Sucess Secrets

16. Make an effort to be humorous throughout the day. Not only is
it beneficial from a physical viewpoint but it diffuses tension in
difficult circumstances and creates an excellent atmosphere wherever
you are. It was recently reported that members of the Tauripan tribe of
South America have a ritual where they awake in the middle of the
night to tell each other jokes. Even tribesmen in the deepest sleep
wake to enjoy the laugh and then return to their state of slumber in
seconds.

17. Become a highly disciplined time manager. There are roughly
168 hours in a week. This surely allows plenty of time for achievement
of the many goals we desire to accomplish. Be ruthless with your time.
Set aside a few minutes each morning to plan your day. Plan around
your priorities and focus on not only those tasks which are immediate
but not important (i.e., many telephone calls) but especially on those
which are important but not urgent, for these allow for the greatest
personal and professional development. Important but not immediate
activities are those which produce long-term, sustainable benefits and
include exercise, strategic planning, the development of relationships
and professional education. Never let the things which matter most be
placed in the backseat as compared to those that matter least.
18. Associate only with positive, focused people who you can learn
from and who will not drain your valuable energy with complaining
and uninspiring attitudes. By developing relationships with those
committed to constant improvement and the pursuit of the best that
life has to offer, you will have plenty of company on your path to the
top of whatever mountain you seek to climb.

19. Stephen Hawking, one of the great modern physicists of the
world, is reported to have said that we are on a minor planet of a very
average star located within the outer limits of one of a hundred
thousand million galaxies. Are your problems really significant in light
of this? You walk this Earth for but a short time. Why not become
devoted to having only a wonderful experience. Why not dedicate
yourself to leaving a powerful legacy to the world? Sit down now and
write out a list of all that you have in your life. Start first with your
health or your family - the things we often take for granted. Put down
the country we live in and the food we eat. Do not stop until you have
written down fifty items. Once every few days, go through this list -
you will be uplifted and recognize the richness of your existence.

20. You must have a mission statement in life. This is simply a set of
guiding principles which clearly state where you are going and where
you want to be at the end of your life. A mission statement embodies
your values. It is your personal lighthouse keeping you steadily on the
course of your dreams. Over a period of one month, set a few hours
aside to write down five or ten principles which will govern your life
and which will keep you focused at all times. Examples might be to
consistently serve others, to be a considerate citizen, to become highly
wealthy or to serve as a powerful leader. Whatever the mission
statement of your life, refine it and review it regularly. Then when
something adverse happens or someone tries to pull you off course, you
quickly and precisely return to your chosen path with the full
knowledge that you are moving in the direction that you have
selected.

21. No one can insult or hurt you without your permission. One of
the golden keys to happiness and great success is the way you interpret
events which unfold before you. Highly successful people are master
interpreters. People who have attained greatness have an ability which
they have developed to interpret negative or disempowering events as
positive challenges which will assist them in growing and moving even
farther up the ladder of success. There are no negative experiences
only experiences which aid in your development and toughen your
character so that you may soar to new heights. There are no failures,
only lessons.

22. Take a speed reading course. Reading is a powerful way to gain
many years of experience from a few hours of study. For example, most
biographies reflect the strategies and philosophies of great leaders or
courageous individuals. Read them and model them. Speed reading
will allow you to digest large quantities of material in relatively small
periods of time.

23. Remember people’s names and treat everyone well. This habit,
along with enthusiasm, is one of the great success secrets. Everyone in
this world wears an imaginary button that screams out “I WANT TO
FEEL IMPORTANT AND APPRECIATED!”.

24. Be soft as a flower when it comes to kindness but tough as
thunder when it comes to principle. Be courteous and polite at all
times but never be pushed around. Ensure that you are always treated
with respect.

25. Never discuss your health, wealth and other personal matters
with anyone outside of your immediate family. Be very disciplined in
this regard.

26. Be truthful, patient, persevering, modest and generous.

27. Soak in a warm bath at the end of a long, productive day. Reward
yourself for even the smallest of achievement. Take time out for
renewal of your mind, body and spirit. Soon all your more important
goals will be met and you will move to the next level of peak
performance.

28. Learn the power of breathing and its relationship with your
energy source. The mind is intimately connected with your breathing.
For example, when the mind is agitated, your breathing becomes quick
and shallow. When you are relaxed and focused, your breathing is deep
and calm. By practising deep, abdominal breathing, you will develop a
calm, serene demeanour that will remain cool in the hottest of
circumstances. Remember the rule of the Eastern mountain men: “to
breathe properly is to live properly.”
29. Recognize and cultivate the power of autosuggestion. It works
and is an essential tool in maintaining peak performance. We are all
performers in one way or another and it is particularly valuable to use
such techniques of athletes and public figures for our own
enhancement. If you want to become more enthusiastic, repeat “I am
more enthusiastic today and am improving this trait daily”. Repeat it
over and over. Purchase a legal notepad and write out this mantra 500
times. Do it for three weeks with regular practice and feel that this
quality is developing. Very soon it will come. This is a strategy that
Indian sages have employed for thousands of years to aid their spiritual
and mental development. Do not be discouraged if the results are not
immediate, they will certainly develop. The spoken word is a powerful
influencer of the mind.

30. Maintain a diary to measure your progress and to express your
thoughts. Writing out not only your successes but your troubles is one
of the world’s most effective methods of erasing the worry habit,
staying in optimum state and developing precision of thought.