Does success in anything in life come from luck or ability? Or is it a hybrid cocktail of both—with some secret ingredient or two? Mr. Buffett (as in Warren) considers himself a member of the “lucky sperm club,” while Jeff Bezos attributes his success to “an incredible planetary alignment”. Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter, tweeted to his followers that “success is never accidental”.
Is it so much about the search for success? Or is it really about the fear of failure that keeps us moving along? Many of the great successes in business came from many failed attempts. The point is, those people never stopped.
There is no accidental business. It comes from hard work. Knowing yourself, knowing your abilities, being able to lead others toward accomplishing a common vision. In reality, success comes from the clarity of mind. We have a tendency to suffer from the way we author our lives. “I can’t do that…it will change everything.” “If I change everything, I will have to restructure…and…and…”. We are the authors of our own inability to create the OPPORTUNITY to succeed. That’s not luck.
So, let’s net this out: you have a great idea. Stay with it. Find a quiet place where you are, and take a moment to close your eyes, hands on your lap, knees below the waistline…and breathe. Just breathe. If a thought comes, label it a thought and it goes away. Feel yourself moving deeper into who you are, without knowing that you are going deeper into yourself. Clarity of mind. It sets your sails into the wind, leaving the toxic question of luck far, far behind.
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