Principles of Success

 

Principles of Success

Everyday I hear people complain about not having personal success or better yet, don’t know what personal success should look like therefore, they don’t know if they’ve achieved it or not. This is when I shake my head in disbelief at the laziness of certain people. If you don’t know you’ve been successful, how do you know if you’re happy or not? Reread the sign above and add one more line to it – Make each day count!  So what does that mean you might ask? My father used to preach the words “Carpe Diem” which means to urge someone to make the most of the present time and give little thought to the future. It means seize the day and make the most of it and stop procrastinating on your dreams or wants in being successful.

 

Purpose:

Each of you have a purpose in life and if you don’t know what your purpose is, then you need to discover it before its too late. Don’t just complain about things around you, help change it. In today’s world our country needs leaders not slackers to help gets us back on the straight and narrow so we can save our country. Your success is restrained by your inability to see your purpose. So, wake up and search for it within your soul. If your purpose isn’t discovered within you, it means you are holding it trapped inside out of fear of failure.  Set it free and soar like an eagle with the purpose you were meant to have in order to succeed.

 

Passion:

Many a protégé has asked me what type of lobbying they should do in order to make the most money in Washington, DC. My response was always the same – don’t think money, think passion. You can’t be successful unless you are passionate in what you are doing in life. So, I tell them to make a list of the 10 most passionate issues important to them and then seek out a lobbying job that deals with that issue and make a name for yourself by doing a good job in that issue. Become an expert in that area and the money will follow. Unfortunately, everyone wants the high paycheck right up front without working for it or making a name for yourself in an issue that offers the high money in return for your expertise.  Plus if you do what you are passionate about every day, you’ll jump out of bed to get to work and you won’t get bored out of your socks with what you do for a living. My father always said that passion discovered becomes your purpose in life

 

Planning:

Planning can mean many things, but I have found that if you write down a bucket list of what you wish to accomplish in life you might actually be able to achieve it in the long run. Purpose and passions should be written down not personal financial goals. Your dreams written down can be a reminder of what you want to accomplish in life, but remember that not all dreams are God driven purposes, but they might be ambitions that have a personal purpose. Personal purpose ambitions are not your God given purpose in life. For example, if you want a house on the beach, travel the world, or buy Gucci handbags those are not purpose passions, those are selfish ideological ambitions that are for you personally not for the greater good. So, thing more globally when deciding on your purpose and passion. Think about animals, military, veterans, various charities you support, those could be part of your passion, therefore, helping them could be your purpose. Ask yourself, what am I passionate about? Then write down what comes to mind.

 

Principles:

Laws are principles we must all live by in order to be successful. If we falter in living up to our principles, then you might as well cash it in because you won’t become successful and be respected, you’ll be just another thug with money. Let me give you an example from my own experience. Many years ago I was offered big bucks to deal in drugs from a high profile individual, instead of succumbing to the bribe of so much money, I instead called on a friend in the DEA and turned that individual into to law enforcement. Another time I was offered a boat load of cash to lobby for a company that wanted a couple of DOD contracts that would cost the military millions of dollars, unfortunately, I not only didn’t like the person who was offering me the bribe money to help them get those contracts, but I also didn’t believe in what the company was offering the military in the deal. You see if I don’t believe what you have to offer our military, I wouldn’t lobby my contacts for your company. If I didn’t like you personally, I couldn’t in good conscience help you. You see these are principles. If I didn’t have these principles, I’d be a millionaire sipping champagne on some European beach writing this blog post. Instead, I’m struggling to survive just like everyone else, but my integrity is in tact and I can sleep at night.

 

People:

The people in your life can determine your success or failure so be sure to choose your friends carefully, that also goes for family members too. Friends are willing to support your dreams and visions in life, and also willing to utilize their network contacts to ensure of your success. Those friends who are jealous of your vision or dreams can sabotage you before you have a chance to make your first move toward those dreams. Sometimes even your family members can sabotage you if they don’t want you to succeed. I say cut those negative individuals loose and only surround yourself with positive, encouraging people that will uplift you and drive you toward success. Let me give you an example of what I’m talking about here:

1)      Dividers: those who want to divide you from your dream and confuse you with nonsense advice and direction.

2)      Subtractor: Someone who constantly tries to distract you from your goals and dreams.

3)      Multiplier: Someone who triples yours endeavors to achieve your dreams and goals.

4)      Addition: Someone who advises you and adds to your dreams by giving you suggestions and expands your thoughts and that enhance your dreams and goals.

Consider yourself an Eagle, because the Eagle flies alone never in a pact. My suggestion is that you soar alone like the Eagle, utilize your network for connections and assistance when needed, but achieve your dreams and goals alone so you don’t have to be indebted to anyone for your success. Be sure to recognize those who need to be recognized for your success, but don’t over do it by mentioned everyone in your life, they didn’t do the hard work, you did. Remember that. It was your passion that achieved the goals and dreams.

 

Persistence:

Persistence is rebounding from losing it all, from failing, from those who you thought were friends or who have abandoned you or disappointed you in some way and you regained your mojo and gained traction once again to achieve your goals and dreams. Never give up means you never give up; you just regroup and analyze what you did wrong and work through it by making the necessary adjustments and march on to success.  

 

Patience:

Success doesn’t get achieved in a day or in a year, it takes time, unless you are the luckiest person in the world and you win the lottery. However, patience isn’t something you complain about on a daily basis it is hard work while you work your butt off to achieve your goals and dreams. Always remember your problems in life are not surrounded by money issues, it’s about just starting somewhere. Want to go to school, take out a student loan or ask a family member for a loan. When you build your empire remember those who helped you along the way and reward them by paying them back and then offering them a job in your empire.

 

Perseverance:

Perseverance is similar to Persistence because those who have succeeded have also failed and regrouped, got up and marched on. My father once told me that in order to succeed, shut up and listen to those who have succeeded, they are more than happy to share their knowledge with you if you are willing to listen. However, if you are to busy listening to your own voice over theirs, you will lose out on knowledge that could save you many hours if heartache in life. He also said that no question is a stupid question so be sure to ask many questions when in the presence of a successful person if you truly want to learn from them.

 

Posterity:

Posterity is your gifts and successes being handed down to the next generation, either by way of your children, or to someone else’s children in the world. Basically, you are passing to the next generation your purpose, dreams and successes so that others might reap the rewards of your successes. Revel in the knowledge that you can hand down to the next generation a set of purpose, principles and persistent endeavors that can guide them to their own success.

 

Prayer:

This is the most important part of your dreams and successes because unless you are willing to pray hard for your own success, you will never achieve it in this lifetime. Therefore, pray for the divine God to whom you pray to for guidance in fulfilling your purpose, to find your passion and to achieve your goals and dreams. Remember no one knows how something is made and becomes a success like the manufacturer who created it and that’s God. Because God is the creator of all things and if you don’t believe that, I feel sorry for you. When I am driving, I always talk to God, mind you it’s one sided, but I know he hears me because I can feel a sense of peace come over me while I drive. In other times, I don’t speak, I just look around at the beauty outside my vehicle and listen to God speak to me. I get my best ideas while I drive.

 

Remember that you were not born for yourself, you were created for a purpose and that purpose was to help others. Keep the faith and never give up. Remember never take your dreams, aspirations and purpose to the grave without making sure you tried your best in this lifetime. Write that book if that is your dream, write that song if that’s what you hear, raise money to save the animals or raise money to help a homeless veteran put a roof over his head. Pray hard for answer and they will come to you. But be willing to hear them without talking. Sleep with a note book and pen next to your bed so you can jot down ideas or solutions that come to you through the night.

 

 

Author Elizabeth Kilbride is a former political operative, author, scriptwriter, historian, journalist. business professional, and creative artist, and life coach consultant. Ms. Kilbride holds a Masters in Criminology and a BS in Business Management who stepped out of the loop for a while, but who is now back with a powerful opinion and voice in the direction of this country and our economy. As a life coach, she is available to counsel individuals to enjoy their dreams and a better life. Ms. Kilbride loves to travel, photograph her surroundings and is also a gourmet cook who loves to garden and preserve food for the winter months.