Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 22

Thread: How do success principle slogans work

  1. #1
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Durban, South Africa
    Posts
    22,648
    Thanks
    3,304
    Thanked 2,676 Times in 2,257 Posts
    Blog Entries
    12

    How do success principle slogans work

    Welcome to what I aim to be a series exploring success principles and their slogans. If you happen to have stumbled on this thread and are not sure what this might be about, the real starting point is in The Forum SA August 2007 newsletter here.

    Just to make my intentions plain, I'm doing this as much for me as for anyone else. One of those success principles is "Write it down." It doesn't matter where or how. Simply that you do Write it down. So I'm writing it down here.

    I have chosen to do this exercise in a public place because hopefully some little part of it may be a spark for someone out there that sets them on the road to greater success. If only one other person "Gets it", it'll have been worth doing it this way for me. But that is not the only reason.

    I know that we live in a world where lots of people are trying to achieve more in their lives. They might already be frustrated with the direction of their life, or they might just be starting out finding their way.

    Most of us find ourselves having to develop our success strategy in isolation. It's not easy, and it seems very few succeed in truly realising what they hope for. Most of us don't know where to start. It takes persistence to keep reading the books and pumping the good stuff into our mind. And there are all sorts of distractions along the way that keep tugging us away from following through.

    So with any luck what will develop here is something of a team spirit that will help keep us motivated along the way.

    I offer no guarantees. Only an invitation to explore the success principles with me and perhaps improve the odds of your own success. I certainly can't see any harm in trying. I would love to have your company and hear your perspectives along the way. It will add depth and perspective to my own understanding. And hopefully keep me motivated to stay the course too.

    For this to really work, it's going to need participation. I'm pretty certain that in this whole wide world, I'm sure to get some people to participate here. Someone is going to take a chance and run with me. The question is - Is one of those people going to be you!

    I'd really like this to work for you! And that probably means that to get the most out of this, you'll need to participate too.

    One of those success principles is that when you consider doing something, you take at least one small action step straight away.

    So here's a simple action step that you can do right now. Take a moment our of your busy life to make a post here to answer one question:

    What do you think of the idea behind this thread?

    Positive or negative - just for once in your life, let it rip.

  2. #2
    just me duncan drennan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Cape Town
    Posts
    2,642
    Thanks
    119
    Thanked 94 Times in 77 Posts
    One part of me says, "Yes!" while another part of me rebels against the concept.

    The part of me that says, "Yes!" knows that logically what we put in, what we think about, and who we surround ourselves with plays a huge role in forming who we are and who we are becoming.

    The part of me that rebels is the part which says that no matter what we think/believe/do, that sometimes life can just get ugly, and not work out the way we envisioned it (whether that is good or bad is a separate issue). This part of me also associates this kind of thinking triumphalism or denialism (e.g. if I just believe the cancer will disappear etc.) — a lot of people get very hurt with this type of thinking.

    The part that says, "Yes!" also takes the perspective that how we experience life is not so much a function of what happens, but how we perceive what happens, i.e. one persons calamity is another's opportunity.

    One thing I know is that a lot of successful people say exactly what you are saying Dave — it works.

    This year has been a tough one for me. Challenges have worn me down rather than energised me. I've started to become negative, and that in itself is taking its toll. This is not what I want for my life. I want better — I'm not willing to settle for what I currently have.

    I think it is great that we start exploring this out in the open. As you mentioned, so often we have to develop our strategy in isolation, and I think that isolation can be pretty dangerous given the wrong set of circumstances.

    So, as we develop this thread and line of thinking, I'm going to do my best to implement it. The worst thing that can happen? I just stay stuck. The best? I achieve exactly what I want to, and more.
    [SIGPIC]Engineer Simplicity[/SIGPIC]
    Turn ideas into products | The Art of Engineering blog

  3. #3
    Silver Member Candy Bouwer's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Sunningdale Umhlanga, Durban
    Posts
    250
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts

    Great stuff!!

    Hi guys....long time or rather no time on my part..well I'll just make time...I get your jist Duncan as i have also had a trying year..
    The part of me that says, "Yes!" knows that logically what we put in, what we think about, and who we surround ourselves with plays a huge role in forming who we are and who we are becoming.
    I'm inclined to be pulled down too from time to time but i see the need to lean or glean some positive imput Dave. I'm on board!!
    "Networking" is my "CONTACT" Sport!"
    Alcocks Electrical Entomological Hygiene

  4. #4
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Durban, South Africa
    Posts
    22,648
    Thanks
    3,304
    Thanked 2,676 Times in 2,257 Posts
    Blog Entries
    12
    Quote Originally Posted by Candy Bouwer View Post
    Hi guys....long time or rather no time on my part..well I'll just make time...
    Welcome back, Candy. Hopefully we'll get into the time management/priority stuff during the course of all this.

    Duncan raises a point here which held me back for a long time.
    Quote Originally Posted by dsd View Post
    The part of me that rebels is the part which says that no matter what we think/believe/do, that sometimes life can just get ugly, and not work out the way we envisioned it (whether that is good or bad is a separate issue). This part of me also associates this kind of thinking triumphalism or denialism (e.g. if I just believe the cancer will disappear etc.) — a lot of people get very hurt with this type of thinking.
    I suspect the trap is categorising outlooks as optimist, realist and pessimist. And it's inherent in the nature of analyticals to target being a realist. That being said, even the pessimist is convinced that they are in fact being realistic. They can see and expect the worst in any situation and are seldom disappointed!

    The hard reality is that there are challenges which come up from time to time that may stop us. But whether they do actually stop us, or are merely delaying our inevitable progress, is up to how we respond to those challenges. And it's the optimist that tends to skip past the challenges the fastest.

    At its most extreme, the idea is to shut out all the bad news and take on only positive stuff. I'd liken this to a detox. Effective, but extreme. A steady diet of the right stuff over a period of time will achieve similar results, but over a different time frame. The challenge is having the discipline to keep up the regime. And really that is a struggle of changing one's habits.

    To try and show where my thoughts are at the moment:
    From 1998 until May last year, I did not actively seek out bad news - If I needed to know the bad news, it tended to find me anyway. That changed in launching this site - I started actively keeping an eye out for trouble to "warn" people about it here - to try to develop strategies to deal with it. The effects of this change were not immediate, but there has been a price and the damage was mounting.

    I mentioned in the Weekly Update about two issues ago that I'd made a decision of sorts. And that lies at the heart of it. I'm not going to actively search for bad news. I'm not even going to scan for it. If it's something I need to know about, it will find me anyway. I don't have to go searching. If something comes up, I'll deal with it then.

    It's not a "head in the sand" approach. In fact, it's very much heads up. But dealing with the challenge very much in front of you as opposed to distant rumblings beyond the immediate horison.

    How this short term outlook on challenges fits in with striving toward long term goals and dreams is probably where things start to get really interesting.

  5. #5
    just me duncan drennan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Cape Town
    Posts
    2,642
    Thanks
    119
    Thanked 94 Times in 77 Posts
    This last paragraph from a manifesto, "The mind of the innovator" made me think of this thread,

    Scientists have now concluded that mental training can create an enduring brain trait. That means we may actually be able to rewire our brains to adopt different thinking circuits. In fact, in a reversal of conventional medical wisdom which holds that mental experiences result from physical goingson in the brain, startling new evidence suggests the reverse may also be true—that our mental machinations may actually alter the physical structure of our grey matter. Neuroscientists call the phenomenon neuroplasticity.

    In other words, when you change your mind, you change your brain.
    And that leaves a whole new world of opportunity for the mind of the innovator.


    Read the full manifesto
    Last edited by duncan drennan; 11-Aug-07 at 04:37 PM. Reason: fixed link
    [SIGPIC]Engineer Simplicity[/SIGPIC]
    Turn ideas into products | The Art of Engineering blog

  6. #6
    Silver Member Eugene's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Somerset West
    Posts
    297
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts
    Dave, I'm with you on this one. Like Ducan said, we have nothing to lose by trying to implement in our business the success route learnt by others.

  7. #7
    just me duncan drennan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Cape Town
    Posts
    2,642
    Thanks
    119
    Thanked 94 Times in 77 Posts
    What happens when things don't work out? When I read this Madam & Eve cartoon, it just seemed to capture the problem of what we strive for not matching reality.
    [SIGPIC]Engineer Simplicity[/SIGPIC]
    Turn ideas into products | The Art of Engineering blog

  8. #8
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Durban, South Africa
    Posts
    22,648
    Thanks
    3,304
    Thanked 2,676 Times in 2,257 Posts
    Blog Entries
    12
    That's soooo sad. And demonstrates rather clearly three problems.

    First, visualisation on its own is not going to do it. There needs to be action. Taking that cartoon as a case in point, what else did they do other than visualise?

    Visualisation should lead to guided and inspired action. They could picket outside parliament, start an anti-crime movement, join the police reserves, or Eve could run for President!

    Second, not enough detail. They are not seeing our criminals changing their ways, imagining the reasons why and how.

    Third - Don't expect instant results straight away. It takes repeated re-inforcement and continuous action. Not a one shot deal.

    What was really good about it was that it was an ambitious goal seemingly out of current reach - a real BHAG.

    Read more on How having a clear vision of your future works here.
    Last edited by Dave A; 12-Aug-07 at 10:38 AM.

  9. #9
    Email problem Lilani's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Pretoria
    Posts
    1
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    This theme really caught my eye, because I'am currently studying to be a psychologist, and because a while back I myself had quite a few question to be answered.

    I think a great problem with society today in general is that people just don't "think", and because of this they really don't know themselves.

    There is definitely something in the application of success principals, but only if you know yourself.And because we are all so consumed we just don't take the time out to see ourselves clearly. In fact most people I know run away from themselves.

    The main thing is to be balanced, and to be balanced according to the situation you face. The balanced approach will give you more freedom to deal with a situation, in other words it will make you a realiest with an positive opinion. And we should really start to "think" more about stuff. Even negativity is not always bad if you feel negative it might just be your subconscious trying to tell you something. We must learn to trust our instincts, and ultimately we can only do this if we know ourselfs. And then you will know what strategies to employ to write your own life success story.

    We cannot just focus on the positive or the negative and therefore we somehow have to strike a balance which is only obtainable if you really know your strengths and weaknesses. Think about your purpose in life do things for yourself and not because it suits other agenda's. Help others there is nothing that is more rewarding, but do it on terms that is suitable to yourself. Mostly people don't understand that to be yourself is the best you could be for yourself and other people, and sometimes it just helps to be thankful for what you have, sometimes you have everything, you just have not realised it yet!

  10. #10
    Full Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Heilbron Free Srate
    Posts
    38
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Hi Dave

    I just open this treat.

    I Love it to bits on this moment of time i overdose me with this principals.

    Do you know the DVD "The Secret" if you don't go to

    www.going4gold.co.za

    If you do not know the Secret you will love it cos it work's cos it is a law that no one can change just as (Die Wet Van Grawetasie krag).

    My other MLM Biz is just about personal development have a look at it ,
    here is my URL :
    www.serfontein1.successuniversity.com

    You can go to this one also and here what Fox news say about it

    http://www.serfontein1.successuniversity.com/foxvideo/

    I Will go on and on on about this topic cos i know it work
    and i know how it works.

    I would like to skype you on this one if we can some time.

    Regards
    Theuns
    Last edited by Theuns"; 13-Aug-07 at 11:57 PM. Reason: gramer

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Should we really be at work?
    By duncan drennan in forum Entrepreneurship and Business Management Forum
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 04-Jan-07, 09:36 PM

Tags for this Thread

Did you like this article? Share it with your favourite social network.

Did you like this article? Share it with your favourite social network.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •