I Would Give Anything To ?

A couple days ago I was listening to a CD by one of the most successful speakers in the industry. He has been around for many years and is considered one of the greats. He is also considered to be somewhat off the beaten path. As much as he is admired and respected by many, he is judged by just as many. The segment I found most intriguing was one about how others often say to him, "I would give anything to be a successful speaker and author just like you."

His response is, "No you wouldn't. What you want is the end result, but you're probably not willing to do what it takes to achieve the level of success I have achieved." Arrogant? Maybe. Harsh? Perhaps. Truthful? Most definitely.

Anyone who has achieved a relatively high level of success in their industry has probably had the same statement directed to them. "I would give anything to be a successful ________ just like you."

Truth be told, achieving a level of success others will want to emulate is something most people are not willing to make the necessary sacrifices for. Sure, they want the end result, but are they willing to step out from the crowd and do what it takes to achieve their dream? Are they willing to go through the inevitable ups and downs?

Over the years I've had the opportunity to work with some pretty incredible people. Folks who have achieved more than most could only dream of. Individuals who others will look at and think, "I would be willing to do anything to achieve that level of success."

Sadly, that is about as far as many people get with their desire to accomplish what they want out of life. They talk about it, but don't do what is necessary to achieve it. I'm not referring simply to monetary success. I am referring to contribution to community, personal success, physical success, or virtually anything that would signify a complete life.

In last month's column I mentioned the book I am co-authoring. Why Be Different? Success Secrets for Selling the Unsellable is a book about how one can set themselves apart from the competition in such a way that they literally become leaders in their industry. Much of the book will be based on interviews conducted with people from a variety of industries such as real estate, healthcare, accounting, hospitality and more. Being a leader doesn't necessarily mean you are the biggest. It means that you are the one others look to when determining standards of success within an industry.

As I have been gathering information, what I find interesting is some of the similarities with the people we are featuring in the book. Each person has been through some incredible ups and downs on their road to success. Each has gone through experiences that would make someone else quickly throw in the towel. They didn't let the roadblocks stop them; they just kept moving forward in order to reach their goals.

What I find most intriguing is their powerful belief in having a vision of what is possible. All are also very flexible in their approach to life. They knew what they wanted to achieve and if one thing didn't work they tried something else. If that didn't work, they tried yet something else. They kept at it until they achieved their goals. The words "no" and "can't" are almost nonexistent in their vocabulary.

Also evident is their generosity to their community and their clients. Rather than putting a price tag on everything, they often make contributions without expecting anything in return. They do it because it makes others feel good and it is simply the right thing to do.

With each person, a love of what they are doing is essential. Although they work very hard, they have such an incredible passion for what they are doing that when the tough times hit, they are virtually unstoppable. People who are not incredibly passionate about what they are doing give up when they are presented with roadblocks to their success.

Don't just be another person saying, "I'd do anything?" Keep your vision, your passion and jump over your roadblocks.

Copyright: © 2004 by Kathleen Gage

Publishing Guidelines: You may publish my article in your newsletter, on your web site, or in your print publication provided you include The resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated but is not required.

About The Author

Kathleen Gage is a business advisor, keynote speaker, and trainer that helps others gain dominance and visibility within their market. Call 801.619.1514 or e-Mail kathleen@turningpointpresents.com . Get Gage's FREE 4 day online marketing course by visiting www.kathleengage.com.

---

The Curse of Success Geniuses

Don't talk to me about how to succeed! I've read... Read More

The BIG Secret to Success in Anything You Do

There is one big "secret" to success that can help... Read More

The Synchronicity of Success

I love the idea of synchronicity.Perhaps it's just part of... Read More

The Courage To Act

The world is full of people with great intentions. They... Read More

The Winning Edge Theory

One of the greatest challenges people face when trying to... Read More

K.O.R.E. Elements of Success

I want to focus our thoughts on each of these... Read More

Reach Your Goals - Give Yourself A Gold Star

Give yourself a gold star Remember how rewarding it was... Read More

Moving Beyond Self-Sabotage

Self-sabotage is one key factor that keeps our business from... Read More

Success Secrets - What They Taught You About Success Back in 10th Grade

Let me say this to get it out of the... Read More

Hooray, You Failed!

So you vowed to make some changes - develop healthier... Read More

Make The Second Half The Best Half

Something happens when you come to the intersection... Read More

How do Tiger Woods and other Tippy Top World Achievers do it ?

They 'do it' by sharpening their FOCUS on the task... Read More

Conquering Bad Habits

Most of your behavior is determined by your habits. Everything... Read More

Reading-The Best 15 minutes Youll Ever Invest

I recently was made aware of two comparative statistics that... Read More

Be Successful : Take Back Control of Your Life

What would happen if you lived your life by design... Read More

Are You An Expert At What You Do?

One of the most common refrains I hear from people... Read More

Success Lessons From Cricket That Can Improve Your Life

This summer (2005) huge crowds in England and Australia have... Read More

Defining Success

I'll be the first to admit that everyone has his... Read More

Education Leads To A Healthier And Happier Life

Do you feel you lead a healthy and happy life?... Read More

Awaken to Something New in Your Life: Conscious Change

What do we want most from life? Certainly, we all... Read More

If Only, If Only, If Only

Remove these words from your vocabulary!The words "If only ?"... Read More

How to Succeed and Never Fail

So, how can you succeed online without ever experiencing the... Read More

Affirm Your Intentions - Achieve Your Goals

Affirmations are emotionally driven statements of intention and faith that... Read More

The Five ?P?s of Self-Employment

The entrepreneur game is filled with an amazing variety of... Read More

Your Words Have Power

You teach others how to treat you by how you... Read More

Transform Your Fear Into Focus!

The greatest deterrent to success in life is fear. It... Read More

Discover The 90/10 Secret: It Will Change Your Life

The 90/10 secret is incredible! Very few know and apply... Read More

Reach Your Goals - Creative Multi-Tasking

Multi-task goal-completion work with everyday, "have to" activities If you... Read More

Focus and Determination = Success

FOCUSAs you're building your business, you can choose to win... Read More

The First And Inevitable Step To Success

Many people ask me how they can be more successful.The... Read More

Three Key Behaviors That Determine Our Success

Success is a journey and along the way we need... Read More

Success = Prosperity

Material or physical success is often measured by the level... Read More

There is a Technique that can Change Your Life, says Author

Do you feel like your stuck?No matter what you do,... Read More