It's a tale as old as time: the underdog who defies the odds and accomplishes great things.
Whether it's the scrappy little league team who wins the championship or the unassuming college dropout who goes on to found a multi-billion dollar company, we're all suckers for a good success story.
But what is it that sets these people apart from the rest of us mere mortals? Is it luck, or something else entirely?
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In my own quest for greatness, I remembered a story from "Think and Grow Rich."
A man found a gold vein in Colorado. This guy was a total nobody - just a regular Joe with no special training or expertise. But when he stumbled upon that vein, he saw an opportunity for greatness.
So he did what any ambitious person would do - he borrowed money from his friends and family, bought all the digging equipment he could afford, and got to work.
He spent weeks and months digging, following the vein, and hoping for a big payoff. But as fate would have it, the vein disappeared without a trace. No jackpot, no riches, nothing. Most people in this situation would have given up and gone home, defeated and discouraged.
As it turns out, even the toughest of us have our breaking points. After months of digging and nothing to show for it, this guy finally threw in the towel. He sold all his equipment to a junkyard and went back to his old life.
But here's where things get interesting. The guy who bought all that equipment from the junkyard wasn't content to just let it rust away. He knew there had to be some value in all that gear, and he was determined to find it.
So he consulted with an expert, who told him that fault lines in the area can cause gold veins to shift and change direction. This meant that there was likely a huge deposit of gold just waiting to be discovered - if only someone was willing to keep digging.
So what did the junkyard guy do? He returned to the spot where the original digger had given up and started digging.
And wouldn't you know it - just 3 FEET away from where the first guy had stopped, he struck gold.
A huge, massive, life-changing sum of gold. And all because he had the determination and persistence to keep going when others had given up.
The moral of the story is clear: don't be the guy who stops 3 feet from gold.
In case you missed it: Last week's blog post, Say Goodbye to Yo-Yo Dieting.
When you've put in a lot of hard work and you're feeling discouraged, it can be easy to throw in the towel and give up.
But that's exactly what separates the winners from the losers - the winners are the ones who keep going, even when it seems like there's no hope left.
Of course, that's easier said than done. It takes a lot of mental toughness and discipline to keep plugging away at something, day after day, when you're not seeing any progress. But the good news is that there are some tricks you can use to keep yourself motivated and focused.
One of the most important things is to focus on the process, not the end result. If you're too fixated on the goal you're trying to achieve, it can be easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged.
But if you break that goal down into smaller, more manageable steps, and focus on those steps one at a time, it becomes much more achievable. Instead of thinking "I need to write a bestselling novel," think "I need to write 500 words today," or "I need to outline the first chapter."
By focusing on the process and taking small, manageable steps, you'll build momentum and start to see progress.
Another key to success is to make sure you're approaching your goals with the right mindset. It's easy to get bogged down in negative self-talk and doubt, but that's not going to help you accomplish anything. Instead, try to cultivate a sense of positivity and optimism.
Believe in your work ethic and your ability to achieve your goals, even when it feels like the odds are stacked against you.
And finally, it's important to remember that failure is a natural part of the process. You're not going to succeed at everything you try, and that's okay. In fact, failure can be a valuable learning experience - it can help you refine your approach, identify areas where you need to improve, and ultimately come back stronger than before.
I love the saying, "Fail better."
So don't be afraid to take risks and try new things, even if you're not sure you'll succeed.
In the end, the key to achieving your goals is simple: don't give up. Keep pushing forward, even when it feels like you're not making progress.
If you can stay focused, stay positive, and stay committed, you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish.
And who knows - maybe one day you'll have your own inspiring success story to share.
-Ben
For more on me and my story check out my "About Me" page!