Exploring The Meaning of Success

"Nothing succeeds like success!"

Success can be described in one way as the opposite of failure althought there are many shades of grey in between these two concepts.  In an earlier post, I talked about Overcoming the Fear of Failure through quotes by famous people.

In this blog, you can read some quotes by famous people about achieving success.  Most successful people will tell you that a lot of hard work is involved along with a bit of luck.  It is there for the taking to those who put in the effort and know what they want.


 Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.
Harriet Tubman

A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.
David Brinkley

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.
Henry Ford

Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.
Booker T. Washington

 
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.
Abraham Lincoln

Action is the foundational key to all success.
Pablo Picasso

Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result.
Oscar Wilde

One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.
Benjamin Disraeli

Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.
Dale Carnegie


They succeed, because they think they can.
Virgil

There are also quotes such as "I'm rich because I won the lottery!" or "I inherited my parents' success!" but these apply only to the fortunate few. Read about the people you admire who have achieved success and the methods they used to achieve it. There's a good chance that you can apply the same principles and do likewise. Take a chance and work hard!

Steven Ratnik


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A Look at Bruce Poon Tip's 'Looptail'

Looptail is the new book by Bruce Poon Tip. founder of G Adventures.  It's his story about how the company was formed by an idea and a couple of credit cards.  The book gives some pointers about how to run a company using the Looptail, a process in which you get what you give.

Looptail is indeed a fascinating look at Bruce Poon Tip and the formation of his travel company, G Adventures (formerly GAP).  He doesn't pull any punches about the difficulties he encountered growing up facing prejudice after his family moved to Canada, the difficulties he faced while starting up his travel company and the difficulties he ran up against from the travel industry in forming a company that ran against the grain of basic tourist packaged trips.  He even encounters resistance from his own workers as he tries to bring forward his vision as to how the company should run, one that goes beyond mere numbers.

It is a story that can be shared from many entrepreneurs who started up companies that ran against the grain.  You have to convince yourself that your idea will work,  You have to convince family and friends that you're not irrational.  You have to convince people and financial institutions that your idea is worth funding and you have to convince those you hire at first that the company will succeed and prosper.  Bruce Poon Tip tells his story in a very entertaining and insightful manner, such that the book reads like a can't-put-down thriller.

What do you do when you're told that your ship, carrying 154 passengers, crew and staff, is sinking off the Antarctic and the world is watching your every move?  How would you react if you were offered $70 million for your company?  Could you manage an escape if you were arrested and held prisoner in Burma? How Poon Tip handles these instances and many more gives great insights into what made him successful.  The book also shows other aspects of his career such as the best ways to give back to communities all over the world and how to deal with employee issues, including handling the bottom 10% of  workers who are most involved in the company's extra-curricular activities but do the least actual work.  He makes it clear that being unpopular (to the point of actual threats) comes with the territory when you're trying to take your company in a new direction and shake employees out of their comfort zone.

Bruce Poon Tip writes, "To me, someone creating a company isn't any different than an artist who writes a song or creates a painting or a magnificent sculpture. Art is about putting your ideas, thoughts, heart and soul into your work."  He definitely put all those elements into Looptail, a book that is recommended for anyone looking for insights into how to run a successful business while maintaining one's positive karma.  It is not your typical book but, then again, Bruce Poon Tip isn't your typical person.  Read Looptail and find out why.

Bruce and myself at the beach

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