Pat Flynn has enjoyed another stellar month. His gross income for June was over $30,000 (and before you think otherwise, his overheads are not very high).
Now when you checked out Pat’s income report, one of two things probably crossed your mind:
How inspiring – Pat is, by his own admission, just a regular guy. It just goes to show what is possible.
or…
Some people get all the luck.
Now what you thought in that instance, believe it or not, can have a huge impact on your potential for success.
The Mindset of The Majority
There is very unhealthy mindset amongst the majority – it seems to be a natural human defence mechanism. Apparently, it is much easier to moan about how lucky someone has been, rather than accept their achievements as a result of their hard work and determination. We all know these people, or worse, we are one of them.
In order to battle this debilitating mindset, you need to do two things.
- If you know people like that, you need to limit or exclude them from your dealings (as Amber Rae recommends).
- If you are that person, then you need to change your way of thinking.
Luck Does Have A Part To Play, But…
Everyone is lucky at times, and by its very definition, luck is indiscriminate. But if it could somehow be quantified, it could be proven that some people are luckier than others. Despite that, luck is not the defining factor in people’s ultimate success or failure. A factor yes, but one that on the majority of occasions, takes a back seat to good old fashioned hard work and endeavour.
Hammering The Point Home
I cannot undersell how important mindset is to success. A positive mindset is what pulls you through the difficult times when so many give up. Just take Pat for example again. His blog was very slow to get started, but with a positive frame of mind, he persisted, and look at him now with his 20,000+ subscribers. If you have ever given up on a blog that at one stage you truly believed in, take a moment to mourn what it could have been. Now make up for it, and don’t make the same mistake again.
You can learn a lot from the success stories out there. But the best thing those stories can do for you is spur you on to emulate or exceed them. After all, why the hell not? At the root of every success story is a mere human, just like you.
So What Is Your Mindset?
Do you admire, or look on jealously? And how do you think it affects your ability to succeed?
Photo courtesy of Eleanor Ryan
Hey there, Tom! So true… there’s a real person behind every success – someone who loves dogs, wants a vacation, bemoan economy, Google stuff they want to know, work, play, love. But people often just see the success – and envy it!
But let’s not, right? Instead, dig deep and ask: What got them there? Better yet, ask if you could replicate their efforts while maintain your sense of wholeness. (Just had to get this here cuz often, people do what others do and it’s not making them happy at all. Moral of the story: find your own goal, define your own life.)
Anyways, having a positive mindset is what makes people win. It’s not actually success that makes people totally happy; it’s the process and that sense of having a direction. Also, it has to do with being “whole” and “at home” with what they do. Simply put, being yourself and being so damn good at it 🙂
Nice to know you, Tom. And thanks for this space 🙂
Hello Ruzanne!
Thank you so much for your comment – it really feels like a natural extension to the article itself. I agree completely with everything that you said – it sounds like you’ve got your head screwed on straight!
All the best,
Tom
Wrong, Tom. There’s a few loose screws in my head. LOL. Nah. Am just passionate about stuff and I get hyper. So much so that I comment like it’s a, yes, natural extension to the post. LOL! Great to be here and you’re welcome 🙂
Man Tom you hit the nail on the head with your opening story. That is SO true and a great illustration. I love the quote:
“The harder I work, the luckier I get.” Who could argue with that great logic, hah.
I’m also reminded of a great article I read about Gary Sinise in Success last month. He talked about how he was an overnight sensation… after 20 years of unnoticed hard work. Don’t forget that part!
Hi Deacon. I’m a big fan of that quote myself – I would love to know who originally said it, as I see it around a lot!
I haven’t read about Gary Sinise in particular, but there are so many articles out there about people who had to slog away for years before “making it”…they are often very inspiring.
There must be a third mindset, somewhere between or outside those two; my immediate reaction was “ooh, I’m clicking through because I want more information!” 🙂