Seven Laws of Success

by Dr. Marilyn Manning

There are four main reasons why people fail to succeed: negative attitudes, procrastination, ignorance about success principles, failure to write down goals and fear of change. By applying the Seven Laws below you can develop your own success structure.

Clearing

Nature abhors a vacuum. When you clear out the clutter in your life, something else will fill up the space. Make a list of anything you would be willing to toss out: old ideas, dated materials, old magazines, duplicates, old notebooks and notes you hoped to read someday. Throw out whatever you are no longer using or is no longer current and fresh. It takes some faith and trust to do it. When business slows down, I clean out my files. Inevitably I receive phone calls with offers of new business. It works, but you must take the risk of cleaning out the old.

Giving

When we give, we bring the flow of receiving. The expression, “What goes around, comes around,” applies to our business as well as personal life. Whatever we give out seems to come back. I appreciate business leads from others, and I receive a good number of them because I give away leads to someone else who could better service my client. Be willing to donate free speeches, workshops or consulting. There are many non-profits who can benefit from our giving.

Excelling

We all have the potential for great success. Sometimes we undermine our own success by forgetting that we deserve it. It’s an exciting process to aim high. In NSA, we have an earned designation, the CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), which is our highest mark of excellence. It means that you gave over 500 programs more than 200 different clients in the past five years. Programs are also rated to assure top quality.

Investing

Some people call this the principle of “Seed Money.” It means following the principle of putting aside 10% for the future. Thousands of years ago, the farmers saved 10% of the crop for seed. Many successful people practice tithing or giving 10% of their income (after taxes) to a worthy cause. This reinforces the first two principles-it creates a vacuum, and it gets you into the flow of giving. Experiment for six months and watch the results. We can also invest in learning and in our future by attending NSA meetings, conventions and workshops.

Affirming

Put your goals into a positive form. “I will call ten prospects this week.” “I will increase my calling by 20% over the next month.” Express the goal as if it is already true. This is a positive way to program your mind.

Visualizing

A few years ago, my husband had an opportunity to be on a quiz show. The grand prize was a one week cruise for two. We made ourselves a treasure map, cut out a picture of the cruise ship, mounted it on a poster board and wrote beneath it. “We are now enjoying our cruise.” We studied this “map” for weeks until the day of the quiz show. My husband didn’t win the trip. He won a portable dishwasher. However, two months later our treasure map became real. We were asked to be in a promotional film on a week’s cruise in the Caribbean. Visualizing goals is a powerful tool. Visualize yourself delivering a peak performance speech that touches your audience’s hearts or standing on stage at an NSA convention receiving your CSP medallion.

Contributing

Remember that you are unique. You have something special to offer your audience, your family and community. We all want to feel that we are making a difference; that we count. Successful people are those who contribute as volunteers, mentors and as friends.

These laws of success can work for you. It takes a commitment to practice them, a new way of thinking to clear away the clutter, a willingness to risk. You deserve the very best to find ways to invest something in your future. Affirm and visualize those goals for success. And, share your talent with the world.

Your contribution does make a difference.