Lead The Field

By Earl Nightingale If the grass is greener on the other side its probably getting better care. Success is a matter of sticking to a set of common sense principles anyone can master. Here are twelve ideas to help you lead the field, any field you choose.

The Magic Word

Attitude is the magic word. !ou are responsible for how your life turns out, and your attitude shapes that life for better or worse. "evelop a winning attitude. #ach of us creates his or her own life largely by our attitude. $e all want good results. A healthy attitude is our best guarantee. Attitude is defined as the position or bearing as indicating action, feeling or mood. And it is our actions, feelings or moods that determine the actions, feelings and moods of others. %ur attitude tells the world what we e&pect in return. 'ake yours e&pectant and cheerful. !ou get what you e&pect. !ou can control your attitude. Set it each morning. (he world will reflect back to you the attitude you present to them. It is then, our attitude toward life that determines lifes attitude toward us. $e get back what we put out. %thers treat us as we treat them. (hey react to us. (hey only give us back a reflection of our own attitude. %ur surroundings reflect us. %ur environment is a mirror. )ife is an echo chamber of cause and effect. $hat we sow well reap. $hat we give well get. *hange and your surroundings will change. #ach of us shapes his or her life largely by our habitual attitude. A new habit takes time. 'ost people begin their day in neutral. (hey will simply react to whatever confronts them. (hese are the people of our environment. (hats why its so important for us to control our attitudes. $illiam +ames said, Human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes. ,ratitude and e&pectancy are the best attitude. Its up to you. !oure responsible. "ont take a defensive doubtful attitude toward yourself and others. A poor attitude is a magnet for unpleasant e&periences. $e get what we e&pect and our outlook on life is a kind of paint brush and with it we paint our world. It can be bright and filled with hope and satisfaction or it can be dark and gloomy. (he world we e&perience is a reflection of our attitude. "ont take the attitude of waiting for people to be nice to you - be nice to them. "ont sit in front of a cold stove waiting for the heat. .ut in the fuel. Act first. It has to start somewhere. )et it begin with you. Attitude is a reflection of the person inside. .eople doing an outstanding /ob and getting outstanding results are outstanding people and that is because of an outstanding attitude. (hey think they can achieve. (hey believe that achievement is the natural order of things, and it is. (hey believe they can be as successful and competent as anyone else. (hey are usually no smarter or talented than anyone else but they have the right attitude. Attitude makes the difference. Accomplishment is easy because so few others really try. )uck is what happens when preparedness meets opportunity. A great attitude is the best preparation. #&pect more good out of life than bad. #&pect to succeed more often than you fail, and you will. (here are more reasons why you can reach your goals than fail in the attempt. $ork at it. 0e positive, cheerful, grateful and e&pectant. *hange things for the better by changing your attitude. Attitude determines altitude. )ife is impersonal. !our attitude affects you more than others. "ont wait for change. !ou change. .ractice. #very dollar youll ever earn must come from people because of our love and kindness they see and feel. "evelop and pro/ect an attitude that says 1yes to life. )ife is dull only to dull people. )ife is successful for successful people. !ou must radiate success before itll come to you. $e become what we really wish to become. !ou must be before you can do or have something. (reat every person as the most important person on earth. (o them, they are the most important person. (hats the way we ought to treat each other. 0y doing so we begin to form an important habit. #steem others. (hey are important and needed. .eople want to be recogni2ed and respected. #veryone counts. (hey will give their business to the person who fills this need.

.eople dont have great attitudes because of great success, they have great success largely because of great attitudes. Act toward others e&actly as you wish them to act toward you. (reat them importantly. Set the pace. "ont catch the bad and infectious attitudes of others. 3eep yourself healthy. "ont mimic the attitudes of others unless they are good. A good attitude will place you immediately in the top 45 of people on earth. In summary6 Its our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task that more than anything else will bring about its successful outcome. %ur attitudes toward others determine their attitudes toward us. Success depends on how well we relate to others. 0efore you can achieve the kind of life you want you must think, act, talk, and conduct yourself in all of your affairs as would the person you wish to become. (he higher you go in any organi2ation the better the attitudes you will find. (he deepest craving of the human being is for recognition and self7esteem, to feel important, to be recogni2ed and appreciated. (reat everyone with whom you come in contact as the most important person on earth.

Acres Of Diamonds
(he mind is the richest human resource. It is a gold7mine of ideas. Ask yourself every morning, how can I increase my service today8 9ussell *onwell wrote Acres of Diamonds, a true story of an African farmer who heard of others who had made millions by discovering diamond mines. He sold his property and traveled the continent for long years in search of diamonds until at last old, weary and discouraged, he threw himself into a river and drowned. 'eanwhile back at the old farm the new owner found a large brilliant rough diamond in the creek. A friend told him hed found one of the largest diamonds ever. His creek was filled with such stones. :eedless to say the farm the first farmer had sold so that he might find a diamond mine turned out to be the most productive diamond mine in the entire African continent. (he first farmer had owned free and clear acres of diamonds. He should have searched his own property thoroughly before moving on. He hadnt even looked. #ach of us is at this moment standing in the midst of his or her own acres of diamonds. #&plore the pasture you are in. "ont run from one thing to another forever looking for the pot of gold. Stay where you are until you find what you seek. )et your mind thoroughly e&plore the possibilities in what you are presently doing. (here were good reasons why you chose your present work in the beginning. If not, then it may be time to move on to another field. ;ind acres of diamonds hiding in your work. (he diamonds of opportunity are there but they cannot shout. %ur /ob is to find them. $e must think of better ways to serve, right where we are. )ook at your work through eyes of 1intelligent ob/ectivity. )eave no stone unturned. (here are better ways to do what you are presently doing. 3eep things stirred up. %vercome< .revail right where you are. Stay and get rid of your problems. (hink every day of a way to mine your own acres of diamonds.

A Worthy Destination
0y setting specific, attainable, worthwhile goals you automatically place yourself in the top 45 of people, achievers. ;reedom 7 personal liberty is the most precious thing on earth. !ou are free to pursue your dreams in the richest country on earth. !ou have the opportunity to succeed. (he choice is yours. ,oals reflect your choice of destination. "o you have a burning desire to succeed despite all handicaps8 "o you know e&actly what you want8 "o you think about it every day of your life8 (hat vision will carry you over every obstacle. !our dream is invisible to all the world e&cept you. #very worthwhile achievement is a dream come true. $hat the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve< $e become what we think about. If we want something enough well get it. $e can have everything we want. 'ost people dont know what they want. "o you8 (he system of goal setting will work for a new car and will work for anything else too< Set worthy goals. "ont drift along as a wandering generality. 0e a meaningful specific. Aspire higher< "ont take life for granted. ,oal setting is the very basis of any success. Success is the progressive reali2ation of a worthy goal. $ithout a goal there can be no success. Success is not a destination but a /ourney. Anyone who is on course toward a worthy goal is successful. Success does not lie in the achievement of a goal but in its pursuit. Success is a /ourney< $ere successful as long as were working toward something we want to bring about in our lives. (he road is better than the end. Success is being on the road toward something we want to bring about. $e must have balanced lives

with many goals but then we must work at only one at a time. Anyone working toward any worthwhile goal is as successful as anyone else. $e are happiest when we are working toward goals we have established for ourselves. Success is whatever we want it to be - worthy of us whether it be real or an ideal. Success is /oy and satisfaction in serving others. %ne thing a goal must do is fill us with positive emotion when we think about it. (he more intensely we feel about a goal the more progressively well move toward it. $e cannot simply drift into worthwhile destinations. (he odds are too great. $e must set our sail and ad/ust our course. $hat is your ne&t port of call - your goal8 Is it clear and concise in your mind8 "o you have it written down8 $e need reminding reinforcing. "o not be vague or general. 0e specific about how much you will earn this year, save this year, and invest for retirement this year. Happiness comes from direction not arrival. Its the trip that is en/oyable. 'oving toward our goals is more satisfying than after theyve been accomplished. Set new goals as soon as one is reali2ed. :ever stop the process. $e should always be looking forward to a new accomplishment. "ont /ust settle for needs, make goals of wants. "evelop a wish list. !ou will become what you think about. "ont be circular and chaotic in your thinking or your life will reflect that. $ritten reminders help us to hit the bulls eye time and time again. *ontrol your thoughts. "ecide about that which you will think and concentrate upon. !ou are in charge of your life to the degree you take charge of your thoughts. *arlyle said, A person without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder. $hat is your purpose8 Is your mind made up8 'unger said, (here is no road to success but through a clear strong purpose. "ecide upon your goal. Insist upon it. )ook at your written goals often every day. See yourself as having already attained your goal. !ou are now and you most certainly will become what you think about.

Miracle Of Your Mind

All creatures, e&cept one, are supplied with a set of instincts and because of that they dont need much of a brain. %nly man has the miracle of mind. He alone can solve problems and create new ideas. (he most important physical aspect of man is his brain. %nly man can fashion his life with his mind. %nly man can think, choose and reason. %nly man can reach purposeful goals that were set. 'an only uses a small percentage of his mental ability. 'ost people have never learned to think creatively. (hey merely react to stimuli. Successful people are not people without problems. (hey are people who have learned to solve their problems by thinking. (hinking bridges the gap between our present point and our goals. =>5 of our worries are useless. %f the remaining ?5, half pertain to problems we cant solve and half to those we can solve if well learn how. 'ost people do not think. ;ew will sit down, write their problem on a note7pad and deliberately begin to think. #very man7made thing came from the human mind. (ake time to think every day of new ways in which the activities of that day can be improved upon. Its not easy to think. 'ost of your ideas will be no good. 'ost importantly, your goals will be deeply imbedded in your mind. !our mind will work for ways to accomplish your goal. Spend one hour every day thinking about your goal and how to get there. "ont waste time thinking about needless things. :ever underestimate the miracle of your mind<

Destiny In The Balance

$orking hard is not enough. !our rewards in life will always match the level of your service. Input determines output. Seek to serve. !ou must not only work hard but smart. 'any people are ignorant of principal law of cause and effect. ;or every action there is an e@ual and opposite reaction. %ur rewards in life will always match our service. As you sow, so shall you also reap. If anyone is dissatisfied with his rewards he needs to e&amine his service. #ach of serves a portion of humanity, all those with whom you come in contact. $e serve others. %thers serve us. $e need each other. #very7time we use a product or service, someone is serving us. 9ewards are of the tangible type but also intangible such as happiness and peace of mind. $hatever it is you seek in the form of rewards, you

must first earn in the form of service. (he wood must be put in before you can get warmth. !ou cannot get ma&imum heat with too small a supply of wood. (hink not about future rewards but about present service. "iscontent is measured by the distance between what you want and what you have. *onstructive discontent results in an upward spiral. "etermine what you want. 'easure the distance between you and your goal and determine ways of increasing your service. .eople will be happy to supply you with the living you need if youll think of some way to serve them. :ever seek to be given anything. Seek to serve in such a way that youll be rewarded. Start where you are. %ur /ob is to do the sowing, the rest will take care of itself. !ou can always tell what people have done by observing what they have. !ou can measure their contribution to society by societies contribution to them. 'y rewards in life will be in e&act proportion to my service. How can I increase my service today8 $e must work intelligently, seeking ways to increase our service and thereby increasing our rewards. "o it now<

Seed For Achievement

Integrity is the seed for achievement. It is the principle that never fails. Integrity means completely fulfilling your own uni@ue combination of powers. Integrity is being all you can be, doing all you can do and having all you can have. Integrity is wholeness, togetherness and completeness. (here is no piece missing, nothing hidden. !our life is impeccable and unblemished and unblameable. .eople love and value men and women of integrity with a sense of humour, kindness and gentleness. If its wrong, its wrong. Integrity means honesty and truth. Shakespeare wrote, And this above all, to thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night the day thou canst not be false to any man. 0e true to yourself and youll not be false to anyone else. Integrity means to try as best we can to know ourselves. (o e&amine ourselves. (o take a true inventory of our abilities, talents, what we want, our goals. (he key virtue is reasonableness. ;ind what you can do best that renders service to others and do it with all your might. "ont seek happiness, seek to make things happen and happiness will follow. "iscover what course of life will fulfill your powers completely. $hat are your powers8 !our uni@ue abilities can provide great service to others. "iscovering them is being true to yourself. (hat is integrity and reasonableness. 0e truthful with yourself. (ake the responsibility of making the best use of what you have. !ou have your mind, your talents, your time. Invest your wealth, only you can do that. It will provide an abundant return for you and your family all the years of your lives. (he choice is yours. $ill you steal from you8 $ill you be true to yourself8 (hats integrity< 'ake the best use of what you have and what you are in the time youve been granted. $hen you invest yourself you no longer compete - you create. ;ollow your strongest suit. "o what you can do and do it with all that is in you. "ont go with the flow - be true< (here is an unfailing boomerang that will always come full circle back to you. Honesty and unfailing integrity is good business. Honesty is the best means of getting rich. .ut in motion the right cause and the right effect will take care of itself. %ur only hope in winning the hearts of those we serve is in helping them in some way. :ever give less than your best or youll work against yourself. (he greatest ignorance of all is the mistaken belief that we can ever receive more than we truly earn. Sooner or later there will be an accounting. $e throw the boomerang good or bad. $hat do we mean by integrity8 It means giving everything we do our very best. It means being true to ourselves and with every other person with whom we come in contact. It gives meaning and comfort to our leisure time. %ur rest has been earned. $e move ahead toward our goals simply because we cannot go unnoticed. $e are remarkable people< .eople of integrity are always needed. )ife can only return to you that which you sow. $hat do you have to sow8 !ou have great wealthA you can think, you have talent, and you have time. And when days come when you find yourself depressed or confused, remember the comment by "ean 0riggs, "o your work, not /ust your work and no more but a little more for the lavishing sake, that little more that is worth all the rest, and if you suffer as you must and if you doubt as you

must, do your work, put your heart into it and then out of your very doubt and suffering will be born the supreme /oy of life.

Its asier To Win

Success is easier than failure. $inning is better than losing. !ou never pay the price for success - you en/oy the price of success. %nly 45 of people achieve unusual success in their lives. $hat motivates people to live as they do8 =45 of children are not born into this top 45. He will soon take his environment for granted. It will condition him. He will speak the language. He mirrors his environment because it is the perfectly natural thing to do. He becomes average. #veryone has the option to work and live on whatever layer of lifes pyramid they choose. (he view is better, the air is fresher, the sun shines earlier and later, and the crowd is smaller at the top. Its easier to settle for the lower levels. 'ost /ust get in step with their peers. 'ost /ust dont know how to succeed. (heyve never heard. (hey want to be accepted. (hey follow the follower. (hey conform to one another. 0elonging seems to be all important. (herein is the trap that gets practically everybody. 'ost end in it. (hey live their lives playing to the wrong crowd, trying to be one of the boys. (he important thing to them is to be liked. (hey have no identity of their own. (hey find their identity in a larger group. Successful people follow independent paths. (hey break away from the crowd. (hey /oin a smaller crowd. (hey dont have the television on all the day long. (hey use their time constructively. Its easier to win< (here is less competition up there and the view is better. Its never too late, for with a purpose, a worthy goal and a motivation to reach those upper layers on the pyramid, a person can travel further in a few years than he might otherwise travel in a lifetime.

!o" Much Are You Worth#

According to modern science you have a potential worth of eighty five billion dollars. Heres a new view of you. !ou have tremendous potential. !ou are much more than meets the casual eye. !ou are uni@ue. #very person is building a life and thus is really in business for themselves. (hink of yourself as a businessA which you must increase. !ou must not concern yourself with the past but with the present and future. !ou cannot go back and you cannot stand still. !ou must grow or go. In this decade the emphasis will not be on necessities but far above them. (he consumer market will e&pand 4B5 or more. Into the new millennium companies will emphasi2e research and development. !our future is unlimited. !our future is bright. ,et on board. $ill you grow or go8 !ou cant stand still. (o grow at CB5 per year means a company will double in si2e in about eight years. $hat are you doing to double your si2e8 *an you grow and improve as a person at least CB5 per year8 %f course you can< !ou need only put out CB5 more service to get back CB5 more reward. So why settle for /ust CB5 growth8 "o twice as much and you will receive twice as much. =45 of people do not know this and so will not do this. !ou have an advantage. 3nowledge is power< (o stay vital, ongoing education is vital. How much time are you giving to self improvement8 How can you sell yourself betterA get along with others moreA increase productivity8 How can you see more people every day8 %ne e&tra contact a day is >4B e&tra a year. (hat will certainly increase business. $ill you be average or above average8 $ill you be good or great8 Activity must precede accomplishment.

Let$s Tal% A&out Money

$here does great earning power come from8 How can you get your share8 Here are two steps to boost your income6 $ere concerned about money to the e&tent that we dont have it. 'oney is not bad and it is important. :othing will take the place of money in the area in which money works. $hat is money8 'oney is the harvest of

our production and service. $e in turn use it to obtain the production and service of others. It is a good gauge or measure of ones own level of service. 'oney brings a great deal more happiness than poverty. $e can increase our value to the world. (he amount of money we receive will always be in direct ratio to the demand for what we do, our ability to do it, and the difficulty of replacing us. A highly skilled person is worth more than a person who is not highly skilled. .reparation for life is so important. )uck is what happens when preparedness meets opportunity. %pportunity is all around us. Are you prepared8 Are you @ualified8 As a nation we are already rich, far richer than most of the world. How much do you want8 (he world will pay you e&actly what you bargain for. $ell receive not what we wish for but what we earn. If you dont like your income you must increase your service. "o more than youre paid for and youll eventually be paid more for what you are doing. %nly as we first grow in value as persons will we receive the increased income we seek. (ake two distinct steps6 ;irst decide how much money you really want, the e&act amount. Second, forget the money and concentrate on improving what you now do. "ecide on this years income, on how much you want in savings or investment, and how much you want as retirement income. :ow work to match your level of service to that amount. 'ost people never decide on these three amounts of money. (hey never write them down. (hey never work to match their level of service to the desired amount of money. %nly 45 of people will do this. It is not achieving a goal that causes difficulty but not setting goals. *hance does not work. %nly choice will work. !our choice< 'ost people cut back their wants to fit their incomes. (hey are the ma/ority. (he minority makes their incomes fit their wants. $hich is best for you8 (he only limit on your income is you. All you need is a plan, and the courage to press on to your destination. :othing in the world can stand in the way of a plan backed by persistence and determination. (hink of ways to increase your service and income will take care of itself. 'oney cannot be sought directly. )ike happiness, money is an effect. It is the result of a cause, and the cause is valuable service. 3eep money in its proper place. Its a servant and nothing more. Its a tool. "o not emphasi2e money or it will master you. 3now what you want, and you will become, you must become what you think about. :ow, become the person who is worth the amount of money and reward you have established for yourself. !ou will only move ahead when you are worth more than you are receiving. Seek to be worth more and income will catch up to your worth. (he cause must precede the effect or the effect will not occur. "ont fool yourself.

One Thing You 'an$t !ide

$e obtain skills for living through knowledge. 3nowledge is power. (here is power in the written word. All leaders are readers. Anyone who remains ignorant has only his or herself to blame. (he illiterate person is found in the large bottom layers of the pyramid. At the peak of the pyramid are found the most brilliant people. 3nowledge is a ladder that enables you to climb to the top. A person should begin with his language and then proceed to study his general area of interest. It is our ability to use our language that will determine our place on the social pyramid. !our use of language is the one thing you cannot hide. 3nowledge of the e&act meanings of a large number of words accompanies outstanding success. Improve your vocabulary and you will improve your income. $hen you learn one new word you actually add several of their buddies. An understanding of our language is the key to study, learning and everything else. )anguage more than anything else determines the e&tent of our knowledge. (he more words we know and can properly use, the more knowledge we have. Ac@uire books that will enable you to increase your vocabulary and improve your #nglish usage. 9eading /ust fifteen minutes a day will enable you to read one half book a week, two a month, twenty four a yearA over one thousand books in fifty years. Speciali2e in areas of your own interest. 9ead for pleasure and youll profit. Systematically study your field and youll reach your goals more @uickly. !ou can also use video and audio programs. (he #nglish language has over DBB,BBB words. (hey enable us to translate our thoughts and ideas into language that can be understood. $e

should also understand biblical and historical literature. Study about personal liberty and its price. Always be in school. (he more you learn the more youll earn<

Today$s (reat Adventure

(his is the day that the )%9" has made. (oday< )ive one day at a time. A life is nothing more than a lot of days put together. #very day must count. #very day is a single building block with which to build your life. 'ake every day count. #ach day consists of a series of tasks. .lan those tasks. .riories those tasks. 0egin with the first one and keep at it until it is done before going on to the ne&t one. "ont worry if you cant accomplish all tasks in one day. "o each day all that can be done that day. "ont overwork. "ont rush. +ust do what you do to the best of your ability. (hat is success< Success will not be attributable to any one day, week or month but rather to the consistent, persistent, succession of single days. +ust keep your eye on your goal and continue to grow in competence. +ust concentrate on each task and do it as well as you can. %ne day at a time, one task at a time. %ne at a time in their proper order. $rite tonight the most important si& things you must do tomorrow. :umber them in their order of importance. Stay at them until done. 'ake sure they are important tasks. !ou have only to succeed today, each day, to guarantee your future. 0e steady. "o as well as you can and finish it.

The )erson On The White !orse

(he outstanding leader in any field is societies most valued person. #very organi2ation needs leadership. !ou do not raise morale, it filters down from the top. .eople will always reflect the attitude of the leader. 0ehind every outstanding success is an outstanding leader. (his leader works early and late and when not working is thinking and planning. (his leader can go to work almost anywhere he or she chooses. He does not ask for work but shows up and leads the way. He is a specialist and not a /ack of all trades. (he best way to develop security that lasts a lifetime is to become outstanding at one particular line of work. As long as you are in the top 45 of that industry youll always be in demand. !ou have the world on a string. !ou are confident and @uietly aware of your ability and intimate knowledge of your particular work. She is the homemaker or student who is at the top of the group. (hey have it made and they and everybody else knows it. Am I now such a person8 (he first step is to make one big and important decision. Andrew *arnegie said, .ut all your eggs in one basket and then watch that basket. +ust make sure that you are a vital part of your company. "o more than youre paid to do. Are you a part of the cargo or a part of the crew8 Are you getting credit for more than youre actually doing8 Are you doing less than you could be doing8 Any /ob that is worth doing is worth doing well. A leader is any person who reali2es the importance of becoming a bigger and better person with the passing of every day, week and month. A leader takes the responsibility of his own growth. 'aintain a cheerful helpful attitude toward everyone. $hy shouldnt you be cheerful since you know youll achieve everything youve set your heart upon. 0e a sponge for information that will help you on your way. !oull be surprised at how @uickly youll reach your goal but dont be impatient. 3now and have faith that what will come to you will come to you at the right time. #verything operates as a result of law, ,ods law that is true and unchanging. Having sown youll reap the rich results that come automatically. Success does not come naturally. It re@uires the conscious utili2ation of ourselves in the service of others. $e can become whatever we seriously make up our minds to become. $hatever we seriously decide to do is naturally linked to our genetic possibilities. +ust pursue your natural aptitude.