Have you heard of a guy called Fred Shero?
No? Until recently, me neither. I’m not a big sports fan and Fred was a hugely successful Canadian NHL player and coach with a string of many hundreds of wins and numerous awards and accolades to his name. Pretty good going, but it’s not his sports record that I admire.
What I love Fred for is something that he once said:
“Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must first set yourself on fire.”
Reading that sent lightning bolts through my spine, as there have been many times in my life when I’ve been sitting back, subconsciously waiting for the world to bring me the success I thought I wanted. To be completely honest with you, even now I sometimes find myself expecting someone else to ’set fire’ to me, waiting for spontaneous combustion rather setting myself on fire and finding my own success.
I have to catch myself when I slip into that way of thinking before it sets in, because Fred’s absolutely right.
People all too often wait for success to happen to them. “If only it would fall into place…”, “Surely someone will discover who I am and what I can do soon…” or “Just a little while longer and it’ll all come good…” are examples of the things we say while we’re waiting for success to come along.
Of course, the big thing I’ve come to learn is that it doesn’t work that way. Finding success - real success - isn’t a passive thing. It’s not something that happens to you like watching a movie or getting your hair cut. Finding success is something that happens in you.
Here are 4 things for you to think about:
1. What does success look like to you?
What comprises success? How much of it is material? How much of it is emotional? How much of it is spiritual? Get specific about what success does and doesn’t mean to you.
2. Imagine yourself towards the end of your life
Picture yourself towards the end of your life as happy and content as you can be. What is it about that future you that tells you as clear as day that they’re happy and content? Picture yourself walking up to them and asking them what it is that allowed them to reach that point. What single piece of advice can they give you?
3. How focused are you on working on your success?
What are you willing to do to get the kind of success you want? What are you waiting for the world to deliver to you so that you can have that success?
4. Are you driving your success?
How would it be if you were driving that success rather than waiting for it? What changes do you notice in how you do things and how you feel about things?
I’m not suggesting for one minute that you can’t ask others, the world, the universe or whatever higher power you happen to believe in for help. I’m not even suggesting that you become wholly focused on working towards your success. That’s missing the point.
The point is that we humans tend to be focused on working towards happiness and success and assume that until it comes along we have to spend time being unhappy, suffering or struggling.
You don’t have to struggle…
The truth is that things happen much easier and more readily if we don’t struggle, suffer or assume unhappiness - the assumption that you need to struggle or fight for your success is a false one. Real success comes much easier and becomes more consistent when you operate straight from that place of success instead of assuming it’s out there in the world somewhere.
Go after what’s important to you and get going on all those shiny things you’d love to have, do and be in life, but recognise how much more pleasureable it’s going to be when you’re feeling happy and successful rather than unhappy and unsuccessful.
Fred got it right. Don’t wait for spontaneous combustion or for someone to set light to you. Dive into your own happiness and success, engage with those things and operate from a place where they’re real and present.
Don’t wait, set yourself on fire.
Steve Errey almost died at age 9 as he choked on a grape. Today, Steve is still feeling the effects of some extravagant spending but remains remarkably upbeat and positive. As a leading confidence coach with clients right around the world, Steve has a reputation for talking sense and getting results. Read more at The Confidence Guy
译文:
为了成功，请时刻处于警备状态
大家是否曾经听闻过一个叫做Fred Shero的人物呢？恐怕没有吧，由于我并不是一个超级体育迷，所以我也是最近才知道这个人物的，似乎Fred是美国曲棍球联合会的一位非常了不起的球员，并且，指导赢得了上千次的比赛胜利以及无数的奖杯，因而人们对于这个名字也是广泛的传诵。这一切似乎都很不错，但是，我崇拜这个人并不是因为他在体育方面所取得的成就。
我钦佩Fred是因为他曾经说过的一句话：
“成功并不会自然而然的产生，首先，你一定要让自己处于警备状态。”
因为曾经在我的生命里有好几次抱着守株待兔的心情，认为这个世界一定会带给我我想要的那种成功的，所以在读到这句话时，我感到全身一震。说句实话，即使现在我仍然发现自己在期待一些人，可以帮助我、让我可以不费吹灰之力就可以获得成功，而不是让自己进入警备状态，然后自己去寻找自己的成功。
但是，我不得不让自己颠覆自己以往的思维方式，因为Fred所说的一切都是对的。
人们总是期待着成功会象掉馅饼一样的降临在他们的身上，“只要成功会发生，”“那么当然，一定会有人发现我的才能并且我很快就会创造出奇迹。”或者“只要再等一等，一切都会变好的。”这些就是那些总是期待成功的人最习以为常会说会做的事。
当然，从中我学会的最重要的一件事情就是这个道理根本行不通。发现成功并赢得成功，尤其是真正的大成功，其本身就不可能是一件被动的事情。因为获得成功并不如看电影或者剪头发那样一般，他是需要你付出诸多努力的。
如下有4个准则你可以考虑看看：
1. 成功对于你来说，究竟意味着什么？
获得成功究竟需要哪些因素呢？其中哪些是物质上，哪些是情感上，哪些又是精神上的呢？请你好好问问自己，然后分析出，成功对你而言，哪些是重要的，哪些又是不重要的数据吧。
2. 想象自己是在生命的尽头
想象一下，如果自己正处于生命的尽头，那时你的生活又会是怎样的幸福和满足。如果明确地告诉你你的未来是幸福美满的，那么，那样的未来对你而言又意味着什么呢？充分发挥想象这样的一个未来，可是究竟要做到哪些事情才能得到这样一个未来呢？你又能从中得到什么启示吗？
3. 若要获得成功，你又付出了哪些努力呢？
为了要得到心中所想的成功，你愿意付出哪些努力呢？为了获得那样的成功，你期待这个世界会向你传递怎样的信息呢？
4. 你是否走在成功之路上，并且不断催促自己要获得成功呢？
如果你是在催促自己获得成功而不是单纯的守株待兔，那么情况又会变成什么样子呢？对于事情的所知所感方面，你又发现自己发生了什么改变吗？
我并不是说，你不能向他人、向世界、向宇宙、或者向任何你深信能够得到帮助的地方寻求帮助。我也并不是说，你这一生就心无旁骛、只能一心推动人生的成功了，请千万不要误会。
重点是，我们人类都倾向于获得快乐、获得成功，并且深信不移，在获得这些快乐和成功之前我们必定要遭受很多的伤心、苦难和挣扎。
其实，你根本不需要挣扎
事实是，我们所认定的如要获得成功就一定要挣扎和抗争，这完全是一个错误的想法。如果我们不是如此纠结和挣扎以及那些完全没有必要的伤心的话，那么事情就会比预期的还要发展的顺利。真正的成功其实非常容易就会产生，只要我们对症下药，持之以恒，而不是一味的想象成功就在世界的某个角落。
追求那些对你而言非常重要的东西吧，并且为了这些你生命中重要的东西而不断努力吧，并且，感知那些生命中快乐和成功的、而不是那些哀伤的、失落的东西，那么你就会发现这些东西占到了生命中的欢乐很大的一个比重。
Fred找到了人生的真谛，他从不守株待兔、等待成功从天而降，也从不等待某人会把成功送到他的面前。反而沉静在自己的欢乐和成功之中，并且，为了这些欢乐和成功而不断努力。
不要再等待了，为了获得成功，请时刻进入警备状态。
9岁时，因为在葡萄树上发生窒息现象，Steve Errey差一点死亡，即使今时今日，如果动作幅度太大，他仍然会觉得不太舒服，但是，他始终保持着一种乐观和积极的态度。作为一位在世界范围内为顾客权利提供帮助的资深知道，Steve在事情讨论方面以及结果方面享有盛誉。如果想要得到更多信息，请登陆The Confidence Guy