A Formula for Success

We hear a lot of people talking about manifestation. Henry Ford said, "Think you can, you can. Think you can't, you can't. Either way you're right!"

The mind is a powerful mechanism for producing what we want or don't want. How, then, can we insure that we produce what we want?

First of all, it helps to use some reasoning. What is most important to me? What do I want out of life? Is it money? Fame? Recognition? Comfort? Many people don't give deep consideration to the quality of life they want to live. They may be motivated by pleasing other people, or try to live up to expectations of other people. In truth, even these motivations revolve around a desire.

To create fulfillment in life means going beyond thinking about desire. Desires are temporary. The house that is worth half a million dollars today may be worth $300,000 next year. The dress we thought we had to have may be out of style in a few months. This is why, after a while, focusing on material abundance can become unsatisfying. The physical world is always changing.

Permanent fulfillment comes from living a purposeful life. What understanding will I build through developing this new business? What qualities can I cultivate in this relationship? How can I become more determined or patient or compassionate through this endeavor? These kinds of questions can help draw our attention inward, to a deeper purpose for the people, places and things we want to manifest.

To create a satisfying life, there is a three-part formula for success. It works for anything one wants to create!

The first part of the formula is a GOAL or IDEAL. A goal gives direction to the mind. An ideal is usually a non-physical image of the highest we can imagine. The goal is a physical outcome that will aid us to produce the ideal. For example, I am a teacher of metaphysics. Some of my students have an ideal to become a "master teacher." To become a master teacher means developing qualities and skills. One needs to have experiences in the physical world to practice these skills.

So, in order to become a master teacher, one needs to have a goal regarding how much teaching experience to gain. For example, I have a goal to teach three classes a week. Or, I have a goal to teach 40 students. The goal is a specific physical experience that provides a vehicle for practicing to become the ideal self.

The second part of the formula is PURPOSE. Purpose can be described simply as, "Why do I want the goal or ideal?" Another way to describe purpose is, "Who will I become in my journey to reach the goal?" Purpose gives us motivation. Purpose is what the thing represents. For example, perhaps one has a goal to make a certain amount of money by the time he reaches a certain age. That might represent success, or it might represent freedom, or power. The person who is establishing the purpose determines, "What will I gain in myself through accomplishing the goal?"

Purpose provides fulfillment, because we can develop qualities in ourselves even if we don't meet the exact outcome we intend. Sometimes people become very attached to the outcome of accomplishing a goal, and become depressed or discouraged if they don't reach it. When they have a clear purpose, they can be fulfilled even if they don't reach the goal. They may be aware that they have developed skill or have become more determined or persistent or patient or compassionate.

This doesn't mean that one should give up on the goal. It simply means that the goal alone is not what brings satisfaction. It is the journey along the way in which we become something or someone more than we were when we started.

The final step is ACTIVITY. The difference between one who is successful and one who has "pipe dreams" is that the successful person acts on his or her good ideas. Thomas Edison said that genius is "1% inspiration and 99% perspiration." Action in the physical world brings us closer to the manifestation of what we want. Action is the means by which we fulfill the ideal and purpose.

People who have vision, who are led by an ideal, who are committed to goals, who are deep thinkers with purposes for what they do, are energized to act on their vision. These are the people who manifest fulfillment, peace of mind, and have true success, spiritually as well as materially.