The extent of success is also variable and once again dependent on factors that this article will examine.  The most important thing to remember is that there is something behind success that brings it to fruition.  While that may seem obvious, what isn’t always so apparent is that the something is actually within you.       

Success doesn’t happen by accident.  You need to plan for your success.  Dream of it in detail and imagine how it will look, feel, taste and smell.  See yourself living in that new house, driving that nice car or taking that overseas holiday you’ve always wished for.  With this vision created, you then need to follow it with an action plan.  This is the definition of goals and become the pathway to your final destination.

A strong sense of purpose will be the overall compass that guides you toward success.  Your purpose must be clearly defined in your mind but you can actually go a step beyond that.  Telling others about it will create a greater sense of urgency to achieve and less excuse for failure.    

Think about what inspires you.  What is it that drives you to persevere, improve and achieve?  When these things have been identified you can use them as inspiration for your thoughts and actions…to fuel your success.  Good things come to those who wait and the most important thing is that you enjoy the journey.  Be thankful that you’ve been given the opportunity and embrace the challenges that it offers.       

Deciding you are going to be successful requires dedication and hard work.  It may even mean enduring some discomfort.  The pathway isn’t likely to be smooth and wide.  If it was, then everyone would be on it and if it was that easy, would it really be that special?  The only place where success comes before work is the dictionary.  It takes time and your dream will be tested along the way. 

It takes courage and conviction to undertake some things in life but I am always inspired by this quote from former US president Theodore Roosevelt: “Far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though chequered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory, nor defeat.”  In other words, it reminds us that if nothing is ventured, surely nothing will ever be gained. 

Learning is a critical element to your success.  Ongoing education will enable you to keep developing and improving.  Never be too proud to learn in whatever way you can.  Choose your mentors carefully and model yourself on their success.  Read what they write, listen to what they say and watch what they do.  Emulate their strategies and learn from the mistakes they’ve already made.  Learn from your own mistakes also and in time, you’ll begin to see results from your endeavours.

Networking and interacting with others is very important.  If you’re working online, it may be inconvenient or take you beyond your comfort zone but it’s a key to getting ahead.  Don’t restrict your learning to people though.  If you encounter an exciting or innovative marketing strategy, try it in your own business.  It may be just what you require to gain the momentum you’re striving for.

Always bear in mind that success is a process.  An interesting debate is if you were given a million dollars, would you be a millionaire?  Leading motivational speaker, philosopher & entrepreneur Jim Rohn once said “After you become a millionaire, you can give all of your money away because what’s important is not the million dollars; what’s important is the person you have become in the process of becoming a millionaire”. 

Life is a grindstone.  Whether it wears you down or polishes you up, depends on what you are made of.  In other words, lessons learnt through life experience and your ongoing attitude are more important in defining your ‘success’ than the material rewards that result from it.  These are the qualities that will keep you at the top once you get there.      

As success comes, let yourself enjoy it.  Many people chase an elusive dream and never find it.  They get frustrated and downhearted in their increasingly aimless quest.  To enjoy success you must appreciate it but that sense of appreciation actually begins with what you already have.  All too often, we take this for granted and complain we don’t have more.  Take a moment to cherish what is yours.  Be grateful for all you have and remember that many in the world will never have what you do now.

It doesn’t really matter how long ‘success’ will take because it’s a journey without a schedule.  It may happen in a few months or it may take a few years.  The wisdom of Jim Rohn has taught us that the process is just as important as the result.  That is what will ultimately make us successful.  The money or material things are simply a consequence of that.  A million dollars can still be your dream but it’s who we are that defines us just as much as what we have.

In summary, keep in mind what other successful people have done:

-  They have a dream and decide to follow it

-  They boldly act on that vision and make a plan

-  They learn from, network and interact with others

-  They work hard with a strong sense of purpose

-  They embrace the opportunity and challenges it offers

-  They appreciate what they have as much as what they gain

A genuine opportunity and a positive attitude is a powerful combination that will drive you toward success.  The personal growth that you’ll experience along the way will be what enables you to keep succeeding.  Having achieved many of my own goals, I now want to enlighten and inspire you to begin their own journey.  I want you to enjoy the wonderful feeling of success, in the knowledge that you’ve earned and deserve it. 

“The secret of success is constancy to purpose.”

Benjamin Franklin

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About the Author:
My Money Fish – Over 3000 digital products for only $9.95: http://www.newcashconcept.com
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“Oh, I could use that!” they’ll say wistfully.

Usually they tell me a bit about their story. And it usually follows a familiar pattern, one of several scenarios that I realize so many of us are confronted with past the age of 40.

Is one of these your story too?

•           Your children have grown and left home, leaving a vacuum where your sense of purpose used to be.

•           Your marriage has ended, and you’re wondering if there’s life after divorce.

•           You lost your “secure” employment and don’t know where to turn, or who to be.

•           You’re stressed and bored at your job and hope there’s more to life.

•           You’re facing retirement and dread the emptiness.

•           You’ve had a brush with illness, and are feeling a renewed commitment to how to use your precious time.

•           You’ve put everyone else’s needs ahead of your own and you’re questioning if it’s too late to live YOUR life, to put YOUR work out into the world.

•           You had a vision once to create something beautiful and meaningful with your life, and that vision is haunting you now.

Whatever the reason, if you’re like the women I speak to, you’re feeling adrift and wondering where your purpose and joy have gone, and how to find them. You know you’re capable of SO much more – but what exactly that looks like may be eluding you.

You probably always wanted to make a difference in the world, but decided to do something “practical” instead. So many of us were put on the “practical” track in our youth, and convinced to give up our idealistic or creative aspirations.

But the dreams you put in a drawer long ago are now calling for your attention again. You may have been considered a dreamer in your youth, but maybe those dreams are exactly what the world needs now!

Maybe you’re one of those people with so many talents that you’ve never been able to choose what to focus on, and you’ve always felt like there was something wrong with you. But now you may be ready to combine your gifts into an original form of expression that the world has never seen before! You won’t know till you try!

What would blooming look like?

What can you expect to experience when you do take steps to transform your life?

When aligned with your purpose, your energy will be released and you may feel greater vitality than you have in along time. You will also find yourself in a larger psychological space. It’s as though you’ve been living in a small room and suddenly the walls have become farther apart or even opened altogether, and you’re outside, in a field of possibility.

You will notice synchronicities happening and opportunities “miraculously” arising. You will feel more creative and playful. It can even feel like you’re falling in love – with your own potential!

Every path does require effort and patience, but these will come more easily to you because you will feel more alive and excited about your vision. Above all, you will know that your timing is perfect – that you’re right on time! And that what you want to create is not only possible, but has been waiting for you!

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About the Author:
Is this your time to bloom? Are you ready to start fully blooming? Free 3-part Audio Series – Blooming at MidLife offered by Midlife Empowerment Coach, Tomar Levine.
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A couple of years back, I was unhappy in my job and was searching for a sense of purpose in life. I longed to do something that was more meaningful, fulfilling and rewarding. One day, whilst looking for inspiration online, I discovered some of Wayne Dyer’s audio material. He was talking about living with ‘a sense of purpose, a sense of mission’, and I was very taken with his message that it is possible to do what you love for a living. Over the course of the next year or so, I listened to a lot of his material, and I became convinced that doing what you love and making a living at it was not only possible; to do anythinhg else was an insult to the universe. Hopefully I can convince you of the same with this article.

I have always loved music and I started to play the guitar when I was sixteen. I loved it and soon had a reputation for being the best guitarist in town. I would sit for hours and work out songs on the guitar, something for which I had a real talent. However, I had never really thought about playing the guitar for a living and ended up taking the ‘sensible’ and ‘realisitic’ route into a job that, despite paying well, left me unfulfilled and frustrated. We are often told that our passions are alright ‘as a hobby’ but that they won’t pay the bills and family members are often the worst for doing this. But Wayne Dyer really helped me to undo a lot of this societal brainwashing and I got to thinking about how I could get paid to sit and play the guitar all day instead of working for the man. After a period of reflection, I hit on the idea of making videos to teach the stuff I enjoyed working out so much on the guitar and selling them online.

So, I set to work. It wasn’t easy. I came up against a lot of skepticism and discouragement from family and friends. I didn’t know the first thing about setting up a website and I had no capital whatsover. In fact, I was in quite a lot of debt. Nonetheless, I was determined to succeed and I just started putting one foot in front of the other and finding out how it was all done. I started making the video lessons in my spare time, got a website going all by myself and although I have had a million and one hurdles along the way, the site is now making enough money to live from and I get so much encouragement from my students that I know I am following the right path. Now, I get up when I want and spend the day doing what I love and more money keeps rolling in. If I can do it so can you.

If you really want to do something, then with enough determination, hard-work and persistence, you’re going to make things happen. There is no other way it can be. If you can believe in yourself, even during times when you seem to be getting absolutely nowhere, and keep the dream alive, you will be able to do what you love for a living. If you can ignore the skepticism and discouragement of family and friends who sit around making excuses all day and trying to sully your plans, you are going to succeed. End of story.

Take a look at my website with its video guitar lessons

http://www.mattsguitarlessons.co.uk
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There are some things within our power that will help us accomplish these goals.

What are some benefits of happiness that could encourage you to work towards it even more?

• Health 
• Self Confidence 
• A sense of Purpose 
• More Productivity 
• Achieve Your Goals
• Weight Loss

Funny thing is that the above list also works in reverse. If you are healthy, self confident and all the rest listed, than you will most likely be happier. Sometimes happiness is staring us right in the face.

Here are some ways that you can create happiness in your life.

Exercise: It appears that exercising comes up a lot when we are speaking about improving various things in our lives. It has been shown to improve mood by making us healthier and increasing endorphins.

Foods & Diet: Eating chocolate is probably more of a pleasure than sustained happiness, even though it can provide us with a short-lived boost.

A healthy diet though is vital for our health and happiness. Too much sugar and junk foods are provisional emotional boosters. In the long run these problem foods will degrade us physically as well as emotionally.

Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, including raw veggies. Cut back on unhealthy foods and don’t “Super Size” it.

Supplements: If you are not receiving all of your nutrients in your diet then you may want to supplement by taking vitamins.

There are some specific supplements that target your mood. You could discuss these with your health practitioner.

Music: Music can bring miracles to your mood. Go ahead and listen to something upbeat and happy.

Rewards: Happiness comes from rewards as well. They can be simple things. You find a great bargain on something you been wanting. Maybe someone offers you a simple item of interest. You do a task and are complimented on it by someone else or yourself. Even finding a coin on the sidewalk can give you a “Reward” feeling that can bring happiness to you.

The greatest reward can come from giving a compliment to someone or saying a kind word.

Gratitude: Be grateful for what you have. This simple statement can make a giant difference in your life! Everyday think of everything you have. The enormous things, and the little things. Are you living in a cardboard box? No. Then be very grateful. Yes? Be grateful for the cardboard box.

Have gratitude for friends and family, the home you live in, the food you eat. Isn’t it great having air to breath, freedom to go where you want. Don’t take these for granted but have gratitude and give thanks.

Love: Well Love can clearly bring happiness. Love for your spouse, friends, neighbors and strangers. Give Love and you will receive Love. Learn to Love Yourself. Let’s all remember that when we interact with others.

Enjoyment: Do what you enjoy. This could be a hobby or going for a walk in the park. If you do things that you like it’s bound to bring happiness.

Forgiveness: Try a bit harder to say kind words to others. Place yourself in the other’s person place for a moment. Sure there are some people that act so mean and hateful. Remember you only hurt yourself when you return meanness or hold resentment and anger inside.

Help Others: Find ways to make others happy. You may be surprised that by willingly helping others to find joy can have a positive impact on you as well. Help others to find meaning in life. Keep them company.

Build Self Confidence: Do your work the best you can. Learn new skills. Find meaning in your career and life. Enjoy a new hobby or game. You can boost your self-confidence by learning new and enjoyable things. Raise your self-confidence and you raise your happiness.

Happiness can make you smarter! Is it really surprising that positive attracts positive? If you do these things you will increase your happiness.

What is the most important thing to you? Is it money, a fancy car or a mansion, maybe your health? What about happiness?

Well let’s think a moment….

If you have happiness, all the happiness you want or need, would that be the most important thing to you?

What good is money or the rest without happiness? If you are truly happy you won’t need to worry about the rest. If you require money to be happy then you will have it. Maybe the saying, “Money Can’t Buy Happiness”, should be “Happiness Can Produce Money”.

Try to release all anger and negative emotions. You can accomplish this easier once you realize you are only hurting yourself and other loved ones around you. Sure it will take regular practice. You may struggle with this, but it can become second nature after awhile.

It’s up to you. Do you want to be negative and unhappy or positive and learn to be happier? You can start now by adding positive attributes to your life. Be good, smile and put on a happy face!