An Overview to the only Five Factors which Guarantee Success
Today, for a bit of the whimsy I'be been promising you, I came across this the other day and feel the need to share it. I found it with no author, my research tells me the author is a Mr. Tom Likes, if anyone can shed any clearer light, please email me at alibrown@alib.ws . Judging from the flavour I would venture to guess it was written in much "simpler" times, early 1900's perhaps. Times when values were more defined than we find in our society today, but the philosophy is still sound. Enjoy. While there is no quiz at the end, this is document well worth a bit of study.
AliB
http://alib.ws
An Overview to the only Five Factors which Guarantee Success
Are you aware that there are really only five factors that will guarantee your success?
A star will lead you!
And never take you into wandering byways!
It's a five pointed star.
It dares you to be free, to do what you most want to do, to lead others, to render service, to demand justice!
It's the star of attainment.
It leads with certainty to a real pot of pure gold!
—Brown Landone
“OH, don't talk to me about how to succeed! I've read success advice and books and articles. They're all -----"
"No good?"
"Good? They're too good! Why, when I've read just what to do to succeed, I go down to the office ready to tell the president to get out, so that I may show the world what real success is."
"Those books inspire me! They wind me up like an alarm clock all set for success. They make me dream Rocke-Morgan-Van-der-Gould dreams —and then each Friday, I wake up at the pay window for my five little five spots! "
"But," I interrupted, "you know that dreaming of success is not enough. Men succeed cause they do something—do it in a big way."
"Oh, I've read that 'do something' advice," he replied a little irritably, "but— let me tell you—there's something left out! And, I don't believe that very successful men know just how they succeed."
"They're geniuses, and geniuses can do things without knowing how they do them."
"For instance, I can't play the piano, but my ten year old sister is a musical genius. She can play any tune she hears. She can play anything I whistle! But she don't know HOW she does it, and she can't tell me how she does it!"
"I am certain that these very successful men are success geniuses, and so, isn't it true that they can succeed without knowing just how they do it?"
What George said made me think: "there's something left out . . . sister is a musical genius . . . she can play anything I whistle—but she don't know how she does it, and she can't tell me how she does it."
Gazing into my grate fire, I forgot that George was there. My thoughts ran on. I remembered several people I had known— each an especially gifted genius, who was able to do some one thing astoundingly well without knowing how he did it.
Geniuses are rare.
In degree of capacity, they differ from the rest of us, and so, perhaps, eminently successful men — success geniuses — are able to succeed without being conscious of how they do it.
"Well," said George, "wake up; I can see by your eyes, you've got an idea. What is it?"
"George," I replied, "You've made me think. You're right! There's something left out! You need to know the process of succeeding, and the means to be used. But, first you need to know which factors determine success."
"I've been thinking of the advice which the most successful men have given us. They think that the factors which determine success are hard work, enthusiasm, honesty, persistency, and so forth. These are valuable assets, but they are not the determining factors.
"Knowledge, for instance, is a valuable asset, but it does not determine success— for there are thousands of men of knowledge who fail. Being industrious is a valuable asset, but not a determining factor — for thousands of industrious workers fail to become successful men. We must discover the determining factors first. Then, we'll know the factors which will always insure success—which will always make success certain."
The above conversation took place four years ago. The young man was well known to me. He was earnest, faithful, a good worker, intelligent, ambitious—but he was not succeeding.
He was then twenty-one years old, and was earning a few dollars a week.
Four years later he was earning thousands!
How did he do it? First, we collected and classified those factors which eminently successful men considered essential. These we gathered from talks with big men, from personal letters, from printed interviews, and from books. Thus, we had before us the ideas of thirty-one of the big men of our country.
Although their ideas differ, yet certain factors are listed by each of these men; and seventeen qualities are mentioned more than twenty times. They are: health, good appearance, hard work, enthusiasm, industry, persistence, sincerity, earnestness, self-confidence, concentration, determination, honesty, good memory, self-control,
tact, patience, and imagination.
These qualities are not determinants of success. They do not guarantee success. Of course, they are important. They are valuable assets, but not determining factors. For instance, a man must "work hard" to succeed, but "hard work" does not always bring success.
Health: I know a man in perfect physical health; he has strong muscles and the strength of two ordinary men; his complexion is clean; his skin is ruddy; his eyes are clear. Yet, he is a failure—his wife supports him. I know another man, who has been in poor health for twenty years. He is an eminently successful man. Health is a valuable asset, but it is not
a determining factor of success.
Good Appearance: I know a man with the bearing of a Royal Prince splendid shoulders, pleasing manners, and attractive smile. He looks you directly in the eye. He resides at Sing Sing.
Enthusiasm, Industry, Persistence, Sincerity, Self-Confidence: I know a man who spent a year trying to collect money to publish certain literature to be distributed among the boys in the trenches. He wished to convince the soldiers that they should worship the Lord on
Saturday instead of Sunday. He was enthusiastic, persistent, sincere, earnest, and self-confident. He was not a success.
Concentration, Determination, Honesty: There is a certain man who concentrates so intently on his work that he often forgets to eat and sleep; he's determined to win, and he is absolutely honest. He has been working seven years to invent a shirt which will not wear out, and which need not be washed. His honesty, concentration, and determination have not made him successful. He is in an asylum in Pennsylvania.
Memory, Self-Control, Tact, Patience: I know a man who remembers the names of hundreds of people; he never confuses one with another. He has self-control, tact, and infinite patience. He has not succeeded greatly. He is the footman who opens the doors of the limousines of the women who shop at a certain department store.
Imagination: I know of a girl, who for ten years ran a machine in a shoe factory. When I once questioned her of what she thought each day during her work, she replied, " Oh, I just start the machine a-goin' and then I imagine I'm one of them duchesses I read about in the novels.''
Since many character factors are helpful assets, but not the determining factors, what are the personal factors which make success certain?
To succeed greatly, you must:
(1) climb up from under the limitations of circumstances and conditions; and
(2) do something in such a way that you overcome a leader in rendering service and securing just compensation for your service.
Read that again! It suggests the personal factors which will make your effort successful. It also suggests the process of succeeding, and the means of carrying out the process.
The determining factors are:
(1) freeing yourself of hindering circumstances and conditions;
(2) doing something;
(3) being a leader in what you do;
(4) rendering service to others; and
(5) securing just compensation for the service.
Previously, I had believed that success depended on determination, enthusiasm, hard work, et cetera. These are essential in succeeding, but they are not determinants of success.
So it is in determining success. Hard work, honesty, enthusiasm, et cetera, are valuable assets—you cannot succeed without them. But, they do not determine your success. Hence, my discovery of the five determining factors was a great revelation to me, and it is most important in the attainment of success.
So, also, I was astounded, when I worked out the process of succeeding, and the means to be used. I found that the process usually employed may succeed now and then, but that it does not make success certain. And, I found that the means, which is the least used, is
the most efficient.
To begin the change which will lead you to success, consecrate yourself to the use of the five determinants of success.
If you dare to free yourself from hindering circumstances, if you do something in such a way that you make yourself a leader in your work, if your work is of service to others, if you dare to secure just compensation for your work —then you ARE a success!
Let us commit:
FREEDOM—the daring to overcome the limitations of circumstances and conditions, and express yourself—is the first determining factor.
ACTION—doing something, not merely thinking about it, or dreaming of it, or wishing for it—is the second.
LEADERSHIP—doing your work better, or more rapidly, or more efficiently, or , more effectively than others would do it— is the third.
SERVICE—doing your work in such a way that it renders service to others, and then, in addition, giving service—is the fourth.
JUSTICE—the art of securing just compensation for the services you render, by the way you deal with people, and by the means you use in doing so —is the final determining factor which guarantees success!
God created earth, and it was an empty void. But, when He thought "dry land, seas, grass, herbs, fruit trees, fish of the sea, fowls of the air, and all living creatures "— then, His earth became an actuality! When you vaguely think, " I desire those things which will fulfill the aim of life," your earth remains empty and void. But, when you vividly think, "I want that little cottage, with a pine tree and grass in front, daffodils near the hedge, a little wife to love, a curly haired youngster to romp with me when I come home— then, the divine urge within you compels you to create actuality!
—BROWN LANDONE
posted by AchieveItNow @ 10:29 PM
0 comments
