What Sets The Successful Apart?

Often I ask myself this question: Why some people are more successful than others? The answer has always been the same.


Successful people do things that others just don't want to do.


They do more than what is asked of them. They are willing to endure more. They keep going, keep getting up after each knock.


No matter what it is, be it academics, sports or business; the one that stands out is usually if not always, the one that has done more than others.


To do more, you will have to fight fatigue. You will have to ignore the whisper in your head telling you that you have done enough, and a million other things.


To do more you must be willing to give up that Wednesday night pool, Saturday afternoon football ( or soccer as you called in the US) and other activities that gives you pleasure but keeps you trapped in mediocrity.


To do more, is to wage a war on yourself and to never cease battle until you have tasted victory.


One of the greatest sportsmen ever, Edwin Moses, who went unbeaten from 1977 to 1987 in the 400 metre hurdles, a remarkable feat that will certainly will be repeated again, had this to say when asked how he kept winning: " I always had to keep improving my skills in order to remain competitive and keep winning"

Note the word "always" in the quote. Even when he was way ahead of his rivals, Edwin Moses never stopped improving himself.

Being successful demands a certain type of character from you and that is courage. The courage to do more than others. The courage to say no to all that gives you instant gratification. The courage to take it on the chin and keep going on.

If you are serious about being successful, you must be willing to do more than others.

The Last Lecture

"We don't beat the Grim Reaper by living longer, we beat the Reaper by living well and living fully, for the Reaper will come for all of us. The question is what do we do between the time we are born and the time he shows up. It's too late to do all the things that you're gonna kinda get around to."

The quote above is from the late Prof. Randy Pausch.

Listen to this lecture and be inspired.

Lucas Leiva of Liverpool FC.

On 24 May 2011, Lucas Pezzini Leiva  or simply known as Lucas, was Liverpool’s Player of the Season. Now, if you are not a football fan, you may ask what is so special about this. Every season in every club of any professional game, they will be a player that stands above his teammates. But Liverpool FC is no ordinary football club and Lucas is no ordinary footballer.

Signed from Gremio of Brazil on 26 July 2007, he arrived in Liverpool as a 21 year old and the youngest player to be given the Bola de Ouro or Golden Ball as the best player in the Compeonato Brasilero. No mean feat considering legends such Zico, Falcao and Romario are among the winners.

You would expect the best player in the Brazilian football league to easily take the English League by storm. That did not happen. After a fairly average first season with Liverpool, Lucas endured a horrible second season. Repeatedly booed by home fans and heavily criticised by the British media, Lucas’ game dropped, but only temporarily.

He returned to pre-season training 0n 2009/2010, not only more determined but physically tougher. And from that day onwards Lucas has kept on improving and along the way won over Liverpool fans and slayed his critics. Today he is pivotal to his club and country and is tipped to be a future captain of both. Lucas has  come a long way. Here is an article about his journey.

It is not easy when you are 21 years of age and publicly ridiculed. It takes mental toughness and self-confidence to keep believing in yourself and working towards your goals.And if you find yourself in such a situation, remember Lucas.

How To Be Attractive

Being attractive gets a lot of things done for us. It makes us popular, wins us vote, earns us more money. We have more friends. And also attractive people have more sex or at least have more choices.

Being attractive is not about having good looks, though it helps. It is about the ability to attract others to us like magnets. Contrary to what many believe, this is fairly easy.

There is only one thing you need to have. Curiosity.

When we are curious about the world, we are enthusiastic to know more about it. And enthusiasm makes a person glow. Enthusiasm makes a person to be passionate.

People are attracted to those who are enthusiastic and live with passion.

Sounds simple. Why not for the next one week you start getting curious about your world and see the difference it makes.

Live For Today Do Not Worry About Yesterday Or Tomorrow

The story first appeared in MotivateUs.com on 14 December 1998.

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry. Two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.


One of these days is yesterday, with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday. We cannot undo a single act we performed. We cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone!!
The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow, with its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and poor performance. Tomorrow is beyond our immediate control. Tomorrow's sun will rise, whether in splendor or behind a mask of clouds. But it will rise. Until it does we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is yet unborn.
 
This leaves only one day: today.

Any man can fight the battles of just one day. It is when you and I add the burdens of two awful eternities - yesterday and tomorrow, that we break down.
It is not necessarily the experience of today that disturbs one's peace of mind. It is oftentime the bitterness for something which happened yesterday and the dread of what tomorrow may bring.

Let us therefore live one day at a time.

Endurance

Talent is wonderful thing to have, but endurance will make the difference.

Just like in any sports, the top players will more or less have the same amount talent, it is their endurance that will set them apart.

Develop your talents but more importantly, endure,  beat fatigue,overcome boredom, and go for the one extra round.

Don't Go To War Everyday

Are you going to war everyday? Are you fighting hard everyday? Is everything a matter of life and death to you? Do you treat everything with the same seriousness? Is every e-mail, memo, letter, comment, is of the same importance to you?

If you answered yes to any of the above, then you are going to be a spent force sooner rather than later.

Working hard on everything everyday is tiring and consumes our resources in more ways we can see. To enjoy life and work, we must be able to sieve what is important from what is not.

Each of us have different priorities and everyday brings different challenges. Some will be more important than others and demands more from you. Others have lesser importance and a few will be of no value to you. Know the difference and eliminate those things that have no consequences to you. Forget it and focus your energy on the things that will affect you.

Just a Little More

Sometimes when you have done everything that needs to be done and you still cannot see the finishing line, you just have to do a little more.

It is always at the end of a pursuit that we feel like giving up. It is near the top of a mountain that we feel the pain. Don't give up just yet.

Hang in there. Go that extra mile. Even if that little extra can seem a bit too much, you must find the strength within.

Remember that to be more than the crowd, to stand out, you must do more than the crowd. Nature has its way to reward those who persist.

Nourishing and Toxic Living - Part 5 of 5

21. Nourishing : Do I focus on the gratifications and meaningfulness of day-to-day experiences as the essence of living a nourishing life?
or
Toxic: Do I toil without satisfaction, working toward the day when, hopefully, I will "be happy"?

22. Nourishing : Do I center my attention on appreciating what I enjoy in my experience of myself and my world?
or
Toxic: Do I focus on what's lacking or what I find frustrating?

23. Nourishing : Do I accept myself as I am and continue my growth primarily as something I want for myself?
or
Toxic: Do I stand condemned in my own eyes as inadequate and seek to "prove" myself by accomplishments or success?

24. Nourishing : Do I experience my selfishness as an expression of the law of self-preservation?
or
Toxic: Do I believe "selfishness" is a dirty word?

25. Nourishing : Do I accept pain as a normal aspect of living and inevitable aspect of my growth?
or
Toxic: Do I experience pain (anxiety, tension, fearfulness) as something "evil"?

26. Nourishing : Am I aware that pain is often a valuable message directing my attention toward some frustrated need which I am neglecting?
or
Toxic: Do I consider pain as something to be immediately minimized or eliminated in any way possible?

27. Nourishing : Is my behavior a reaction to my experiencing of present reality?
or
Toxic: Do I project my past experience onto the present?

Nourishing and Toxic Living - Part 4 of 5

16. Nourishing : Do I accept myself as I am and decide how I wish to change it all?
or
Toxic : Do I believe I must become a different person in order to live a nourishing , gratifying life?

17. Nourishing : Am I willing to take the risks of reaching out for what I want?
or
Toxic : Am I fearful of rejection that I would rather starve myself emotionally than risked being turned down?

18. Nourishing : Do I experience my feelings and emotions as valuable parts of myself?
or
Toxic : Do I see them as weaknesses to be controlled and suppressed?

19. Nourishing : Am I aware of the changing reality of myself and the world around me?
or
Toxic : Do I rigidly insist on my established attitudes and values as fixed and unchangeable?

19. Nourishing : Do I accept mistakes as an inevitable part of learning?
or
Toxic : When I do something that displeases me do I attack myself with ridicule, disgust or self-punishment?

Nourishing and Toxic Living - Part 3 of 5

11. Nourishing : Do I see life as exciting and stimulating?
or
Toxic : Do I experience myself struggling to stay alive in a jungle of hostile forces?

12. Nourishing : Do I see myself as continuing to grow to the last day of my life?
or
Toxic : Do I create an artificial cutoff and live as if my opportunities for new discoveries and new found joys were over?

13. Nourishing : Do I accept my need for other people as part of my life style?
or
Toxic : Do I "let it all hang out" and if others don't like it, " Who needs them"?

14. Nourishing : Do I experience my conflicts and "problems" as essentially of my own making?
or
Toxic : Do I project these onto other people and blame them for my troubles?

15. Nourishing : Is my behaviour primarily self-regulating and based on my discoveries of what fits me?
or
Toxic : Do I cling to attitudes instilled in me in my childhood which I am afraid to reject?

Nourishing and Toxic Living - Part 2 of 5

6. Nourishing :Do I pay attention to one experience at a time?
or
Toxic : Do I try to do two things at once thereby split my attention into pieces?

7. Nourishing : Do I take for myself the central role of determining my life style?
or
Toxic : Do I give over this function to others?

8. Nourishing : Do I take responsibility for satisfying my own needs?
or
Toxic : Do I try to manipulate other people into doing it for me?

9. Nourishing : Do I take for function as best I can in the here and now of my life?
or
Toxic : Do I cling to the misfortunes and tragedies of my past (real or imagined) and use these as excuses to avoid taking responsibility for myself in the present?

10. Nourishing : Do I take live my personal life as I see fit and take my chances that some people will reject me?
or
Toxic : Do I go through life explaining myself and needing everyone's approval?

Nourishing and Toxic Living- Part 1 of 5

1. Nourishing: Do I take the initiative in doing the best I can to get what I need?
or
Toxic: Do I wait and hope that somehow what I need will be brought to me by someone else?

2. Nourishing : Do I decide what's most important for me?
or
Toxic : Do I allow others to make decisions for me?

3. Nourishing : Do I give up my attempts to control the world and accept life as it is?
or
Toxic : Do I live my life dominated by fears of catastrophe for which I continuously attempt to prepare?

4. Nourishing : Am I willing to take reasonable risks and experiment with new behaviour that might be more satisfying?
0r
Toxic : Do I cling to obsolete behaviour patterns which mainly offer the security of being familiar?

5. Nourishing : Do I focus on what I am doing in the here and now
or
Toxic : Do I usually wander into fantasies of the future or mistakes of the past

What Nebiy Makonnen Did In an Ethiopian Prison

He did not rot, he did not go crazy. He translated Gone With The Wind.

Using smoothed 3000 sheets cigarette foil for paper and reading the smuggled in book for an hour at a time ( the book was shared by 350 men) he took two years to complete.

Folded and put back into cigarette boxes of released prisoners to take them out of prison- he had to spend another two years of travel and inquiry before gathering all 3000 sheets. Finally he was able to publish the translation that Ethiopians read today.

Useful Advice

I found this in my e-mail.

Health: 1.. Drink plenty of water. 2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar. 3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.. 4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy 5. Make time to pray. 6. Play more games 7. Read more books than you did in 2009 . 8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day 9. Sleep for 7 hours. 10.. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile. Personality: 11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. 12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control.. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment. 13. Don't over do. Keep your limits. 14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does. 15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip. 16. Dream more while you are awake 17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.. 18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness. 19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others. 20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present. 21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you. 22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime. 23. Smile and laugh more. 24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree... Society: 25. Call your family often. 26. Each day give something good to others. 27. Forgive everyone for everything.. 28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6. 29. Try to make at least three people smile each day. 30.. What other people think of you is none of your business. 31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch. Life: 32. Do the right thing! 33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful. 34. GOD heals everything. 35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.. 36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. 37. The best is yet to come.. 38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it. 39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Taking Responsibility

If you desire greatness, then responsibility is the price you have to pay.

Read about the great man and woman of past and you will notice one common trait in them. They took responsibility for their actions. Alexander the Great, the greatest conqueror ever lived, took responsibility for his troops and led them to conquer the known world. Napoleon Bonaparte, Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King all took responsibility for their actions. They were great.

If you so desire greatness, then take responsibility for all your actions.

Take responsibility for the way you dress, the food you eat, the company you keep, the job you do, the time you sleep. Take responsibility for all that you say.
Take responsibility of your strength. Accentuate it. Focus on it but don't gloat over it.

Take responsibility for your weakness. Work on improving it. Never blame others. Don't play the victim.

When you take responsibility, you will learn to live. Your confidence will be boosted and taking action will come naturally.

Epictetus once said, "Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens."

If you desire greatness, take responsibility.

Action

Action. No matter what you talk, who you know, how intelligent you are, how good you look and how talented you are; you will never be on top of your game without taking the right action. Act. And act now.

Inspirational Writing #16

Lose this day loitering, 'twill be the same story,tomorrow, and the next more dilatory,
For indecision brings its own delay and days are lost lamenting o'er lost days,
Are you in earnest, seize this very minute, what you can do, or think you can, begin it.
Starting has genius, power and magic in it.
Take one step and the mind grows heated; begin it and the task will be completed.
Since the hardest part is always the start, a task begun is more than half done.

~ Goethe

Mental State

Be aware of your mental state. Failing to do so can cause anguish. Failing to do will make you a victim. Failing to do so can lead you to a life you did not choose.

When you are about to act on something, be aware the state of your mind. Do you really need that dress or is the feel good factor you really desire? When you about to give someone an advice-like what I am doing here- is it because you really care or are you just feeding your ego?

Be aware of the state of mind you are in and you save yourself from many pitfalls. Are you angry at the moment? Then, do not decide on anything now. The same applies when you are euphoric.

And don't react without being aware what is going through your mind. Yes, you need to decide fast but that is what you do. You decide.

Have a good day.

Inspirational Writing #13

Michael's Story ~ Author Unknown

Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, would reply, "If I were any
better, I would be twins!" He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and
asked him,"I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or ... I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I Choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes, it is," Michael said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life."

I reflected on what Michael said. Soon thereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling
some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied.

"If I were anybetter, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be-born daughter," Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or ... I could choose to die. I chose to live."


"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Michael continued,

"...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read "he's a dead man. I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Michael.
"She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes', I replied. The
doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I
took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity.' "

Over their laughter, he said

"I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."

Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each

day has enough trouble of its own." After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.