In every self-help book I read, every seminar I attend or every success guru I talk to, sooner or later they give me “their secrets for success”. I too have been guilty from time to time of advocating my particular success theories, so I shouldn’t really point the finger at anyone else.

The interesting thing I have noticed through the years, is that there are always some common denominators in these lists and always a few areas where one person includes something and the next person doesn’t.

So, if we are looking for the 5 or 10 or even 100, it doesn’t really matter here folks, secrets to success, happiness, wealth, fame, power – whatever – sooner or later we will have to go through a blending process, mixing what we have read or heard with the reality of what we believe, know and have personally experienced.

To say that the secret of wealth is to save 10% of everything you earn to someone who just won the lottery would be pointless. To say to Michael Douglas, that the secret to career success is hard work, staying power and persistence could be a little deceiving. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not implying here that Michael did not work hard and long to get where he is but, that fact that his father was Kirk, didn’t hurt that much.

To say to someone who was always great in sports and grew up next door to Vince Lombardi that, “You will never make it to the pros” could be being just a bit pessimistic. I am not talking here about luck, birth order or under which star you were born. I am just pointing out that to use a single set of rules for success for everyone would be ludicrous.

I could give you dozens more examples, but I would rather share with you what I believe are the twelve that apply to everyone no matter what you last name is, where you were born, how old you are, what your gender is or how lucky you are or are not.

Success is the ability to (in no particular order):

1. Control your thinking.

2. Get up again and again after you have been brought to the floor.

3. Overcome discouragement and disappointment.

4. Be yourself and live life in your own way regardless of what other people think (As long as being yourself doesn’t hurt anyone else.)

5. Keep on learning and growing no matter how old or poor you are.

6. Do something. Try something. Take action.

7. Accept that your life is a gift from God and what you do with it, is your gift to Him.

8. Accept what crosses your life path with grace and gratitude.

9. Maintain an attitude of joy and optimism no matter what is going on in your world.

10. Understand the relationship between life’s price and life’s prize.

11. Understand that success is not your bank balance, address or position.

12. Maintain a high level of integrity in all your relationships and dealings.

My list might not match one you have pasted on your bathroom mirror or one you have memorized since childhood. But, I will bet that if you believe you are successful in your own eyes and the eyes of God that you have all of them to some degree. If not I guess it’s time for another new list.

Tim Connor
http://www.timconnor.com