What
makes people successful? This
question has mystified people since humans first
became dissatisfied with cave dwellings and tried to
find some way to make life more comfortable. Perhaps
the following comparisons between the characteristics
of a person who fails and a successful person will help answer
the question.
Successful
people know precisely what they desire, have a plan
for getting it, believe in their ability to get it,
and devote a major portion of their time to acquiring
it. The person who fails has no definite purpose in life,
believes that all success is the result of
"luck," and moves on his or her own
initiative only when forced to do so.
Successful
people think before they speak. They weigh their
words carefully. And they emphasize their likes
concerning people, minimizing their dislikes or not
mentioning them at all. The unsuccessful person
does just the opposite. He or she speaks first,
thinks later. His or her words bring only regret
and embarrassment and cost him or her irretrievable
benefits because of the resentment they engender.
Successful
people express opinions only after having informed
themselves so they can do so intelligently. The person
who fails expresses opinion on subjects about which he
or she has little or no knowledge.
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Successful
people budget time, income and expenditures.
They live within their means. The person
who fails squanders time and income with a contemptuous
disregard for their value.
Successful
people take a keen interest in people, especially
those with whom they have something in common, and
cultivate a bond of friendship with them. The
unsuccessful person cultivates only those from whom he or she
wants something.
Successful
people are open-minded and tolerant on all subjects,
toward all people. The person who fails has a closed
mind, steeped in intolerance, which shuts him or her
off from the recognition of favorable opportunities
and the friendly cooperation of others.
Successful
people keep abreast of the times and make it an
important responsibility to know what is going on, not
only in their own business, profession or community,
but also throughout the entire world. The unsuccessful
person concerns him or herself only with his or her immediate
needs, requiring them by whatever means are
available--fair or foul.
Successful
people keep their minds and outlook on life positive
at all times. They recognize that the space they
occupy in the world and the success they enjoy depend
upon the quantity and quality of service they render.
They make it a habit to render more service than
they promise. The person who fails looks for
"something for nothing" or something under
the table, which he or she did not earn. And
when he or she fails to get it, he or she blames the
greed of others.
Successful
people have a keen respect for their Creator and
express it frequently through prayers and deeds of
helpfulness to others. The unsuccessful believes in
nothing but his or her own desire for food and shelter
and seeks those at the expense of others when and
where he or she can.
All
in all, there is a big difference in both the words
and the deeds of the successful person and the person
who fails. But all people are where they are and
what they are because of their own mental attitudes
toward themselves and others.
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success
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