Harvey, Jason - Achieve Anything In Just One Year - Be Inspired Daily to Live Your Dreams and Accomplish Your Goals

DAY

294

“I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.”

— Frank Lloyd Wright

This price of success that Frank Lloyd Wright talks about in the quote above involves a wonderful and almost magical kind of work. It’s the work that will lead you to straight to success. Can you describe how this type of labor is different from the kind of work that is considered a chore?

One very important difference is conviction. People who attain awe-inspiring goals are almost single-minded in their purpose. They really believe in what they are doing. They feel like they are fulfilling a greater purpose through their exertion. They are excited about it and want to do whatever it takes to see it accomplished.

It is like the difference between climbing a mountain and working on a chain gang. Both tasks require a great deal of effort, but one is awe-inspiring and the other is hell. Not many of us would sign up for a chain gang if it wasn’t forced upon us. Similarly, it is likely that you will only be willing to pay the price of success if you are able to find something that inspires you. If you find your passion, then anything can be endured to see it to fruition. You won’t care if people tell you it’s impossible. You will find superhuman effort within yourself to see it through. That kind of drive and devotion creates the magic you need to become a success. Nothing less will do the trick. Are you willing to go that far?

DAY

295

“Work while you have the light. You are responsible for the talent that has been entrusted to you.”

— Henri Frederic Amiel

Here is another little spin on work. Work is the utilization of your talent. Talent doesn’t just appear on its own. You have to engage it in an activity to bring it out in a useful form. You are responsible for the gifts you have been given. They were entrusted to you. Are you going to waste them, or are you going to use them?

So get to work now while you have the light. You have a responsibility to turn your talents into something the rest of humanity can enjoy. Could you imagine how much we would have missed if Mozart had decided to play billiards all the time instead of writing down the beautiful music he had inside of him? Evidently, he sometimes did both at the same time, but that’s beside the point. He had an extraordinary talent, and he was responsible for bringing it into the light. Mozart worked and played with equal ferocity. He was a prolific composer, and he also performed all the time. That kind of schedule probably wasn’t a walk in the park, but Mozart must have understood that the gifts that were entrusted to him needed to be shared with the world.

It is your job to use the talents you have. If you are already doing so, it feels pretty good, doesn’t it? You know in your soul when you are engaged in something you were meant to do. That’s when work is pure joy. If you continue to be unsure of where your true talents lie, get to work on finding out. Journal about your questions and seek the answers. Success is born out of putting your talents to serious work.

DAY

296

“Joy is the best make up.”

— Anne LaMott

Cheryl was bursting with happiness. She finally discovered her true talents after months of searching, and she felt a renewed sense of purpose that invigorated her from the inside out. Cheryl had a lot of work ahead of her, but she was bursting with joy at the thought of taking a new direction. She showed up at work bright and early, and everyone she came across noticed the change. Joy looked great on her! People asked her if she got a haircut, a makeover, a face lift, liposuction—each comment was funnier than the one before. The simple fact was that Cheryl was bursting with happiness. She found joy, and it made her look radiant. No amount of plastic surgery could have done a better job than the makeover she gave herself from the inside out.

Are you finding the joy in your life? Don’t despair if you’re not quite there yet. Sometimes it takes a little practice. Start with small things. Do old black-and-white movies make you happy? Then rent one tonight. Do you enjoy babysitting your niece or nephew? Call up your sister and make plans to do that sometime very soon. Do you like to cook? Get in the kitchen and get busy. Don’t underestimate the power of joy. You don’t have to wait for it to come. You can make it happen as often as you want.

If you had a chance to experience even a little bit of joy every day, wouldn’t you take it? What’s stopping you right now? You can make the conditions right. You deserve to have overwhelming joy in your life. It’s the best make up.

DAY

297

“The secret of joy in work is contained in one word—excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.”

— Pearl S. Buck

During the last several days, you’ve been reading a lot about joy and work. The best way to combine the two is to strive for excellence. When your work reaches the definition of excellence, it is of such high quality that it is exceptional. It is not the norm. You stick out in a crowd.

That is exactly what you want when you strive to achieve your dreams. Your ultimate goal is not to make a lot of money. That is a byproduct. The definitive prize is to achieve excellence. You want to shine brightly in this world, and you will when you learn how to do something very well. Let’s go over the basic steps on your path toward excellence. They are the following:

1. Find your passion.

2. Work very hard at learning how to do it extremely well.

3. Experience joy in the excellence you have achieved.

Money and fame will come later. If you find joy in working very hard on your passions in life, then you will be making a contribution that is worth recognition and reward. Write down these three basic steps and stick them on the mirror in your bathroom. Ask yourself if you are adhering to them every day.

DAY

298

“The great teachings unanimously emphasize that all the peace, wisdom, and joy in the universe are already within us; we don’t have to gain, develop, or attain them. We’re like a child standing in a beautiful park with his eyes shut tight. We don’t need to imagine trees, flowers, deer, birds, and sky; we merely need to open our eyes and realize what is already here, who we really are—as soon as we quit pretending we’re small or unholy.”

— Unknown

Every single tool you need for success is already within you. You have everything you need. The greatest deterrent to success is the limitation you place on yourself. You are not small. You are not unholy. You are a unique gift, and no one possesses your particular talents. It is imperative that you stop selling yourself short and start accepting your brilliance.

Find a quiet place today and take your journal with you. Write about your gifts. Close your eyes and visualize the power you hold within you. The tools for success are not hidden somewhere out in the universe. You don’t need to go on a long expedition to find them. They are inside of you at this very moment waiting to be put to work. It is so incredibly important to realize and accept that simple fact. You don’t have to wonder if you’ve got the goods to be a success. You do. So you can stop asking that question. You have the answer.