Sum of All Habits

Sum of All Habits

“We are what we repeatedly do.”

--Aristotle

One definition of success is the consistent accomplishing of established goals. The goal process can be related to parts of the human body:

• The Head = We see and identify our goal
• The Heart = We visualize and describe our goal with descriptive language to inspire
• The Hands = With our hands we execute the steps toward accomplishing the goal

Goals only become a reality, if they are pursued. Thinking, wishing, and wanting are important, but are not the same as active pursuit. Pursuit is an action word, not a passive word. We have to reach out to pull our goals closer to fruition through our daily actions.

Vince Lombardi, one of NFLs winningest coaches said, “winning is not a ‘some time’ thing, it’s an ‘all the time’ thing. You don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit.” The essence of what Vince said is that the difference between successful and unsuccessful people has everything to do with the habits they have day in and day out.

Your Habits

“I will push you onward or drag you down to failure. I am completely at your command. Half the things you do, you might just as well turn over to me and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed – you must merely be firm with me. Show me exactly how you want something done and, after a few lessons, I will do it automatically. I am the servant of all great men; and alas, of all failures as well. Those who are great, I have made great. Those who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a machine plus the intelligence of a man. You may run me for avprofit or run me for ruin – it makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet. Be easy with me and I will destroy you. You know by now, my friend, that I am your habits.”

-Author Unknown

This unknown author understood that the secret to habits lies not in that we have them, but that we can control the habits we have, if we will only discipline ourselves to create the ones we want.

In the mid-1900s, a very successful life insurance salesperson and executive, Albert E.N. Gray, spelled out the issue in a well known article called, “The Common Denominator of Success.” He stated, “The common denominator of success --- the secret of success of every man who has ever been successful --- lies in the fact that he formed the habit of doing things that failures don’t like to do.”

His observation is profound and timeless. And by the way, the things that the failures don’t like to do…well, they are the same things that successful people don’t like to do, too. It is just that successful people have learned that to achieve you must do them.

High achievement depends on a belief system which involves forming the habit of doing those things we don’t like to do. Before launching any new goal or major project, look for those things that you don’t want to do. Make a list and commit to taking the first step by tackling at least one of the things you don’t like to do. It is amazing, the power that ensues when we move and take the first step. In fact, most people in life are paralyzed simply at the beginning and they never initiate. Form the habit of doing it NOW! Don’t hesitate, once you have your steps figured out, take action.

I am reminded of a movie director calling out, “Lights, Camera, Action!” Shine a light on your goal, map out some first steps, identify what you don’t want to do, and take Action to do those dreaded things first!

High achievers know that by doing things they don’t like now, they will soon be able to do the things they want to do – when they want to do them. High achievers know they must proactively form good habits. If they don’t, our human nature is destined to unconsciously form bad habits.

We form habits, but habits form our futures. Your choice is that you get to choose what habits you will have!

Don't Quit!

Are you having a rough day?

I just bought a new plaque for my office. I think it has an inspiring message:

Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When you're feeling low and the stress is high,

And you want to smile but you have to sigh,

When worries are getting you down a bit...

By all means pray - and don't you quit.

Success is failure turned inside out,

God's hidden gift in the clouds of doubt.

You never can tell how close you are -

It may be near when it seems so far.

So trust in the Lord when you're hardest hit...

It's when things go wrong that you must not quit!

Author Unknown

Acres of Diamonds

Where do you find success?

I heard a story recently about this farmer who had a beautiful farm; a spacious ranch house, large barn, well-planted fields, manicured yard, blooming flower gardens, a long tree-lined drive and decorative fences. A preacher, who was new to the area, was passing by and he pulled over to admire the farm. He waived at the hard working farmer. The preacher commented to the farmer, “God has really blessed you with a beautiful farm.” The farmer paused for a moment, glancing at the farm, and he said, “Yes, God certainly has blessed me… but you should have seen this farm when He had it all to himself.”

A lot of us go through our whole lives chasing after success, but never finding it. We constantly believe the grass is greener in somebody else’s life. We feel that others were just born with the goods or that they don’t have the problems we have or perhaps they are just lucky.

I don’t believe any of this. I believe God has gifted all of us with unique talents and abilities to succeed in life. But, it is up to us to cultivate excellence in these traits, so that we can serve others. Ultimately, that is why we are here…to serve each other.

In 1843, a man named Russell Conwell was born. After only a few weeks in attendance at Yale College, he joined Lincoln’s Army to fight in the Civil War. When he returned to civilian life, he studied hard and earned a law degree and became a licensed lawyer. He also developed his skills at writing and ended up working as a reporter for a couple of different newspapers in Boston. He even earned assignment to go on a round-the-world journey as a correspondent.

At age 36, Conwell was consulted about legally disposing of an old run-down church in nearby Lexington. With optimistic sympathy, he told the congregation that their church need not be sold, but could and should be rebuilt. One thing led to another and Conwell ended up leading the effort to rebuild the church. Not only that, but he left his law career to be ordained as the minister of the rebuilt church. Shortly, thereafter, he was approached by some young men in the church who wanted to pursue studies to go in the ministry, but they could not afford college. Russell began teaching them classes on his own during the evenings and he caught a vision of having a college for bright young students who were less fortunate, as far as income.

Russell went on the road with his vision and during his lifetime, he gave over 6000 speeches raising several million dollars. Thus, Temple University was born. His famous speech “Acres of Diamonds” soon made him America’s foremost public speaker. The Acres of Diamonds story comes from the trip Conwell took, while on his round-the-world assignment with the newspaper. In Africa, a guide told of a farmer, Ali Hafed, who was allured by the legends a local priest told of men who searched and found lands with acres of diamonds. The farmer was mystified by the appeal of growing instantly rich beyond a person’s wildest imagination. So, he sold his farm and went off on his pursuit of diamonds. His journey took him many miles across high mountains, sultry jungles and stifling deserts, into far off lands. He looked and looked, but never found the diamond laced fields he sought. His youth and money disappeared with the passing of time. He was far away from home and having lost everything, despondent, he took his life by throwing himself into a river and he drowned.

Meanwhile, back on Ali Hafed’s farm, the new owner had been walking by a stream that ran through the farm. He noticed a large glimmering stone in the water and he picked it up. The stone was interesting and beautiful, so he placed it on his mantle at the house. Later, a visitor noticed the stone and asked the farmer if he knew what it was. The farmer said that he just thought it was a pretty stone, perhaps a crystal of some type. The visitor informed the farmer that it was probably the largest diamond he had ever seen. The farmer couldn’t believe it. He took the visitor out to his stream, which was lined with many such stones. As the story goes, it turns out that Ali Hafed’s farm was sitting on the largest diamond mine in history and he never even knew it!

This story forever affected Russell Conwell. To some, this story was just another interesting tale. But, to Conwell this story had a very profound message. It said, “Your diamonds are not in far-away mountains or in distant seas; they are in your own back yard, if you will but dig for them.” Let me say that again, “Your diamonds are not in far-away mountains or in distant seas; they are in your own back yard, if you will but dig for them.”

Russell Conwell served as pastor for 43 years, he was a well known lecturer, he was author of 40 books, he wrote church hymns and college songs, and he founded Samaritan Hospital (now Temple University). Through his great vision and extraordinary efforts, his life can truly be described as a success.

Back to my original question, where do YOU find success? I contend that we each need to identify those areas where we are gifted. We need to work hard to be excellent in those areas, reading, studying, and training, in order to develop rewarding service to others. If we will but increase our service to others, the world can’t help but return rewards to us. This is the great law of sowing and reaping. We need to get busy working on each of our own fields.

And the next time you think the grass looks greener in someone else’s field, just remember, it is probably because their field is receiving better care.

Lessons from Bill Gates

I just received an e-mail that copied me on 11 rules of life that Bill Gates, yes the Microsoft Bill Gates, gave to a graduating class of high school students. He said they did not and will not learn these in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept has set them up for failure in the real world. Here are the rules:

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parent's fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Thank You Mr. Gates.