Tired of watching others live out their dreams? Not being where you need to be fitness-wise? Being at home and feeling like life just isn’t what it’s supposed to be? What is the Secret of Success?
Well, get up! Stop complaining! Start doing better with yourself! Nobody cares about your struggle, and what you’ve been through, so save it! Everybody has problems!
Don’t let next year roll around and you are still saying, “I wish I would have…”
Success Isn’t Cute!
“Without a beginning, I am pouring the whole of my existence into the building of endings, while the cross and the resurrection declare that God is incessantly building beginnings from the collapse of endings.” ― Craig D. Lounsbrough.
“Why should you live in the past when the present already has everything that you need to start a new beginning?” ― Edmond Mbiaka.
“If I must start somewhere, right here and now is the best place imaginable.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich.
“The secret to getting ahead is getting started.” ― Mark Twain.
Work your behind off! Your next move in life may leave you broke, homeless and in a position you never wanted to be in! Nonetheless, if it’s something you are truly passionate about then you won’t ever regret it! At least if you fail, you can say you gave it a shot!
No excuses! Save It! Make your own path and if you don’t know how to do that, start asking some questions and maybe some answers will open up for you!
A year ago I said I was going to go to Full Sail University and with no money; I made it happen somehow (with a lot of debt behind my name of course). Now, I will pursue my dreams in recording engineering and nothing will stop me!
Six months ago I said I was going to get back to my fitness. I have been at it and I am now much stronger and harder than I have ever been.
I now add to the list, learning how to play the piano and getting back to learning French. Next year if I am here and I have not done these things, it means that I wasn’t that passionate about it all. Oh, The Places You’ll Go!
What will you be starting today?
If you don’t start today… you may never get the chance again. Food for Thought!
They say that ‘impossible’ is a word that the human mind creates. Certain things such as fear, or just the lack of resources, can hold many men and women back from reaching their true potential. Others have it all, and yet, they still cannot get it together. So how do we curb this common problem of failure? Endurance! We must endure this thing called failure and keep pushing through it for as long as we can. Sometimes we will meet our match and learn that something isn’t for us, and in other occasions we will reach success if we just don’t stop plowing through the field. The funny thing about success is that it doesn’t come when you would always like it to come.
Successful people are usually visionaries. They can see the forest through the trees, and they can see the end goal before any of it happens. I remember when I heard Talib Kweli talk about Kanye and how he got started in the rap game. He talked about how he thought Kanye was crazy because he was talking about his second album before he even put out the first one. He found it so interesting that Kanye could just see something that no one else could see at the time. The mind is an interesting thing. How we use it can truly make or break us as we tackle our careers, whether it is for school or the work force.
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” ― Thomas A. Edison.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” ― Winston S. Churchill.
“I can’t give you a sure-fire formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure: try to please everybody all the time.” ― Herbert Bayard Swope.
But as I continue reading the ‘Uncommon Life’ by Tony Dungy, it makes a valuable point in regards to the concept of failure. We rarely embrace failure, nor do we teach kids how to deal with failure. We assume that we are supposed to be perfect. We think that we have to get the best grade on everything that we do. The moments that we don’t, then we try to execute ourselves verbally and physically. Failure comes. That is life. But, what are you going to do when failure throws a dagger through your shoulder and pins you to the wall? Give up? Because that is what you spent 4 to 12 years in school to do, QUIT!?
Just because life is tough and often filled with roadblocks doesn’t mean those roadblocks have to stop you. Think about when you are driving and you see a roadblock sign. It is usually met with a detour sign showing you another way to go, or you turn around, and you go back to where you began. That is life. If you are not going to make a detour, then you need to go back to the beginning. Learn from those mistakes. Then, improve yourself for the next time.
Also, how much time have you put into this craft before quitting? How many hours did you really put in before you said you were finished? A couple hours? A few days? A few years? And how was your attitude while doing it all? Did you already predict failure before it could happen? Did you go into thinking whatever happens, happens? Instead of claiming your victory? Your words are powerful. We have discussed this before, and I can’t begin to tell you how truthful it is.
But, once again, what do I know? As I write this book, I will tell you honestly that I am not that good of a writer. And some days I trash things grammatically. I have grammar editing applications, and I have friends proofread my writing each and every time (and even with all of that, I will still end up sending out an email blast spelling things wrongly). But does that stop me? NO! There was always a bigger picture to keep my eyes on and I knew people were still being impacted either way. If I don’t write what I am writing, one soul will be lost. One person will quit. One person will lose it all. And yeah, maybe I shouldn’t put that all on me but I do it anyways. So it keeps me motivated to keep writing regardless of how many errors and typos I put out. Eventually, I will get it right. If I don’t, then I will keep trying! But I won’t let the trees shadow the forest. There is an end goal in mind and I won’t be defeated.
So I say this… Failure is not an option you want, but it can definitely happen! Create a new path, take a detour, start over, and get on it again! Take a break. For a day, month, or maybe even a few years. But if it is still on your heart then I suggest you try again. After you do that then you can bow out gracefully. But you didn’t fail. You accepted the challenge, and the outcome wasn’t the most favorable. But you probably did something that many were afraid to do. So tell your story. Teach others where you went wrong. Help others get through the forest with the map of failures that you have created to light your path.
Imagine if we just “Did Good” all the time. No questions asked and no personal gain behind it all. If we just provided good to the world because that is what we are supposed to do and not because of the reward that would come out of it. The world would be a better place, I imagine. Well, here is your challenge. Do Good no matter the occasion and no matter who is watching you. Do Good because someone did something good for you when you needed it most. Despite if you realized that or not. If someone didn’t do good things or pass good deeds your way, you wouldn’t be here today.
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it–always.” ― Mahatma Gandhi.
“A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.” ― Nelson Mandela.
“Doing Good” is always tough I am sure. Some days you are tired of the world. Some days you just want to DO YOU and forget everyone and everything that may be going on, but you can’t be that way. The moment you let your selfishness set in is the moment you start killing the good karma/energy/blessing that was around your life. Galatians 6:9 says, ‘Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up!’
Do Good Always. This doesn’t just apply to doing good for others, but this does apply to the reader as well. Do Good in the food you eat and your interactions with people you may know, and do good by the strangers that may come along your path as well. Do Good without anyone asking you to do so. It could be anything from providing a compliment or two, or you taking out the trash for your wife before she has to ask you to do so.
Also, doing good will lead to great rewards. It may not be completely obvious what is happening, but there is something stirring up and it will be there for you as long as you continue to do good with no hesitance behind it.
These were just a few quick thoughts that I figured I would get off of my chest and share with the dedicated readers. Do Good not only to yourself but to everyone even when they have wronged you. Trust, you will come out a lot better in the end!
Hey, this book is my good gesture to the world. Myself, the editor, illustrator, and even people who took the time to read this and gave me feedback and critiques before it got released, all are doing good in some way, shape, and form. And no one is getting paid! So with that said, if you don’t know any good things to do, ask around or Google something. There is plenty to be done. You can’t do it all, but imagine, if we all could do one good thing for the world daily, where the world would be in a few years.
So I thought to myself, as I do on many occasions, why isn’t everyone shooting to be extraordinary? The definition is fairly simple, isn’t it? ‘To be remarkable or unusual’ is the definition that Google gives us when describing the word extraordinary. This means everyone has the power, if they so choose, to be extraordinary.
Now, no one said you had to be the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs because that is just one level of being extraordinary. In order to be extraordinary, you have to be remarkable or unusual. That’s it! That can be done anywhere, at any time, and at any given moment! No cool software inventions needed! The Emperor’s New Clothes!
So, this means you can be extraordinary in the way you treat your friends, the way you perform your tasks at work, even the way you study for an exam. There are so many ways that we all can be extraordinary, but we first must choose this path of greatness to walk along. I get that everyone doesn’t want to be extraordinary, or that some may not care, but as we can see with all of the startup businesses, the YouTube explosions that form by the week (which probably took years to come about) and with how technology advances – the world wants more people to be extraordinary!
“Ordinary people believe only in the possible. Extraordinary people visualize not what is possible or probable, but rather what is impossible. And by visualizing the impossible, they begin to see it as possible” ― Cherie Carter-Scott.
We enjoy people who are awesome, do we not? Well, some of us at least. We enjoy people who are happy even though they go through so many struggles, Who give back to the youth and help out charitable causes, Being unusually happy and we love to love. All of which, can done in a very extraordinary fashion.
No matter what you choose to do in your life, try to add a little spice to it. The iPod was no new creation, but it was reinvented and made “better” than it was before. Why can’t we do that? Why can’t we take the normal ideas of life and then flip them for our advantage? Are we not extraordinary people? Think about how many things you think of in your mind and yet you let them fall by the wayside because you feel like it isn’t good enough.
You think Duke Ellington became one of the greatest composers to walk this planet overnight? It took him years to become great, and he still had many musicians who were better than him when he first began performing. The difference between Duke and the rest was that he did everything with an extraordinary flair. After a while, his competitors were only memories that could seen drifting behind the A-Train.
Hopefully, I am making sense. I feel that we all have the power to be extraordinary doing something. Even ‘doing nothing’ may be extraordinary if you can find a way to do nothing better than anyone else can! But whatever it is you strive for in life, be extraordinary with it next time, and the time after that! You will be appreciated in the long run
BE EXTRAORDINARY… Forget about the doubters, forget about the people who can’t see past the END goal, and forget about any obstacles blocking your vision of greatness. There is greatness waiting on you, but patience is one of those virtues we just hate to understand. As I read Tony Dungy’s book entitled the “Uncommon Life,” I think about how extraordinary it is that this man would create a book devoted to helping others improve all year long.
He knows people struggle with reading books, and attention spans may be short, so what does he do? He creates a book that only requires you to read one page a day. Yes, it has been done before, but he found his own way of doing it – which means you can too. He wasn’t the great man he is today overnight! So with that said, keep pushing, keep praying, and soon enough you will find your extraordinary self! And sometimes, there really isn’t much to find because you have been extraordinary the entire time.
If you want to see someone extraordinary look up or Google ‘Nick Vujicic’. If you want to get an example of being extraordinary that young man will show you a great example! We should all be like Nick Vujicic in our everyday lives. So Be Your Extraordinary Self! Also, read it The Leap Frog, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!
There are so many things that happen from day to day in this world we live in. It is easy to complain about how others should be and what others are doing, but are we asking ourselves the same thing that we ask of others?
If I want to see the world where people are kinder to one another, I have to first exhibit that kindness. If I wish that more people would go out and give back to their communities, I essentially should be doing the same.
It is interesting to see what we complain about, and even more interesting to see what we are doing with our time and our efforts. In order to impact change, it starts with us. Once that concept is understood I think it becomes easier to manage life.
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
Call up a few friends and catch lunch together. Gather a few buddies and go out and do a service project together. These are ways you can grow with the people you love and be the change that you are constantly talking about.
Also, don’t be afraid to talk about your good deeds. If you know your intent is to motivate others, then do not be afraid to share. The good things that happen in the world are rarely shared. The negative things are talked about often, and no one ever grows tired of seeing it (besides me). On the other hand, if you talk about the good you are doing in the world, it is taken as boastful and shouldn’t be discussed publicly. In my opinion that is foolish.
Let’s stop following the typical norms and begin to make those changes. Advertise truth, love, and happiness just as much as you do everything else. Switch your focus and find others who are like-minded with the thoughts and ideas you are passionate about. Surround yourselves with people doing great things in the world and use them as inspiration to do the same. If you don’t know anyone personally, just like Daniel stated earlier, I recommend visiting the www.TED.com. You will get a lot of great insight. Trust!
Continue to grow and never stop learning. Life can be stressful, but learning new things can shift that stress. Through learning, life becomes more manageable and it gives you a sense of peace. Regain your peace again. Stop looking to fill your life up with tasks to stay busy and find meaningful things to do, such as reading, writing, and enjoying the arts or something you love doing.
Keep being anchors for change and bring others along with you for the journey. We all have one person we can change the world with. Imagine if we all just took one friend along with us on that journey.
Let me hit you with a few espresso shots on the house:
Pray for people you dislike the most!! Yep, I know, you are probably saying it won’t happen. Trust, you will thank me later. Think about someone who has just made your life a complete hell and then pray for them. They probably need it more than you do!
Get that scowl off of your face. No need to walk around looking as if you are mad at the world! Smile! You never know who needs that small gesture of kindness.
You most likely have at least 100 – 200+ contacts in your phone and yet, you haven’t called nearly half of them or anyone in a long time. Call an old friend up! Make sure their phone isn’t disconnected and tell them that you love them. Even if you don’t talk that much.
Volunteer and do something for your community. Checking out the Boys and Girls Club, homeless shelters, even helping out a neighbor can be considered as helping the community!
Hi-five a stranger! Hi-fives are always cool and they are always accepted!
Now go out and be overly inspired maniacs!! The world needs more of us!! Shots, Everybody!!
Comes a time in everyone’s life when all things are happening in your opposition. Whether you are a programmer or maybe something else, you have to stand on that stage of life, where everything is going wrong. Now, you become a software maker and you got one software. Which can be rejected by all you don’t know why, or you may have taken a decision for software, Which is proved to be very terrible.
But truly, failure is more important than success. By our history, any businessman, scientists, and greatest leaders are masters, become successful in life. Before they have failed many times for any wants. When we’re doing so many types of work, they will not necessarily to each one succeed. But if you will give up because of this effort cannot succeed.
In the case of the most failure person of Thomas Alva Edison, the first name that comes. Light bulbs were used before the failed 1000 times.
Albert Einstein did not speak until the age of four and he was illiterate until the age of seven. People are believing he is Mentally weak but on the strength of their thought and principles, making it the world’s largest Scientist.
Henry Ford, the owner of Ford Motor Company, and he is the legendary Billionaire. Before becoming successful Ford had failed in five other Business, and then five times in a different Business breaks due to the failure and drowning in debt. But Ford did not give up and he is a Billionaire company owner.
Now just think about it, if Henry Ford failed in business five times after Disappointed or give up, Thomas Alva Edison did not use experiment of 1000 times after failing of 999 times experiment in the Light bulbs, or maybe Albert Einstein admitted he is Mentally weak. So what happening for them and our. Mostly we don’t know about What is Light bulbs.
Failure is more Important than Success
Great Person said, “Winners never quit and quitters never win.”
Albert Einstein what he said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
Thomas Alva Edison what he said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
“Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
We didn’t know about many great minds or brained person and Scientist. So, failure is more important than success, The person on the path of failure everywhere, but if they did not give up when the person is really become more success.
What can you learn this story?
Today all people curse their fate and circumstances. Now think of it, if Addison gave up after he tries 999 times their invention is wasted, So the world never gets it a very large invention. Einstein was cursing his luck and circumstances, are you think? the world gets the largest Scientist find it. So why did not you do it?
A small story for why never give up?
Once upon a time, Vikram was a brave king. Once, he had to fight against a large army with just a few soldiers, he was defeated. He had to run for his life.
Vikram took shelter in a forest cave. He was very depressed. His courage had left him. He was blankly gazing at the ceiling of the cave. An interesting scene captured his attention.
A small spider was trying to weave the web across the cave ceiling. As the spider crawled up, a thread of the web broke and the spider fell down. But the spider did not give up. He tried to climb again and again. Finally, the spider successfully climbed up and completed the web.
Vikram began to think, “If a small spider can face failure so bravely, why should I give up? I will try with all might till I win.” This thought gave strength to the defeated king.
Vikram got out of the jungle and collected his brave soldiers. He fought against the large army. He has defeated again. But now, he would not give up his fight.
Vikram, again and again, fought against the large army and finally, after many attempts defeated the large army and regained his kingdom. He had learned a lesson from the spider.
If anyone gets failed to work, Failure is not the end, again tried, again and again never give up. it should not fear but must zealously try again when tried until to become succeed. Failure is started you are becoming more successful because winner doesn’t know it what is the value of win? the only loser is knowing.
