By Ronnie Nijmeh
"Successful people are always smart."
Sorry, please play
again. I have news for you: being intelligent doesn't necessary imply
success, and likewise, success doesn't necessarily imply intelligence. Many
discount their strengths and deem themselves incapable of
accomplishing great deeds simply based on their intelligence
level.
Those who have all of the tools and skills necessary to
succeed shouldn't give up simply based on the false assumption that
those who are accomplished are smarter and better than they are. It's
a terribly wrong outlook and it should be illegal to think this way! Okay,
well maybe not, but you get the point.
Successful people are often
decisive, ambitious, motivated, focused, have intense work ethics and have
the ability of attracting the right people. You certainly don't need to be
the smartest or the most popular person, but you do need to be willing to
make sacrifices, work smartly, and seek out the right people to support
you.
As an example, think of high school or university. You
can probably remember a few people who were the brightest people you've
ever met but weren't succeeding. Perhaps they got involved in the wrong
crowd, or maybe they had an honors degree in procrastination. Whatever the
excuse, their knowledge was wasted.
On the flip side, you may know of
others who were having success after success but most certainly weren't the
sharpest knives in the drawer. Instead, they had something that many
successful people have and continually strived for; they knew the
secret recipe for success.
Let's find out more about the real reasons
why intellectual ability isn't a pre-requisite for success and what typical
skills and characteristics you need to achieve prosperity.
The Recipe
for Success
- Decision Making
- Initiative
- Work Ethic
-
Motivation
- Focus
- Like-Minded People
Do you see "intelligence"
or "intellect" or "smart" in that list? I don't! Although the recipe above
isn't an exhaustive list, it's clear that intelligence is somewhere near the
bottom of the list.
Just because someone can retain and recite knowledge
easily doesn't mean that they're equally good decision makers.
It certainly doesn't mean they'll have a strong work ethic or can take
initiative. And even some geniuses have problems with motivation or have
trouble selecting positive, like-minded people to surround them.
I'm
sure you've seen some of the smartest people also make the poorest decisions
or be the laziest people you've ever met. Are you one of them? Be honest!
It's okay, there's still hope!
No Intelligence Required
Wait a
second, so the most successful people may not be the smartest? Yes, exactly!
The highest achiever in your class may not be the smartest, but rather she
could have a very strong work ethic. The richest person you know may not be
the most intelligent, but rather surrounds himself with intelligent and loyal
people. Even you may not be able to solve all of science's deep mysteries,
but does that mean you should pack up and give up all hope in succeeding
in your travels? Not a chance!
No one ever said: "Hello passengers, to
board the success train please have your ticket ready along with your IQ
score, and skill testing questions answered." If that were true you'd never
hear stories of people going from "rags to riches". And you'd never hear
stories of the "Average Joe" succeeding and making a difference in the lives
of their own and others around them.
Don't be fooled by the scare tactics
that you've heard throughout your life at school, in the workplace or from
friends and family. It's untrue! You don't need to be the best in math,
psychology, or writing. You don't need an A+. The reason why people
become successful has more to do with a drastic change in their
work ethic. It has more to do with an improvement in their
decision- making. It has more to do with a positive change in the caliber of people in their environment. It certainly has very little to do
with a change in their intellect level.
So what do you need to do? First
off, start believing that you can achieve success in anything that you put
your mind to. Zero in on what you want, then figure out how to get there.
Slowly you'll improve, grow and experience so much that you'll
begin displaying some of the characteristics of successful people.
The
Unintentional Side Effect
While I said that "no intelligence is
required," I must admit, when you start adopting the characteristics
aforementioned, there is a serious threat of a common side effect. You might
find yourself gaining confidence, sharpening your skills and becoming
(*gasp*) smarter. This is a welcomed side effect, so don't panic and start
killing brain cells! It's a good thing!
The reasoning behind this is
that you'll begin displaying many of the characteristics that are commonly
associated with successful people. You'll begin making better decisions, have
an amazingly disciplined work ethic, and become more focused. In
essence, you'll begin exhibiting success-tendencies, so don't
be surprised! It's expected to encounter this positive side
effect.
Success isn't unattainable unless you make it out to be, so
don't believe the myth that you need to be clever in order for you to make
a difference. You can make a difference if you decide that you want to. It's
your move, what will you do?
Related Articles:
Create a Winning Attitude for Success
A positive attitude of achievement is also made up of very specific elements. Following are Six
Characteristics of a Positive Mental Attitude. They are presented in sequence but it is the simultaneous interaction of them all working together that creates the synergy for a winning
attitude and success in just about any endeavor.
Program
Yourself For Success
We've all had them. Those days when discouragement threatens to defeat purpose and conviction and start us down the steep, slippery slope of self-doubt.
So, how do you get through those times of self-doubt and back into the saddle?
How To Get Whatever You Want
Successful people know exactly where they are going. They know what they want to achieve. Perhaps they are not always
aware of how, specifically, they will get there, but they know the direction in which they are headed.
