10 Traits of a Successful Human Being

(Source: Persistantillusion.wordpress.com)

Taken from "10 Traits of az Successful Human Being" on Pick the Brain.

1. An Independent Nature

If we rely too much on those around us for assistance and/or support we will be setting ourselves up for disappointment in the future. This is not to say that we shouldn’t look to others for help when the time is right, but crafting our pursuits in such a way that requires the intervention of another is like handing over the keys and getting in the back seat. Our friends and colleagues may help open the doors of opportunity, but it is our own responsibility to take the wheel.

2. Self Confidence

Every decision we make in life will have some kind of effect on future outcomes. If our choices our filtered through fear and doubt, we can be assured of the life we are trying to avoid. Trust your instincts and listen to your heart. When you make a mistake, don’t look at it as reason for doubt, but instead, realize the opportunity for wisdom as you continue to push ahead.

3. Persistence

It’s been 5 years since I started my consulting business. 5 years of long hours and hard work. Many times did I consider throwing in the towel when things didn’t go my way. But every year that’s gone by, every road block I’ve pushed through, my business has grown as my resolve to make it a success has strengthened. Persistence is not an optional trait for those who desire success, but an essential attitude that must be embraced!

4. A Big Imagination

When I think of some of the greatest ‘achievers’ in American history I see great innovators and people of purpose. Names like Henry Ford, Walt Disney and Bill Gates come to mind. From cars to cartoons to computers, their personalities were as diverse as their pursuits. But one thing they share is the wonderful ability to see what’s not yet visible to the naked eye. It was the imagination of Henry Ford that first painted the picture of a car in every garage, and Bill Gates, a computer in every home. And it was Walt Disney who continues to inspire millions with the idea that ‘anything is possible’.

Those with inevitable success can see the unseen. They’ve become successful in their minds before they laid their first brick.

5. A Thick Skin

I’m a people pleaser at heart and can be devastated by disappointment. But as a necessity in business, I’ve grown a thick skin that allows me to deflect defeat while maintaining my focus. Whether in corporate conflict or the liabilities of life, it is those with a strong armor who will maintain their momentum.

6. Clarity Of Self Understanding

If you don’t know who you are, you will never truly know what you’re capable of. It is in our daily pursuits that we need accurate information on our strengths and weaknesses to succeed. Because being blind sided by your own inability or missing out on your true talents will bring nothing more than failure and frustration.

7. Clarity Of Intent

Continuing with the analogy of Ford, Disney and Gates, we can see three individuals with very clear intentions. No one ever questioned Ford’s intentions of filling the roads with his Model T’s. Disney was never far from his pursuits of capturing our imaginations. And even when no one believed in his dream of populating every home with a PC, there was never a question of Gates greatest goal.

8. Focus

There’s a lot of talk about multi-tasking and single tasking when it comes to getting things done. But however you go about accomplishing your goals, focus must be at the core of your character. Successful people have the knack for deflecting distraction and keeping their nose to the grindstone. It is our drive that pushes us forward and keeps our momentum, but without focus we will just be moving for the sake of motion.

9. Optimism

Many of the traits mentioned thus far would not be possible without this key ingredient. Without being able to constantly see the cup as half full, we would never be able to stay focused. Being blind to that silver lining would paralyze our persistence. So it is absolutely crucial that our minds maintain a positive outlook on life and never give in to the destruction of defeat. Optimism is at the heart of a successful human being!

10. Passion

Success can be obtained by many, but maintaining the drive to reach our goals requires a passion for pursuit and a lust for life. We can create a to-do list and set our goals with the best of them, but without this necessary habitual hunger, we will most certainly fail to bring to the table the results we imagined.

All ten of these traits are very important in being a good person, being liked by others, and being successful at anything you do.

Warren Buffett on Charlie Rose - May 2007

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

I have recently starting reading (listening actually from the audiobook) The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. It's been a thought-changing book so far and he has a lot of great ideas to tackle your fears and your passions in life. He started off working in an office like many Americans and made a dramatic change to alter his life and travel the world, all the while working only 4-hours on his own businesses.

His book is broken out into the following chapters:

Definition means to figure out what a person wants, get over fears, see past society's "expectations", and figure out what it will really cost to get where a person wants to go.

Elimination is about time management, or rather about not managing time. This is achieved applying the 80/20 rule to focus only on those tasks that contribute the majority of benefit. There's a difference, Ferriss says, between efficiency and effectiveness. The books emphasis is on effectiveness.

Automation is about building a sustainable, automatic source of income. This includes techniques such as drop-shipping, automation, Google Adwords and Adsense and outsourcing.

Liberation is dedicated to the successfully automated of one's lifestyle and the liberatation from a geographical location and job. Incidentally, Ferriss notes that if somebody has a regular job, the order of steps will be DELA, not DEAL.

The book asserts that technology such as email, instant messaging and internet-enabled pda's complicate life rather than simplify it. It advocates hiring virtual assistants from developing countries such as India to free up personal time.

Source: Wikipedia

Timothy Ferriss also writes a blog and maintains a website. Check them out! You can also check out my previous post - Timothy Ferriss, American Author and Speaker.

The Secret to Happiness is No Secret

See The 'secret' to happiness... is no secret at The Financial Philosopher.

The blog post gives some great advice on finding happiness from the following quotes:

• "Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend. Non-being is the greatest joy." ~ Lau-tzu

• "All truly wise thoughts have been thought already thousands of times; but to make them truly ours, we must think them over again honestly, till they take root in our personal experience." ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

• "My opinion is that you never find happiness until you stop looking for it." ~ Chuang Tzu

• "If thou wilt make a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away from his desires." ~ Epicurus

• "Don't aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you will miss it. For success, like happiness, can not be pursued; and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see -- in the long run, I say! -- success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think of it." ~ Viktor Frankl

Positivity and Success

What effect does positivity have on success? Can you be successful without being positive?
It seems as though it would be very difficult to be successful without being positive. How will you stick to one idea and believe it will work if you are an entrepreneur? How will you work with great enthusiasm at your current job without being positive? How will you manage your life without having some positivity in it (something good to look forward to)?

You don't have to be positive all the time, it is good to challenge your thoughts and instincts and as it's a great way to become better at what you do. I have found happiness and success through staying positive a majority of the time in my life and taking some time to challenge my thoughts and ideas a minority of the time. It has proven to work for me.

Next time you are unsure of something, or a decision you've made in your life, attempt to believe everything is going to be alright. Believing things will work out in the end shouldn't be difficult if you've put time and effort into making every decision in your life. The decisions you have made over time will turn out to be the best for you, so everything has to turn out right. Right?

Can Money Bring Happiness?

Taken from a Free Money Finance post: Can Money Buy Happiness?

The following is an excerpt from the book Does Your Bag Have Holes.

Some say that money is not important at all. Money is not most important in our lives, but it is important. Money enables the fulfillment of needs, the needs of others, and to fulfill life’s missions. We all have the following six needs of life and money plays a key role in fulfilling each of these needs.

1. Survival -- Food, water, clothes, and shelter are necessary to stay alive. Each of these needs cost money.

2. Security -- Our need for security can be fulfilled with money. A person who is without debt and has money set a side for emergencies will feel much more security than the person who has debt, can barely pay the bills, and has no extra funds for possible expenditures that might arise, such as car repairs or medical expenses.

3. Family and Friends -- Money can assist us in fulfilling our need for family and friends by enabling us to spend more time with them instead of having to work all the time. Money certainly matters when your children have sporting events or music recitals you have to miss because you can’t take off work due to financial obligations.

4. Personal Growth -- My son began preschool at the age of 4 and his learning and growth has been amazing to watch. It requires money each month for me to pay for his tuition. As I have taken on the challenge of writing this book, I have attended seminars and purchased books about writing and publishing to help me learn and grow. If I did not have money, these options would not have been available.

5. Charity and Service -- “Most of us would like to make a positive impact on the lives of others and on our world. If we do not feel that this is in some way happening, we tend to experience a sense of emptiness, low self-worth, futility, and sometimes even depression.” (Herb Miller, Money Is Everything, (Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 1994) p. 19) We each have been given special gifts and talents from God, which only we possess. There are specific ways in which each of us are to contribute to society. To help people discover their mission I have them answer this question, “If you had unlimited time and money, what would you do?” Before you read on, answer this question for yourself.

I believe everyone is born with a God-given mission they are to perform. Many people do not fulfill their mission because they never have the time or money to do so. These people are too busy making a living to make a difference. They work their entire lives just to meet their survival needs and then die without fulfilling their missions. Talents are not developed and utilized to improve the world because they were too busy focusing on surviving. God did not send us to earth to be born, pay the bills, and die. God sent us here for a purpose. Don’t die with your mission still in you. Leave a legacy.

6. Recreation -- Life is best enjoyed when we take time for recreation. Thomas Jefferson taught, “Leave all the afternoon for exercise and recreation, which are as necessary as . . . learning.” John Wanamaker wrote, “People who cannot find time for recreation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness.” Recreation is a source of renewal and rejuvenation that will increase our efficiency and productivity on other tasks. One of my favorite recreational activities is golf—golf clubs and green fees come with an expense. Family vacations are a great form of recreation, which many are unable to enjoy because they don’t have the money.

So can money bring you happiness?
It's not that money is buying you happiness. Happiness is an emotion, and emotions cannot be bought. Things that can influence or change your emotions can be bought through money though. Without some the mentioned above; Survival, Security, Family and Friends, Personal Growth, Charity and Service, Recreation, you may be unhappy. An extreme example could be if you had no money and were unable to buy goods that fulfilled these needs. Everyone is different, but having money may give you less to worry about, such as being able to provide food and shelter for your family.