My view on how to become successful.

1. THE 4 INGREDIENTS YOU MUST HAVE TO BE TRULY
SUCCESSFUL. HOW TO GET AND STAY THERE
And by success I am not just referring to material and monetary wealth. But of course that is part of it. I
am talking, more, about the success that comes from or leads to an inner peace and joy which can only
come from God. This is the ability to understand, meet, see, and feel both people and things at a spiritual
level. In other words, to be intimate with or to understand the essence of the people and things that make
up our surroundings. Therefore you can be poor and homeless and your life can still be filled with an
inner peace and joy. Some things just, cannot be measure with money. God does not care how much
money you make, the kind of car you drive, the type of house you live in, or how many degrees you have.
All God cares about is the strength of your spirit and your ability to follow it and Him unconditionally.
Because if you have material and monetary success you may soon be broke. Real success must lead to
or stem from an inner peace and joy in which will last forever.
The first ingredient (and probably the most important) is “Confidence.” In order to have confidence you
must, first, have a strong belief system. You must have a strong belief in one-self. A belief that no matter
what you will be O.K. And a desire to do the right thing. If you do not have confidence in yourself no
one else will. It is impossible to have confidence if you do not possess these qualities. Therefore, no one
will be able to trust or put their confidence in you.
The second ingredient is “Purpose.” There must be an aim or goal to your life. You must have an intention
or reason for the things you do. You just can't engage in activity that just does not make sense. You must
take responsibility for your own behavior. There is just no way you can be truly successful substituting
other people's judgment for your own.
The third ingredient is “Focus.” Focus is the ability to adjust to a clear vision. This is where your plan
comes in. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. You must let nothing knock you off
your path. But you must realize that sometimes you must stop to let your path clear when things get
cloudy. You must see things as they are and not just how you want them to be. In addition, you must
realize that it will not always be easy to stay “focused” on your goals. You must always have direction
in your life. Focus is the plan to reach your goal in the straightest line possible.
The fourth ingredient is “Drive.” Drive is the fuel that runs the car. A car with no gas will go nowhere.
You must give-off and produce positive energy. Education is the fuel that drives or teaches us how to
drive to the point where we can avoid or drive around bumps in the road of life. We must continue to
learn to keep our energy levels up. This is the best way to make sure you have enough positive energy to
reach the highest levels of success.
Now that we have determined the four the ingredients for success, we must look at how to get and stay
there.
First, we must determine what kind of student we are or how do we learn. There are four major ways we
learn. We learn by listening, by thinking, by being creative, and by using our imagination. People who
learn by listening are people who learn by constantly repeating to themselves the things that they hear
that are important. People who learn by thinking are people who learn by reasoning. Give them a problem

2. and they can deduce the answer by logically figuring out what follows from what. People who learn by
being creative are people who like to create. They like to learn by breaking things down and building
them back up. People who learn by using their imagination are people who learn by conjuring up images
in the brain to solve problems. These people learn best when they are inspired or dreaming. Of course,
all of us possess some of all of these qualities but usually one dominates. And once we figure out how
we learn best we can better prepare ourselves for success.
Second, we must determine how we “teach.” How we teach is how we demonstrate what we have learned.
We can all teach if only about ourselves. We teach every time we walk into a room full of people even if
we don't realize it. Sometimes the best way to learn is to teach; if only from the reactions of others.
We basically teach in three ways. We set an example to follow, as in a role model or mentor. We physically
show or demonstrate for someone how to do something. As in how to work on a car. And finally, we can
verbally tell someone what or how to do something. Once we figure out how we teach best and in what
situations, the better we will be able to control our environments. This in turn will lead to much more
success.
Now that we have figured out how we learn and how we teach, we must figure out how we “work.” Some
people work better at physical task. Some people are better at mental task. Some people are built for
speed while some are built for endurance. Everyone uses the gifts that they are given at
Different rates and in different ways. Some people work like sports cars, some people work like luxury
cars, while still others work like economy cars. The point is you should try to do the work that you are
most suited for, and do it in the manner that works best for you. Build on your strengths and avoid your
weaknesses. And once you find the work that you are most suited for, your success will be assured.
Now that we have figured out how you learn, teach, and work; we must now, figure out how you “play.”
In other words, are you doing enough of the things that bring “joy” to you and your family? Are you
doing enough of the things that put a smile on your face? And remember, love and happiness does not
always lead to joy. It can but not always or it does not last. True joy last forever. Success is not real
success when you do not have people around you to share it with.
And finally, one last thing to talk about, and that is: what will you leave behind in this world when you
die? Will you leave behind a bunch of bills and an unhappy family? Will your children still be able to go
to college and lead a happy and successful life? Will your soul be going to Heaven or Hell? What will
your legacy be?
The quickest and surest way to success and wealth in this world is to establish is to yourself as a “brand.”
Just your signature should mean something. To do this all one has to do is do something positive that can
only be attributable to you or few others. Something that the members of your family can truly be proud
of. Things like being the first in your family to graduate from college; make an important new discovery
or product; to be considered one of the nicest and generous person in the world; to win a championship
in any sport or a gold medal in the Olympics; or become president of the United States. Yes, having a lot
of money is great but true greatness can only be measured in a man's heart. After all, do you want, when
you approach the gates of Heaven, want the Lord to greet you by saying: “welcome my child job well
done” or “sorry but you are too late.” For this is the true measure of greatness and success.
by
GERALD G. FRIERSON