Putting Yourself on the Road to Success

What separates successful people from unsuccessful people, achievers from non-achievers, winners from losers? Are people born that way or do they develop habits as they grow older which determine their stations in life?

It would be fair to say that the answers to these questions are very complex ones. It is a combination of factors which include such things as your country of birth, when you were born, your IQ, your physique, your capacity to remember, your environment, your parents, your friends, your associates, the formal education you receive and the books you read.

Let us look at the things you have no control or little control over and work through to the things that you have absolute control over.

First, you have no say when, where or how you were born or who your parents are. Genetics dictate such things as your IQ, to a large extent your physique and your capacity to remember. However, these things can be improved through training and effort.

As a youngster you also have no control over your environment or the formal education that you receive, but that can also be improved as you grow older and take more control of your life - if you choose.

So, what is left? You might think not much. However, I contend that what is left could very well be the most important determinants of failure versus success. The people you keep company with and the books that you read.

Now, here is the exciting part of it all. They are the two things that you definitely have control over. So I need to ask you two questions:

Are you associating with positive people who are interested in helping you achieve your goals?

Are you educating yourself, on a continuous basis, with appropriate books to improve your knowledge base? There are books available to suit everybody's taste. For those who have an aversion to reading books might I suggest "Rhinoceros Success" by Scott Alexander (ISBN: 0-937382-00-0). It is one of the most amusing "success" books you will ever find. It also contains cartoons complementing the text. It is quite a masterful production written by a very talented writer.

Scott Alexander has written three "Rhinocerotic" volumes. All are eminently readable.

I first read Scott's books some fifteen years ago and have read them several times since. They are always enjoyable and are just as relevant today as when he wrote them way back in 1980.

You cannot change the conditions of your birth but you can take advantage of those things, which are within your control. You can put yourself on the road to success. Just surround yourself with positive people and read, read, read!

[If you like this article and would like to use it on your own website or ezine you may do so ONLY if the article is not changed in any way and the final paragraph: "About the author", with all links intact, is included.]

About the author: Gary Simpson is the author of eight books covering a diverse range of subjects such as self esteem, affirmations, self defense, finance and much more. His articles appear all over the web. Gary's email address is budo@iinet.net.au. Click here to go to his Motivation & Self Esteem for Success website where you can receive his "Zenspirational Thoughts" plus an immediate FREE copy of his highly acclaimed, life-changing e-book "The Power of Choice."

In The News:

---

Hormones: Learning the rules of attraction
Independent, UK - 19 hours ago
What really draws couples together? The mysteries of hormones are only now being unravelled – and giving us fascinating new insights into why we behave the ...

PIRATE: A magnetic attraction to North Carolina's beaches?
StarNewsOnline.com, NC - 10 hours ago
Researchers at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill believe sea turtles use the Earth's magnetic field to find their way back to their birthplace to ...

TVNZ
'Twilight' stokes our immortal attraction to the vampire
New York Daily News, NY - Nov 30, 2008
In this image released by Summit Entertainment, Kristen Stewart, left, and Robert Pattinson are shown in a scene from, "Twilight." 'Mad, bad, and dangerous ...
Life and love eternal Philippine Star
E-mail this page Northern News Services (subscription)
Movie Review - "Twilight" sizzles but squanders dark romance University News (subscription)
Longview Daily News - Times-Standardall 262 news articles

Sunoco becomes local attraction with sign, car
North Fort Myers Neighbor, FL - 12 hours ago
By ANDREA GALABINSKI, nfmneighbor@breezenewspapers.com The Sunoco Gas Station at 14531 N. Cleveland Avenue has become a local attraction of sorts. ...

WNCT
Historic Theater Could be Back in Business
WNCT, NC - 5 hours ago
It’s not much to look at right now but the hope is the run down, boarded up building will once again be a major attraction along Fifth Street in Greenville. ...
Commission votes to buy theater Greenville Daily Reflector
Plans redevelop downtown Greenville Daily Reflector
all 5 news articles

UK Parents Lounge
New Forest Lapland attraction a dismal failure
UK Parents Lounge, UK - 18 hours ago
Instead of paying high-cost flights to the real Lapland, families could travel to the New Forest to see a similar attraction. With tickets costing £25, ...
Santa punched and elves under fire at Lapland attraction Dumfries and Galloway Standard
It's Slapland The Sun
Picture diary by mum at Lapland row attraction Southern Daily Echo
Oxford Mail - Southern Daily Echoall 39 news articles

The rules of attraction
Independent Online, South Africa - 7 hours ago
By Roger Dobson A woman's smile may not be all it seems. When her zygomaticus major cheek muscle moves the upper lip upward and outward to produce that warm ...

Craigie’s now a Main attraction: Harvard Square restaurant moves ...
Cambridge Chronicle, MA - 13 hours ago
By Travis Andersen/Correspondent As word spread that the restaurant offered some of the best French cuisine and ambiance in Cambridge, owner and proprietor ...

Physical attraction
Pune Newsline, India - 5 hours ago
As he opens the door to his elegant office at Bhandarkar Road on a cold morning in Pune, it’s hard to miss Indian cinema’s most popular common man who made ...

My fear and fragility: history of gay attraction
AfterEllen.com - Dec 1, 2008
I'm not sure who I should address this to, or even how to write this. I know that you don't know me, and you've got no reason to give up your time to read ...

attraction - Google News

The Three Pillars of Life

We all have the power to change our lives. What differentiates between those who take the action to change and those who just sit on the sidelines... Read More

True Friends Are Not Dream-Slashers

A friendship poem:Choose friends wisely, the portrait they paintIs who you are and who you ain't.Friendship is life's great supportWhen friends are of the right sort.For all... Read More

How Are You Inventing Your Life Today?

"Organisms do not experience environments, they create them." -- From A Simpler Way, by Margaret WheatleyWalking down Lincoln Avenue in Portsmouth, I am struck by the beauty... Read More

14 Relationship Principles to Live A Successful Relationship

Each relationship combines two individual stories to coauthor a new relationship story. The implicit contracts authored by each party in a relationship become unspoken assumptions that can... Read More

What is the Universal Law of Attraction?

Most of the time, we attract by 'default' rather than by deliberate choice. We just sort of go through our day, focusing on problems that need to... Read More

Can You Change a Man?

Recently, at a public function where I was the Toastmaster, an elegant lady in her early 30s walked up to me and asked: 'Can a woman change... Read More

The Power of Letting What is Be Okay

Have you been in that "black hole?" That is the place that is so dark and keeps sucking you in. It can seem like there is no... Read More

The ?Stand-Out? Principle

Think for a moment about all the people you know that Stand Out from their peers.Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky and Tiger Woods may come to mind. Singers... Read More

Guiltless Contentment

'Have I stopped dreaming?' 'Why am I not as stressed?' 'Why am I not on the 'move' like most people of my age?' Is something really amiss?'Guilt... Read More

Four Disciplines To Getting What You Want

I bet you're like me - you want results now, without having to put in the effort and time to make things change. We want to pray... Read More

Pretending Your Life As You Want It - True Power Series

This is the sixth article in our "True Power" series. If you haven't been following the series, visit The ARTrepreneur to read the foundational material on beliefs... Read More

Are You a Sheep in People Clothing?

Many people, who feel that they are independent and communicate well, are actually sheep in disguise. Are you one of them, how do you tell and how... Read More

8 Powerful Tips to a Magnificent Life

Tip #1. Find your purpose. Finding one's purpose is the key to having a happy and successful life. It all starts here. Find what you are passionate... Read More

Wanderers

How a few people become the worst victims of life's game, or to call it their own fate. How they are compelled to analyze life, wasting most... Read More

What the Samurai Can Teach Us About Self-Improvement

A Seventeenth Century Samurai maxim states:"A man who has attained mastery of an art reveals it in his every action"This saying is one of my personal favorites.... Read More

How To Step Into The Flow Of Abundance

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over shall men give into your bosom. For with the... Read More

Whats the Opposite of Doubt?

The Law of Attraction teaches us that whatever you focus on, you will attract MORE of into your life--whether it's wanted or unwanted. To deliberately attract more... Read More

Visualization: Attracting Your Dreams and Desires

Visualization is an essential tool for attracting your dreams and desires. To manifest in your outer life, your dreams must first manifest inside your mind.Visualization is a... Read More

The Cliché of Balance

The world we are living in is changing at a fast pace. Never before in the history of mankind that change was so enormous and rapid. This... Read More

The Art of Loving & Living

The joy of living is in loving. No doubt, only lovers enjoy life!Live every moment of your life as a love-live affair and create a win-win situation... Read More

The Winning Combo!

What do we all strive for in life? Success! Success is the ultimate destination. Every one of us has the good intentions and capacity to achieve something... Read More

Use Your Vibrations of Energy to Communicate Part 2

"The speed of electromagnetic energy signals is 186,000 miles per second, while the speed of a diffusible chemical is considerably less than one centimeter per second." -Bruce... Read More

Buying the Myth

So much life conditioning inhibits the brilliance that is in you. Are you accessing all that is available to you? As a brilliant coach, as a brilliant... Read More

How To Put An End To Rejection

Rejection is one of the most painful experiences in relationships. Not only rejection from our partner, but also rejection from ourselves. As soon as some feel their... Read More

Are You Living?

Disclaimer: All the thoughts expressed are my views only! Your perception might differ...1. I don't have time to balance my work and life?2. Still I don't get... Read More

Change How You Say It, Change Your Attractiveness

Language, whether it's emerging from our mind, our heart, or our lips, says a lot about ourselves. It tells others what state we're in at the time,... Read More