Believe It

There is a seed of greatness inside you that has the potential to grow and produce success in every area of your life, from your finances to your relationships. God created you with winning in mindwhether or not you recognize this will determine how far you go. You must come to understand and believe that no matter how big or how small, success at any level is meaningful. So cultivate your desire for winning by seeing yourself accomplishing your goals with ease.

Remind yourself right now that youre accomplishing something each day you wake up. Every day youre being propelled to the next level. Your success doesnt depend on your race, age, gender, or occupation what matters is your attitude and mind-set . If you believe that you can succeed, you will.

Its important to achieve in life because success builds your self-esteem and empowers you to take on more challenges and have a positive outcome. However, its essential that you judge your accomplishments by your own standards and not someone elses. Success may mean something different to you than it does for someone else: One person may think it means becoming a millionaire, while another may find it in having a family. Whatever your idea of success is, pursue it with all youve got so that you can see it materialize in your life.

My friend Alicia told me about having to take a class in home economics when she was in junior high school. To pass the class, she had to sew a blouse . . . only she didnt know the first thing about sewing, so she feared that shed fail in her attempts. Her mother gave her money to buy the material, and sent her on her wayyet Alicia had no idea where to buy fabric, and she didnt even know how much she needed. She felt lost in the huge five-and-dime: The scared 12-year-old wandered down aisle after aisle until she came upon a package filled with hideous pink cloth. She had enough money to buy it, so she did (along with matching thread). When she got home, her mother laughed at what shed purchased. You have ten times what you need for a blouse, she said, and just look at that color ! It doesnt go with anything!

Alicia felt defeated, but she decided that if she finished the blouse, it didnt matter if she ever wore itshe would have accomplished something significant. She took the package to class, and the teacher showed all the students the necessary techniques to sew their own blouses. All the other girls had selected stylish plaids and appealing solid colors. Hers was the only outrageously pink bolt of fabric in the room. No matterweeks later, Alicia put the last stitches into the hem of her sickly pink blouse. It had a few flaws, and she never wore it, but she passed the course, and subsequently realized that she could do anything she set her mind to do. Alicia had succeeded in the way she defined success.