Wisdom

65 facts about life that few people ever mention

01/10/2022 by Roy Sutton

Looking for some facts about life, dear reader? Well, here are some facts which rarely, if ever get a mention.

Some will argue they’re subjective and they could be right. However, in my experience the facts I offer you today are all true.

Take a look at them all and see what you think.

And please feel free to pass them on.

Facts about life (1-20):

There’s no such thing as easy money.
If you don’t go for it, you won’t get it.
You cannot debate with those who despise you.
Your opinion is just as valid as the next person’s.
In wanting to appeal to everyone you’ll appeal to no one.
Sometimes the road less travelled is less travelled for a reason.
You’ll be remembered not for what you got but for what you gave.
Create your own job and you’ll never be threatened by layoffs again.
Life’s tough for everyone and for many people it’s very tough indeed.
Free speech is the right to express opinions to which others may object.
Rarely do people appreciate what they had, until they no longer have it.
A lie is repeated often enough eventually becomes accepted as the truth.
Just because it matters to you, it doesn’t mean it must matter to me too.
People should be judged by their character and the contribution they make.
The public will get what it tolerates. An easy life comes at a significant price.
We live on in the hearts we touch and within the people for whom we mattered.
You don’t decide your future. You make choices and your choices decide your future.
By definition, a fact is a fact, and ignoring a fact doesn’t mean it ceases to exist.
You won’t find true happiness in material things. Happiness lies in love and laughter.
Blessed are the young, and those not born yet, for they shall inherit the national debt.

Facts about life (21-35):

The unquestioning acceptance of fashionable dogma is not the mark of great intellect.
To believe is to accept unquestionably as fact that which cannot be demonstrated to be fact.
People will believe what they want to believe, regardless of whether they can be sure it’s true.
People who demand tolerance from others are frequently the most intolerant people themselves.
You’ll be judged not on what you say but on what you do. Talk is cheap but only results matter.
We’re not defined by the circumstances into which we were born. Life can be better if we make it so.
Your years on this earth will teach you far more than you could possibly learn in any university or college.
All good ideas are eventually infiltrated and ruined by the attention-seeking few with their own agenda.
In the po-faced, new-puritanical era in which we now live, we’re losing the ability to laugh at ourselves.
With gambling, there’s only one winner consistently and that’s the casino. That’s why they’re in business.
It doesn’t matter what you do, or how well you do it, there’ll always be someone who will criticise you.
Success is enjoying what you do, whilst having sufficient money to live your preferred lifestyle comfortably.
Being too nice is not virtuous, it’s naive, bordering on foolishness, and it creates more problems than it solves.
As long as we’re not hurting anyone else then how we choose to live our lives is no one’s business but our own.
If something cannot be subjected to scrutiny and criticism then it’s probably not a good idea in the first place.

Facts about life (36-45):

People will always have problems in need of a solution. If you can be that solution you can make a good living.
When your opinions run counter to the fashionable dogma of the day you’re unlikely to get a fair hearing in the media.
Past wrongs cannot be righted. All we can do is learn from any mistakes made and endeavour to do better next time.
No job is more important than being a good parent because parents nurture the next generation and children are the future.
A promotion at work is not a reward for what you’ve done in the past it’s an opportunity to show what you can do in the future.
When everything’s going well and you’re feeling like you can do no wrong, think twice. You’re more vulnerable than you realise.
We live in a world of Orwellian ‘newspeak’ where we’re expected to accept as fact that which everyone knows is complete nonsense.
The world is full of Charlatans and con artists all claiming to know what’s best for the rest of us. They should all be challenged constantly.
Having a fancy job title doesn’t mean you’re more important than someone else. A job is just a job and we all add value in our own way.
We have to deal with reality as it is and not how we like it to be. So, we must protect ourselves and our interests because no one will do it for us.

Facts about life (46-54):

Extreme political movements are usually a lot of useful idiots led by a few sinister people with an agenda that’s in no one’s interests but theirs.
We’ll keep making the same mistake until we learn the lesson the mistake was intended to teach us. Life is a classroom and the lessons never stop.
A question asked comes with no obligation to provide anything other than a polite response. Remember that should you ever be grilled by the media.
Remaining loyal to the circumstances into which you were born is not a noble act. Just because you were born poor doesn’t mean you have to remain poor.
We live in an age when a lack of knowledge or expertise doesn’t mean people will not have an opinion on a given issue that they expect to be taken seriously.
It’s for us to give our lives meaning. To leave a legacy by doing something that’ll add a little value to the lives of others and make the world a slightly better place.
If you don’t tend your own garden regularly it will be attacked quickly by noxious weeds. Life’s like that too. We must all take good care of that which is precious to us.
An employer will replace you in a heartbeat, should you pass away, but to your loved ones you can never be replaced. That should tell you where your priority should be.
History serves as a series of lessons to us all. We cannot be selective about what we include in our history, otherwise, we risk forgetting the lessons and making the same mistakes again.

Facts about life (55-60):

Drawing attention to injustices, wherever they are, really can make a difference. So don’t be afraid to call out those who seek to harm others for doing nothing other than expressing an opinion.
To remain silent is to be irrelevant. A quiet life will come at a cost to you. The cost is people with louder voices moving the world in a direction you may not like. Speak up or live with the consequences.
In a totalitarian world dissenting voices must be crushed ruthlessly or they might influence others to express dissent too. Political ideologues demand subservience and dogma accepted without question.
If your job can be done from anywhere, then someone anywhere can do your job? So, if a company is looking to reduce costs, in order to increase their profits, jobs will be moved to wherever in the world labour is cheapest.
Extreme ideology can pass into the mainstream and take hold if we’re all too complacent to stay on top of what’s going on. If we’re asleep at the wheel, life can quickly become a car crash and we’ll only have ourselves to blame.
If we judge previous generations through the prism of modern sensibilities, they’ll always look bad. They lived in their time and we live in ours. We cannot know what their lives were really like, so we cannot judge them fairly, nor should we try.

Facts about life (61-65):

It doesn’t matter how good a job you do, others will take credit for your contribution long after you’ve gone, but you’ll be the person responsible for any problems, regardless of whether you actually had anything to do with any of them or not.
Celebrities are nothing more than skilled media manipulators who profit from the public’s gullibility by constantly maintaining an image with the aim of creating the illusion that they’re something special when in fact they’re nothing special at all.
The problem with social media today is that far too many people feel the need to express opinions consistent with the latest fashionable dogma currently trending regardless of whether they actually have any significant knowledge of the subject at all.
Unless your ambition is to secure a job for which having a degree is mandatory, then you’re probably wasting three years of your life and $75,000 of debt by going to university nowadays. You’re unlikely to get a return on the debt you incur, so consider your options carefully.
They say that those with the gold make the rules. Well, if you’re not being served in the way you feel you should be, then whoever’s providing you with that service can be reminded of the purchasing power you hold in your hands by a simple boycott. You don’t have to accept the unacceptable.

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Thank you.

What is grit and why is it important?

01/09/2022 by Roy Sutton Leave a Comment

What is grit? I’ve heard this word a lot recently. And of course, the obvious supplementary question is, why is it important?

I’m referring to a term used in psychology to represent a positive, non-cognitive personality trait based on an individual’s perseverance of effort combined with the passion for a particular goal and a powerful motivation to achieve it. Allow me to explain.

Have you ever noticed that the smartest people are not always the most successful? Obviously, success can be defined in different ways but for most people, their measure would usually revolve around money and prestige.

If we take money as the measure for success, then you’d think the smartest people would easily come out on top on that score, surely? Yet you’d be wrong.

We hear stories frequently about college professors who struggle financially whilst at the same time tradesmen like bricklayers and plumbers become millionaires. How can that be?

Surely the smartest people have a natural advantage? Well, actually they don’t.

The people with the real, innate advantage are those with this quality known as grit.

So exactly what is grit? It is an inner steeliness. It is courage and resolve. It is a strength of character. It is drive and desire. It is passion and motivation. It is a willingness to persevere until the desired result is achieved. It is a determination to achieve a goal and a willingness to take calculated risks.

It is a fact that doing well in life depends on much more than academic ability and your capacity to learn quickly and easily.

Having those qualities is useful of course but in the absence of grit, you’d still be at a disadvantage.

Someone of average academic ability but with a shed-load of grit will be better placed to achieve real success in life.

People with grit intuitively recognize that life is a marathon, not a sprint.

They’re willing to experience failure because they know that failure is a temporary outcome, not a permanent position. And they’re willing to fail and then start over using the lessons they’ve learned from the experience.

So what’s the key to success? It’s the need to get grittier!

Angela Lee Duckworth makes this point admirably in this excellent TEDxTalk video and it’s well worth a few minutes of your time. It’s an interesting video and I think she nails the point perfectly.

That’s what I think but what is your opinion?

Could there be such an easy answer or is it all much more complicated? I’d be interested to hear your views.

Grit: The power of passion and perseverance:

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Some simple advice for young people

12/26/2021 by Roy Sutton

If you’re looking for some simple advice for young people then here are some of the things I wished I’d known when I was 18.

Learn these lessons as soon as you can. As you travel along life’s highway, you’ll find them all really useful.

1. Be kind:

It’s easy to make judgements about people and we’re all guilty of doing it, at least occasionally.

The problem is none of us can really know what challenges other people are facing in their lives at any given time. Some people can have very tough lives and they may be really struggling. It’s not always obvious to the rest of us.

So be kind to everyone you meet. It costs you nothing but it can mean the world to someone who’s facing a particularly difficult time in their life.

2. Value friendship:

Our friends and loved ones are our most precious possessions.

Work is important, of course, but it’s not as important as people. If you were to drop dead tomorrow, an employer will replace you in a heartbeat. However, you can’t be replaced by the people to whom you matter most.

So value friendships and family, and make sure you make time for them. Never be too busy working to miss out on spending some quality time with your friends and family.

If you’re ever seriously ill, it will be your friends and loved ones who take care of you, not your employer.

3. Value your time:

Now, you’ll often hear someone say, “Oh, I would love to do that if only I had the time.”

And yet we all have exactly the same amount of time, i.e. 168 hours each week.

It all comes down to what we choose to do with our time and how we prioritise those things that matter to us most.

Time is simply a resource like money, albeit it’s more important than money. You can get more money but you can’t get more time, can you? None of us can do that, can we?

So you must learn to use your time wisely. Time is a precious resource, so you must develop effective time management skills.

You must recognise that you can’t do everything but you can be selective about what you choose to do, within reason.

High-value tasks should always take precedence over low-value tasks.

And remember this; the most effective time management tool is the word NO.

Just because people ask you for a piece of your time, it doesn’t mean you’re obliged to give it to them. Be very selective about how you allocate your time.

Think of the word NO as a baseball bat.

Whenever someone makes a request that would not be the best use of your time, then NO is the means by which you can whack that request right out of the ballpark. Always be polite, of course, but be firm too.

Being busy is not the same as being productive. And your aim, always, should be to be productive.

Check out my Top 10 Tips for How to Manage Your Time.

4. Mindset matters:

Whether you realize it or not, your mindset matters and by that I mean, it really matters a lot. When I refer to mindset, I’m referring to how you think, whether you’re positive by nature or otherwise.

You’ll never experience a positive outcome with a negative attitude. And you’ll never, ever impress anyone with a negative attitude either. No one is impressed by negativity, trust me. And no one wants to spend much time around negative people either.

There’s an old saying, “Believe you can and you will!”

This is absolutely true in my experience.

Succeeding at anything requires you to believe in yourself and believe you can achieve anything you set out to achieve.

Yes, you’ll have setbacks. Everyone does. It’s true, it won’t be easy. It never is. And it doesn’t matter what others think. There will always be negative people trying to rain on your parade.

As long as you believe you can, and you’re determined and prepared to work hard, then almost everything is possible. Other people succeed and so can you.

So think positive and take every opportunity to reinforce your self-belief.

And take care of your mental wellbeing too, by avoiding negative people and all the exaggerated scare stories we see and hear constantly in the media.

5. Never fear making mistakes:

The problem with classroom learning is that much of it depends on learning facts and figures and regurgitating everything you’ve memorized in an exam. At the end of it all you get your certificate, diploma or degree but what have you actually learned? Probably, not much I would guess.

Remember this; memorizing is not the same as learning.

The other way we’re often misled when we‘re young is that we’re told that making mistakes is a bad thing. That’s rather sad because it’s not true.

What you will learn from the mistakes you make is actually far more important to you than anything anyone can tell you in a classroom. You’ll never forget those things you’ve had to learn the hard way.

Life isn’t called the ‘School of Hard Knocks’ for nothing.

If you believe in yourself and your ability to use your own judgement and you accept that you’ll make mistakes occasionally, then you have the ability to cope with just about everything life throws at you.

Just make decisions to the best of your ability and knowledge and then, if they don’t work out, just look for the lesson and learn it well.

Despite anything people will tell you to the contrary, there’s nothing wrong with making mistakes because that’s how you gain experience and that’s how you’ll grow in character. Just don’t make the same mistakes too often.

Making mistakes is how you gain that valuable commodity known as experience, so they’re essential to your personal development.

6. Read more:

In the modern age, a good education is essential. That doesn’t mean you must have a formal education necessarily. Classroom learning doesn’t suit everyone and there are many ways to learn.

One of the best ways to learn in my experience is to read.

Read all the critically acclaimed novels by the most respected authors. And not just authors from your own country. Read novels from writers around the world. Translations for the best novels are always available in many languages.

Read non-fiction too. The reading of non-fiction is the basis for self-improvement.

If there are subjects that you find interesting, then by reading you can become an authority on those subjects over time. And becoming an authority is a great way to increase your earning potential.

In my experience, the most successful people are all readers. So make sure you set aside at least 30 minutes each day to read.

Read one book a week and over a year you’ll have consumed a ton of knowledge.

And remember; learning is a lifelong process. You must keep learning for as long as you have the energy to pick up a book.

And if personal time pressures limit your ability to consume books, then here are two alternatives to make the process a little bit easier:-

(a) Blinkist:

If you haven’t got enough time to read non-fiction books, you could try Blinkist.

Blinkist is a great way to consume book summaries to get core insights on relevant topics without all the detail. And you can read or listen.

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Blinkist is self-improvement done the smart way. So, turn your smartphone into a classroom and your commute to work into a learning experience.

Consume one book a day with Blinkist and in one year you’ll have consumed a Phd’s-worth of knowledge and made yourself a much more valuable commodity.

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(b) Audible:

Audible is another great way of consuming books. With Audible you get the full book but in audiobook form.

Essentially Audible is an online audiobook and podcast service that allows users to purchase and stream audiobooks and other forms of spoken word content.

And there’s a FREE 30-day trial offer.

So you can try it for a month and see if you like it, with absolutely no commitment to extend beyond the trial period if it doesn’t suit you.

Listen to the world’s bestselling books and enjoy original podcasts too. You can choose from an incredible selection of Audible originals, podcasts and audiobooks to download. It’s definitely worth trying, surely?

Audible is another great way to turn your smartphone into a learning tool and turn your dead time into productive time. In your car and when you’re commuting to work on the bus or the train, you can be building your knowledge or enjoying bestselling novels in audiobook form.

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DISCLOSURE: This website is an Audible Affiliate. Should you click on a link and then subscribe to Audible, the website owners will receive a small commission. Such commissions serve only to cover the cost of operating this site. There will be no additional cost to you. Your understanding and support are truly appreciated, dear reader. Thank you.

7. Write more:

In those far-off days when I wore the clothes of a much younger man, I always had a problem with writing. I never quite knew what to say or how to say it.

It left me feeling slightly inadequate and believing that this was just something at which I was very bad.

As I progressed up the career ladder I struggled with the written word for quite a while. I didn’t realise that my real problem was a lack of practice.

However, I’ve learned over the years that the more I practise writing the better I get at writing. I may not be perfect but I’m a lot better at it now than I was, that’s for sure.

Being able to express yourself clearly and concisely in writing is an essential skill to develop and the best way to develop it is to practise, practise and practise.

Writing is about communication and communication is one of the most important skills for you to develop if you have any ambition for getting on in life.

Take every opportunity you can to write. Start a blog, or write for a magazine, or write to a pen pal, just do whatever it takes.

The more you write the better you’ll get, I promise you.

8. Practise public speaking:

Speaking in front of a crowd, even a small one, can be daunting, especially the first time.

However, this is another skill best developed with practice.

It’s also a skill that is essential the higher up the career ladder you progress.

So take every opportunity to practise. Read a lesson at your local church, or join the Toastmasters, or become an after-dinner speaker or whatever you can to get plenty of practice.

It’s another essential skill best developed early in life.

9. You’re not your job:

Whenever we meet someone new, we’re often asked what we do for a living.

Our response to that question is that we’re a lawyer or an engineer or an accountant or whatever. This can lead us to think that our identity is defined by what we do for a living, at the present time.

And indeed, other people can often pigeonhole us in their perception of us by what they think we actually do for a living.

However, we all have many dimensions to our personalities and we’re not defined by our jobs alone.

I may be an engineer but I’m also a businessman. Equally, I’m a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a cousin, a friend, a blogger, a Samaritan, et cetera.

And I’ve been many things in the past too, including a Board director, a student, I’ve worked in retail, I’ve worked in the gaming industry, I was once a school caretaker, I’ve lived and worked in many countries and so on.

I’m a multidimensional person and so is everyone else.

We’re the sum total of all the things we are and all the things we’ve done and the experiences we’ve had.

Our identities and experience are not, and should not, be limited by the job we’re doing at any given time.

10. Learn to manage money:

The problem with classroom learning is that very little of what you actually learn at school, college or university is of much real use to you once you leave the formal education system.

They teach you about things you’ll never use and yet, they fail to teach you about things that will really matter to you in the real world.

Things you’ll never learn at school include:-

What constitutes a decent income?
How to earn a decent income?
How to budget to cover your outgoings
How to apply for a mortgage
What is insurance, what does it cost and why do you need it?
The difference between saving and investment.
Asset classes and how to invest?
How to build wealth and financial independence.

It’s essential that you learn how to manage money. And it’s essential that you learn as much as you can about money as soon as you can.

Being young, it’s very easy for the money coming into your life to disappear as quickly as it arrived. However, I can tell you that mismanaging your money is the way to the poorhouse. Learning to manage your money effectively and building wealth should be your primary aim.

The building of wealth is the way to financial independence. And once you’re financially independent then you get to choose what you do and when you do it.

11. Know when to walk away:

Sometimes things just don’t work out. You try hard to make them work and you do your very best. However at some point, you must recognise that to invest any more time and effort into whatever it is, is simply not the right thing to do.

If something just isn’t working for whatever reason, then it’s better for everyone if you just draw a line under it and move on.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a job or a bad relationship. If it’s making you unhappy, if you just can’t make it work, then you don’t need any other reason to decide enough is enough.

Yes, your decision may cause some upset at the time but everyone will be happier in the long term.

Never be afraid to move on when you think it’s necessary.

12. Find a mentor:

When you’re young and starting out on your career, you don’t have to make all the mistakes yourself.

It’s a legitimate strategy to learn as much as you can from the experience of others. I wish I’d found myself a decent mentor early on.

An experienced, non-judgemental, friendly ear with whom problems and their potential solutions can be explored on a regular basis.

Find yourself a decent mentor as quickly as possible.

Having a mentor is not a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of strength and a sign that you’re willing and able to learn from others.

Learning is a lifelong process. No one starts out as the finished article. And anything you can learn from a wiser, older head can only help you navigate the choppy waters of life and work.

And don’t be afraid to ask someone to be your mentor. If nothing else, they’ll be flattered you asked and they’ll probably be keener to help you than you might imagine.

13. Trust your instincts:

Your gut instinct is a better barometer than you might imagine too.

If it feels wrong, it usually is wrong. Certainly, it’s likely to be wrong for you.

Then again, regardless of anything negative you’re getting from other people, if your instinct tells you, you can do it, then have a go. Chances are you will succeed.

Your gut instinct is your friend.

14. Rise to the challenge:

As we negotiate the stormy road that’s life, the challenges we face can often seem daunting. And we can often wish for something a little easier.

However, by rising to the challenges we face, we grow as people. We learn and we build experience. And as suggested earlier, experience is a valuable commodity.

If we’re solving the hardest problems, we’ll be stretching ourselves as much as we can.

We add value to others, and therefore increase our income, by solving problems for others.

If you become the ‘go to’ person for solving the hardest problems then you can earn a very good living, I promise you.

Don’t be afraid to tackle the hardest problems. You can only gain from the experience.

15. Nurture your network:

There’s an old saying that says, no man is an island. Human beings are social animals and we need each other. Your network of friends and business contacts is important and it can be very useful to you.

However, it’s not about take, take, take.

A network must be nurtured and you must give before you can reasonably expect to receive. By doing favours occasionally, you’ll always get help when you need it.

So value your network, help people when you can, socialise with people and take the time to build lasting relationships.

16. Schedule some ‘me time’:

Life can be all-consuming if you’re not careful. When you have a demanding job and a family, it can all be quite stressful at times.

You can burn out very quickly if you’re not careful.

Work and family are important, of course, but that shouldn’t mean you damage your health and well-being or the relationship with your family in the process.

So make sure you factor into your schedule a little ‘me time’ on a regular basis. And make time for your loved ones too.

It’s not just a good idea, it’s essential.

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Did you find this article interesting and useful dear reader?

If so, then please share it on social media with your friends. When you share, everyone wins.

So go on, please share it now. If you do I’ll be ever so grateful and you’ll be helping a keen blogger reach a wider audience.

Thank you.

How will your life be measured? Here’s what matters most

12/19/2021 by Roy Sutton

How will your life be measured? A philosophical question perhaps but an interesting one nevertheless.

Some time ago, I attended the funeral of someone whom I’d known quite well professionally but not at all socially. Someone I liked and respected but I wouldn’t claim to have known them well. Nevertheless, funerals are a time to reflect on someone’s life. A time to consider the impact they’ve had on other people throughout their lives.

The funeral service was held at a large, traditional church in London and it was absolutely crowded.

Listening to the eulogy and associated readings I began to appreciate just how much my late colleague had meant to so many people. It’s fair to say that she meant a lot to many people. The lives of so many people had clearly been blessed by her presence in them.

This experience really made me think.

So in life, what really matters most?

As human beings, we’re all driven to achieve and leave our mark on life before we pass on.

However, we do tend to measure our impact on life in terms of careers and money. With those things it’s fairly easy to keep score, wouldn’t you agree dear reader?

Obviously, careers provide tangible evidence of achievement, or so it seems.

So climbing the greasy pole and increasing our wealth tend to be the measures we use when we consider the idea of success. Nevertheless, as I sat there listening that day I had to ask myself, are these things the most appropriate measure of the lives we lead?

Anything we do that only has a long-term payoff we tend not to measure because there’s no immediate evidence of achievement. We can’t see the immediate impact of the small things we do, so we don’t believe they matter much.

However, I realised that day that they do matter. In fact, they matter a great deal.

It’s all in the little things we do:

A random act of kindness might not mean much to us but to the recipient of our action, it could mean the world. It could have had a profound effect on that individual. And it might prove to be a life-changing experience for that person.

So, how will any of us be remembered?

When our lives have passed, how will they talk about us at our funerals?

People won’t talk about the size of our house or our car but they will talk about how we made them feel. They won’t talk about the importance of our jobs but they will mention how we helped them at a difficult time in their lives.

Perhaps they’ll talk about how we mentored them and how they’re a better person because of the impact we had on their lives. Maybe they’ll say they enjoyed our company and they’ll talk about how they looked forward to seeing us whenever we were around. Perhaps they’ll just mention how we made them smile.

When you think about it, why would we want to be remembered in any other way?

Material possessions are meaningless:

Let’s face it material possessions are meaningless. Equally successful careers are as much a reflection of good fortune as they are of anything we actually did to justify them.

That’s not the case when it comes to the impact we have on the lives of others.

The help we give; the kindness we show; that’s all down to us and our own actions day-to-day.

So how many people we’ve helped seems to me like a much better measure of success than the size of the car we drive or the size of the house in which we live.

Real success in life comes down to the difference we make. How we’ve touched the lives of other people.

Certainly, that’s how I think we’ll be remembered by those who knew us, however much we’re focused on careers, money and material possessions.

How great would it be to be remembered fondly and with respect by all who crossed our paths during our lives?

How will your life be measured?

I remembered my thoughts that day at the funeral when I stumbled upon this video of a presentation given by Clay Christensen at TEDxBoston.

It offers a great perspective on how your life will be measured.

I recommend you watch this video as it’s well worth a little bit of your time.

And after you’ve watched it, I would suggest you reflect on this question, “Should the measure of our lives be just about money and achievement or should it be more about the lives we’ve touched and the people whose lives are better for us having been in them?”

How do you want to be remembered, dear reader?

For me, life’s measure should be in terms of how I’ve touched the lives of other people and not money, career and the size of my house.

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The importance of making mistakes to achieving success

12/05/2021 by Roy Sutton

As children, we’re often taught that making mistakes is a bad thing.

For instance, many parents will actively discourage their children from doing anything that might lead to them making what, from the parents’ standpoint, appears to be a serious mistake.

Would this be an experience with which you’re familiar, dear reader? Well, I am, let me tell you.

The human experience:

However, I’ve learned that making mistakes is an essential element of the human experience as we progress on our journey down life’s highway.

There’s no road map for this journey, you learn as you go along and use what you’ve learned to improve your life as best you can.

As you journey down life’s highway, of course, you face an endless stream of choices at various times in your life.

Each time you come to a fork in the road, a decision must be made.

Daunting as this may be at times, you must always remember that every decision you make will be a valid one. It may not prove to be the right one but that doesn’t make it any less valid based on what you knew at the time.

Allow me to explain.

Almost every decision you have to make will have been based on imperfect information. That’s the nature of life in the modern world.

So, all you can do is to use your judgement, weigh up the pros and cons, and act in good faith.

Inevitably, outcomes won’t always be favourable to you but that doesn’t mean you’ve made a bad choice. It just means life has a lesson you must learn.

That’s the thing about mistakes they’re just lessons that over time provide you with that valuable commodity known as experience.

And never, ever underestimate the importance of experience when it comes to achieving success.

Lessons learned won’t be forgotten:

What you learn from your mistakes is far more important to you than anything anyone can tell you in a classroom. You’ll never forget those things you’ve had to learn the hard way.

Life is not called the ‘School of Hard Knocks’ for nothing.

Just make decisions to the best of your ability and knowledge and then, if they don’t work out, just look for the lesson and learn it well.

Never let anyone tell you that making mistakes is a bad thing because it’s not.

Despite anything people will tell you to the contrary, there’s nothing wrong with making mistakes because that’s how you gain experience and that’s how you’ll grow in character.

Once is fine; twice is not:

That said, whilst making a mistake is perfectly reasonable, making the same mistake frequently is not.

Make a mistake once and that’s fine; make it twice and you’re starting to look a little bit careless. Make the same mistake three times and people will start to have serious doubts about you.

An essential element of success:

No one ever mastered anything without making mistakes.

Whatever you choose to do in life, you start as a complete beginner like everyone else.

If your aim is to be a success in your chosen profession, then you must get out there, have a go, make mistakes, learn from them and keep refining your craft until you’re the best, or at least as good as the very best.

It can be done and people do. You can too.

However you must accept that you’ll make mistakes, and as long as you don’t make the same mistakes too often, you’ll be fine.

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21 common sayings and what they all mean

11/23/2021 by Roy Sutton

Common sayings or proverbs are simple sayings that express an essential truth based on common sense, experience and/or the wisdom of the ancients.

Proverbs that describe a basic rule of conduct are particularly useful and well-worth remembering.

Today I offer you 21 thought-provoking proverbs and common sayings with an explanation as to what they all mean.

You would do well to remember some of these, I think.

Common Sayings:

1. Be contrary; be known

To be successful visibility matters. That means you must stand out in the crowd. And you can’t stand out in the crowd if you’re just like everyone else. You must be an original, not a copy.

2. Man who chases two rabbits catches neither

Learn to keep the main thing the main thing. Focus matters if you want to be successful. Try to do too many things and you won’t do any of them very well. And if you fail to do anything well then you’re unlikely to be successful.

3. Knowledge is power

Learning is a lifelong process and you should be educating yourself constantly. However, there is a more important point here. When negotiating in business the more you know about the other side, their needs, the pressures their under, and what they’re willing to pay and/or concede, the more likely you are to get what you want. Never underestimate the power of information.

4. When in Rome do as the Romans do

If you want to be successful in business around the world then show some respect for other people and the way they do things. Culture is simply the way things are done around here. No one culture is better than another. They are just different that’s all. So just because something might appear odd relative to what is considered ‘normal’ in your culture doesn’t make it wrong. Embrace differences and enjoy every new cultural experience.

5. Fortune favours the brave

If you want to live life to the full then it starts outside your comfort zone. Go for the low hanging fruit and the easy tasks and you won’t grow. Fail to take any risks and you’re unlikely to experience any significant rewards either. You can only be successful if you go after what you really want and that means you must take a few risks along the way. Remember this; risk and reward go together.

6. Hope for the best; prepare for the worst

If you want to be successful then be prepared for the rain because occasionally it will rain. Hope for permanent sunshine by all means but make sure you’re ready for the days when the sun refuses to shine and you need an umbrella.

7. A picture’s worth a thousand words

To be successful being able to communicate effectively is an important skill to develop. That means you need to know how to get a message across and often the most powerful way to deliver a message and make a point is often with a picture.

8. There’s no such thing as a free lunch

Everything comes with a price tag. There will always be a cost somewhere even if it’s not immediately apparent. The cost may not be financial but there will be a cost. Make sure you know what it is and make sure you’re willing to pay the price before you agree to anything.

9. Actions speak louder than words

Talk is cheap. It’s not what you say; it’s what you do and what you deliver that will make a difference. And if you want to be successful then you will need to make a difference.

10. Practice makes perfect

Every master began as a complete beginner. Mastery is achieved by becoming a student of your craft and practising constantly until you are the best at what you do. And if you want to be successful then you will need to be amongst the best at what you do.

11. Easy come; easy go

You will only truly appreciate that which has cost you in blood, sweat and tears. Any success obtained easily is difficult to sustain. Easy money is easily squandered. It’s almost like you feel you’re not entitled to it if it all came too easy to you.

12. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure

As they say in the north of England, ‘There’s brass in muck’. Meaning just because something appears to be no longer of use doesn’t mean it can’t be put to good use and can’t represent an excellent business opportunity. Old furniture can be restored. An old bicycle frame can be used in the making of some other item. Money can be made from the oddest things and, believe it or not, even from plain old rubbish.

13. Familiarity breeds contempt

If your career is starting to gain traction and you’ve been promoted to management then remember this; there must always be a little bit of distance between you and the troops you manage. You cannot be too familiar with people you manage if you want their respect. Yes, take an interest in people. Yes, show them you care occasionally. However, you can’t be their buddy. That doesn’t work.

14. Don’t judge a book by its cover

First impressions can be powerful and often they can be accurate too. However, they’re not always accurate so it is dangerous to form an opinion based on your first impression alone.

15. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

When it comes to money and savings, diversity is the name of the game. As you become successful, a good income should follow. Make sure you start building some capital and make sure you spread it around a bit. Put all your financial eggs in one basket and calamity could follow.

16. The squeaky wheel gets the most oil

Don’t be afraid to complain when things aren’t right. If you want something resolved be prepared to make a noise. Wait patiently and you’re unlikely to find anyone keen to help you. They’re all too busy. Sometimes you need to be a nuisance if you’re going to get attention.

17. Honesty is the best policy

The problem with telling lies is that you need to have a very good memory and it’s very easy to get caught out. Tell the truth and you don’t need to remember anything. All you have to do is say exactly what happened or what you said, et cetera. Being honest makes life easier and it also makes it less stressful.

18. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink

There is only so much you can do for people. Offer to help them by all means but if they choose not to accept your offer then just leave it there. You can’t force someone to do something nor can you force them to accept your help or advice.

19. Keep friends close and enemies closer

There’s no point in fighting with your enemy. That won’t get you very far. It’s better to adopt cordial relations to keep them close. Keep them close and you can keep an eye on them. That way you’ll know what they’re up to and know what they’re planning too. Use your head not your heart in these matters.

20. Two heads are better than one

It is a fact that when people get their heads together the results are usually much better than one person’s thinking alone. Particularly with creative work, ideas bounce off each other and as those ideas come together the results can be exceptional.

21. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

Treat other people in the way you’d prefer them to treat you. Show them respect and you’re much more likely to get their respect. Don’t be mean to people. You wouldn’t like it and neither will they. People will respond warmly to you if you are warm and kind to them.

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15 quotes to emphasize the importance of time management

11/17/2021 by Roy Sutton

The importance of time management cannot be overstated.

If you want to be successful, then you have to master time management. Successful people are always good time managers. They would never allow other people to waste their time and nor should you.

Never, ever forget that time is your most precious resource.

Time is more important than money because you can always get more money but you can never get more time. One hour spent is one hour you no longer have to spend.

How often do you hear people say, “I’d love to do that but I don’t have the time.“

However, the fact is that we all have exactly the same amount of time; 168 hours a week. It all comes down to your priorities and your determination to use your time wisely.

How you choose to prioritize and allocate your time will have a significant bearing on how successful you will become.

No shrewd and savvy person would waste their money, would they? Nor would they allow other people to waste their money for them, I’m sure you’ll agree?

Yet people frequently waste their own time and allow other people to waste their time for them too.

Why would anyone think it reasonable to waste their time? And why would anyone allow someone else to encroach on their time, resulting in more wasted seconds, minutes and hours?

Just because someone asks for a piece of your time, doesn’t mean you have to agree to their request.

You have to ask yourself first whether agreeing to such a request would be the best use of your time.

And of course, the supplementary question would be whether there’s any obligation on your part to comply with the request?

Every second of your time is precious, so you have to be miserly when considering requests for even a very small part of it.

Before you begin every day make sure you have a shortlist of all your absolutely ‘must-do items written down, and then make sure you focus on getting them done.

When you’re working, your focus should be on what you’re meant to deliver. By that, I mean those things that will allow you to add the most value.

However, remember this also; a life well lived is a life with balance. You work to live and not the opposite.

So when your working day is done, make sure you have a little time left over for yourself and those who matter most to you. After all, success is very nice but it wouldn’t mean much without family and friends.

Here are 15 quotes to emphasize the importance of time management:-

Quotes about the importance of time management (1-8):

Lost time is never found again. ~Benjamin Franklin
Time management is the mantra of my life. ~Vir Das
Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend. ~Theophrastus
Boundary setting is really a huge part of time management. ~Jim Loehr
Time is what we want most but what we use worst. ~William Penn
If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over? ~John Wooden
This is the key to time management; to see the value of every moment. ~Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Time management is surely the most critical aspect of acing multiple arenas: home, work, and family. ~Sonali Bendre

Quotes about the importance of time management (9-15):

I am definitely going to take a course on time management, just as soon as I can work it into my schedule. ~Louis E. Boone
My favourite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time. ~Steve Jobs
Time management is an oxymoron. Time is beyond our control, and the clock keeps ticking regardless of how we lead our lives. Priority management is the answer to maximizing the time we have. ~John C. Maxwell
At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent. ~Barbara Bush
Have you ever noticed some people are able to stay organized while getting a massive quantity of work accomplished, while others appear to be busy but never actually produce results? Time management is the key to becoming a successful entrepreneur. ~Clay Clark
The secret to modern life is finding the measure in time management. I have two kids, a career and I travel, and I don’t think my life is any different than most couples. The most valuable commodity now for many people is time and how to parcel that out. ~Hugh Jackman
You’ve got to know what you want. This is central to acting on your intentions. When you know what you want, you realize that all there is left then is time management. You’ll manage your time to achieve your goals because you clearly know what you’re trying to achieve in your life. ~Patch Adams

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The way to discover your true potential

11/01/2021 by Roy Sutton

What’s the way to discover your true potential? That’s an interesting question.

Have you ever considered what your true potential might be dear reader?

Have you ever thought you might have some hidden depths about which even you cannot be sure?

Certainly, there are many people who underestimate their ability or they simply allow negative thinking to stop them from exploring all that they could be.

It’s easy for us to think that really we don’t have much to offer in terms of ability.

We all worry about being ‘found out‘ at times. We all experience self-doubt. That’s natural but we must keep any self-doubt under control.

Negative thinking is like the weeds in your garden. If you’re not careful the weeds take over and your garden suffers. Well, your mind is just like a garden.

And like a garden, you must tend it well.

Nourish your mind with learning. Be inspired by books, films, songs, and inspirational videos and audio programs by the great thinkers of our time. Encourage healthy thoughts and an even healthier outlook.

Let me remind you, dear reader, you really do have enormous potential.

Human beings have unlimited capacity to develop as many skills as necessary.

Unfortunately far too many people go through life with their potential untapped. And that’s really sad, wouldn’t you agree?

The world needs all the skills and ideas it can get. You have the capacity for ideas in abundance. The world needs your full potential.

Do you need a little help to discover your full potential? If so, don’t worry. You’re not alone. There are plenty of people just like you but help is at hand.

Discover your true potential:

The late, great Jim Rohn was one of the great philosophical thinkers of our time. Certainly when it comes to personal development. I’ve read all his books, watched his videos and listened to his audio programs. And I still do frequently. I find his work truly inspirational.

In the following video, Jim Rohn offers some words of wisdom on just how you can go about discovering you true potential in life.

This video is truly inspiring and it is well worth a few minutes of your time. In fact anything by Jim Rohn is well worth your time in my opinion.

I think Jim Rohn was one of the best motivational speakers I’ve ever heard. He has a homespun, folksy philosophy but please don’t be fooled. His messages are simple but powerful. So listen and learn.

Jim Rohn’s simple messages resonate with people as much today as they did when he made his speeches originally.

If you only have time to listen to one motivational speaker then Jim Rohn is undoubtedly the one to whom I always turn and I recommend you do too.

Recommendations for your personal library:

As I said earlier, Jim Rohn is one of the best motivational speakers I’ve ever heard and he’s been a big influence on me, that’s for sure.

He’s produced many books, videos and audio programs over the years and all of them would add real value to your own personal library.

Two I can strongly recommend you add to your personal reference library are:-

Book: Seven Strategies for Wealth & Happiness by Jim Rohn

Audio Program: The Art of Exceptional Living by Jim Rohn

I purchased both of these a couple of years ago and I still use them constantly as sources of inspiration and motivation.

The audio program is particularly useful as I listen to it whilst driving. This means I can use my travel time profitably. Why listen to the radio when you could be listening and learning whilst you drive?

Purchasing these items represents money well spent for me and I’ve found them enormously useful and I strongly recommend them to you.

Click on the links and check them out.

Even if you don’t buy them they’re certainly worth considering. Go on check them out right now whilst it’s fresh in your mind.

You can check out more inspiration from other Jim Rohn if you CLICK HERE

Should you make a purchase, you will not regret buying them, of that I’m very confident.

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My philosophy on life and success: 30 Quotes by Roy Sutton

10/14/2021 by Roy Sutton

Dear reader, if I’m really honest, I’d have to admit that offering some quotes by Roy Sutton in a blog post is a little bit self-indulgent.

Certainly, it’s unlikely that many people will be searching Google for some quotes by Roy Sutton?

However, believe it or not, I was asked by a reader for some quotes of my own that illustrate my personal philosophy on life and success.

So, as I’m a blogger and my raison d’etre is to share my thoughts and ideas, I thought today I’d share some quotes to see what reaction I get from my wider readership.

These quotes definitely reflect my own philosophy on life, success and being the best you can be.

All of these are quotes I’ve shared originally on my Twitter feed (@RoyJosephSutton) essentially as micro-blog posts. In fact, these are the tweets for which I’ve received the most positive responses.

My hope is that if they’ve appealed to another audience then they might just appeal to regular readers of this blog.

As a blogger, you have to believe that you have something to say and you have to be willing to share what you have to say and accept feedback, both positive and negative.

So today I’m sharing my own philosophy with you, dear reader, and I hope at least some of these quotes will leave you feeling empowered to succeed.

Above all, I hope you’ll find today’s quotes interesting and thought-provoking.

30 Quotes by Roy Sutton (1-10):

Hatred is fear’s ugly sister. ~Roy Sutton
Life’s too short to be unhappy. ~Roy Sutton
Smile whilst you still have teeth! ~Roy Sutton
You’ll never have today again. So enjoy it. ~Roy Sutton
Everything involves risk, including not taking a risk. ~Roy Sutton
Your future’s yet to be written but you’ve got the pen. ~Roy Sutton
Sometimes the road less travelled is less travelled for a reason. ~Roy Sutton
If you want something then you’ve got to give something in return. There’s always a price to be paid. Nothing’s for free. ~Roy Sutton
Either life’s a great adventure or it’s nothing. Make it a great adventure and enjoy every minute, because you only go around once. ~Roy Sutton
You don’t decide your future. You make choices and your choices decide your future. Choices matter. Learn to make good ones. ~Roy Sutton

30 Quotes by Roy Sutton (11-20):

Other peoples’ perception of you is none of your business. Don’t be limited by what others think. ~Roy Sutton
Never fear having a go. Fear only that should you not try you’ll never know what might have been. ~Roy Sutton
At work you’re replaceable but at home, you’re not. That should tell you where your priority should be. ~Roy Sutton
No one is perfect. We’re all imperfect. So embrace your imperfections. They’re what make you different from the crowd. ~Roy Sutton
Never again will you be as young as you are today. So forget your age and focus on making the most of life whilst you still can. ~Roy Sutton
Your years on this earth will teach you far more than you could possibly learn in any university or college of further education. ~Roy Sutton
Don’t settle for less than you deserve. Go boldly in the direction of your dreams and don’t stop until you get to where you want to be. ~Roy Sutton
It doesn’t matter what you do, there’ll always be someone who will criticise you given the opportunity. Just do your best and ignore the critics. ~Roy Sutton
Don’t be ashamed of all the challenges you’ve had to overcome. Your story can be an inspiration to others. You may have had it tough but you’re still here and you’ve not allowed yourself to be defeated. That makes you a role model. ~Roy Sutton
Yesterday was full of lessons and tomorrow is an endless stream of opportunities. Use yesterday’s lessons to capitalise on tomorrow’s opportunities. You can be all you’d like to be and much more besides. ~Roy Sutton

30 Quotes by Roy Sutton (21-30):

People believe what they want to believe, especially when they’re desperate. ~Roy Sutton
Money is simply the scorecard for the transfer of value between people in a society. ~Roy Sutton
Greatness is achieved by what you do, not what you say. Deeds will always beat words. ~Roy Sutton
We all have a role to play. On Spaceship Earth we’re all crew. We’re all here to make a contribution. ~Roy Sutton
If you’re hoping that politicians will improve your life, you’ll always be disappointed. If your life is to improve, you must take responsibility for it yourself. ~Roy Sutton
When everything’s going well for you and you start to feel you can do no wrong, think twice. Almost certainly, you’re much more vulnerable than you realise. ~Roy Sutton
If you don’t tend your own garden regularly it will be attacked quickly by noxious weeds. Life’s like that too. We must all take good care of that which is precious to us. ~Roy Sutton
Do not underestimate the power of your voice. Your voice matters. Use it. To be silent is to be irrelevant. Ensure that people know how you feel about those things that matter to you. ~Roy Sutton
Never let anyone tell you how you should think. Think for yourself and draw your own conclusions. No one has a monopoly on knowing what’s best. Your opinion is just as valid as the next person’s. ~Roy Sutton
Remaining loyal to the circumstances into which you were born is not a noble act. It’s perfectly reasonable to want more from life. Just because you were born poor doesn’t mean you have to remain poor. ~Roy Sutton

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How we are damaged by our schooldays

10/13/2021 by Roy Sutton

Could we have been damaged by our schooldays? Is that even possible?

Were they the best days of our lives, as we’re encouraged to believe, or could our schooldays have been detrimental to our mental well-being and our self-esteem?

This is an interesting question. So let’s just think about it for a minute.

Certainly, many people will have had mostly good experiences during their school days, I’m sure.

However, there will also be some for whom their schooldays will have left them mentally scarred and with a sense of failure. That much is philosophically self-evident, surely?

For instance, perhaps at school, people such as those to which I refer never quite achieved the grades their parents or teachers thought they should have done?

Perhaps they were last to be picked for a sports team, on a regular basis?

In either case, how would such experiences have made them feel?

What impact would they have had on their mental well-being?

Perhaps they felt, not quite good enough?

Possibly a little bit bruised and embarrassed by their inability to achieve what they believed was expected of them?

Adults may have thought that putting pressure on them it would motivate them to do well, yet it probably just left them feeling a little bit inadequate I suspect.

Your birth date matters:

Do you recognise such feelings, dear reader?

The problem with the school experience is that the age range of our classmates is spread over a whole year. And that’s a lot more significant than it first appears to be I think.

Someone whose birthday is at the beginning of September will be a year older than someone whose birthday is towards the end of August, despite both being in the same year academically.

Now it might not seem much but one year at that time in our lives makes a huge difference in terms of our development, both mentally and physically.

So what does this mean?

It means that if your birthday is at the end of the school year then you’re at a significant disadvantage relative to some of your much older classmates.

That disadvantage carries with you right through your school years, if you’re affected by it.

And it’s a disadvantage that extends not just to your academic studies but also to sport and physical activity too.

Success breeds positive reinforcement:

Most importantly, it’s not just the fact that you’re behind in terms of your physical and mental development. It’s also a fact that success breeds positive reinforcement.

Older students benefit from the constant reinforcement and encouragement of being told ‘Well done!‘, whilst younger students struggle to keep up unless they’re exceptionally gifted.

Even if people are of above-average ability for their age they can still be at a disadvantage relative to older classmates during their schooldays, particularly if those older classmates are also of above-average ability.

Inevitably at school people are compared to their peers and statistics show that the older ones tend to do better because of an inherent age advantage. That’s true with sport as well as academic subjects.

If younger students appear to perform less well, frequently that’s interpreted that as them being not quite as good as their older peers.

Advantage goes to age:

And few people, least of all our parents, recognise that the system essentially does not favour younger members of the class. It puts them at a disadvantage.

The obvious question then is how many people have gone through life feeling like a bit of a loser due to their experiences of a school system that tends to work against them simply because of the month in which they were born?

And how many people never fully recover from the inevitable damage done to their confidence and self-esteem during those all too important developmental years?

More importantly, our school days not only affect how we feel about ourselves. They also impact on how others perceive us to be as well.

A reputation for being a ‘Straight A’ student beats being a bit of an academic ‘also ran’. No one questions whether the former had an inherent advantage over the latter.

And how we’re perceived by others does matter because their perception of us often results in all the negative talk we often hear whenever we express ambition, which can affect our self-esteem.

I’m sure you know what I mean, as no doubt many readers will be familiar with the experience. Something like:-

You: “Oh, I’d like to be a doctor.”

Parent: “Oh, don’t be ridiculous, with your grades?”

And so on.

Our need for encouragement:

People will always give you reasons why you’re not good enough. When what you actually need is encouragement. With encouragement, you could make it in whatever pursuit that makes you feel truly energised.

If you’re someone who experienced disadvantage for whatever reason then let me tell you something. You’re as good as anyone and you should acknowledge that to yourself, constantly.

Schooldays represent a very small portion of life and they’re significant only in so far as they are one on many experiences we’ll have in life. Certainly, they don’t define you.

If your schooldays were a good experience then fine. If not, so what?

You can still achieve your ambitions with sufficient hard work and determination.

It doesn’t matter whether others believe you can do it, just as long as you believe you can do it.

There’s no such thing as a failure:

Remember; there’s no such thing as a failure. That label does not belong to people.

Failure is just an unwanted outcome and a learning opportunity. It’s not a person.

You have enormous potential. We all do.

Everyone is capable of achieving much more than they could ever think possible. With determination and hard work we can all achieve great things.

Attitude matters:

Your attitude is much more important than your aptitude when it comes to achieving your goals in life. Believe you can and you will.

However you feel about your past, it’s not too late to become something more than you are now.

You should embrace failure as nothing more than an opportunity for learning. It does not define you, and nor should it.

Recognise that just because you didn’t set the world on fire during your schooldays it doesn’t mean you can’t achieve great things now.

No correlation:

Remember; there’s no correlation between success at school and success in life.

Plenty of ‘Straight A’ students fail to achieve anything significant after they’ve left education behind. Whereas plenty of the less academically successful go on to achieve great things in life.

It’s not about how many times you get knocked down that count but how many times you can get back up and keep going until you get to where you want to be.

Victory is sweeter when it has been achieved following the experience of defeat.

You cannot achieve anything without the experience of at least the occasional failure along the way.

We all start as beginners:

Before anyone achieved success, they started out as a complete beginner. And along the road to success, they will have made plenty of mistakes. Anyone who suggests otherwise is either lying or deluded.

If you really want to succeed, just work hard, make mistakes and learn the lessons as you go.

If you’re determined you’ll find a way to achieve your goals and realise your dreams.

Failure’s not fatal:

Don’t be overwhelmed by any perceived failure. It doesn’t have to be fatal, nor does it imply that you’re not capable of achieving great things.

Never, ever give up until you get to where you want to be. Success can be yours if you want it badly enough. And remember this; it is better to try and fail than never to have tried at all.

Never be afraid to try because there are only outcomes we didn’t want and lessons to be learned.

Daily Mantra:

Reinforce self-belief by repeating constantly this daily mantra

I’m as good as anyone; I’m better than most; I will achieve success; nothing will stop me!

Go on, get started now. Success is waiting for you.

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Wisdom

Facts about life (1-20):

Facts about life (21-35):

Facts about life (36-45):

Facts about life (46-54):

Facts about life (55-60):

Facts about life (61-65):

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Grit: The power of passion and perseverance:

Further Reading:

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1. Be kind:

2. Value friendship:

3. Value your time:

4. Mindset matters:

5. Never fear making mistakes:

6. Read more:

(a) Blinkist:

(b) Audible:

7. Write more:

8. Practise public speaking:

9. You’re not your job:

10. Learn to manage money:

11. Know when to walk away:

12. Find a mentor:

13. Trust your instincts:

14. Rise to the challenge:

15. Nurture your network:

16. Schedule some ‘me time’:

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So in life, what really matters most?

It’s all in the little things we do:

Material possessions are meaningless:

How will your life be measured?

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The human experience:

Lessons learned won’t be forgotten:

Once is fine; twice is not:

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Common Sayings:

1. Be contrary; be known

2. Man who chases two rabbits catches neither

3. Knowledge is power

4. When in Rome do as the Romans do

5. Fortune favours the brave

6. Hope for the best; prepare for the worst

7. A picture’s worth a thousand words

8. There’s no such thing as a free lunch

9. Actions speak louder than words

11. Easy come; easy go

12. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure

13. Familiarity breeds contempt

14. Don’t judge a book by its cover

15. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

16. The squeaky wheel gets the most oil

17. Honesty is the best policy

18. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink

19. Keep friends close and enemies closer

20. Two heads are better than one

21. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

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Quotes about the importance of time management (1-8):

Quotes about the importance of time management (9-15):

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Discover your true potential:

Recommendations for your personal library:

DISCLOSURE:

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30 Quotes by Roy Sutton (1-10):

30 Quotes by Roy Sutton (11-20):

30 Quotes by Roy Sutton (21-30):

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