But as you work hard and often, how much is too much? And in doing too much, do you really gain greater opportunity or lose ground?

Sometimes, in our enthusiasm to achieve-maybe even enthusiasm to please-we overdo it and ruin  rather than encourage opportunity. Case in point:

Author of Thick Face Black Heat, the Warrior Philosophy for Conquering the Challenges of Business and Life, Chin-ning Chu  speaks of her desire to get a book to print at one point in the text. In meeting the deadline of Feb 15, 1991 she pushed her publisher and herself to the limit. The result? Because all of the media attention was on Desert Storm her book disappeared in the war’s media maelstrom. Chu believes that if she had not rushed, if she had stayed on a steady pace, her book would have been brought to light under much more favorable conditions. Because she did not listen well to her anxious heart, she misinterpreted a need for calm as one for greater action.

In learning, I have often found a point of saturation. I read a lot to obtain insight and knowledge as to greater understanding of the human condition outside of that which I gain from my limited perspective and experience. Infrequently as I seek and discover, I obtain a point where enough is enough. At this point I discover that I have the insight I need for my message, my anxiety to discontinue inquiry a demarcation point of discontinuance.

Sometimes as we seek to achieve we ignore the message our anxiety is attempting to convey. Instead of doing less and accepting conditions we do more and feed the anxiety even moving ourselves to failure. But even in times of failure, we are often better off accepting it than wasting time and effort by pushing to do more to right an alleged wrong.

On several occasions in my attempt to achieve greater prosperity, I’ve chosen a particular path. For example, I’ve taken a job that I thought would tide me over until I was able to move laterally into a position that would allow greater upward mobility. Yet while in this situation, I have been fired from several jobs, often due to no fault of my own. Each time as I’ve remained calm and accepting, I’ve moved into greater opportunities than those I anticipated following my preconceived or more forced, unnatural plan.

Sometimes we do too much out of lack of control, but even through the greatest preparation in regards to success in business and life we can never know it all; there is a point where we must simply trust in the fates.

“Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast. In the pool where you least expect it, will be a fish.”– Ovid

And one must certainly push oneself to find the limits in ourselves, our plans, and life. For it is only in the doing, in having faith that all will ultimately work out that we stretch our intuitive muscle to learn of that which cannot be found in books but only in experience.

“Of course we all have our limits, but how can you possibly find your boundaries unless you explore as far and as wide as you possibly can? I would rather fail in an attempt at something new and uncharted than safely succeed in a repeat of something I have done.”– A.E. Hotchner

Ultimately, success is part tangible, part intangible. The tangible is what which we consciously do in an effort to achieve. The intangible is what we listen for and feel along the way as we adjust for greater if not greatest success.

“Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person we become.”– Jim Rohn

“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.”– Bill Cosby

Here’s to your success.

And therein lies the strength of the power of self-control. In this day-n-age of express-yourself-no-fear-me-firtism, it is difficult if not impossible to get this concept over to people of such a mindset. But self-control is at the root of the establishment of this country. Even in our anthem “America the Beautiful” we here these prophetic words:

But we have not maintained this ideal and it has hurt us as a nation and individually. It is something that has been spoken to again and again over the decades since establishment. Here’s a current message from the pastoral staff at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Medford Oregon that speaks to this verse:

Because of this lack of self-control, even our courts have been affected by it in setting precedents that enable the uncontrolled. In one case, a 79-year-old woman burned herself with coffee that was bought at McDonalds and was awarded $640,000. Applying the principles of comparative negligence, the jury found that McDonald’s was 80% responsible for the incident and the woman was 20% at fault. Though there was a warning on the coffee cup, the jury decided that the warning was neither large enough nor sufficient [emphasis added]. In looking at the statement emphasized, one can see by this precedent where our country is headed. Most would know or be accountable or responsible enough to know that the coffee was hot whether it was 190 degrees (the actual temperature) or 140 degrees (the proposed temperature) and could cause serious pain if not serious burning.

Never before have cases of a similar nature been heard in such great numbers. Now, because of a systemic lack of accountability stemming from a lack of self-control or that which requires one to be “exercising the discipline” thereof, we have more and more become a nation of finger pointers, and those fingers very rarely if ever point backwards.

In the field of self-improvement or self-help, one often hears of overcoming weaknesses and shortcomings. Offense is a big one. Certainly we can all become offended. But the point here is that if you are too easily offended, you will spend a great majority of your time heading nowhere or, worse yet, going backwards as you spin your wheels in anger, resentment, revenge, and spite for those who have done you wrong.

There are different ways in which one may be attacked. Someone could slander or liable your good name, but if your name is good, what’s to worry? Time and time and time again, we find those who speak the loudest about the ills of others eventually shoot themselves down. I can think of two well-known performers whose act was built on attacking the character of others: Dice Clay and Joan Rivers. Their popularity was short lived. This mindset is not healthy to the individual purporting it or to those on the receiving end. It creates much more harm than good in any situation.

I can tell you of several personal experiences where people who desired to besmirch my name were not able to do so only to have it backfire because the people involved knew me or found out who was actually culpable.

If you want to do something with your life, if you want greater self confidence, less anxiety, and greater spirituality, if you want to do good for yourself and others, if you want to move ahead you need to solidify your character to build self confidence and self esteem by not letting others take cheap shots to take you down, waste your time or hold you back from growth and the opportunity to help not only yourself but others to a greater and greater degree as you overcome weaknesses. If you work on yourself, helping yourself to be good, to do good, to help others, to come to the aid of others, to lift and support others, you will create such a solid footing for yourself that those who take shots will not be able to take you down.

“I am rubber, you are glue. Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you.”

It may appear childish, but this motivational phrase actually works well at helping the child build self confidence to know that the source of the bad is not in her and that she is good, but most importantly, that the good in her will shine on to aid her in overcoming challenges or the negative and bad that will stick and stain and drain her of life if she believes in the insult, the lie coming her way. This is certainly not where any of us desire to be: young to old.

In order to not be offended, the majority of the work has to be done on your part. You certainly have to build yourself up in the manor suggested above, but it also takes a concerted personal mental effort to overcome the habit of emotionally attacking the offender as well. We have to think before we act. Emotions are not thoughts, they are habits put in place by years of poor or inadequate thinking / reasoning or even its complete lack. This poor reasoning must be undone by good, healthy productive reasoning, for in most cases if not all these bad habits will persist until we consciously intervene.

We can also seek the help of others by informing family and friends of our new mindset. By doing so, we not only bring them to our aid in overcoming bad habits but we help them to overcome them as well.

May you seek the good, the productive, the positive in all that you do in seeking greater self improvement, personal development and self worth. We are not here seeking perfection, nor should anyone believe that we can go throughout life without being offended, for we all have our weak moments, even the strongest. But we must desire to not find offense, to have the negative bounce off us the majority of time; therefore, we can only get stronger for ourselves and, even more importantly, for the many brothers and sisters who need lifting and strengthening. By doing all that is suggested here, you will gain confidence and improvement through these simple self-help techniques.

Personal growth and development are ongoing and never-ending. Until you’ve perfected yourself, you need to grow. Overcoming the self by making the self bigger than your problem or offender will motivate you, and through this motivation, this self improvement, this overcoming, you will gain greater and greater personal strength and desire to reach out to others to do the same for them. Strength breeding strength breeding strength breeding strength. May the line never be broken.

The power of focus, time management, and a passion for what I’m doing along with a specific goal and vision.

Before I tell you how I did it, let’s get some ideas from other successful time managers to see how to best manage one’s time. A critical component to anyone’s success.

People often spend their time in one of three ways or some combination thereof: their schedule, other people’s schedule, no schedule. Unfortunately, most spend their lives working on no schedule or other people’s schedules. Big mistake.

But if you want to accomplish, and I’m not talking about mere I’d-love-to-play-the-piano-but-not-really-because-I’ll-never-make-the-necessary-sacrifices lip service, but true commitment to accomplishment, it takes discipline, focus and practical applications.

What does that specifically mean? I seldom will merely talk theory, but rather practical application. The collective mind-scape is littered with discarded books of academic theory written by those genius abstract theorists floating above the masses literally and figuratively on their Island of Laputa. Knowledge is great but we need practical, down-to-earth, I can really get things done with this stuff skills and attitude.

Let’s get to the specifics.

Dan Kennedy, tops in his field in coaching and prodding others to market successful, knows how to manage his time. If everyone did what he did, we’d all be uber-successful. He generally works by himself, having one employee who telecommutes several states away. But people are often amazed by how much he gets done. How does he do it?

First of all, he doesn’t have a computer–Internet, email–or a cell phone. Most reading that gulped like I just took away their remote for a week or canceled their Netflix membership; but yes, moderns, it can be done.

Why does he do it? Less distraction. He believes that the easier it is to communicate the more likely people will send a communication when they have something on their mind, ending up sending several messages a day. Kennedy’s belief is that the harder it is to communicate the more likelihood there is that people won’t communicate as frequently.

Kennedy actually has people communicate via fax or mail, forcing people to put more messages in fewer transmissions. Instead of getting a dozen calls or emails a day, he gets one fax or piece of mail with all the messages / questions / concerns listed rather than broken up randomly in several disjointed emails or calls.

Another thing he does is schedule his phone time for just a couple of hours each month with people, set with specific beginning and end times with the end time strictly adhered to.

Ultimately, when he’s working he’s doing just that, working. Go into any office you will see so much time wasted on idle chat, distraction, delay, and general downtime. One of the biggest wastes of any company is time loss. To achieve, you must be able to do what it takes to manage your time.

But what if you aren’t motivated? What if you just can’t get going, get to work? What do you do?

Well, if this happens often, quite your job or fire yourself and do what you’re passionate about, for the most successful often don’t view what they’re doing as work. It’s usually the burned out desk jockey who’s forced himself to believe that he’s’ stuck with his “lame job” and that’s that. Unfortunately, if you aren’t doing something that keeps you awake at night because you just can’t wait to get to it, then not only do I feel sorry for you, but you’re living someone’s lie. Either you or someone else has convinced you that it’s OK to do what’s not the greatest thing on earth, according to your description.

Why is this important in regards to time management? I think you know the answer to that.

But the point I brought up is pivotal to your focus, for if you don’t have a deep passion for what you do, then the chance of achievement, even with the greatest application of time management techniques, will be minimal. If you want to maximize these time saving devices, then first and foremost find what you love to do.

To continue with our examples, a man by the name of Isaac Asimov who was a scientist and writer wrote some 500 books in his lifetime. Yes, 500 books. 500 books over roughly a 50 year span. How did he get this done? Well, according to his suggestions to writers, in a book co-written with his wife, he tells writers to “get rid of distractions: junk mail, television, and “if it’s a nice day outside, well, just close the blinds and get to work.”

Here’s someone who truly knew the gift of industry.

But you’re probably saying to yourself, gee I don’t want to be sequestered away all day writing books that would drive me mad. Of course it would, but if you find that which you’re passionate about, that which you love to do, you will want to do that thing more than anything else, thus enabling your change for not only success but greater success, greater than you’ve probably even imagined.

Finally, how did I write 4 books in 2 years? Yes, certainly, the power of focus, but let’s get into specifics.

When I was writing, sometimes I was writing at home, sometimes I was writing at a college where I taught, but there were always distractions. But so seldom did I give into them that I was able to write, write quickly, and write a lot.

My wife tells me that at times she’ll be talking to me and she swears my brain has transported out of the room leaving my body behind. You need that level of focus and concentration to succeed in this world. That is if you want to reap the joys and benefits of doing so.

But back to practical techniques. When I sit down to write, I always know what I’m going to write, and I generally know how much copy I need to generate before I call it quits. So if the phone rings, a knock comes at the door, a colleague walks into the room and starts shooting the breeze with someone else, what do I do? That’s right, I keep writing. Very seldom if ever do I get out of work mode until I’ve accomplished what I’ve needed to.

Oh, another point of note. While I was writing those 4 books I was also generating dozens of pages of copy for my web page that consisted of time-consuming methods, techniques, survey questions, and a proprietary system of considerable complexity.

How did it get done?

1. Love of work: dedication, passion, commitment
2. Elimination of distractions
3. Objective that consists of specific quantities
4. Known start and stop times and sticking to them
5. Ignoring of distractions if they do arise
6. Having goals: monthly, weekly, daily, hourly
7. And a clear vision of where I am, where I’m going, and when I’ll get there

Here’s to getting things done. Good luck.

The questioning should then follow “Well, who made a particular person, group, or system of beliefs the only option?” Such as in the case of degree accreditation which supposedly ensures an institution’s educational quality, accountability, and public confidence in said institution. Unfortunately, there are 6 private regional accreditors (academically oriented, non-profit) and 52 private National accreditors that are not beholden to any government agency and produce thousands of “graduates” that are still poorly educated and little prepared for the harsh realities of not only the work world but the challenges of life to come.

“It is a known fact that the graduates of many “accredited” universities in the USA are semi-literate students who have studied irrelevant out-dated curriculum. There is awareness by employers and the public of the failure of many accredited universities to live up to their promise” (informed mind dot com).

Here’s another example to support the point I’m making.

In the September 2009 Bill Glazer & Dan Kennedy NO B.S. Marketing Letter , a question is asked by a dentist “How did a bartender become a dental consultant?” Dan Kennedy’s response is “The way a former bartender becomes a dental marketing and business consultant is the same way a high school grad with zero experience becomes owner of an ad agency and goes on to become the highest paid direct-response copywriter in America, as well as a consultant to all kinds of businesses including dental practices and, at one time, a consultant to thousands of chiropractors without ever having been a chiropractor, or a consultant to Fortune 500 companies without ever having been a CEO.”

Personally, I am self-taught and have taught myself to write, play guitar, do standup comedy, teach at the college level, and build products and services for my business venture all with little to no outside help. I’ve read and researched a lot and got a lot of advice and inspiration from those better than me in the various endeavors I’ve taken on, but no degree or certification gave me anything close to what I needed to be successful in any of the above.

There are a lot of misnomers about success and popular thought.

There are often perceived popular notions about how certain sectors of society get along-entertainment, business, academia, and so on-that are not accurate. For instance, in business most not involved think that one must wear a suit, be a type “A” personality, conservative, and formal. Yet there are many successful people in business who who are not what many would perceive to be of the “norm.”

For example, I went to a publishing seminar and listened to one of the most successful publishers who happens to be one of the laziest people I’ve ever met. He doesn’t get up before 10:00 a.m. “Ever,” as he says, and likes to spend the majority of his time, “Just hanging around.”

A couple more examples consist of an Internet Marketer by the name of Frank Kern who likes to wear a Viking helmet and cuss up a storm at seminars. The second is Dan Kennedy who gives “no holds barred” advise, such as he gave to the dentist in the story above who asked the question “How did a bartender become a dental consultant.” Kennedy scolded the dentist by stating “Don’t be a snob. At least bartenders have personalities,” but goes on to give advice and insight that has made him tops in his field of information marketing second to none.

Inaccurate, lazy, sloppy thinking has killed off more careers than any gift or talent can make up for, regardless of how that knowledge was dispensed-even if it was with a large, lumpy grain of salt.

Another factor that kills is the closing of the mind.

If one does not remain open to possibilities and allows the negatives of the world to infect, that person will be fighting the negative influence so much so often that there will be no time for the good or positive he or she needs to become infected with to not only succeed but to be happy and content in life.

I once encountered a woman on a social media site who had stored up considerable negativity and was simply looking for a place to unload. I made a statement that was in no way inflammatory, but she took it the wrong way (her way) and found me at fault. I quickly apologized in an attempt to unruffled her feathers, but to no avail. She ended up deleting me from her communication stream and that was that.

But something she mentioned made me think.

She told me at one point that “You’re full of yourself.” Let me use this as a phrase to support another aspect of failed or faulty thinking.

After hearing this, most would get upset. I did slightly, but did not let it linger, a learned response. Instead I thought, “Well, aren’t most full of themselves’?” And in itself, that’s not a bad thing. Keep in mind that it’s not necessarily a cold world; it’s just that people are feeling the heat to survive and your survival happens to be a distant second to theirs.

To support, consider that when a person gets cut off in traffic the normal response is “Jerk” “Idiot” or some other despairing remark. We are offended. Most rarely think, “Well, he’s having a bad day”–loss of loved one, a job, divorce, dozens of possibilities. But even if the person is just a “Jerk,” what of it? If we get upset at him, it does us no good, for anger is a passion that feeds on itself only worsening in the process. And we are not able to control those around us, so what is the point?

I speak from personal experience as one who’s had to overcome anger, one who used to push people over with my car to jump out and confront the driver. I have learned, once again, how to overcome poor thinking or emotion based response behavior.

We all need to be more aware and realistic of that which goes on around us.

If I was to think being “full of myself” as bad and only took in the criticism at an emotional response level, I would soon be doing so for all slights coming my way, holding onto them never to advance.

Besides, I am “full of myself” and glad for it. I used to be full of others’ opinions, poor thinking, criticism, and such only to end up depressed, suicidal, angry, and unable to do little for myself or live in any considerable positive light. I spent decades believing I was nothing as the darkness enveloped my life. Now that I am “full of myself” (understanding based on constructive, progressive, active thinking), I am the happier for it. And because of this able to be of great benefit to my family, friends, and potentially to the thousands or more I will someday encounter.

Here’s to ignoring the loud and oft wrong majority to discovering the joy of the unexpected and un-ordinary. And here’s to the woman at the seminar who said that making lots of money for little work (working smart not hard) is not “normal,” I say bring it on sister, bring it on.

“There’s always room for improvement, you know–it’s the biggest room in the house.”– Louise Heath Leber

Everyone has to overcome shortcomings or weaknesses to achieve greater happiness. Maybe you’re too easily angered; an excessive procrastinator; you don’t follow through on commitments; are socially inept or can’t relate to people well enough to maintain relationships, a job, or family; can’t commit; can’t finish what you started; you have addictions to alcohol, drugs, video games, collecting, sports, pornography, or any avoidance behavior, on and on and on.

But to overcome weaknesses is difficult. It’s much easier to ignore them or say “Well, that’s just me. That’s who I am.” You can overcome the majority of your major weaknesses or character flaws, but it takes a lot of work and honesty.

“How desperately difficult it is to be honest with oneself. It is much easier to be honest with other people.”– Edward White Benson

“I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.”- Aristotle

“Everyone needs to twelve-step their lives. Don’t simply wait until you’ve got an addiction.” Anonymous

“Procrastination is the fear of success. People procrastinate because they are afraid of the success that they know will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy, carries a responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and live on the “someday I’ll” philosophy.”– Denis Waitley

It is too easy to stay with the status quo. Too easy to put off for tomorrow what will never happen today or ever. But weaknesses must be addressed, for many if not all of these weaknesses are life killers. Life killers in the sense that you deny yourself a greater happiness and joy by not fixing or working on them enough to make significant inroads. Life killers in the sense that you are not only denying yourself but others the benefit of what you have to offer. Bottom line, the more you fix you weaknesses the greater happiness, confidence, and peace of mind you achieve. The greater you achieve in these areas the greater you will achieve in the areas of financial gain, personal satisfaction, and desire to reach out to others. But there is a lot of sacrifice and effort involved. No fast-food, get-rich, learn-it-in-one-day schemes here.

“In order to live free and happily you must sacrifice boredom. It is not always an easy sacrifice.”– Richard Bach

“Self-esteem must be earned! When you dare to dream, dare to follow that dream, dare to suffer through the pain, sacrifice, self-doubts, and friction from the world, you will genuinely impress yourself.”– Dr. Laura Schlessinger

But growth requires getting out of one’s comfort zone and to not only do the difficult but to do the unimaginable. If you are poor of spirit, poor of mind, poor of soul, poor of influence, poor in pocket and poor of experience, you are the only one to blame. Time and time and time and time again I have heard directly and indirectly of the uber-successful their failures: Tony Robbins eating once a day and washing his dishes in the bathtub; Og Mandino, the greatest salesman on earth, losing his family, turning to drink and living on the streets; Dr. Joe Vital living in poverty for over a decade in Dallas, Texas. The many billionaires, millionaires, and lesser-aires all coming from less-than-nothing to rise through the refining fire of dire straits and circumstance having their mortal coil of clay shaped, strengthened and sanctified to not only the betterment of self but to the betterment of the hundreds, thousands, millions they’ve touched.

How many do you want to touch?

If you think you can’t touch many, think again, for in desiring a lesser life, you snuff out the God-given potential to rise and affect the masses, the many, the always and many who need you to overcome yourself for their betterment, a hand lent, a hand reaching down to lift up, only up.

“Great minds have purposes; little minds have wishes. Little minds are subdued by misfortunes; great minds rise above them.”– Washington Irving

“Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.”– The Buddha

“As you grow older, you’ll discover that you have two hands: One for helping yourself, the second for helping others.”- Unknown

But you need to address fear, overcome the self, the self-limiting desire to be comfortable and remain. Only in the remaining do we find despair and lack of hope. It is in the quick not the dead that we find purpose, hope, joy, and desire to touch the masses. The dynamic is in action, growth, it is where life is sanctified and made of great purpose, indeed.

“Only when you’ve worked on yourself long enough can you be of great worth to others. Don’t be selfish by doing nothing, build yourself to the benefit of others.”– Jeffrey P. Brown

“Our lives improve only when we take chances — and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves.”– Walter Anderson

“If you stand up and be counted, from time to time you may get yourself knocked down. But remember this: A man flattened by an opponent can get up again. A man flattened by conformity stays down for good.”– Thomas J. Watson, Jr.

“It all comes down to one very simple choice… Get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’.”– Andy Dufrain, “The Shawshank Redemption”

“Far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory, nor defeat.”– Theodore Roosevelt

“Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.”– Mary Tyler Moore

“Why not go out on a limb? Isn’t that where the fruit is?”– Frank Scully

“A ship in harbor is safe, But that is not what ships are built for.”- unknown

“Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.”– James B. Conant

“If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.”– Mario Andretti

But in order to do well, in order to find your dream, lock your hands about its neck so it doesn’t slip away, focus and dedication is required. You need to be ruthless in taking massive action on a consistent, persistent basis, with your eyes on the prize which resides above the horizon within the great heights of the stars. Work, sacrifice, and boldness of action are not only those things that success are made of but happiness, greatest fulfillment, and joy. Do this and leave mediocrity and your half-empty life behind for those of a lesser heart. You, my friend, have great things to do.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”– Harold Whitman

“Most people are so busy knocking themselves out trying to do everything they think they should do, they never get around to what they want to do.”– Kathleen Winsor

“You’ve achieved success in your field when you don’t know whether what you are doing is work or play.”– Warren Beatty

“Lack of will power has caused more failure than lack of intelligence or ability.”– Flower A. Newhouse

“I never could have done what I have done without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one subject at a time.”– Charles Dickens

“We don’t know who we are until we see what we can do.”– Martha Grimes

“The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.”– Maureen Dowd

You need to build yourself, build your character by not only overcoming weaknesses but finding you strength. For in the monetized world, business coaches speak to building one’s strengths for greater success. Michael Jordan succeeded in basketball and failed at baseball. Einstein succeeded as a theoretical physicist not as a salesman, which he almost became. Certainly to monetize one needs to focus on strengths. But the underlying weaknesses-the many I mentioned above and more-will tear at the foundation of one’s being, and ultimately success, faster than anything else.

“Whenever anyone has offended me, I try to raise my soul so high that the offense cannot reach it.”– Rene Descartes

“How do you know when you’ve built great character? When you can no longer be offended.” Jeffrey P. Brown

“When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.”– African proverb

“With confidence you can reach truly amazing heights; without confidence, even the simplest accomplishments are beyond your grasp.”– Jim Loehr

“Talk to yourself every morning. By looking into those eyes, she or he will tell you everything you need to know. That is, if you’re brave enough to go there.” Jeffrey P. Brown

“The willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life is the source from which self-respect springs.”– Joan Didion

“Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person we become.”– Jim Rohn

This is the age of the entrepreneur, not only for the sake of independence but out of economic necessity. The standard job (just beyond broke) no longer provides for the American dream. Many are losing their homes and their lives along with it. With the death of pensions, social security, and job security (experts estimate employees entering the job market will have upwards of ten career changes before retirement), people as never before are reliant upon themselves to not only provide for the here and now but the retirement of later. And the majority are woefully ill-prepared for the after-job life, most not waking to the calamity of the lack of preparation well into retirement when it is way too late.

Therefore, since so much is reliant upon the individual, it has never been more important to make that individual strong-and that’s YOU. You must overcome your fear of failure, procrastination, being embarrassed, hurt, risk, of even happiness-yes, the fear of success itself-to obtain your ultimate goal. The you you will discover and become as you chip away at the old you to find the wonder, purpose, and potential that lives deep within us all.

God bless.

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”– Herman Cain

“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.”– Joseph Chilton Pearce

“If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative.”– Woody Allen

“However well organized the foundations of life may be, life must always be full of risks.”– Havelock Ellis

“If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not taking risks, and that means you’re not going anywhere. The key is to make mistakes faster than the competition, so you have more changes to learn and win.”– John W. Holt, Jr.

“If you are never scared, embarrassed, or hurt, it means you never take chances.”– Julia Soul

“Progress always involves risk; you can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.”– Frederick Wilcox

“A failure is like fertilizer; it stinks to be sure, but it makes things grow faster in the future.”– Dennis Waitley

People often wonder why God or nature, or whatever your label, allows such pain and suffering. Let us examine this issue with as much honesty and depth as humans of extreme limited insight into the bigger picture can.

First, out of great calamity, even death, come great lessons. And consider that without these negatives, always living in the positive of comfort, what we couldn’t learn. And why else do we come here? If little but our thoughts and impressions have the potential to go with us beyond mortality, then things temporal and temporary (material wealth, prestige, social standing, political achievement, etc.) are short lived and, therefore, not of great consequence or merit. That which lasts, as we speak of great art, then is significant. But even greater than any material or intellectual products or goods that are left behind by individuals, what of that which is longer lasting, of greater merit and worth? If the earth ends, what is left? Once again, it is that of our actions, thoughts, words, and deeds in the positive, or the aura of such, which goes beyond earthly time, a reverberating effect that is eternal.

Inspiring, guiding, uplifting thoughts and ideas are wider reaching and of greater significance than all material, social, and political acquisition gained combined.

And in considering all this, perspective is critical. Most don’t live or think much beyond the moment, and that’s OK. But you do have to keep at the forefront of your mind the critical fact that in an infinitesimally, insignificant period of time of 150 years, all living now will be dead. And considering the millions, billions, trillions of years or eons of time that have and will exist . . . Well, that will put things into perspective, won’t it? But let’s put our feet back down on the currently existing earth.

What we don’t, wont, or will never learn in our comfort is staggering. All life’s great lessons come in the friction of pleasure / pain. It is this ying /yang, the opposition that we find life’s greatest, longest lasting lessons, for if we are always in comfort, always in the womb, we never learn, especially lessons of greatest significance.

As the child moves out of the house, moves out of himself by taking on spouse and family, moves out of his comfort zone taking on more responsibility and trials of growth, only by embracing discomfort does she not only grow but enable the tool of giving, only by breaking free of comfort and the self does she grow for personal betterment and the betterment of family and, potentially, as that growth continues, for all humankind-the greater picture.

It is the soldier in the battlefield who overcomes his prejudice by fighting side by side with his fellowman of difference. It is when life breaks things down to the lowest common denominator-survival–when all things small minded and insignificant disappear (prejudices, bias, difference of socioeconomic class, etc.) that we truly prosper.

It is in the harshness of war that we learn the significance of life. It is in the sting of the parent’s slap that we learn precious principles. It is in the breakup, the loss of employment and health in which we go deeper in our understanding and appreciation for that which we may take for granted and, if growth continues, are humbled and moved to compassion for others in like states.

It is in injury and disease that we build fond appreciation for health so much that it is often the only motivation to better health, beyond anything Jenny Craig can do to help us permanently maintain a good diet.

It is in the dire difficulties of the most challenging job on earth that the parent learns how to teach, to obtain patients, selflessness, or true giving, a priceless lesson in the Charity of Christ.

Time and time and time again, friction, difficulty, trial, pain, even mayhem and death teach us life lessons that are of sure consequence they stay with us through time and eternity, for even though our main goal is to obtain ease, safety, and security it is only in their opposites that we learn lessons of lasting importance.

For it is only in that of great substance and significance-that which is more precious than the priceless stone-that we find those things beyond measure we can use now in this lifetime, to have and to hold, life without end.

Look to the precious. Look beyond the priceless gem or stone to lessons of value and depth that need to be addressed, learned of and from, and then pass them on to as many brothers and sisters as you can.

May we all learn with great abundance those precious lessons of life.