Go First Class

Your mind is an amazing mechanism. When your mind works one way, it can carry you forward to outstanding success. But the same mind operating in a different manner can produce a total failure.

The mind is the most delicate, most sensitive instrument in all creation. Let’s look now and see what makes the mind think the way it does. Our body reflects the diet we have fed the body. Physical stamina, resistance to disease, body size, even how long we live are all closely related to what we eat.

The body is what the body is fed. By the same token, the mind is what the mind is fed. Mind food, of course, doesn’t come in packages, and you can’t buy it at the store. Mind food is your environment – all the countless things that influence your conscious and subconscious thoughts. The kind of mind food we consume determines our habits, attitudes, personality. The person you are today, your personality, ambitions, present status in life, are largely the result of your psychological environment. The person you will be one, five, ten, twenty years from now depends almost entirely on your future environment.

Let’s look now at what we can do to make our future environment pay off in satisfaction and prosperity.

The number one obstacle on the road to high-level success is the feeling that major accomplishment is beyond reach. As children, all of us set high goals. At a surprisingly young age we made plans to conquer the unknown, to be leaders, to attain positions of high importance, to do exciting and stimulating things, to become wealthy and famous – in short, to be first, biggest, and best. And in our blessed ignorance we saw our way clear to accomplish these goals.

But what happened? Long before we reached the age when we could begin to work toward our great objectives, a multitude of suppressive influences went to work. From all sides we heard “It’s foolish to be a dreamer” and that our ideas are “impractical, stupid, naive, or foolish”, that you have “got to have money to go places,” that “luck determines who gets ahead or you have got to have important friends,” or you are “too old or too young”.

As a result of being bombarded with the “you-can’t-get-ahead-so-don’t-bother-to-try” propaganda, most people you know can be classified into three groups:

First Group: Those who surrendered completely. The majority of people are convinced deep down inside that they haven’t got what it takes, that real success, real accomplishment, is for others who are lucky or fortunate in some special respect. You can easily spot these people because they go to great lengths to rationalize their status and explain how “happy” they really are. This group is, in reality, just the other extreme of the discontented job switcher searching for opportunity, wandering aimlessly, hoping opportunity will somehow, someday hit you in the face.

 Second group: Those who surrendered partially. A second but much smaller group enters adult life with considerable hope for success. These people prepare themselves. They work. They plan. But, after a decade or so, resistance begins to build up, competition for top level jobs looks rigged. This group then decides that greater success is not worth the effort. They rationalize. “we are earning more than the average and we live better than the average. Why should we knock ourselves out?” Actually this group has developed a set of fears: fear of failure, fear of social disapproval, fear of insecurity, fear of losing what they already have. This group includes many talented, intelligent people who elect to crawl through life because they are afraid to stand up and run.

Third group: Those who never surrender. This group, may be 2 or 3 percent of the total, doesn’t let pessimism dictate, doesn’t believe in surrendering to suppressive forces, and doesn’t believe in crawling. Instead, these people live and breathe success. These people become top salesmen, top executives, and top leaders in their respective fields. These people find life stimulating, rewarding, and worthwhile. These people look forward to each new day, each new encounter with other people, as adventures to be lived fully.

Let’s be honest. All of us would like to be in the third group. To get-and-stay-in this group, however, we must fight off the suppressive influences of our environment.

Suppose you tell several of your “average” friends, with the greatest sincerity: “Someday I am going to be vice president of this company.”

What will happen? Your friends will probably think you are joking. And if they should believe you mean it, chances are they will say, “You poor guy, you sure have a lot to learn.” (Try it with your friends). Behind your back they may even question whether you have all your marbles.

Now assume you repeat the same statement with equal sincerity to the president of your company. How will he react? One thing is certain: he will not laugh. He will look at you intently and ask himself: “Does this fellow really mean this?” Big men do not laugh at big ideas.

Or suppose you tell some average people you plan to own an expensive home, and they laugh at you because they think it’s impossible. But tell your plan to a person already living in an expensive home, and he won’t be surprised. He knows it isn’t impossible, because he’s already done it.

Remember: People who tell you it cannot be done almost always are unsuccessful people, are strictly average or mediocre at best in terms of accomplishment. The opinions of these people can be poison.

To be continued – next blog – “managing your environment”