An 18 year old recent high school graduate and young father would not be given much of a chance for success by society or statistics. But as I reflect on my younger years (yes, the 18 year old was me :-) I have discovered that there are certain principles that I've employed and actions that I have taken that have allowed me to overcome the odds and achieve success in my life. Over time I plan to share these principles and actions in periodic blog posts, but for now I'd like to share a little more of my story.
From Welfare to Well-off:
I started a 4 year college program in the Fall of 1994 but decided to stop so I could focus on providing for the needs of my new family. My wife and I were married in June of 1995 and rented a cheap apartment for our small family. We faced many of the challenges that most young families face: financial hardship, relationship issues, etc. We relied on Social Services (welfare) for several months until I was able to find a decent job that would help us meet our needs. I was able to find one full-time job and one part-time job (weekends) and my wife worked a few nights a week to bring in some extra money. We found that the extra money was nice, but this wasn't a schedule we could maintain. There was no time to focus on our family and relationship(s) and I believe that relationships are just as important in terms of success as is money. In fact, Zig Ziglar has stated,
"I believe that being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life. You can't truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles."So, my wife and I made a decision to change our situation. We started to think and talk about what we wanted our lives to look like. We made plans for me to finish a college degree program while I worked part-time and my wife worked full-time. Not only did we plan, but we took action towards the goals that we had set forth. Was it easy? Certainly not! Was it difficult? Every step of the way. Did I feel like giving up? At times. But I knew, that in order to realize the vision that my wife and I had for our family, the actions were necessary.
Are we there yet?
The great thing about life is that your vision can keep growing and your dreams can keep expanding. You can do more, be more and have more. So, No. We are not there yet and we will never be there until our last breath is taken. While we are now living comfortably and enjoy life much more, there is more on this earth for us to do, be and have. My grandmother always tells me, "I'm still here Scottie. God must have more for me to do." I love my grandmother's attitude. Jeremiah 29:11 says that God has a plan for you; plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future. That's something to get excited about!
So, why does Success Nuggets exist?
As Zig Ziglar puts it, "The greatest good we can do for others is not just to share our riches with them, but to reveal theirs." I've been fortunate to have people in my life that have provided help, encouragement, motivation and wisdom. My goal is to "pass it on" and be that person to those seeking help in the areas of self improvement, personal growth and success in life.
Action Steps:
1. If you're not happy with an aspect of your life (relationships, financial health, physical health, etc.) make a decision to change.
2. On a sheet of paper write an action plan (a list of actions) for the aspect of your life you want to change.
3. Take time each day to mentally see yourself achieving that change.
4. Each day work on one or more of the actions from your action plan.
Recommended Resource:
New York Times best-selling author John C. Maxwell brings the subject of a personal dream down to earth with this extraordinary multimedia training program based on his newest book, Put Your Dream to the Test: 10 Questions that Will Help You See It and Seize It.
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Celebrating Your Success!
Peace,
Scott Harrison
@SuccessNuggets (twitter)
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