Laws of Success
Secret #1
As Seen On
Friends:
You probably already know the old adage about having a wealth-oriented, positive mental attitude. And that is an absolute necessity. But it goes much deeper than that. In fact, you must get right down to the very core of your entire belief system. Face it - everything you think you "know" has, in one way or another, been taught to you by someone else - parents, teachers, siblings, the media, associates, bosses. Rare is the individual whose beliefs are actually his own (which coincides with the rarity of truly wealthy people). In essence, the person that you are is a person that has been created and molded by others - most of whom are probably not wealthy. These people may have had good intentions, and they probably even believe in what they taught you. But it's probably all wrong! This is the reason why 96% of all Americans retire without financial security and independence. It has nothing to do with money, and everything to do with knowledge, and the understanding of some basic truths. Know this - money must not be your goal. It is but a tool, as will be explained at length in another chapter. Right now, understand that your primary goal should be just this: to better yourself as a person, and to learn the basic truths. Do this, and the money will come, not as a prize to be sought and coveted, but as an automatic byproduct of the bettering of SELF. If you do nothing else, hammer this into your most basic and primitive beliefs! Those who chase money for money's sake may, indeed, find it. But they won't be wealthy. Wealth transcends mere money - it also includes good relationships with others, happiness, health and spiritual well-being. Being financially secure does not make you wealthy - it just makes you secure. Period.
Pick out any 100 Republicans at random and I'll bet at least 96 of them are Republicans because their Dads were Republicans. Pick out 100 Christians at random - same odds. In short, you are not really you. You are a creation of others, molded in their image. So I ask you - if you are not the "you" that you are supposed to be, how can you expect to achieve the future that the real you wants and deserves? More to the point, if you share the belief structure of others who have not achieved wealth, how can you expect to fare any better?
Hear this - like a cake that is made up of certain ingredients, you are made up of your beliefs. They are your ingredients. And if you have crappy ingredients, it will make a crappy cake. If the good folks who gave you your beliefs are not wealthy or happy, then it simply is not possible that the beliefs that they taught you will propel you into something better. Because if there is one truth, it is this: if you use the same recipe over and over, the results will be the same, over and over. The beliefs that kept them from wealth and happiness will also keep you from them, as well.
Hence, the importance of a proper belief structure is critical. I cannot - will not - tell you what you should believe, for then you would be a product of my belief structure - you still will not have the confidence of knowing that your beliefs are yours, founded by your own observations. But I will show you how to become the "you" that you should be, by showing you how to disassemble your old belief system and replace it with a better one, suited to you and your needs. This is a secret that, in one form or another, the wealthiest families such as the Rockefellers and Kennedy's teach their own children right from the cradle. And it is the first essential great secret, so listen up, learn and apply it, regardless of the cost to you.
To begin, grab paper and pencil (lots of paper) and begin writing down your basic beliefs. Jot down all those things upon which all your other beliefs are based upon. These might be your religious beliefs, your basic beliefs about money, family, friends and relationships, the opposite sex - any belief that is basic to survival as a human being. For example, you might write down that you are of the Christian faith, and you believe in the Christian God and in Jesus Christ. You might write that you believe "you can't fight City Hall (or the System)". You may write that it takes money to make money, or that Republicans are this, or Democrats that. Be honest - if you believe it, write it.
Now, choose one of those beliefs, and write it on a separate piece of paper. Follow that with the reasons why you believe it. Who taught you this? What were the circumstances that led you to this belief? You may be surprised at the answers, if you are truthful about it - which you must be.
Now when you get the opportunity, research the subject. Study it in books, or online. Delve into it. And as you study both the belief and contrary positions (such as studying the Hebrew faith, Hinduism etc. if you are a Christian), try to pick out those things that actually make sense to you, and things that can be backed up with facts. Use such things to begin restructuring your beliefs.
Here is an example - please bear in mind that this particular example was chosen for a reason. I am not pushing any religious agenda, but only wish to show that even the most sacred beliefs are not immune from a closer look.
Early in life I had problems with what my minister was teaching me, which made it difficult for me to truly and deeply believe in Christianity as taught in most Christian religions. These doubts caused me many problems. I had to wonder, for example, about the sudden creation of Man, while my science teacher was explaining evolution, and that scientific research had proven the existence of Neanderthal Man (prior to the present day Cro-Magnon Man). Yet my religion insisted that creation, and not evolution, was the truth. Needless to say, doubts weakened my beliefs. So, I studied, and lo and behold, I discovered something that has set my beliefs firmly on solid turf, and strengthened my faith in Christianity because now everything makes perfect sense. Suffice it to say that the ancient Hebrew word for "day" (the world created in 6 "days") is "yom". But more important, "yom" can mean any measurement of time - day, year, epoch etc. The word "yom" does not specify. So, it is likely that the English translation of "yom" to mean "day" is incorrect. In all likelihood, "yom" was meant as a much longer time span. So, the original text of the Bible might have actually said that the Earth was created in six times. And a "time" could have been an epoch, a millenia, etc. This would allow for both Creation and Evolution. After all, if God is omnipotent, there is no reason why he would not have devised a method for His creatures to adapt to circumstantial changes in their environment so they could survive. A method that we call evolution.
These beliefs are mine, and mine alone. I own them, because I discovered them on my own. If your beliefs differ, they may be every bit as valid. But what is important is that whatever your beliefs, you have reason to believe in them completely.
I use this particular example because 1) it shows that sometimes you must shake up even your most basic beliefs that are normally considered taboo, and 2) it is a prime example of restructuring a belief in such a fashion as to make it stronger. If you have any belief in which you have even the slightest doubts, you absolutely must find some method of removing those doubts - or replacing the belief. Your beliefs are the very foundation of your existence. If they are weak, anything you build upon them will be in jeopardy. Your beliefs must be strong and unshakable, at least to you, even if they are laughable to others. Never underestimate the power of belief - it is the basis of all miracles, religious or otherwise. The belief, itself, and your complete faith in it is what gives you power to move mountains.
Now that I had a solid belief that was built upon my own research and understanding (yours may be different), I have since been able to believe in my God all the more, and I am all the more impressed with His work. And this solidity of belief (not necessarily the belief itself) has made me a better person. As the parable goes, the house (life) you build can only be as solid as the ground (beliefs) you build it upon. And this is why it is so very important that your beliefs are yours, founded upon your own research. It is strongly recommended that, whenever you hit a "snag" in life, recognize that it is probably a case where your beliefs are in conflict with the reality. You then need to study those beliefs, and draw your own conclusions based on personal knowledge, not hearsay.
Our subject - you remember him, don't you? The homeless individual. Here is how he dealt with this situation. He moved to Florida for four months, where he knew no one, and no one knew him. No one expected anything of him. He spent those four months discovering exactly who he was - studying his traits, his beliefs, and getting to know the person he was, as others see him. He then determined what he would change, in order to become the person he wanted to be. Then he set about making these changes, simplified by the fact that no one there would expect him to be this or that. He cast out any belief that he could not verify with facts - at least to his own satisfaction. He built up new beliefs based on his studies. And when he left Florida, he was not the same man at all. Even his attitude and level of confidence had changed. So had his ambitions and desires. For the first time in his life, he was able to see exactly what he wanted from life. All confusion and doubt were gone, since he could now see things much more clearly. Where he had once been a devout Republican, he was now an Independent, with leanings toward the Constitutional Party. Where once he had been an agnostic, he now had a deep, abiding faith in a greater power. Where once he had been a bad-tempered, angry soul, he was now a mellow, confident and smiling friend that people instinctively clung to. Where he had once been lost, he was now in charge of his destiny.
How can you tell if you need to reevaluate yourself? If you are unhappy in your relationships, or they just are not working as they should, then a change is in order. If you are miserable in your job, and feel you could and should be doing something else, it is time to take a second look at your life. If you get angry often, or find yourself less than tolerant with others, it is time to reevaluate yourself. If you cannot readily laugh and smile for no apparent reason, you should reconsider your beliefs. If you feel stressed much of the time, you may want to shrug off the old ways and climb into new ones. These are a few of the signs that tell you that there is conflict, and changes must be made.
Secret #1 Summary: If you are a product of your environment (as we all are at first), you must become a product of your own design. Otherwise, you will never be you. You will only be a compendium of others around you. And if you are not the "you" that you were meant to be, how can you expect to achieve happiness and wealth? As children, we have no choice but to be molded by others. But once we become adults, we have a responsibility to ourselves to take charge of our own lives. If you do not make a conscious decision to redesign yourself and repair the damage, you will never succeed to the extent that you could have. Reevaluate your beliefs, and make sure they belong to you, and that there is no doubt in your mind that you know the truth, at least to your complete satisfaction. Nothing will do more to derail your attempts at success than to have your beliefs conflict with reality, or to have doubts in your own beliefs. If you cannot verify your beliefs to your complete satisfaction, cast them out and replace them with beliefs that you have proven to your own satisfaction.
Conflict has but one result - destruction. If your beliefs conflict with reality, you must change your beliefs. By removing conflicts from your life, you will have an unobstructed road to travel. In short, if you question whether or not you are all that you can be, it is time to take a closer look as to why that is, and make the changes that need to be made. It won't happen by itself, and no one else can do it for you. Decide about the person you want to be, then do whatever it takes to be that person.
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