Finish What You Start

 
Here's another key to success:

Finish what you start.

This seems to characterize people
who succeed. When they start something,
they finish it.

Years ago, I recall recruiters coming
to Coleman College in San Diego, CA,
where I was a student.

These recruiters were from EDS Corporation,
a company founded by and run by Ross Perot
at that time. This was around 1984 or so.

Because Coleman College is a computer school,
the recruiters were there to recruit the best
students from each class. EDS is a computer
services company.

The application process for EDS took you all
the way back to elementary school. No one
could believe it!

What company cared about your elementary school
records? EDS did.

A primary thing they looked for is if you finished
what you started. Were you a finisher?

EDS examined your entire life, practically from
birth, to see if you completed the things you had
started. They were looking to hire winners.
Winners finish.

Country music star Carrie Underwood went back and
finished college after winning American Idol in
May of 2005.

She had one semester left and graduated in May of
2006.

Most people would have decided to forget college
and pursue the career. Who can blame them?

Carrie, million-dollar recording contract in hand,
went back and finished her final semester and got
her degree magna cum laude.

Now that's a finisher!

No wonder she's been one of the most successful American
Idol winners to date. She finishes. Whatever she
starts, she finishes.

Finishing is not just a matter of completing. It's
completing it, giving it your best.

Ed Abbott

Tom T. Hall's Two Keys to Success

 
A few months back, I was watching GAC
TV. GAC is a country music cable network.

Tom T. Hall was on. GAC was playing a
segment of him being inducted into the
Country Music Hall of Fame.

He talked about success at one point. He
was asked what it takes to be successful,
or something like that. I don't recall
exactly. It's been 4 months.

He said you need two things to be
successful:

1. Show up.
2. Answer the phone.

I've thought a lot about this. I think
he's right.

Showing up is important because it's
important to be there at the right time
and place for success and it's important
to do so consistently.

Answering the phone is important because
you don't get anywhere unless you are
talking to people and communicating with
people.

Also, it's important to answer the phone
because it's important to not be too
important to do so.

He said no one answers the phone anymore.
Instead, we rely on answering machines.

That's how I recall what Tom T. Hall
said 4 months ago.

Ed Abbott

Overcoming a Sense of Entitlement

 
Woke up from a dream about 3 hours ago.

I dreamt a friend from high school was
organizing a ride home for everyone. He
had a whole crew of people working with
him.

Basically, this friend was pursuing a mission
of giving people a ride home.

I was one of the people who got a ride home.
I thanked him for this.

I woke up realizing that being thankful is
one way to overcome a sense of entitlement.
This was one of my first thoughts upon awakening.

Entitlement can be a barrier to success. An
entitled person gets something whether they
deserve it or not.

So giving up any sense of entitlement can make
one more successful.

I try to approach each day this way. I'm grateful
for what God has given me and I don't necessarily
expect past successes to translate into present day
success.

Giving up on entitlement keeps me creative. I'm always
creating something new because I cannot afford to rest
on my laurels.

Enough for now.

Ed Abbott

Becoming First Cause

 
Here's another way to become successful.

Become First Cause in your life.

What does this mean?

I had a dream last night. I dreamt that
a red hot metal point was coming out of
the ground.

Oddly enough, the point was rather blunt,
not sharp.

Here's what I understand from this dream:

Basically, the dream is telling me that if
you can get back to First Cause, it will cause
many wonderful things to happen in your life.

That's the basic meaning.

I realize that dreaming about a red hot metal
point coming out of the ground would not mean
that to you. However, that's what it means
to me.

So what is First Cause? It is a return to
the arms of Divine Spirit. It's letting
Divine Spirit cause things in your life.

The point coming out of the ground was blunt
and not sharp because First Cause does not
cause one thing to happen, it causes many things
to happen.

A sharp point would have caused only one thing.
A blunt point causes many things.

This is really a dream about the wonderful ways
of Divine Spirit. Divine Spirit is "red hot" in
this regard.

There are many many ways to let Divine Spirit become
First Cause in your life. I'll give you one way.

Sing HU once a day. This is one way to return yourself
into the arms of Divine Spirit. When you do this, you
start working on First Cause.

Here's some instruction on how to sing HU:

How to Sing HU

There's so much value in all of this! I
need to write about this more!

Becoming First Cause in one's life is really
a way of taking charge. It's also a way of
letting God decide what is best. It's both
at the same time.

Lots of wonderful things can happen when you
become First Cause.

More later.

Ed Abbott

One Percent Success Every Day

 
OK. I said I'd show you how getting
better at something by one percent a
day can help you succeed.

I've done a little math.

Getting one percant better at something
every day works like compound interest.

• 
  In 90 days, you are twice as good at it
  
• 
  In 6 months you are 5 times as good at it.
  
• 
  In 10 months, you are 10 times as good at it.
  
• 
  In 1 year plus 100 days, you are 100 times as good at it.
  
• 
  In 2 years,you are one thousand times as good at it.
  
• 
  In 4 years,you are one million times as good at it.
  

Ever wonder how some people become such great singers?

They are good at it because they've been doing it a while.

Also, they are good because they do it almost every day.

Enough for now.

Ed Abbott

How to Succeed

 
This is a new blog on
How to Succeed.

The basic premise is this.
If you get better at something
by one percent a day, you eventually
succeed.

Get a little better at something every
day and you get there.

For example, become a little better at
the piano every day and one day you can
play the piano.

More later.

Ed Abbott