What makes people successful? This question has mystified people since humans first became dissatisfied with cave dwellings and tried to find some way to make life more comfortable. Perhaps the following comparisons between the characteristics of a person who fails and a successful person will help answer the question.
Successful people know precisely what they desire, have a plan for getting it, believe in their ability to get it, and devote a major portion of their time to acquiring it. The person who fails has no definite purpose in life, believes that all success is the result of "luck," and moves on his or her own initiative only when forced to do so.
Successful people think before they speak. They weigh their words carefully. And they emphasize their likes concerning people, minimizing their dislikes or not mentioning them at all. The unsuccessful person does just the opposite. He or she speaks first, thinks later. His or her words bring only regret and embarrassment and cost him or her irretrievable benefits because of the resentment they engender.
Successful people express opinions only after having informed themselves so they can do so intelligently. The person who fails expresses opinion on subjects about which he or she has little or no knowledge.
Successful people budget time, income and expenditures. They live within their means. The person who fails squanders time and income with a contemptuous disregard for their value.
Successful people take a keen interest in people, especially those with whom they have something in common, and cultivate a bond of friendship with them. The unsuccessful person cultivates only those from whom he or she wants something.
Successful people are open-minded and tolerant on all subjects, toward all people. The person who fails has a closed mind, steeped in intolerance, which shuts him or her off from the recognition of favorable opportunities and the friendly cooperation of others.
Successful people keep abreast of the times and make it an important responsibility to know what is going on, not only in their own business, profession or community, but also throughout the entire world. The unsuccessful person concerns him or herself only with his or her immediate needs, requiring them by whatever means are available--fair or foul.
Successful people keep their minds and outlook on life positive at all times. They recognize that the space they occupy in the world and the success they enjoy depend upon the quantity and quality of service they render. They make it a habit to render more service than they promise. The person who fails looks for "something for nothing" or something under the table, which he or she did not earn. And when he or she fails to get it, he or she blames the greed of others.
Successful people have a keen respect for their Creator and express it frequently through prayers and deeds of helpfulness to others. The unsuccessful believes in nothing but his or her own desire for food and shelter and seeks those at the expense of others when and where he or she can.
All in all, there is a big difference in both the words and the deeds of the successful person and the person who fails. But all people are where they are and what they are because of their own mental attitudes toward themselves and others.
- Napoleon Hill
