This may all seem very obvious, childish, and a little trivial to you, but do you follow the same pattern in your adult life? When something doesn’t work out the way you planned, do you note it, share your discovery with others so that they don’t make the same mistake, and then change your tactics?
Many of us don’t. Instead, we complain, blame someone else, or maybe even try to hide the whole glass of milk with the broccoli in it rather than fixing the problem. When we become adults, we have a funny way of complicating simple situations. Today, your task is to simplify your decisions. Get back to the basics. If something doesn’t work, fix it. Don’t worry about what others will think of your failure. Just find a better solution. Act like a child today. Be direct in finding solutions to your problems. Your ego might not want to follow the correct route, but the path is usually clear. The route to success is undeviating. Stop trying to complicate it with detours to save face.
DAY
102
“It is OK to fail, but it is not OK to give up.”
— Kate, Age 8
Failure is no big deal. You will do it thousands of times in your life. What you cannot do is give up. Evidently, Kate learned this lesson at the ripe old age of eight. She is a bright girl. Many of us are still working on this one.
One of the most important attitudes for you to change if you truly want to achieve success is the desire to quit when you’re behind. The most successful people in history failed numerous times, but the one thing they did not do is quit. They never gave up. On Day 93 you learned that failure actually teaches success. You must have that ingredient in the mix if you want to achieve your dreams. Failure is not an option; it’s a given.
What you cannot ever, ever do is give up. You cannot take your ball and go home when you’re losing the game. If you do, then all is lost. If you stick around even if the other team is creaming you, your luck might change. You have to stay in the game, no matter what, or you have zero chance for success.
Every time you want to quit and give up on your dreams, think about Kate’s simple advice. It’s not okay to give up. It’s perfectly fine to fail and have setbacks and even look like an idiot sometimes. It’s not okay to throw in the towel and surrender.
Read Kate’s words of wisdom out loud over and over like a mantra. Then find a quiet corner somewhere and close your eyes. Breathe deeply and let your mind roll over Kate’s words. Sit there quietly for as long as you have time. It might be five minutes or an hour. Feel the power inside you grow as you resolve to never give up.
DAY
103
“It’s good to receive compliments, and it’s even better to give them.”
— Aaron, Age 17
Aaron reminds us of another very important ingredient of success: kindness to others. You know how great it feels when someone gives you a compliment. When was the last time you gave one out? Are you stingy with praise?
Write in your journal today about how often you give out compliments to people. As you know, it is worthless to give meaningless compliments. You must be sincere. How many times this week have you given someone sincere praise? Do you remember how the person reacted when you gave them a compliment? How did you feel when you were able to brighten someone else’s day? Imagine the ripple effect that occurs when you throw a positive pebble into the pond by complimenting someone.
You don’t have to be stingy with praise. There’s plenty of it to go around. Don’t worry, you won’t run out. Find the good in people today, and let them know that you appreciate them in your life. It would be a pretty lonely world without them.
The second part of your assignment is to also spend some time writing about how good you feel when you receive compliments. What does that do to your self-esteem? How does it improve your overall day? How does it change your perception of the person who gave you the compliment? Now, remember that you have the power to make someone else feel that way. What a gift! It’s priceless, but it doesn’t cost a penny.
Give the gift of praise every day. Remember Aaron’s advice. It’s good to receive compliments, and it’s even better to give them.
DAY
104
“Enthusiasm spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.”
— Norman Vincent Peale
This is just great. It’s not enough that you have to do stuff for other people, but now you have to turn into some kind of manic cheerleader in order to achieve success? What will be next, motivational speaking? Evangelism?
You will be exploring enthusiasm for the next few days, but have no fear. You don’t have to get out the pom-poms and hop up and down like a crazy person. Enthusiasm is a little different than that.
Let’s start with a definition of the word. Enthusiasm originally meant inspiration or being in the presence of a god. Today, having enthusiasm is defined as; being excited, motivated, having an active or lively interest in something, or a certain intensity of feeling. Enthusiasm does not have to reach the point of fanaticism. It is a heightened interest.
Think about the successful people you know. They do have a sort of intensity, don’t they? That’s why they stick out from the crowd. They are fueled to accomplish great things, because they are extremely interested in what they are doing, and they believe in their work. They are inspired.
How can you cultivate your own enthusiasm? It’s not an easy thing to fake without looking completely insane. The key to finding enthusiasm is discovering what you love to do. What excites you? What do you do really well? You can’t be enthusiastic about something that barely interests you. Find your passions and pursue them. Your assignment is to write down what excites you or motivates you. What are you enthusiastic about today?
DAY
105
“Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
What possesses some people to make heroic efforts and accomplish what no one thought possible? How do they get the strength and stamina to perform such valiant deeds? The spark is enthusiasm.
Harriet Tubman was born a slave in Maryland in 1820. She worked as a house servant as a child and in fields when she reached her teen years. Even though Harriet Tubman was a slave, she knew deep inside that she was destined to do great things. She escaped her plantation and ran away to the north in 1849, and it was then that her destiny started to be revealed. Harriet Tubman did not stay in the safety of the northern region of the United States. Instead, she risked her life and returned to the south over and over again to help other slaves escape. She was an integral part of the Underground Railroad, which was a series of safe houses where slaves could stay on their journey to freedom.
Her enthusiasm for the antislavery movement gave her the power to succeed in extremely dangerous situations. Among hundreds of other slaves, she helped her seventy-year-old parents escape and was even a spy for the north during the Civil War. Harriet Tubman had an intense belief in freedom, and that sparked her effort to achieve the impossible. Her enthusiasm helped her to become a stunning success.