The Difference Between Successful And Unsuccessful People

I've worked with a lot of people. Frankly, when I started the journey of this personal development business, I didn't even consider I'd be at this point so soon. 

Anyway, I see a pattern that I want to share. 

There's a simple difference between people who are wealthy, successful, and happy, and those who struggle financially, hate their vocation or career, and are miserable and unhappy. One difference:

You ready?

The wealthy, successful, and happy people have a mind that is an asset in their life, and those who are mired in struggle, their mind is a liability. Let's get clear on what with means. 

Definitions of Asset and Liability

When I Google the definition of asset, here's what comes up: a useful or valuable thing, person, or quality, and property owned by a person or company, regarded as having value and available to meet debts, commitments, or legacies.

So let's be clear that an asset is something that is beneficial and helps you. 

When I Google the definition of liability, here's what comes up: a person or thing whose presence or behavior is likely to cause embarrassment or put one at a disadvantage.

Did you read that? To cause embarrassment or put one at a disadvantage. 

I have witnessed this too many times to dismiss it. Everyone has talents, desires, and purpose, but their mind is either an advantage or a disadvantage in helping them deploy and effectively utilize them. 

 If You Can't See Past the Fog, You're Screwed

The average human being has between 80,000 and 120,000 thoughts per day, and most of them unkind. I can point to 4 voices which our thoughts possess. Our thoughts are constantly telling us stories, and how we relate and interact with those stories is critical to our outcomes. 

Here are the 4 voices:

Insecurity - The fear of loss. Insecure thoughts tell stories of avoiding losing money, relationships, current quality of life, our materials and possessions, our children, etc. Insecure thoughts keep you focused on not losing. 

Inadequacy - The story that you're not good enough, you don't have enough, or you're not ready. Thoughts of inadequacy keep you stuck by convincing you that it's not time, you'll fail, or that you need to prepare more. Inadequacy will always keep you from being ready. 

Insignificance - The story that you don't matter. Thoughts of insignificance tell you that your needs and wants don't matter, that better is not available to you, that your job is to help everyone else at your own expense, or that you have no talent.  Insignificance will keep you trapped in grabbing at whatever scraps fall off the table and accepting anything that comes along. 

Inspiration - The gut feels an overwhelming knowing that something is right for you. Inspiration causes excitement, passion, and the desire to immediately say "YES!" When inspiration strikes, you might feel excitement and anticipation, and a deep sense that this is something that you "get to do", not "have to do." The reason inspiration is so powerful is that it aligns with your talents, desires, and purpose.

All thoughts carry one of those voices. The problem is that most of your thoughts come from the lower-level thoughts of insecurity, inadequacy, and insignificance, and hearing the voice of inspiration is difficult if you're too busy listening to the 3 lower-level thoughts. 

Wealthy, successful, and happy people have learned how to only pay attention to their inspired thoughts. That's why their mind is an asset, while most of the world possesses minds that are liabilities - their mind is destructive instead of creative. 

Tuning Into Your Inspired Thoughts

Here's why most people remain stuck - they want to rearrange the external world instead of fixing the real problem - themselves. Most people distract themselves through their work, television, entertainment, alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, and any other activity that will keep them from seeing what's happening in their mind and in their body. 

The first step is to sit with yourself and observe your thoughts. Watch and label your thoughts. Identify the thoughts of insecurity, inadequacy, and insignificance, and let them go. Don't believe them or try to solve them, just let them go. Identify your inspired thoughts and see what they're telling you. They're telling you a story and pointing you in a direction, and that's your natural path. 

For years I would think about starting my own business, and I would get excited, but then insecurity and insignificance would quickly kick in and convince me that it was not possible. Insecurity and inadequacy told me I'd fail. Years later I started my business when I had no other choice, I didn't fail, and I realized that my inspired thoughts were pointing me to my path the whole time - I just didn't trust it. 

There are 3 tools that I recommend helping you turn your mind from a liability into an asset:

#1. Eliminate anyone or anything fear-based, conflict-based, drama-based, gossip-based, or unsupportive in your life, and fill your life with people and things that are supportive, encouraging, uplifting, and inspirational. Out with the old, in with the new. Your environment and your tribe determine what goes into your mind. Protect it like it's Fort Knox. 

#2. Journal. The hardest thing for a human being to do is to get radically honest with themself. Write anything that comes to mind. Write what you're thinking and feeling, and what you want and why you want it. Write what you fear, what you're ashamed of, what you're proud of, and what you feel might happen if you follow your dreams. Get honest with yourself. It's not easy, but it's worth it. 

#3. Meditate. Set aside time in the morning to sit in meditation and observe your mind. Watch the thoughts as they enter and exit your mind. Pay attention to themes and what keeps coming up. Your subconscious will show you what's in your way and needs to be healed, and it will also show you what lies ahead of you on your perfect path. Practice longer meditation in the morning, and smaller sessions throughout the day. It will clear and focus your mind, I guarantee.

Putting It All Together

Your mind is either working for you or against you. The most wealthy, successful, and happy people I know possess minds which aid them in their journey. Everyone else is mired in the pain of their lower-level thoughts. 

Each day focus on weaponizing your mind to aid you in your journey. It will be the one single practice that will help you create anything and everything you want in this world. But you must first shift your mind from a liability to an asset. 

Photo by Jungwoo Hong on Unsplash