regardless of obstacles, criticism, or circumstances or what other people say, think or do.
To arrive at any predetermined destination we need a plan-otherwise our progress is left up to happenstance and circumstance. A plan is a specific path to follow. Achieving our dreams and goals is the destination. People, by nature, do not measure or track activities, based on a schedule they are asked to work. Goal oriented and dream directed; individuals measure and track activities because they have determined that by doing those very activities, they will achieve their dreams and goals. They know where they are at all times.
So in the final analysis according to Albert E. N. Gray in his booklet “The Common Denominator of Success”,
“Your future is not going to depend on some outside influence of circumstance over which you have no control; your future is going to depend on your purpose in life.”
Let us challenge ourselves each day to measure and track, keeping ourselves personally accountable for doing those things that will bring those dreams and goals to fruition.
As is your desire, so is your will.
As is your will, so is your deed.
As is your deed, so is your destiny.
The Upanishads
The Dream Ladder 
