The No Cost No Obligation Secret to Success
Most people say they want to be successful, but beyond saying
the word, they have no clear mental concept of what success is.
Getting what you really want is one definition. Attainment. Not
some abstract want, like it would be nice to have this or that,
but a real emotionally charged passion for something specific
that you know would give you pleasure or satisfaction.
Ask yourself why you want this, list the reasons. Imagine you
have what you want, how does it feel? Still feel convinced, or
was it something you just thought you wanted? Success is
attainment of whatever you really want. And true success is
attainment without creating negative repercussions through
deceit or short sightedness. But what is the mechanism for
bringing about this success?
The secret to achieving success is not actually a secret at all.
It is a plan, a realization. Not wishful thinking or even faith,
as these may work to some degree eventually over the long term,
but are unreliable and imprecise. Most people will give up
before actualization using this approach. To facilitate more
direct results requires awareness of some basic truths and the
formulation and execution of a general plan.
This realization is really the acknowledgment of who you are
behind the mask, what it is you are actually about in your heart
of hearts, and how you go about presenting your uniqueness to
the world. In essence, your weaponry and plan of attack. In its
crudest terms, it is salesmanship. What is it that you offer in
exchange for love, recognition, respect, results or remuneration
from others. For those employed by someone else it can be
skills, education, talent or willingness...each a kind of value
added asset.
Real and outstanding success in business as in life specifically
requires that you have the means to persuade a significant
number of people to accept your product, ideas or point of view.
The degree to which you favorably capture the attention and
interest of people and the authenticity of the goods presented
will determine the extent and duration of your success.
However, for the majority of people, the desire for safety and
comfort has a limiting effect on their ability to behold grand
perceptions. They prefer the cocoon of the mundane by following
and blending in with the crowd. In so doing, they do not
distinguish themselves, and by acting, doing and selling the
same things as everyone else, they subject themselves to
anonymity and widespread competition.
In the world of competition, it is the no holds bared struggle
to capture the hill while all others playing that game attempt
the same thing at the same time. And if you do manage to reach
the top, it is a life of paranoia and reactionary maneuvers to
defend the ultimately indefensible as all others seek to topple
you.
If you are in competition, there will always be someone who has
a bigger smile, deeper pockets or better connections than you
with whom you will be compared and found wanting either in
image, service or price. Most people are motivated by what they
want and will seek to suit themselves, at your expense, without
giving it a second thought, if a perceived better proposition is
available.
Competition has it place, but to be truly successful one needs
an alternate approach, a more noble mindset, one without the
encumbrances of internal struggle caused by deceptive practices,
cut throat tactics, resentment or feelings of inferiority.
Competition has the benefit of keeping greed in check in an
imperfect world, but it is innovation that builds the better
mousetrap.
The reason most people choose mediocrity with its attendant
petty struggles is that it is easier than overcoming doubts,
making and facing mistakes, being vulnerable or opening oneself
to criticism. True success requires thinking outside the box. It
requires embracing and exercising the faculties for cooperation,
creation and independent thought.
Cooperation with providers of information and resources,
creation of new ideas, approaches or products, and independent
thought about what it is that has value and meaning to you and
therefor to others as well.
Most so called authorities professing to assist you by providing
self-help or action plans for success are merely profiting by
cranking out variations of mundane formulas that are essentially
a lot of to do about nothing. How to gain unfair advantage or be
first with a technique that may or may not work. These are
sideshows that often as not lead to blind alleys.
Yes, it is lonely away from the crowd, out there by yourself,
deciding to think your own thoughts, being truly different. It
is in this place that the mind has the freedom to make new
associations, to create something unique by realigning seemingly
unrelated things, or looking at old things in a new way.
We all have our unique personalities, talents, interests and
experiences. Once you learn to trust your knowledge and
abilities and decide to use these in an innovative way, you are
on the road to becoming creative. By developing and
internalizing trust in yourself you more easily overcome the
negative self talk and diversions that distract and disable.
By persistence and patience, this creativity can be developed
into worthwhile and significant contributions that people can
benefit from and that will benefit you. These will be your own
unique creations, infused with your talent and values, which
sets you apart from the many, distinguishing you and propelling
you towards that vision of success.