| The stories of people achieving unusual success | | | | enough. Most seem to just drift along, taking |
| despite all manner of handicaps never fail to capture | | | | circumstances as they come, and perhaps hoping |
| our attention. They're inspirational to be sure. But | | | | from time to time that things will get better. |
| they're much more than that if we study them | | | | I like to compare human beings with ships, as Carlyle |
| closely. The boy whose legs were terribly burned and | | | | used to do. It's estimated that about 95 percent can |
| who was told he'd be lucky to ever walk again | | | | be compared to ships without rudders, subject to |
| becomes a champion track star. The woman blind | | | | every shift of wind and tide. They're helplessly adrift, |
| and deaf from infancy becomes one of the most | | | | and while they fondly hope that they will one day |
| inspirational figures of the century. And the poor | | | | drift into some rich and bustling port, for every |
| children who rise to fame and fortune have nearly | | | | narrow harbor entrance, there are 1,000 miles of |
| become commonplace.In this age of unprecedented | | | | rocky coastline. The chances of their drifting into port |
| immigration, we see examples of people who start | | | | are 1,000 to 1 against them. Our state lottery is a |
| off in this world with virtually nothing and within a | | | | tax on such people. So are the slot machines in Las |
| surprisingly short time have become wonderfully | | | | Vegas and Atlantic City. Someone wins from time to |
| successful.What sets these people apart, people with | | | | time to be sure, but the odds are still there ... |
| vast handicaps such as not knowing the language, | | | | stacked steeply against them.But the 5 percent who |
| not knowing the right people, not having any money? | | | | have taken the time and exercised the discipline to |
| What drives the boy with the burned legs who | | | | climb into the driver's seat of their lives, who've |
| becomes the champion runner or a Helen Keller, blind | | | | decided upon a challenging goal to reach and have |
| and deaf who becomes one of the most inspirational | | | | fully committed themselves to reaching it, sail straight |
| figures of our time? The answer, if fully understood, | | | | and far across the deep oceans of life, reaching one |
| will bring you and me anything and everything we | | | | port after another and accomplishing more in just a |
| truly want, and it's deceptively simple. Perhaps it's too | | | | few years than the rest accomplish in a lifetime.If |
| simple.The people we've talked about here and the | | | | you should visit a ship in port and ask the captain for |
| thousands currently doing the same thing all over the | | | | his next port of call, he'll tell you in a single sentence. |
| world are in possession of something the average | | | | Even though the captain cannot see his port, his |
| person doesn't have. They have goals. They have a | | | | destination for fully 99% of the voyage, he knows |
| burning desire to succeed despite all obstacles and | | | | it's there. And then, barring an unforeseen and highly |
| handicaps. They know exactly what they want; they | | | | unlikely catastrophe, he'll reach it. If someone asks |
| think about it every day of their lives. It gets them | | | | you for your next port of call, your goal, could you |
| up in the morning, and it keeps them giving their very | | | | tell him? Is your goal clean and concise in your mind? |
| best all day long. It's the last thing they think about | | | | Do you have it written down? It's a good idea. We |
| before dropping off to sleep at night. They have a | | | | need reminding, reinforcement. If you can get a |
| vision of exactly what they want to do, and that | | | | picture of your goal and stick it to your bathroom |
| vision carries them over every obstacle.This vision, | | | | mirror, it's an excellent idea to do so. Thousands of |
| this dream, this goal, invisible to all the world except | | | | successful people carry their goals written on a card |
| the person holding it, is responsible for perhaps every | | | | in their wallets or purses.When you ask people what |
| great advance and achievement of humankind. It's | | | | they're working for, chances are they'll answer in |
| the underlying motive for just about everything we | | | | vague generalities. They might say, "Oh, good health |
| see about us. Everything worthwhile achieved by | | | | or happiness or lots of money." That's not good |
| men and women is a dream come true, a goal | | | | enough. Good health should be a universal goal. We all |
| reached. It's been said that what the mind can | | | | want that, and do our best to achieve and maintain |
| conceive and believe, it can achieve.It's the fine | | | | it. Happiness is a byproduct of something else. And |
| building where before there was an empty lot or an | | | | lots of money is much too vague. It might work, but |
| old eyesore. It's the bridge spanning the bay. It's | | | | I think it's better to choose a particular sum of |
| landing on the moon. And it's that little convenience | | | | money. The better, the clearer our goal is defined, |
| store in Midtown Manhattan. It's the lovely home on | | | | the more real it becomes to us, and before long, the |
| a tree-shaded street and the young person accepting | | | | more attainable. |
| the diploma. It's a low golf handicap and a position | | | | Happiness comes from the direction in which we're |
| reached in the world of business. It's a certain income | | | | moving. Children are happier on Christmas morning |
| attained or amount of money invested. What the | | | | before opening their presents than they are |
| mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.We | | | | Christmas afternoon. No matter how wonderful their |
| become what we think about. And when we're | | | | presents may be, it's after Christmas. They'll enjoy |
| possessed by an exciting goal, we reach it. That's | | | | their gifts, to be sure, but we often find them |
| why it's been said, "Be choosy, therefore, of what | | | | querulous and irritable Christmas afternoon. We're |
| you set your heart upon. For if you want it strongly | | | | happier on our way out to dinner than we are on the |
| enough, you'll get it."Americans can have anything | | | | way home. We're happier going on vacation than we |
| they want. The trouble is they don't know what they | | | | are coming home from it. And we're happier moving |
| want. Oh, they want little things. They want a new | | | | toward our goals than even after they've been |
| car; they get it. They want a new refrigerator; they | | | | accomplished, believe it or not.Life plays no favorites. |
| get it. They want a new home and they get it. The | | | | Yet of one thing you may be sure, you will become |
| system never fails for them, but they don't seem to | | | | what you think about. If your thinking is circular and |
| understand that it is a system. Nor that if it'll work | | | | chaotic, your life will reflect that chaos. But if your |
| for a refrigerator or a new car, it will work for | | | | thinking is orderly and clear, if you have a goal that's |
| anything else they want very much, just as well.Goals | | | | important for you to reach, then reach it you will. |
| are the very basis of any success. It is in fact the | | | | One goal at a time. That's important. That's where |
| definition of success. The best definition of success | | | | most people unwittingly make their mistake. They |
| I've ever found goes like this, "Success is the | | | | don't concentrate on a single goal long enough to |
| progressive realization of a worthy goal." Or in some | | | | reach it before they're off on another track, then |
| cases the pursuit of a worthy "ideal." It's a beautiful | | | | another, with the result that they achieve nothing. |
| definition of success. It means that anyone who's on | | | | Nothing but confusion and excuses.By thinking every |
| course toward the fulfillment of a goal is | | | | morning, every night, and as many times during the |
| successful.Now, success doesn't lie in the | | | | day as you can about this exciting single goal you've |
| achievement of a goal, although that's what the | | | | established for yourself, you actually begin moving |
| world considers success; it lies in the journey toward | | | | toward it and bringing it toward you. When you |
| the goal. We're successful as long as we're working | | | | concentrate your thinking, it's like taking a river that's |
| toward something we want to bring about in our | | | | twisting and turning and meandering all over the |
| lives. That's when the human being is at his or her | | | | countryside and putting it into a straight, smooth |
| best. That's what Cervantes meant when he wrote, | | | | channel. Now it has power, direction, economy, |
| "The road is better than the inn." We're at our best | | | | speed.So decide upon your goal. Insist upon it. |
| when we're climbing, thinking, planning, working. When | | | | Demand it! Look at your goal card every morning and |
| we're on the road toward something we want to | | | | night and as many times during the day as you |
| bring about.With our definition, success being the | | | | conveniently can. By so doing, you will insinuate your |
| progressive realization of a worthy goal, we cover all | | | | goal into your subconscious mind. You'll see yourself |
| the bases. The young person working to finish school | | | | as having already attained your goal, and do that |
| is as successful as any person on earth. The person | | | | every day without fail, and it will become a habit |
| working toward a particular position with his or her | | | | before you realize it. A habit that will take you from |
| company is just as successful. If you have a goal | | | | one success to another all the years of your life. For |
| that you find worthy of you as a person, a goal that | | | | that is the secret of success, the door to everything |
| fills you with joy at the thought of it, believe me, | | | | you will ever have or be.You are now and you most |
| you'll reach it. But as you draw near and see that the | | | | certainly will become ... what you think about.Learn |
| goal will soon be achieved, begin to think ahead to | | | | more about Earl Nightingale and his all-time bestselling |
| the next goal you're going to set. It often happens | | | | programs The Strangest Secret and Lead the |
| that a writer halfway through a book will hit upon the | | | | Field.Earl Nightingale co-founded Nightingale Conant an |
| idea for his next one and begin making notes or ideas | | | | audio publishing company and world leader in personal |
| for a title even while he's finishing work on the one in | | | | development with over 2 million loyal customers. |
| progress. That's the way it should be.It's estimated | | | | Other audio books available at Nightingale Conant |
| that about 5% of the population achieves unusual | | | | include authors such as Dr. |
| success. For the rest, average seems to be good | | | | |