Those who succeed are considered by those who do not as being more thoughtful, more analytical and more intelligent. But based on my research, nothing could be further from the truth.
Success is a messy process. It’s an ugly process, quite frankly. Along the path towards success, successful individuals encounter nothing but problems, obstacles, make mistakes and often fail. In fact, 27% of those who eventually became self-made millionaires, failed at first.
Failure and making mistakes is sloppy. Success is sloppy. There’s nothing pretty about it, except in the end, which is what most people see. When we see a successful person, we see their beautiful home, fancy cars and their opulent wealth at work. That’s the only part of success most see. They don’t see the lonely, endless hours of toil required of every successful person. They don’t see the emotional trash heap every successful person carries along with them during their path towards success. If you were able to walk in the footsteps of self-made millionaires, during their path towards success, you would not envy them, you would pity them.
Pursuing a dream, overcoming obstacles and mistakes and the hard won learning and growth that results from the effort is one of the most exciting and rewarding things one can do in life. While the process is messy, the growth that occurs transforms ordinary individuals into extraordinary individuals. Succeeding builds confidence, creates long-term happiness and enables the successful to help family, friends and society in ways they never imagined. The benefits of success, by far, outweigh the anguish of the journey.
About Thomas C. Corley
Thanks for the motivation. It’s always worth reading!