Guide to Successful Living

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to have all the success while others struggle for years and never seem to get anywhere? Are you one of those who always seem to struggle? Everything you lay your hands on does not seem to work? Do you feel like even giving up on your dreams? Below are some hints on how you can become one of those who achieve success. But before I share those hints, I want to tell you deeply from my heart that you can also become a success. Those that are succeeding are human beings like you and I and if they have been successful, you can also be successful. Just take the following tips to heart and act on them.

• Try stepping outside your comfort zone once in a while. Great things come to pass when you make friends with your discomfort zone. It's not going to be easy but if you can do it, it will be worth the effort. Josh Hinds says 'My friend, leaving one's comfort zone is no small chore! Trust me, I've learned this first hand. I can say that the outcome is always worth the effort.

• Don't be afraid to make mistakes. There is an old saying that people who haven't made mistakes haven't made anything. Make mistakes and learn from them. Remember, if you dont make mistakes, you will not grow. It is not the number of times you fall that matters, but how you get up after each fall. After all,'mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life (quote by Sophia Loren).

• Be aware of any negative thoughts you hold about yourself - challenge them, are they really true, if so what is the evidence? Are you giving yourself a hard time? No wonder Jesus siad in the Bible, it is not what goes into man that makes him unclean, but what comes out from him. Buddha (Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.) said: "Be vigilant; guard your mind against negative thoughts."

• Make an effort to try and look on the bright side of things. Purposely find something positive about the issue and focus on that. You can almost always see another side of things. It just depends where your bias is. Monty Python (Creators and stars of the television comedy series Monty Python's Flying Circus.) said: "always look on the bright side of life."

• Read some good uplifting books. But please don't just read, apply the information you have been exposed to. Success lies in the application of knowledge gained.

• Train yourself to finish what you start. Follow through - you owe it to yourself and others. Your worst enemy is procrastination.
“It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. It’s not how you go, its how you land. A hundred-to-one shot, they called him a klutz, He can outrun the favor all he needs is the guts.
“Your final return will not diminish And you can be the cream of the crop. It’s not where you start it’s where you finish And you’re gonna finish on top.”
“It’s Not Where You Start (It’s Where You Finish)” Lyrics by Dorothy Fields

• Focus on the present moment. When you live in the past too much you stop living now, and when you think of the future too much, you give yourself heartache.

• Learn what is important to you in life - is it love? Is it money? Is it your family? What do you love doing? Who/what makes you happy?

• Realize that setbacks and knocks are just a normal part of life. If life were brilliant all the time we would take it for granted and not appreciate it. “Life is a series of experiences, each of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching onward.” (Henry Ford-American industrialist ).“ Anytime you suffer a setback or disappointment, put your head down and plow ahead.”-(Les Brown-American Author and Motivational Speaker).

• Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to attain to your goals.

I hope I have been able to set you on the path of success from what I have shared here. Please reply if you found this post helpful.