“Success needs hard work? Or, success depends on luck?" These are your thoughts as you wait at the bus stop for the 9.00 a.m. bus on a Monday morning, all set for your job promotion interview. You are sharply dressed in a crisp white shirt with a tie on, and a pair of black trousers.
“Shall I be successful in the interview today? Will I get the promotion? What can I do to prove my worth?”
You notice a man with the magazine that has “Top 100 Most Influential People” as its lead story.
Will this prompt you to think deeper?
Success, for you, at that moment would be equal to getting the promotion.
However, success is not the matter of one moment. It needs investment in the form of diligence, the way a seed needs constant nurture to grow into a tree.
Think of an individual who is successful according to you, and notice their traits. Do they respond to your question confidently or do they fumble? Do they seem passionate about their life, or do they complain? There are a few traits that are common across all successful individuals:
1. Learn to appreciate yourself and the universe!
What we sow, so shall we reap! This is a universal law known to everyone. Whatever we give to the universe comes back to us in equal proportion.
An animal trapped in a mirror box growls at his own reflection, thinking it to be another animal. Its scorn comes back to it from all sides, multifold. The universe is no different to a mirror box. Learn to appreciate the way you are and learn to respect others.
You decide the way the world treats you!
An individual who understands this law is bound to succeed in life.
2. Open up your mind, be receptive towards others’ views, and take risks!
Listen carefully what people have to offer. The stereotype of staying aloof in order to focus on career and be successful has not led to much success in the real world.
Today, we constantly gather information, but once our minds are full – we stop listening, our mind gets saturated and we suffer from brain fog. It is important for us to empty our minds to enhance creativity. Adequate amount of sleep is one way of providing rest to a tired mind.
Our life revolves around the beliefs and ideas we inculcate. However, being dismissive to new ideas and the risks they bring along is not a good sign.
Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook once remarked, “…the only strategy guaranteed to fail is not taking risks!”
You need to gear up to take risks in order to grow in life. Fear of stagnancy is much higher than the fear of loss in successful people!
Listen to understand, to gain knowledge, and to achieve wisdom.
3. Focus on daily, short term goals! Start small, and scale them higher with discipline!
Think of your life as a Kids Bank Account. You save little by little hoping to draw a fat saving amount in the future. Focusing on daily goals and working towards them opens the gateway for greater success in life.
However, if you fail in some instances, this should not pull you down. It is immensely important to remain motivated on a regular basis. Remind yourself of your goal every time you seem to lag behind. Action aligned to discipline gives results.
Every day should end analyzing your highs and lows during the day. Achieving daily targets provides the push to move forward towards the larger goal. Spending some time meditating on yourself and seeking some ‘me time’ on a daily basis is a habit to be developed for achieving greater heights.
4. Stay in the present , discarding the junk from the past! Accept your failure, forgive yourself, learn and move on!
When was the last time you felt you’ve conquered the world? Do you remember the feeling of that extreme happiness?
Remember your high points in life and strive every moment to feel the same way. Focusing constantly on aligning yourself to positivity is a way of life for successful people.
Be a wise judge of what to keep and what to discard from past memories, and keep moving ahead in life. Failures are memories to learn from. No one has ever grown in life if he or she decides to stagnate.
As Winston Churchill says “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm…”, accept, forgive yourself, learn and move on!
An eagle can foresee a storm. Instead of hiding away, it flies to a high point, sets its wings in such a way that the winds lift it higher than the storm itself.
Failures are the storms in your life, above which, a successful individual soars like an eagle!
Success in life mandatorily needs clarity of vision, intention and dedication. Elon Musk, CEO of automobile giant Tesla Motors, has a mission to enable global automobile transition towards sustainable energy. Despite numerous challenges, he has begun to live his vision. His mission resonates with the universe, and hence possesses utmost potential for success!
Every successful individual has stories that are stepping stones to his success!
When are you planning to begin writing your own story?
If you want to understand how and where to start, let’s have a conversation.
You are the autobiographer – Create your success story and as you do so, Stay Healthy and Stress-free!
