​Unfortunately, success often comes easy.  That sentence has so many problems with it.  Why would it be unfortunate to achieve success?  How can success be easy?  Whether it be luck or being in the right place at the right time or the generosity and/or support of others or merely sheer volume (with social media, we see more examples of success and don't see the hard work to achieve it), we have countless examples of people achieving their hopes and dreams without much effort,  This has created an attitude or mentality of "I deserve ...".  True success takes time and effort.  We need to work hard and achieve much and the by-product is then the recognition or praise that comes with that result.  The praise shouldn't be the goal.  

"Don't work for recognition, but do work worthy of recognition." Jackson H. Brown Jr.

Most people desire to help others.  Most, not all, but most.  For those who truly care about others and want to help them to improve and become better, there needs to be times where correction is given and then other times where encouragement is given.  Encouragement is not the same thing as Praise.  Encouragement refers to "instilling courage".  When we say something that builds another's  self-confidence, self-esteem or self-worth, to the point that they are filled with more courage, then encouragement is given.  Correction helps make people better but often times, people aren't in the mood to be told that they aren't doing something well.  Building a person's self-confidence, self-esteem and self-worth first will put them in a position to be corrected later.  And that is how they improve and get better.

​“Correction does much, but encouragement does more.”  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) Philosopher, Scientist, Author

Our mindset defaults to selfishness.  Our natural instinct is to view others as our competition to be defeated.  Our emotions cause us to feel jealousy or envy toward others.  Our actions tend to be self-serving and not serving others.  Our mind, instincts, emotions and actions can all be controlled and changed to being selfless, supportive, loving and serving.  As we develop others, we develop ourselves.   

“It is only as we develop others that we permanently succeed.” Harvey S. Firestone (1868-1938) Founder Of Firestone Tire And Rubber Company

Are we choosing to acknowledge our blessings so we can be more joyful or are we focusing on our struggles so that we can justify our sadness?

“If we magnified blessings as much as we magnify disappointments, we would all be much happier.”  John R. Wooden (1910-2010) Basketball Coach, Author

The immediate, once in a lifetime opportunity is what drives many people to purchase lottery tickets.  We all love money but we also love the idea of getting something big with little investment.  Unfortunately, most of life (if not all of it), doesn't work that way.  Sure, we are blessed or lucky or in the right place at the right time and end up with more than we expect or deserve.  Hard work, determination, resilience, and effort on a consistent basis is what leads us to our full potential.

​"Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great!" Orison Swett Marden

With enough money, you can buy just about anything.  What is the fun of that?  Also, what is the reality of that?  There are a couple folks on the planet with that type of money.  Most of us don't have either the money, or the talent, or the opportunities that others may have.  We can complain about it or we can make the most of what we have.  Resourceful people are successful people.

​“Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.” Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) Novelist, Nobel Prize Winner

Stick a white flower in a vase filled with water that contains red food coloring, over time the white flower will soak up the dye and turn the flower red.  The same is true for us.  We absorb what we are immersed in and over time, we transform to our environment.  It is important to choose who we surround ourselves with and what we allow to influence our life.  Our brain is a sponge and soaks things up.  It is crucial that we find people who make us better and when we have enough of those people, we can then go out and make others better.

"Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough." Og Mandino
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We go through a lot of challenges in our life and many are quite difficult and life altering.  However, we can also look back at some difficult times in our life, and after some separation from the pain and distress, we realize that it wasn't as big of an issue as we may have made it out to be. 

"I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened." Mark Twain