MENTOR'S GUIDE TO SUCCESS.........Living your Dream Life

 

MENTOR'S GUIDE TO SUCCESS

Introduction

  

You’ve been thinking about doing something about your low life for a long time.  You have considered all your shallow friendships, trivial distractions and the resultant poverty that stares you in the face and have decided to look for a way of escape, you are welcome!

As a result, you have started disconnecting with your environment and relationships. You’ve started, little by little, to be more authentic with yourself and the world around you.  What took years to hide only took a moment of honesty to recover. And now, here you find yourself, on what feels like the edge of a cliff.

But, you are still afraid of the proverbial unknown, you’re afraid of what might happen if you fall into error.  You’re tempted to turn around and go back to the easy, convenient and less demanding life you are used to.  But you know how many years you have struggled and prayed for God to remember you, instead of going out of your way to do something extraordinary and rise above your contemporaries.

Spiritual Foundation for Success

The spiritual foundation for your success is written in Joshua 1: 8, which says: This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  

This scripture was repeated in Deuteronomy 29:9, which says: "So keep the words of this covenant to do them, that you may prosper in all that you do".  The truths in the Word of God is what every Christian needs to succeed financially and materially, after all, it is God that gives us the wisdom, the bright ideas of what to do and how to do it and succeed.  

In Deut 8:18, the bible says that "You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day".

Biblical success involves hard work on the part of man and the help from God.  That hard word is referred to as diligence.  You must be diligent to manufacture or produce goods and services that meet the needs of people.  

You should be diligent to ensure that your goods and services bring happiness and joy to the people who will use it.  When you do that, your customers are happy and God is happy too, then He will open the heavens of success upon you and the result is success.  

God increases those who multiply their Seed

From the story of the Talents in Mathew 25: 14-30, we can see that God does not reward mediocrity and will never do so.  That's why Christian businessmen should learn how to compete with others in their field.  Everyone is looking for value, good product and services at fair prices.  Whoever provides quality services gets peoples' patronage.

The servant that doubled their seed were all rewarded.  The Lord said to them "Well done, good and faithful servant.  Thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord Mathew 25:21.  But the man who was lazy and angry with his master, who did nothing to increase his seed was described as a wicked and slothful servant.

Finally, the Talent of the slothful was taken from him and given to the servant with 10 Talents.  Then the fearful doctrine was pronounced " For everyone that has, shall be given, and he shall have an abundance.  But he that has not shall be taken away even that which he has.

Be sure of your Purpose

Once you commit to living your dreams, which is fulfiling your God-given destiny,  the lids blinding your eyes will be lifted. A completely new world will be opened to your view.  The plan of God for you may be to be a record-breaking Politician who will do the will of God in government, it could be for you to be a Doctor, Nurse, Architect, Accountant etc.  You cannot start this journey without knowing who God created you to be.

The journey of success we are walking together requires that you know your calling, so that these principles will be unleashed towards the fulfilment of that purpose so that you will not think of changing profession after some initial difficulties.

If you are doing what God created you for, no matter the difficulties you may face in the business or profession, you will stay-put.  You know that after rain, the sun will shine again, so you will deepen yourself in the business to understand it and excel in it, and with time, the challenges will give way to celebrations.

I am assuming that you know what God created you for and you will take these skills here and apply to it accordingly.  Here’s what you’ll find after you take the leap, begin to apply the principles mentioned here.

The Journey begins Here

You’ll notice that:

1. Opportunities everywhere: “Our eyes only see and our ears only hear what our brain is looking for.”  - Dan Sullivan

You will notice opportunities that have been in your reach all along, ones your conscious mind simply didn’t pay attention to.  All your sensory antenna will be at alert to opportunities, which can be spotted in hidden places.

Once this fundamental change takes place, your self-discovery has started and there is no return to the old ways.  This is the point of no return and your whole world changes.  Nothing becomes impossible for you.  Your only limitations are your consciousness, which is quickly expanding.  Whatever you want quickly becomes yours because you see what most people don’t.

2. You’ll have boundless energy, fueled by purpose.

After you’ve crossed the threshold of decision, you will find a new wellspring of energy—one that appears to be infinite.  The moment you can move from will to why you no longer have to coax yourself into action. The decision has been made. 

Rather than focusing on defence against further damage, you’re on the offence, sprinting to the top of your mountain. From your perspective, you’re already at the top.

3. You’ll learn, grow and understand quickly.

Once you’ve made the leap, you’ll have a thirst for knowledge, wisdom and understanding. You become both student and teacher.

You will become a sponge, soaking up everything you can, creating loads of neural connections and schematic networks. You’ll learn the left-brained logic and rules so your right brain can have limitless freedom to break the rules and create.

With enhanced consciousness, time will slow down for you. You’ll see things in several more frames than others. While they’re trying to react to the situation, you’ll be able to manipulate and tweak the situation to your liking.

You’ll make connections others don’t see. As a result, you will cement your knowledge by generously sharing it with others.  The teacher is always the one who learns the most.

So you will teach and share abundantly. You will experience far more joy seeing others benefiting from your teaching than by experiencing success yourself.

4. You’ll apply what you’re learning.

Thriving is all you understand anymore. Mediocrity is a mismanagement of your innate human potential.

As a result, you are constantly applying new information to accelerate your progress. You’re a scientist of life, experimenting and trying new things.

When something doesn’t work, you don’t persist. You cut your losses and move on, detached from the need to be right. Instead, you want to progress and understand and serve. Humility is your banner.

5. You’ll realize all of your previous fears were unfounded, thus allowing you to embrace future fears.

Someone who has gone from overweight to fit understands the process. It’s now logical to them. Similarly, a person who has learned how to make millions of dollars understands the process. The magic is gone. Theory and experience are two completely different things.

But the person who hasn’t yet reached their goal is still clinging to often highly ambiguous theories. The process doesn’t make sense. There’s still doubt about whether things will actually work out.

But when you fully commit to your path, you are freed from this dichotomy. Like Tom Harmon, you’ll have a completely new self-image. In your mind, you already are where you plan to be.

When the why is strong enough, how is easily found.

So you don’t worry about it anymore. You see fear as part of the process, as a signal you’re moving in the right direction.

6. You’ll stop worrying about, but instead, anticipate the future.

“Your future is as bright as your faith.”  —Thomas S. Monson

Once you’ve made your decision, you have nothing to worry about. You are a magnet attracting nothing but brilliance. Every day is a step closer to your ideal than the last. The future is only getting better and better. You are in creation mode.

You’re no longer chasing happiness. Happiness is within. You have embraced who you are, so you’re not trying to compete with some external indicator of success.

You know success is inevitable because you’re in alignment. Every day your external world more closely matches your internal reality. As Dan Sullivan said, “You can have everything you love in life as long as you give up what you hate.”

7. All of your needs will be met.

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation): that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. 

A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.” ―William Hutchison Murray

Beyond your point of no return, luck and miracles become your norm. All of your needs are met—be they material, financial, intellectual, spiritual or relational.

The right people will come into your life. You will have enough time and money to get moving. The right books, articles and audios will find their way into your life at just the right time.

You have become a vector for everything you need to accomplish your task. Don’t question why—just gracefully, humbly and gratefully receive. The shocking truth is that receiving is far more difficult than giving. Receiving, at a conscious and evolved level, is your purpose. The universe wants to give you everything as soon as you are ready to receive.

You will be given everything you need when you need it. And you no longer question that fact. Here you are.

8. People will enter your life to help you.

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”  —Unknown

When you are on a dedicated mission, people will come to your aid to help you make it real. This is the essence of Seth Godin’s book Tribes. When you are ready to go, here’s what you will find:

Mentors who will teach you and radically accelerate your progress.

Fans and supporters.

Students who want to learn.

Haters (these are just as necessary as the others who enter your life).

Your relationships are by far the most important aspect of your journey. You will begin attracting the right people in your life when you start doing the work.

It begins with initiative and openness. Once you’re ready to learn, you’ll have teachers. Higher up the mountain, your work will attract the very people who will help spread your message and forward your cause.

9. You’ll have bouts of doubt, but they won’t last long.

From time to time, even after countless pieces of evidence that you’re on the right track, you will be tempted to revert. Doubts will creep in. You’ll question everything about yourself and what you’re doing. You’ll go through periods of time without success. Things will appear to be falling apart.

This is a crucial part of the process. Indeed, far more fundamental than what you do is who you become. Growing in consciousness and progressing as a human being is intended to challenge you to the core. Most people take the path of least resistance and this is not that path.

Living your dreams is not a “cheap experience.” It is supposed to require some effort, something from the depths of your soul.

So even when you’re tempted to quit, you will dig deep. And if for some reason you decide to quit, that will haunt you until you rectify that decision. As Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. said, “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” You can never go back to the way things once were, even if for a time you pretend to.

No matter how devastating your doubts, you will eventually regain the hope you once had. But now it will only be stronger and more solidified.

10. You’ll feel inclined to do things you never considered before.

You are no longer rigid in your thinking. You’re open to whatever you feel inspired to do, even if—in the moment—it feels extremely uncomfortable. You no longer operate based on how you are feeling in the moment.

You expect to be inclined to do things yourself and others might be uncomfortable with. You are completely open. You are moving.

You no longer stall or question when you get a prompt. You respond immediately and automatically.

And when you act on these impressions, you never regret it. You only regret when you don’t act and are left to wonder what might have been.

The more open you become, the more you find yourself in places you never thought you’d be. But you don’t question why you just keep going. Along the way, you “connect the dots looking backwards.”

11. You’ll see past the broken approaches most people take.

The conventional approach is broken.

Most people haven’t committed to what they feel they should be doing. They remain unaware of who they are, what they stand for and who they are becoming. They are living in fear and confusion, simply waiting to be told what to do. They want the easiest path. They are following dogmatic assumptions.

Even worse, most people will go against their own values to fit in with the crowd. One of the most famous psychological experiments—the Asch Experiment—discovered that people will conform even when it’s obviously the wrong decision.

But when you’re liberated from conformity, you quickly discern more effective and efficient approaches. This comes from making connections others either haven’t made or are too afraid to make.

12. You’ll progress quickly at anything you undertake.

Carol Dweck, a Stanford psychology professor, has revolutionized our understanding of intelligence. Most people are taught that intelligence is fixed. Either you have “it” or you don’t. However, Dweck redefined intelligence as a fluid and flexible entity where the most resilient come out on top.

Those with this “mastery” approach, who seek to learn with an intrinsic desire to improve, are the people who become the best in the world at what they do.

Success is not born; it is made.

Once your decision has been made, you’re no longer restrained in your abilities. Instead, you are enhanced and consecrated in your performance. Where most people rely solely upon themselves, your abilities are channelled and heightened by a source beyond your own.

13. Nothing will seem impossible to you.

“You need to aim beyond what you are capable of. You need to develop a complete disregard for where your abilities end. If you think you’re unable to work for the best company in its sphere, make that your aim. If you think you’re unable to be on the cover of Time magazine, make it your business to be there. Make your vision of where you want to be a reality. Nothing is impossible.”  —Paul Arden

Believing something is impossible is arrogant.

It was arrogant of people to believe we’d never fly. It was arrogant of people to believe we’d never put a man on the moon. It was arrogant of people to believe we wouldn’t have satellites in the sky guiding global communication.

We don’t know what we don’t know. Why put a cap on what’s possible? Why live in the past?

Anything and everything could happen. And being open to that fact allows you to infinitely more options than those who put an invisible barrier on the possibility. Without question, you must believe what you’re doing is possible. As Napoleon Hill said, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

15. You’ll have little interest in what most people are entertained by.

“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”  —Eleanor Roosevelt

Beyond your point of no return is freedom—freedom from triviality and mediocrity. No longer will you be able to engage in gossip or other destructive activities. These things simply don’t make sense to you anymore.

Your entertainment is learning, growth, connecting deep rather than shallow, and grand adventures. Since you no longer limit what you can have in life, you regularly travel. You regularly meet new and interesting people. Even the small and simple things become significant and allow you to be fully entertained with a few moments of thought by yourself.

16. You’ll live holistically.

“When a man makes his thoughts pure, he no longer desires impure food.”  —James Allen

After you’ve had a radical shift in identity, you realize that human beings are holistic. When one area of your life is out of alignment, every other area of your life suffers. And you’re increasingly aware when your top priorities are being neglected. You protect the essentials.

Furthermore, when you improve one area of your life, you grow in all areas—you are the system. Consequently, every small and incremental victory you experience creates a surge of momentum toward your ultimate ideal.

17. You’ll no longer fear success or wealth.

The most crippling and pervasive fear is the fear of success. Many people genuinely believe success is a sin, or that it’s not intended for them. But once you have a compelling vision, you stop focusing on yourself. Money is simply a means to an end. Money is a tool.

Not only is your success inevitable, but it’s also essential for accomplishing what you feel inspired to accomplish.

17. You’ll no longer fear “losing it all.”

You are already complete. No form of success or failure will change that. Consequently, you’re no longer attached to your reputation, accomplishments or possessions. If all of it was somehow lost, you’d have complete confidence that you could continue moving forward. You’d adjust and continue to expect the universe to conspire for your good.

This perspective allows you to be more authentic and free. You’re no longer trying to please everyone around you. You are going to do what you believe you should regardless of the outcome. If things fall apart, you don’t perceive it as a negative, but a positive. 

As Ryan Holiday wrote in The Obstacle is the Way, “There is no good or bad without us; there is only perception. There is the event itself and the story we tell ourselves about what it means.”

18. You’ll consistently do what’s right, even when it’s not popular.

Most people can eat healthy for one day. Most people can be positive for a few minutes. But when things stop being fun, most people’s resolves crumble.

19. You’ll have more responsibility.

Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben once told Peter Parker, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Unfortunately, he had it backwards.

The constraints of responsibility force you to think more creatively. Responsibility qualifies you to show up at a higher level. Hence Benjamin Franklin’s saying, “If you want something done, ask a busy person.”

The president of the United States doesn’t have a responsibility because he first had power. Rather, he has power because he assumed a huge responsibility.

Most people avoid responsibility. They’d rather someone else carry the load. They’d rather not have to deal with the consequences. Fear of failure (i.e., their ego) stops them from trying in the first place.

When you start taking your dreams seriously, you will not initially be qualified. But as you take on greater responsibility, you’ll become qualified to do what you need to do. You’ll grow into your responsibilities and have increased power and influence.

Taking on the right forms of responsibility can put life on easy mode. It’s like injecting yourself with motivation steroids—urgency and desperation.

When you’re desperate to be healthy, you eat right and exercise. No excuses. When you’re desperate to be successful, honing your craft is far more appealing than mindlessly surfing Facebook.

20. You’ll often be questioned and criticized for what you’re doing.

When you begin living your dreams, you will often receive unsolicited critique. If something is noteworthy, there will be haters. As Robin Sharma, author of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, has said, “haters confirm greatness.”

When you really start showing up, the haters will be intimidated by you. Rather than being a reflection of what they could do, you become a reflection of what they are not doing. This isn’t about you. It’s about them and their own insecurity.

But the majority of people will support the hell out of you. Most people are inspired when someone lives their dreams.

21. You’ll often be misunderstood.

By nature, having a sense of vision is weird to most people. Being real and authentic is weird. It’s unusual and it’s rare. It’s peculiar. And many people will misunderstand you.

A lot of people won’t get what you’re about or why you’re doing what you’re doing. Most of them mean well. They simply don’t get it, and are afraid of what they don’t understand.

Others will understand you. They’ll support you and cheer you on. Don’t take these people for granted. You need them more than you know.

22. You’ll stop caring about what is just and fair.

Social exchange theory is a psychological and sociological perspective on why people do what they do. Essentially, people only engage in activities and relationships that benefit them. If an exchange isn’t perceived as fair, the relationship ends. Consequently, people are seen as purely self-motivated in all they do.

But there is a four-stage hierarchy of motivations that allows for the possibility of genuine altruism.

At stage one, you are motivated by fear:  living on the defensive to avoid punishments. At stage two, you are motivated by reward: focusing only on exchanges that most benefit you. At stage three, you are motivated by duty:  where you no longer care about fairness. You’re going to proceed regardless of punishments or rewards.

At the pinnacle—stage four—you are motivated by love. Your aim is to bring as much joy to each individual as you possibly can. Your love transcends human reasoning. It drives you to do things most would consider crazy. You no longer live by conventional rules or wisdom. You are directed by the highest and purest power in existence.

23. Your goals will manifest quickly.

As an evolved person, you are connected to your higher source. You’ve learned how to create the results you want quickly—often instantaneously. You believe it and quickly you see it. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”

24. You’ll be completely transparent about the good, the bad and the ugly.

Most people inflate their goodness and minimize their failings and shortcomings. However, beyond your point of no return, you no longer care about looking stupid. You’re more concerned with the truth.

You want deep and intimate connections. Your relationships are a sacred space where you and those you love can be completely authentic. Your faults intensify the love other people have for you, and vice versa.

Furthermore, you’re humble enough to admit when you are wrong or if you’ve changed your mind. At the same time, you’re not hiding. You’re not afraid of being “seen in all your glory,” as Jim Carrey says. You’re not afraid of admitting you rock at something and that you want to use your skills to help.

25. You’ll make things right with people you’ve wronged.

Embracing—rather than avoiding—reality requires that you carry no unnecessary baggage. You want to be completely clear so you’re able to create and flow.

As a result, you openly apologize for things you’ve done wrong in the past. You seek forgiveness, which is really more about you than the person you harmed. It’s not your choice of how people respond to your genuine apologies.

26. You’ll be more authentic in public. Who do you have to impress?

Once you know what you want—and you’re completely set on doing it—you stop caring about ridiculous stuff, like what you’re wearing that day.

Steve Jobs wore the same outfit every day. Even among the world’s leaders, he didn’t wear a suit, and people were fine with it. Because he was fine with it. Mark Zuckerberg is similar.

These people are less concerned with fashion and more concerned with efficiency. They don’t care what other people think. They are far less concerned about how they appear and far more concerned about the work they do.

This doesn’t mean you have to be a slob. But if, for some reason, you have a wardrobe malfunction, you won’t let it ruin your day. Beyond clothing and appearance, you are wholly yourself—rather than what society would tell you is proper.

27. You’ll put yourself out there more.

It will initially be embarrassing to start putting yourself out there. But you’re not going to let your ego get in the way of your vision. So you’ll put yourself out there at the expense of looking foolish.

You’ll put yourself out there at the expense of being wrong because fear no longer drives your behaviour. Even if you are unsure of what you’re doing, you’d rather act in faith than hide in fear.

You’d rather accept the consequences of trying your best than hiding your talents.

Evidence-based Mentoring

28. You’ll be genuinely happy for other people’s success.

As an evolved person, you are happy when other people succeed and sad when other people fail. The success of others is seen as the success of the whole.

You genuinely want what’s best for everyone, even those you consider your competitors. Jealousy and envy are the egos,  which operates out of fear. You’ve moved beyond that. As Ryan Holiday writes, “Ego is the enemy.”

29. You’ll need more alone time for the deep work.

“Delegate everything except genius.” —Dan Sullivan

Once you’re serious about living your dreams, you’ll need to build a team. In the beginning, you’ll probably need to manage most of the logistics yourself. But the sooner you delegate, the more energy you can put into the work only you can do.

Eventually, you’ll want to delegate everything except your superpower. You are the creator and your team makes it real. As Dan Sullivan said, “There are all kinds of great things going on in the company that I know nothing about.”

Deep work is essential for creation. But it is becoming increasingly difficult to do. You will need to be vigilant against endless distractions and time-wasters.

Only you know your body and mind, but most of the world’s highly successful people do their creating early in the morning. They wake up and get to work. No email, no social media, no communication. Just sitting with themselves, their ideas, their resources and getting breakthroughs.

If you’re highly focused (i.e., you regularly get into the psychological flow), you’ll be enormously successful and prolific with only three to five hours of work each day.

30. You’ll have way more time.

When you commit to living intentionally:

You will excrete the elements of your life that don’t fit.

You will repel people who poison your spirit.

You will attract mentors who help you progress.

You will build a team that multiplies your work and takes care of the moving parts.

In short, you will have way more time than you’re used to having.

31. Your life will be simpler.

You will be focused exclusively on those things which matter most to you. Your No. 1 priority will be your family.

You’ll be holistically healthy: You’ll make time for fitness, learning, engaging with others, rest and recovery, and adventure.

You will be living the abundant life. This is the most natural way to live. It’s the life of creation and power.  Part of this post originally appeared on BenjaminHardy.com.  

CONCLUSION

We are living in the end times promised in the bible.  There is a joyful life, God has planned for everyone that believes His Son and walks according to His word.  All that is required is for you to repent of your sins and forsake them.  Declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and receive Him into your heart and God will take over the control of your life. 

Jesus is coming back soon.  This is the time to make peace with your God if you have not done so before.  Today is the acceptable day, repent of your sin and ask God for forgiveness and grace to serve Him and make heaven at last.

The Lord is waiting to embrace you.  He will also help you reduce your struggle.


FIRE...