Learn What Advice The Most Successful People Used To Get Where They Are Today.
Motivation is the first thing that needs to occur for action and eventual success to occur. Motivation can come from the funniest of places; whether it is from a fortune cookie, an African proverb or a mantra that has been passed down from generations. Some of the world’s most successful individuals shared with us the best advice they received in life. Success, however to many people does not merely refer to wealth, but also refers to living a meaningful and happy life filled with passion and purpose which reaches and touches lives around them.
“Education is a lifetime inheritance” – Busi Skenjana
The greatest investment that one can have is an education. Knowledge is power and whether or not you gain that knowledge in a university, college or the university of life, the tools and skills you gain are crucial in empowering yourself to become better and to do better in your community. Education can not only be measured with the display of a paper, but also the life lessons which are instilled within us from early childhood. Education, unlike money, cannot be taken away from you and can benefit you in more than one way.
“Talking about the thing is not the thing. Doing the thing is the thing”- Kyra Maya Phillips
On a daily basis, how often do you tell yourself something but you end up not doing that thing. Start acting and doing less talking. It starts with you. Actions do speak louder than words and actions have the power to start revolutions and the ability to start wars. The sooner you get up and start on that task, the better you will feel and you will be one step closer to success and happiness in your life.
“We live in a small world, so what goes around comes around”- Maz Nadjm
Time and time again we have heard the saying that what goes around comes around and surely if this saying has stood the test the time then it must be true. Ones attitude and the way they treat others can be testament to this because as the laws of karma dictate, what you put out you will receive. A positive, kind and approachable attitude is advisable as people tend to gravitate towards individuals who they can easily talk and interact with.
“Plant the seeds, have faith. And do the work, do what is right”.- Evan Robinson
Like a farmer, one has to plant the seeds before they can reap the harvest of the crop. If you do the work which is required of you, everything else will follow. Do things the right way and do not cut corners so that success can be attained. Like planting seeds, patience is important as it takes time to see the rewards and results from the work you put in, but if you do things the right way then the rewards will be exceptional. The harder you work, the greater the results many people have said that this formula is the key to success and happiness in life.
“Be yourself”- Jennifer Buffett
Since the establishment of Facebook, many young people have aspired to attain the success of Mark Zukerberg, however in the entire world, there is only one Mark Zukerberg. Successful individuals such as Bill Gates and Russell Brand are constantly inspiring individuals, we need to remember that these individuals obtained success by being themselves. We need to stop trying to imitate others and rather emulate their characteristics which have helped them become successful. Originality is important in being successful because nobody wants to work or be with someone who is trying to be something they are not, nobody wants to work with an individual who is constantly wearing a mask. There is only one you and if you are not true to yourself you will never know the importance of your self worth and your ideas. Be the best you and not the best impersonator.
“Lead by example. When you lead by example, you gain the respect of others and challenge them to rise up, setting higher goals for themselves”- MD Ramesh
Ramesh talks about leading by example, a concept which always seems to be lacking within the context of South Africa. By leading, you can be seen as a mentor, not only to your peers but also to the youth which are in desperate need of more examples of individuals to aspire to be like. In addition to mentorship, leading by example is necessary in motivating others to change their situations and create better circumstances for themselves. There is nothing more motivating than seeing someone doing better than you; this inspires you to want to be greater than that person. This is the competitive nature of human beings.
“Never say never. Turn impossible to I’m possible”- Angelique Du Toit
Sometimes all that someone can see is the obstacles standing in their way from attaining success. This is the case for most young people who have a vision but cannot see past their circumstances, for example. Obstacles are merely tasks which are standing in the way to greatness and it takes determination, persistence and will power to over comes these obstacles to reach the end game, which is success. Anything can be achieved with a positive attitude, hunger for success and the right tools. Impossible needs to be deleted from ones vocabulary as anything can be attainable.
“Stop planning, and start doing” – Ashish J
Too many of us use the excuse of planning from actually starting a task. This is commonly known as the procrastination phase, a crippling source of unproductiveness. The sooner one stops hiding themselves from success with the excuse of constantly planning, success can then been occur. Planning is good and helpful, but it becomes problematic when you obsess over the tiniest of details which hinder your productivity. Look at the bigger picture and start implementing all your plans. The sooner you start, the sooner you can reach your goals of success.
“Plan to die empty, Die empty because you gave your all to mankind”- Luvuyo Mandela
With whatever you do in life, do it because you care and you have a passion for it. Success to many people mean the attainment of wealth but that mentality needs to change. Individuals need to start associating success with passion and doing something worthwhile. For Nelson Mandela, this was to attain a democratic society for South Africa and for Oprah this was to share people’s stories with the world. If you give your all to something, you will have fulfilled your purpose in life and you will leave a legacy behind which will then reach millions of other lives. Success is more than just making a name for yourself, but is also about doing something whole heartedly and it is at this point that you will reap abundant rewards.
“Many people will give you advice. It is what you do with it that counts”- Marco Broccardo
One can attain advice from many sources, either through written text or orally but at the end of the day how you receive, understand and implement that information will be completely up to the individual. At the end of the day ones actions towards attaining success and happiness are important than all the advice given. Advice is merely a tool to get you motivated and thinking but your actions are the things that count the most as they help you in the journey of attaining success.