| Ask any famous person that achieved greatness | | | | life day to day, pay check to paycheck with |
| what they did that was different - they would | | | | little or no action or planning. You can |
| tell you they made their goals realistic and | | | | always find these people complaining about |
| took action. The rest is history. Napoleon | | | | how bad the economy is, taxes are too high, |
| Hill stated "Whatever the mind of man can | | | | etc... |
| conceive and believe, it can achieve." He | | | | |
| used a positive mental attitude and the use | | | | The best thing you can do is find a mentor |
| of small, realistic steps to achieve | | | | and surround yourself with positive achievers |
| greatness. He went from a poor beginning in a | | | | and realize it will take a lot of effort. |
| log cabin to one of the best selling authors | | | | Lance Armstrong didn't win the Tour de France |
| and an advisor to congressmen, presidents and | | | | 6 times by accident and battle cancer at the |
| so on. W. Clement Stone took $100 and with | | | | same time. He was driven, set goals, and took |
| this same use of creating realistic steps and | | | | action on a daily basis. He also realized |
| taking action he built one of the largest | | | | greatness would not happen overnight. |
| multi million dollar insurance companies in | | | | Greatness didn't come overnight for Dale |
| America. | | | | Earnhardt either. He raced hard for many |
| | | | years, suffered crashes that would have kept |
| They may not have the current publicity or | | | | most people off the track and faced fear head |
| notoriaty of Donald Trump, Dale Earnhardt or | | | | on. With his tanacity, fierce vigor and drive |
| similar, but they came from much humbler | | | | he became the greatest Nascar legend of all |
| starts. Donald Trump was born into a real | | | | time. Now his son, Dale Jr., continues his |
| estate magnate family. Dale Earnhardt was | | | | racing legacy and awesome philanthropic and |
| born into a established race car family in | | | | charitable activities. If you take the effort |
| Kannapolis North Carolina. Now thats not to | | | | to take action, use baby steps to attain |
| say that Donald Trump and Dale Earnhardt are | | | | goals and make realistic goals you cannot and |
| not great people (Dale Earnhardt formed one | | | | will not fail. Failure will not be a word in |
| of the largest and winningest Nascar teams | | | | your vocabulary. |
| and was very philanthropic and helped a lot | | | | |
| of people through his charitable activities). | | | | Now you know how to achieve greatness. Set |
| What I am getting at here is that most of us | | | | goals for yourself. Make them realistic and |
| don't have magnates or millions in our | | | | take realistic baby steps to achieve them. |
| families, but that in no wy means we cannot | | | | Take action - this will seperate you from |
| achieve greatness, riches beyond our wildest | | | | 99.9% of everyone else. They are afraid to |
| dreams, etc... Napoleon Hill and W. Clement | | | | take action and will never attain greatness. |
| Stone actually started with much less and in | | | | What do you think Lance Armstrong said when |
| worse times and conditions than we have ever | | | | critics said he could not win the Tour de |
| known (the great depression era). | | | | France, or that he could not do a repeat win |
| | | | of it? What do you think Dale Earnhardt said |
| What drove Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone | | | | when the critics stated he could not overcome |
| to greatness was two things. (1)They planned | | | | his fathers shadow in racing? They went on to |
| realistic steps to reach attainable goals | | | | become the greatest of their time. What will |
| (baby steps). They didn't just wake up one | | | | you do? |
| day and say my only goal is to be rich and | | | | |
| retire tomorrow. They made plans and kept | | | | It is never to late to decide to take control |
| slowly raising the bar every time they would | | | | of your life and make something great of it. |
| attain one of their goals. (2)They took | | | | Look at Sam Walton. He didn't like working |
| action. You wouldn't believe how many times I | | | | with a Ben Franklin franchise and their |
| hear people state all the things they are | | | | rules. So he started his own retailing |
| going to do or would like to do. I recently | | | | company and became the largest retailer in |
| attended a young Cornell Alumni meeting where | | | | the world. If you make attainable goals, take |
| the talk was mostly about grand future plans, | | | | action, and lay out baby steps to achieve |
| or what they would like to do but they don't | | | | these goals there is no way you will fail and |
| have time, the conditions aren't right, | | | | there's no telling what you can or will |
| etc... You have to start somewhere. If you | | | | achieve. Some of our greatest achievers have |
| take too big of a step you will probably | | | | come from the most humbling positions. I |
| become defeated and not continue. It is | | | | wonder what greatness you can and will |
| better to take small attainable steps. Each | | | | achieve. |
| time you attain one of these steps or your | | | | |
| goal raise the bar a little. It will slowly | | | | David Maillie is an alumni of Cornell |
| move you closer to your dream and give you a | | | | University and holds numerous patents |
| great boost in self confidence. You have to | | | | including his recently awarded patent for |
| plan out little baby steps and then you have | | | | headlight repair, cleaner, and restorer. He |
| to take action. This will seperate you from | | | | can be reached at M.D. |
| everyone else - the majority of people live | | | | |