"Take Aim at Your Own Success"

I have saved this old article on my 3.5 floppy disk. It's from this website I used to go to all the time called http://www.youthone.com/. This article is inspirational.

Take Aim at Your Own Success

August 20, 2005

By: Farrah Gray

You have the power. It doesn’t matter if you are whether you are poor or what color you are. It doesn’t matter where you live. You can dream of making money and being successful and you can achieve your dreams. You are the single most important factor that can influence your own success. Your own attitude will determine what you do. It’s not a shortage of brainpower that will affect the outcome, it’s a shortage of hope.

Your belief in yourself is where it all begins. You must put yourself on the path to great success. You can survive and you can solve the problems you will face. You must simply believe that you can become and do anything you set your heart and mind to. There are no limits to what you can do. Anything – and everything –is possible. Your parents may not be able to give you money or connections, but they give you values to live by: pride, respect, hard work, preparation, inspiration, the desire to give back and the strength to never giveup.

Here are some of the ideas and tactics that you can use to put yourself on the path to success:

Plot Your Future. Nothing happens without effort. You must lay the foundation for success. Watch those around you. If the people around you are working hard but not getting ahead, don’t dismiss them as role models. They have a lot to teach you, both about the realities of life and the values that can lead to a better life.

Chose a Name For Yourself. Create a name that represents your future path. Choose the name you want to be known by. Choose your name so that it fulfills your destiny. Never underestimate the power of your name or anyone else’s. There is power in the spoken name.

Stop being critical, down, sarcastic and negative. Get out of the lottery ticket mentality. You can’t buy success with a dollar. Stop saying and thinking “what if.” Start saying and thinking “can do” between you and your friends and family. Eliminate any and allevidence of overwhelming hopelessness from your talk. Tell your friends daily that they are destined for great things. You are the single most important factor that can influence your own success.

Clear the Area. If your life feels like it’s filled with too much stuff, get in touch with the things you can clear out. Do some spring cleaning. If it’s emotional clutter, it could be you are hanging aroundpeople who aren’t contributing to you in a positive way. Negative people are like ticks. They drain your blood and leave you lifeless. Get rid of them.

Focus on what you want. Decide what it is you want and then focus on it like a laser beam. Keep your eye on the prize. Write down your desires and look at them every day until they are branded in your thoughts.Visualize your belief. Create a picture of what you want. Belief begins with a picture of what you want. When you believe, you will see what you have to do.

Never fear rejection. Don’t take no as an answer. Look at it as an opportunity. Learn to do the hustle. Stop watching so much TV. Get off the couch. Get off your butt and get into action. Fear is False Expectations Appearing Real. It is an illusion entirely in your head. You don’t overcome fear, you embrace it and walk through your doubts, knowing you have the capacity to achieve your dreams in spite of your fears.

Never be afraid of your ideas. Don’t be so afraid to talk about your ideas. That’s a loser’s mentality. Correct it! If you’re ashamed of your dream or idea then it’s not worth having. Talk about your ideas. Get feedback. Find supportive people. You don’t have to be a blabbermouth, but you do have to be out there to get anywhere. Never take no as a final answer. Persistence isn’t everything; it’s the only thing. If you are going to be successful in life, you’ll hear no a thousand times. Get used to it and look at no as an opportunity. Success creates confidence.
Remember that the first step is always the hardest. Once you’ve taken it, don’t stop walking-start running. Get out there!

Work and make money. Don’t wait. Taste the sweet smell of success. Work to make money to support your hobbies and so that you can buy personal items. Start a business, work for neighbors, baby sitor mow lawns. Be creative and make things to sell. Experience the thrill of creating something and selling it. Go for it.

Celebrate every day. Be your won biggest supporter. Don’t look for someone else to tell you that you’re doing a great job. Know that you are moving closer to your dreams. Tell yourself, "I’m doing good." It may sound crazy but it works. Pretty soon you’ll find that your inward conversations are powering you to greatness.

Don’t worry if people stare, just keep talking! Real ActionsLay the foundations for success even before you begin to plot your future. Find a mentor. Find a role model. Watch those around you. If you can’t find a role model in your family, then find one in your community. They are there if you look.

Make peace with your family. You may have family members who can lead by example. You may not. Nonetheless, you need to make peace with your family. Let them teach you what to do, and what not to do. Focus on the positive. Identify and congratulate yourself on your positive accomplishments no matter how small. Don’t harp on the negatives. Don’t listen to the negatives. Don’t listen to those who say "you can't." Don’t let the negative people drag you down. Get away from them if you have to.

Hang out with good people. There are always good people who will welcome you and help you. Just keep looking for them until you find them. Don’t give up asking for help. That’s not begging. That’s investing in your future. There are a lot of good people in this world. Find them and put yourself near them. Be your own master teacher. Opportunities are everywhere. You can rise above any circumstance with hard work, integrity, faith and especially persistence.

Say the following out loud three times: Good work, not good luck. Great careers and successful lives start with small ideas. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Keep your eyes open and your mind and body working and be ready to work with the opportunities that come your way. Good work, not good luck. You won’t always hit a home run the first time. But you will never hit a home run if you don’t learn how to swing. You may make only five dollars on their your first job or in your first “business.” But it will probably be the most important five dollars you ever make. Good work, not good luck.

This article comes courtesy of Health Communications,Inc. Farrah Gray is the author of Reallionnaire: NineSteps to Becoming Rich from the Inside Out.