Success

Success - The Principles of Success

What is success? I am not going to try to define success.
I think a precise definition is impossible. Is it winning a Gold
Medal at the Olympic Games or winning Wimbledon, or
being awarded a Nobel prize? What else? I believe
personal success could be anything at all - it does not
have to involve public recognition. Who is more success-
ful? A millionaire who is unhappy, or an unnoticed person,
who has led a simple, sincere and happy life? The simplest
definition of success, I think, is 'to set out to do something
and to succeed in doing it'. It really doesn't matter what,
or how humble the undertaking.

The first step on the road to success starts with BELIEF.
BELIEVE you can succeed and you will. Achieving success
in whatever endeavor you choose may be the goal of life,
because it gives you freedom from worry. Could that be?

Success means different things to every one of us. Some
people believe it is measured in financial terms, i.e. having
wealth; others believe it is helping others rather than helping
themselves. A bit of both perhaps?! Or it could be simply
achieving for achievement's sake? Success is such a
personal thing. To many people, it is the very root of their
being -- the reason for existing is to achieve something
worthwhile in our lives. To the vast majority of the popula-
tion it doesn't matter much whether they want to be suc-
cessful or not; that's OK by me, as long as that is what
you really want and you are happy with life.

However, most people want and are motivated to a great
extent by public recognition and a relentless pursuit of
achievement. How many people too are really

happy?
How many people are really doing what they want to with
their lives? (Incidentally, the ability to imagine, makes us
different from animals).

No matter what motivates you personally...whatever you
choose to do with your life, don't expect instant success.
The years of struggle,
commitment and learning in excelling at whatever endea-
vor or trade you choose, is no easy task. I would whole-
heartedly agree with that statement after many many years
of struggle as an aspiring author.
It takes a lot of courage, character and discipline to
achieve success in any field. Nearly all successful people
have doubted themselves at some point and wanted to
give up. Me included! Yet they carried on. So many
people give up within an inch or two away from
the gold in the seam down the mine - -a "whisker" away
from success.

One thing is for sure: ADVESITY BREEDS CHARACTER
and success breeds SUCCESS, as it gathers a
momentum of its own and you get on a "winning streak",
when everything seems to fit into place.No matter the field
of endeavour, it's a matter of great PERSISTENCE
that moves you towards ultimate success. So, "Keep on
keeping on".

I like all of the following quotations. They all stand for what
success means to me personally. So I'll share them with you...

"Success is the continuous journey towards the achieve-
ment of predetermined worthwhile goals."
- Tom Hopkins, American motivator

"To live your life in your own way
To reach the goals you've set for yourself
To be the person you want to be -
That is success."
- author anon.

"There is one only one

success: to be able to spend your
life in your own way"
- Christopher Morley

Most of all, I believe success is a matter of PERSONAL
GROWTH. If every day you are developing or growing
just a millimeter (or acquiring a "teeny weeny" bit of knowl-
edge for improving yourself that you didn't have before), I
believe one is successful. So dwarfs can be very success-
ful people too. Sorry about that "un PC" comment, dwarfs!

Just being a slightly better person each day for me is suc-
cess. I've got a very long way to go then!

Finally , always remember... success is a PROCESS and
is not simply a matter of arriving at a destination. Suc-
cess is what you BECOME in the often very difficult and
hazardous journey down the river (or in my case, nego-
tiating the "raging rapids"*) of life.

*Note alliteration

"I am not just a human being...
I am a human just becoming ."
- My great friend and "wise" intellectual philosopher, Dr
Andy Eastcott (thanks for fixing my teeth and for the most
interesting , "mate")

The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with
composure one heavy mischance after another, not
because he does not feel them, but because he is a man
of high and heroic temper.

-- Aristotle

The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to
sacrifice what we are for what we could become.

-- Charles Du Bos

About the Author
Craig Lock has written extensively on the subject of suc-
cess, sport psychology and personal growth. Craig's books are avail-
able at: http://www.novelty-gift.com/

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