The humblest circumstances can lead to the greatest achievements. With clear vision and commitment, it's possible to completely transform your life. These four people went from nobodies to household names. They didn't settle for less, so why should you?
Introduction
from How Successful People Think
by JW Dicks, Nick Nanton and Nido Qubein
Many of you may feel your everyday life never rises above the routine. You believe you're living a so-called "normal" life—and nothing more. But, as the Bible says, we reap what we sow. Often, we obtain only ordinary results because we approach life in an ordinary manner.
However, when we lose that ordinary mindset—and, instead, take on the mantle of the extraordinary—it's truly amazing how much we can improve the lives of those around us and how many hidden rewards we can uncover for ourselves.
It's how successful people think. They always want to transform the ordinary to the extraordinary. You, too, can enhance any personal or business relationship by becoming extraordinary, but only if you are committed to it, no matter what your current role is in life.
For example, let's say you have a menial and ultimately unsatisfying job. When you're in that position, you may be tempted, to "phone it in"—to do what you have to do to get through the day and get back home—and, in the meantime, daydream about your real aspirations in life.
In other words, do what's required and nothing more. Do an "ordinary" job. No one is expecting more, right?
Well, you should!
Those ordinary jobs can become learning opportunities and extraordinary stepping stones to the life of your dreams. Here are a few folks who did expect more—and who made sure they got it:
Simon Cowell, multimillionaire music mogul of American Idol and The X Factor fame, began his career in the EMI records mailroom.
Wally Amos, the founder of Famous Amos cookies, started in the William Morris Agency's mailroom and later became the first black talent agent in their history. He made his fortune by sending out his chocolate chip wonders to showbiz greats who then backed his amazingly successful cookie company.
Helen Gurley Brown began her career as a secretary at an ad agency. She became one of the highest- paid ad copywriters in the country, wrote a bestseller, and took over Cosmopolitan, a failing magazine, turning it into a decades- long success story.
Barry Diller, the former head of Paramount Pictures, also started out in the William Morris Agency mailroom. He now serves as chairman of Expedia, Inc., and IAC/ InterActiveCorp and has an estimated net worth of more than two billion dollars.
These successful people saw extraordinary opportunity in very ordinary positions. By approaching lower-level positions that others took for granted with the right mindset, they positioned themselves for stellar success.
What it all comes down to is this: When you transform the ordinary to the extraordinary, you create benefits for everyone involved, including yourself.
When you give your best to every situation—when you make your strongest effort, even when nothing is promised in return—you improve the world and reap greater personal rewards, especially over the long run.
In this book, we're going to look closely at how successful people routinely move from ordinary to extraordinary and how you can do that in almost every aspect of life. We'll also examine how to attain the extraordinary mindset that all great achievers possess—to always deliver the most value possible.
When you move from ordinary to extraordinary, everyone wins. The result is abundance—the more good you create in the world, the more of it you will experience!
You'll find more fascinating true stories in How Successful People Think. Every experience is a new
chapter in your success story...start writing yours now!
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