Tempt yourself to succeed

At some level, we are always giving in to temptation. Even the most willful, disciplined action results from giving in to the notion that we should take that action. Every action is preceded by some kind of an influence.

Some people may be tempted to drink too much. Others are tempted, for whatever reason, to stay sober. Some are tempted to seek empty pleasure. Others are tempted to take advantage of every opportunity in which they can make a creative, positive contribution.

You cannot avoid being influenced. What you can do is to make sure that influence is positive, and focused in the direction of your life’s goals. You’re always giving in to some kind of temptation. So tempt yourself to succeed. Keep yourself focused on what you want to achieve and why. Constantly visualize, in rich detail, the life you wish to live and the things you plan to accomplish. Make sure that your own temptation to succeed is stronger than all the other temptations which come your way.

Build up and give in to your own positive temptation for success and fulfillment.

Nourish the seed of greatness

How can you possibly expect to find joy and fulfillment in this day, this moment, this life, if you do not give to it your very best?

In each and every person is a special seed of greatness. When that unique seed takes root and begins to flourish, what a grand thing it can be!

If someone gave you a check for one million dollars, would you deposit it in your bank account? Of course you would. You wouldn’t destroy it, or forget about it, or put it away in the file cabinet. Your talents, abilities, interests, passions and all the other things that make you uniquely you, are worth far more than any amount of money. What a shame it would be if they were not fully used.

You have your own special gifts. Bring them out, make the most of them, and they will fill your life with abundance. Live the life that is you. Do the things that your heart is calling you to do. Find a way. Refuse to settle for a lesser rendition of life.

Make the most of what you have, give the best that you can give. Life can be magnificent when you choose to truly participate.

Decide in advance

Compared to all the other days in your life, how will today be? Will it be better, worse, or about the same? What could you do, as you go through the day, that would make this the best day you’ve ever experienced? What would make it the worst?

Most people assume that they won’t really know how today will be, until it is over. That is a mistaken assumption. Because it is not external events which determine the quality of your experience. You determine the quality of your experience.

The next sales call you make can be your very best ever. The next round of golf you play can be better than any you’ve ever played before -- if you decide in advance that it will be, and take the steps under your control which will make it so. Look realistically at where you are right now. Then challenge yourself to identify and execute the specific steps which will improve your experience.

If you operate under the assumption that life will just happen to you, you’ll most certainly be disappointed in the results. Decide in advance what will make it a great day, then live it!

Think and be

Think of being calm and peaceful. Consider how you would sit, how you would speak. Now, how do you feel? Calm and peaceful.

Think of being confident. Imagine yourself speaking with total confidence in your voice, making decisions, acting with certainty. See yourself as completely confident. Now, how do you feel? Confident.

Think of being happy. In your mind, surround yourself with those things which bring you the most happiness. Recall a time, a place, a person that made you happy. Now, how do you feel? Happy!

You can go anywhere in your mind. You can be anything in your mind. Think about it, and it becomes real for you. Think about it with enough passion, with enough commitment, and it becomes reality.

Sequence

You know what you need to do, but you never seem to get it all done. Perhaps it’s because you’re not putting things in sequence.

Just having a list of things to do is not enough. You must also decide in what order you will get everything done. Something must be done first, and then something else after that, and so on. Without a specific sequence, it is too easy to put things off until “later."

How do you determine the sequence? Certainly you want to make sure the most important tasks are near the top of the list. Many people also find it helpful to do the least desirable things at the beginning of the day. And of course your appointments and commitments to others will also determine your schedule. Beyond that, even an arbitrary sequence is much more effective than no sequence at all.

Sequencing your tasks strengthens your commitment to getting them done. Success comes from taking one step at a time. The more clearly and specifically 

More than a wish

Each one of us has plenty of ability, and we use it every minute to effectively fulfill our desires. The trouble is, too often our strongest desires are for another piece of chocolate cake, or to see the 5th re-run of a favorite television show.

The life you are living right now is the fulfillment of your past desires. Look around you. Are you satisfied with what you see?

A desire is more than a wish. Wishes are vague, and not very compelling. For many people, wishing serves as a substitute for achieving, so wishing can actually prevent you from getting what you want. Desire, on the other hand, is very specific and almost impossible to resist. Change your wishes to strong, specific desires, and you’ll do what it takes to make them come true.

Strength of desire

Your desire to achieve must be stronger than your reluctance to do the difficult tasks which achievement requires. That’s why it is so important to know, clearly and specifically, what you want to accomplish and why.

What if you had to make a house payment of $1000 per month, but the house sat vacant because you did not have any idea where it was? How willingly would you make the payment? How long would you continue in such a situation? Probably not very long.

Yet when you work hard each day, just trying to get by, without a clearly defined objective, you’re doing pretty much the same thing. You’re enduring the hardships without any clear idea of why. No wonder so many people suffer from burn-out.

The difficulties of everyday life can seem overwhelming when viewed on their own terms. Yet when your dream is big enough, when your goal is clear and meaningful enough, the hardships seem minor by comparison.

Follow a dream that is compelling and clearly defined. It will overpower any obstacle.

— Ralph Marston