By David Turner
Optimism is not some pie-in-the-sky system of beliefs. Optimism is defined expecting the best or belief in the power of good. It’s impossible to think that something good will happen to you when you don’t EXPECT it. Now I’m not saying that everyday will go perfectly, but I believe that if we set our minds on the positive (the blessings of God’s word), we can set our day up for great things to happen. What you believe in ultimately will determine the foundation for your optimism. There is nothing more solid to believe in than the word of God. Grab hold to what God has about you and your future and never let it go. The first tool you need for a successful life is OPTIMISM. Believe that!!
For each and every one of us, there is something that we are passionate about. To truly have a successful life, you must find that thing that will cause you to wake up early in the morning or stay up late at night. It maybe a hobby that you enjoy. It may be some charity that you are involved with. No matter what it is, you will not be a success without passion pumping through your veins.
“Tell me what you pay attention to and I will show you who you are” -Jose Ortega y Gasset
It’s difficult to be a successful salesman if you aren’t excited about your product. When you aren’t thrilled to come home after work, you obviously aren’t passionate about your spouse. It shouldn’t surprise you, then, if you don’t have a successful marriage. If you have lost the passion in your life it is up to you to regain it. Remind yourself what it was about your spouse, your career, your hobby, that you first loved about it.
I guarantee that it won’t take long to fan the flames of passion.
One of the things most of us struggle with is patience. The world that we live in operates at an on-demand pace. You can get almost anything you want as fast as you want it. To have a successful life, you must develop a level of patience when it comes to achieving your goals. The bible often talks about “in due season”. There is a moment in time that is reserved just for you. It is designated as the time for your success.
The thing that you have to do is wait for that to get here. I know it’s easier said than done, but it is important that you don’t get ahead of your moment. If you do, you run the risk of being unprepared. Do yourself a favor and wait for your turn. When it comes around you will be prepared for the greatness that awaits you.
Integrity is defined as the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards. On the surface it seems like you don’t have to have integrity to be successful. People get away with cheating while earning celebrity status all the time. You can think of sports stars, politicians and even pastors who are known then are known for not having integrity. Without integrity to go with your success, no one cares what you did. Your legacy will forever be chained to dishonesty and low standards. Don’t wait until you do something great to get some integrity. It’s hard to repair something that shouldn’t be broken to begin with. People are watching not only what you do, but how you do it. If there is no public confidence in your principles, your success won’t last for long.
The last tool you need to have a successful life is courage. Courage is the ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a chosen course of action.
To achieve anything great in life or to succeed against the odds, you need courage. Some would say that you need guts or nerve. However you describe it, you need something that will force you to move against the grain. Although the statistics say it’s impossible, you move forward based your ability to overcome the fear of failing. If you struggle with this particular tool, I would encourage you to take a closer look at your obstacle and compare it to God. How does it measure up? If you have your faith placed in God and He has given you the vision and the drive to do something big, this obstacle is just a stepping-stone to your destiny.
“To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself.” -Soren Kierkegaard
Don’t let fear stop you. Go for the life you were destined for. Live it now.
