You were born lucky

My sister says that I swim like sediment. But every time she says that, I am quick to remind her that I once won a swimming contest.

The average man’s ejaculate is 280 million sperms. Only 1 is required to make a baby. If you are reading this it means you won a nearly impossible swimming championship. Even champion swimmers Michael Phelps and Ian Thorpe never had to compete with that many people at the Olympics.

Always remember that you were once a winning sperm. Even when faced with life’s difficulties, remember you were born a winner. You were born lucky.

Create Your Own Luck

If you are waiting for your lucky day while lazing & sleeping all day, I have news for you; in your dreams!

You get lucky when you decide to be lucky.  Luck will meet you when you are ready for it. I have decided to be lucky this year. I will work hard for my luck, I will work smart for my luck, and I want to inspire you to do the same.

What kind of lucky break are you looking for? Are you looking to meet the love of your life? Are you looking for a recording contract? Are you looking at doubling your profits? Whatever your heart desires, you can do it if you put your all into it. Your luck is the sum total of your thoughts and actions.

You can create your lucky break by becoming clear on what you really want. No one can decide for you what your true desire is. Harness the power of your mind to zoom in on exactly what you need to do to achieve your goal.

For example, if you want to get your dream job, what are the right steps to follow? What contacts would you need? How would you position yourself to potential employers? Where would you find those employers in the first place?

Remember that you have to be in a game to win it. Spectators never legally score a goal. You have to practice and make it to the team. You have to turn up for the match. You have to do your part to get lucky. Action and thoughts are the building blocks of luck. They are the master keys of a lucky break.

A Few Lucky Men (and Woman)

• Richard Branson – He was busy selling his student magazine and distributing records on mail order. Then the unexpected happened. There was a postal strike and he suddenly realized just how reliant he had become to the postal service. That was the beginning of setting up of Virgin Megastores. He decided to invest in a place where young people could go buy records and listen to music. What could have been a death knell of his business, turned into a window of opportunity and luck.

• Napoleon Hill - He was working for a magazine that required him to compile success stories of people who had made it in life. One of his first assignments was to interview Andrew Carnegie, one of the richest men in the world at the time.An interview originally intended for three hours went on for three days and nights. Andrew Carnegie then decided to entrust Napoleon Hill with the task of teaching his success principles to the world. He introduced him to various rich men such as Henry Ford, and helped set in motion the study and philosophy that would turn Napoleon Hill into the success teacher of millions in the world for decades. What a lucky break!

• J.K. Rowling – J.K Rowling is a classic rag to riches story. She was on government welfare support while writing the first Harry Potter book. Within 5 years, she moved from welfare to multi-million dollar status by following her passion. Her book was first rejected by 13 publishers, before being taken in by Bloomsbury who advised her “to get a day job, since she had little chance of making money in children’s books.”Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released on 21 July 2007 and broke its predecessor’s record as the fastest-selling book of all time. It sold 11 million copies in the first day of release in the United Kingdom and United States. Harry Potter is now a global brand worth an estimated $15 billion and the last four Harry Potter books have consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in history. Lucky indeed

• Sir Donald George Bradman – He was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. He practiced batting incessantly during his youth. This form of practice developed his timing and reactions to a high degree. He may have looked like an overnight sensation, a lucky bloke, but his luck was years in the making.

• You – You can create your own luck by setting your goals, and following your passion. Do not let that internal voice called fear stop you. Do not let the challenges of the road ahead cause you to despair. Set your mind right and take action towards your goals. It is only when you are out there doing it that you will meet your lucky break. Luck does not come to you while you sleep. You meet half way.

Some Lucky Quotes

• Be prepared, work hard, and hope for a little luck. Recognize that the harder you work and the better prepared you are, the more luck you might have. – Ed Bradley
• Diligence is the mother of good luck. – Benjamin Franklin
• I believe life is a series of near misses. A lot of what we ascribe to luck is not luck at all. It’s seizing the day and accepting responsibility for your future. It’s seeing what other people don’t see and pursuing that vision. -Howard Schultz
• People always call it luck when you’ve acted more sensibly than they have. Anne Tyler

Summary

You can use the power of your mind to attract luck to your life. Your thoughts and actions bring success that others may deem as your lucky break.

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.

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.

According to Wikipedia, “Kaizen (continuous improvement) is a Japanese philosophy that focuses on continuous improvement throughout all aspects of life. When applied to the workplace, Kaizen activities continually improve all functions of a business, from manufacturing to management and from the CEO to the assembly line workers.”

Instead of focusing on giant leaps towards your life goals, you can apply the principles of Kaizen to better yourself each and every day. Kaizen is all about making small changes and monitoring results, then adjusting. Instead of big overwhelming goals, you can have smaller goals, which can be rapidly adapted and accomplished.

Kaizen requires continuous improvement through standardization and improvement of processes. Let us look at practical ways of applying this concept to some aspects of your life:

1. Physical Health
2. Job & Career
3. Finances
4. Relationships
5. Mind

1. Physical Health

Your physical health determines the quality of your life. You may decide to loose weight or train in a particular sport for example. Instead of setting overly ambitious goals that may dampen your spirit if you don’t meet them, why not set smaller achievable goals?

Instead of driving to work, you may consider cycling instead. This is not only good for the environment, but it may be a good “standardized process” that will help you get to your goal of weight loss or fitness.

Focus on areas of your life that you can turn into little standardized processes that take you towards your goal. Then focus on improving those processes over time. In our earlier example of cycling, you can improve that “process” by investing in a better equipped bike and appropriate cycling gear.

2. Job & Career

The job market is constantly changing and you need to continuously improve your qualifications and abilities to stay competitive. Get into the habit of applying Kaizen to your job and career.

You can attend evening classes, short courses or seminars. You can also subscribe to relevant newsletters and magazines to stay abreast of changes in your industry and to stay on top of your game.

Kaizen can also be applied in the area of networking with people in your field. You can use Kaizen to refine your contacts building strategy.

Think of all the little ways you can improve your job and career every day. From time management to mastering specialized skills. There are a lot more ways of applying Kaizen to your career than I can list in a single blog post. Take out a notebook and write down at least 10 things you can do to improve your career prospects, not by giant leaps but by simple baby steps (Kaizen).

3. Finances

To become financially free, you need to have a plan. This would be a great place to apply Kaizen.

Kaizen is all about standardization of processes and continually improving those processes. Think of all the standardized processes you can apply to your finances.  I will give you a few examples:

• Setup an automatic investment account and deposit 10% of your pay before you even see it. Invest in mutual funds, stocks or whatever. But do it every month.
• Create a monthly budget. Many people don’t create and stick to an earnings and spending budget. You will be ahead of the pack if you create a budget and continuously improve your spending habits to maximize your quality of life and minimize wastage.
• Create a new stream of income. Consider turning a hobby into a side business that brings you some extra cash to take you towards your financial freedom.

4. Relationships

Relationships love Kaizen. You can apply Kaizen to your love life, your friends and your family. Continuously improve how you relate with other people. You can read books on this, or learn by observing others.

Spending quality time with your partner and listening to them can do wonders to your relationship. It is the little things that count (or so I have heard). Find lots of these little things and apply Kaizen on them, every day.

5. Mind

Your mind is your biggest asset. Improve your mind by feeding it everyday and planting good seeds in your brain. They will germinate and grow and determine the level of success you will get.

Success or failure is all in the mind. Think of all the little things that you can do to improve your mind. Is your mind clouded by jealousy or fear? Fight that battle. One battle at a time.

Kaizen can be applied in the following areas:

• The kind of thoughts doing the rounds in your mind.
• You self control, self mastery and self confidence.
• The image you have of yourself and your abilities.
• Time management and discipline.

Summary

Kaizen – A concept imported  from Japan, is a process of continuously improving your life by making incremental changes in your life. It involves turning your actions into standardized processes. Instead of making giant leaps, you improve your life everyday in small baby steps.

Dormant passions take away a piece of us.  We sit  and think how things could have been. We sit and wish we had taken a different turn in life. Unfortunately, wishing alone will not ignite the fire within, or awaken the giant in you.  Today’s blog post is dedicated to inspiring you to find satisfaction in your soul by rekindling your dormant passion.

Passion gives you boundless energy, a winning attitude, strong emotions and a desire to succeed. It is very difficult to succeed in any field of endeavor without passionate. There is no way to be an exceptional school teacher if you loathe kids. Having passionate love for your partner will force you to do everything to make the relationship work. You will have fun while crossing mountains to be with them.

The road to success has many obstacles; there are mountains to cross and valleys to navigate. Passion will allow you to succeed beyond your wildest dreams.  “Follow your passion” is the timeless advice given to would be entrepreneurs, writers, singers, actors and in fact all of us.

What is your passion?

What makes you wake up at 4.00am in the morning? Well, maybe nothing for most us. Let me ask again. What do you love to do? What are your interests? Are you passionate about sport? Are you passionate about your husband? Are you passionate about your family? Are you passionate about your job? What is it that gets you going where others would give up?

For many people, it is hard to define what their real passion is. If you have trouble defining your passion, don’t sweat it. You can discover your passion by exploring your life in a few minutes. Be completely honest with yourself and ask yourself the following questions. You can ask a friend to help if you get stuck.

• What makes you happy?
• If you had enough money to not have to work again in your life, what would you do?
• What do your friends and family think you are good at?
• What do you do with ease that others struggle? E.g. public speaking, writing, sports, making friends, photography etc
• What excites you? What do you do for hours on end just because you love it?
• What do you wish you could be doing with your life?

Examples from my life

I will share a couple of my passions and show you my struggles, dreams and hope.

I hope my sharing is not in vain. I hope to inspire you to think about your own situation and ignite ideas on how to rekindle your own passion. I hope to help you light the fire and to keep it burning until you achieve your goals.

My two passions are publishing and real estate. Your passions may be different, but I am sure you could draw some lessons from my story.

1. Publishing

When I was in high school, I discovered my passion for writing after winning an inter-school essay competition. My writing according to my English teacher was “basic but elegant”. She told me that I could communicate ideas, not in big words, but clearly. She advised me to find something I was passionate about and just write about it. That was all I needed to become passionate about writing.

I got busy and started writing a magazine called “The Crossroads”. I got carried away with my little project and found myself writing articles for my magazine even in physics and chemistry classes. One of my physics teachers found me writing and screamed words that still haunt me today. He said: “Young man, why are you writing that in my class? You have no manners, not even bad ones. Go! You are mannerless!” hahaha!

The time spent away from that physics class was like manna from heaven. I went to the school library and wrote for four hours without a break. I wrote my first business plan for my future publishing empire at the school library that afternoon.

The business plan revealed that creating a publishing empire was a much bigger project than simply writing. That evening,  I borrowed a few  books from the library and researched on the printing process, marketing of magazines, interviewing techniques, desktop publishing, subscriptions management, distribution networks, editorial policies, legal issues, profit and loss statements, circulations and ratings. As you can imagine I was overwhelmed. I humbly crawled back to my physics class the next day and graduated from high school with a dormant passion for publishing.

After high school, I left Kenya and came to Perth, Western Australia. I briefly rekindled my passion for running a publishing empire by spending a lot of time in the city library learning about publishing and media. I read all I could about Rupert Murdoch (News Corporation), Ted Turner (CNN), Richard Branson (Virgin), Kerry Parker (PBL) and many others who had made it in the media and publishing worlds.

Have you ever given up on your passions because the going got tough? You are not alone. Many people give up when they lack a clear path of attainment. My passion for success in publishing waned because I thought it was too complicated.

Later, I  learned that you do not need to see the whole staircase to be able to take the first step. You could travel for 100 miles in your car even though your headlights only shine for less than a quater mile. You just need to see enough to make the first few steps.

Success is like eating an elephant. You do it piece by piece.

My magazine in high school “The Crossroads” was about inspiring people to be the best they could be. It has been my passion to inspire people to be the best they can be through my writing, interviews and sharing personal stories of victory and overcoming adversity. This year I decided to take a step of faith and launch this blog; to inspire you to be the best you can be. At the moment the site only gets a handful of people everyday but I very excited that I finally can live my dream of sharing my heart and mind with people through my writing.

The going might be tough for you at times. You may not see the full path to your goals. But I encourage you to take a step of faith to follow your passion. Spend a few minutes and discover what makes you happy. You may not start out as the best in what you do, but with practice and focus, with the power of compounding applied to it, you will succeed. No doubt about that.

I did not start my publishing in high school or earlier in life because of lack of knowledge, experience or maybe it just was not the right time in life. You most likely have some goals or desires that you have not accomplished because the time was not right. I encourage you to weigh in and see if the right time has come for you to take the first steps towards your passion.

My second passion is long term and I will illustrate to you how to fight internal demons and keep the fire burning after you rekindle your passion.

2. Real Estate

Growing up in Kenya gave me first hand experience of the daily struggle of millions in the jaws of poverty.

I remember when I was 12 years old I went to Kibera, one of the biggest slums in Africa and my tears flowed freely when I saw the squalor conditions people there were living in. I teamed up with one of my friends and we did a rich vs. poor tour of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. The gap between the rich and the poor was so wide and unacceptable to my innocent eyes. I felt the unmistakable urge of wanting to do something about it.

Then I discovered a side of me that I thought of as evil at the time, but have since reconciled with. My tears turned into saliva as I salivated at the idea of building low cost, quality affordable housing for the poor and profiting from it. A part of me believed in social justice but another part of me was a hard nosed capitalist. I felt guilty for having those two ideas, but I have since learned to live with myself so it is not a biggie any more.

Sometimes you may find internal conflict is what is keeping you from achieving your goals. Fight those demons by aligning your passion with your mission in life. I rationalized it by reminding myself that I am not the government, and by providing housing to people at a profit, I am more likely to reach more people than by doing it purely for charity.

I have not yet realized my dream of providing thousands of affordable housing.

But I am keeping the fire burning by learning all I can about investments, real estate and affordable housing strategies. It may take me another 10 years before I get to my goal, but I am working on it step by step.

You may not be able to get to your goal tomorrow, but keep the fire burning by doing something about it, whether it is learning or doing a small part of your passion. Your passion may be to start your own business but you probably still work for the big man.

You can keep the passion going by working on your business part time, a few hours a week when you are not at work. You can spare a few hours in the evening instead of watching TV for hours on end.

Closing Remarks

Finding your passion in life is very important for your success. If you do something that you love, you will be happier and more likely to succeed. I have shared my personal story in the hope that you may learn from my mistakes and desire to succeed. I encourage you to take the first steps in discovering or rekindling your passion. Then have a plan and then take action.

P/s- I wanted to delete this blog post straight after writing it, I felt that I had shared too much personal thoughts and information but after seriously thinking about it, I thought it was worth it. It will be a small price to pay if even just one person (You), uses this blog post as a trigger to rekindle a dormant passion. I want to inspire you to be the best you can be, sometimes I will have internal conflicts about what I can and cannot write about. I hope my choices will always lean towards inspiring you to be the best you can be.

Sharing: If you have a friend who could benefit by rekindling their passion, please share this blog post with them.

Persistence is stubbornly sticking to your plan for success even when the going gets tough. Many people give up when the going gets tough. Many will give up at the first sight of trouble or obstacles. You must never give up on your goals, instead focus all your energy and keep taking action towards your goals. Never let up but instead be resolute in your desire to succeed even when giving up may seem like the better option.

I don’t know of anyone who has ever succeeded by chance. Every success story that I know of was years in the making. Successful people are persistent people. I try and emulate that side of successful people. I believe in persisting towards my goals even when everyone around me doubts me and maybe thinks that I am nuts. It is trait I hope to develop more and to inspire you to develop it because I know its potency. By never giving up, you give yourself an unfair advantage over others who easily give up. You tilt the playing field to your favor.

Below are some inspiring quotes to do with persistence. I hope they inspire you to persist towards your goals.

• Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. Calvin Coolidge

• Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. Dale Carnegie

• That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved. Ralph Waldo Emerson

• When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. Harriet Beecher Stowe

Silvester Stallone

One of the most inspiring stories I have ever heard on the topic of persistence is Silvester Stallone of the Rocky Movies.

According to Wikipedia, Silvester Stallone is an Academy Award-nominated American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. One of the biggest box office draws in the world from the 1970s to the 1990s, Sylvester Stallone is an icon of machismo and Hollywood action heroism. He has played two characters who have become a part of the American cultural lexicon: Rocky Balboa, the boxer who overcame all odds to fight for love and glory, and John Rambo, a courageous soldier who specialized in very violent rescue and revenge missions.

It was not an easy climb to the top for Silvester Stallone. In his early days as an aspiring actor, he was so broke but would not take an average job as it would interfere with his hunger to be an actor. His wife pressurized him to get a job but Stallone would not hear of it. He kept trying to audition for parts but kept being rejected.

Then one day (March 24, 1975), Stallone saw the Muhammed Ali–Chuck Wepner fight which inspired the foundation idea of Rocky. Chuck Wepner was clearly the underdog but he kept on going. He was quite persistent and that impressed Stallone who got busy that night and started writing the script for Rocky. He wrote the script for over 20 hours continuously. After that he tried to sell the script without much initial success.

He kept trying to sell but kept getting rejected. By that time he was so poor that he decided to sell his dog. He was devastated for having to do this but he felt he had no choice. After desperately looking for strangers to buy his dog, he finally found a buyer outside a liquor store and sold it for $25.

After persistently trying to sell his script, someone got interested in buying but only if Stallone did not star in it! Even though he was broke, he knew what he wanted and did not sell out. They had offered to buy the script for $100,000 but they kept upping the offer until they got to $400,000 but Stallone would hear none of it.

Eventually they agreed to have him play the lead role, but only for $25,000. He accepted and as soon as he got his money, he went to buy back his dog. The new owner refused to sell it to him! Again Stallone persisted until the guy sold it back to him for $15,000 and the right to appear in the movie! That guys is in the Rocky movie apparently. But guess what? Stallone and the dog, his best friend, were also in the film.

The film, made for only $1.1 million, and shot relatively fast in 28 days, was a sleeper hit; it made over US$117.2 million, and won three Oscars, including Best Picture. The film received many positive reviews and turned Stallone into a major star. It spawned five sequels: Rocky II, III, IV, V, and Rocky Balboa.

Persistence paid off for Silvester Stallone and it will for you too. Please enjoy the clip below. It is a motivational talk by Anthony Robbins. He spoke to Silvester Stallone and got the inside story of persistence. I think it is worth your time to listen to it (watch).

Now let us look at practical ways you can apply persistence to succeed in some areas of life.

1. Health

Your body is here to stay, so treat it right. You should set health goals and persist with them. Many people “get bored” of taking care of their bodies. Always remember to take healthier lifestyle choices and be persistent about it. For example, don’t just exercise for a couple of months before you gym membership runs out. Have a total commitment to your body, health and fitness at all times. This is one area of life where you have no choice but to be persistent.

2. Career

Choose to do what you love in life. Have attainable yet challenging career goals. You alone are responsible for your career choices and achievements. Remember being good at what you do has very attractive perks, but it does not come easy. It is easier to just tug along and do what your employer tells you to do. Aim to do more than your call of duty and persist towards your goals. Gain specialized skills and experience to be the best in your career. This will open up doors that you might have thought of as impossible.

3. Relationships

Relationships take work to make them work. Be persistent in learning about your partner, what makes them happy. Never tire of looking for ways to improve the relationship. All relationships, from love based relationships to bilateral relationships between countries require a persistent approach to make them work. Persistence in relationships does not mean doing the same thing over and over but finding creative ways of making the relationship grow, year in year out.

4. Contribution

Contribution means giving something of value to make a difference in somebody else’s life. It may be giving money to a charity or advice to a friend. Be persistent in your contribution. Don’t be a one hit wonder. I want to be persistent in writing articles on this blog to inspire you to be the best you can be. Think of ways you can make a difference in people’s lives.

5. Mind

Your mind is the swiss army knife for your success. You can use your brain to dream, desire, encourage, solve, destroy, attract your success. Learn to harness your mind to bring out the best in you. Be persistent in feeding your mind by planting good seeds and positive thoughts. Read positive books, listen to uplifting music, talk to successful people etc. Do whatever you can to keep your mind sharp and up to the task of moving you to your goals. Do not give up on learning even when you think you know it all or when the going gets tough. Be persistent in enhancing your mind as a tool for your success.

Over to you now…

In everything you do, be persistent. Go for your goals even when the going gets tough. That is how you tilt the playing field to your favor. Many people give up or get bored in their quest for success. Do not join them. What areas of life have you been giving up on? Are you able to apply the power of persistence in your life beginning today? Over to you now…

In this Series:

• The Power of Persistence
• The Power of Gratitude
• The Power of Positive Thinking
• The Power of Hard Work

I started this blog a few weeks ago with the aim of inspiring you to be the best you can be. This blog’s success is intricately tied to how much inspiration you can get to apply success principles in your life. For this blog to succeed, I need to have a plan for moving from point A to point B. I need to have an easily understandable way of communicating my thoughts and ideas to you.

The days are now turning into weeks since launch. I am having so much fun writing to you. Knowing that someone might be inspired through my writing makes me extremely happy.

Every day I have been picking up random ideas from my notebook of blog ideas. It is like turning the wheel of fortune to get the topic of the day. But for some reason when I woke up this morning, I thought that this is not the best way to succeed.

You may have noticed that my articles are fairly long and detailed compared to other blogs. This is on purpose. The idea is to create a timeless body of works that will be inspiring people for years to come.

It has come to my attention that most timeless information e.g. the bible have a structure and a communicable way of presenting information. For that reason I decided that the future posts on this blog will also have a structure that I prefer to call “Series“. Each series will delve deep into an issue, perspective or aspect of success. For example, we will have series on finance, health, mind, character, relationships, culture, careers, sex, prominent people etc.

Each blog post will continue to be full of value and independent of any other but the series will contain only blog posts that are related to each other and on topic. Later I will organize the website based on the series. For instance, the money series might have 10 blog posts. If you are only interested in the topic of money then you could read the entire series of 10 blog posts and ignore the other series.

The first series will focus on character building. We shall explore the power of certain character traits such as self discipline, positive thinking, persistence, hard work etc.

I hope that this method will bear the intended fruits of simplifying my research and writing process and help you build your wholesome success block by block. I would love to hear your ideas on the kind of series we should have and other ideas for improving the blog.

Thank you for your support and I wish you all the best in your success journey.

Kind Regards
Daniel Ngari

Are you free? Or are you confined behind the walls of poverty, ignorance, negativity, guilt, jealousy or fear? If you have been held hostage or imprisoned by the items named above,  I urge you to emancipate yourself by the renewal of your mind and intentions. You need a prison break plan designed with military precision. You need to execute the plan as soon as practical. The following are areas of life that may be holding you in captivity:

1.) Fear

Fear prevents people from succeeding in life. You need to manage fear and harness it to work for you. If you ever find yourself fearing to tackle a particular problem or take on a project, don’t give up. Could it be that your fear stems from lack of preparation? In that case you should take action in preparing for the task at hand.

On the other hand could you be fearing stepping out of your comfort zone? In that case you should do whatever it is you fear and expand the boundaries of your comfort zone. In other words don’t let fear paralyze you. Learn to take action every time the emotion of fear shows its ugly head.

2.) Negativity

People get caught up in a web of negativity. Negativity breeds more negativity. If you ever find yourself planting negative thoughts in your mind, remember you reap what you sow. Surround yourself with positive people. Free yourself from negative patterns and habits.

3.) Ignorance

The biggest and roughest prison you can find yourself in is ignorance. If you are in that prison, my advice is simple: Run Run Run! Don’t look back. Ignorance keeps people down. Stay away from ignorant folks lest they bring you down. Nothing can keep you away from success like ignorance can. Sports coaches encourage players to shun ignorance by learning an incredible amount of information and techniques to stay on top of their game.

4.) Relationship

The person you spend most of your time with or life together will have an incredible impact on your life. Choose wisely. If you are caught up in an abusive or emotionally draining relationship, run my friend run. If you are caught up in relationship that puts you down and stunts your growth, run my friend run. Relationships are supposed to be fun not prisons or hostage situations.

5.) Debt & Poverty

Poverty steals the dignity and self confidence of millions. Fight poverty with a passion. Have a financial plan to eradicate debt and become financially free. If you don’t have to beg people for financial favors, you are more likely to interact with them on better and equal terms. Avoid taking on personal and consumer debt if you can help it.

6.) Emotions

Emotions can control people, their thought patterns, habits and level of success. Free yourself from the emotions of jealousy, envy, guilt, rage, anger, anxiety, self pity, hate and shame. Develop a quality of self mastery by controlling your emotions instead of letting them control you.

7.) Religion

Many religious people have a tunnel vision of life. They justify their human failings by taking cover in religion. It is a trap, don’t fall for it. The religion will cover for you today, but take your freedom the next day. Religions and cults are one of the common jailers of commonsense. Many conflicts through out history have had something to do with religion. Take time to understand the religion you follow and how it impacts your freedom. Don’t just surrender your thinking to a charismatic religious figure.

8.) Career

You spend a lot of time at your job or career. The least you can do is to make sure you do what you love. Find something you can do with a passion and be able to give the best of yourself with ease. If you hate your job or career, you are in prison my friend. Make an exit plan and plan to do something you love. Don’t just jump out without a parachute. Make a detailed plan of action before handing your boss that resignation letter.

Summary

Success and freedom go hand in hand. So hand yourself the right to be free, to do whatever you want and be wherever you want to be. Emancipate yourself from the captivity of the mind, finances and emotions. Put a plan in motion to say goodbye to your jailers and whoever or whatever is holding you back from succeeding.<–>

Intolerance is the unwillingness to recognize and respect differences in opinions and beliefs. Intolerant people are narrow minded about cherished opinions and do not accept people who have a different way of life. Intolerance is cultivated by social conditioning. To rise above mediocrity, we must shun intolerance by taking active steps to respect diversity.

Diversity is the term used to describe the relative uniqueness of each individual in the population. As human beings, we have a lot in common but we are all different in age, race, gender, physical abilities, sexual orientation, religion, opinions etc. Enlightened people shun intolerance and celebrate diversity.

In your walk through life, you will meet people with annoying habits, less than stellar looks, outrageous opinions and tasteless taste in everything. There are people who you just don’t click with. But you can turn the natural urge for intolerance into strength.

Turning weaknesses into strengths is not easy. But if you get into the habit of turning your weaknesses into learning and growth opportunities, you will succeed where many won’t. If you find yourself not accepting people because of their opinions, practices, looks or beliefs, it is time to go back to the drawing board. Develop a quality of tolerance and understanding.

Find Common Ground

The quickest way of shunning intolerance is learning about the other person and finding out what is common between you and them. Think about it, you are bound to have something in common with someone even if they are from another culture, religion, race or opinion. Instead on focusing on what sets you apart, focus on what would bring you together.

In politics they call it reaching across party lines. This is where the people from different sides of the political spectrum come together to achieve a common objective. There is no quicker way of passing legislation than making it acceptable to both sides of parliament. This is the same in business. No company is an island. You will find that many companies even competitors, work together to find common ground and means to advance their agenda.

Your agenda is success. Should you let intolerance about other people’s ideas, looks or culture stop you from achieving your goals? You need to find what is common between you and them, then play it up. Success is a game; you need to learn the rules. One of the rules of success is that you must constantly deal with people and bring out the best in them. There is no better way of bringing out the best in people than understanding them and respecting where they are coming from.

When I first came to Australia, I used to wonder why everyone talked about the weather. Sometimes I would be at the bus stop waiting and somebody would come up to me and say something like “Its bloody hot mate!” or other times “G’day mate! it’s a beautiful day, ay”. A couple of those weather conversations ended up being lifelong friendships. It is all about finding common ground.

There are so many churches and denominations around the world. They all claim to have the answers and directions to the after life. Many turn out not very tolerant of the others teachings. But in 1993 in Perth, Western Australia, some churches decided to shun intolerance and find common ground. Every year they come together in November for a joint church service called “churchtogether”. The annual churchtogether event has become synonymous with the growing unity amongst churches in Perth and Western Australia, and has since been initiated in other cities around Australia and New Zealand. Check out their site: http://www.churchtogether.com

Success through Empathy

Empathy means understanding and entering into another person’s feelings. It is the capacity to recognize or understand another’s state of mind or emotion. It is often characterized as the ability to “put oneself into another’s shoes”.

It is narrow-minded to assume that that the world revolves around me. So what do I do? I try and put myself in the shoes of the other person. It is easier said than done but it is one skill we should all aspire to get down to an art.

If you are running a business, you need to put yourself in the shoes of your stakeholders, partners, customers, employees etc. If you are working for someone, try and understand what is important for that person and help them reach their goals to the best of your ability. That, my friend, is how you will be successful.

Avoid Conflicts

Every conflict you hear about is caused by intolerance to people who are different. Think about it, all the fighting between Israel and Palestinians, it is deep and historical, but it boils down to intolerance.

You may not be in a position to bring about world peace, but you can avoid some conflicts that hinder you from success. Think of the last conflict you had with someone. Could it be that you were not tolerant of their perspective on life?

Areas to shun intolerance

• Relationships – Accept your partner just as they are. If you are a woman and your man loves his sport, let him play, let him watch. If you find yourself using the phrase “I hate it when you …” you may be intolerant. Find common the ground instead.
• Religion – This is a sensitive one with many people. Do you realize that the majority of conflicts in the world are connected to religion? Don’t engage people in debates about why your version of religion is better than theirs. That does not work. Instead focus on understanding what they believe and don’t rely on stereotypes. If you are convinced your brand of religion is the one, good for you. But don’t shove it down everyone’s throat. There are better ways of spreading your gospel than engaging in arguments. In short, respect other people’s right to worship and don’t put them down on that account.
• Culture – If you make a friend from a different culture, spend some time understanding that person and what their culture entails. Don’t despise people because of their way of life. It may be different from yours, but it is all they know and it is a part of them. Find the good in people, including people from different cultures.
• Politics – Taking politics too seriously can impact relations between people. When people vote for a particular leader, they have their own reasons for doing so. Reach out to others, seek to understand. Reach across political lines to find solutions to issues.
• Money – People have different feelings when it comes to money. Some people think that money is the root of all evil. Others, like me, believe that money can buy happiness if you know where to shop. Understand that your view on money will determine how much of it you accumulate. But not everyone wants to accumulate money for the sake of accumulating money, or for the same reasons as you. Understand your position on money, but have empathy about other people’s views.
• Morality – There are places where women are not allowed to wear revealing clothes. In other places that is pretty standard and the right of each woman. Some people might think that that kind of dressing is a show of decayed morality. There are many examples of intolerance in morality (perceived morality). Do you find yourself making blanket judgment about people’s morality? Be tolerant of people with morals to the south of yours. You don’t have to do as they do, just be respectful and cordial.
• Race – This has got to be one of the areas of life where vast numbers of people are intolerant. Blanket hatred for people who are of a different race is outdated and will keep you from true success. People have been conditioned to be with friends who look like them, speak like them and have the same color as them. Reach out to people from other races. We are in a global village. All men are created equal; do not discriminate on the account of race. Instead seek what is common amongst people as the human race.

Conclusion

Tolerance has everything to do with success. If you accept other people despite being different from you, you are more likely to succeed in the modern society. Do not discriminate people on race, politics, morality, physical shapes etc. Find the good in people and seek the common ground. Focus on what brings you together rather than what sets you apart with others. Your success is intricately tied with other people. Do yourself a favor and shun intolerance!

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We live in a society that rewards winners. The winner takes it all in most cases. I am therefore pressing the case that you to rise above mediocrity and become a winner. Be a winner in your chosen field because being second rate does not cut it any more. If you have it in you to be the very best, why settle for less?

In the last couple of weeks, I have been around the Internet and back. I have been on hundreds of websites and blogs reading personal stories and victories. I feel lucky that with a few clicks of the mouse I can read how a lady in Bolivia has overcome insurmountable obstacles in her life and then a moment later watch free video clips of the greatest sports men of all times. We are a lucky generation to have the Internet.

One of the clips I watched recently was “Top 10 Amazing Michael Jordan”. Michael Jordan is one of the best examples of people who have risen above mediocrity and will examine some secrets to his success here today. First enjoy the clip below!

Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963) is a retired American professional basketball player and active businessman.  He rose above mediocrity to become the best basketball player in history. He did this by training extremely hard, constantly and purposely. He gave 100% to his practice sessions and aimed to become better at every game.

Michael Jordan had many setbacks and failed many times but he never gave up. He pushed himself to be the best physically, emotionally and psychologically. He recognized that success begins in the mind. He knew that practice makes perfect and rose up early each day to practice his game even though he was the best.

As a result of his determination and effort, Michael Jordan accomplishments included five MVP awards, fourteen NBA All-Star Game appearances and many more awards for exceptional brilliance in basket ball. He popularized NBA around the world for two decades and influenced millions.

You can learn and apply the principles of success exemplified in Michael Jordan. You need to choose what it is that you want to excel in and put in the requisite effort to succeed. The rewards of being the best are many. Being second best would not have allowed Michael Jordan to excel beyond the basketball courts. But instead he became extremely successful in other ventures as a result of rising above mediocrity in basketball.

Michael Jordan became financially successful through product endorsements. He is one of the most marketed figures in history. He has endorsed brands such as Nike, Coca-cola, Gatorade, McDonald’s, Chevrolet etc. The income from his endorsements is estimated to be several hundred millions of dollars.

If you become the best in your field of endeavor, you may not be called upon to endorse companies and brands, but you will gain in ways that only true winners do. Being number one in business, your career or in sports will open up many avenues for further success.

Other examples of people who have risen above mediocrity:

You probably know hundreds of people in sports, music, business, career etc that have risen above average to be the best in what they do. Below are three people that I greatly admire for rising above mediocrity and feel that they deserve a special mention here:

Sir Don Bradman

Sir Donald George Bradman, AC (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001), often referred to as The Don, was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman’s career Test batting average of 99.94 has been claimed to be statistically the greatest achievement in any major sport.

Steve Irwin

Stephen Robert Irwin (22 February 1962 – 4 September 2006), known simply as Steve Irwin and nicknamed “The Crocodile Hunter”, was an iconic Australian television personality, wildlife expert, and conservationist. He achieved world-wide fame from the television program The Crocodile Hunter, an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series co-hosted with his wife Terri Irwin. Together, they also co-owned and operated Australia Zoo, founded by his parents in Beerwah, Queensland.

Bill Gates

William Henry “Bill” Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American business magnate, philanthropist, author, the world’s third richest person (as of February 8, 2008), and chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen. Gates was the richest person in the world for 15 consecutive years.

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What stage are you in your life at the moment? Do you consider your abilities exceptional or average? Are you on a comfort zone where you have stopped pushing yourself to achieve and be the best you can be? To be a winner you can not lose sight of the goal and your purpose in life. Do you have clear, written goals and a mission statement detailing your life’s purpose?

Principles of rising above mediocrity:

1. Desire / Passion
2. Concentration
3. Baby Steps
4. Build on your Success
5. Have a Coach / Master Mind group

1. Desire / Passion

You must know what your passion in life is and be hungry for success in something you are passionate about. Make it clear in your mind why you want it and go for it. You must want to rise above average and have a big enough why.

2. Concentration

It will not happen overnight. You need to have laser targeted focus and concentration on what you want to achieve. You cannot afford to be distracted. Improve your concentration on the goal by using positive affirmations.

3. Baby Steps

Don’t wait for all the information or all the pieces to fall in place. Have a bias for action. Get started towards your goal and learn as you go. Take small steps and improve with time.

4. Build on your Success

Just as Michael Jordan built on his success (and failures too) in basketball you need to learn to build on each success that you have. Accumulate small victories and they will give you the confidence and motivation to take on bigger challenges.

5. Have a Coach / Master Mind group

Just like in sports, you may need a coach or mentor to help you draw out the best of you. Someone who will understand your circumstances, potential and limitations. Get someone you trust and meet regularly. Look for someone with your best interests at heart. You can also have a master mind group of experienced people to guide you.

Summary

Being mediocre means lacking exceptional quality or ability. We have looked at the example of Michael Jordan and how he rose above mediocrity to become the best of the best in basketball. You can succeed in life if you put your mind to it. The fruits of being the best are many. Work hard to be the best in your field.

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I am fortunate to have grown up in a family that believed in the law of giving. Even though we were not rich my parents generously gave to the local community and people in need. Every year on the first day of January we would go to the orphans & disabled children’s  special home to give them food, money and company. As a child, I detested those visits. I saw it as my parent’s way of having new years party on the cheap. But my parents were insistent that I partake the ritual year in year out. Eventually I got it. I watched the result of my parent’s generosity manifest itself in more ways that you can imagine. Today we are a blessed family and I believe it stems from the law of giving.

When you give to others, you are acknowledging that you have plenty to go around. This is the opposite of a scarcity mentality that limits success. Look around, people who are extremely successful are generous souls. There are people who get ahead in life by less honorable means, but their success is not enduring. You have a better chance of sustaining your success if you base it on the law of giving.

Why do people give?

People give for various reasons. Some may want to give away to charity because they truly believe in the charitable organizations work. Other may give for publicity stunts or to absolve themselves from guilt. For the law of giving to work well in your life, you should evaluate why you give.  Give from the abundance of your heart and it will come back to you.

What can you give?

If you have money, give a portion of it to people in need. However money is just one of the things you can give to others. You can give other things that you have an abundance of. You can give love, respect, attention, company etc.

You can give to people around you not just to strangers and charities. Give to your children, wife, husband, family, friends, boss, customers etc. We live in a universe that has something for everyone so avoid a scarcity mindset and become a cheerful giver.

How do you make people feel? After a long period of time people generally don’t remember what you said but rather how you made them feel. Give people the gift of love and respect. Give kind words and encouragement in tough times.

Givers vs. Takers

Takers are selfish people who give less than they receive. They think that other people are stupid for being so generous.  It is tempting to be a taker especially when you think that no one will notice. Resist that devil and he will flee from you.

On the other hand Givers are wonderful people to have as friends, family, partners etc. They will give from the heart and try to exceed expectations. They are resourceful people who add value to everything they do. They aspire to give more than they receive but they end up receiving multiples of what they give. You should work at being a giver in life, business, and relationship and so on.

Spiritual Account

We all have spiritual accounts that we deposit into through our acts of giving. The more you deposit the more you can withdraw. If you are experiencing financial hardship, maybe you have been trying to withdraw from your spiritual account and the checks have been bouncing, marked as having insufficient funds. You can change this by being a giver and depositing to your spiritual account.

Payback Time

Giving paves way for receiving. The more you give the more you receive. Some times you will receive immediately, other times it may take years or maybe not even in your life time. This should not prevent you from giving. Don’t give with an expectation of a quick withdrawal. Giving is investing for the long term.

Bible Quotes on Giving

• “He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them will receive curses” – Proverbs 28:27
• “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured to your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measure to you” – Luke 6:38
• Remember this: whoever sows generously will also reap generously – 2 Cor 9:6

Receiving Gifts

As much as you give to others  be happy to receive gifts. Don’t wait for gifts with bated breath but when you receive be really appreciative. Count your blessings one by one. Be thankful for the gift of life, the gifts of nature like air, water, sunlight. If you are in good health be thankful for that too. Remember to show private or public appreciation where appropriate for the people who give to you.

Summary

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.

What is Compounding?

It has been referred to as the eighth wonder of the world. It is one of the secrets to financial freedom. According to Wikipedia, Compound Interest is the concept of adding accumulated interest back to the principal, so that interest is earned on interest from that moment on. The act of declaring interest to be principal is called compounding (i.e., interest is compounded).

Our example here assumes that you invested $1000 in an interest bearing account paying you 10% p.a interest, and re-invested the interest plus the principal at the end of every period (annually) .

This means that you start earning not only on what you invested, but also on the earnings of that investment.

The power of compounding kicks in when the money is invested for longer periods. We don’t have enough space to dig too deeply, so allow me to skim on the details. If you are really interested in the mathematics of compounding jump on the Wikipedia Page on Compound Interest. I will focus on a few examples illustrating the power of the concept then jump straight into how you can apply it into your life.

I was listening to an tape by Tony Robbins and I like how he illustrated the power of compounding using the game of golf. Let us say you were playing golf with a friend decided to make it interesting by betting $1 on each hole. To make it even more interesting, you decide to double the bet amount at the end of each hole. You better be good in golf!

As you can see, the bet seems to be going alright in the first 7 holes. Its all in good fun. Then depending on whether you are brilliant or not at the game, things start changing. At hole 11, you enter into the thousand dollar mark. This is getting serious. Have a closer look at the at the luxury golf graph above to see the power of compounding.

The interesting thing to note is that at the beginning of the compounding cycle, nothing much seems to be happening. Then the small steps become adult steps, then giant leaps. You can apply the same concept in your life and get similar or better results.

Like all power, the power of compounding can be used for good or for evil. It can be used for your benefit or to destroy you. The key to harnessing this power is to understand its potency. We shall look at both the positive and negative aspects of this power.

1) Positive Power of Compounding

• Money – You can employ the power of compounding in your financial life. As the golf example illustrates, not much may seem to happen at the beginning. But if you stay at it long enough you will see its power. You need to start investing early, and reinvesting the profits. Take a long term approach to your investment, especially if you are young.
• Networks - You can apply the power of compounding in networking. Meet people in your profession or people who share common values. These people will then lead you to more people over time. The idea is to start early and build trust and credibility. That compounds over time.
• Positive Energy – Plant good seeds in your brain. Fill your mind with positive thoughts. If you start early, each positive thought will manifest itself in your life and have a compounding effect. If you don’t actively fill your mind with positive messages, negativity will creep in.
• Good Health – Keeping fit and developing proper eating habits early on will have a compounding effect on your health. If you exercise, you will have more energy to train even better. Put in the time early in life and reap the benefit through out your life.
• Marketing – If you have a business, marketing it early and building on your successes is a great way to use the power of compounding. Instead of hopping from one opportunity to another, stick with one thing for the long haul. Deliver exceptional value to your customers and the word of mouth will propel you to greater growth later on.
• Career – You should get experience in your chosen career and learn skills to help you do your job better. As you become better at one skill, it becomes relatively easier to acquire subsequent skills. Most people give up trying to improve themselves too early. Don’t give up. Have a plan and stick with it even when the going seems tough.

2) Negative Power of Compounding

• Credit Card Debt – You must understand the time value of money. If you are spending money you don’t have, you will end up paying a lot more to the banks over the years. You may be tempted by fabulous offers but please think of the future.
• Bad Habits – Bad habits such as drugs and alcohol can also compound. You start slowly and find your self having a bit of this and a bit of that, then a bit more. Before you know it you get hit by severe consequences. You may not have big bad habits like drugs, but there are other bad habits such as procrastination and lies that can compound and overpower you.
• Pyramid Schemes – A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves the exchange of money primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, often without any product or service being delivered. Sellers of pyramid schemes may sell you the benefits of their scheme and even throw in tips about the power of compounding as applied to their scheme. You have been warned, pyramid schemes end up hurting people. If it is not you, it may be the people who you recruit into such schemes.
• Negative Spirals – In the same way there are positive spirals, you can get entwined with negativity. Each negative thought or friend brings in another. You may end up being a very negative person if you hang out with negative people. Hang out with positive people instead, read positive stuff and watch stuff that motivates you instead of putting you down.

Summary

There is power in compounding, you need to understand the concept and employ it to serve you. Take a long term approach in your wealth, health, networking and business. Patience and perseverance at the early stages of life or investment will take you to the promised land called success.

All the best in your success.

P/s – I added a share this button on the site today (see below). If you find this blog interesting or even a particular post useful, please consider sharing it with your friends on networks such as Myspace, Facebook or even by email. Thank you my friend.

Some people say money cannot buy happiness. I believe that people who say that, and are in good health don’t know where to shop. From where I am sitting right now, I could do with more money. I happen to know a lot of my friends who would do with more money and are not ashamed to admit it. I dedicate this post to one such friend.

If you hate the thought of struggling financially in life, and are willing to do something about it, I dedicate this post to you too. The lack of money is the root of all problems (I could be wrong). Maybe next time I will be preaching a different gospel, but let me get this out of my heart.

Lack of money steals something of value from human beings. And that thing is called freedom. I want to inspire you to regain your freedom. Freedom to be who you are and become who you want to become. Freedom to be where you want to be, hang out with whoever you want or be whatever you crave to be.

What is Freedom?

Freedom is having control of your life, your time, your activities and your dreams. Freedom is having nobody stopping you from achieving your purpose and mission in life. It is owning your destiny. It is running away from entrapment and captivity. You are free when you own your life and become the captain of your ship.

According to the philosopher Isaiah Berlin, there is an important distinction between “freedom from” and “freedom to“. I will not do injustice to his great work and pretend I fully understood what he was talking about. But I will attempt to paraphrase it in a way that is meaningful to you. Being financially free will help you be free from and free to.

Freedom From

• Being free from abuse and terror. If you are being abused or terrorized by your spouse, boss, etc for lack of money, then you need to become free from that form of abuse.
• Freedom from fear and anxiety.
• Freedom from punishment for past mistakes.
• Freedom from boredom and restraint. If you are financially free, you can do whatever you want. You will have options. Seek ye money and freedom shall be yours.
• Freedom from worrying about bills, deadlines and work pressures.

Freedom To

• Freedom to achieve your goals and aspirations.
• Freedom to travel to exotic destinations.
• Freedom to live according to your true values.
• Freedom to marry or date whoever you want without financial considerations.
• Freedom to control your time, your calendar and priorities.
• Freedom to work the hours you want and be your own boss.
• Freedom to spend time with your family and loved ones.

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After watching countless episodes of MTV cribs, I noticed that none of the people in those houses have regular jobs. They did something extra and that is what gave them the financial muscle to do whatever they wanted, including owning the home worth being on MTV cribs.

Everyday you hear about the big pay that footballers earn. Then you hear about movie stars, internet entrepreneurs, mega church owners, business men etc. Have you ever stepped back and wondered what these people have in common? The results of my small research below is my treat to you. I hope it will trigger something in your head to help you be financially free.

I came up with five pillars to financial freedom. You should aim to master and utilize most of them if you aspire to get to the glory land of financial freedom.

1. Deliver Value
2. Passive Income
3. Leverage
4. The Power of Compounding
5. Build on your Successes

1. Deliver Value

You cannot be an honest person and make it financially without delivering value. Even drug dealers deliver value to their customers. You must find a need and fill it. Find someone who needs accommodation, and give him a house. Find someone who needs to get from A to B and take him there. Only then shall you make an honest buck.

Movie stars are paid for the entertainment they provide to millions around the world. Find your angle and deliver value from there. Give people something of value and they will be happy to pay for it. You are always either a consumer or producer of value at any one time. If you are reading my blog, you are the consumer and I am the producer. If you are watching Oprah, she is the producer and you are the consumer. If you are working for someone, they are the consumer and you are the producer.

In most cases, the consumers of value end up paying some times directly, sometimes indirectly. You need to think carefully what it is that you can provide to other people. You may not always be paid by them, but you need to understand and be in the game for you to play.

This game is all about value proposition. What is your value proposition? A value proposition is the total benefit which a vendor promises her consumers. What can you do for the next person? Ask not, what people can do for you, but rather what you can do for them.

2. Passive Income

You need to decouple yourself from the provision of value. Rapper 50 cent does not need to sing to my ear for me to pay for his music. Roger Federer does not get paid only for the hours he plays tennis. Why you should you be paid only when you work? Who told you that that is right or even fair on you?

You need to find ways of providing value without being there. Find something that someone needs and provide it to them. If you provide that value without necessarily being there, then that will set you apart from the other people.

Examples of of passive income are:

• Rent – tenants don’t need (or want) their landlords there and yet will pay the rent. Be the landlord. Its a win win. You house a family, they pay you.
• Royalties from books, movies, DVDs, Software etc
• Earnings from businesses that does not require your direct involvement.
• Dividends and interest from your wealth portfolio.

3. Leverage

According to Wikipedia, a lever is a rigid object that is used with an appropriate fulcrum or pivot point to multiply the mechanical force that can be applied to another object. You need to find a lever for you to leverage to attain financial freedom. Do not be just satisfied with providing value, use a lever to amplify your efforts.

You can magnify and multiply your abilities and value through other peoples time and resources. It is not as evil as it may sound. Writers use bookshops like Amazon to reach out to millions of customers. Musicians leverage the experience and resources of record companies. Home owners leverage the bank’s money to buy their home. Footballers leverage television.

Find something you can use to multiply your efforts and help you serve people better. I am leveraging the internet and the open source community to bring this message to you. I am leveraging the vast inventory of google ads to deliver targeted advertising on this blog.

If you are interested in the concept of leverage and how you can apply it to make grow your finances, read up on the works of Robert Kiyosaki or post in the comments section if you want me to write a full blog post on that.

4. The Power of Compounding

Albert Einstein is quoted as having said that the most powerful force in the universe is the concept of compound interest. You will attain financial freedom if you reinvest your profits.

Taking advantage of the power of compounding takes discipline and is best to start early. Create a financial plan and invest in financial instruments that reinvest your profits year in year out.

I will write a full blog post on the power of compounding in the future. For now, just know that compound interest can make a big difference in your financial fortunes.

Compound interest has a negative side. If you let credit card debt creep up on you, you can end up seeing the ugly side of compounding by paying more and more interest the longer you stay in debt. Avoid bad debt, it is a thief of financial freedom. Good debt can help you leverage other people’s money to meet your financial objectives.

5. Build on your Successes

Be thankful for each success you accomplish. Use each success as building blocks for your next success.

Invest in education, keep learning both from your mistakes and from the mistakes of others. Have a generous spirit. Do good with your success. Don’t be evil.

Summary

Money is not the answer to everything, but having financial freedom can help you avoid pain and increase pleasure. To be able to attain financial freedom, you have to focus on delivering value to others, decouple yourself from the actual work of it. Deliver value 24/7 and be paid for it. Find leverage and use the power of compounding to your advantage.

All the best in your quest for financial succces.

Have you ever tried doing something and literally had two voices in your head? It happened to me today. One voice was telling me that corporations have a very high mortality rate. That the failure rate for small business is too high for me to even ask you to run your life like one.

The other voice was telling me that many corporations tend to outlive humans. This particular voice was saying that if you heed the lessons in this blog post, you may live a bit longer.

Running your life like a corporation may or may not add to your years on earth. But there are 10 ways you can move towards success by running your life like a business. So lets get down to business:

1. Mission Statement
2. Goal Setting
3. Financial Planning
4. Marketing
5. Personal Branding
6. Time Management
7. Outsourcing
8. Partnerships & Joint Ventures
9. Delivering Value
10. Rights & Responsibilities.

1. Mission Statement

Almost all  corporations have a mission statement. This is a brief written description of why the corporation exists. This may include its purpose and values.

Do you have a mission statement? Why are you on earth? Or did you just find yourself here ? lol . Honestly, I did not have a mission statement before this post. I have now written one down. I encourage you to create a mission statement for your life. Just write down 5 ideas of what you think your mission in life is.

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.

2. Goal Setting

Corporations go to great lengths in goal setting. Goals help them achieve their objectives. These goals are written, refined, tracked and documented.

Say for example a company wanted to hire a senior manager. The company would  decide exactly what this manager’s job will be, and how she will help  meets its bigger objectives and mission. They would set goals on the kind of candidates they want to attract, and who they want to shortlist and who to hire. The goals are then communicated to the prospective candidates so everyone understands each other.

You should set goals as meticulously as a corporation would. Make sure your goals serve you and are congruent with your mission statement. In sports, goals are the way of keeping the score. In life the more goals you achieve, the better you will be at achieving others and your confidence will soar. You should set goals that utilize the concept of Kaizen.

3. Financial Planning

To attain financial freedom, you need to plan your finances as a corporation would. Learn to properly budget and don’t spend more than you earn. Seek out multiple streams of income that don’t go against your mission statement or take away your focus from your main source of income.

You can read up on how to manage your finances and/or get a financial adviser to guide you. Setup a blueprint for your financial success, just as a corporation would.

4. Marketing

Who says marketing is only for corporations? You need to learn to market yourself. Whether you are marketing yourself to an potential employer or to a potential date, you need to get this down to an art.

Marketing begins in the mind. How do you see yourself? How do you want others to perceive you? What are your selling points? Do not be afraid to show your best side. If you don’t show yours, someone else will.

5. Personal Branding

Personal branding is part of marketing yourself. Personal branding is all about how you package yourself for the world to see.

When applying for a job or even just hanging out with friends, you are perceived in a particular way, whether you want to or not. You can take control of this aspect of life by thinking ahead of time what you want your brand to represent.

Are you a time conscious person? Are you a loving partner? Are you a hard worker? Are you a hospitable person? You can take active steps to improve how people perceive you. Many people are willing to pay a premium for brands that they are familiar with and trust. You never know who may be willing to go an extra mile just to be with you if you package yourself right.

There are five steps to personal branding:

• Understanding yourself.
• Creating the brand called YOU.
• Communicating your brand image.
• Maintenance & Feedback
• Continuous Improvement.

6. Time Management

Time is money. Nobody understands this more than corporations. If you are going to take away something from this post this is it. You need to manage your time and only spend time on things that take you towards your goals and mission in life.

Companies employ a variety of tools for managing time, from time sheets to time management software. How do you manage your time? Do you find yourself loving the deadlines, especially the whooshing sound they produce as the fly past you? If that is you, start correcting your wayward ways and run your life like a corporation, in that regard. Plan and track your time.

7. Outsourcing

Many companies world over are realizing that they cannot do everything in the most efficient manner. So they end up outsourcing. Outsourcing is the process of obtaining goods or services from an outside supplier or  contracting work out.

If you are going to run your life like a corporation, then go all out. You have your mission statement, right? And goals to help you achieve your mission in life? Then you realize that you cannot be a jack of all trades and time is limited. There are people world over who have specialized skills and knowledge. Tap onto these people to help you advance. Have a master mind group that will guide you, maybe even consider having a mentor.

You can outsource a lot of things in your life e.g your cleaning, accounting, job search, research etc. Even reading is a way of outsourcing. You get the authors to do all the work for you and just enjoy the information you need.

8. Partnerships & Joint Ventures

Modern companies are masters of partnerships and joint ventures. This means  leveraging other peoples assets, ideas and potential to achieve your objective. Of course the arrangement has to be mutually beneficial. You have to deliver your end of the bargain.

The major partnership you get to make in life is choosing your life partner. Choose right to make it is someone you can communicate with and complement each other.

You can also partner with individuals or group to archive a common objectives.  Become a master of putting together partnerships to further your collective goals. Just like in relationships, there are long term partnerships and project based partnerships. Understand the difference to avoid getting hurt.

9. Delivering Value

Business managers know they cannot be in business for very long unless they deliver value to their stakeholders. Set achievable goals of delivering value to your friends, family and partners.

10. Rights & Responsibilities.

Corporations understand that they have rights and responsibilities. Don’t let anyone walk all over you. Learn your rights: what you deserve from your partner, friends, public, government, employer etc. Also understand what your responsibilities to people and institutions are.

Summary

This website exists to inspire you to be the best you can be. This article aims to help you think about, and improve aspects of your life by comparing you to a corporation.

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p.s – If I left out a way of comparing your life to a corporation, please post below I am interested to see what you think. Thanks a million.

Each person I have met thinks of success in their own unique way. For some, having a great family life is success, for others having material possessions is what makes them feel successful. I will let you tell me what you think of success at the comments section at the end of this article. But in the mean time, let me define what success means to me.

Success, in my opinion, is reaching your goals in the following areas of life (in no particular order):

1. Physical Health and Wellness
2. Work
3. Financial Freedom
4. Home & Family
5. Mental
6. Social & Relationships
7. Spiritual
8. Character
9. Contribution
10. Fun & Entertainment

1. Physical Health and Wellness

You should aim to understand what healthy living is and aspire to improve your health through exercise and eating right. Success in the area of health and fitness will affect the level of success you enjoy in other areas of life, so take it seriously.

2 .Work – Jobs & Careers.

We live in a capitalist society. You will thrive by being a good cog to the capitalist machine. What does your job entail? What is your line of work? Reaching the apex of your profession will come with the benefits of better remuneration and a greater sense of achievement.

Understand what it takes to be successful in your field and be willing to pay the price. Do not settle for less. I define success in this area as finding a job that is satisfying and is a good match to your talents, motivation, experience and pays well.

3. Financial Freedom

Your definition of financial freedom might be different from mine. Financial freedom in my opinion is having enough money to sustain your ideal lifestyle without having to ever work again.

Financial freedom will take away your fears and worries (no more tough bills), and give you the freedom to use your time (finite resource) in the way you see best.

Imagine being able to set your own hours, travel the world on your own schedule, make generous contributions to needy causes without flinching? Financial freedom will do a lot to your self worth and sense of accomplishment.

Set what you think is a reasonable financial goal for you and have a plan to achieve it. You will love yourself a bit more if you achieve your financial goals. Trust me on that one.

4. Home & Family

Charity begins at home. Aspire to have a comfortable place and people you can come home to. It may be a tough world out there, but if you have your own place of relaxation, with loving people you call family, then life will not only be bearable but worth living.

Some people ignore their home life and families in their quest for success. Don’t be tempted to take that route. Family matters.

5. Mental – Positive Thinking, State of Mind, New Ideas, Clarity of Purpose etc

Success is also about having the right mental attitude. You can set goals to do with how you think of the world, how you think of yourself etc.

Below are some mental areas that you can set and achieve goals in:

• Self Confidence
• Self Esteem
• Motivation
• Diligence
• Clarity of Purpose
• Team Work / Team Player
• Consistency
• Productivity
• Time Management
• Intelligence
• Problem Solving
• and many more…..

6. Social & Relationships – Marriage, Dating, Friendships & Networking

You can also set and achieve goals in the area of how you relate with other people. What kind of marriage partner or marriage do you want to have? What kind of person or people do you want to date?

Who are your friends? You can set goals on what kind of people you want to attract to your life. You can then participate in activities or make changes in your life to attract that kind of people.

7. Spiritual – Religious Views

What kind of spiritual life do you want to lead? Do you want to go to church (or your religious place of worship) and interact with other like minded people on a regular basis?

What kind of spiritual nourishment do you consider ideal? Set spiritual goals and achieve them.

8. Character – Integrity, Honor, Self Discipline, Courage etc

This is the area of lasting success that is unfortunately ignored by many who aspire to be successful. Setting and reaching character goals will make you a better person. Character is who you are when nobody is looking. Are you a man or woman of honor? of integrity? are you honest? Are you self disciplined?

9. Contribution – Making a difference, giving something of value.

To be truly successful, you must move from the position of asking what the world owes you. As my friend JFK used to say “Ask not, what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”

Focus on making a difference in the world around you. Give something of value in your life. Use your talents and position to do good.

10. Fun & Entertainment e.g Travel, Relaxation, Freedom.

My favorite. To be successful you need to have fun. Whether you are exercising to keep fit or donating to your favorite charity, you need to be thoroughly enjoying yourself.

Don’t postpone fun and entertainment to the day after you make it. Have fun along the way. Live each day courageously. Entertain yourself thoroughly.

Taking time to reflect, relax and counting your blessings is a great way of enjoying your success. Some people are so deep into following their dreams that they become slaves to those dreams. Be practical in your quest for success. Don’t punish yourself.

Summary

This article was intended to set the stage for the articles that will form the basis of this blog. This blog is about thinking success, planning success, tracking success and enjoying success. Before we can do that we need to be clear what success means to each of us. Please post in the comments form below.