Only a few people, less than five percent, achieve what the world calls great success. This is success in any field, corporate, sports, financial, homemaking, growing a better rose, creating a gourmet recipe, being a parent, or being a friend.

Success is an individual thing and only the person involved can be responsible for what success is to him or her.
 
People who succeed are people who believe they can succeed. Success, until it has been won, is a mental thing. A person has only a mental picture and the belief, until it, the goal has been achieved.
 
Belief in one’s self is one of our most difficult accomplishments. We tend to believe that others can accomplish the things we would like to accomplish, but we somehow lack the same faith in ourselves.
 
Why?.. Well, it’s because we’re so familiar to ourselves. We know ourselves, or think we do, and it is human nature to accord more ability to a stranger than to someone we know very well.
 
As individuals, we’re conscious of our shortcomings. We remember, consciously and subconsciously, every one of our little failings and past failures. We’re aware of all the thousands of things we cannot do well, and we underestimate our ability in those areas in which we excel. A man is never a hero in his own home, and the same can be said of how we regard ourselves in our own minds.
 
We should realize it is no more amazing that we should succeed in the things at which we’re good than that others should succeed in their fields.
 
Succeeding in life is like successfully baking a cake. It’s a matter of following a recipe.  Any attempt at a short cut may result in a miserable cake. 

Any human being on earth can be successful if he will decide, once and for all, what it is he wants to accomplish, define it, write it out right down to the last comma and period, and then go after it, relentlessly, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year until it is accomplished.
 
Once a person has the recipe for success, it doesn’t bother him too much if he finds himself with an occasional setback or failure, any more than a good cook would worry too much, or quit baking cakes, just because of an occasional flop. Mature, intelligent people realize that failure is just as much a part of success as success is part of every failure.
 
You can never play golf in the seventies, until you’ve played in the eighties and nineties.  And just as a pro will occasionally turn a bad score, he knows it is only a sign for more practice.
 
C. W. Wendte wrote: “Success in life is a matter not so much of talent or opportunity as of concentration and perseverance.”
 
He’s right, but it takes belief in yourself, to persevere.

Earl Nightingale

 

If you would like an example of the power of believing in yourself and perseverance…try to get a copy of
“The World’s Fastest Indian”…A humble, inspirational and moving movie… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW61Qiko4sg . We hope you enjoy it.

We welcome your thoughts…

 

Earl’s work is, has been and will remain universal, transcending race and creed, providing fundamental values, direction and the keys to a successful life to millions of people around the world.

UPDATE… Sept 29, 09. Thank you!! As a result of your support the Institute has evolved into a truly global community reaching friends in 70 countries since launching on June 14; a centre for learning and growth, sharing, caring, tolerance, empathy and compassion. 

Proudly brought to you by The Nightingale Institute of Australia

Copyright © 1989, 2009 KEYS COMPANY, INC. All rights reserved.

 

Related posts:

1. Defining Success Much has been written about this word “success” and what...
2. A River or a Goal There are two categories of very successful people: those I...
3. The Truth is Hope I wish that every writer for television, and motion pictures...