Life coaches and motivational speakers (Pastors too) make thousands and even millions of dollars trying to teach the rest of us "how to be successful." And don't forget the books, "rich dad, poor dad," "7 habits of highly successful people," "what color is your parachute - the list goes on (and yes I have read each and everyone of them - twice). Its almost like a religion giving people hope of a better more fulfilling life. I am not belittling any of the information sold to us by these people infact i found a lot of if very useful except for the fact that I probably didn't need to spend that much money and that much time obtaining advice that frankly goes in one ear and goes out the next. It seems people are willing to spend their hard earned money and valuable time on "get rich quick" training sessions and "how to live up to your full potential" conferences. But really?? do we need all that? We have created an industry of "motivational professionals," their job is to make money by making us feel like we can do anything. 'Follow your dreams, ' they say to us, 'find your passion," they preach to us day in and day out. Really Steve Jobs (RIP) - Oprah? Is it really that simple. Although they all mean well I think what most of us need is practical advice. This is the reason why so many Americans are depressed - while the american dream is still alive and well (picket fence and a dog), the message we are getting from Oprah and crew is ...."that is not enough." They are telling us we can be billionaires just like them if we follow certain steps. I think this is leaving too many people broken hearted and depressed when they realize that in 2011 - any one job searching will tell you even the picket fence seems unattainable. Now don't get me wrong - please reach for the stars and never stop but never ever put your self down for not being able to make your first million before 30 after following the 12 step plan.
Success can be defined in many ways unfortunately the messages we get from the media etc have a very unrealistic standard based on a small minority of people. Theres millions of nameless success stories we never get hear about because we are so focused on the stories that are so rare it is almost impossible to achieve the same level of success.
Theres really nothing secret about success in my view its simple; 1) talent/skill 2)opportunity (maybe luck) 3)handwork . Many of us who don't seem to reach our "potential" are just missing one of the three ingredients.
