The Keys to Your Success

It has often been said that there are no shortpowerful man of the US by the time he was 52.
cuts to success and this is because there are noA lifetime of undeterred struggle paid off for him!
clearly defined roads to success. You need toIt is also believed that Thomas Edison failed
pave your own path in order to reach yourapproximately 10,000 times while he was working
destination. What decides whether you are goingon the light bulb. Where do you think we would be
to achieve success or not is the attitude withtoday if he would let these failures affect him?
which you look at your goal. If you keep waitingHave the courage to overcome obstacles More
for a jackpot to hit you without moving a finger,than anything else what makes or breaks a
you have a long and endless journey ahead. Whatsuccessful endeavor is your mental strength that
makes a man successful is not just a desire toshall help you to overcome all set backs that you
achieve success, but also his persistent andface in your journey. An obstacle can disappoint
unflagging zeal to struggle and overcome everyyou, but do not let it dishearten you. Look at
obstacle that comes his way.each of your failure as a learning experience -
The mantra to achieve success is that we shouldsomething that shall help you to achieve
keep our minds fixed on what we want and notexcellence and brilliance. As the popular proverb
on what we don't want. We should constantlygoes, "A smooth sea never made a skillful
seek new opportunities that are going to help usmariner". In the same manner, a man who has
reach the pinnacle of success that we are lookingfaced hardships in his life will know how to
for. So what exactly is the success that we arebecome more secure than a man who has never
constantly endeavoring to achieve? While on oneseen failure. The budding cartoonist Walt Disney
hand, for some people, success translates intofaced one rejection after another from various
money and fame; for others it simply meansnewspapers at the beginning of his career, but he
having a happy and peaceful life, a happy familynever allowed this to bring him down. Incidentally,
and recognition for one's efforts.it was while working in a mouse infested dingy
The basic thing about success is that it is alittle church house that Disney got inspired and
journey to be undertaken, and not a pre defineddrew the immortal Mickey Mouse cartoon.
destination that we need to arrive at. Once weOprah Winfrey, the famous talk show host is
reach a goal, we need to move on to the nexttoday one of the richest women in the
goal and then again to the next and so on. Weentertainment industry. However, she had to
need definite goals in our lives if we are lookingtravel and rocky and painful path to get where
for ways to succeed as this gives us a sense ofshe is today. Born in the rural Mississippi to a poor
direction.unwed teenaged mother, raped at the age of
How can you measure success? Success is whatnine, Winfrey never gave up striving until she
makes us feel happy and if you are happy withrealized her true potential.
what you have achieved until now, it means thatAchieving the success that you have always
you are progressing in the right direction. For, truedreamt of is not impossible. It is never too late to
success is measured by the feeling of a job wellchange your lifestyle and undertake your journey
done. Whether you are successful is not to betowards excellence. Micky Jagtiani, who flunked
gauged by what your position in life is, but byout of accounting school and took up taxi driving
number of hurdles you have overcome to reachto support his alcoholic habits, went on to
where you are today. The success of a merecompletely change his way of living after he lost
local store owner might be of more value thanhis whole family over the span of a year. Then he
that of a rich landlord because the former had tobegan to establish the humble beginning of the
struggle much harder and had to overcome hugeretail giant called 'Chains' that is now the most
obstacles to get to where he is today.profitable retail group in the Middle East clocking a
Overcoming the stumbling blocks. What we oftennet income of $2.5 billion.
forget while dealing with the loved ones in ourNot being afraid of criticism is an important
lives is that we need to let them fight their ownmantra for success too. When the Wright
battles if we want them to succeed in their lives.Brothers were trying to invent a machine heavier
The butterfly needs to struggle out of its ownthan air, which would fly, the New York Times
cocoon before it is ready to face the challengeseditorial criticized and questioned the concept. The
of its life. However, if it is helped out of itsBrothers however, did not let this demoralize
cocoon, it shall not be able to survive. The samethem and a week later, at Kitty Hawk, they took
principle applies to our lives and thus, in order totheir famous flight.
be strong and successful in our lives, we need toNone of the men who are truly successful has
struggle and face every obstacle that comes ourreached where they are today, without struggling.
way. Parents often end up doing more harm thanThey did not merely 'get lucky'. They strove
good when they try to protect children fromtirelessly, without being disappointed and made
facing the hardships of life.sure that Luck came their way. Indeed as
Think about it, would Abraham Lincoln be theCarnegie said, "the person who gets the farthest
President of the United States of America if heis generally the one who is willing to do and dare."
gave up struggling? The man who failed at almostSo do not be afraid to experiment and do not be
everything he attempted from the age of 21 todisappointed if you fail. For, striving and struggling
the age of 49 went on to become the mostis the key to your success.