Jim looked up at his drill sergeant with a gleam in his eye. He had been beaten up both physically and mentally in Officer Candidate School—told he was worthless and didn’t measure up over and over again. He was lower than dirt. Jim smiled from the dusty ground as he completed his last twenty pushups. The sparkle in his eyes revealed the sheer will rising in his stomach. He wouldn’t be broken. Maybe he was nothing but dirt, but he would turn that dust into a tornado of success that would tear through the camp before his time was up.
Sometimes it’s beneficial to be knocked off your pedestal, to find out your shortcomings and look them straight in the eye. Humility will work for you as long as you never, ever give up. The quote from Winston Churchill above takes a mischievous view of how to deal with your humanness. Maybe you look at the talents you have to offer, and you think you’re not that special. That is when you need to let your drive to succeed take over. Take what you’ve been given and make it special. Give everything you’ve got, and that will be enough. You will have what you need to achieve your dreams if you’re willing to give one more big push.
Write in your journal today about how you can go further than you have gone up to this point. What can you do to push harder toward success? How can you go one step further than everyone else? You don’t have to be smarter, funnier, or better looking. All you have to be is willing to go the distance.
DAY
348
“It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help.”
— Author Unknown
Rhonda was a walking, talking résumé. If you had an extra minute, she would surely take the time to bend your ear about her latest triumphs. It was nauseating. People started to avoid her in the halls. What Rhonda didn’t understand was her friends and co-workers really didn’t care how great she thought she was. Her daily recaps of her successes either bored them or made them feel inadequate themselves. They wanted action. They would much rather witness her change the world than hear her talk about it.
Do you share a little of Rhonda’s desire to let people know about your good qualities? It’s a fairly common human trait. We all want recognition for our good deeds. There is a much better way to do it. Shut your mouth and move your feet. Others will undoubtedly discover your successes if you just put one foot in front of the other and accomplish them. Your actions will have an effect on others, and you want it to be a positive one. So get things done, and stop talking about yourself.
Remove yourself from the focus of conversation today. Ask people about what is going on in their lives. Listen to the answers. You may find new opportunities to be helpful and also contribute your unique talents to situations. Your actions will allow others to discover how great you are, not your words. Words are often a waste of time when you are working to achieve your dreams. People don’t need your help to discover your good qualities. They will be obvious when you use them.
DAY
349
“Nobody stands taller than those willing to stand corrected.”
— William Safire
Phil knew where he was going—at least he thought he did. He had taken these back roads millions of times as a young man. Phil’s wife wasn’t so sure his memory was solid. She pulled out their navigation system and punched in the proper coordinates.
“I think you should have turned back there, honey,” Phil’s wife offered as she stared at the glowing screen.
“Nonsense! I know exactly where I am,” Phil replied with a smug grin.
An hour later, they stopped at a gas station to confirm his wife’s suspicions. They should have turned back there.
Do you listen to words of caution as you travel the road to success? When you find out you’ve gone the wrong way, how long does it take you to admit it and turn around? How bad does it have to get before you will ask for help?
There is no shame—no humiliation—in being willing to stand corrected. You do not have all the answers, and that’s just fine. There is a living, breathing encyclopedia of knowledge all around you. Do you willingly absorb new information from people who might know a little more than you? Or does it really bother you to admit you don’t have all the answers?
You will achieve your dreams if you continue to follow the right path. The trick is to remember you don’t always hold the navigation system. You can’t do this alone. Admit when you’ve taken a wrong turn. Seek help. Then you will find the right path again.
DAY
350
“Modesty: the art of encouraging people to find out for themselves how wonderful you are.”
— Anonymous
You don’t have to give up any of your awesomeness to be modest. You are very special! Admit it. It’s true. Just don’t tell everyone else. It is much better if they find out for themselves how wonderful you are.
Your assignment today is to stop trying to convince yourself and others that you’re special. Give up wondering whether or not you’re going to achieve your dreams. You have no way of predicting what your future will hold, and whether or not you think you deserve success is pretty irrelevant, too.
The basic truth is you are already wonderful. The day you were born, the world changed. Now, how are you going to go about showing people how wonderful you are? We’ve already established that lip service won’t do it. The answer is simple. Do wonderful things.
In addition to your long-term goals, find some things to do this week that will immediately help someone else. Demonstrate your unique gifts by putting them to work. Are you a great organizer? Help you brother or sister organize their basement over the weekend if they need (and want) the help. Do you have a friend who is down in the dumps? Surprise them by showing up at their work and taking them to lunch. (Spend the lunchtime listening rather than talking.) Are you a good teacher? Offer to tutor a student in need. Encourage people to find out just how awesome you are through your actions.
DAY
351
“When you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears.”
— Anthony Robbins
Jodi could never get enough. She was always reaching her hand out for more: more money, more food, more friends, more clothes, more interesting opportunities at work, more praise for her accomplishments—she was never satisfied. Jodi spent most of her life wanting and wishing for more, and therefore she was unhappy a lot of the time.
What would happen if Jodi made one small change? Every time she felt that twinge of wanting more, what if she instead stopped and gave a short, silent thank you for what she had at that exact moment? Could that change her attitude?
A simple attitude of gratitude will lead you to a life of abundance. Do you believe that is true? If you don’t, here is your challenge: try it. Every time you find yourself wanting more, stop for a moment and be thankful for what you have. You don’t have to wait until you have the biggest house on the block, three cars, and a huge bank account to feel like you live an abundant life. All you need to do is practice gratitude every day, and a feeling of abundance will follow.