Self Made People

Do you know anyone who is a self-made man or woman - a self-made person? I think you do.

From time to time, we hear someone describe him- or herself as "self-made." What they usually mean is that they weren't born to wealthy, successful parents, or that they managed to succeed in spite of great odds.

Recently, when I was giving a talk to a group of business people, I asked all the "self-made" folks to stand up. Well, about 25 percent of the audience stood, but, as I told them, every one of them should have been on their feet. You see, in the final analysis, all of us are self-made people. Sure, some of us get off to an easier start, and some of us are fortunate enough to have had parents or others who helped us recognize and use our talents.

But success is not a matter of luck, or talent, or of being gifted. More than anything else, success is a matter of belief and persistence. If you don't believe you can succeed, no amount of talent or money or good parenting will help you. And if you do believe it and refuse to give up no matter how hard the struggle, no obstacle, no setback, no disadvantage will stop you.

George Bernard Shaw said it perfectly: "People are always blaming circumstances for what they are. But the people who get on in this world are those who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, they make them." So take charge of your life by taking accountability for being who you are!

Lou Tice
The Pacific Institute
www.thepacificinstitute.com

The effects of The Pacific Institute's education are reverberating around the world. For weekly updates, go to www.TPIGlobalNews.com

The Pacific Institute, Inc. copyrights 1997-2010. All rights reserved.

Winner's Circle Network with Lou Tice (WCN) is a registered trademark of The Pacific Institute.