Jonah bought a couple of tools and left the shop after about half an hour. They talked with Jesus about the new farm and life in general. As he walked away, he kept thinking that Jesus the son of Joseph was growing fast into a wise young man. And he was right.

The Making of a King

Jesus was born into working class family. His dad worked as a carpenter and became an apprentice there. He worked diligently as a carpenter with his father.

After his 30^th birthday, he switched careers and became a teacher. He taught, challenged and inspired the people around him.

His teachings spread around the world and are still pertinent even after 2000 years. He is one of the inspiring legends upon whose shoulders I stand. What can we learn about this man Jesus Christ?

Lessons from the King of Kings

1 –Diligence Pays

He knew that he was the son of God but he did not sit on his laurels. He was up and about, had a job as a carpenter and worked crazy hours to achieve his goals. Positive thinking will only take you so far. You need to put in the hours and apply yourself to reach your goals.

2 – Have a Mission

His mission on earth was to teach the word of God and die for our sins so we may have eternal life. His mission was not easy; he endured tribulation but did not waver.

Determine what your mission in life is and go for it. Develop a mission statement and spend your life fulfilling it. With a mission statement, everything falls into perspective. You define your own boundaries and prioritize things in your life.

Your mission is different from your goals. Think of your mission as your core values, and your goals as tools to live up to your mission.

3 – Stories Sell

Parable after parable, Jesus shared his lessons with people as stories. He realized that human beings are suckers for a good story. Stories teach and sell.

What is your story? Package your achievements, your desires and goals into stories and tell them. You will be more likely to get an audience with stories than with facts alone. Stories help connect people and turbo charge bonding.

4 – Be a Team Player

Jesus realized that he needed a good team to help pass on his message. He assembled a team of disciples and worked well with them. They taught the gospel even after he was gone.

Everyone is gifted or experienced in their own area. Knowing how to tap into the unique talents and experiences of people can transform you from zero to hero and beyond.

5 – Fear Not

Jesus’ teachings were going against the accepted teachings at the time. He was amassing enemies at an alarming rate. He would have slowed down but he did not. He believed that what he stood for was right and his message needed to be heard.

Do not let fear paralyze you. Fear prevents action and modifies behavior in ways that slow down your journey to victory… What kind of fears do you have? Are they limiting your success? What can you do to face or address your fears?

6 – Show Leadership

Jesus was able to influence others through his teachings, his character and style. He inspired people to want to live a better life instead of forcing them into it. He also empowered his disciples and delegated authority to them.

You will achieve more by being a good leader.

Do not just sit back and wait to be led. Chart your path, grow and give others the opportunity to follow you. A good leader needs to be strong and unwavering. A good leader must have a vision and empathy for his followers. If you want to be a better leader, care more.

7 – Be Prepared

Jesus did not just wake up and start teaching people. He studied carpentry, religion, law and other disciplines. If you want to be a roaring success story, put in the hours to learn and practice. Learn from the people who are already successful at what you aspire to do. Study and copy them.

Gain valuable experiences and do your home work before you embark on a journey. You would not climb Mount Kilimanjaro before thorough preparation…right? Be sucker for preparation if you want to avoid fatal mistakes.

8 – Shun Intolerance

Jesus talked with both the elite and the poor in society. He talked with the sinners and the people the masses rejected. He saved a woman who was about to be stoned for adultery. He ate at a hated tax collectors house.

He treated everyone with love and respect. People come in different in looks, shapes, beliefs, tastes, habits, views etc.

If you don’t accept or at least respect diversity in people, it will limit how high you soar. To rise above mediocrity, we must shun intolerance by taking active steps to respect diversity.

9 – Be Generous

Jesus gave his life to save us from eternal damnation. He endured gross injustices and violations to his human rights for greater good.

When at a party and the booze ran out, he was swift to change water into wine. He turned a few loaves and fish into a lavish bash.

Giving with an open heart will open floodgates of blessings in your life. If you practice the habit of giving, the universe will compensate you many times over. Be a cheerful giver.

Give something of value to people you meet. Not necessarily money but what you have in your reserves. When you give, you are making a deposit in your spiritual account and you will reap your rewards with the same measure you give out.

10 – Humility is not Cowardice

Even though he was the Son of God, Jesus came to the world and was born in a manger. He endured poverty and humiliation to achieve his goals. You may have to swallow humble pie to achieve some of your goals.

Avoid pride especially when things start looking up in your life.  Pride comes before a fall. A bloated ego as a result of winning can obstruct common sense.

Summary

I hope I did not step on too many toes through this blog post. Religion is a touchy subject for some. Having said that; there are many lessons we can learn from Jesus Christ. Take a moment to read the bible even if you are not a Christian. It is a book with pearls of wisdom on how to succeed in life and beyond. Be blessed.

Apart from knowing exactly what you want in life, the next strong determinant of your success is your ability to achieve your goals. Having goals propels you ahead of the pack. But you are not the only one with goals. There are others who want a piece of the action. It comes down to you vs. them. So how do you win? You win through ability.

Ability comes down to your level of skill and talent. Talent is God given while skill is learned. Actor Will Smith reckons that “Talent you have naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft.”

I am Legend

Will Smith is our Inspiring Legend of the day. He is the actor of the movie “I am Legend”, a title that befits him.

I have watched all of Will Smith’s movies and followed his career since the days of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He has starred in many hit movies including Bad Boys, Bad Boys II, Independence Day, Men in Black, Men in Black II, I, Robot, The Pursuit of Happyness, Hancock, Enemy of the State and Hitch.

Most of us would say that Will Smith is a talented actor, and he is. But he has a different take on this. He says “I’m not afraid to die on a treadmill. I will not be outworked. You may be more talented than me. You might be smarter than me. And you may be better looking than me. But if we get on a treadmill together, you are going to get off first or I’m going to die. It’s really that simple. I’m not going to be outworked”. Will Smith has an incredible work ethic. He applies it to his work and exercise with the same vigor. It amplifies his talents.

When he first went to Hollywood, like other aspiring actors, he was not taken seriously. He was seen as just a rapper who had been lucky to have a breakthrough with a TV show and nothing more. But that did not dampen his spirit. He vowed to be the best actor in the world and got to work on himself.

First he analyzed what the top grossing movies had in common. He realized that they all had special effects and involved strange creatures and a love story. He chose his movies carefully based on his intended goal. His record speaks for itself.

He works harder than most actors. What appears like easy delivery is a result of hours and hours of practice. As a result, Will Smith became the only actor in history to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the US domestic box office. That takes more than talent.

What about You?

There are things you are naturally good at. There are things that you do with ease that others struggle in. You may not have recognized it, but you have your talents.

The first step you should do is to take an inventory of your talents. What are you good at? Are you good with people? Are you a good problem solver? Are you a good writer? Are you good in music, dance, athletics, drawing etc?

Once you recognize what your talents are, and decide on the direction of your efforts; get to work. It is time to raise your skill level. It takes hours upon hours of practice to be really good in something. Race drivers do not rely on talent alone. Great writers do not rely on talent alone. Great mortgage brokers do not rely on talent alone. They put their heart and soul into skill development. Persistence is the name of the game.

“Nothing in this world can take the 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 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 – Calvin Coolidge.

We take some skills for granted but they took hours of practice to develop. Walking, brushing your teeth, personal grooming, typing, reading etc. They all took time, and so will the other skills you need.

Learn from Will Smith and put in the hours to develop your skills. Find a mentor or a coach to help you improve your skills. Even world class athletes need coaching too.

The difference between being average and world class is not talent. It is relentless skill development. What have you done today to develop your skills?

Conclusion

A whisper of talent can lead to a roar of achievement. Will Smith turned his talent to roaring success through an incredible work ethic and skill development. What skills can you develop to improve your prospect for prosperity? The time to act is now.

P/s – Please share this blog post with your friend on Facebook or via email. I am trying to expand the readership of the blog and your support is highly appreciated. Your feedback and comments are also most welcome.

They had heard of chilling statistics about young, unprepared Kenyan international students. They wanted to help me beat the odds; but there was only so much they could do. I boarded the 9000km flight feeling free like a bird. I was finally free to do as I pleased.

I was soon to learn that with great freedom comes responsibility. Life is not a straight line. It is more like a winded road with bumps, traffic jams, pot holes and unpredictable motorists. There is such a thing as odds against you.

The Odds against You

If success was easy, then everyone would be successful. There will be obstacles on your success journey. The playing field will at times be tilted against you. There will be people out to pull you down. There will be times when you are just not good enough. You will be out of your depth on some occasions. And to make matters worse, there will always be people better than you. Depressing?

If you actually sat down and wrote down the reasons why you would fail in life, you would still be writing until the end of time. There are so many variables that can jettison your prospects of achievement.

Many people dwell on the reasons why they will fail instead of looking at the reasons why they will succeed. They feel the pain of failure before it happens. Failure becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. Yes there will be odds against you. But your time and mental energy will have a greater return on investment if you stay positive.

Meet Jessica Watson

Today’s Inspiring Legend is 17 years old Jessica Watson.

Jessica Watson, from Queensland, Australia is the youngest person to sail around the world, non-stop and unassisted. She is Australia’s newest hero.

Millions of TV viewers, led by Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, welcomed her after 7 months at sea. Her story is an inspiration to those of us with odds to beat.

The Los Angeles Times reported her reason for the journey: “I wanted to challenge myself and achieve something to be proud of. And yes, I wanted to inspire people. I hated being judged by my appearance and other people’s expectations of what a ‘little girl’ was capable of. It’s no longer just my dream or voyage. Every milestone out here isn’t just my achievement, but an achievement for everyone who has put so much time and effort into helping getting me here“. She has inspired me and others alright.

Lessons from Jessica Watson

• It is all in the mind – Success or failure is all in the mind. Victory is first achieved in the mental realm. Very few things are impossible. Sailing around the world for a young girl is not impossible as demonstrated by Jessica Watson. Starting and succeeding in your own business is not impossible. Most of the obstacles ahead of you can diminish with a winning attitude. Do not let the odds put you down.
• Preparation is the key. – She had over 10,000 nautical miles of ocean sailing experience before departing on her round the world trip. Jessica and her team worked tirelessly to give her the best chance of succeeding. They prepared the technology and every aspect of the voyage to improve her odds.
• Get Inspiration – She sought out help from experts and sailors who had done it before her. Find people who have succeeded in what you are attempting to do and learn from them. Find a mentor to guide you on the road ahead. Reach out to people who inspire you. Read up on how others did it.
• Amass Supporters – Sailing around the world does not come cheap. She had an array of sponsors chipping in. Standing on the shoulders of giants makes life easier. How far ahead can you get if you had a team of supporters for your vision? Tilt the playing field to your advantage by finding people to believe in you and support you against the odds.
• Handle Critics – Jessica Watson had her fair share of critics. There are those that believed that she did not quite cover the distance required for hers to be regarded as a world record. She responded “If I haven’t been sailing around the world, then it beats me what I’ve been doing out here all this time! Yes it’s a shame that my voyage won’t be recognized by a few organizations because I’m under 18, but it really doesn’t worry me.” There were people out to steal her moment of glory. There will be people out to pull you down. You will have your critics too. Listen to them but do not let them dampen your spirit or prevent you from beating the odds and succeeding.
• Celebrate Victory – Her return to Sydney, Australia turned out to be one big party. She celebrated her victory with the nation and with her family. Allow for celebrations when you succeed. Reward yourself for making progress. Celebration has a way of making you want to beat more odds.

Learn More about Jessica Watson

Like we have done with the other inspiring legends, please take a moment to learn more about our young legend Jess.

• Her Official Website: http://www.jessicawatson.com.au/
• Jessica on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Watson
• Jessica’s Blog: http://youngestround.blogspot.com/
• TV Welcome of her Arrival to Australia: http://ten.com.au/video-player.htm?channel=Jessica+Watson

Summary

The road to your success may not be paved with gold. But you owe it to yourself to tilt the playing field to your advantage. Some of your odds might be imagined while others may be real. Eradicate the imagined odds first. Fight the mental battles relentlessly and take action after preparation. Look for inspiration and seek support to improve your prospects of victory. Yes you can beat the odds!

The government and the ruling party never tired of reminding Kenyan citizens of the president’s philosophy. Songs and poems were composed about this philosophy. Even school children had to pledge their loyalty to the president and his “Nyayo philosophy” of PEACE, LOVE and UNITY.

Years went by without me having the word “philosophy” drummed into my brain incessantly. Then one day a friend gave me a tape that changed my philosophy and life. When I say changed my life, I mean exactly that. This blog would likely never have been launched without the voice in that tape. The voice belonged to Jim Rohn. A giant on whose everlasting shoulders I now stand.

Why I love Jim Rohn

Just before Christmas last year (2009), I logged on to Facebook and saw someone post a status update “Rest In Peace Jim Rohn”. A cold shiver ran through my spine. I was at that moment in time listening to one of Jim Rohn’s audio programs. I quickly left Facebook and Googled Jim Rohn. Sadly, Jim Rohn had left this world. It was a sad day for me. A few tears freely fell on my desk. I was momentarily in shock that I was crying over someone I had never met. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much of an impact Jim had had  on my life. I felt a strong sense of loss. I had lost a friend, a father, a mentor and a source of inspiration.

When I started writing this series, I knew that I was going to write about Jim Rohn. It is with a heavy heart that I write this post.  I will not be able to share with you all that I have learned from Jim, but you can be assured that his teachings will continue to find their way in this blog one way or another.

There are two types of people in the world – givers and takers. Jim Rohn was a giver. He gave his best ideas on successful living. He inspired me to give my best on this blog and in life. He can still inspire you even though he is gone.

He left an impressive body of works including 17 books on business and personal development. He inspired the modern generation of personal development mavens including Anthony Robins, Brian Tracy and Jack Canfield.

The Jim Rohn Story

Many people fell in love with the Jim Rohn’s rags to riches story. And he never got tired of telling that inspiring story. It went a little something like this…

Jim started out as a farm boy from Idaho and rose to become on of the most sought after motivational speakers in the world. By the age of 25, he was deeply in debt and with a young family to feed. He did not have much money in the bank and the creditors were calling.

Then he had the good fortune of meeting Earl Shoaf who was a successful entrepreneur with charisma and a great philosophy. Earl Shoaf taught Jim that his life would continue being as it was unless he changed his (Jim’s) philosophy. He started working on himself , reading books on personal development and interacting with successful people. By the age of 31, Jim had made his first million.

He went on to become an acclaimed speaker, author and businessman for four decades. I love his teachings because they focus on the fundamentals of success. In fact, Jim Rohn once said “There are no new fundamentals. Truth is not new, it’s old. You’ve got to be a little suspicious of the guy who says, ‘come over here, I want to show you my manufactured antiques!’ No, you can’t manufacture antiques.”

Classic Jim Rohn Quotes

• “Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don’t go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won’t laugh at you.”

• “Character isn’t something you were born with and can’t change, like your fingerprints. It’s something you weren’t born with and must take responsibility for forming. “

• “Failure is not a single, cataclysmic event. You don’t fail overnight. Instead, failure is a few errors in judgment, repeated every day. “

• “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune. “

• “Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else’s hands, but not you. “

Learn More About Jim Rohn

As I said at the beginning of this series, I will not spoon feed you with every nugget about these inspiring legends. Do a bit of homework by following the links below to learn more. You will be pleasantly surprised by the good stuff that will come out of the links I am sharing with you.

Jim Rohn on Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Rohn

Jim Rohn’s Official Website – http://www.jimrohn.com/

Quotes By Jim Rohn – http://www.personal-development-training.com/2010/02/jim-rohn-quotes.html

Jim Rohn – How to have Your Best Year Ever (YouTube Videos) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfA-qNWLBHo

Summary

Jim Rohn was a great teacher who encouraged his listeners to change their philosophy. Take a moment to learn more about this great man and think through your life’s philosophy. Change your philosophy, change your life.

I would love to hear from you about this series and especially about Jim Rohn.

If you have ever heard me say that you can be anything you set your mind to, I learned that from Napoleon Hill. He would often say “What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve“. Millions of people around the world have learned the success philosophy from Napoleon Hill. His book “Think and Grow Rich” has sold over 30 million copies.

A Young Napoleon Hill

Napoleon Hill had the misfortune of losing his mother at the tender age of eight. He grew up in financial difficulties and even dropped out of college due to lack of school fees.

He started writing for small-town newspapers in the area of Wise County, Virginia. His employer commissioned him to write a series on successful men. His first interview became a life changer. He was to interview Andrew Carnegie, the richest man in America at the time.

A three hour interview turned out to be a three day talk with the great Andrew Carnegie. It then went on to become a twenty year research project.

Andrew Carnegie could sense potential in people. Within three hours of meeting Napoleon Hill, he knew that he had the right man for the job of researching and putting together a new success philosophy.

Imagine going to interview the richest man in the world and after the interview, he asks you if you would be willing to work for him for 20 years without pay. That was the decision Napoleon Hill had to make on his feet that day. Saying yes proved to be his best decision yet.

The Formula for Success

Andrew Carnegie paved the way for Napoleon Hill by giving him letters of introduction to the rich and famous men. He did not pay Napoleon throughout the twenty year project apart from some expenses in the early years of their relationship.

Napoleon Hill’s first task was to listen to and analyze over 500 powerful men and women to learn the secrets of their success. Andrew Carnegie believed that any man or woman could be successful by following a simple formula and it was Hill’s job to find that formula. When I tell you that I am standing on the shoulders of giants, these are the giants.

As part of his research, Hill interviewed and drew out the best from success giants such as Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, George Eastman, Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller, Theodore Roosevelt and Jennings Randolph.

Napoleon Hill later became an adviser to two presidents of the United States of America, Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

What can we learn from Napoleon Hill?

Thoughts are things. Thoughts are physical.

Whatever your mind thinks about becomes your reality. Success or failure is all in the mind. You are the architect of your life.

“There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it”, said Napoleon Hill.

Napoleon Hill believed that action is the true measure of intelligence. The scales of success are tipped on the side of action takers.

Learn More about Napoleon Hill

Many people have written about Napoleon Hill and his philosophy of achievement. I will not repeat it all in this blog post.

In this series of articles on inspiring legends, I will be introducing each legend and giving the motivated readers links to find out more about the legend.

To read his book “Think and Grow Rich” for free, please visit http://www.sacred-texts.com/nth/tgr/index.htm

To watch a TV interview of Napoleon Hill talking about his first meeting with Andrew Carnegie, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GCaEZscfvA

To download (free) his monumental success masterpiece “The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons (1928)”, please visit http://www.archive.org/details/Law_Of_Success_in_16_Lessons

Summary

Napoleon Hill is the father of positive thinking. This blog is based on his teachings as seen through my eyes, experiences and thinking. I will be exposing more of my sources of inspiration in this series. Take time to follow the links and to learn from these masters. Even you know about Napoleon Hill and his teachings, going back to them again will lift your spirit and expose you to new ideas.

Stay tuned for the next inspiring legend, coming soon.

I feel absolutely blessed to have this blog – a platform to pass on the wisdom and inspiration from the giants on whose shoulders I stand. It is an honor for me to have your attention. Being a regular guy, entrusted with your attention on matters of success, makes it even more of an honor.

I am about to write a powerful series that will rock your world and change your life. Take your time to go through some of my older articles as you wait for the most inspiring series of articles I have ever written. It is a series I have wanted to write for so long and the time is finally ripe. It is time to shine the spotlight on the true legends of inspired living and success. Stay tuned.

Please share this blog post (and others on the blog) with your friends.

One of the main reasons for starting this blog is for me to learn ways of aligning my career and activities with the spirit of giving. I want to use my God given talents, life experiences, success and failures to inspire you to be the best that you can be. I have my reasons for doing this and I will share them with you shortly. But first I will share with you a short story from my growing up days in Kenya.

There was a lovely family that lived a few blocks from our house. We were relatively good friends and one day, my sister and I went there for a visit. We had a fabulous time, stayed there all afternoon and even had dinner there. When it came time to go we said our goodbyes and promised to keep in touch. Unfortunately as soon as we walked out, it started raining cats and dogs. We walked back to the house and stood outside the door where we could see everyone inside. It was dark outside and all bright inside. We did not realize it at the time, but our friends could not see us. We watched in disbelief as they tore into our family demonizing us left right and centre. I was shell shocked, how could these people, people we regarded as friends speak such malicious evil? Right after we had such a great time with them?

It is unfortunate that many people will laugh with you, dine with you and then talk nasty behind your back. You probably do that yourself from time to time. I have done it too. It is not a good thing and if we are to rise above mediocrity, we must shun that kind of behavior. It is tempting to bring people down when we are threatened by them. It is easy to want to bring people down if we think they are rising up too fast and leaving us behind.

In Australia, we call it the Tall Poppy Syndrome. Tall Poppy Syndrome is resentment of others’ success. It is something that we need to be aware of and shun as we seek success. If you are planning to be successful, you need to be aware that there are people who will try and bring you down. If you are trying to be successful, spare you energy and focus on what will make you successful instead of wasting time and energy resenting others.

Bringing people down through negative comments and thoughts only hinders your own success. It is a natural trait that we have as humans to want to bring others down, but you should deliberately change this natural urge to a more empowering mindset. The way to do this is by intentionally wanting, wishing and working for the success of others. When others succeed, instead of being jealous, you will be very happy and proud of yourself. It is even better if you can tie your own success to the success of others.

How can you succeed by building others up?

Someone pointed out that I gave an example that drug dealers also provide value to their customers. While it is true that drug dealers provide value in the short term, they ultimately destroy the lives of those same customers. You need to be able to decide how you are going to build others up through your efforts, and whether it is short term or long term. My approach is to focus on how to build others up in the long term.

One of the most successful men in the world today is Bill Gates. I have massive respect for him for his dream, vision, and work of bringing personal computers to the desktops of ordinary families. His company, Microsoft, has been instrumental in building millions of people up by creating software and helping make the PC affordable.

For you to build others up, you have to want it, visualize it and take action. If you are currently thinking of starting a career, you can choose a career that will have a lot of positive impact on others. For example, I was talking to a brilliant engineer friend who wants to use her engineering knowledge to build solar panels and other environmentally friendly solutions. Such an endeavor will help build not just the current generation up, but also future generations.

Succeeding by building others up is akin to planting good seeds. You reap what you sow. If you do a good job for others it will come back to you. For example, if you work hard for your employer and help him achieve his objectives, he may be able to stay in business longer and maybe even give you a pay rise. Whatever your job is, you can do more to improve the fortune of your employer. Do not just do just enough to save your job, go beyond your call of duty to deliver exceptional value.

Building other’s up means that you are self confident about your situation and prospects in life. It means you are grateful for what you have and have a generous spirit to share. This is very important for your success. The more grateful you are, the more success you will attract in your life.

Succeeding by building others up is the most sustainable way of succeeding. If I work really hard to write great articles that will change your life, you are most likely going to keep coming back for more and maybe invite your friends to this site. It is the same in business and other areas of life. If you build other people up, they will be happy with you and spread the word on your behalf saving you big bucks in advertising costs.

Can you succeed if you do not build others up?

Yes you can succeed by being selfish and by destroying other people. Drug dealers do succeed by destroying the long term lives of their customers but that kind of success is not sustainable. Sooner or later it catches up with them.

As Bob Marley used to sing “You can fool some people sometimes, and you can fool some people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time”. It is the same with success, you can succeed sometimes by bringing people down, but you cannot succeed all the time by bringing people down.

An Example of Success through Building Others Up

I love teachers, maybe it has something to do with my dad having been a teacher and the fact that my sister is a teacher. Last Sunday in church they played a video of a dinner discussion between a lawyer and a teacher. As much as I love lawyers too, I thought this video will be a good example of how someone can succeed by building others up. Teachers do an amazing job and we can all learn from them.

Video Transcript

By Taylor Mali
www.taylormali.com

He says the problem with teachers is, “What’s a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?”
He reminds the other dinner guests that it’s true what they say about
teachers:
Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.

I decide to bite my tongue instead of his
and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests
that it’s also true what they say about lawyers.

Because we’re eating, after all, and this is polite company.

“I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor,” he says.
“Be honest. What do you make?”

And I wish he hadn’t done that
(asked me to be honest)
because, you see, I have a policy
about honesty and ass-kicking:
if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won’t I let you get a drink of water?
Because you’re not thirsty, you’re bored, that’s why.

I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
I hope I haven’t called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, “Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don’t you?”
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.

I make parents see their children for who they are
and what they can be.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely
beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell
either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you got this (brains)
then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you make, you give them this (the finger).

Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a goddamn difference! What about you?

Summary

No matter what you do in life, whether you are a teacher or a lawyer, a cleaner or a business man, you can succeed by building others up. Find what others need and give them exceptional value. Always ask yourself, “what can I do to build this person or people up?”.

Attitude Towards Discipline

Many people associate discipline with punishment. When growing up children learn that if they do not do what their parents or teachers want, they will be punished in some way. So they develop an uncanny ability to do just enough to avoid punishment. That ability becomes the genesis of mediocrity.

It is shocking how many people are like that. It is a negative trait that is honed overtime. To rise above mediocrity, you must change your attitude towards discipline.

Discipline means getting more out of yourself and giving your best towards your goal. Think of discipline as a surefire way of getting to your success. Learn to associate discipline with success not punishment.

If you are productive today, then slack off tomorrow, you will only get minimal results. Be disciplined everyday for the best results in your life.

Discipline Training

You can be trained or train yourself to be progressively more disciplined. If you can only concentrate at your job for 1 hour, try and add an extra half an hour. If you become comfortable with that, keep increasing the period until you get full concentration.

The best way to be disciplined is to learn how to set boundaries. Learn to say no to distractions from your goal. It may mean that you will not answer your phone when “in the working zone“. It may mean denying yourself some pleasures or finer things in life or set a limit to your sleeping hours.

Without boundaries, you will just go with the “flow”. Discipline is about taking deliberate action towards your goal not just going with the flow. Define what consists work or actions towards your goal, stick with it and eliminate all else.

Multitasking wastes time especially when switching from one task to another. Progressively train yourself to be more disciplined by  focusing fully on the task at hand.

Practical Discipline Examples

• Physical Health & Fitness – Be disciplined in taking care of your body. Do not just set new years resolutions in January to keep fit then forget it as the year progresses. Discipline means carrying on with your resolutions even when your emotional state has changed. Eat right and keep a regular exercise routine.

• Work – Many people do just enough not to get fired. The average office worker is productive for only half the time they are in the office. Research has shown that many workers spend time in idle socializing, checking email, reading news and other activities not directly related to their job. Set yourself apart by being more disciplined. Improve your productivity, work the required hours everyday and give your best.

• Financial Freedom – Many people read financial freedom books or attend seminars and resolve to change their financial future. But after the dust settles, they get back to the old habits. Financial freedom is a long road, expect to get bored or tired as you go along. Put in place automated systems, e.g. regular savings to help you carry on. Watch the small dollar bills regularly even as you aim for the the big bucks.

• Home & Family – Be disciplined in the amount of time you spend with your family. Be disciplined in taking action and responsibilities at home even when the going gets tough.

• Mind – Keep training your mind, feed it positive thoughts regularly, visit positive websites like this one, regularly. Train your mind to think outside the box. Keep learning new ideas and develop mental strength by stepping out of your comfort zone. Do this regularly.

• Time Management – We only have 24 hours in a day. Learn how to prioritize your activities and stick to a schedule. Do not take on more than you can chew, but when you commit to something, find the most time effective way of following through. If time management does not come naturally for you, train yourself to be more time conscious, productive and/or learn how to delegate.

Summary

Work towards your goal even when the going gets tough.  You will achieve a lot in your life if you stick to your mission day in day out. Don’t keep on falling in and out of love with your passion.

Every year without fail, the words “resolutions” and “valentine” spike up on web searches. Millions of people log in to their favorite search engines and google for goals and love. According to Google Trends, the searches for the word “resolutions” spike up right at the end of each year. The searches for the word “valentine” spike up at the second week of February. Let us ride the wave and set some post valentines resolutions.

Where is Your Horizon?

How far into the future do you set your goals? Are you only looking at the next 18 months? Your actions and choices today will affect your future. Successful people think further into the future than unsuccessful people. They are willing to invest for the future instead of getting instant gratification. They are willing to sow the seeds and wait for them to bear fruits.

Set a major goal that is attainable but have a longer term view of it. Your major mission in life becomes your moral compass, helping you make the right choices along the way. If you only think of the near term, your habits, friends, output and choices will show.

The Feeling of Achievement

One of my decisions this year is to get used to the taste of victory. I want to get used to the idea of winning. I want to get used to the idea of being a super achiever. It is a self perpetuating state. The more you think of yourself as a winner, the more likely you are to succeed.

Positive thinking alone will not make you win your battles, but it does a lot more for your success than negative thinking ever can. So how do you develop the feeling of achievement? The answer lies with the goals you set for yourself.

If you set goals that are almost impossible to achieve, then chances are that you will not achieve them. The biggest man was once a baby. Start with baby goals and grow with them. Get used to the little league before jumping into the small league. Learn to spell before you write your novel.

Celebrate each victory no matter how small. When you set a specific, measurable goal, and you reach it, take a moment to celebrate. Take a moment to reflect on what made you succeed. As you do that over and over, you will grow in confidence and ability. You will establish a pattern of winning that will be difficult to break.

Life Work Balance

Do you have an insatiable desire for wealth that is detrimental to your values and relationships? Taking business and success too seriously can lead to stress and emotional turmoil that can ruin everything else.

Since launching this blog, I have written on a wide array of topics ranging from Personal Branding, to Emotional Mastery to Relationships and Getting Rich. I have tried to inspire you and me to find balance instead of chasing success in only one aspect of life. How would you like to gain the whole world and lose your soul? How would you feel if you became the richest man in your city and lose you family?

Take regular breaks from work or business. It helps create a healthy work / life balance. You can spend time with your family and friends when taking breaks from work.

Take a piece of piece of paper and set your goals in all aspects of your life. Re-evaluate your quest for success and decide if you are paying a fair price. Is your job worth your family life? Is your night out worth your school grades? Is a little grass worth your career?

Finding the One

Find the one goal that makes you happy. Put in the requisite time and effort to attain that goal. Going on with life without a major goal is like setting out to sea without a destination in mind.

The major goal for this blog, this year, is to create a community of positive minded people. I want to provide a personal development platform and an environment for people to share their experiences. I am still working behind the scenes to put the building blocks in place. It is a goal that has consumed me and will continue to until it turns out into reality.

What is your major goal in life? What are you trying to achieve this year or in your life? Take time to really understand yourself and where you want to go. You are the captain of your universe and you owe it to yourself to get direction. Nobody can tell you what your major goal should be. Look within and you will find it. When you find your goal, give it your very best.

Polygamous Goals Setting

Many people rushed to remove the speck in South African president, Jacob Zuma’s eye (regarding his polygamy), before removing the logs in their own eyes. Why? Introspection is harder than analyzing other people’s affairs.

As we move along with the Goals Series of articles, I want to zoom in on the question of monogamy vs. polygamy of goals. (Valentine’s love is still in the air).

What are the perils of marring many goals? Why does the grass seem greener on the other side of your goal? Is it that hard to be faithful to your major goal in life? How sweet is that forbidden fruit called distractions? Why do we keep falling in and out of love with our goals?

Many people spread themselves too thin. They never stay fixated on something long enough to see it blossom. It is easier to be turned on by the next shiny goal than to pursue a boring goal to its logical conclusion.

Flirting with a new goal is irresistibly exhilarating. It takes us to new highs, gives us goose bumps and makes our minds spin. It is easy to stay up at night thinking of a new goal. It is easy to be passionately infatuated with fresh goals. New goals open the world of possibilities and do wonders for the heart.

Then something happens. The reality of our relationship with that goal sinks in. The excitement is replaced by mundane activities. The honeymoon comes to a crashing halt.

At first there is the desire to rekindle the passion, but that is quickly replaced by the temptation to try something new. Why not seek out yet another goal on the side? Why not juggle a couple of goals incase one does not work out? Subconsciously, we ask, “What is wrong with polygamy?”

Lack of focus is a major cause of infertility of goals. Jumping from one bed of ideas to another is bad karma. It may seem fun and safe at first but it causes nothing but pain and under-performance in the long run.

Enhancing Your Relationship with Goals

If you have been in and out of relationships you know that there is a cost of switching. You either end up hurting yourself, your partner or wasting time… or all of the above. It is the same with goals. Switching from one goal to another comes at a price. It gets expensive as far as time is concerned. It hurts your output and your confidence. Flipping from one goal to another turns out to be a recipe for mediocrity.

Polygamy of goals would work best if you had more than 24 hours a day. It is better to have one sweet goal and give it all the loving that it needs. Spend time with your lovely goal. Dedicate yourself to your goal. Commit to your goal and stick around to see it bear fruits.

Relationships take time and work. Do not starve your goals of attention, time and sheer hard work. Continuously enhance your performance and drive deeper into your goals. Many people never get close to their potential because they swim on the shallow end. They are afraid of the deep end of their desires.

Learn to show love to your goals. One of the best ways of showing love is to learn to listen. Learn all you can about your goal and get real intimate with the details. Go out of your way to make the baby steps of achievements. It is the small things that count. Little by little you will get to do big things.

Sometimes you may feel uninspired to love your goals. In moments like those, seek the advice of goals counselors. Zig Ziglar once said “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily!” Look for ways to stay attracted to your goals daily. Retrace your steps to that which attracted you in the first place. You may need a coach, an inspiring blogger or a good friend to remind you daily that your love for your goal is not in vain. Do what you need to do to stay in love with your goal.

1 – Build a Strong Foundation

Whether you are building a business, a relationship or a career, you need to set the right foundation. Spare a thought for the kind of foundation you are sitting on in your success journey.

Life is not a straight line; there will be bumps, traffic jams, roadblocks etc on your success journey. The weather may not always be what was predicted. Your best bet is to invest in a strong foundation.

In a relationship for example, investing in building trust, communication and problem solving skills is good insurance for tough times. Without a strong foundation, a relationship will be challenged by changing circumstances or external pressures.

In business, invest in building a solid product and good customer relations. Listen to your customers and develop richer relationships with them. This will not only help you be more profitable but insulate you from increased competition.

In Mathew 7:24-27 (New International Version), Jesus said “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Are your goals this year indicative of a wise man (or woman) or are you building your success on sand?

2 – Make Hay While the Sun Shines

I stumbled upon this idea last year…if you look around; you will notice that it is true. Those who succeed in life are those who harness the power of delayed gratification. Delayed gratification is the ability to wait in order to obtain something that one wants.

When a drug addict or an alcoholic wants something, they do all they can to get it right away. Their timeline is between now and a few hours. On the other hand, a medical student is willing to wait for seven years to become a doctor. Successful people look further into the future. Whether it is a business or a relationship, they are willing to put in the work now for rewards that may take years to realize.

There is a time for everything; a time to plant and a time to harvest. Do what you have to do now even if your pay off may be somewhere down the line. Set goals that allow you to stockpile now incase of tough times ahead.

The best time to fix a leaking roof is when the sun is shining. Do not wait for the rains to pound before looking for a fix. Doing it in good time will save you both time and money.

Joseph in the Bible interpreted Pharaohs dream (Genesis 41:28-31, New International Version), “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.  Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe”

Are you in good physical health now? Do you have a job? Do you have blessings in areas of your life today? Maybe you have seven years of this and seven years of ravaging famine ahead. Ok, that is a gloomy way to look at it. But am sure you get my point don’t yah?

I have recently opened a new bank account that I intend to start an automatic saving/investment plan. This is something that I have been postponing for a long time. Every month I will automatically deposit a percentage of my earnings into that account. Is there something you can do in your life to be a good custodian of blessings in good times?

3 – The Only Thing to Fear is Fear Itself

Franklin D. Roosevelt said in his first inauguration speech “So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance”.

If you want to advance in life this year you have to shun fear like a plague. Fear paralyzes action. Fear is the devil incarnate.

Fear is that little voice telling you that you cannot do it. Fear is that friend that makes you doubt yourself. Fear is what will make you sink to the depths of mediocrity.

In Matthew 14: 25-31 (New International Version), Peter walked on water before he let doubt creep in, then he started sinking.

During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Have faith in yourself and in your abilities. Develop your self esteem and self confidence. They will help you achieve more of your goals. Fearing that you might fail will precipitate failure. The more you allow self defeating thoughts into your mind, the more likely they are to become true. How much more would you achieve in life if you were not afraid?

4 – Attitude Determines Altitude

Zig Ziglar said “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude”.

The kind of attitude you bring to your work, business, relationship, health will determine how far you go. Consciously work on your attitude.

5 – Use It or Lose It

The final lesson today is very important. It is a parable by Jesus about using our talents. Purpose it in your heart to use your God given talents to succeed in life. Set goals that will stretch your potential.

Let us look at Matthew 25:14-30 (New International Version).

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.  To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“The man with two bags of gold also came.’Master’,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came.’Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

‘Take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For those who have will be given more and they will have abundance. As for those who do not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Mark those words: “For those who have will be given more and they will have abundance. As for those who do not have, even what they have will be taken from them”. Before you complain that the rich get richer, think about what you have been blessed with. Are you using it to its true potential?

Summary

This is a blog post that I should have written months ago. I will personally revisit it severally in the course of this year. We can all apply these lessons to help us achieve more of our goals.

Remember to build yourself a strong foundation. Shun the desire for instant gratification, have a positive attitude towards life and shun fear. Use your talents and blessings to get ahead in life.

6. People love stories

I experienced the power of stories when I launched this blog. I saw patterns in what people were responding to. The more stories I shared, the more readers would respond. One friend told me that my stories helped to better articulate the problems we all face.

The greatest book of all time (the bible), is a collection of stories. People love stories. We connect and learn better through stories.

Learning the power of stories had a powerful impact on my life and this site’s future direction. I will transform this website to a community of people sharing stories. Each of us has a story.

The new site will also feature stories about people who have made it in life. We shall zoom in on the lives of famous people such us Nelson Mandela, Jim Rohn, Richard Branson etc.

7. Two heads are better than one

I collaborate with a few friends on aspects of running the site. Some times it having someone share with me a new perspective, or a good topic. I also have people encouraging me to keep the fire burning. All in all, I could not have done it without the support of this group of incredible people.

Many people think that they can make it alone. I am here to say that yes you can make progress alone (to some extent). But to really get ahead in life, you need others.

One of the books I partially serialized in 2009 was “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. He had this to say about collaborating with others…

“Economic advantages may be created by any person who surrounds himself with the advice, counsel, and personal cooperation of a group of men who are willing to lend him wholehearted aid, in a spirit of PERFECT HARMONY. This form of cooperative alliance has been the basis of nearly every great fortune. Your understanding of this great truth may definitely determine your financial status.”

Everyone is gifted or experienced in their own area. Knowing how to tap into the unique talents and experiences of people can transform your success from zero to a million and beyond.

There is a limit of how far a website can grow when it is based on the thoughts and ideas of one man. Transforming this site into a community will hopefully, increase its reach and impact.

8. I don’t know it all

2009 exposed me to the $US14 Billion Personal Development industry. I thought I knew it all but the more I researched, the more I realized just how little I knew.

It is like when someone goes to university for the first time, they feel “clever” at first, but as they dig deeper, and specialize, they realize just how huge the human body of really knowledge is.

For this reason, I am going to dedicate 2010 to learning and bringing to your attention, resources and ideas from others better than me. Together we shall study successful people, apply their tried and tested success principles and ideas; instead of re-inventing the wheel.

We shall study the work of people like Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad, Poor Dad), Stephen Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective Habits) and many more.

9. I know enough to make a difference

I was humbled by my discovery that a lot of people are better than me. Many are better than I can ever hope to become. However, my unique experiences, lessons, ideas and actions can still make a difference.

My writing style, experiences, skills and passion touches a particular audience. Your experiences, skills and passion will touch a different group of people. If we can all come together to a personal development melting pot, we can learn from each other, help each other grow and avoid repeating mistakes that each of us has already made.

I will use my contacts, marketing and programming skills to bring together many of us on one website. That I can do. That I will do.

I may not be the world expert on personal development, but my unique talents, passion, and experiences will form the backbone of a community of friends inspiring friends.

10. Networking is Magical

It is good to have one or two contacts. But the more contacts you have the more likely you are to find a contact to meet your needs.

Your needs may vary from getting a new job, having someone to meet you in a new city, or someone to make you laugh.

The people you surround yourself with determine your destiny. How much you earn is likely to be the average of your closest 5 friends. Your hobbies, activities and thoughts are all influenced by people around you. The bible says “show me your friends, and I will tell you what kind of person you are”.

2009 allowed me to network, to make new friends from around the world. I saw the power of surrounding myself with positive people even when they are miles away from me.

2010 is going to be an even bigger year for me as far as networking goes. The more positive friends you have on speed dial, the more likely you are to be positive.

As you can see, my 2009 lessons all seem to point to the need of reaching out to people, developing better relationships, and collectively getting ahead. I am really looking forward to launching this community.

When is this community going live? We are not too far off, but I will not give an ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) as yet. When the time comes, I hope you will be part of the group of positive friends who will join the site, get to know each other and share experiences.

Thank you.

P/s – I would love to hear your comments, and ideas that you would like incorporated in the new community site.

In January 2009, I set out on a journey of self improvement. I purposed it in my heart to change the trajectory of my life. At that point, my life was in shambles. There were riots in my mind and heart. I needed to quell the uprising within me. The only way to drive out the negative demons was to invite positive angels. It is not easy to change one’s life but I did it; through the grace of God, the power of positive thinking, and the support of friends.

I decided to start this blog with the aim of inspiring my friends to be the best they can be. I realized that the quickest way to grow is by sharing. The genesis of a bumper harvest is sowing the right seeds. The bible says “give, it will come back to you, in good measure, pressed and well shaken”. So I decided to give, and give. I shared my life, my ideas, my pain and my lessons in life. And within a few months, I started seeing amazing results in my life.

My life started improving considerably when I started this blog. I met amazing people who inspired me in many ways.

A few months ago I started asking myself some serious questions.

What if this blog was a community instead of a blog? What if all those anonymous readers were involved in deep conversations with each other?  What if I could come to this blog and learn from the readers instead of me pulling my hairs thinking of what to share?

There is a limit as to how much one person can do in blogging. I want to leave a mark in the lives of more people but my time, experience, knowledge and perspectives are limited. I now ask myself, if only the people who have shared their stories with me in private can share with each other on this website. It would be a good place to hang out, to learn from each other, and to grow as a group and as individuals.

I want to sincerely thank all the people who have supported me this year. I wanted to touch the lives of people but you ended up touching mine. I wanted to inspire you but you ended up inspiring me. You are amazing, you are fabulous. Thanks a million and may God bless you. This blog would not have been what it is without the support and encouragement. I say a big THANK YOU! and hope to work with you closely in 2010 as we build a community of positive thinkers and doers.

I reserve special thanks for Nyomi Graef for the encouragement and helping me brainstorm on the first 20 topics that formed the basis of this blog. I want to thank Paula for the consistent commenting, encouragement and support. I want to thank Mwangi for getting me to take action and just do it (launch blog). I want to thank Philip for the countless hours of editing. A big thank you goes to Joy for believing in me and constant inspiration. To Kibe Gitau I say thank you for your encouragement, and I wish you a successful 2010 and beyond. And finally a big thank you to my Facebook friends for the support, and passing word out about the blog.

To the people listed below, I want to say a big thank you for your positive messages, giving me a reason to write, and a reason to build the community site that I am working on for 2010. May the light shine in your lives, and may success be yours for generations.

Abdullatif Manjothi

Abiodun oluwaseun

Afolabi Albert

aileen veleci

aisha

akams

Alen

Alen Wekesa

alfred

alice ngalla

alicia

Allan inc.

allan lucumay

amakay

amelia mwendwa

Amo

Amos

andrew muasya

Andrew Njuguna

andrson

Anes Mohamed

Angeey

angeline

Ann Kibunja

Anne

Anthony

Antony Mbugua

Antony Mbugua Ngari

ANTONY NGARI

Aoll

Arsento

Atef

Atieno,South Korea

Austine viera

ayo FADUMIYE

babu

Ben Gathogo

Ben k.

Benn

Benn Rono

bestgirls.com.ua

Bikundo

Billy Ombima

Birech

Bob Bong

Bob Skilnik

Bonnie

Boston Gym

boyfulani

BRENDA NJERI

Brenda Njeru

Bunmi

carol

Carol Achieng Otieno

CAROLYN

Cate

Catherine

Cathy Nyawira

cecilia kabura

Cee

Charity

Charity G

Charles

charles oloo

Charles Simba

chegepreneur

Chike Ibe

Chris Perry

christine magati

christine pamba

Ciru Mansur

Colin

Cornelius

damaris

Dan Gicharu

Dan kavole

Dan Mahiri

Dan Schawbel

DANIEL

Daniel ‘Jeshi-X’ Ngari

Daniel Gicharu

Daniel Ngari

DANN KIMANI

Daudi

David Hamilton

David Kamau

David M

Deer

Dennis Muchiri

Diana

dickson mwangangi

Doba

Dobah

dorcas

Downunderhater

Edu

eimong

Elly

Emile

Emily A.

Eric M

Eric muema Kiilu

ERICAH KIPTOO

essie

Esther

Esther Kinene

Eston

Eva Kamiri

Evah

Fahreen

Faiza

felicia

Felix

ford sink

fred michori

Fred Nyakundi

funmi fasunloye

Gabriel

Gabriel Kemboi

Gabriel Olofu

Gathoni Kimuyu

George

George Mutale

Georgia Atieno

Gicharu

Giny-D

gitau

Gladys

Gladys Maina

gloriathomas

Goals / Resolutions

Godfrey.C.Osakwe

GOOD WORK

Gorata

grace

Harry

Hildah

Humphrey Mburu

i.ali

Ibe Arua

Ibrahim

Ifects

ij

Ikechukwu Anthony Nwaodu

Iman

Iman Ali

Irene

IRENE KORIR

Irene Y

irungu

irungu wagura

Jacinta Wambui

jackie

Jafeni

jafeni karanja

James Adolwa

James Court

James Gitau

james karuku

James Muriuki

james mwendwa kivuva

Jamez

Jamleck

jane

jane wangari

janet

janet mutuku

Jazz

jbw

Jedz

jemimah

Jeri

Jesse Obukhor

Job kungu

Joe and Wanda

Joe Gichuki

JOEY W.

John

john kaburi

John Makau

john mwangi

John Onyango Rare

John Rare

John Tedesco

Joram

Joseh

Joseph

Joseph Karuga

Josephine Macharia

Joses

Joses Loltome

Josphine njeri

Joy

Joy. kehinde

JOYCE

JT

Jude A

Jude A.

Judy

juliana mburu

Juliet

june

justyna daniel-akpan

kachwanya

kadani

Kageniii

kahora

kaibs

kainvestor

kamama

Kamau Warui

kami

kami wa nyina wa macua

Kanai

Kanja Paul

karanja

karanja kamotho

Karen

karuga

KAY

Ken

Ken Mwangi

Kennedy Kamau

KenyaLuv

Kepher

Kevin Kute

kibe gitau

kim anointted

Kimaku

Kip

kiplangat

Kristjan-Olari Leping

Kuria Steve

kybs

lawrence jonga

Leila

Lilian B K

Linda

Linda K. Mugo

Linda Obilo

Linet Kerubo

Lisa

Liz

lloyd kikunzu

lorna

louise nyaboke

lucie

Lucy Mundia

lucynd

Lydia

Lydia Muriithi

lynne

lynnette

Lyre

m. mwangi

m.ali

m.mwangi

Macharia

Manciny NeeMoh Migwi

Mandi

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Maria

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Martin Muchira

Martin W

Marto

Mary

mavis

max

Mayoress

mel

Meli

mercy

Mia

Michael

michael m g

MICHAEL MURITHI

Michael Mwaniki

michelle m

mike

mike kamanu

millionaires of genesis

Milly

Miriam Ruff

Moboh

molara

Molly

Morris

Moses Kimani

Moses Waruiru

Motivational

Mukonyo

Mumbi

munga

munysara

Muthoka

Mutuma Timothy

MWALIMU

mwangangi

Mwangi

Mwangi – the Displaced African

Myrna A. Niedo

Nancy

NANCY KARIUKI

Narasha

Natalee Bangkok Hotels

Natty Dread

natural sleep aids

Ndiang’ui

Ndiku

ndugi

nelie

nellie

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Nganga

nganga wa karuku

Ngige Benson

nich

Nicholas Kimani

Nick Tumbo

Nimo

Nisa

Njau

njeri

Noha

Nwaodu Anthony Ikechukwu

Nya

nyayiemi

Nyomi

Nyomi Graef

Obamayowa

onesmus makori

Pam

Parto

Patricia Kanja

PATRICK

Patrick Odhiambo

patrick okumu m.

Paul Gitonga

PAUL NGO’NG’A

Paula

Paula May

Pauline Mwaniki

Perminus

Peter Mburu

Peter Nduati

Peter Ngunyi

Phases

Philip D.W.N

philip w

Philip w.n.

phoebe

Prince Miyake

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QUEEN-ANNE BALOGUN

racheal wangari Njeru

Rachel

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RaiulBaztepo

Rajab

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regina

Renee M

Renee Mburu

reu

reuben

reuben lagat

Richard Ollor

Richardinah

Robert Echa

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Rofem

ronald

Ronald Earl Wilsher

ronald n.ngugy

rosemary njeri

Roy

rubby

saeed

sally

salome

Sam

Scimmo

SHADRACK

Shiroh

Shiru

shomyz

simon

simon  kanoga

simon kanoga

simon wachira

SK Usman

slimjess

Sophie

stan

Steve

Steve Kybs

steve nick

Steve Njau (Kybs)

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Sumi Akumu Assumpter

susan

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sush

symo

Tamaku

tghttxhosy

thaka

Thuo

Tj

Tola

Tom

Tom Kabau

Tom Miller

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Toni

tony

tony ngari

victor

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victoria zilllah

Vikky

vivianne nancee

wamahium

Wanja

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WeddingChecklist

william

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Winnie

Woji Christian C.

xtine

Xtine Dida

Yomi Oloko

Yvonne Ndunge

Zippy

P/s: If you have not had the chance to read all the blog posts, please take your time to read them and share them with friends. I would love to hear from you. Merry Christmas and Happy 2010!!

Like in the post yesterday, I am still setting up the stage for future articles that will form the basis of this blog. The purpose of this blog is to inspire you to be the best you can be. To help you think of ways to reach your true potential. To succeed in life, you need a tried and tested way of getting there.

Revealed: My blueprint for success:

1. It is all in the mind.
2. Bias for Action.
3. Oh Baby Steps.
4. Change Habits.
5. Track your  Progress.
6. Build on your Success.

1. It is all in the mind.

Even the Great Wall of China was once an idea. If you can think it, then you can do it or be it. You have to think in vivid terms what it is that you want to succeed in. Do you want to be in the first 11 of your soccer team? Do you want to shed 10 pounds? Do you want to graduate with honors? Whatever your goal is, you have to visualize it and believe that you can make it.

Mental preparation is the most important part of the blueprint. You are going to encounter bumps and hills on the road to success.  The last thing you want is to add to the obstacles through self sabotage. At your core, you must believe that what you want to achieve is congruent with your beliefs, otherwise you will sabotage yourself.

Once you have it clear in your mind that you really want the goal e.g to shed 10 pounds, then write it down on a piece of paper.  Write down your goal and read it aloud and create an action plan. Translate your desire for that goal into a practical series of doable tasks.

2. Bias for Action.

I am a computer programmer. One of the problems that we programmers have is that we tend to over analyze and think of the most creative ways of solving a particular problem. This comes at the expense of writing the software. We call it analysis paralysis.

Don’t spend a disproportionate amount of time and effort analyzing how to solve your problem or how to get to your goal. Instead, have a bias for action. Borrow from our friends at Nike – “Just Do It!”.

Every step you make towards your goal (action), will give you more confidence and lessons, even if you fail. Like this blog for example. I spent so much time last year thinking of what kind of features to have, what kind of community to cultivate etc. Those were just delaying tactics, I later realized. That is why this year, I decide to just do it. It may not be perfect, but at least it is out there, touching the lives of a few people.

3. Oh Baby Steps.

For many years I used to start lofty projects with big goals but never really got to  the finishing line. Why? I always wanted to hit it big. I got bored with the details. But as I grew older and wiser, I realized that it is the small baby steps that  count.

When does a baby give up trying to walk? When does a baby’s parent say to the baby… “Hey little, you have tried too many times. Give it up!”. Almost never. You must have that same tenacity of learning how to make those baby steps. Once you start making small practical steps towards your goal, you will feel better and be more likely to succeed.

Even great super achievers like Tiger Woods have to make those small baby steps every day to stay at the top of their game. Plan your game, have a bias for action and remember to make baby steps towards your goals every day.

4. Change Habits.

We are creatures of habit. There is no way you are going to achieve different results if you keep doing things in the same old fashioned way. Say for example you wanted to save up to buy a house. If you were not tracking your expenses or saving money, then you need to change that.

To achieve any goal in life, you need to change some habits. Think of the goal you want to achieve, and decide what habits would keep you from achieving that.  Then change those habits.

I have recently had a great interest in healthy living. If you want to improve your health and fitness level, you may have to change some habits e.g how much food you eat, what you drink, what type of foods tickle your fancy or how much exercise you do.

5. Track your Progress.

When you set out to achieve a particular goal, you must have check points and milestones to track how you are doing. With our earlier example of shedding 10 pounds, if you gave yourself 10 weeks to get to your goal, then you can set a goal of losing say 1 pound per week. Then weigh yourself every week to see if you are on track. No point waiting for 10 weeks to find out whether or not you got to your goal.

It is important that you set yourself realistic yet challenging deadlines for your goals. If you don’t meet your milestones, analyze why you missed the deadline, and make necessary amends.  Writing your goals helps in the tracking and accountability.

6. Build on your Success.

Once you reach your goals, you should look back on how far you have come. Be truly thankful, count your blessings and then move on to bigger things. Yes, it is like chasing the wind, but success feeds on success. Don’t rest on your laurels.

Say if your goal was to make a million dollars. Once you get to you goals, don’t shoot yourself. Do something with that money. Make other goals, that capitalize on the fact that you now have your million.

Even for goals that are not monetary, you can always build on your successes. Say your goal was to attract to your life the perfect life partner. Getting him or her to your life should not be the end. You should set goals on how to improve your relationship and live in harmony.

With time, as you have more successes under your belt, you will be surprised by the momentum they will build in terms of improving your self confidence and you level of satisfaction.

Summary

Success does not just happen. You must first purpose it in your mind, resolve to achieve and create an action plan. You should always have a bias for action and make steady baby steps towards the achievement of your goals.

Succeeding in life calls for a change in habits. As you walk through the journey towards success, remember to change your habits and keep track of your success along the way.  Once you succeed, remember to turn that success to your next success.

All the best in your goals. Your comments are most welcome.

We previously talked about what success means, and how to create a blueprint for your success. I truly believe that your success or failure is all in the mind. If you really need success and purpose it in your mind then you will succeed. But you need to be hungry for it.

A story is told of a shy young man who wanted to succeed. He saw an older man from his home town fishing. He mustered some courage and approached the highly successful old man and asked, “What is the secret to your success?”. Without saying as much as a word to the young man, the old man grabbed him and pushed him down into the lake.

The young man struggled to free himself, but the old man was strong and held him down. After a few minutes of a shockingly fierce struggle the old man pulled out the young from the water. The young man was belligerent and held the old man by the neck. “Why were were you trying to kill me?”, he asked.

The old man looked at the young man straight into his eyes and said “You see how much you wanted to breath while under the water. If you shall desire success with such intensity, then my son success shall be right there waiting for you.

Success begins with the mind. All you need is to set realistic goals, with appropriate time lines and have a big enough “WHY”.  Have you heard of the Australian movie Rabbit Proof Fence? The film tells the stoy of two Aboriginal girls as they trek/walk for nine weeks along 1,500 miles (2,400 km) of the Australian rabbit-proof fence to return to their home. They had a big enough “WHY” for walking such a lengthy distance. They were running away from prison to their native community.  I am sure we would not be friends for long if I told you to walk with me for mere 100 kilometers “to get to know each other“.

If you don’t have a big enough reason for doing something, chances are you will not do it. I want to inspire you to succeed. To awaken the giant within you. What is your goal in life? What do you want to achieve by the end of this year? Do you have a specific goal that you want to get to within the next 30 days?

You have to visualize that which you want, in the most vivid terms possible. The road to success is not paved with gold. Like all good things in life, success comes at a price. Be willing to pay the price, through preparation, burning desire, and perseverance.

To succeed, you need to take action. To take action, you need to have a reason. A quick and easy way of making yourself desire success is to use the carrot and  stick method. Let us say for example that your goal is to get a  job straight after college. This is how you might apply the carrot and  stick method to drive you to action.

Carrot Way

• Think of the money you will earn.
• Think of the nice holiday you will be able to afford.
• Think of the boost in confidence and opportunities.

Stick Way

• Think of the pile of bills that need to be paid.
• Think of the gaps in your curriculum vitae (resume) that you will create if you stay out of the job market for long.
• Think of the missed opportunities for advancement.
• Think of the shame in failing to answer to the question “What do you do?”

Carrot and stick (also “carrot or stick”) is  idiom hat refers to a policy of offering a combination of rewards and punishment to induce behavior. It may derive from methods used for training mules and other animals by drawing them forward with rewards (the “carrot”) and driving them forward with punishment (the “stick”)

Whatever you goals are, you can apply the carrot and  stick method to build that fire within you. The fire that will ignite you into action and help you get to your goals.

Summary

How much do you want to succeed? You need to have a ravenous desire to succeed. Without that desire, it is hard to take action and overcome obstacles on the road to success.

Most of the obstacles to your success will be mental. Things like fear and self sabotage. Create in your mind a big enough “why” you want to succeed, and the journey to your success will become easier. All the best my friend. May success be upon you.

[This is the final part of the serialization of the book "As a Man Thinketh" By James Allen]

A man becomes calm in the measure that he understands himself as a thought evolved being, for such knowledge necessitates the understanding of others as the result of thought, and as he develops a right understanding, and sees more and more clearly the internal relations of things by the action of cause and effect he ceases to fuss and fume and worry and grieve, and remains poised, steadfast, serene.

The calm man, having learned how to govern himself, knows how to adapt himself to others; and they, in turn, reverence his spiritual strength, and feel that they can learn of him and rely upon him. The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Even the ordinary trader will find his business prosperity increase as he develops a greater self-control and equanimity, for people will always prefer to deal with a man whose demeanour is strongly equable.

The strong, calm man is always loved and revered. He is like a shade-giving tree in a thirsty land, or a sheltering rock in a storm. “Who does not love a tranquil heart, a sweet-tempered, balanced life? It does not matter whether it rains or shines, or what changes come to those possessing these blessings, for they are always sweet, serene, and calm. That exquisite poise of character, which we call serenity is the last lesson of culture, the fruitage of the soul. It is precious as wisdom, more to be desired than gold—yea, than even fine gold. How insignificant mere money seeking looks in comparison with a serene life—a life that dwells in the ocean of Truth, beneath the waves, beyond the reach of tempests, in the Eternal Calm!

“How many people we know who sour their lives, who ruin all that is sweet and beautiful by explosive tempers, who destroy their poise of character, and make bad blood! It is a question whether the great majority of people do not ruin their lives and mar their happiness by lack of self-control. How few people we meet in life who are well balanced, who have that exquisite poise which is characteristic of the finished character!

Yes, humanity surges with uncontrolled passion, is tumultuous with ungoverned grief, is blown about by anxiety and doubt only the wise man, only he whose thoughts are controlled and purified, makes the winds and the storms of the soul obey him.

Tempest-tossed souls, wherever ye may be, under whatsoever conditions ye may live, know this: In the ocean of life the isles of Blessedness are smiling, and the sunny shore of your ideal awaits your coming. Keep your hand firmly upon the helm of thought. In the bark of your soul reclines the commanding Master; He does but sleep: wake Him. Self-control is strength; Right Thought is mastery; Calmness is power. Say unto your heart, “Peace, be still!”

[This blog post is part of the serialization of the book "As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen]

Composer, sculptor, painter, poet, prophet, sage, these are the makers of the after-world, the architects of heaven. The world is beautiful because they have lived; without them, labouring humanity would perish.

He who cherishes a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realize it. Columbus cherished a vision of another world, and he discovered it; Copernicus fostered the vision of a multiplicity of worlds and a wider universe, and he revealed it; Buddha beheld the vision of a spiritual world of stainless beauty and perfect peace, and he entered into it.

Cherish your visions; cherish your ideals; cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all, heavenly environment; of these, if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built.

To desire is to obtain; to aspire is to, achieve. Shall man’s basest desires receive the fullest measure of gratification, and his purest aspirations starve for lack of sustenance? Such is not the Law: such a condition of things can never obtain: “ask and receive.”

Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your Vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your Ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.

The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in the egg; and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities.

Your circumstances may be uncongenial, but they shall not long remain so if you but perceive an Ideal and strive to reach it. You cannot travel within and stand still without. Here is a youth hard pressed by poverty and labour; confined long hours in an unhealthy workshop; unschooled, and lacking all the arts of refinement. But he dreams of better things; he thinks of intelligence, of refinement, of grace and beauty. He conceives of, mentally builds up, an ideal condition of life; the vision of a wider liberty and a larger scope takes possession of him; unrest urges him to action, and he utilizes all his spare time and means, small though they are, to the development of his latent powers and resources. Very soon so altered has his mind become that the workshop can no longer hold him. It has become so out of harmony with his mentality that it falls out of his life as a garment is cast aside, and, with the growth of opportunities, which fit the scope of his expanding powers, he passes out of it forever. Years later we see this youth as a full-grown man. We find him a master of certain forces of the mind, which he wields with worldwide influence and almost unequalled power. In his hands he holds the cords of gigantic responsibilities; he speaks, and lo, lives are changed; men and women hang upon his words and remould their characters, and, sunlike, he becomes the fixed and luminous centre round which innumerable destinies revolve. He has realized the Vision of his youth. He has become one with his Ideal.

And you, too, youthful reader, will realize the Vision (not the idle wish) of your heart, be it base or beautiful, or a mixture of both, for you will always gravitate toward that which you, secretly, most love. Into your hands will be placed the exact results of your own thoughts; you will receive that which you earn; no more, no less. Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts, your Vision, your Ideal. You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration: in the beautiful words of Stanton Kirkham Davis, “You may be keeping accounts, and presently you shall walk out of the door that for so long has seemed to you the barrier of your ideals, and shall find yourself before an audience—the pen still behind your ear, the ink stains on your fingers and then and there shall pour out the torrent of your inspiration. You may be driving sheep, and you shall wander to the city-bucolic and open-mouthed; shall wander under the intrepid guidance of the spirit into the studio of the master, and after a time he shall say, ‘I have nothing more to teach you.’ And now you have become the master, who did so recently dream of great things while driving sheep. You shall lay down the saw and the plane to take upon yourself the regeneration of the world.”

The thoughtless, the ignorant, and the indolent, seeing only the apparent effects of things and not the things themselves, talk of luck, of fortune, and chance. Seeing a man grow rich, they say, “How lucky he is!” Observing another become intellectual, they exclaim, “How highly favoured he is!” And noting the saintly character and wide influence of another, they remark, “How chance aids him at every turn!” They do not see the trials and failures and struggles which these men have voluntarily encountered in order to gain their experience; have no knowledge of the sacrifices they have made, of the undaunted efforts they have put forth, of the faith they have exercised, that they might overcome the apparently insurmountable, and realize the Vision of their heart. They do not know the darkness and the heartaches; they only see the light and joy, and call it “luck”. They do not see the long and arduous journey, but only behold the pleasant goal, and call it “good fortune,” do not understand the process, but only perceive the result, and call it chance.

In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are results, and the strength of the effort is the measure of the result. Chance is not. Gifts, powers, material, intellectual, and spiritual possessions are the fruits of effort; they are thoughts completed, objects accomplished, visions realized.

The Vision that you glorify in your mind, the Ideal that you enthrone in your heart—this you will build your life by, this you will become.

[This blog post is part of the ongoing serialization of the classic personal development book "As a man Thinketh" by James Allen]

A strong man cannot help a weaker unless that weaker is willing to be helped, and even then the weak man must become strong of himself; he must, by his own efforts, develop the strength which he admires in another. None but himself can alter his condition.

It has been usual for men to think and to say, “Many men are slaves because one is an oppressor; let us hate the oppressor.” Now, however, there is amongst an increasing few a tendency to reverse this judgment, and to say, “One man is an oppressor because many are slaves; let us despise the slaves.”

The truth is that oppressor and slave are co-operators in ignorance, and, while seeming to afflict each other, are in reality afflicting themselves. A perfect Knowledge perceives the action of law in the weakness of the oppressed and the misapplied power of the oppressor; a perfect Love, seeing the suffering, which both states entail, condemns neither; a perfect Compassion embraces both oppressor and oppressed.

He who has conquered weakness, and has put away all selfish thoughts, belongs neither to oppressor nor oppressed. He is free.

A man can only rise, conquer, and achieve by lifting up his thoughts. He can only remain weak, and abject, and miserable by refusing to lift up his thoughts.

Before a man can achieve anything, even in worldly things, he must lift his thoughts above slavish animal indulgence. He may not, in order to succeed, give up all animality and selfishness, by any means; but a portion of it must, at least, be sacrificed. A man whose first thought is bestial indulgence could neither think clearly nor plan methodically; he could not find and develop his latent resources, and would fail in any undertaking. Not having commenced to manfully control his thoughts, he is not in a position to control affairs and to adopt serious responsibilities. He is not fit to act independently and stand alone. But he is limited only by the thoughts, which he chooses.

There can be no progress, no achievement without sacrifice, and a man’s worldly success will be in the measure that he sacrifices his confused animal thoughts, and fixes his mind on the development of his plans, and the strengthening of his resolution and self-reliance. And the higher he lifts his thoughts, the more manly, upright, and righteous he becomes, the greater will be his success, the more blessed and enduring will be his achievements.

The universe does not favour the greedy, the dishonest, the vicious, although on the mere surface it may sometimes appear to do so; it helps the honest, the magnanimous, the virtuous. All the great Teachers of the ages have declared this in varying forms, and to prove and know it a man has but to persist in making himself more and more virtuous by lifting up his thoughts.

Intellectual achievements are the result of thought consecrated to the search for knowledge, or for the beautiful and true in life and nature. Such achievements may be sometimes connected with vanity and ambition, but they are not the outcome of those characteristics; they are the natural outgrowth of long and arduous effort, and of pure and unselfish thoughts.

Spiritual achievements are the consummation of holy aspirations. He who lives constantly in the conception of noble and lofty thoughts, who dwells upon all that is pure and unselfish, will, as surely as the sun reaches its zenith and the moon its full, become wise and noble in character, and rise into a position of influence and blessedness.

Achievement, of whatever kind, is the crown of effort, the diadem of thought. By the aid of self-control, resolution, purity, righteousness, and well-directed thought a man ascends; by the aid of animality, indolence, impurity, corruption, and confusion of thought a man descends.

A man may rise to high success in the world, and even to lofty altitudes in the spiritual realm, and again descend into weakness and wretchedness by allowing arrogant, selfish, and corrupt thoughts to take possession of him.

Victories attained by right thought can only be maintained by watchfulness. Many give way when success is assured, and rapidly fall back into failure.

All achievements, whether in the business, intellectual, or spiritual world, are the result of definitely directed thought, are governed by the same law and are of the same method; the only difference lies in the object of attainment.

He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.

[This blog post is part of the serialization of the book "As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen]

They who have no central purpose in their life fall an easy prey to petty worries, fears, troubles, and self-pityings, all of which are indications of weakness, which lead, just as surely as deliberately planned sins (though by a different route), to failure, unhappiness, and loss, for weakness cannot persist in a power evolving universe.

A man should conceive of a legitimate purpose in his heart, and set out to accomplish it. He should make this purpose the centralizing point of his thoughts. It may take the form of a spiritual ideal, or it may be a worldly object, according to his nature at the time being; but whichever it is, he should steadily focus his thought-forces upon the object, which he has set before him. He should make this purpose his supreme duty, and should devote himself to its attainment, not allowing his thoughts to wander away into ephemeral fancies, longings, and imaginings. This is the royal road to self-control and true concentration of thought. Even if he fails again and again to accomplish his purpose (as he necessarily must until weakness is overcome), the strength of character gained will be the measure of his true success, and this will form a new starting-point for future power and triumph.

Those who are not prepared for the apprehension of a great purpose should fix the thoughts upon the faultless performance of their duty, no matter how insignificant their task may appear. Only in this way can the thoughts be gathered and focussed, and resolution and energy be developed, which being done, there is nothing which may not be accomplished.

The weakest soul, knowing its own weakness, and believing this truth ‘that strength can only be developed by effort and practice, will, thus believing, at once begin to exert itself, and, adding effort to effort, patience to patience, and strength to strength, will never cease to develop, and will at last grow divinely strong.

As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.

To put away aimlessness and weakness, and to begin to think with purpose, is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who only recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment; who make all conditions serve them, and who think strongly, attempt fearlessly, and accomplish masterfully.

Having conceived of his purpose, a man should mentally mark out a straight pathway to its achievement, looking neither to the right nor the left. Doubts and fears should be rigorously excluded; they are disintegrating elements, which break up the straight line of effort, rendering it crooked, ineffectual, useless. Thoughts of doubt and fear never accomplished anything, and never can. They always lead to failure. Purpose, energy, power to do, and all strong thoughts cease when doubt and fear creep in.

The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do. Doubt and fear are the great enemies of knowledge, and he who encourages them, who does not slay them. thwarts himself at every step.

He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure. His every, thought is allied with power, and all difficulties are bravely met and wisely overcome. His purposes are seasonably planted, and they bloom and bring forth fruit, which does not fall prematurely to the ground.

Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes creative force: he who knows this is ready to become something higher and stronger than a mere bundle of wavering thoughts and fluctuating sensations; he who does this has become the conscious and intelligent wielder of his mental powers.

[This blog post is part of the serialization of the classic personal development book "As a Man Thinketh" By James Allen]

Disease and health, like circumstances, are rooted in thought. Sickly thoughts will express themselves through a sickly body. Thoughts of fear have been known to kill a man as speedily as a bullet, and they are continually killing thousands of people just as surely though less rapidly. The people who live in fear of disease are the people who get it. Anxiety quickly demoralizes the whole body, and lays it open to the, entrance of disease; while impure thoughts, even if not physically indulged, will soon shatter the nervous system.

Strong, pure, and happy thoughts build up the body in vigour and grace. The body is a delicate and plastic instrument, which responds readily to the thoughts by which it is impressed, and habits of thought will produce their own effects, good or bad, upon it.

Men will continue to have impure and poisoned blood, so long as they propagate unclean thoughts. Out of a clean heart comes a clean life and a clean body. Out of a defiled mind proceeds a defiled life and a corrupt body. Thought is the fount of action, life, and manifestation; make the fountain pure, and all will be pure.

Change of diet will not help a man who will not change his thoughts. When a man makes his thoughts pure, he no longer desires impure food.

Clean thoughts make clean habits. The so-called saint who does not wash his body is not a saint. He who has strengthened and purified his thoughts does not need to consider the malevolent microbe.

If you would protect your body, guard your mind. If you would renew your body, beautify your mind. Thoughts of malice, envy, disappointment, despondency, rob the body of its health and grace. A sour face does not come by chance; it is made by sour thoughts. Wrinkles that mar are drawn by folly, passion, and pride.

I know a woman of ninety-six who has the bright, innocent face of a girl. I know a man well under middle age whose face is drawn into inharmonious contours. The one is the result of a sweet and sunny disposition; the other is the outcome of passion and discontent.

As you cannot have a sweet and wholesome abode unless you admit the air and sunshine freely into your rooms, so a strong body and a bright, happy, or serene countenance can only result from the free admittance into the mind of thoughts of joy and goodwill and serenity.

On the faces of the aged there are wrinkles made by sympathy, others by strong and pure thought, and others are carved by passion: who cannot distinguish them? With those who have lived righteously, age is calm, peaceful, and softly mellowed, like the setting sun. I have recently seen a philosopher on his deathbed. He was not old except in years. He died as sweetly and peacefully as he had lived.

There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills of the body; there is no comforter to compare with goodwill for dispersing the shadows of grief and sorrow. To live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism, suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in a self made prison-hole. But to think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all—such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; and to dwell day by day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding peace to their possessor.