| We all want to achieve success in our lives. We may | | | | freedom but returned many times to lead hundreds of |
| want to achieve success in different areas of our lives | | | | others to freedom. |
| and in different ways. But it is in our human nature to | | | | 4. Grandma Moses began painting at the age of 75 |
| want to do better, achieve more, and feel successful. | | | | when arthritis put a cramp on her stitching and her |
| We have been taught since we were little that no | | | | work was discovered the market where she traded |
| matter what we choose to do in life, we should do our | | | | art for food during the Depression. |
| best—and try to win! | | | | 5. Booker T. Washington struggled to learn to read at |
| How do we do that? Some writers want to tell you | | | | age 7 when it was illegal to teach slaves to read, |
| about the "secrets of success" and lull you into the | | | | trading bits of bread for books, knowing that education |
| false belief that wishing will make it so. What I want to | | | | was the ticket to freedom, and wanting to share it with |
| do is to make the principles plain to you and remind | | | | all the young people he could. |
| you of one thing you probably already know: success | | | | These lives in history teach us about the power of |
| takes dedication and hard work. The keys to success | | | | purpose in becoming successful. Their purposes were |
| are really the tips of the iceberg, and what you do | | | | found in reaching out to help others as well as |
| every day in your own work will determine the extent | | | | themselves. Whatever your field, profession, and |
| and the quality of your success. This article is an | | | | talents, you must decide now what your purpose is to |
| introduction to the importance of knowing your | | | | give cohesion, dedication and passion to the necessary |
| purpose. Defining your purpose is a necessary | | | | work. Although the science of success is something |
| precondition to learning the principles of success and | | | | we can all study, it will be an empty exercise of mere |
| applying them to your own life. | | | | self-will without the deeper spiritual and mental work |
| Let's start with a definition. Success means creating a | | | | that it takes to answer the question: why? It may well |
| new reality for ourselves, a new life of achievement of | | | | be that the failure to complete this deeper |
| our goals and satisfaction of our needs. Our purpose | | | | self-examination has prevented you from achieving |
| may be to become wealthy and self-sufficient in our | | | | success before now. To decide your purpose gives |
| lives so that we can pursue other dreams in the next | | | | you motivation to step up to your own success. |
| phase of our lives. Our purpose may be to save the | | | | Knowing your purpose also gives shape and color to |
| world and as many of the souls in it as we can reach. | | | | the masterpiece you hope to make of your life's work. |
| Our purpose may be to be able to help family and | | | | Many success stories reveal extraordinary talents, but |
| friends and even strangers to achieve their goals in life. | | | | many others demonstrate that ordinary people can |
| You get to choose. But remember this: the purpose of | | | | achieve extraordinary success. Many of the |
| your path may predetermine the distance you will | | | | remarkable success stories we can study, like the |
| travel. If you do not have a purpose greater than | | | | examples given above, involved a person who took a |
| yourself and your material needs, you are not likely to | | | | limitation or a disability and achieved success either in |
| go far. Forget the money mantras. Go for goodness. | | | | spite of it or because of it. These compelling life stories |
| Here are a few brief examples: | | | | can teach us how to be strong, overcome adversity, |
| 1. Louisa May Alcott began selling stories as a | | | | and rise up above our limitations. And they teach us |
| teenager in order to help support her mother and | | | | even more than those powerful life lessons. They |
| sisters. | | | | teach us how to turn our own perceived limitations into |
| 2. Alexander Graham Bell began inventing aids for the | | | | the unlimited spirit of success by deciding that it will be |
| deaf as a youngster because he wanted to help his | | | | our purpose to help others in the same difficult |
| deaf mother participate in family conversations. | | | | circumstances as ourselves. |
| 3. Harriet Tubman did not stop with her own journey to | | | | |