Want Overnight Success? Buy a Lottery Ticket. Real Success Requires Grit, and Faith in Yourself.
(photo by Katrina Wright on Unsplash)
IT IS YOUR divine right to be successful.
All faith-based readings tell you this, that faith, determination and patience play a very important role in our life. Without applying these three attributes into your daily routine, you may leave yourself open to doubt, procrastination and restlessness and cause you to deviate and lose the game. Success, by definition, may vary from person to person, but, in whatever field you want success, you need to have faith, determination and patience. It can be family success, relationship success, health success, spiritual success, money success, business success — whatever you define as success. That is your watermark. However, to become successful, first you have to faith and belief that you deserve your success.
Missouri is called the "Show Me State" because they want to see physical proof of what is being stated. It's the adage of, "I'll believe it when I see it." Faith, however, goes by the law of, "When I believe it, I will see it."
When you tell someone that you have faith in them, you are basically seeing that individual manifesting whatever you asked of them or what they want for themselves. The word faith is used 23 times in the book of Hebrews. It states that it is by faith that Moses parted the sea, by faith that David bested Goliath, by faith that Rebecca had a child and so on. Therefore, it is by faith that you will become successful in what you want to be successful in.
Determination, persistence, tenacity, grit, willpower, whatever you want to call it, is the next key to success. How determined are you to achieve your success goal? And How are you applying your time and energy towards it?
I ran my first NYC marathon in 1988. It took me nearly five hours to finish, and, as I entered Central Park off Fifth Avenue, I heard a woman say, "Look at that guy in the white tank top, he is determined to make it." I was and I did. How determined you are determines how successful you will be. Knowing that there will be obstacles in your journey and having the determination to successfully overcome those challenges is key. Determination gives you the ability to hold that picture of success to the exclusion of anything else.
Having the determination to do the work needed to be successful is key. Let's suppose that you are in a situation or a circumstance in your life in which the people around you are not supportive. It seems that there is a strong force outside of you wanting you to lose or wanting you to stray from your divine right. It will be your determination, your irrational determination to succeed, beginning to express itself in action, that will repel all negative distractions. Because as faith sees you as a success, determination will get you there.
Patience is the third key to success; you must have patience to achieve your success. Everything in life comes on time, not necessarily on your time, but on time. If you're looking for overnight success, go buy a lottery ticket. However, you may be buying them for years and be disappointed. The Saguaro cactus of Arizona, in its journey, will grow a quarter inch to half an inch in two years. It will grow about three feet in 20-50 years. However, over its lifespan of up to 200 years, it will reach 75 feet or more. Maybe your journey will be like the Saguaro, or it may be more like that of a blade of grass. Most grass seeds will start growing in about 10-14 days, but sometimes it can take up to 30 days. Either way you need to be realistic with your expectations on your journey. You didn't gain weight overnight, so you won't lose it overnight.
Napoleon Hill, the author of Think and Grow Rich, states that most people give up just before they strike it rich. He tells the story of a miner who quits the mine and sells it. The new owner continues the dig and three feet later, he hits gold.
Lack of evidence is not evidence of lack. Keep the faith in what you vision for yourself, be determined to do the things necessary to get you to your vision, and be patient in knowing that it is your divine right to succeed. And it's just three feet away.
The temptation to quit is always the strongest just before you succeed.
Peter Remington is an executive at Houston CityBook and also a business consultant and life coach. For more information on him and his Prepare 4 More, visit here.