Life Is a Bitch - But It Can Be a Cabaret

By John C. Maxwell

How do you respond when someone asks, "How are you?" The Bible says be careful what you speak; there is power in the tongue. We as human beings act on the outside in accordance with what we feel on the inside. It is very difficult to do otherwise. Speak and take action on what you want out of life. Life is about choices. If you want to be successful, you need to have a success mind-set. You can only reap what you sow. It is important to have a goal or a purpose; if you don't know where you ar

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9781643502151

John C. Maxwell

John C. Maxwell is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, coach, and speaker who has sold more than 33 million books in fifty languages. He has been identified as the #1 leader in business and the most influential leadership expert in the world. His organizations - the John Maxwell Company, The John Maxwell Team, EQUIP, and the John Maxwell Leadership Foundation - have translated his teachings into seventy languages and used them to  train millions of leaders from every country of the world. A recipient of the Horatio Alger Award, as well as the Mother Teresa Prize for Global Peace and Leadership from the Luminary Leadership Network, Dr. Maxwell influences Fortune 500 CEOs, the presidents of nations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. For more information about him visit JohnMaxwell.com.

Book preview

Success

What is success? We all view success and how to achieve it differently.

Everybody wants to be successful; for most people this means having money and lots of it. Many of us believe that if we can get that money, all our problems would be solved. One of the first things you need to do is to define success. What does it mean to you? This can be different things to different people. There is a tendency to measure success by material things. The amount of money you have and what you can buy with it. However, material things can come and go. Many wealthy people have gone broke more than once. It has been reported that 80 percent of the people who have won the lottery have gone bankrupt. The average millionaire in America has gone bankrupt more than three times on his way to becoming a millionaire.

Success is not an event. It is a lifelong journey that you must be willing to pursue. If you think money is success, try buying good health, respect, or peace of mind with it. Money is good, but it does not guarantee a successful, happy life. There is always a better way to do everything; find it, and you are on your way, at least to financial success.

Most people struggle to achieve some level of success where they hope they will be happy, respected, and affluent. Some people define success in two ways. It is described first as accomplishment—the acquisition of money, power, status, and possessions. Second, success is seen as achievement of happiness—a satisfying lifestyle, love, health, self-actualization, and leisure to enjoy the beauty of this wonderful world.

Others believe that the truly successful person is one who combines these two aspects of success in ways that gives the individual both the joy and satisfaction of self-fulfillment. The totally successful person can be thought of as rich in love, faith, self-esteem, health, friendships, and personalized achievements, as well as being financially independent.

Success can be thought of as creating a state of mind that allows you to obtain what you want. You can change your outlook because you are its creator. It is everyone’s desire to succeed in life at something. For most people, financial success is foremost and utmost. Financial success is often the ultimate goal, but it requires a plan of action to achieve success in any area of life. To get anywhere, you must know where you are going. You must have a purpose. When you find your unique talent, you find your purpose in life.

Let’s examine this equation:

Success = Goals + Skills + Effort + Time and your actions

The goal is what you want to accomplish. Skills are your ability or capability. Effort is consistency and energy given by discipline. Time is how long it will take. Goal-oriented people tend to be more positive. Your attitude or the way you mentally look at the world around you and the focus you develop toward life itself will aid your success. Without goals, your life has no focus.

Robin Ryan said that the very best way to predict your future is to create it. We see things as we are; our interpretations of events tell more about ourselves than about those we are describing.

If you want to plant for days, plant flowers. If you want to plant for years, plant trees. But if you want to plant for eternity, plant ideas. You are going to act or react; there is going to be action by you or someone else.

Napoleon Hill said that there is no shortage of opportunity, only shortage of imagination.

Each success variable in the equation is dependent on the other to succeed.

For instance, what if you want to learn to play the piano?

Example: Goal—To learn to play the piano.

Skill level: Low—need a teacher or trainer

Effort: Great effort—constant daily practice and theory learning.

Time: Consistent to become an accomplished player.

Action is critical; you learn to play the piano by playing it. There is no other way; you have to practice constantly. Effort is time and knowledge needed to bring up your skill level to play music.

Anything of value in life you want to accomplish requires a process and an investment of time and energy. Nobody becomes anything or something of value overnight. Just like you invest money to get a return, we have to invest intangibles like love and generosity, time and energy for a return.

A civilized society can only survive if the people live in love and harmony. Community goals and common beliefs are essential to accomplished this.

If you do not make your own choices in life, life will make them for you, but in either circumstance, there will be consequences. Life is about choices. Every action has a reaction or a consequence. You cannot pick up one end of the stick without picking up the other. It is not your job to change the world, nor can you, but you can change yourself and the way you see the world, and maybe by your example influence others to change. You need to model the change you want to see in the world. John Ruskin stated that the highest reward for man’s toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it. When you can’t change the direction of the wind, adjust your sails.

If you refuse to get an education, you are putting yourself on a train that is rolling on a poverty track. A lack of education produces poverty of the mind. Education is the primary building block on the road to success. This educational process starts and continues in the home throughout a person’s life.

Preparation plus opportunity can bring financial success. But your physical and mental capacity are very important parts of the preparation process. Opportunity favors the prepared mind.

Similar to the pilot who sets his coordinates and arrives at his destination, know your destination, know what you need to do to succeed and do it daily, weekly, be consistent, and make adjustments when faced with obstacles. If you go off course and make no adjustments, you will arrive at a different destination.

Nobody is always anything; even a nonworking clock is right twice a day.

To change the output, you have to change the input. To change the effect, you have to change the cause. You cannot do the same thing from day to day and expect a different result. This is referred to as insanity.

You have to have a purpose. A purpose gives you a road map to follow. Follow your dreams and listen to your feelings, and then set goals to make your dreams come true. If you don’t have your own road map, someone will carry you on his journey. Same with religion, believe in something or fall for anything—you will be led astray. You may not believe in God, but trust me, you believe in something, and you are following somebody. Your belief system, your knowledge, and experience will form the basis of your decision-making process. You cannot have success if there is nothing to succeed at.

T. Harv Eker espoused that no thought lives in your head rent-free. Each thought you have will either be an investment or a cost. It will either move you toward happiness and success or away from it. As a man thinketh, so is he. You become what you think about daily.

Any negative action brings about a negative result. Every action will bring a reaction. The consistency and intensity of the action determines the amount and magnitude of the reaction. There are life events and there is your inside programming that determine your response to life events. When you can’t change the life events around you, you can quickly shift gears and change your programming. It is easier to change your programming than to change people. All boaters know that you cannot change the wind, but you can always adjust your sails.

Life is about living abundantly, and if you are religious, loving God and your neighbor would be part of your abundant living. Pastor Ed Young said that since we are made in the image of God, everything we do and are should reflect that generosity to others—emotionally, occupationally, spiritually, and financially. Success is about management, not ownership. Because everything belongs to God, we take nothing with us when we die.

How do we live abundantly?

Living abundantly means you are living according to what you believe is the best life ever. Let’s break it down. Abundantly means happy with your life; you are meeting all your needs and wants, and your relationships are at their peak. At the end of the day, material wealth often overshadows everything we do. Many people see material wealth as the end-all and sometimes focus on nothing else. You become what you focus on every day. Success requires sacrifice and delayed gratification. If married, your spouse has to see your vision for continued success. There is no abundant living in gaining the world but losing the love of your family. There is always a price to pay for success. We cannot do everything. There are only twenty-fours in a day, and you should sleep for at least eight hours if you are going to be your best self. Live by your own creed. Envy and jealousy are negative emotions. This will only force you to try to keep up with the Joneses. As your earnings increase, try to control your yearnings.

Success Defined

I believe success is measured by the goals you set for yourself and how well you achieve them. Everybody needs to identify their skills and make them commercially valuable if the goal is just to make money. Your gift or talent will be the determining factor in your material success. Your goals will not be accomplished in a straight line. There will be curves, bumps, alleys, and dead ends in the road.

Education is key in this process. There is a saying that education is power. I prefer to say that education is a power base. There are plenty of educated derelicts. Education is like the power socket in the wall. If you don’t tap into it, nothing gets done. Acton is