Two Things That Hinder Your Success

“Just two things keep people from being successful: a lack of understanding about how to think about the events and obstacles that happen in life, and the unwillingness to go the extra mile.”

-- James P. Owen

First Be Who You Really Are

"Often people attempt to live their lives backwards; they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want."

-- Margaret Young

Jazz Singer (1891–1969)

You Must Want It Desperately

"You can have anything you want if you want it desperately enough. You must want it with an inner exuberance that erupts through the skin and joins the energy that created the world."

-- Sheila Graham

HollyWood Columnist (1904–88)

The Goals of Your Storm

"Our storms will test us, and our goals will stretch us. (That’s what goals are for. If they don’t stretch us, they aren’t called goals. They are called to dos.) I am learning that God doesn’t touch the butterfly. He allows the struggle because He longs to see the flight."

-- Dondi Scumaci

The Reason To Press Ahead

"Successful people take action as quickly as possible, even though they may perform badly. Instead of trying to avoid making mistakes and failing, they actively seek opportunities where they can face the limits of their skills and knowledge so that they can learn quickly. They understand that feeling afraid or underprepared is a sign of being in the space for optimal growth and is all the more reason to press ahead."

-- Ryan Babineaux

Pivot on Your Strength

"If possible, go for Plan A. And it’s possible more often than not. Pivoting on your strengths beats starting from scratch. Redefine success according to your values, not those of the rest of the world."

-- Barbara Bradley Hagerty

Be Prepared To Commit Totally

"Stacy’s story is a vivid reminder that great achievements come at great cost. To do anything exceptionally challenging, whether it’s climbing a mountain or starting a company, you have to be prepared to commit yourself totally. Without that, it doesn’t matter how heartfelt your dream may be. “The goal is the starting point,” says Stacy. “If you don’t believe in the goal you’ve set, and don’t believe you can achieve it, you’re not going to take the risks to get there. At some point, you’ve just got to jump. You just have to let go of everything that has meant security to you and reach for that strength and courage deep down inside.”"

-- James P. Owen

No Short Cuts in Life

"To accomplish anything worthwhile, and especially to achieve a goal others say is impossible, you have to work your ass off. There are no shortcuts. The only way is the hard way."

-- Jeff Haden

Small That Will Amounts To Something Big

"The pursuit of discipline means being disciplined in all things, especially little things. And time—how we spend it, its tiny increments—is something small that actually amounts to something very large." 

-- Ryan Holiday

The Benefits of Doing What You Love

"By doing what you love, you place yourself in an appreciative, opportunity-focused mind-set that allows you to think more creatively, work more  productively, and capitalize on unexpected opportunities. You don’t have to take our word for it. There is a growing body of research that shows how a sense of enjoyment makes people more productive, sociable, and innovative."

-- Ryan Babineaux

No One Else Can Do It For You

“No matter how much guidance or support we have, we are the ones who make the personal decision to reach a goal or change our lives; no one else can do that for us. The engine that drives self-development is self-awareness.”

-- James P. Owen

Just Do You Best Will Do

"We can’t all be gold-medal or Nobel Prize winners, or chief executives or Oscar contenders. What we can all do, however, is our best. Giving up or becoming bitter and frustrated because you can’t be the best denies you the chance to shine in your own way. Just as we should never tell children their efforts are wasted unless they get the top prize, we need to recognize for ourselves that doing the best we can is no less a triumph. We do, however, have to do that – do the very best we can, with full effort and complete focus."

-- Suzie Hayman

Indecision Causes Own Delays

"Each indecision brings its own delays And days are lost lamenting over lost days. What you can do or think you can do, begin it. For boldness has magic, power, and genius in it."

-- Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

German Writer, Artist and Politician

Engaged Your Thought Throughout Your Life

"I roamed the countryside searching for the answers to things I did not understand. Why shells existed on the tops of mountains along with the imprints of coral and plant and seaweed usually found in the sea. Why the thunder lasts a longer time than that which causes it and why immediately on its creation the lightning becomes visible to the eye while thunder requires time to travel . . . These questions and other strange phenomena engaged my thought throughout my life."  

-- Leonardo Da Vinci

Italian Renaissance Painter, Sculptor, Architect and Inventor

How To View Struggle

"When you have the opportunity to learn and serve, you don’t complain about the effort involved. View struggle as a necessary, important, and positive part of your journey so that you can find true peace and personal power.  Don’t bemoan the inevitable hardships of self-improvement and chasing your dreams; have reverence for challenge."

-- Brendon Burchard

Discover Your Gift Whatever It May Be

"We all have different talents, Lexi believes, which means your first job is to discover your gift, whatever it may be. As she observes, “People who do work within their calling have an advantage, because they don’t have to work so much on their skill. They can concentrate on the tough part, which is sitting down and actually composing the music or writing the book. There are a lot of people with ideas. It comes down to the one who’s going to write the screenplay.”"

-- James P. Owen

Focus on The Positive Aspects of Life

 "The most important thing in life is not to avoid what is bad, but to find what is good."

-- Mark Manson 

Essentially, Manson is saying that it's not enough to simply avoid things that are bad or negative in life. Instead, we should focus on actively seeking out the things that are good, positive, and fulfilling.

This idea can be applied to many different areas of life. For example, instead of just trying to avoid negative people, we can actively seek out positive and uplifting relationships. Instead of just trying to avoid unhealthy foods, we can focus on finding and enjoying nutritious and delicious meals.

In essence, Manson is reminding us to focus on the positive aspects of life and actively seek out what makes us happy, rather than just trying to avoid what makes us unhappy.

When You Do What You Planned

"When you savor the small victories, you get to feel good about yourself every day, because you no longer feel compelled to compare the distance between here and there. You don’t have to wait for “someday” to feel good about yourself; if you do what you planned to do today, you’re a winner."

-- Jeff Haden

Prioritize Your Time

"We know how to prioritize our time at work – decide which are the important jobs and do them first. You need to do the same in your private life – decide who needs your time, decide who you would like to give your time to, decide how much time you have, then apportion your time and keep to your plan. If someone low or not on your list calls, say: ‘I can’t talk now; no, sorry, can’t do that – goodbye!’"

-- Suzie Hayman