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The Power of Listening | It is Impossible to Live a Good Life Without Integrity

In 1923, the world's wealthiest men at that time met at Chicago's Edgewater Beach Hotel. They all possessed power, fame and amazing fortunes. In fact, it was said that at that particular time they had power over more money than the total amount within the United States Treasury. These individuals were powerful and in many people's eye's, ultra successful. But were they really successful? Look at who they were and their final outcomes:

Charles Schwab –	president of the largest independent steel company – died broke.
Arthur Cutten –	greatest of the wheat speculators – died abroad, insolvent (unable to pay debts).
Richard Whitney –	president of the New York Stock Exchange – died just after release from Sing Sing Prison.
Albert Fall –	member of the U.S. President's Cabinet – was pardoned from prison so that he could die at home.
Jess Livermore –	greatest "bear" on Wall Street – committed suicide.
Leon Fraser –	president of the Bank of International Settlements – committed suicide.
Ivar Kreuger –	head of the world's greatest monopoly – committed suicide.

(Source: Bill Rose, New York Herald Tribune, November 8, 1948)

Our society places a high premium on becoming wealthy, powerful and famous even though we know that none of that sustains long lasting joy if that's the main goal. We see athletes who demand more money even though they are millionaires many times over. We see entertainers constantly raising their fees in the same fashion. We see high paid CEO's going to jail because they were caught doing illegal activities to gain more financial power.

There is nothing wrong with becoming wealthy, powerful and famous because many individuals use that leverage for the betterment of mankind. But if those things become the means to an end, that is where problems occur.

Delay of Game (Delay of Living)
In American football there is a penalty that can be called against the offense called "Delay of Game." This happens when the offense doesn't get the ball snapped within the allotted time of 25 seconds. Before the penalty occurs you will generally see a lot of movement from the offense and maybe even some confusion, but even with all the movement and activity the ball never gets snapped which brings on the penalty.

Many people live their lives similarly in search of true success. There is a lot of activity but very little action. The first step in knowing your definition of success is knowing where you want to go and what you want to do. Otherwise you're just delaying your life; busy with all sorts of things but never focusing on your desired final outcome.

So What is Success?
In my opinion, "true" success is knowing your purpose and your final destination. To many, success is simply exercising their God-given gifts and talents for the betterment of mankind. To others, it's being the best mother or father they can be. Still for some, it's serving others by rendering excellent service and receiving a great deal of satisfaction from producing and delivering a fantastic product or service. The list could go on and on but one thing that doesn't change is those who are truly successful know their purpose and where they want to go with their life. They replace activity with detailed action.

Keep the Goal the Focus
Burger King may dabble, putting new and interesting items on their menu, but the Whopper is their signature item. They do not deviate from their purpose in trying to provide pizza, lasagna or chicken fried rice. They leave that to those restaurants that specialize in those items. Since 1954, Burger King has strived to provide a great burger at a great price for its customers and they have been very successful in doing just that. You need to focus on your main goal in order to achieve it.

Accepted Amnesia
Accepted amnesia is simply forgetting the past and moving on towards your desired outcomes. It doesn't mean that the event didn't happen or that you didn't take the lessons learned from the event. It simply means not allowing the event in the past to hinder you from moving forward. Stop sabotaging your future by holding on to a painful past.

Enjoy Today
Live every day, every day. The good, the bad and the ugly are all a part of living. No matter what comes your way today, you have the ability to respond to it in whatever fashion you choose. You cannot help what happens, but you can decide how you will respond to it.

Make Your Blueprint and Then be Flexible
Very few people are successful at anything the first, second or even third time. But one thing that successful people are successful at initially, is devising a plan toward their desired outcomes. As the saying goes, if you fail to plan then you can plan to fail. Even after you have your plans written down and you're on your way, don't be so stubborn and fixated on the plan that you don't allow yourself room to adjust when you approach detours. It would be foolish to continue driving down a street when there are signs warning you of an upcoming bridge that is out. Detours are a fact when it comes to the journey of success. Just reroute your journey and continue on.

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