Start Beginning

Success-minded people see every day as a new classroom experience.  They know that there is more to discover, learn, and understand the world they live in and their journey to success.  Those who either refuse to learn or do not bother to learn new things will quickly grow stagnate and dry up.  They will not discover their dreams and will settle for the easy, mediocre life of so many others.

                What can cause someone to stop learning?  Three things that are all fatal and will stop you from achieving your dreams.  They are ego, fear, and laziness.  Let’s see how they affect us and how to overcome them in our life.

"You can learn new things at any time in your life if you’re willing to be a beginner.  If you actually learn to like being a beginner, the whole world opens to you."

- Barbara Sher

Author

The Problem of Ego

                I start with this because I believe it is the most common among people who have talent and skill, yet do not move forward to become their best.  Ego is what tells us that we know all that we need to know.  It looks at the talents and skills we possess and thinks that is all we need in life.  The ego believes it is better than everyone and therefore not subject to the need of learning that others have to face.

                The way to overcome ego is to understand that, as Dr. John C. Maxwell so skillfully pointed out, “Talent is not enough.”  Your talent and skills are useless if you do not know how to use them and help them to improve daily.  Success-minded people learn, not because they have to, (although if they wish to achieve the success they do have to), but because they desire to be the best they can be.  Who you are today is always less than who you will be tomorrow if you are open to learning.

The Problem of Fear

                It is human nature to fear the unknown.  The things you do not know will sometimes cause you great fear.  What if you fail?  What if you get hurt, or make a mistake?  What if you make a fool of yourself?  All these fears are real to the person who hides rather than set out to learn new things; have new experiences and take risks.

                Success-minded people have all those same fears.  We all do in some way or another.  What success-minded people do differently is they move past the fear and deliberately learn what they need to know.  Successful people know that there will be times when they fail or get hurt or make mistakes.  They even know that they will at some point make a fool of themselves.  However, they also know, and use, the fact that with each failure, mistake or foolish act comes a lesson to learn, and they make sure they learn it.

The Problem of Laziness

                Success means work – hard work – and there are no shortcuts.  Because of this, many people will not venture off on the journey because it is just too much work.  They begin to think that there must be an easier way, but finding that way is also too much work.  It is an American businessman, Robert Half said, “Laziness is a secret ingredient that goes into failure. But it's only kept a secret from the person who fails.”

                Success-minded people are successful mainly because they are not afraid to work.  They know that nothing happens in life without action, so they become people of action. It takes less effort to achieve success than to live a life of failure and want.  Benjamin Franklin said it clearly and very directly when he said, “A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things. There will be sleeping enough in the grave.”

You can learn more about Personal Development from author and speaker, John Patrick Hickey.  To get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at www.johnpatrickhickey.com.  

© 2019 John Patrick Hickey. No part of this may be reprinted or published without the permission of the author.