Success Thoughts
from Larry Iverson PhD

"One learns by doing a thing; for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try."
-- Sophocles (496-406 BC)

In the sixteenth century, there was a fabulous painter by the name of Francis Moneau. He started painting when only a child, and received rave reviews for the few pieces of small landscape art he created.

When he was seventeen, he decided to paint a landscape that would take nearly a full wall sized canvas. He got the canvas, and began to plan the painting. On paper and slate boards he sketched and designed. He revised, imagined and redrew the dozens of different aspects of what would be his masterpiece.

When he died at age 39, he had not made one brushstroke on the canvas—in the twenty two years he owned it. Nor did he paint even one small painting during that time.

It’s great to study. Make plans. Envision the successful outcome of your knowledge and how you will do what you want to do. But—somewhere the rubber must meet the road. Start! Do something. Even if it isn’t perfect—go for it—take action. Choose one small step and do it.

And, even though you’ve learned and planned—until you take action, the game is not in play. From entering into action, you will make mistakes, you will have successes—but best of all, you will be moving forward.

As Sophocles said, until you commit by taking action, until you practice and work on your skills—all the thinking and planning you do will not bring you the success you desire. Step up! Go for it!

The Best of Success to You,

Success Thoughts
from Larry Iverson PhD

"Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement."
-- Charles F. Kettering (1876-1958)

Businessman Glen Turner said, “If I don’t mess-up at least a couple times per day, and get laughed at, at least once—then I’m not going for it hard enough!”

How do you like blowing it? Are failures high on your list of things you love to do? For the majority of us, the answer would be a resounding “no”.

Yet, if you never get frustrated, if you don’t have errors, then as Mr. Turner said, you are probably not going for it hard enough.

Is it embarrassing to do poorly when others will know about it? Probably at least part of the time. Yet without the experimentation necessary for all growth and improvement, you will be destined to live the same scenario over and over and over. Try something new—even if you screw up once in a while.

Thomas Edison said, “I failed my way to success!” He really didn’t like being called “crazy Edison”, but he put up with it. He said he’d tell himself, “I’ll achieve more than they’ve ever dreamed.”

Be like Kettering and see the failures not as failures but as posts on the road. And with every “post” you see, be like Edison and remember it’s not a failure, but just another experiment that didn’t go the way you wanted.

So when your experiments don’t go the way you’d hoped—just get out there and do another one!

The Best of Success to You,

Success Thoughts
from Larry Iverson PhD

"The streets of the City of Failure are paved with alibis—some of which are absolutely perfect."
-- Harry A. Earnshaw (1878-1953)

Isn’t that the truth….

Everyone of us at one time or other makes excuses for what we did, or did not get done. We cover our tracks with alibis.

I’m sure there is very valid, justifiable reason why you gave up—right? There always is. And in truth, there is a time to quit. But how many of us have stopped just because we were tired of the struggle. It wasn’t because we’d really lost—we just got tired.

Or how many things could have been done, but the lack of knowledge gave a valid alibi, or the possibility of looking silly, or the not making the time to do it, stopped us from attaining our goal.

Don’t you know someone in your life who is really good at something? Maybe not a world champ, but really good? We all have things that are beyond our capability to do, but many things we could be great at.

Think about it. Is there something you excel at doing—quilting, speaking in public, tennis, running meetings, raising children, being a great friend, making money, spelling, or something else?

We get about as good, as the amount of energy and time we choose to focus on our project. You didn’t give yourself an alibi. You just took action. You learned and you excelled.

Keep this up in those things that mean the most to you, and you truly become unstoppable.

The Best of Success to You,

"Things may come to those who wait,
but only the things left by those who hustle."
-- Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)