The best way of climbing the ladder of success is by outgrowing the situation that we are presently holding. A person’s worth leaves clues and these clues don’t go unnoticed. Sooner or later, we gravitate to our level of competence.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not crowded at the top. There is plenty of room available just waiting for someone ready to fill the positions. The problem is not the lack of room; it’s the lack of people ready to fill the shoes that need to be filled.

Until we are ready to accept that belief, our chances of climbing the stairs of corporate or entrepreneurial success are considerably affected. No real progress is possible until a situation has been correctly assessed and established.

The problem is that we tend to follow the Pollyanna principle also called, “Positivity bias.” That principle says that, when doing a self-evaluation, we have a tendency to focus on our strong points instead of doing an inclusive survey of our real competences. In other words, we may not be as good as we think that we are.

In today’s fast paced world, being good at what we do is not good enough to rise in the corporate hierarchy. We are expected to be good; that’s what we get paid for. Being excellent will not do it either. Being excellent only means that we are filling our present place. It’s no reason to be promoted or to see an increase in our entrepreneurial revenues.

To be noticed, to be invited to fill a higher and more rewarding position, we must be outstanding. That is where the money is. That’s where the train that leads to the top starts. That’s where we get the wings that will allow us to soar above the crowd and reach the rarified air of the mountaintop of success.

Jim Rohn said it best, “Formal education will make you a living; self education will make you a fortune.” It is by working every day to improve ourselves that we can acquire the competence to become outstanding and in doing so, become a magnet for opportunities and advancement.

The self-education that Jim Rohn talks about is not restricted to our area of expertise. It also encompasses the entire gamut of the disciplines covered in the self-improvement world. It’s about life’s philosophy, character building, communication and relationships along with the multitude of subjects being covered in the self-help movement.

Self-education is about personal growth in all its facets. It’s about learning how to make finer distinctions and about taking wiser decisions. It’s about better self-control and about leadership abilities. In one word, it about becoming a better and more complete person. Smarter and wiser.

Greater success is the natural result of inner growth and self-actualization. Just as the tree depends on quality soil to reach maximal growth, success depends on the abundance of the intellect to bloom and flourish.

Make no mistake about it. There is plenty of room for advancement in the corporate world and plenty of room for growth in the entrepreneurial world. What is needed is not more room it is more qualified candidates.

There are plenty of opportunities out there just waiting for those who have the courage and wherewithal to spend some time every day on self-improvement. Victory belongs to those who have earned it – not to those waiting for some lucky star that won’t ever show up.

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The outer layer of the brain, called the cerebral cortex or grey matter, has grooves known as, “sulci.” That is where the seeds of success lay dormant, just waiting to be discovered and nurtured so that they can metamorphose into beautiful and shining accomplishments.

Each of those seeds contains all the genes and other elements required to fulfill one of our dream or aspiration. They lay there, awaiting the heat that only a strong desire can provide, to break out of their shell and start growing like the mighty oak tree.

We don’t have to look in far-off or exotic places to find those seeds of success. They are right there, in our brain, just waiting to be set free so that they can grow and turn the invisible into the visible and the dream into reality.

Just as is the case of a stable chemical solution that needs a catalyst to start the desired reaction, our seeds of success need an outside stimulus to start the chain reactions that will propel them to actualization. That outside stimulus can only be provided by the heat generated by an intense desire.

Desire is the incubator that will break the shell of the dormant seed and give it life. Now, different seeds have different shells. The seed of bigger dreams have thicker shells, and the thicker the shell is; the greater the desire has to be if it wants to generate enough heat to break it open.

Desire is the genitor of accomplishments. Without a strong enough desire, nothing will happen. With a strong enough desire even the seeds that contain our wildest dreams can be awaken and set on their way to making the dream come true. The big dreams need the kind of desire that is flamed by passion and commitment.

Just as the Universe is controlled by specific forces and nature unfolds through very specific laws, dreams are turned into accomplishment by following a very specific pattern. When fully understood, we see that nothing in life happens by accident. Everything follows the law of cause and effect.

Great achievements start with a dream. As the dream takes shape, the desire to see it turn into reality also grows. When under the influence strong emotions, the desire has reached the critical point of intensity, life is infused into the seed of that dream and a new reality is created.

From that moment on, the life of the holder of that dream is changed forever. It is now growing time for the project and the creator of that project. That’s another law of the Universe. No major project or achievement is possible without some personal growth and transformation. Personal growth and achievement go hand in hand. We cannot have one without the other.

Once a project is completed, the person who started it is no longer the same person. Experience has been acquired, unsuspected personal resources have been found and a new level of self-respect has been established. That, in itself, might be even more important than the objective that was accomplished.

We have, in the folds of the grey matter of the brain, success seeds that are just waiting to be released through the influence of a strong desire. We have the seeds, all that we need to do is to supply the desire and then watch our dreams turn into reality and see ourselves expand into the person that we were meant to be.

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In most cases, the self-image was pretty well defined by the time that we were three years old. The society in which we live, parents, friends and teachers had already, at that tender age, influenced us in accepting their views as to who and what we are. Most people go through life holding unto someone else’s opinion of their self-image. What a shame, what a waste.

The self-image is like a mask that could be worn in a play to define a character. And just as is the case in a play, the actor will remain faithful to that character. Yet, for all its importance, that mask is only the product of suggestions from others and from personal observations. The mask is the synthesis of randomly accepted suggestions and not much else.

Those suggestions created a fundamental belief that defined for us what we believe our nature to be. A belief is nothing but notions that are supported by evidences. Whether those evidences are factual or not does not matter. All that matters is the conclusions that they bring and those conclusions become our reality.

If the mask (self-image) that we are wearing does not serve us well, it can be changed. Remember finding a friend that you had not seen for a long time and be amazed at the transformation that had taken place since you had last seen that person. That transformation was caused by a change of the self-image.

The change could have been done either voluntary or unconsciously. The effect is the same either way. If we so choose, it is possible to change that image. That is done by consciously changing the tone of the chatter that constantly goes on in our mind.

We are constantly evaluating our performances and ourselves. Can you recall ever telling yourself, “I can’t do anything right. I’m stupid. No one likes Me.” Those are all comments that will reinforce a negative self-image. By consciously changing those comments to, “I’m a pretty sharp guy. I’m OK. People seem to like me.” the self-image will gradually change from negative to positive.

Dr. Maxwell Maltz, a plastic surgeon, was amazed at finding out that, even after intensive changes following cosmetic surgery, his patients still held on the belief that nothing had changed, that they were still disfigured. He came to the correct conclusion that the self-image will not conform to the reality but will hang on to previously held beliefs.

Dr. Maltz worked with these patients to change the self-image through autosuggestion and positive affirmations. In about thirty days, the change was complete. These people finally accepted new beliefs about themselves; their self-image changed and they were finally brought into a new reality.

We behave as we perceive ourselves to be. The self-image determines how we behave, how we see the world and how we think about ourselves. And, again, for all its importance that self-image probably has never been explored or questioned. If it serves us well, there is no need to change it. However, if it can be improved, it is always possible to do it. All that is needed is to change the self-talk. Try it and see miracles happen.

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We live in a fast paced world. What was true yesterday should be questioned today. Either we develop the ability to change and adapt or we fall by the wayside. The age of dogmas is now passé. Everything is open to question and fluidity is the order of the day.

Time was when we could find security in familiar surroundings. That époque is now over. We must learn to surf with the tide of current events and situations. With the explosion of technology, we no longer live in a community but in a global village.

How then can we set our compass straight and keep our bearings in the midst of that turmoil? For that we need to turn to our basic values. Those can be seen as the North Star of the modern day sailors. Just as the North Star guided sea Captains for centuries, our basic values will guide us in the tumultuous and ever changing sea of life.

Our basic values are the fundamental beliefs that create the core of our character. Most of the decisions that we make are directed by those values. These values are incrusted in our self-image and perceived identity. They define who we believe ourselves to be.

Yet, given all their importance, most people have never taken the time to examine those values. No one would set out to sea with a faulty or unchecked GPS (Global Positioning System.) The same attention should be accorded to our values because they are the only one who can truly assist us in charting our way through an ever-changing world.

The first thing that needs to be done is to makeup a list of at least ten of our most important values. That list should be sorted out by order of importance and then evaluated one by one to make sure that those values are empowering and not conflicting with each other.

Your values could look something like this: 1. Health, 2. Personal Growth, 3. Family life, 4. Financial Security, 5. Relationships, 6. Adventure, 7. Contribution, 8. Spirituality, 9. Recognition, 10. Legacy.

Once the values have been sorted out by order of importance, they should be checked to ascertain that they are compatible and not conflicting. Someone who would have “adventure” and “security” as personal values is on a conflicting path. Adventure and security will not make compatible bedfellows. One of the two will have to be changed.

Our personal values are simply beliefs that we have acquired along the way. Our parents, our peers and the society in which we live have passed on most of them to us. Those beliefs are not cast in stone and they are not dogmas. They can be changed and they should be changed if they do not serve us the way that they should.

With our value clearly established, decision-making is no longer an issue. We know exactly where we intend to go; we know what’s important for us and what should be avoided at all cost. Our compass is set and even in turbulent times it’s easy to keep the cap in the intended direction.

We are the Captains of our ship and so long as we are guided by our fundamental values, the ship will stay safely on course. That is, so long as those values are dictated with quality and integrity in mind.

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Were they born with that belief? Certainly not. We are born with instincts but beliefs are acquired. Beliefs are the results of teachings, observations and auto-suggestions. People can get themselves to believe almost anything that they want. It is done by the constant repetitions of a specific theme. A technique called affirmations.

Those of us who are old enough to remember Muhammad Ali in his younger days have had a perfect example of how a belief can be created. Mr. Ali kept on repeating, “I am the greatest.” He said it so many times that, not only did he get to believe it, soon the entire world believed it also.

Before they ever got to be great, all the great men and women had to believe that they were entitled. They had to believe that they were born to be great. That’s what gave them the energy, the drive and the wherewithal to become great. They had certainty, the winner’s edge, working for them.

That sense of entitlement and certainty is not a special gift reserved to the chosen few. It is a tool that is available to anyone who is willing to put in the time and effort to create it for themselves.

Anyone who has read a biography of Sylvester Stallone has seen what belief in self can do. Stallone had infallible faith in his capacity to become a premier movie actor when nobody gave him the shadow of a chance to seriously get into the movies business in the first place.

Lately, we have seen Barack Obama do the same thing. A very unlikely candidate for the Presidency. Could Mr. Obama have done it if he ever had one doubt that he could not do it? Very unlikely. He felt destined to break through the color barrier and reach to highest office in the world. And he did it.

Faith in ourselves and a sense of certainty are the corner stones upon which personal success is founded. Unfortunately there is no place in the arena of achievement for the timid or wavering soul. Life is either an act of courage or one of desperation. Either we surf the waves or struggle to stay afloat.

We were all born with a clean slate upon which we were given dominion. Who and what we believe to be is inscribed on that slate. Most of it was written for us by family and peers. It was originally accepted through suggestions from others. We were told that we were that we possessed certain characteristics and we accepted that.

That slate is not cast in bronze. We are free to change or remove whatever does not serve us as it should. As we expand and grow, this slate must be updated to conform to today’s reality. The beliefs about our personal identity must change as we do. Yesterday’s truth has to be changed to conform to today’s reality.

We were all conceived to fulfill a special mission. A mission for which we were entitled special gifts. Both the mission and the gifts are encompassed in the dream life that we have imagined for ourselves. Our primal task is to find that mission and fully exploit those gifts. We have already been divinely entitled. Now it’s our job to turn the gifts and dream into reality.

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We are pretty well the result of past failures. Almost everything that we’ve learned is the result of failures. It started as toddlers. We learned to walk by falling down, we learned to talk my making bizarre sounds and we learned to eat by ourselves by smearing food all over our face.

We learn by failing yet we see failures as a dreaded enemy. However that’s how it should be. Without pain, failures would be useless. It is the pain attached to failure that is the real teacher. That pain is the motivator that forces us to improve and become able to succeed where we failed before.

If we desire to learn, expand and grow, we have to change the way that we see failure. Failure is a teacher and a motivator that must be seen as such. Every new experiment is an exercise in failure. That’s how we learn and improve. That’s what we’ve been doing all our life without knowing it.

Everyone who enjoys greater success than we do has failed more times than we have. Winners have a love-hate relationship with failure. That is, they love the lessons that failures teach but they hate failures enough that they’ll do whatever it takes not to fall prey to its grip.

That love-hate relationship has to be calibrated so that the hate does not turn into such fear of failure as to lead to over cautiousness and paralysis. A great many beautiful projects never left the ground because of that exaggerated fear of failure. Some failures are part of the game of life and cannot be escaped but it cannot be allowed to rule our life.

It is also very important to note that failures should not be viewed as personal defeats or as character flaws. There may have been some lack of information or maybe some overly optimistic judgments but if a sincere effort was made and the project failed, there should be no self-blame and certainly no sense of guilt.

It is said of Donald Trump that before embarking on a new venture, he will consider the downside and if he knows that he can handle that, he will go ahead with the project. In other words, Mr. Trump will evaluate the worst possible scenario and if it proves to be something from which he can financially recover, he will go ahead with the project.

That’s a pretty levelheaded way of appraising the situations. There is a possible downside to any worthwhile project. There is always a distinct possibility of failure. But if the project is worthy enough and the possible failure is not of catastrophic proportion, the anchor should be lifted and the project set on its way.

Failures are a part of life. They should be respected but not overly feared. They should be avoided if at all possible but not taken personally if they do occur. Even with the greatest stretch of the imagination they could never be considered to be pleasant, but they are our best teachers. So, if we ever aspire to any meaningful level of success, we must learn to cohabitate with failures.

Finally, it must be understood that, overall, the fear of failure causes more harm than the consequences of failure. When an exaggerated fear of failure prevents us from even trying to do something worthwhile with our life, failure has won. And that is the ultimate failure.

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The effectiveness of the brain depends on the quality of the chemical reactions and electrical circuits that are going on in that organ at any given moment. Those chemical reactions and electrical circuit and not constant. They vary depending on our moods and emotions and affect the performance of the brain.

When we are in an emotional state of confidence and positive expectancy, the brain performs at peak level. On the other hand, when we feel depress, fearful and anxious, the brain’s performance is greatly affected and will perform at a much lower level of effectiveness.

How well or how badly we perform at any task, mental or physical, depends on the brain’s performance, which in turn is at the mercy of our mood, emotion and state of mind. So, by changing our mental state, we can change our performances.

If we want to perform at peak level most of the time, we must learn how to control our state of mind. We must learn how to feel positive, confident and sure of ourselves. For the neophyte, it may seem like an impossible task. Actually it’s not all that complicated once we understand the relationship between the emotions, the brain and the body.

Contrary to popular beliefs, emotions are not only felt in the brain. They affect the entire body. Every emotion has its own body posture and breathing pattern. Just by looking at someone, we can usually tell what state of mind that person is in.

At a glance, we can tell if a person is happy and confident or sad and depressed. Our emotions affect every cell in our body and they, in turn, affect our posture and breathing pattern. That is something that we can use to our advantage.

Since the moods and emotions are so closely linked together what affects one will affect the other. If emotions and moods can affect the posture, the posture can also affect the emotions and the moods. So by changing our posture, which is under our control, we can change the moods and the emotions that habit us.

In other words, if we take the posture of someone who is positive and confident, very soon, that is how we will feel. There is a little problem though. Most of the time, when we feel crappy, we have no desire to change our mood. Now, if we have no desire to change, it is evident that nothing will change. We will even resist any attempt to change.

You can say that we have a bit of a problem here. If we have the tools to change and don’t want to change, a bit of soul-searching is needed. The question should be asked, “What’s more important? To keep on feeling like a victim and maintain the crappy mood or to take the mature decision and do what needs to be done to perform at peak level.” That should ring a bell and give us a reality check. If we are a mature adult, let’s act like one.

Our behavior is not the result of our ability, but of the state that we’re in at the moment. To perform at peak level, our state of mind must be at peak level. That emotional peak level can almost instantly be induced by standing and breathing like a champion. That is what peak performers do all the time. If we want to enjoy the success that they have, all that we have to do is to emulate them. Stand straight, stand proud and watch miracles happen.

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Sometimes, a single remark will change our entire life. I was with a very successful friend and during our conversation he casually said, “If you’re not financially secure in less than ten years, it’s because you’re lazy, stupid or both.” The rest of our meeting is lost in a blur but those words really stuck home.

They were disturbing words and that is due to the fact that they contain more than a grain of truth. What does not concern us does not disturb us. It’s when a hidden fact is exposed that it stings and that we tend to get defensive.

My friend was right. Anyone who wants anything badly enough can get it. The operative words here are, “Want-badly-enough.” In his book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill explains the meaning of what it is to want something “badly enough.” He called it, a burning desire.

A burning desire is not a wish. It’s not a dream. It’s an unstoppable, undeniable and all consuming desire. It borders on obsession except that it’s not pathologic and that it is self-induced. Whether it’s a healthy desire or not could be argued. But one thing is certain; it works.

With a burning desire the entire person’s focus is on a single objective. It’s like a laser beam that can cut through the hardest metal. It’s like a rushing river that nothing can stop. It will accept no excuse and will not stop for anything. The only thing that matters is completion.

That is the kind of desire that inspired Arnold Schwarzenegger to push his body to its extreme limits for years. That’s the kind of desire that allowed Lance Armstrong to become the king of the Tour de France even after he was diagnosed with brain and testicular cancer.

It’s the kind of desire that made it possible for Tony Robbins to write his best seller, Unlimited Power, in only 29 days. And that was done on top of a very heavy seminar schedule plus the formidable task of running a dozen of personally owned business.

That’s also the kind of desire that keep star athletes on top of their game, billionaires at their desk twenty hours a day and people like Celine Dion performing night after nights in front of huge crowds all over the world.

These people know what a burning desire means. They are living examples of what it can do. They are not super-humans. They are ordinary people animated by an extraordinary desire also called a burning desire.

A burning desire may not be for everyone but it is available to anyone. With it, seriously handicapped people have achieved extraordinary feats. People like Ray Kroc, founder of the McDonald Empire, started using it past the age of 50. The stories of people with every conceivable history and backgrounds who achieved amazing success with it are legions.

The key that will unlock any door is a burning desire to achieve a specific goal. It is something that is readily available to anyone anytime. No special preparations are necessary. It is simply a question of desire and resolve.

All that to paraphrase Napoleon Hill who said it best when he wrote, “There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it.”

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There is no such thing as a good or bad emotion. It always depends on how, where and when any particular emotion is used. In some cases, an emotion is a call for action. In some other cases, emotions serve to accomplish what otherwise could not be done.

Anger is such an emotion. Anger can get you in deep trouble and it can save your life. It can get you out of a slump as it can make you loose control and get you in more trouble that you ever thought possible. Taking control of our life means being able to control our emotions.

Tony Robbins tells us that the day that his life completely turned around was the day that he got angry and said to himself, “I’ve had it! I know I’m much more than I’m demonstrating mentally, emotionally, and physically in my life.”

He goes on to say, “I made a decision in that moment which was to alter my life forever. I decided to change virtually every aspect of my life. I decided I would never again settle for less than I could be.”

Those direct quotes from his book, Awaken the Giant Within, show a man who finally got angry and decided that this was the day that things would change. They were not the words of a man who was in the throes of apathy or someone who suddenly flew in a fit of anger. They were the words of a man who had reached the threshold of tolerance and who was ready to make a solid commitment to change his life around.

Could that commitment have been done without anger? Probably not. When the brain has been practically hypnotized in the same pattern of thinking for a long period of time, a strong pattern interrupt is needed to face another reality. A defeatist attitude will not change into optimism at the drop of a hat. Something drastic has to be done.

Emotions are essential for powerful actions. Well used, emotions shake the torpor, empower us, give us the courage and the adrenalin rush necessary to take big decisions and make commitments. They are the catalysts that will gel the resolves and set them off for free expression and actualization.

One of the most powerful emotions has to be anger. That is, controlled anger. The type of anger that makes it possible to burn the bridges and cutoff all possibility of retreat. The cold deliberate anger that shuts off all other emotions and directs all the focus on a very specific objective.

At that point, anger can become very liberating. Minor considerations are not longer an issue. Fear looses its grip and uncertainty vanishes. We are on a mission. Something needs to be done and will be done. If need be, walls will crumble, paths will be cleared and the objective will be reached.

Like any powerful resources, anger has to be used with care and discrimination. Just as a canon should not be used to kill a fly and a flamethrower used to light a campfire, anger should never be used where a little common sense would suffice.

Anger is a powerful tool and it is at our disposal when the situation warrants it. Otherwise, it should be left dormant in the toolbox – just in case it is ever absolutely needed.

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The science of physic has shown us how to overcome personal stagnation. When the internal force is greater than the restraining resistance, that internal force will break through and express itself. When we apply this rule to our Personal Power, it means that if the motivation is greater than the restraining fears, action is inevitable.

That being said, the question that begs to be ask is, “What is the best possible way of increasing our motivation?” Napoleon Hill, in his book, Think and Grow Rich, gives us a clue when he talks about sexual transmutation or how to use the sexual drive for greater achievements.

One of the greatest aphrodisiac is success. That impulse was implanted in our genes at the dawn of the evolutionary process. Success meant ascension in the hierarchy of the clan and with it came a better choice in the gene pool. Those who were near the top of the hierarchy had first choice among the most desirable mates and those who were lower on the scale had to settle for what was available.

That impulse is still with us today and it can still be used in a most productive and motivating way. Success is a tremendous aphrodisiac albeit, not a conscious one since it is genetically linked. To become truly effective, that genetically linked power of attraction must be consciously explored and exploited.

By associating success to its power of sexual attraction, the desire to succeed becomes highly enhanced and creates an explosive source of motivation. Who would not be highly motivated by the thought of becoming more sexually appealing?

The type of sex appeal that we are talking about here is known more commonly as charisma; a term that has the same connotation but that is non-threatening. Emancipated people will readily admit that charismatic is sexy and those same people will unabashedly admit that they would do just about anything to be as sexually attractive as possible. Nothing wrong with that.

Evidently, what we are talking about here is the power that being sexually attractive provides and not the misuse of that power. This is about Personal Power, motivation and success. It has absolutely nothing to do with philandering, lack of integrity or lack of morality.

The search for sexual attraction, charisma or whatever you want to call it takes many forms. It goes from cosmetic surgeries to display of wealth and from tanning salons to crash diets and on to murderous pace in the gym. However, there is only one way that it can be used as high octane for Personal Power. That is done by taking note of the fact that success, in all of its forms, is actually one of the most potent aphrodisiac under the sun.

With that in mind, the quest for success becomes its own motivator. Success brings charisma and charisma brings success. It’s the self-stroking duo that generates enough energy, enthusiasm and motivation to break down the barriers of procrastination. With procrastination out of the way, Personal Power, or the ability to take action, is finally loose and success is just a breath away.

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