Success has become an overly and not always appropriately used buzz-word in life nowadays. That is because the very concept is often muddled by myths which cause people to approach their goals the wrong way.

Here are some mistaken perceptions you need to avoid if you want to stay on the right track.

#1: You Just Have To Go Through The Motions

Here’s a basic truth: The world will not make it easier for you to succeed. The path isn’t laid out for you, so you can’t expect stellar results with half-baked efforts.

As a wise man once said, “Do or do not. There is no try.” Life has a way of dealing in absolutes, especially when it comes to making a name for yourself. Never assume that you just have to show up and everything will follow. Nobody got to where they are without shedding blood, sweat and tears.

#2: You Can Do It Alone

It’s one thing to rely on your own strengths to succeed; believing that you already know everything is another matter entirely. Success doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and there are other people in the scene that can enrich your existing knowledge.

It isn’t wrong to acknowledge that other people’s perspectives can inspire you and help come up with new ways to succeed. The first step to broadening your horizons is by simply asking other people about their own ideas.

Have the initiative to ask for their input and learn what you can from them. You might be surprised by how much you’ll grow after circulating within your professional community.

#3: There Is No Margin For Error

Ok, so maybe life-and-death scenarios do exist, but most of the time, making mistakes won’t mean the end of the world. Of course, there will be a time when you’re not supposed to screw up, but this doesn’t apply to all parts of your life.

Expect to make a handful of mistakes along the way. Only through hands-on experience will you learn the right way to do things. You might think you have it all figured out – especially when you’re just getting started – but doing it in the real world will reveal unforeseen factors which you didn’t take into account. This is why trial and error is an essential part of the learning process.

Remember, it’s not about the mistakes you make, but rather how you make use of the lessons you’ve learned from them.

However, don’t think this is an excuse to be mediocre because the point is to always give it your best shot. If you miss the mark, take notes and do it again.

#4: You Need To Keep At It Non-Stop

In the long run, it’s important to be consistent with your efforts and maintain the desire to succeed. However, perseverance should also be tempered with knowing when to take a step back and reflect.

What does this mean? There’s nothing wrong with taking a short breather to give yourself a chance to see where you’re at. Part of succeeding is about re-evaluating your current approach every now and then.

Are you still using the most efficient way to meet your ultimate goals? You might find that you can refine what you’re doing by reflecting for just a bit. This also prevents you from developing “tunnel vision”.

At the most basic level however, you also can’t ignore the need to recharge your batteries. Regardless of everything else, there is a physical aspect to your being so you need to take care of yourself through proper rest and eating well. In the big picture, this is a good investment because getting sick could throw a wrench in your plans.

#5: You Can Slack Off Once You’ve Reached The Top

You know how they say that it’s not the journey, but the destination? Success is awesome, but it’s not the end-all, be-all. It’s not just about hitting a target – it’s also what you do after you’ve reached your initial goals.

Are you just going to take it easy and switch off your “motivation switch”? Or are you going to make new goals and challenge yourself? These choices represent your desire to grow as a person.

Sure, you don’t always have to move on to a new project right away, but it is important to ask yourself “How can I do things better?”

Here’s the thing: people change, whether you like it or not. Think about it – are you the same person that you were 10 years ago?

We’re never static and always remain in motion. Even after you’ve earned your first million, you’re either moving forward or backward. Although you should never take your current success for granted, you do need to understand that everything you do in the present will either help you evolve or decline.

Besides, you’re not the only one – the rest of the world is also in a state of constant change. This means you need to avoid being complacent to stay on top of your game and adapt to ever-shifting circumstances.

In many ways, long-term success is not just about adding another trophy to your collection. In the greater scheme of things, it boils down to maintaining the same attitude and mindset that made you successful in the first place. The way to do this is to stay sharp, stay hungry!

Article By: Joel Brown

Our bookshelves are lined with habits that successful people do on a daily basis. We read about them and implement them into our routines and practices. Quite often these practices improve our productivity and make our lives better as a result. But that’s not what this article is about. It’s not about what successful people do, but what they did.

Here’s a brief study of 10 things that these hungry and unstoppable people did to see the success they all eventually achieved.

The 10 Things Successful People Live By Before They Make It

1. They didn’t use excuses.

We all have two voices. There’s the voice that tells us to work hard, to focus on the task at hand and to finish it before we move on to the next. And to finish it well.

We also have the voice that tells us to take a break, to think about what’s on TV, or to visit a site that we like to visit that entertains us – whether it’s ESPN.com or facebook.

In life we’re the victim of injustice from time to time. It could be a promotion that we deserve but don’t get. No matter who we are, we’re going to be treated unfairly at some point. We can either feel sorry for ourselves, or push forward and put it behind us – even use it as motivation.

Nelson Mandela could have used his unjust imprisonment as an excuse to give into his anger. Instead, he used it as an opportunity to learn, grow, and eventually free others.

Listen to your excuses. Understand why you have them. Then figure out how you can use them for good.

2. It wasn’t just about them.

‘Things’ can be a motivator, they can even be a reward, but they can’t be the motivator. The truly successful in life always get there because they created change in the lives of others, not just their own.

If something drives you that is greater than just the ‘ends’, we’re going to work harder, longer, and we’re going to give more of ourselves to our project.

Yes we can make money when we have the primary goal of making money. Some might even use that money for good – which is awesome. But there’s no fulfillment in simply making money. And isn’t that the point?

3. Early mornings and late nights.

People who have achieved true success in their lives have worked for it.

This might come at the detriment of other areas of their lives, such as family or social life. But their mission is first and foremost. Until it’s complete, everything else comes second.

There’s literally no substitute for hard work. Abraham Lincoln said, “Things may come to those who wait… but only the things left by those who hustle.” If you want to be successful, you’re going to have to out hustle everyone else.

4. The greatest commodity.

Energy is a huge commodity that is often not talked about. Yes, energy in the sense of fuel and electricity is talked about everywhere, but I’m talking about our own energy levels.

The fact is that the more energy we have, the easier it is to focus, and the higher the quality of our work is.

One of Richard Branson‘s ‘key’s to success’ is staying in great physical shape. So would raised energy levels be the greatest benefit to working out? It may be.

Keeping physically fit gives us greater blood-flow to our brain, enhanced alertness and improved focus. Make training a routine part of your life and increase your chances at success – in every meaning of the word.

5. Principles.

History will be kind to me. For I intend to write it.

Winston Churchill had principles. The difference between him and the rest of us, is that he stuck to his principles at all costs. He didn’t waver when they weren’t popular – an extreme rarity in politics.

What are your principles? All of us should have them, know what they are, and live our lives by them.

One of Apple’s principles is to bring change to the world through technology, and they do it with every product they release.

Identify what principles you have that guide your life through tough times, and when things couldn’t be any better. They shouldn’t change, and at your core, neither should you.

6. Wavering, yet unbreakable faith.

We all have moments of doubt. Even the best of us question if our dream is going to come true. The one thing that separates the truly successful from those who never reach their true potential is an unbreakable faith in the fact that what they’re doing is right.

Even if they have moments of doubt, they’re soon quelled, where other’s listen to that doubt and let it eat them up and finally they quit.

Have your moments of doubt. You’re human. Just don’t let that doubt eat you up. Instead let it motivate you to prove your optimism right.

7. A reason.

Many of the greatest accomplishments in the world were accomplished by insecure men and women, people who had something to prove to others. A desire to elevate their status and create change that was so strong, that failure is simply never and option.

Abraham Lincoln‘s reason(s) had to do a lot with his view of himself in relation to how other’s viewed him. Where others saw a poor, illiterate boy, Lincoln saw someone capable of achieving more, even if he had to do it completely on his own. He also saw the need for change. A nation that preached freedom wasn’t free. He saw something fundamentally wrong with this and set out to change it. His why wasn’t about him. Which in turn made him one of history’s great men.

Understand why. You have that reason to work when others sleep, to sacrifice a safe life for a risky one with no ceiling. Find it by asking why, and not stopping until you hit your core, emotional reason for wanting to change your status, or the status of others.

8. They persevered when others didn’t.

How does the guy who quit on his dream know how long it would’ve taken him to become a success? He doesn’t. None of us do. It could be tomorrow, or ten years from now.

What separates a lot of the great people we read about in our history books from those we’ve never heard of is the fact that they never quit. Quitting was never an option. They only stopped when they reached their dream. And even then, they created a new mission.

Take James J. Braddock, or even Nelson Mandela, for example. They didn’t achieve their greatness or success early on in their careers or in life like some. They achieved it after surviving. They survived while others literally died, or quit. In their cases it wasn’t just that they were the best, but they were the best because of what they endured. They were the last one’s standing.

We don’t know when our breakthrough will come. So don’t guarantee your failure by quitting. You can adapt, change, and evolve, but never, never, never quit.

9. Great people relentlessly studied their craft.

Tony Gwynn and Mike Tyson studied their craft as much as anyone. Gwynn spent hours upon hours studying opposing pitchers. He studied their patterns. He wasn’t the most athletic guy around, but he put his work in to be the best at what he did: hit baseballs.

When people think of Tyson, they think of an animal, but what we fail to see is the student. No one studied boxing like Tyson did. Watched more film than anyone in the history of the sport. He was a student first, a fighter second.

These great athletes studied film, but how can we perfect our craft?

Using myself as an example; much of my job has to do with writing, and obviously fitness. So, I study those two things. I read books about how to become a better writer, ways to connect with the reader, and I simply read great books written by authors who are much better at writing than I am. If you’re in sales, read and study sales. If you’re a marketer, then do the same with marketing.

Being a drone that simply goes through the motions is no way to achieve greatness. Assuming success is something you want, you have to study your craft, whatever it may be. Learn it inside and out. Build a wealth of knowledge. It’ll help you create great, inspiring, and unique work.

10. Risk.

No risk, no reward. Yes it’s an over-used, cliché of a phrase. But it’s true. Those who have achieved real success have often risked the most to get there.

There have been billions of people throughout history who have had the ability to achieve greatness, whether it was the talent or smarts, they had it. What they didn’t have was the guts to risk the life that they were living. They also didn’t have the work ethic to see their talent realized.

The greatest tragedy in life is wasted talent ~ A Bronx Tale

Your big, audacious dream might be to marry the girl of your dreams and have a family with her. You risk might be to leave the career that you love in order to support her and your family. Your dream might be to help millions live longer, healthier lives. Whatever your dream is, give it enough of a chance to be realized.

Risk if you truly want to see the reward.

Find your dream. Then risk everything to get it.

23 Rare Motivational Quotes to inspire the lazy, complainers, procrastinators and the ‘all talk, no walk’ people out there.

Everybody needs a little motivation sometimes so share these around and take ACTION! In your life right now, execute that plan you have been talking about all week. It’s never too late to make it happen!

Rare Motivational Quotes

‎”It’s always down to you and the choices you make. Work on the things you can change and never dwell on the things you can’t. You choose… ‘results’ or ‘excuses’ it’s always down to YOU… no one has ever given their BEST and regretted it. GO HARD NO EXCUSES.”

“No one said this would be easy, just know that nothing beats the feeling of accomplishment.”

‎”Turn those dreams into ACTION …action turns into results… sooner or later you will be living the dream.”

“There’s no substitute for consistency.”

‎”Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit…. KEEP GOING!!”

“Hardwork can out-do genetics!!”

“Whatever doesn’t kill me… had better start running”

‎”Our fears don’t stop death,… they stop life.”

“Do it now. Sometimes ‘later’ becomes ‘never.’”

“Kick yourself in the ass, or someone else will.”

“The pain of discipline is far less than the pain of regret.”

‎”I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy… I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.”

“Tears will get you sympathy, sweat will get you results.”

“Dear tomorrow, do whatever you wanna do .. I have already lived my today and I am not afraid of you anymore .”

“If we understood the power of our thoughts, we would guard them more closely. If we understood the power of our words, we would prefer silence to anything negative. In our thoughts and words we create our own weaknesses and strengths. Our limitations begin in our hearts where we can always replace negative with positive.”

“You can have results or excuses. Not both”

“You will never know your limits until you push yourself to them.”

“Pain is just weakness leaving your body.”

“I was not delivered into this world in defeat nor does failure flow through my veins. I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a lion and I refuse to talk, walk, to merge with the sheep. I will not hear those who weep and complain for their thoughts are contagios. Let them join the sheep. The slaughterhouse of failure…Is not my destiny.”

‎”Good things come to those who wait… greater things come to those who are willing to work for it”

“Set small goals for yourself and meet them. You are responsible to take care of yourself. You should be your priority!!”

‎”If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone…deal with it!!”

“Failure does not mean defeat; to succeed you must fail first.”

Here are 6 scientifically proven ways to successfully persuade and encourage rather than ‘demand’ to achieve a behaviour change.

Here we take the position that persuasion is a science, not art, hence with the right approach anybody can become the master in the skill of persuasion.

Persuading Others

1. Inconvenience the audience by creating an impression of product scarcity. It’s the famous change from “Call now, the operators are standing by” to “If the line is busy, call again”, that greatly improved the call volume by creating the impression that everybody else is trying to buy the same product.

2. Introduce the herd effect. A hotel sign in the bathroom informed the guests that many prior guests chose to be environmentally friendly by recycling their towels. However, when the message mentioned that majority of the guests who stayed in this specific room chose to be more environmentally conscious and reused their towels, towel recycling jumped 33%, even though the message was largely the same.

3. Ads quoting negative behaviour en masse reinforces negative behaviour. Petrified Forest National Park A/B tested two versions of a sign imploring people not to steal pieces of petrified forest from the park. One mentioned large amounts of petrified forest taken away on an annual basis, the other one simply asked the visitors not to remove petrified wood. The first one actually tripled the theft ratio as it showed stealing petrified wood as something commonplace.

4. Avoiding magnetic middle. A survey measured energy usage of a certain neighbourhood on a week-by-week basis. When the average electricity consumption for the neighbourhood was calculated, researchers sent thank-you cards to those using the energy conservatively, and a nice reminder to perhaps conserve to those who used electricity liberally. Net effect? Reduced electricity consumption.

5. Too many options necessitate selection, and hence frustration, when the brain decides it’s unnecessary work. The example here is given by a company that manages retirement funds for other companies, and hence has access to retirement information of 800,000 employees. When employees were offered a choice of 2 funds, roughly 75% signed up for a retirement programme. When the number of funds was increased to 59%, even though qualitatively this was a better deal for employees, only 60% decided to sign up. When Head & Shoulders brand killed off 11 flavors of the shampoo, leaving only 15 on the market, the sales rose 10%.

6. Giving away the product makes it less desirable. Researchers gave one group of people a picture of a pearl bracelet and asked to evaluate its desirability. Another group of people was given the same task, but prior to that was shown an ad, where the same bracelet was given away for free, if you bought a bottle of expensive liqueur. The second group considered the bracelet much less desirable, since mentally a lot of potential buyers (35% of them to be exact) shuffled the bracelet onto “trinkets they give away for free” shelf in their brain.

Everybody wants to be successful. So do I. So do you. What makes somebody achieve their dreams and others to fail theirs?

Read on as we outlay the “Top 9 Hurdles That Most Entrepreneurs Will Encounter At Some Point In Their Life“.

Entrepreneur Advice

1. Fear of the unknown. People get used to the familiarity of the past and are afraid of anything new. This might lead you to decide to leave everything just the way it has always been. A winner knows that sticking with the old ways will never lead to satisfaction.

2. Fear to get involved. If you do not have the habit of engaging yourself, but rather passively undergo what others decide for you, then you will have to create new habits that give you the feeling you are actively creating your life, choosing what you want and making an effort towards your goal.

3. Fear that others will leave you. When your environment has gotten used to looking at you as a weak person, undecided, unhappy or sad, then you might be afraid of changing. Maybe you are afraid of losing their attention if you no longer show weakness, illness or fatigue. Is this the reason why you want to keep the status quo? Do you really want to continue suffering from the low vibrations of disease, despair, complaining, just to please your environment, afraid of losing their attention once your are successful?

4. Fear of success. If you got used to looking at yourself as a failure, not capable of doing anything right, then the idea of being successful might be quite uncomfortable. In this case you need to expand the image you have of yourself and start accepting that you too can succeed and be happy, and enjoy abundance in your life.

5. Refuse to be tested along the way. Be aware that you will be tested along the way, in order to make sure your choice is clear and firm, that you are sticking to your decision to walk your own path. The firmness of your decision and the depth of your engagement will be proofed. Accept this and move on.

6. Negative thoughts about life. Carrying negative beliefs about life will make it difficult to attain success, riches and happiness. Make a list of all your negative thoughts and systematically replace them by positive ones. Encourage yourself on your way to success instead of cutting yourself down.

7. Refuse to start anything before you are 100% sure to succeed. You will never have absolute certainty as your mission is constantly unfolding as long as you live. Look at it as a journey. It’s a process, an itinerary, where the important thing is who you are becoming along the way rather than where you are arriving. When you are experiencing more energy, joy, enthusiasm and wealth, then you can be sure to have made the right choice. This ought to be enough to dare take some risk and take some big decisions.

8. Being oversensitive to remarks from people around you. To complete your mission and stay your course you need to learn to face negative remarks from your environment. Surround yourself with people who support and encourage you, and ignore the remarks of those frustrated people who prefer cutting you down over taking charge of their own life. Leave their remarks with them, as their remarks say more about who they are than about who you are. Especially don’t start analyzing their behavior, but rather concentrate on your own life goal. This way you are an example for all who one day also start living their mission.

9. Thinking you still need a lot of time to prepare yourself. Make sure not to waste too much time and energy on lengthy preparations and considerations. There’s no need to go get professional help all the time. One day you will have to get your feet wet yourself. It doesn’t have to be perfectly planned before you can get it going. It is practice that makes perfect! What matters is to take that first step and start things up. Your experience in the field will eventually turn you into an expert. You cannot obtain experience through endless thinking and preparing. Concrete action is the only ground you can build on.

Do not be discouraged. This resistance is part of the package. A life without challenge would be quite boring. Make use of your resources to make sure you stay on track.

In any case, you will be enjoying more energy and happiness, now that you head towards your goal and overcome your resistance to change. This energy and joy can be radiated to your environment, and your example will urge others to start looking for their own mission.

Article By: Ineke Van Lint

Today we feature a list of “The Top 7 Reasons Why Youre Losing All That Money“. The aim of behavioral finance is to better understand why people make the financial decisions they do. The field of study is becoming widely accepted. In fact, it’s such a crucial part of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) curriculum, a course of study for Wall Street research analysts.

Don’t be intimidated. You might learn something about why you make the financial and investment decision you do.

You think you’re great at investing.

Word of mouth marketing can be one of the most powerful marketing tactics. Think about it - it costs nothing and every person who hears about your product is a potential genuine referral. Sometimes you are asked to give business presentations to a group of people interested in your ideas. It can be very difficult to put your ideas into words that your listeners will relate to and appreciate.

I have discovered that there is a checklist of guidelines. I need to make sure my listeners are able to follow along with me and capture my enthusiasm as I deliver a speech selling my ideas. Read on for this “Award Winning, Speech Giving Checklist“.

1.    Relate: Make your speech relate to its audience. Often you will be giving a presentation to a class of people who come from all kinds of different backgrounds. Find a common point they all have in common. Alternatively, you can find a common aspect of life they will all have to face some day. Use that as the grounds for your presentation and refer back to it more than once.

2.    Preview/Review: When you’re giving a presentation, having pictures is great but what if you have no access to pictures or any visual board? A wrap-up at the end – (i.e. a recapitulation of “what we just saw”) acts in a similar way. It helps everyone keep on track and get a better overall understanding of what you are talking about.

3.    Covering your Tracks: This point is more about unity than covering your tracks. When you speak to your class, turn the feared Q & A session at the end into an open floor discussion with everyone. If you don’t know the answer to a question, invite other people to answer. It’s not about what you know; it’s about what people you know know!

4.   The Poor Presentation. Everyone in life has a purpose. If you sit through a boring presentation, take note of what aspects of it are boring. Are you making these same mistakes? If you are, reexamine your speech and put yourself in your audience’s place. What would you rather hear sitting with the audience?

5.   Looking Professional: Probably the reason why dressing up in a shirt and tie is so effective when you give a conference or speech is because no one else does it. Being one of the few who goes out of their way to look good shows that you care about your appearance and reputation. Moreover, it demonstrates enthusiasm and confidence – two qualities that you cannot do without, especially when teaching people something they assume you are the expert in.

6.   Confidence: There are hundreds if not thousands of different ways to acquire a feeling of 100 percent confidence as you walk on the stage or in front of your class. Some tell themselves they are the best repeatedly in their minds. Others study for hours and hours until they have convinced themselves or until they have mastered the material they wish to present. If you give a speech and you fumble because you’re nervous, you can get rid of this by doing the following:

o    Identify the root cause for the fumbling. This is usually fear, however you need to be certain that you recognise where it is coming from. For example, it could be fear that you are not good enough, or fear that you will make a mistake, or fear of what others will think.

o    Next replace the root fear with its polar opposite. If you are afraid of what people think, remind yourself that what they think is none of your business. If you feel that you are not good enough, remember that we are all unique and have different special abilities in different areas. If you are afraid of making a mistake, focus very hard on what you are saying and practice! Practice! Practice!

o    Think positively! Visualise and believe in yourself as a vehicle that will allow you to attain your inner most desires.

7.   Enthusiasm: Half of the audience thinks you are waving your hands too much, the other half feel you are not into your speech enough. What do you do? Get excited. Engage your audience by asking them questions and crack a joke while you’re at it if the context allows (this tends to reduce tension). This builds momentum, which puts you in a complete feeling of joy. No one will notice the annoying details if you are giving them an experience to remember.

8.    Test-Run: Doing a test run with the equipment you will be using can be very rewarding. Avoid possible difficulties/embarrassments that increase the level of stress on your presentation day. You will also want to use the opportunity to proof-read your presentation to to make sure the text is legible on the background of your slides.

9.    My last point is called “Journey” because it is the journey that is the reward, not the end, and not the beginning. As you take your audience through your presentation, you are guiding them through a journey. Hand-feed them all the way, and make sure everything is very well explained. Remember that your presentation is a tool to convey your message, not the object of your presentation. Do not look back at the screen or down at your monitor. Do not read of your slides either – your audience can read off the slides. If you are presenting to 30 people or less, make eye contact with everyone. If you’re presenting to a larger group it is ok to look above the crowd’s head, since eye contact isn’t really possible. One or two large images, key points and “sound bites” will help the audience to remember things you said and to follow you through the journey of your presentation.

And that’s all there is to it! Imagine yourself being electrocuted – you are excited – this will create a contagious smile and energy to flow around the room.

Article By: Daniel Massicotte

Toastmasters ‘WINNING’ Speech

Checkout this award winning speech. Delivered by Spiritual comedian and law of attraction expert Andy Dooley as he shares his his HUMOROUS story about meeting Tony Robbins on top of a mountain.

In this amazing world we live in today, many of us are culprits for taking everyday things for granted. Do you ever stop and wonder why things are the way they are and how they came to be?

Well, many things are deliberate creations to make our lives easier and to save time but some of these creations came about accidentally and are now things we could not imagine living without.

I have come up with a list of the top 7 life changing inventions that where created by mistake. Enjoy!

The Top 7 Accidental Yet Successful Inventions

The Slinky

A common and fun childhood favorite “the slinky” was invented by Inventor; Richard Jones.

Richard was a naval engineer who was trying to design a meter to monitor power on naval battleships. One day when working with the tension springs, one of them fell to the floor and to Richard’s surprise, the spring kept bouncing from place to place after it hit the ground. This moment was when the Slinky was born.

Penicillin

 A widely used ant biotic, “Penicillin” is depended on by millions when a headache strikes and who would have known that it was a fluke that led Scientist Alexander Fleming to its discovery!

In an obsessive search for a ‘wonder drug’ that could cure diseases, it wasn’t until one day when he threw his experiment away that he found what it was he was looking for.

Fleming had noticed that a contaminated petri dish that he had thrown away was doing something quite remarkable. A mold that was living in this petri dish was dissolving all of the bacteria around it. When the mold was grown on its own, Fleming learned that it contained a powerful antibiotic which he named ‘Penicillin’

The Pacemaker

Making life a lot safer and possible for many who suffer from heart disease throughout the world, “the pacemaker’ is a lifesaving and changing invention that was created through research for something completely different.

John Hopps was an electrical engineer and was conducting research on hypothermia and how the use of radio frequency heating could possibly restore the body’s natural temperature.

During his experiment, Hopps made a remarkable discovery realizing that when a heart stopped beating due to cooling, it could be started again by artificial stimulation. This discovery led to the pacemaker.

 Microwave ovens

After a day of work sometimes it’s easier to heat up left over dinner in the microwave then cook a new meal. This wouldn’t be possible if Percy Spencer didn’t accidentally come across this discovery.

Percy Spencer was an engineer who was infamous for his left of center research. While Conducting a radar-related research project with a new vacuum tube he created, he came across something amazing.

During one of his experiments, Spencer realized that the candy bar in his pocket began to melt! He then put popcorn into the machine and when it started to pop, he knew he had created a revolutionary device.

Fireworks

Lighting up the sky, bringing people together in celebration ‘ Fireworks’ are a magical creation that are enjoyed all over the world. This is all thanks to an unknown cook in China!

A cook in China whose name is unknown, loved experimenting with food. One day of experimenting in his kitchen lead to the discovery of fireworks.

Mixing together common kitchen items (common 2000 years ago) charcoal, sulfur and saltpeter, the cook then compressed these ingredients into a bamboo tube and when heated up, it exploded, causing the birth or fireworks!

Corn Flakes

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and a good healthy breakfast fuels our body’s for the day ahead! Corn Flakes is a widely known cereal that a lot of us have come to love. You would never think leaving a pot of boiled grain on the stove for a few days by accident is how Corn Flakes came about. But it is!

The Kellogg Brothers, John and Will were trying to make a pot of boiled grain and they accidentally left the pot on the stove for a few days. The mixture turned moldy though what remained was dry and thick. Through further experimentation, they eliminated the mold part and created Corn Flakes.

Post-it notes

Inventor: Spencer Silver, a researcher in 3M Laboratories

What he was trying to make: A strong adhesive

How it was created: While working away, Silver created an adhesive that was actually weaker than what already existed. It stuck to objects but could be pulled off easily without leaving a mark. Years later a colleague spread the substance on little pieces of paper to mark his place in his choir hymn book, and the idea was born.

Article By: Charlene Barry | Addicted2Success.com

These 15 Incredible Business Men of our time have broken through the boundaries and have left an imprint in the business and corporate world. Who else bettter than the geniuses themselves to quote great advice from.

Read on for some unforgettable advice from the worlds greatest business minds of our time.

The Modern Day Gurus:

Richard Branson

William Henry “Bill” Gates III

Donald Trump

Steve Jobs

Ingvar Kamprad

Michael Dell

Warren Buffett

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

Representing the New Zealand Gurus:

Stephen Tindall

Sam Morgan

Mike Pero

Representing the Historical Gurus

Henry Ford (1863 – 1947)

John D Rockefeller (1839 – 1937)

Meyer Amschel Rothschild (1744 – 1812)

Walt Disney (1901 – 1966)

Ray Kroc (1902 – 1984)

Here are 7 characteristics to help you achieve your goals and dreams!

7 Ways to Achieve Your Golas & Dreams

Achievers believe in themselves and in their abilities.
Self-esteem and self-efficacy go hand in hand in ensuring that the achiever recognizes that he is capable of accomplishing what he sets out to do.

They are positive thinkers.
Whenever faced with obstacles or setbacks, an achiever will use his own resourcefulness to get past any hurdles he comes across.

Achievers recognize and acknowledge their strengths and their talents.
We have all been given gifts and talents to be successful in life, and we must use these to the best of our ability.

They take action.
Anyone can dream and set goals, but the achiever is the person who will take action and successfully carry them through.

Achievers have a sense of purpose and have an understanding of the meaning of life.
They realize that we are here on Earth to reach our full potential.

They do what is required to reach their goals.
Achievers will plan each step to ensure success, and once completed, they will move onto the next step to get closer to attaining their goal.

Achievers recognize that if someone else can achieve something, then so can they.
If it is humanly possible, then it is perfectly feasible to accept that you too have the potential of reaching that goal!

In this video Anthony Robbins goes in on what it takes to Focus and Achieve your goals:

(Video) Clarity & Purpose By Anthony Robbins

You’ve got to know what you want.

Clarity is power.

Ask for what you want. Ask for the results you want.

Ask and receive.

Condition your mind for success.

The mind is but a very powerful part of the body. Believe in the saying that anything that the mind can conceive can be achieved. Success lies in the positive thinking that there is nothing that can’t be done. Success is a categorical term which is all-encompassing. But it must be borne in mind that success must always come with goodness, honesty, and kind heart. Otherwise, the very word will be defeated — nothing else but a piece of junk used by the ambitious and in greed of power.

Read on for The Top 6 Secrets To Achieve What Your Mind Can Conceive.

THINK AS IF IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO FAIL

Failure and success are both figment of the mind. To achieve greater things, pick just one of them. It’s either you fail or succeed. Definitely, we’ll choose to succeed. If it be the case, you’ll do everything to succeed and never fail. If you focus on the thought that failure is without a place in your life, then failure won’t come to you.

Success at all times, and in everything you do must be embedded in the mind, and then you will never know failure. However, success must not be equated with perfectionism. Perfection is God and no one can be God. Perfection has no criterion, which means that the term is nothing but a crap.

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE

Time is a very important element in everything we do. As the saying goes, do things with utmost dedication. Live life as if it is your last. With this in mind, it is likely that every day of your life will be worthwhile and lived at its best.

FOCUS

Think of which path you really would want to take. Most of us will feel confusion on things, life and people. When this empty and lost feeling hovers around you, try to picture your past. Think of your mistakes and conceptualize methods on how to correct or remedy them. Have a straightforward outlook in life and focus only for the best things.

DO NOT SETTLE FOR GOOD BUT FOR THE “BEST”

Good enough is not enough. Success will hardly come to you if you remain contented on simple things or in living a stereotypic life. Life must always be lived to the fullest. Make it a point to reach a higher goal. Consider life as a struggle. Think of life as a pyramid and each of us deserve a peak.

FIND DIAMONDS AS COMPANIONS

Choose your friends. Friends have no perfect definition. It is rather on a case to case basis. Friends need not be someone who can give you everything, but one who’ll be with you in your bad times. True friends are one who will never tolerate you doing bad. Success is better savored together with people you love dearly and trust at all times and in everything.

SOLI DEO GLORIA

“To God Be the Glory”

In everything you do, always bear in mind that your life is just a borrowed one. Everything we do is in God’s name and for his greater glory. We simply are agents who benefit from a gift. Remember when you fail, you then fail God. It is more shameful than anything else.