The first Success Principle I teach is to take 100 percent responsibility for your life. Never has this been more needed than now. Current societal challenges have left many American living in a state of resignation and despair.
It is time to turn this situation around. Each of us has the power within us to create the life we want, the life we dream about, the life we were born to live. Each of us deserves to fulfill our full potential and manifest our true destiny. It is our birthright, but it must be claimed. It must be earned through hard work, and part of that work is first learning and then living by the time-tested and ageless principles that are guaranteed to bring about our desired results.
And you, even as a sole individual, can have a tremendous impact.
Pass Along the Lessons
Most of us did not learn the principles of success in school or at church. Only a few of us learned them at home. Instead, the principles of success have been passed down by mentors, teachers, coaches, and more recently in books, seminars, and audio programs.
As a student of success, you have much wisdom to offer the people in your life. The greatest gift you can give anyone is a gift of empowerment and love. What could be more loving than helping someone you care about get free from their limiting beliefs and ignorance about success, and empowering them to create the life that they truly want from the depths of their soul?
Imagine the Possibilities
What if everyone in your family gave up complaining, took full responsibility for themselves and their lives and started creating the life of their dreams? What if everyone in your company practiced these principles? What if every member of your softball team approached life this way? What if every high school student in America knew these principles and put them into practice in class, on the playing field, and in their social life? What if every man and woman in prison was to learn these valuable principles before they were released back into society? It would be a very different world.
Imagine a world where everyone would take 100% responsibility for their lives and the results they produce or don’t produce. Where everybody would be clear about their visions and their goals. Where nobody would fall victim to the criticism and abuse of others. Where everyone would persevere in the face of hardship and challenge.
Men and women would band together in teams to support each other to become all that they could be. People would ask for what they need and want and feel free to say no to the requests of others when it is not right for them to respond with a yes. People would stop whining and complaining and get on with creating the life that they want. People would tell the truth and listen to each other with compassion because they know that peace, joy, and prosperity would flourish if they did.
In short, the world would work!
Your Contribution Matters
The greatest contribution you can make to the world is to grow in self-awareness, self-realization and the power to manifest your own heartfelt dreams and desires. This is why Mahatma Gandhi advised, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
As you shift, the people around you will notice and be inspired to model your actions. And as they shift, you’ll find that your little world becomes more of the place you dream it to be, full of support, peace and love.
The next greatest thing you can do is to actively facilitate the growth of others. But they are not the only ones who will benefit from your investment of time and energy in taking on the role of teacher.
Passing along your wisdom forces you to clarify your ideas, confront inconsistencies in your own thinking and more closely walk your talk. But most importantly, it requires you to read, study and speak the information over and over again. The resulting repetition reinforces your own learning.
And here’s another major benefit—the more you help other people succeed in life, the more they will want to help you succeed. If you’ve ever wondered why people who teach success strategies are so successful, here’s the answer: Because they have helped so many people get what they want, those they have helped naturally want to return the favor. The same will be true for you.
Help Create a Movement
I envision a world where everyone is inspired to believe in themselves and their abilities and is empowered to reach their full potential and realize all their dreams. I want the Success Principles taught in every school and university and practiced in every small business and large corporation.
I’d love to have you join me in spreading the word and changing the world. If you feel inspired to share the Success Principles with your clients, students, employees and family, I’ve created a study guide that you can use to lead a free Success Principles study group. Click here to download The Success Principles Instructor Manual.
If you’re ready to help us bring the principles to the world in a more structured way, consider joining my Train the Trainer program. Ideal for teachers, speakers, trainers, coaches, consultants, managers, business owners and other leaders, Train the Trainer gives you the chance to work personally with me for a full year. Get full details of my Train the Trainer program here.
If you think you’re too small to have an impact,
try going to bed with a mosquito in the room.
Anita Roddick
Founder of The Body Shop (with 1,980 stores serving
over 77 million customers) and a prominent human rights
activist and environmentalist
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