People often are attracted to the concept of success, but in reality, few are made from the cloth it takes to endure the extremely tough days and circumstances it takes to actually BECOME a success. Bitcoins were all the rage just a little while ago, and while their value was climbing at astronomical rates, everyone wanted a piece of the action.
Investing in something while it is worthLESS and believing it will become valuable at a later date is very risky and can be quite stressful. But, the reward could be Yuge (Trump) In order to achieve anything of significant value, usually there is a time of doubt and maybe even pain as you wait for your investment to flourish. Don’t be a “WANTrepreneur”––instead, commit to the path and BELIEVE in yourself. The job isn’t going to be easy or cheap. If it were, EVERYONE would be doing it, right? Be ready to work hard––REAL hard––and stay on course despite the urge(s) you will have to abandon ship.
CONCEIVE – this is when we plan in our mind’s eye. Humans are one of the rare beings that can completely visualize things in our heads before we take our first step of action. In order to initiate this process, however, we must think beyond our present reality or what we may perceive as limitations. The greater the challenge, the greater the reward. Don’t be limited by your inability to think creatively; to conceive ideas and plans. This is the beginning of your process. Then you have to put your ideas in action with unwavering faith and confidence as you move forward.
BELIEVE – If you believe in your idea, don’t let anyone or anything deviate you from your path. You’re in good company at this point: that of Christopher Columbus, Steve Jobs, Ted Turner, and many others. But indeed, it requires action. Life lesson #12: “Don’t confuse MOVEMENT for IMPROVEMENT”. Make sure you’re not only taking action, but smart action. Like I said before: “To be ‘outstanding, you have to STAND OUT.” Above average success requires above average effort. Mark Cuban shares a few applicable quotes:
“It’s not about money or connections – it’s the willingness to out-work and out-learn everyone.”
“Work like there is someone working 24 hours a day to take it away from you.”
“It’s not in the dreaming, it’s in the doing.”
If you think sitting around thinking about how awesome your plan is, but don’t take it seriously, then you are doomed to disappointment and possibly failure.
Achieve – You can’t ride the wave of “I’ll get there one day” forever. Set dates, deadlines and goals. As I have said before: “If you don’t write it down you will never fail, but you will also never succeed.” Keep a journal with your ideas that you might revisit later, write down your goals and dreams and hold yourself accountable to them. No one else is going to believe in YOU more than you!
Jeremiah 29:11 is a familiar scripture. “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’”
Sometimes, this verse is taken out of context. While the verse usually provides comforting thoughts to a person seeking patience, advice, or direction in their life changes, it was originally intended for a large group of people: namely; the Israelites. In the verse, the “you” is plural for the whole group. And if you read a little further back, it says AFTER 70 years of exile! Yikes! But really, the message is similar in that only God know the plans for us. Not the devil, not a psychic, and certainly not a fortune cookie. But before the Israelites would enjoy the plans God spoke of, they had to endure a long period of growth and faith. I am sure in those 70 years, many doubted the Promised Land. Think of it: by the end of the time, the vast majority of the people were BORN into the promise of their forefathers. They had to believe as well.
Will Smith said, “The keys to life are running and reading. When you’re running, there’s a little person that talks to you and says, “Oh I’m tired. My lung’s about to pop. I’m so hurt. There’s no way I can possibly continue.” You want to quit. If you learn how to defeat that person when you’re running, you will learn how to not quit when things get hard in your life. For reading: there have been gazillions of people that have lived before all of us. There’s no new problem you could have–with your parents, with school, with a bully. There’s no new problem that someone hasn’t already had and written about it in a book.