One of the primary differences between those who achieve greatness in their lives and those who manage only to “get by” is that successful people learned early in life that they were responsible for their own actions.

No other person can make you successful or keep you from achieving your goals. Taking the initiative means assuming a leadership role, a position that singles you out for praise — and for criticism. When you accept responsibility for your actions, you gain the respect of others and are well on the way to creating your own future.

Act on your own initiative, but be prepared to assume full responsibility for your acts.

Most of us will never know our true capacity for achievement because we never challenge ourselves to perform at our best every day. This truism becomes apparent when you are presented with an opportunity that really interests you.

No matter how busy you may be, somehow you will find the time to pursue it. Conversely, duties that have little appeal for you are easily postponed and eventually forgotten. Busy people are not procrastinators. They know that life, as John David Wright once observed about business, “is like riding a bicycle. Either you keep moving, or you fall down.”

The most effective people have a sense of urgency. They set deadlines and force themselves to establish priorities. Even if your activities don’t usually require strict deadlines, set them for yourself. You will be amazed at how much you can accomplish in a short time — if that’s all the time you have.

If you want a job done promptly and well, get a busy person to do it. The idle one knows too many substitutes and shortcuts.

If you have something you don’t need, give it to someone who needs it. It will come back to you in one way or another.

You know by now how important it is to offer service freely to your community without expecting anything specific in return. You know as well how important the intangible personal benefits of self-respect and inspiration that accompany such action are. But it is also true that by rendering a public service you have an effect on the values in your community.

Your actions are a quiet but steadfast signal to others of the importance of being involved, a sign that success does not require heartless devotion to a cause and a reminder to others of the personal satisfaction you gain from your labor. You will find that you inspire others to similar actions in different areas, creating a ripple effect that extends far beyond what you alone can do. The community in which you live will become a better place, and you will be happier being a part of it.

Do you have a continuous improvement program for your most valuable asset-your mind? Make sure that you spend at least a half hour each day studying, thinking, and planning. Review your long-, intermediate-, and short-term goals, and measure your progress to date. Are you on schedule for their completion? Ask yourself, “What information do I not have that would help me achieve my goals?” Then gather the information you need and get into action. 

The imagination is literally the workshop wherein are fashioned all plans created by man.

If you do not agree with others, please remember you Choice how you handle it?

No one can upset you or make you angry unless you allow them to do so.

When you are involved in a dispute with someone else, it may be the only time doing nothing is better than doing something. There’s a practical reason for this: When you quarrel with others — even if you win the argument — you place a great deal of unnecessary stress upon yourself. It is impossible to maintain a Positive Mental Attitude when you allow negative emotions such as anger or hate to dominate your thoughts.

Instead of arguing with others, try asking nonthreatening questions, such as, “Why do you feel this way? What have I done to make you angry? What can I do to help?” You may find that the entire situation has resulted from a simple misunderstanding that can be quickly rectified. Even if problems are more serious, your positive behavior will go a long way toward helping resolve them.

A Positive Mental Attitude is not developed in a single decision to replace negative thoughts with their positive equivalent. It is a sustained commitment that requires personal discipline, the same kind of discipline that is required to stay in shape and maintain your physical health. It is a commitment that must be reinforced daily, or it is soon forgotten and cast upon the scrap heap of good intentions.

Good intentions may be an appropriate starting point for achievement, but they will go nowhere unless you follow through with action. Many people confuse intentions with achievement; after all, it is the idea that is most important, they reason. In reality, the most mediocre idea acted upon is far more valuable than a flash of genius that resides only in your mind. Developing the habit of action may be difficult at first, but the more you practice it, the easier it becomes.

When you take charge of your fate and determine that you will live positively in every aspect of your life — physical and mental — you will receive an extra benefit. Positive physical conditioning will reinforce your Positive Mental Attitude, and your positive attitude will help you stay in better physical condition.

Your progress in life begins in your own mind and ends in the same place.

Every great accomplishment began with the seed of an idea in the mind of a great person, then was shaped for practical usefulness and finally transformed into reality. Make your mind a fertile ground for ideas through constant study and learning, and condition through constant practice to discipline yourself to follow through on your good ideas.

The most brilliant concept in the world is only a dream unless you take action. Even a mediocre idea that is put into practice is far more valuable than a flash of genius that languishes in a fallow, undisciplined mind.

A better understanding of what you are about — your goals, your dreams, and your aspirations — leads you to a better understanding of those around you. It is critical, therefore, that you be honest with yourself at all times.

The moment you begin to deceive yourself is the beginning of the decline in your character; it is the beginning of a process of rationalization that permits you to justify unacceptable behavior. Make sure you are a person whom you like, a person of sound character. If you don’t like yourself, how can you expect others to like you?

Step back and examine your behavior as logically as possible. Ask yourself, “Am I the kind of person I would like to be with?”

In planning to acquire your share of the riches, let no one influence you to scorn the dreamer.

Those who will not take a chance seldom have one thrust upon them.

Success always involves risk. You must take a chance by investing your time, money, and effort. It pays to be thoughtful and deliberate in your analyses of opportunities, but don’t let timidity hold you back. Because you have worked hard to develop those things you must risk, it is natural for you to place a high value on them. But what good are they if you do not put them to use?

You will recognize opportunity only to the extent that you are willing to consider risking your time, money, and effort. Being confident gives you the courage to face risk and act when opportunity arises. No one on earth is going to force success upon you; you will find it only to the degree that you actively seek it out.

The mind grows only through use, and it atrophies through idleness.

Just as the physical body becomes strong through regular exercise, so does the mind require regular use to remain strong. Make sure that your personal development plan includes plenty of mental stimulation. One of the best ways to develop your imagination and visualization skills is through reading. As you read, your mind translates the words into images that help you better understand the concepts about which you are reading. Become a voracious reader.

Read newspapers, trade magazines, self-help books, and novels; all will contribute to your store of knowledge and to your ability to visualize and more effectively use your imagination.

We have all experience the feeling of someone looking at us and we turn to catch them … how did we do this?  Just like a radio but with thought!

Every human brain is both a broadcasting station and a receiving station for the vibrations of thought.

Whatever the actual science of thought transmissions may be, it is true that if you wish to receive the power contained in the thoughts of others, you must condition your mind to receive those ideas. Listening helps condition your mind to receive valuable information contained in the thoughts of others.

Set aside any preconceived notions you may have about the topic, and listen attentively and nonjudgmentally to what is being said. Focus on the information, not on the speaker. Try to identify key concepts behind the speaker’s words. Train your mind to identify and absorb information that others often miss because their “receivers” are not tuned to the proper frequency.

There is harmony throughout the universe in everything except human relationships.

Our universe is characterized by order and harmony, yet we human beings must constantly struggle to achieve the same characteristics in our relationships. In fact, human beings seem to find it unnatural to cooperate with others.

Successful individuals are those who have learned to swim against the current, to do the things that others refuse to do. They have learned how to work together for the benefit of the entire group.

Achieving harmony in any relationship — business, personal, or professional — requires work. Take comfort in the fact that you’ll accomplish far more working with others than working against them. Demonstrate that you care about all the members of your team.

Please remember….Riches begin in the form of thought!

When you ask another person to do something, it may help both him and you if you tell him what to do, why he should do it, when he should do it, where he should do it, and how he may best do it.

We are all influenced by our background and experience. We perceive instructions in the context of our education, experience, heritage, the culture of our organization, and a number of other variables. Good managers know this, and they make sure that their instructions are clear, concise, and well understood.

They also know that they must walk a fine line between conveying adequate instructions and killing workers’ incentive by not allowing them sufficient latitude to do their jobs. You may strike the right balance between instruction and motivation by encouraging employees to participate in setting objectives for themselves and their teams, by helping them develop plans for achieving their goals, and by making sure that each individual clearly understands the team’s mission and his or her role in achieving it. Suggest that team members check in occasionally to report their progress, then get out of their way and cheer them on to victory.

Faith is the element, the “chemical” which, when mixed with prayer, gives one direct communication with Infinite Intelligence.

The “loneliness at the top” that senior officials often feel comes from the certain knowledge that they alone are responsible for the failure or success of the organization. They may share their authority with associates, but not their responsibility. When a sports franchise suffers a losing season, the general manager and the coaches are held accountable. They, not the individual players, are responsible for the failure of the team; the team merely followed orders. When you become the leader, when you set the course, you must accept responsibility for the outcome.

If you do a job another’s way, he or she must take the responsibility. If you do it your way, you must take the responsibility.

Those who are quick to see their limitations generally are slow in seeing their opportunities.

Movie producer Michael Todd once said, “Being broke is temporary; being poor is a state of mind.” So it is with opportunity. Whether you see opportunities or limitations is entirely within your control. How you view the world is a reflection of your mental attitude.

If you focus on your inadequacies, you will be plagued by fear, doubt, and failure, but when you focus on your strengths, you will find courage, confidence, and success. Self-confidence can replace self-doubt only by deliberate, planned effort. When you start to doubt your capabilities, pause to review your previous accomplishments. Identify every experience that might be helpful to you in your present situation. When you apply the knowledge and wisdom you have accumulated, there are few limitations that you cannot overcome.

Your real courage shows best in the hour of adversity.

Some setbacks are so severe that to give in to them means losing the whole ball game. When he assumed command of the Korean War, Gen. Matthew Ridgeway found his forces pushed far to the south, hard pressed by the invaders. Only a determined decision to hold the lines allowed the American forces to keep from being swept into the sea and to eventually regain all the territory they had lost.

When a defeat strikes, you may not have the time to withdraw and contemplate your mistakes without risking further setbacks. Don’t succumb to paralysis. It is important to know at that moment what it is you truly desire and to act to preserve your resources and your hope. If you crumble utterly, you will take a blow to your self-esteem that will be hard to repair. Instead, stick to your principles, and you will know, at the very least, that you have protected the most important thing you have. Your successes in life will far outnumber your failures.