Success starts with a state of mind. Christopher Columbus knew it. Thomas Edison lived it. Michael Dell and Bill Gates believe it. And Marcus Aurelius said it, ""Our life is what our thoughts make of it... A man's true greatness lies in the consciousness of an honest purpose in life, founded on a just estimate of himself..."

You may ask why this is so. The formula for this is quite simple.

1. What you believe, you act on. Action begins with, and is instigated by, belief. You can not act on something that you do not, at some level, believe in, whether you are in favor of, or in opposition to, a particular idea or ideal, that position is held firm by your belief.

2. What you act on, you manifest. Any action you take results in some consequence. Every action in the universe is met with and equal reaction. Whether you are starting a conversation with a stranger, trying to learn new things, or simply looking at the food in your pantry, any action you take regarding these things WILL RESULT in a tangible "re-action". Perhaps it will be a new friendship. Perhaps it will be deeper knowledge achieved through your research. Perhaps it will simply be dinner!

3. What you manifest creates your reality. This is your personal paradigm.

The only variable in this process is the strength and duration of your belief. If your belief is not strong, if it weak or vacillating, then you are not likely to act on it. If you do not act on it, then you can not manifest it and it can not become part of your reality; your personal paradigm.

This is quite difficult for most people to comprehend, and even more difficult to implement. We have a tendency to repeat old mistakes and resist change, although we know deep down inside that change is inevitable. Nothing stays the same forever. There is an old saying that defines insanity as the expectation that acting in the same way will produce different results.

People who are successful and happy are people who have mastered the art of change. They are not afraid to revisit their prior actions and approach their goal differently, so that they are NOT acting in the same way while expecting different results. They are not afraid to move out of their comfort zones. Rather, they understand that in order for growth to occur, they must have the courage to live outside their comfort zones. Page 220 of Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life states this truth eloquently and he writes, "There is no growth without change; no change without fear or loss; no loss without pain." Successful people know this, and do not let fear, the occasional set back (i.e. interim failure), or doubt alter their vision or deter them from their goal.

Having a definitive, crystalline goal is the first step in forming your personal paradigm. You MUST be able to visualize the final end product or outcome of your goal or the end-product. It must be a singular achievement that you are passionate about.

Christopher Columbus KNEW that he could sail west and not fall off a flat planet. He hoped to find India. He happened to stumble into America, but nonetheless, he sailed west and lived to tell about it!

Thomas Edison KNEW he could create a practical incandescent lightbulb. He tested over 3000 filaments before he found one that worked, but he did it; and he revolutionized the world!

Michael Dell KNEW that he could overtake the computer behemoth IBM; and look at him now. Bill Gates KNOWS that eventually "every home will have a personal computer." He is well on his way to achieving that vision.

Goals, such as these, are not achieved overnight. All worthwhile achievements take time. So you must be patient, consistent, and persistent in your effort. You must have the faith to BELIEVE in your goals to maintain your desire to succeed.

By knowing this truth, you can begin to shape and mold your reality by taking steps, every day, to create a crystalline vision of what your want your reality to be. Be prepared, however, because this is not easy. It takes work. It takes courage. And, most of all, it takes the fortitude of persistence so that you put aside all thoughts of and encounters with failure, and you view failure as an opportunity or an obstacle to overcome, but not an end in and of itself.

However, once you have formed your vision; once you have set your crystalline goal as a fixture into your thoughts, you WILL begin to take action toward your goal. It is inevitable. All action is instigated by your belief. Further, what you act on, you manifest. Therefore, you will soon find yourself attracting opportunities, ideas, solutions, and people who can and will propel you toward achieving your goals.

Success is no secret that is available only to an elite few. It is available to everyone, all the time. It is the certainty of the power that you possess - the power of your own beliefs to create and manifest your own personal paradigm; you success paradigm.

So I ask you, what is your paradigm? What Do You Believe?

(c) 2006, Amy M. Potavin