Judging from the success of recent publications like The Secret, it seems like everyone is out there looking for secrets. They want to know how to get rich, how to be successful, how to influence people and how to get on in life. That's fair enough, but it's weird that people seriously think that there is a 'secret' way of doing this. If there is a secret that successful people have that others don't, where did they get it? Do people really think that families in mansions gather their offspring around them and tremblingly inculcate in them the ways of living that have been only theirs for hundreds of years, keeping them in charge and on top of the heap? What kind of crazy conspiracy theory is that? Worse, if there actually is some arcane set of principles known only to the initiated, how the hell did the secret get out? If it did, it's not a secret any more! Surely those in the know would kill to keep such powerful information away from those that didn't deserve it? How can any secret ? any secret ? be allowed into free circulation? That seems to devalue it straight away. If it was really that good, would anyone even consider for one moment letting it go?
Let's try a little experiment. Let's pretend that I've got a secret. It's the one, the only answer. It will make you rich. It will bring you success in life and romance, plus anything else you set your heart on. Only problem is, it's strictly ?Last Resort'. Yes, it only works if you've tried everything else, and I mean everything. If you come to me and ask me for this secret, I'll say that I'm happy to tell you, but only if I'm sure that you really are at the end of your tether. I'll want to know that you've tried everything else, it hasn't worked, and you're desperate. I tell you that it's a condition of my secret that you are absolutely primed to receive it, and that means you have to be panicking and driven, because that's the only way I can be sure that you'll implement my strategies. Sorry, I say, but I can't reveal anything unless you can show me what you've already done and it turns out to be exhaustive. Then, and only then, will I crack open my secret store and pull out the details of the path you need to follow.
In my opinion, I'm safe. I won't ever have to reveal my secrets because, in truth, no one ever gets to that predicament. Oh sure, people will say that they've 'been there' and 'done that', but my experience is that people who start MLM businesses first buy but then don't actually read the books supplied. They buy the improving tapes but don't listen to them. They know that they should go to Conferences and have meetings in their houses, but they do the bare minimum. Then they turn round and say 'It didn't work' and 'I wasted my money'.
I'll go further. If I was to ask you right now to think of ways of making more money than you do now, I'm sure you might come up with a list that says things like you could apply for promotion perhaps, (but you turned that down on the grounds it would involve more responsibility as well as more pay, and more study). Yes, people who say they want promotion then don't get round to taking tests, passing qualifications or assuming that responsibility, (more worry? Who wants that?). Let's add to that list the ambitious people who sign up for ?Buy to Let' courses, read the first chapter but somehow manage to avoid spending any money on an investment. Then there's the people who go to residential weekends but somehow never happen to put any of those exciting and life-enhancing lessons into practice.
Yes, I'm safe. The fact is I would never have to give my secret away. I've never met anybody who really is at The Last Resort. Most of us still have plenty of things which we could be doing before that fateful day ever arrives. So who are we fooling? The fact is that those of us who have ever thought about achieving riches have probably bought shelves of books we've never read and tapes we don't regularly listen to. We've all got lists of things we could be doing to enhance our life style and a dozen ideas to make us fabulously wealthy. We haven't done them yet. Will we ever?
No, we'd rather chase 'secrets'. Why? Because all those things we've been offered up to now seem so mundane and so much like hard work. We're looking for the secret door that is going to take us to the end of the maze. We don't want to run a marathon, we want a lift in a taxi cab to the finish line. Is life like that?
The real 'secret' question is this: if I could show you how to earn a million pounds, you'd want the million, right? You'd want those assets and the lifestyle that goes with it. You'd want to be that person with that fortune and that life. The only small difficulty is that you just wouldn't like the look of that word ?earn'. It sounds like ?work'. It sounds hard, too much trouble. Better ? so the theory goes - to wait, and repeatedly hope that a million will fall from the sky. Or, better hope in this desperate situation, some guy will come along and somehow, anyhow, eventually tell you that ?secret' you're looking for ? how to get a million without earning it. Okay, great, that would be worth having. But, be honest with me, you think that a person exists who knows that secret and is just dying to give it away ? to you?
So, my challenge stands. I'll tell you my secret for making money, but only if it really, really, really is your own personal ?Last Resort'. You prove to me that you've been there, tried it, done it ? oops, I didn't say ?dabbled', or ?tinkered', or played with it ? I mean really got stuck in and went with it ? then, OK, I'll tell you my secret and it will give you everything your heart desires.
Don't worry, I'm not losing any sleep. I still think I'm safe.
The world is filled with people who generate lots of money in questionable ways -- drug dealers, con artists, dishonest business men, politicians on the take, and so on. If you measure success simply by how much money you make, then you must understand that people who accumulate riches in a dishonest manner lack something that is the true mark of success -- character and integrity.
No amount of money can compensate for a lack of character. Character equals integrity and integrity means you always do what is right -- even when no one is watching you. It means that fear and guilt are all but eliminated from your life because you have nothing to hide and nothing to hold you back from achieving success in the true definition of the word.
In a practical sense, this means you practice the "golden rule" by doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. In your daily life, there are numerous opportunities for you to make this rule a part of your routine. Think about it. Have you ever been tempted to shortcut your way to the top of the corporate ladder? Reaching this goal is a wonderful achievement, but take a look around you. Are the hallways in your office building stacked high with the bodies of people you stepped on in order to get there? If so, be prepared to get stepped on in return.
Do you routinely treat people with honesty and respect? Or do you have a short temper when it comes to dealing with people who refuse to bow down to your every wish and command? The person with character and integrity will never have to worry about this because they know that no one achieves success single-handedly. Whether it's success in the business world or sports or family life, someone was probably there to offer a helping hand somewhere along the way. The person with character and integrity will know and appreciate this and offer the same helping hand when the opportunity arises.
Celebrated portrait photographer, Yousuf Karsh, was famous for photographing celebrities and world leaders. He mentioned, "I have found that great people do have in common an immense belief in themselves and their mission. They also have great determination as well as an ability to work hard. At the crucial moment of decision, they draw upon their accumulated wisdom. Above all, they have integrity."
It is important that you take a good look at your attitude regarding what success means to you. Albert Einstein said, "Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character."
Character is what you are. Success is what you achieve. What you achieve can be large or small, but success without character and integrity is merely a shadow. Your character is the key to success and it is the attribute you will pass on to your children. So let your strength of character shine through in all you do and say and you will truly be able to achieve meaningful success in life.
Both Mike Scantlebury & Denver Moralez are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Mike Scantlebury has sinced written about articles on various topics from Internet Marketing, Writing and After Divorce. Mike Scantlebury is an Internet Author, with books, stories and Self-help manuals to his credit. Some can be found on or FreeIQ but he also has his own download site at. Mike Scantlebury's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.
Denver Moralez has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cars, Writing and self improvement and motivation. Denver Moralez is a successful infopreneur lives in the United States. He operates his businesses from the comfort of his resident. He recommends