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