Five Keys to Success

Every human being, however humble, desires to be successful in life. But not everyone has the know-how. Countless books have been written on the subject, but all that material can be summed up in five simple points. Learn to live by these rules and you will find yourself succeeding in both your personal and professional life.

The first rule is to be proactive. Viktor Frankl, a holocaust survivor, once said that between stimulus and response there is a gap, and in that gap lies all our freedom. Even while he was suffering unspeakable horrors in a concentration camp, the realization that he was in charge of his own destiny forced him to think proactively. He decided he was not merely a puppet, meant to act in a certain pre-destined manner, but a human being fully capable of taking the reins of his own life.

This is the kind of attitude each one of us needs to strive for. When we take charge of our own lives, we get to decide our fate and our experiences in life. And because how we think determines our fate, it is entirely in our hands whether we live in a rose garden or a field of weeds. Our thoughts are what shape the world around us.

With power comes responsibility. Therefore, since we have the power to determine our own fate, we need to be able to accept the responsibility that comes along with it. This is the second rule. Not everything that comes our way is a direct result of our thoughts, but what we allow into our lives is. This filtering might occur on a subconscious level, but the subconscious is merely a deeper level of our active mind and takes its lead from there.

Our behavior is also influenced by our thoughts, and so we need to accept responsibility for that too. And not only our own behavior, but also the behavior we accept in others. If we let others take advantage of us, we have only ourselves to blame.

Good leadership skills are vital to success in any field of life, so developing leadership skills is the third rule we need to incorporate. Each one has their own approach to the art of leadership. But before we can be leaders of others, we need to know how to take charge of our own lives. Having our own personal set of values will help in this endeavor. They will act as a compass in our lives, guiding our every action.

Once we have effectively mapped our own course in life, we need to lead others. This leadership may come in various forms – as parents, bosses, or any other situation we are a part of. The best way to lead is by being an example. Once others see the values we live by, they too will be inspired. But any deviation from these values, however small, will bring our whole image crashing down. Our entire credibility will be lost, because our double standards will seal our fate, negating our ability to lead.

A good leader is one who leads subtly and from the rear. Tao Te Ching got it right when he said that the key to building the same harmony that exists in nature is to win the co-operation of others, not to be aggressive. And this, in essence, is the greatest quality of a good leader.

The most commonly given command in the Bible is “Do not be afraid”. Instead, we should face our fears, and in so doing, drive them away. This is another essential when it comes to being successful. M Night Shymalan’s movie ‘The Village’ is about this very concept – facing our fears. When we do, they just vanish before us and we are free of the hold they had on us.

Anytime we attempt something new or venture out of our comfort zone, fear takes hold of us. This is inevitable. Life continues to move forward and we can choose to either move forward with it and grow, or get left behind and die. Growth and fear are inseparable – a package deal. If we cannot accept the whole package, we are as good as dead.

Our greatest fear is failure. But we should remember that failure is the stepping-stone to success. The life of any truly successful person is fraught with failure. It is in overcoming failure and vanquishing our fears that we can succeed.

Similarly, there is no need to fear other people. Everyone has their own vulnerabilities and attacking someone else may just be their defense mechanism. So be patient with them, and above all, don’t fear them.

Last but not least, never stop learning. Learning is intrinsically linked to success in life. When we learn, we grow. And when we grow, we have a chance at success. Life hands us many opportunities for growth and learning. The tougher the situation we are faced with, the more we are likely to learn from it.

Even difficult people have something to teach us. We can learn more about ourselves from them and from events and situations around us. Above all, we can learn from ourselves: by examining our responses and reflecting on them.

These five simple activities and rules, if they become a part of us, will guarantee success in any part of life. They are the foundation of a life well lived.

I wish you well

Dr Ken

Dr Ken Onu is the CEO and founder of Attract Freedom.

He is an Eye Doctor with a vision to eradicate possibility blindness®

He is a keen speaker, communicator, entrepreneur and author. For Free Videos, pdf's, audios, insights, ideas and free personal development courses and sessions =>http://www.attractfreedom.com/

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