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By Farrah
Gray | SACOBSERVER.COM
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(NNPA) - "Our business
in life is not to get ahead of others but to get ahead of
ourselves — to break our own records, to outstrip our
yesterdays by our today, to do our work with more force than
ever before." --Steward B. Johnson
It bothers me that sometimes people make the
assumption that personal achievements are the result of being
born into the "right" family, by which they mean
an affluent or famous lineage. Sometimes people will ask me,
"Now, whose son are you?"
This leads you to believe that one can only
become successful if they have a foot up on the rest of the
competition. Believe it or not, some folks also believe that
success is a byproduct of luck. Nothing can be farther from
the truth. Most people have achieved their success through
sheer determination and hard work.
Sure, it's easier to get to the mountain top
if you've got someone ahead of you giving you a hand but you
still have to do the climbing. The workload still belongs
to you. Never rely on hookups, introductions, free passes
or special privileges we receive in direct proportion to how
much we give.
I've been blessed with a tremendous opportunity
to add value to the lives of others. I believe that's what
makes every single human being's story so amazing. My story,
though similar to a lot of other rags to riches tales, is
still uniquely mine. There are no exact duplicates of my life.
And guess what? That means you have something special to give
to the world too. I accepted my gifts a long time ago and
I've been flowing ever since. What about you? Will you cheat
the world of your brilliance? Will you hide your greatness
under a bushel? Or will you embrace your talents and contribute
to this great world of ours?
Say the following out loud three times: Good
work, not good luck.
Be your own master teacher. Opportunities are
everywhere. You can rise above any circumstance with hard
work, integrity, faith and especially persistence.
Good work, not good luck.
Great careers and successful lives start with
small ideas. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Keep your
eyes open and your mind and body working and be ready to work
with the opportunities that come your way.
Good work, not good luck.
You won’t always hit a home run the first
time. But you will never hit a home run if you don’t
learn how to swing. You may make only $50 on your first job
or in your first “business.” But it will probably
be the most important $50 you ever make.
- Take Action: Lay the foundations for success even before
you begin to plot your future.
- Find a mentor. Find a role model. Watch those around
you. If you can’t find a role model in your family,
then find one in your community. They are there if you look.
- Make peace with your family. You may have family members
who can lead by example. You may not. Nonetheless, you need
to make peace with your family. Let them teach you what
to do, and what not to do.
- Focus on the positive. Identify and congratulate yourself
on your positive accomplishments no matter how small. Don’t
harp on the negatives. Don’t listen to the negatives.
Don’t listen to those who say “you can’t’.
Don’t let the negative people drag you down. Get away
from them if you have to.
- Hang out with good people. There are always good people
who will welcome you and help you. Just keep looking for
them until you find them. Don’t give up asking for
help. That’s not begging. That’s investing in
your future. There are a lot of good people in this world.
Find them and put yourself near them.
Two quotes to give serious and careful thought
to, “One doesn't become great by claiming greatness"
and “Before a man eats, he must sweat.”
Dr. Farrah Gray is the author of The Truth
Shall Make You Rich: The New Road Map to Radical Prosperity,
Get Real, Get Rich: Conquer the 7 Lies Blocking You from Success
and the international best-seller Reallionaire: Nine Steps
to Becoming Rich from the Inside Out. He is chairman of the
Farrah Gray Foundation. Dr. Gray can be reached via email
at fg@drfarrahgray.com or his website at http://www.drfarrahgray.com/.
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