Why Hard Work Will Not Bring You Success

By Alex Ooi

Let me tell you a story of a senior of mine from my secondary school and let us call him Tim.

Tim is the co-founder of a social media company listed in Australia. Few days back, he shared his story which I feel is very thought-provoking.

You see, we have always been brought up to believe that hard work equals success, be it in studies or sports.

And when we grow up and join the working society, we often hear successful people attribute their success to hard work.

But over the years, Tim started to think otherwise.

He was often asked what is his secret to success and most if not all were expecting that he would answer hard work or perseverance etc.

Makes sense, right?

But his answer is "I agree that hard work and perseverance is part of the journey but it is more a requirement than a reason for success."

Because there are so so so many people who work hard but yet are successful.

Because if hard work equal success, his Filipino maid who works literally every waking hour and surely works harder than him, would have been interviewed by journalists.

Or the foreign workers labouring under the scotching hot sun in construction fields in Singapore.

What is his secret of success?

 

Well, he said it is luck.

​Surprising and shocking, isn't it.

He explained, for example, he was born in relatively good

circumstances but he indeed did nothing to earn or deserve it.

He was simply lucky.

Or when he was given the opportunity to do business

upon his graduation, he was lucky enough to grab it.

But there are many people who do not have the luck to

capitalise of opportunities even when they spotted them.

"If anyone asks me why I am successful, my answer is that

it is not because I work harder than anyone else. 

Yes, I work hard but more importantly, I have been lucky.

His story reminds me of destiny.

And here's the thing Ike.

Do you believe in destiny?

Or do you believe in creating your own destiny?

What if I told you that you could decode your ultimate destiny in minutes so that

• You can predict upcoming challenges and lucrative opportunities
• You can follow through on your goals without any hesitation or uncertainty
• You no longer waste time on goals that don’t stick nor endure heartbreaking surprise let-downs
• And you will always make the right decision especially major life decisions and big plans
• Would you believe me?

Are You Stuck? Then Get Unstuck!!

By Mark Ford

When you agreed to do it, it seemed like a wonderful challenge.

Now, your deadline is fast approaching... and you haven’t even started.

Getting the job done is a priority — yet it somehow doesn’t happen. Instead, it stays there on your daily task list — highlighted for attention but never attended to.

What causes this pernicious process? Why does a great opportunity turn into a very big chore... that turns into an overwhelming enigma... that threatens to turn into the big job you never even started?

There are many causes. But only one solution always works for me.

The solution involves seven steps:

1. If you’ve been stuck for more than three days, you’re stuck. Admit it. Stand in front of the mirror and repeat: “I shot my mouth off. I’m stuck.” You’ve been waiting for inspiration to save you, but it hasn’t appeared. Stop waiting.
2. Change the status of the job. It started as one priority among many. Now, make it No. 1 on your daily task list.
3. Don’t even think of attacking the whole mess at once. Break it up into small pieces. If it’s a 40-page report you have to write, break it up into pages. If it’s a bunch of people you have to talk to, think of each conversation as a separate task.
4. Working back from your deadline, figure how many discrete units (pages, calls, etc.) you need to do each day. Then figure out how long it will take you to do that many units.
5. If each unit can be done in less than 15 minutes, you’re in luck. Give yourself the job of doing just one 15-minute task each day. If you’ll have to spend more than 15 minutes a day to finish, then begin — still — with 15 minutes... but increase your daily time commitment as you get rolling.
6. Start immediately. Complete your first 15 minutes — even if you don’t think you’re doing the task well.
7. Keep going until you break through the psychological barrier you’ve been up against.

The secret here is to reduce each day’s work to 15 minutes.

It’s such a small amount of time — you won’t have any trouble doing it. This gets the ball rolling... even if it doesn’t seem to be rolling in the right direction.

Sooner or later — and this is guaranteed — you’ll get the inspiration you’d been waiting for while you were stuck.

Then, you’ll find you’ve already done a good deal of the grunt work (thinking, planning, researching, whatever).

This method is particularly useful when you get to the point where you don’t even like a project anymore. 

Unless you have the discipline to hack away at it every day, you’ll avoid it. And it will never get done.

Some days, you’ll want to work more than 15 minutes. That’s fine.

In fact, that’s the idea. It means your creative mind is starting to kick in.

One day — and this can happen at almost any time — you’ll see the big picture... and you’ll be able to get the whole project done right. You may decide to scrap — or change — some of what you’ve been doing.

But from that point on, you’ll work quickly and easily.

What are you waiting for? Get to it.

Failure Is The Stepping Stone To Success

Failure is the stepping stone to success
Ask #ThomasEdison

Words Are Powerful

I am sure you already know that "words are powerful"
But just in case you do not, well let me remind you right here and now that of a truth words are powerful

Listen in

Creating Your Own Life

You can either choose to create your life and get what you want, enjoy greater success, more happiness and live life on your terms. 

Or you can choose to live life by default where things seem to happen to you, where you get what ever is handed to you and you simply live life by reacting to situations - which always increases your stress. 

When you live life by default, you're less likely to succeed, less likely to be happy, and you end up living the kind of life that others want for you. 

Creating your life is the much better option but unfortunately most people (maybe you) are living life by default, and so they're simply not happy. 

When you create your life you end up getting what you want and so you're naturally a lot happier. 

Here's how you can start creating your life and stop living life by default. 

First get a clear idea of what you want in life. 

If you say: "I don't know what I want" you're then living life by default. 

Let's face it, you can't create your life if you don't know what you want to create. 

So if you don't know exactly what you want, then think about the kind of life you want to be living in 3, 5, 7 or 10 years. You should do this even if you do know what you want. 

Planning ahead and forecasting your life gives you a better understanding of what's important 

When you know what's important you can take steps to making it a reality. 

Your mind will often reject your plans, telling you things like: "that's not possible" "you'll never do that", "you can't do that" "it will never happen", "you're not smart enough" and so on. 

These are all negative thoughts tied to negative beliefs. When you have too many negative thoughts and too many negative beliefs you end living life by default - something you want to avoid and/or change. 

Having a clear idea of what you want or what you want your life to look like in a few years or more, gives your subconscious mind and your higher power 

clear instructions. 

You're telling them what you want and what you want to achieve. 

Now they can begin making what you want a reality 

The next step in creating your life is to remove the negative thoughts and negative beliefs. 

These not only get in the way of your success, they also force your subconscious mind and higher power to create more negative situations. 

And when you allow the negative thoughts and negative beliefs to remain in your mind and on your subconscious mind you end up living life by default. 

Your thoughts and beliefs are planted on your subconscious mind. Your subconscious then connects with your higher power, and the universe to create your life based on what you think and believe. 

By removing the negative thoughts and negative beliefs you take control of your life. You begin creating your life. You get rid of the negativity that's 

holding you back and blocking. 

So today get rid of those negative thoughts and negative beliefs. 

Begin creating your life so you enjoy the success and happiness you want. 

Now you can get your subconscious and higher power to bring you exactly what you want. Now just follow the steps I share with you - and you'll begin 

creating your life today 

Once you've removed the negative thoughts you need to then give your subconscious and higher power new thoughts and new beliefs. 

Remember, your subconscious and your higher power follow your thoughts and beliefs - these are they're instructions. 

Just like you would tell a cab or uber driver where you want to go, you need to tell your subconscious and your higher power what you want in life. 

Your instructions to your cab or uber driver are your words. Your directions to your subconscious and higher power are your thoughts and beliefs. 

So make sure your thoughts and beliefs reflect what you want in life. Otherwise you could end up living life by default. 

I've put together a simple system which gives you step-by-step instructions on how to direct your subconscious mind and higher power. 

I walk you through the process so you see the changes you want quickly 

You have the power (and the ability) to create the kind of life you want. 

Now stop living life by default. Take charge of your life and work with your subconscious mind and higher power so you create the kind of life you want. So you experience greater success, achieve those goals and enjoy life. 

Stop accepting what's handed to you. 

Stop settling for second best 

Get rid of the negative thoughts. 

Get rid of the negative beliefs. 

Now start using the power you have to create the kind of life you want 

Wishing you tremendous success... 

Maya Angelou Speaks On "Words" - Listen To Her

Maya Angelou speaks on "Words" with the oratory only she could muster

Just listen here:     

Mindset Creates Experiences

Oh for certain, our limitations in life come from a combined experience of what we have been told and what we have allowed to fester in our minds.

And such limitations placed on our mindset have been responsible for why we are not experiencing life in its fullest even as Our Maker said we should.

One of my good friends used to sell Insurance, here's what he wrote about himself (a brief)

"For so many years of my life, I was very STINGY!"

And it reflected in how I lived my life

for example: I would wait till 6 in the morning for the train to go home because it pained me to pay $30 to take a midnight cab home at 3am.

also I would grab only the cheapest $2 double cheese burger at MacDonalds as a meal, without fries nor soft drink.

Thinking back, why was I stingy then? 

Because my abilities to make money were limited by my

mindset. 

Remember I was a struggling insurance agent?

All I knew then was to talk to people about insurance and

hopefully I would close a deal.

If I did not, I would talk to another person.

I kept doing it non-stop. 

Imagine meeting tens of people and I did not close any deal.

With such an expansion of effort and result, how could I not be stingy? 

My mindset had always been "money does not grow on tree" so what I was going through “made sense.”

I just lived with it.

Now, my mindset is "money grows on tree." 

Sounds unbelievable? But it truly is."

You see this my friend dropped his old mindset of "money does not grow on trees" and went ahead to replace it with a new one that says "money grows on trees" and today he is a Millionaire in Dollars.

He no longer has to pinch his pennies, he actually flies first class, eats at the most exquisite Restaurants in town and goes on vacation yearly with his Family - luxuries that he could not afford when he was a struggling Insurance Sales Person and would never have been able to afford if he continued doing that which was not bringing him any close to personal and family comfort.

You too can change your mindset to start manifesting the goodness of God in your life

You can know how, if you would only but ask

Dr. Jerry - the First Oguzie: JP

#DrJTF

Monday Morning Message

Hello Friend

It's Monday morning and I just want to thank God for you that you made it to this day

Not all who went to bed last night woke up this morning

and not all who are awake this morning are in good health

but not only are you awake, but you are also healthy

whatever else is worrying you at the moment shall also be taken care of

I am sending you this message to encourage you for today

View it here:

Love Yourself First

You know what I realized? That no matter how much you love someone, and no matter how much you want to be of service to them, if they're not willing and open to receive your help, chances are that your love will not reach them... you won't be able to offer them your

love and support.

It's the lack of self love that keeps people from accepting the love that the world has to offer.

We have to learn to love ourselves because only then we will feel worthy of the love that comes our way from those around us...

 And I hope you will take one step each day to move yourself closer to

yourself, and closer to loving all that you are as much as you want the world to love you.

Because You're Worth It!

BIG HUG

#DrJTF

Are You In A Relationship Now? Then Read This

My oldest daughter, Jenna, recently said to me, “My greatest fear as a child was that you and mom would get divorced. Then, when I was 12, I decided that you fought so much that maybe it would be better if you did.” Then she added with a smile. “I’m glad you guys figured things out.”

For years, my wife, Keri, and I struggled. 

Looking back, I’m not exactly sure what initially drew us together, but our personalities didn’t quite match up. 

And the longer we were married the more extreme the differences seemed. 

Encountering “fame and fortune” didn’t make our marriage any easier. In fact, it exacerbated our problems. 

The tension between us got so bad that going out on book tour became a relief, though it seems we always paid for it on re-entry. 

Our fighting became so constant that it was difficult to even imagine a peaceful relationship. 

We became perpetually defensive, building emotional fortresses around our hearts. We were on the edge of divorce and more than once we discussed it.

I was on book tour when things came to a head. We had just had another big fight on the phone and Keri had hung up on me. I was alone and lonely, frustrated and angry. I had reached my limit.

That’s when I turned to GOD. Or turned on GOD. I don’t know if you could call it prayer—maybe shouting at GOD isn’t prayer, maybe it is—but whatever I was engaged in I’ll never forget it. 

I was standing in the shower of the Buckhead, Atlanta, Ritz-Carlton yelling at GOD that marriage was wrong and I couldn’t do it anymore. 

As much as I hated the idea of divorce, the pain of being together was just too much. I was also confused. I couldn’t figure out why marriage with Keri was so hard. 

Deep down I knew that Keri was a good person. And I was a good person. So why couldn’t we get along? Why had I married someone so different than me? Why wouldn’t she change?

Finally, hoarse and broken, I sat down in the shower and began to cry. 

In the depths of my despair powerful inspiration came to me. You can’t change her, Rick. You can only change yourself. 

At that moment I began to pray. If I can’t change her, GOD, then change me. I prayed late into the night. 

I prayed the next day on the flight home. 

I prayed as I walked in the door to a cold wife who barely even acknowledged me. 

That night, as we lay in our bed, inches from each other yet miles apart, the inspiration came. I knew what I had to do.

The next morning I rolled over in bed next to Keri and asked, “How can I make your day better?”

Keri looked at me angrily. “What?”

“How can I make your day better?”

“You can’t,” she said. “Why are you asking that?”

“Because I mean it,” I said. “I just want to know what I can do to make your day better.”

She looked at me cynically.

“You want to do something? Go clean the kitchen.”

She likely expected me to get mad. Instead I just nodded. “Okay.”

I got up and cleaned the kitchen.

The next day I asked the same thing. “What can I do to make your day better?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Clean the garage.”

I took a deep breath. I already had a busy day and I knew she had made the request in spite. I was tempted to blow up at her.

Instead I said, “Okay.” I got up and for the next two hours cleaned the garage. Keri wasn’t sure what to think. 

The next morning came.

“What can I do to make your day better?”

“Nothing!” she said. “You can’t do anything. Please stop saying that.” “I’m sorry,” I said. “But I can’t.”

I made a commitment to myself. “What can I do to make your day better?” “Why are you doing this?” “Because I care about you,” I said.

“And our marriage.” 

The next morning I asked again. And the next. And the next. 

Then, during the second week, a miracle occurred. As I asked the question Keri’s eyes welled up with tears. 

Then she broke down crying. When she could speak she said, “Please stop asking me that. You’re not the problem. I am. I’m hard to live with. I don’t know why you stay with me.”

I gently lifted her chin until she was looking in my eyes. “It’s because I love you,” 

I said. “What can I do to make your day better?” “I should be asking you that.” “You should,” I said. “But not now. Right now, I need to be the change. You need to know how much you mean to me.” She put her head against my chest. “I’m sorry I’ve been so mean.” “I love you,” I said. “I love you,” she replied. “What can I do to make your day better?” She looked at me sweetly. “Can we maybe just spend some time together?” I smiled. “I’d like that.”

I continued asking for more than a month. And things did change. The fighting stopped. Then Keri began asking, “What do you need from me? How can I be a better wife?”

The walls between us fell. We began having meaningful discussions on what we wanted from life and how we could make each other happier. 

No, we didn’t solve all our problems. I can’t even say that we never fought again. But the nature of our fights changed. 

Not only were they becoming more and more rare, they lacked the energy they’d once had. We’d deprived them of oxygen. We just didn’t have it in us to hurt each other anymore.

Keri and I have now been married for more than 30 years. I not only love my wife, I like her. I like being with her. I crave her. I need her. 

Many of our differences have become strengths and the others don’t really matter. 

We’ve learned how to take care of each other, and, more importantly, we’ve gained the desire to do so. 

Marriage is hard. But so is parenthood and keeping fit and writing books and everything else important and worthwhile in my life. 

To have a partner in life is a remarkable gift. I’ve also learned that the institution of marriage can help heal us of our most unlovable parts. And we all have unlovable parts.

Through time I’ve learned that our experience was an illustration of a much larger lesson about marriage. 

The question everyone in a committed relationship should ask their significant other is, “What can I do to make your life better?” 

That is love. Romance novels (and I’ve written a few) are all about desire and happily-ever-after, but happily-ever-after doesn’t come from desire—at least not the kind portrayed in most pulp romances. 

Real love is not to desire a person, but to truly desire their happiness—sometimes, even, at the expense of our own happiness. 

Real love is not to make another person a carbon copy of one’s self. It is to expand our own capabilities of tolerance and caring, to actively seek another’s well being. All else is simply a charade of self-interest.

I’m not saying that what happened to Keri and me will work for everyone. I’m not even claiming that all marriages should be saved. 

But for me, I am incredibly grateful for the inspiration that came to me that day so long ago. 

I’m grateful that my family is still intact and that I still have my wife, my best friend, in bed next to me when I wake in the morning. 

And I’m grateful that even now, decades later, every now and then, one of us will still roll over and say, “What can I do to make your day better.”

Contributed