What makes the difference? Why do some people achieve so much? Is it . . .
Family background? Having a good family growing up is something to be grateful for, but it's not a reliable indicator of achievement. High percentages of successful people come from broken homes.
Wealth? No, some of the greatest achievers come from households of average to below-average means. Wealth is no indicator of high achievement, and poverty is no guarantee of low achievement.
Opportunity? You know, the opportunity is a peculiar thing. Two people with similar gifts, talents, and resources can look at a situation, and one person will see tremendous opportunity while the other sees nothing. Opportunity is in the eye of the beholder.
High morals? I wish that were the key, but it's not. I've known people with high integrity who achieve little. And I've known scoundrels who are high producers. Haven't you?
The absence of hardship? For every achiever who has avoided tragedy, there's a Helen Keller who overcame extreme disabilities or a Viktor Frankl who survived absolute horrors. So that's not it either.
No, none of these things is the key. When it comes right down to it, I know of
only one factor that separates those who consistently shine from those who don't:
The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and
response to failure. Nothing else has the same kind of impact on people ability to
achieve and to accomplish whatever their minds and hearts desire.
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success
when they gave up. – Thomas Edison
Here is my challenge for you: Make a list of things that didn’t work for you in the past? Which ones were unsuccessful? Once you’ve identified what didn’t work out, you can begin to replace those actions with better ones that will translate into success.
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