Part 5 of 7 on the Mindset of Success

Last week, I talked about fulfillment. Can you honestly say that you have this in your life? Have you ever had it? If you haven’t you may even be having a hard time understanding what fulfillment really is. If this is you, it’s ok. It took me some time to grasp at it too. Go back over the material often and let it soak in, any new idea or new concept will take time to absorb, but trust me, it will be way worth it. This week, I want to talk about the person you will become as you gain the mindset of success. Because the mindset is all internal, it will cause us to look at many things in a different way and when we change the way we look at things, the things we look at will change. One of my all-time favorite quotes by Jim Rohn says this: “Learn to work harder on yourself than you do your job.” Why is this? Primarily because of the person you will become. You see, there are many, and I do mean many, outside factors all around us that we cannot change. Things like the weather, the economy, government, inflation, taxes, the way other people treat us, the way our neighbor treats us, the way our boss treats us, all these things we really can’t change. But the one and only thing we can do is change ourselves. We can do this by the way we think, what we believe, and what our philosophy is. These three key components determine who we are right now, the way we were and the way we will be next year. What am I talking about here? I am talking about the person you will need to become if you truly want to be successful, because chances are, you cannot obtain the level of success you want and desire based on your current level of thinking, belief and philosophy. If this were not true, then you would have already reached the success you want. Most people see success as something they get. The fancy cars, the big homes, boats, motor homes, extravagant vacations. While those things can be a way to measure success, the more accurate measurement should be looked at with regard to who the person has become. How have they grown and changed? How have they matured? What is their work ethic like? What is their philosophy, their mindset? These characteristics are key factors and telltale signs of true, solid success. I can only connect one main thing together in both of these scenarios: It all came down to the kind of person they each became based on how they thought, what they believed and what their philosophy was. Everything else, from what I can see, can be put under those categories. True, solid success comes from the internal, not the external, and who we become will make all the difference in the world with regard to how our life works out. If you took an honest look at yourself and where you are right now, could you honestly say that who you are becoming, is moving you closer to the success you want in life? Looking back five years ago, have you grown, changed, in order to move closer to your goal? What steps have you taken recently, even today, to become the success you want to be? Your personal success will always start with YOU and what is inside YOU. It does not start with your past, with your spouse, or even with the economy. It is you, 100% you, because you can choose what you will do today to begin the process of “becoming”. If you haven’t started “becoming” that person, then how do you expect to arrive at your destination? Have a great weekend everyone, be blessed.

Part 4 of 7 The Mindset of Success

Material things, money and passion - we have covered several things so far in figuring out what the mindset of success is all about. This is part four of a seven part series and this week I will be covering fulfillment. Now I have to admit, the term fulfillment is one of my favorites. It says so much and runs so deep. So much of the time, people look for the shiny things in life - cars, homes, money and, in some cases, even people. I would venture to guess that what they are really looking for is fulfillment. If you were to take a poll today of 100 people at random, I would guess that over 90% of those people would tell you that they are not experiencing any or very little fulfillment in their jobs. I know this because I use to be one of those people and I have met many! I have worked many jobs where at the end of the day, I had not felt as though I fulfilled anything of importance. Hence, a lot of the people around me also felt the same way. I know because I would ask them. Through my late 20’s and into my mid 30’s, I studied and learned what fulfillment is all about. Previous to that, I knew I was missing something in my jobs, I felt so empty at the end of the day. It was not until I started doing something where my talents, strengths and sincere interest lied that I caught a glimpse of what fulfillment really is and what it feels like to experience it. When is the last time you felt fulfilled at what it is you do for a job or a career? Was it yesterday? Was it last week? How about last year? I think that sometimes people mistake success for fulfillment. I say this because being fulfilled at your job can and usually will give us some sense of feeling successful. I know it did for me. All those years of working those dead end jobs (that’s what I thought they were) and then one day I started doing something that made me feel like I was making a difference. I was valued. What I did made a profound difference and people looked up to me. I remember the feeling I felt when I started to achieve some fulfillment in my job. I was excited to go to work and I was excited to get up every morning. I looked forward to my appointments the next day. I felt empowered to go out and make a difference because I knew that I was bringing value to my clients and it was like nothing I had ever done before. I was no longer just a body. I was no longer just a number to be thrown out. I was now someone who had the means to better people’s lives. All of that led me to my own fulfillment and to see a whole new side of what it was to go to work every day. It is so obvious and clear to me that most successful people probably find a lot of fulfillment in what it is they do. It does not matter what it is, it only matters that they do. Top seasoned sales professionals usually aren’t real particular in what it is they are selling. They have a passion for selling and find their fulfillment when they engage and navigate the process of selling with their prospect. It’s not the thing that they have sold that gets them excited, it is the process in which they do it. This is where their passion lies. When we can find a job, business or a service where we can use our passion and find fulfillment while doing it, our odds of being successful at that will be profoundly higher. It no longer feels like work. Our time spent is now more enjoyable, it gives us energy to push through when things get tough. It does not mean that everything is perfect. It means things are in line with who we are and what we are all about. I know that for most people, finding their passion can be one of the hardest things to accomplish. Most kids are not raised to seek out their passion. They are raised to work for money, find a good secure job or go to college and get an education, then find a job they can do well with and stick it out until retirement. I guess there is nothing wrong with this line of thinking, but finding your passion and doing a job that brings you fulfillment in your life is much deeper and far more rewarding than just working for money. Have a great Friday everyone, next week we will go over who you are going to become while on this journey to success. Be blessed.

Part 3 of 7 on the Mindset of Success

Last week of this 7-part series, I ended by talking about passion and what passion can do for us.  It can drive us, gives us energy to accomplish great things, go faster and harder.  Yes, passion feeds our bodies and our souls.

We are talking about success.  What is success to you?  In your own life, has success entered in?  If not, will it ever?  If so when?  How will you know it?  All of these questions can be answered with one word:  passion.

If there was ever a strong undeniable common denominator among successful people, it is that each one found their passion and never lost sight of it.  They fed it, defined it, enlarged it and mastered it.  Last week I mentioned that very few people in this world are driven by money and far more are driven by their passion.  No matter where you look, no matter what industry or what business, at the core, there has been a strong passion by which everything has been built on.

Passion really is that strong, that creative and that powerful.  I have read story after story about tasks that seemed impossible and probably were.  But with persistent people and a heart full of passion, the impossible was done.  Our history books are full of these kind of stories.  So, could passion be what success is built on?  I say yes, without a doubt.

I enjoy watching ”Extreme Makeover, Home Edition.”  I remember when the show first began, most people were in shock and disbelief that an existing home could be completely torn down and a new one, twice or even three times the size, could be built in its place in just six to seven days.  Logic says that it can’t be done, it is just not possible.  Yet, time after time, the design team and many, many helpers repeatedly pull this feat off.  Why?  I believe the passion that fuels these people to help the families and give them a new start, something they so desperately need, is one of the strongest driving forces around us.

Is the Extreme Makeover Home Edition successful?  Well, it is a TV show and they only show what they want you to see, so I have no doubt we will never know all that goes on behind the scenes.  But I think we can safely say that they are successful in their accomplishments, direction and working together as a team, simply because we can see the finished product at the end of every show.  Once again, they have done the almost impossible and what has fueled them through all of the sleepless nights, challenges and errors?  Passion!  You can see it in Ty’s face and character every time he speaks.

I do believe underneath every truly successful person you will find passion as part of the foundation which has been laid.  You have to admit, it is a lot easier doing something over and over again if you are passionate about it or are in love with it. 

A friend of mine is a financial advisor.  He has started several businesses over the years and has plans to start more.  He sets them up, makes them profitable and then either sells them or has other people run them while he goes and does it again somewhere else.  Yes, he does pretty well financially, he makes a great income but his passion is not in the making of the money.  His passion lies in entrepreneurship.  He just loves creating businesses out of nothing and has gotten to be pretty good at it.  Yet again, passion wins over the drive to simply make money.

Another topic that fits into the success equation which we have not yet covered, is: fulfillment.  Can we find it and if so, where does it come from?  Have you ever had it?  If you have, you know how rewarding it can be.

Next week, in part 4 of this 7-part series, we will be discussing fulfillment and what it means to you and your success.

Have a great Friday everyone, be blessed.