Anyone who has had a job or business for quite some time can easily admit that achieving success is not easy. And yet, some individuals have managed to make it look so effortless, along with their long list of accolades and impactful projects. We can’t help but notice the Richard Bransons of the world flying over to meet with the Jack Mas and the Jeff Bezoses, with what seems like little or no care in the world or at least, mountains of cash to cater to these cares if any.
However, these intelligent individuals have paid their dues, taking time out to identify and master certain principles that have set them on a solid path to attaining this much-desired goal of success. Let’s find out what these principles are exactly through the lens of some prominent achievers:
- Have passion: The late Steve Jobs once made this remarkable statement- “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking.” He recognized that greatness is accomplished by those who are passionate about transforming certain ideas into reality, or filling up loopholes in society. That’s why even years after his death, he will always be remembered as a phenomenal innovator.
- Be courageous: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Guess who made this statement? Helen Keller, a woman who could have naturally chosen to live fearfully, being born both deaf and blind. She didn’t let these disabilities stop her though, emerging as one of the most influential political activists of her generation, an author and a lecturer after becoming the first deaf-blind person to receive a Bachelor’s degree. The biopic, ‘The Miracle Worker’, was also centered on her life.
- Stay patient: “Don’t judge each day by the harvests you reap but by the seeds you plant.” These are the famous words of Robert Louis Stevenson, a writer popularly known for publications like ‘Treasure Island’ and ‘Kidnapped’. The author battled with illnesses all his life including depression and yet was able to build a legacy as a great writer, respected by fellow greats like Ernest Hemmingway and Rudyard Kipling. His seeds of writing must have been quite impactful.
- Think Big: “What the mind can conceive, it can achieve.” Many would see no future for a law school dropout, but the man behind the quote, Napoleon Hill quickly rose to become a prolific writer and success advocate. According to his well-known book, Think and Grow Rich, personal beliefs and good thinking patterns are what promote all-round success. His book remains a best-selling hit several decades after his passing in 1970.
- Be Curious: “Be curious. Read widely. Try new things. What people call intelligence just boils down to curiosity.” This is a quote by Aaron Swartz, someone with a very long list of successful jobs before his passing. Where do we begin? He was an American computer programmer, entrepreneur, writer, political organizer and internet hacktivist who was involved in the development of the web feed format RSS and the Markdown publishing format, the organization Creative Commons, the website framework web.py and the social news site, Reddit. He is said to have immersed himself in the world of computers and programming even while at elementary (primary ) school.
Go for success!
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This article was first published on 1st July 2015
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Ify Halim is a Writer and media enthusiast based in Lagos. She enjoys writing self-help/inspirational articles with published work in UYD Magazine, Edufrica, Our Stories Inc. and The Keele Concourse. She currently works at ConnectNigeria.com, Nigeria’s Information Portal. Follow her on Twitter @MissHalim or visit her online space at ifyhalim.wordpress.com
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