THE PROVEN APPROACH AND TECHNIQUE

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for. Socrates

When you're wanting to learn new things it is very important to surround yourself with successful people who are leading the life you desire to live. By standing in the shadow of successful people you are often able to learn the technique and secrets of what they are doing. They have already made the mistakes, learnt the tips and tricks so why re-invent the wheel when you don't need to. What’s better than learning from someone else’s experiences and replicating all the things that would benefit you?

I have a friend who worked as a store errand in hardware for building construction owned by a Chinese. After many years he is now an owner of the biggest hardware establishment in our place. Another friend of mine who worked in a big time cow-fattening business as caretaker of cows. After sometime, he was able to put up his own kind of business and is now richer than his former employer. When I was still in my grade school, I always go with my father who was a lawyer wherever he goes—at his office and in court hearings. Now, I am a lawyer.

Draw a sharp picture of your future and that vision will provide you with a clear sense of direction. Only consistent, rational ambitions sustain the long-term motivation that allows individuals to reach the highest levels of success.

Lacking a sense of direction is equivalent to trusting luck for raising your personal level of satisfaction. Clarity of purpose gives an individual a target to achieve and a path to follow. For however a person thinks is how they will eventually become. Your focus determines your reality. It's no use to have a favorable wind if you don't know which way to turn the steering oar.

"All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible". "Action to be effective must be directed to clearly conceived ends." “If you know what you’re aiming at, it greatly improves your odds of hitting your target.” Better still, “if you want to hit the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target”.

Whatever your present situation, achieving a better future is going to involve substantial work. Most people are able to motivate themselves for a short while, but they are quick to give up when they meet the first difficulties. “The self-seeking man who is looking after personal comforts and leading a lazy life, there is no room for him even in hell.” “One must raise oneself by one's own exertions.” “It is better to wear out than to rust out.”

Remember consistency is important. If plants are soaked in large amounts of water only once a week or once a month, they will soon die. They take in water consistently. “A person with half volition goes backwards and forwards, but makes no progress on even the smoothest of roads.” Steps taken with the right destination in mind are likely to improve the quality of your experiences, at least in the long term. You can't grow in every direction. You just can't become an expert in every field.

Life sometimes hands us thorns but we have the choice to park our mind on the thorn or on the lesson it can eventually produce in us if we learn from our experience. “The secret of life is not enjoyment, but education through experience.” “Experience is the only source of knowledge.”