Jim Rohn is happy and healthy!
Chapter 1: Keyword for your life
All of the ideas in this book come from a key group of keywords.
Therefore, in order to understand the book
and get the maximum value from its content,
we need to unify the meaning of each keyword.
“If you just communicate,
you can get by.
But if you communicate skillfully,
you can work miracles.” – Jim Rohn
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Define Foundation
Let’s first consider the word “foundation”.
I define foundation as the basic principles on which achievement is built.
The foundation creates the beginning,
the foundation and the reality
from which everything else can be built.
Let’s take the word “foundation”
and apply it to the concept of success.
If you’re looking for foundational success,
the kind of success that’s built on a solid foundation,
you need to avoid any fancy answers.
Success is a simple process.
It did not fall from the sky.
Nor is it something magical or mysterious.
Success is simply the natural outcome
of consistently applying the foundations of success to life.
The same is true for prosperity and happiness.
They are also simply the natural outcome
of consistently applying the foundations
of prosperity and happiness to life.
The key to everything is to stick to the foundations.
“There are three steps to wealth:
First you have to make money,
then you have to keep it,
then you have to multiply it.” – Grant Cardone
**************
Apply Principle
One day, my great teacher,
Shoaff, said to me,
“Jim, usually it’s only about half a dozen things
that make 80% of the difference.”
Half a dozen things… what a strange idea.
Whether we’re doing anything to improve our health,
wealth,
personal achievement,
or business,
the difference between resounding success
and bitter failure lies in their level of commitment in finding,
learning,
and applying half a dozen of these things.
For example, for a farmer
who wants a good harvest,
the half-dozen basic things he needs
to focus on are fairly obvious:
Soil,
seed,
water,
sun,
fertilizer,
and care.
Each of these ingredients is of equal importance
because only when combined will they yield the sweet fruit
of a successful harvest.
So a good question to ask
before undertaking any new project
or setting new goals is:
What half a dozen events will determine most
of the differences between outcomes?
Whether your business is in the arts or music,
math or physics,
sports or business,
these half a dozen fundamentals are crucial.
Understanding
and applying this simple principle is the smart first step
toward accomplishing your goals and dreams.
“Money is simple.
Buy cash flow producing assets.”– Grant Cardone
**************
Wealth, Prosperity, Millionaire.
The second keyword needs to be defined as prosperity.
Prosperity is a controversial word because it brings
to our minds many different images
and even many conflicting concepts.
After all, each of us looks at prosperity
from a different perspective.
For this person,
prosperity means having enough money
to be able to do whatever you want.
For the other,
it means being completely debt-free.
For another,
prosperity means an opportunity
to grow and achieve goals.
However, all these differences help each of us find our own ways
to work for a rich life.
For most people
who don’t spend too much time thinking about the subject,
prosperity is simply synonymous with one word:
Millionaire.
For now, that’s an exhilarating word!
It echoes the sound of success,
freedom,
strength,
influence,
ability
and charity.
Certainly, becoming a millionaire is not an evil wish!
On the other hand,
the word prosperity also has a meaning beyond the economic concept.
You can talk about the prosperity of experience,
the prosperity of friendship,
the prosperity of love,
the prosperity of family,
the prosperity of culture.
However, for our purposes here,
we will focus on the kind of prosperity
that comes with financial freedom
Prosperity that comes from transforming our efforts
and businesses into money and capital.
The amount of wealth
that each person needs to feel prosperous will vary.
However, there is one thing
that I am sure of is that our basic dreams are the same:
To be free from financial pressures,
free to choose,
and comfortable with opportunities
to create and share.
What does prosperity mean to you?
How much money will give you a sense of financial freedom?
These are not silly questions.
You will quickly find
that the more clearly you define your concept of material prosperity,
the more useful the ideas in this book will be.
“Remember, to create wealth,
you can’t just score once,
you must be able to repeat it.”– Grant Cardone
***************
Happiness
All the world’s quests are for happiness.
However,
like prosperity,
happiness is different for each person.
It includes both the joy of discovery
and the joy of understanding.
It often accompanies those
who are fully aware of the colors,
sounds and harmony of life.
Happiness can also be the delight of those
who carefully design their lives and then live them artfully.
Happiness is a skill to receive a way
Enjoy what life brings with your cognitive ability.
You can be happy both in giving
and receiving,
in reaping and in sowing.
Happiness comes to those
who are free to expand their horizons and experiences.
It resides in the homes of those
who are able to relieve despair
without losing their sense of comfort.
It belongs to those
who have control over both circumstances and emotions.
Happiness is also simply being free
from childish fears such as anxiety,
low self-esteem,
jealousy,
stinginess,
discontent,
discrimination,
and hatred.
Those who have tasted happiness often understand
and realize the strange positive power of life and love.
However, happiness is not only a common feeling
but also a way of thinking that helps organize feelings,
activities and lifestyles.
In other words,
it is a way of interpreting the world and events.
Happiness is having a balance.
It is the feeling of satisfaction with daily tasks,
including boring repetitive tasks that few of us can escape.
Happiness is a purposeful action.
That is real love.
It is the ability to understand
what is seen and to revere miracles.
However, most of us think of happiness
as something lost in the past
or a peak to be reached in the distant future
(I will be happy when…).
Only very few people understand
that happiness can only be achieved in the present.
Yes, like all good things,
happiness is often difficult to achieve.
But I promise you it’s not impossible to capture happiness.
“Do not go to work to work,
go to work to prosper.”– Grant Cardone
**************
Discipline
So how to catch the happy blue bird?
The strange thing is that you just need to understand
and apply a concept that seems to have nothing
to do with happiness,
which is… discipline.
If there’s one critical ingredient to the success
of your quest for prosperity and happiness,
it’s discipline.
You may not accept this concept
because it reminds you of a tough training officer
or a stern teacher waving a ruler,
but I can assure you that respecting
Discipline holds the key to achieving your dreams and desires.
Surprise?
Then we should take a moment to define discipline.
Discipline is the bridge between ideas and results…
the glue of inspiration and achievement…
the miracle of turning financial need into the creation
of an inspiring work of art.
Discipline comes to those
who know that in order for a kite to fly,
it must ride the wind;
only those who try to swim against the current can achieve good things;
The aimless drift in life only leads
to bitterness and disappointment.
Discipline is the foundation on which success is built.
The lack of discipline will inevitably lead to failure.
Oddly enough,
many people don’t see the link
between a lack of discipline
and a lack of success.
Most people picture failure
as a traumatic event,
such as a company going bankrupt
or a house being repossessed.
However, this is not how failure happens.
Failure is rarely the result of a single event.
Instead, it was the cumulative effect
of a long series of small failures
that resulted from a lack of discipline.
Failure happens every time we fail
to think about… today,
act… today,
care,
effort,
strive,
study
or just keep moving forward… today.
If your goal today is to write ten letters
but you can only write three,
you are already missing seven letters… today.
If you commit yourself to making five calls
but you only make one,
you’ve missed four calls… today.
If your financial plan requires you
to save ten dollars
but you don’t save any,
you are ten dollars short… today.
Danger comes
when we look at a wasted day
and conclude that there is no harm done.
After all, it was only for one day.
But if you add up these days to a year
and add up these years to make a life,
perhaps now you see
how repeating today’s small failures can easily change your life,
you come to a great ruin.
Success follows exactly the same pattern as above…
but in reverse.
If you plan to make ten calls
and you go over your quota to reach fifteen,
you are already five calls ahead… today.
Do the same with your correspondence
as well as your savings plan
and you will soon see the fruits of your efforts accumulated year after year
and ultimately through life.
Discipline is an important key.
It opens the door to prosperity and happiness,
civilization and insight,
high self-esteem and great achievement,
it accompanies feelings of pride,
fulfillment and success.
“Go the extra mile,
there’s no one on it.”– Grant Cardone
**************
How to be disciplined?
First, you must be aware of the importance of discipline in your life. Let’s
Start by asking yourself,
“What do I want to achieve in my life?
What do I need to change to achieve those goals?”
Second, ask yourself:
“Do I want to do those things?”
and answer honestly.
If the answer is “yes,”
then you need to make a long-term commitment
to maintain your discipline wisely,
systematically,
and consistently.
Ultimately,
your long-term commitment needs
to be upheld under all circumstances
and will be tested when circumstances
that prevent you from fulfilling that commitment arise.
Surely discipline will do a lot
for you and more importantly,
it will make you feel good about yourself.
Even the smallest discipline can have an incredible impact on your attitude.
And the good feeling you get
—that rush of feeling about your own worth when you begin
to follow a new discipline
—is almost as good as the feeling you get
when you fulfill the requirements
of a new discipline.
The new discipline will instantly change the direction
of your life like a ship turning in the middle of the ocean
and heading in a new direction.
Some people believe that discipline is unnatural
– just what is present is enough.
They see the need to accomplish goals as artificial,
unnatural behavior.
But the reality is that discipline is in harmony with nature
– where everything has to work.
How tall will the tree grow?
It has to contend with the strength of the earth’s gravity
and continue to absorb the sun to stay as tall as possible.
Yes, this struggle of the tree is not a conscious act
– the tree has no brain.
But you and I have been given the ability
to consciously choose
to work hard and be all we can be.
Discipline attracts opportunity.
Great opportunities always come to those
who have a sense of skill development
and a passion for action.
Those who through discipline
and commitment
to set higher visions for themselves will seize opportunities
that weaker souls never see.
Discipline is a specialized process of intelligent thoughts
and behaviors to stop agitation
and encourage politeness,
courtesy…
thereby developing positive actions
and controlling negative thoughts extreme…
to promote successful efforts
and refuse to accept failure…
to promote health and limit disease.
Anyone can start the process of being disciplined.
You can also do it level by level,
step by step over time.
There is very interesting news that…
You can start… today!
Don’t say,
“If I could, I would too.”
Say, “If I will, I can!”
Let’s start this new process and start small.
And then learn how to stick to your new commitments.
The result of this seemingly insignificant beginning
will help you feel the greatness of discipline.
And since then,
the sky is the limit.
“Everything in life is a sale
and everything you want is a commission.”– Grant Cardone
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Action
So, to be successful,
start a success plan.
To become rich,
develop a “wealth” plan.
Remember, you don’t have to be rich to have a wealth plan;
a person without any means can have a plan to “become rich”.
There are many other types of plans you can create:
• If you are sick, start a health plan.
• Do you always feel tired?
Then start an energetic plan.
• Feeling a bit lacking in knowledge?
Does not matter!
Let’s start the study plan.
• You say you can’t?
Let’s start the “I can” plan.
“No one is going to come to your house
and make your dreams come true.”– Grant Cardone
*****************
Anyone can!
Even a bad person can start reading good books.
The key is to take a step… today.
Whatever the project, get started today.
Start clearing out the drawers
for your new organized desk… today.
Start setting your first goal… today.
Start listening to the motivational tape… today.
Start your weight loss plan… today.
Start your plan to call a difficult customer every day… today.
Start depositing money into your new account “investing in the future”… today.
Writing the letter has been delayed too long… today.
What the hell is that!
Inspire your new commitment to the good life.
See what you can do to fulfill this commitment.
Make an effort!
Let’s start your accelerators.
Prove to yourself that the time of waiting
and hoping is over
and this is the time of faith and action.
It’s a new day,
a new start to your new life.
With discipline,
you will also be amazed at
how much progress you can make.
What will you lose
but guilt and fear of the past?
Now get ready for the next challenge:
Make the first day
of your new beginning part of a new beginning.
Move forward,
see how many things you can start
and continue this week,
your week for new beginnings.
Next, let’s make this the month of new beginnings…
and then the year of new beginnings.
By the time you finish this first year of your life,
you’ll never be
tormented by the past
– old habits,
old influences,
old regrets,
old failures.
You are ready to “fly with the eagle”.
“Show up early,
treat people with respect
and perform at the highest levels
till the world can’t deny you.”– Grant Cardone
******************
Successful
Success is the fifth keyword.
Like the concepts discussed,
it has many layers of meaning.
Success is also a difficult concept to define,
a paradox.
Above all,
you must also see that it is
both a journey and a destination.
It is steady,
measurable progress toward a goal
and goal accomplishment.
Success is both achievement
and wisdom to those
who understand the potential power of life.
It is the recognition of value
and the cultivation of worthwhile values through discipline.
It is both material and spiritual,
real and mysterious.
Success is the process of “turning away”
from a few things for the greater good
– from boredom to purposeful work,
from candy to fruit,
from spending to investing.
Success is responding to an invitation to change,
grow,
develop and become
– an invitation to move up to a better place
for a better position.
But the most important thing is
that success helps you get what you want in life.
Consider all possibilities,
consider all the examples of people
whose lives you admire.
What do you want to have in your life?
That’s a big question!
Remember, success is not a set of standards drawn
from our culture
but a set of well-defined
and ultimately attainable personal values.
Build your life the way you want it
to be for yourself – that’s success.
But how can each person do that?
That is exactly what this book is about.
“The bigger the solution,
the bigger the paycheck,” ― Steve Siebold