If you do the things you need to do when you need to do them, someday you’ll be able to do the things you WANT to do, when you want to do them.

The first step toward creating an improved future is developing the ability to envision it. Supercharged vision will ignite the fire of passion, which fuels our commitment to do whatever it takes to achieve excellence. In other words, getting off our duff and embracing something you feel inspired about, is the first step toward securing a future you truly desire.

20-20 vision is what allows each of us to transform dreams of greatness into the reality of achievement through human action. We must be able to “see” it before we can “be” it, and you’ll never see it unless you dare to live your dreams. Our vision is what we become in life.

I had the great privilege of getting to know the late UCLA basketball coach John Wooden during the 6 years I did Pac-10 basketball for Prime Ticket Network and I recall hearing him tell a gathering of some 1,100 real estate professionals that “Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your very best to become the very best you are capable of becoming.”

What a great definition because it strips away all of the external characteristics that typify success and places the responsibility on the individual to define his own success. Gold watches, trophies, plaques, or trips to the White House do not mean you are a success. Success is only found in “peace of mind.”

It is so hard in today’s society to keep success in perspective. Think about every time you meet someone new or enter a room full of strangers. What is the first question you usually hear? “So, what do you do?” Is it any wonder that much of our self-worth is directly tied to what we do?

Remember, success is a journey that we all take, and it affects every aspect of our lives. To thrive on this journey, you must have a healthy definition of what success is, what it is not, and what it will take to achieve it.

Romans 12 reminds us to: “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble and keep on praying.” Go back and re-read the first paragraph and apply this verse.

Then sit back and remember the words of Michelangelo: “The greater danger for most of us is not setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.”

Phil Stone
CBMC National Director of Communications