Success Built on a Moral Foundation

All successful people say that success is based on hard work. That if you work really hard and work harder than everyone else you will be successful. I do not necessarily agree with that. There are people who work hard all over the world every day and struggle putting food on the table. What I do believe is that success is built on a foundation that is morally sound. When this foundation is, laid success will look different from what the majority expects. 

To begin building a moral foundation you must be a person with integrity. I define integrity as you and your word being one in the same. You are not a person who is wishy washy because you do what you say and you say what you do. This, of course, is based on moral soundness. Meaning that you do what is right regardless of the cost. To add to this, you must also be concerned about others. You will be a person who realizes that you cannot get to where you are going without the help of others and in doing so you bring them up as well. You must also be a person of character. By this, you must focus on build yourself into a person who is the same regardless of where you are and who you are with. Building one's character requires that you take an honest look at yourself and face the real you. Then begin the demanding work of dealing with your character flaws and reinforcing the good about you.

Success is not just working more hours or dedicating more effort to a project. What success is, is the building of a moral foundation where you look to succeed by being a person of integrity so that others around you know that you and your word are one in the same. People will rest in the fact that you are not a chameleon but that you are true to yourself and others at all times. This foundation also rest on knowing that your success is based on others around you so you focus on making those around you better as well. So maybe I got it wrong. Success does require hard work it is just centered on building a moral foundation.

Character Key of the Day: Live Life

Learn to live life and enjoy it for what it is. Do not be so consumed with trying to live such as earning money, paying bills and all of that other stuff. Of course we have to do all of the mundane things but you should not get so caught up in the mundane that you forget to live. Even if you are at a job you do not enjoy do the things you do enjoy when not at work and if possible try to find a job that encompasses your passion. Enjoy family and friends because life is nothing without them and without them memories cannot be made. Pursue your passion with intensity and let success be the pursuit of your passion and not money or fame. We all have one life to live and the choice to live it to the fullest or just make do. Live life!

The Illusion of Power

 

     Through out history all over the world people have chased after power and have often used all kinds of means to attain it. This quest for power has lead to wars, the deaths of many as well as the oppression of many people. In our society, power can come in many forms such as through possessing a lot of money, position (government, politics, business, etc.) and physical. Even through the imagination of man he has created characters such as Superman and other comic book characters to satisfy his longing for power. The problem with attaining power in any form requires that you must work even harder to keep it because of the fact that others want what you have.

     What is true power?  I believe that if one has real power then no one, regardless of who it is, can deprive you of it. True power is not found in money, position or physical means but is actually based on a different set of rules that few have come to master. In order to have true power it must come from within and it must be realized and not acquired. Power is based upon realizing who you are and developing yourself so that you are in the position walk in your destiny. Having true power enables you to control your own destiny instead of others controlling it for you. Just like supporting a cause isn't support until you invest time, money and effort into it, you must have skin in the game to obtain true power. All one has to do is look at great people of history who had true power and they all had something in common. They knew who they were, developed it and had skin in the game (made a sacrifice). With true power, you can be an employee but get paid what you think you worth instead of settling.

     True power can only come from within and it never seeks to dominate others but instead causes others around you to improve. You be willing to invest in yourself and make the sacrifice of doing the hard work of looking within and dealing with the good, bad and the ugly. Never have a false sense of who you are and learn humility and meekness (strength under control). Dealing with who you are on the inside while at the same time developing your talents and gifts will cause you to become a very powerful person, which is someone who writes their own story and controls their own destiny.

Never Give Up

As a high school student, I participated in track and field for four years.  After seeing Carl Lewis in the 1984 Olympics I decided I wanted to be a sprinter and long jumper.  I found out that although I was not slow, I was not the fastest in the 100 and 200 meter events but did excel at the long jump. One of coaches by the name of Coach Burke was an elderly man who volunteered on our track team.  He was a former college track coach and knew his stuff. He was over long jump and hurdles. He suggested that I give the 110 meter high hurdles and the 300 intermediate hurdles a try because he thought I would be good at them.  I followed his advice and I found my place.  Coach Burke always use to tell us that no matter what happens during your race to never give up and always cross the finish line because you never know what will happen.  During a track meet I made it to the finals in the 110 meter high hurdles and three people, including myself, fell over hurdles at the start of the race.  The other two guys got up and walked off the track and I heard Coach Burke in my head saying to finish the race.  Although I was scraped up and embarrassed I finished the race. About thirty minutes later the results of my race came over the PA system and I got fifth place.  Coach Burke looked at me and said, "See, you never know what will happen if you just finish the race."

I will never forget that day or the lesson that I learned for the rest of my life.  Often times in life when it seems as if things are not going our way we want to give up and quit.  One of the keys to success in life is staying in the race and enduring to the end.  One thing that might have to be considered is if you are running the right race.  This requires you to find out how to apply all of your gifts and talents in the most effective and efficient way. A long distance runner would not find success in the 100 meter dash. Once you find out what race in life is better suited for you, remember to always finish and never give up.

Going Where You Have Never Gone Before: Doing New Things for Different Results

     You may have heard the definition of insanity which is, "Doing the same thing but expecting different results."  So many people get into this rut and feel like there is no way to get out which can be very frustrating.  As a result, a person might think they are doing something different but it is actually the same thing.  So if that is the case, how does someone do something different to get different results?  I am so glad you asked. In order to do something different does not mean coming up with a new idea or scheme to reach the level of success you are looking for.  It actually means that your thought process has to change in order to achieve different and more specifically better results.  Ideas are great and wonderful things but if the idea is not carried out using the right plan and strategies all you have is a good idea. So in order to go where you have never gone before requires you to be willing to get out of your comfort zone.  Here are some steps you can use to help you achieve different results:

1. Read- The wonderful thing about reading is that it is the quickest way you can expose yourself to different ideas and ways of thinking.  You don't necessarily have to spend money traveling to attend conferences or workshops.  You can read books, magazine articles, blogs and numerous other publications.

2.  Networking- Associating with others who are like mind as well as others who are where you want to be is invaluable.  Networking can help to keep you motivated as well developing contacts that can help you in your journey.  One area of networking can your local Chamber of Commerce where weekly or monthly networking events are often held.

3. Conference/Workshops-  Although it may involve some travel and possible participant fees, conferences and workshops are great ways to hear directly from experts who are successful in their fields and are willing to share knowledge.  Conferences and workshops are also opportunities to network and build key relationships

4. Life Coach- Working with a life coach is a wonderful way to have someone help you to break out of your rut and do something new to get different results.  A life coach can help look at what you are doing and provide you with feedback so you develop new ways of thinking. They can also help you overcome any mental blocks you may have that are preventing you getting to the next level.

5. Study Successful People- By studying successful people, you can see what road blocks in their lives they had to overcome to achieve success.  It will help you to see that they are regular people like you and had challenges they had to overcome.  One major thing you learn is that successful people think differently and see the world in a different way.  You will also see that successful people look at failure in a different way than others.  They look at failure as feedback and use as a spring board to get to the next level.

    Success can be yours for the taking but you have to be willing to get out of your comfort zone.  Having a good idea and simply working hard is not enough but you have to be willing to do new things to get different results which is done by learning to think differently.  This can be challenging because at the end of the day the thought of falling flat on your face is not attractive and can discourage you from moving forward to success.  Once you get out of your comfort zone and achieve the success you have been looking for you can go on to teach and encourage others who where you are at now.

Leaving Your Mark on the World

I have had conversations with people where we talked about leaving their mark on the world or in other words leaving a legacy. This is a noble desire to have especially when we hear of people who did something that either changed the world or did something memorable. We all cannot be in positions where we get recognized for something we have done but we can definitely leave a legacy. The one area where we can change the world is by how we raise our children. With the busy life styles that we lead in can be really easy to focus on just taking care of them and not take the time to really pour into our kids. The fact of the matter is that our kids will remember what we have taught them over any other thing. This can include how we have treated them, what we value and how we have have lived our lives before them.

When we have taken the time to really share our wisdom with our children they will take those lessons into adulthood. There is nothing worse than not preparing our children for success. Of course, you never know if you have raised a future president, scientist or great performer it is still important to teach them. We cannot let our own hang ups and failures get in the way and we can most definitely not try to relive our lives through them. When I look at my kids, I realize that my DNA will live on through them but I really want my wisdom to live on through them as well as they teach their children.

It's Your Choice

One of the great equalizers in life is the fact that every person has one thing that everyone else has.  The power of choice. This ability to make choices is so powerful that it can make or break a person so great care must be exercised in using it. You can choose what kind of day that you are going to have, what kind of person you will be among other things. One thing everyone must be aware of is that we live or die by the choices we make. The ability to choose is what sets us apart from other living beings. The ability to choose is based on free will and the ability to think and decide for ourselves which is also a part of personal freedom.  When the freedom of choice is taken away or we perceive that it has we do not like that and we feel like our freedom has been taken away.  In order to achieve success and live the life you desire it is very important to become much better at making choices. 

1. Become More Informed
It is very important to become as informed as you can in the area that you must make a choice.  Whether that be deciding whom to marry, choosing between job offers, etc.  The more information you have the better equipped you in making the right choice. There are many ways to get the information needed such as books, the internet, etc.

2.  Seek Counsel
It is often very wise to seek counsel from people in your life whom you can trust and also have life experience.  They can help you see the situation from a different perspective that you may not have considered.  You can not speak to just anyone because they may not have your best interest at heart.  People that you seek counsel from not only need to have wisdom but they need to have a certain level of success in their lives as well.

3.  Learn How to Trust You Instincts
Your instincts, if used correctly, can take you a long way in making the most of the power of choice.  Many times we ignore what or instincts are telling us and we end up saying, "Something told me to."  Take the time to learn you inner voice by spending quiet time listening, in prayer or meditation. 

4.  Own Your Choices
When making choices you must own them.  In owning your choices you must take the good with the bad and most importantly you must learn from the mistakes of making the wrong choice. If making a particular choice comes with some negatives aspects but are out weighed by the positives learn to be satisfied and take the negatives in stride. 

The power of choice is one of the things all humans have in common and is a great equalizer.  In order to live the best life possible learning how to become better at making choices is the key to not only to success.  Unfortunately, we are not going to hit a home run with every choice we make but it is very crucial to learn from our mistakes and to own the choices we make.