Starting with this defining momentLoveFriendshipRespect ProsperitySecurityPeaceHappinessAll await you in the 100 Action Principles
100ActionPrin c i p l e s By Bill FitzPatrick
Although the American Success Institute has res e a r ched many sources to ensure the accuracyand completeness of the information contained in this book, the Institute cannot accept anyresponsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or any other inconsistency herein. Any slightsagainst people or organizations are Action Principles. Copyright © 2000 by the American Success Institute, Inc. All rightsreserved. No part of this book may be rep r oduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,el e c t r onic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage andretrieval system, without permission in writing from the American Success Institute, ACTION PRINCIPLES ™, MASTER SUCCESS ™, 100 ACTION PRINCIPLES OF THESHAOLIN ™, POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDES ™, AFRICAN-AMERICANS ON SUCCESS ™,SP O R TS LEGENDS ON SUCCESS ™, WINNING WITH SMALL BUSINESS ™, TENGA UNA ACTI-TUD MENTAL POSITIVA ™, WOMEN ON SUCCESS ™, SPORTS LEGENDS ON SUCCESS ™ andATTITUDES MENTALES POSITIVES ™ are all trademarks of the American Success Institute, and motivational materials from the American Success Institute are available at spe-cial discounts for bulk purchases. For additional information, contact:American Success Institute, 5 North Main Street, Natick, MA 01760ww w . s u c c e s s . o r gPhone: 508-651-3303 e-mail: info@ v e r , book design, typography, and electronic pagination by Painted Turtle Prod u c t i o n s , Newton, MA. in the United States of AmericaISBN 1-884864-13-9
Table of Contents12 . Maintain A Positive Mental Attitude . . . . . . . . . . . .25 In t r od u c t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 10013 . Risk Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Action Principles . . . . . . . . . . .13 1. Set14 . Get Tou g h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 2. D15 . Cause Change . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 ivide and Conquer . . . . . . . . .15 3. W16 . Let Them Be . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 rite A Personal M17 . Accept Diffe r en c e s . . . . . . . . . .30 ission Statement . . . . . . . . . .16 4. Fo18 . Master Success . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 llow Throu g h . . . . . . . . . . . .17 5. Subm19 . Sp r ead Your Enthusiasm . . . . . .32 it to a Higher Power . . . .18 6. Don20 . Applaud the Beginner . . . . . . .33 ’t Complicate Matters . . . . .19 7. Comm21 . Give Yourself the Gift of it to Never Ending Se l f - R e l i a n c e . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Im p r ov e m e n t . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 8. Be F22 . Lead by Example . . . . . . . . . . .35 rugal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 9. Make23 . Co n t r ol Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Today Special . . . . . . . . .22 10 . Reco24 . Listen to Your Instincts . . . . . . .37 rd Your Thoughts . . . . . . .23 11 . U25 . Face Fear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 se the Power of Patience . . . .24
26 . Don’t Be A Perfe c t i o n i s t . . . . . .39 42 . Practice Forgi v e n e s s . . . . . . . . .55 27 . Remain Adaptable . . . . . . . . . .40 43 . Demonstrate Your Love . . . . . .56 28 . Think Win - W in . . . . . . . . . . . .41 44 . Be Prudent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 29 . Be Prou d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 45 . Develop Your Special Tal e n t . . .58 30 . Be Decisive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 46 . Be Persistent . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 31 . Be the War r i o r . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 47 . Develop Winning Habits . . . . .60 32 . Embody Integrity . . . . . . . . . . .45 48 . Do What Others Can’t . . . . . . .61 33 . Stay Centered . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 49 . Accept Hard Wor k . . . . . . . . . .62 34 . Love Many Things . . . . . . . . . .47 50 . Ven t u r e Outside The Box . . . . .63 35 . Fo r get Everybody . . . . . . . . . .48 51 . Communicate with Ease . . . . . .64 36 . Maintain Your Pres e n c e . . . . . .49 52 . Avoid Negative People . . . . . . .65 37 . Act as You Feel . . . . . . . . . . . .50 53 . Stay Fit and Healthy . . . . . . . . .66 38 . Ap p r eciate Your Appeal . . . . . .51 54 . Relax Your Body . . . . . . . . . . .67 39 . Develop Your Sense of Humor .52 55 . Invest In Your Future . . . . . . . .68 40 . Become Grateful . . . . . . . . . . .53 56 . Re t i r e Early . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 41 . Show Loyalty . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 57 . Have Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
58 . Follow Your Code of Honor . . .71 74 . Ap p r eciate Your Customers . . . .87 59 . Enjoy Quiet Tim e . . . . . . . . . .72 75 . Build Networks . . . . . . . . . . . .88 60 . Look in the Mirror . . . . . . . . . .73 76 . Build Your Tea m . . . . . . . . . . .89 61 . Im a g i n e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 77 . Negotiate With Power . . . . . . .90 62 . Hold Sacred … . . . . . . . . . . . .75 78 . Of fer Free l y . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 63 . Focus on Your Stren g t h s . . . . . .76 79 . Work At Wor k . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 64 . Understand Courage . . . . . . . .77 80 . Le a r n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 65 . Ask You r s e l f . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 81 . Ask a Lot of Questions . . . . . . .94 66 . Run the Short Road . . . . . . . . .79 82 . Read Biographies . . . . . . . . . . .95 67 . Ma r ch the Long Road . . . . . . . .80 83 . Be Open to New Ideas . . . . . . .96 68 . Close the Door on the Past . . . .81 84 . Heed the Wa rn i n g s . . . . . . . . .97 69 . Avoid Thinking That … . . . . . .82 85 . Observe and Be Awa r e . . . . . .98 70 . Count the Tim e . . . . . . . . . . . .83 86 . Read, Read, Read . . . . . . . . . . .99 71 . Act With Boldness . . . . . . . . . .84 87 . Respect and Defend All Life . .10 0 72 . Rejoice In the Day . . . . . . . . . .85 88 . Honor The Military . . . . . . . . .10 1 73 . Do What You Love Doing . . . .86 89 . Trea s u r e the Earth . . . . . . . . .10 2
90 . Allow Your Opponent 3 Rules To Master Success To Save Face . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 3 In Business . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 7 91 . Thank Your Ancestors . . . . . .10 4 20 Distinguishing Characteristics 92 . Practice Peace . . . . . . . . . . . .10 5 Of A Master . . . . . . . . . .11 8 93 . Make Everyone Feel Important10 6 Su c c e s s . o r g . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 9 94 . Give Generou s l y . . . . . . . . . .10 7 About Our Publications . . . . .12 0 - 1 2 1 95 . Sh a r e the Cred i t . . . . . . . . . . .10 8 Please Join Us In Our Wor k . .12 2 96 . Pr omote The Action Principles10 9 Action Challenges . . . . . . . . .12 3 97 . Walk The Tal k . . . . . . . . . . . .11 0 Re a d … . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 4 98 . Teach Our Children … . . . . . .11 1 What people are saying about 99 . Be A Mentor . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 2 Master Success . . . . . . . .12 5 100. Call to Action . . . . . . . . . . . .11 3 About Bill FitzPatrick . . . . . . .12 6 Master Success Maxims . . . . . . . . .11 4 Let’s Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 7 - 8 The Two Rules of Master Success .11 5 The Master Success Daily Dozen . .11 6
In t r od u c t i o n What is so inviting about the tried and true advice of the ActionPrinciples is that the beneficial results are don’t have to spend a year in graduate school,two days fasting or an hour chanting. Just stop, take afew deep breaths, read for a moment and think. You can change your life for the better in aninstant. You can make an immediate deci-sion to become more aware of how you areliving your life and recognize your personalchoice to be happy. Guided by your awaren e s s and these Action Principles, you can act. You canlisten more, smile more, be more patient and volunteermo r e often. You can take the lead and be in control. You canchoose to be a better partner, parent, friend, son, daughter,em p l o y e r , employee and citizen. In short, you have the God givenpower to choose a life of self-improvement and a commitment to help-ing others. And, no one can take this power from you. You can live an
active life and be successful, happy and at tone of the 100 Action Principles is motivational. These Action Principles arefor you, a self-reliant take-charge person of action willing to study and work hardfor yourself, your family and the larger community. The Action Principles are notpr esented as religious principles but rather as ideals common to all major rel i g i o n s . The Action Principles are not commandments but inspirational guides to rei n f o r ce your own value system. The intent is to challenge and stimulate your thinking asyou create your own independent success philosophy formalized in your dailyaction plans, your to-do list. Give the Action Principles a month. Enroll in our free e-mail program onSu c c e s s . o r g. Every morning, we will send you one of the Action Principles and ashort Master Meditation Mantra. Commit a few minutes to reading and ref l e c t i n g upon each day’s principle. Next, commit to telling one new person every day aboutthe Action Principles. Challenge yourself and challenge 30 others to be their best!This is what it’s all about; helping yourself as you help the habit of reviewing an Action Principle each day, you will become thebeneficiary of both tangible benefits like more money, a better job and improv e d health and intangible benefits like love, respect, friendship and peace of mind. As
you begin to fulfill your own personal and financial goals, you will find that youwill have the res o u r ces, time and peace of mind to share your good fortune andpositive attitude with others. You will have created success to share. Your life willevolve from making a living to making a diffe r ence. Achievement by achievement,better day by better day, with persistence, you will continue to find that your poten-tial is almost one is choosing you to become successful. You are selecting yourself. Mostpeople will not be able to see the power contained in the simplicity of these will read them with casual interest and move on. You can choose to be dif-fe r ent. You can choose to be extraordinary. In this defining moment, you canchoose to make the 100 Action Principles your principles for your Action Principles are Level One, the Awa r eness Level, of the six levels ofthe Master Success learn more about the life enrichment possibilities ofthe Master Success System,visit our website at . Bill FitzPatrick
The Action PrinciplesThe Action Principles present an outlook on how to live harmoniously yetcomfortably in the modern world. They are gems of action-oriented advice thatcan guide us in our lifelong quest for spiritual and mental growth, health andfinancial prosperity. The principles evolve from the important lessons to bele a r ned from self-reliance. The principles offer us a perspective to assess wherewe are and where we hope to go. There are many time tested motivational max-ims embedded in the Action Principles should help us to develop a mental and physical tough-ness to handle the rigors of everyday living as we work toward our goals. TheAction Principles should help us to develop a mental and physical softnessex p r essed in an inner peace from the knowledge that we are putting forth ourbest effo r t s .
1Set Goals Unless you shape your life, circumstances will shape it for you. You have to work,sacrifice, invest, and persist to get the results you want. Choose them well. You can’tstart your planning until you know where you want to are the sculptor of your own image. Have others already done what you wantto do? Study them and do what they did. Start anywhere, at anytime, and persist. Stopworrying what others think about what you can or can’t do. Believe in yourself andyour abilities. Have the self-confidence to challenge your current situation. This isyour life to live; it’s day by day and step by down your goals. Only three percent of people have written goals and onlyone percent review those written goals daily. Be in that elite one percent. Vis u a l i z e the attainment of your goals often. Goals are dreams with dates attached. You willonly become as great and as happy as the goals you choose.
2Divide and ConquerA common denominator among the successful is that they are focused onthe immediate accomplishment of specific objectives. Separate the importantfr om the urgent and allow time for both. Break down any large task into a seriesof small tasks and start taking action. In the beginning, don’t be too concerne d with how you will achieve your goals. With commitment, res e a r ch and patience,the means will come. Answers materialize when the facts have been goals will evolve into a set of action-oriented objectives, which willbecome a series of to-dos. Now prioritize. If you don’t prioritize your day’s activities, everything is ofequal importance. Whether one thing gets done or not doesn’t matter. You wantyour activities to be important, to have had a clearly defined purpose. Write yourto-do list every day. Prioritize it. Make at least one of your daily objectives a chal-lenge. At the end of each day, you’ll be able to relax and bask in that wonder-ful feeling of accomplishment.
3Write a Personal Mission StatementCreate for yourself an evolving document that outlines your purpose in life. Whoar e you? What are your values? What do you intend to do with your time to makeyour one life meaningful? Excepting acts of God, it is you who determines yourfu t u r e. You don’t have to listen to those who say you are too old, too young, toopo o r , too unattractive, too uneducated or the wrong color, gender or are not speaking of someone following the Action you read inspirational passages in other books, magazines or newspapers, writethem down or clip them out. Put everything together in a folder or box. This will serveas your motivational reserve and will help you create a personal mission mission statement only has to be a few sentences or paragraphs. Refer to yourmission statement periodically and don’t be afraid to change it as you grow. A missionstatement will help you to establish a foundation upon which you can build your drea m s and goals and from which will flow your objectives and daily to-do list.
4Follow Throu g h Follow through to make sure that you’ve done the job right. Follow throu g h to say thank you and offer new ideas. Follow through to ask for morebusiness. You earn respect by saying what you’re prep a r ed to doand then doing exactly that. Follow through shows that you area person of your word and someone who cares. It shows thatyou are accessible and that you want to keep the lines ofcommunication open. You may make mistakes and followth r ough gives you the opportunity to correct and to learnfr om those mistakes. Personalize your follow-up withhandwritten notes and phone calls. Small gifts,tickets and lunches may also be approp r i a t e follow-up incentives. Check up on yourselfand reap the rewards. Follow through ampli-fies your effe c t i v e n e s s .
5Submit to a Higher PowerLook at the big picture. You build your life upon your faith. You cherish yourfaith. You aren’t afraid to tell others of your beliefs. You stand for positive val-ues. You are ethical in your dealings. You pray and meditate to have the courageto face your fears. You pray and meditate to have the strength to accept, endureand triumph over the hardships and small daily annoyances that the path to suc-cess will present. You celebrate the good that you find in the humility, submit. You are but one fragile, fallible human. Every rel i g i o n has prayers. A prayer is your conversation with God. Your success and happi-ness is God’s answer. Your selfless good works in helping others are yourprayers put into action.
6Do n ’ t Complicate MattersDon’t complicate your life. Think before you act. Look for the simple waysor answers first where less can go wrong. Work from your basics. Make sure thatyou understand the assignment or the problem before you begin. What are thetime and perfo r mance expectations that will indicate satisfactory completion?Reexamine how you are doing things. Is a task consuming all of your time? Is itworth the time you are investing? Do you have the necessary res o u r ces? Can itbe delegated? If so, is the right person assigned to complete the job? You r res e a r ch, your quiet time, your commitment to teamwork and your prioritizedto-do list should all help. Pare away the unnecessary. Even the philosophyunderlying these Action Principles can be stated very simply. Improve yourselfand help others.
7Commit to Never Ending Improv em e n t Constantly seek ways to do things better in all areas of your life. The Japanesehave a word for the concept of never ending improvement, kaizen. Prog r ess andultimate success come to those who train and keep training. If you choose tostop and become aware, you can become a better spouse, son, daughter, friend,em p l o y e r , employee, athlete and comes from the inside out and is tested often. Measure yourselfagainst the best. Most others will choose to be average. This is what averagemeans. You won’t know your limits if you don’t keep trying. Reject the idea ofgood enough. Commit to excellence. Take each of your goals and think of howyou can improve one percent each month. Success is a journey. It is not a quickfix. The joy is in the doing. Think of success not as a peak to be climbed but ahigh plateau to be walked. Always encourage children or employees to do their best and to keep the bar high for yourself and them. You will all be the better for it.
8Be FrugalSeparate your wants from your needs. You want to work for all you need, notnecessarily for all you want. You do not have to sentence yourself to a lifetimeof hard labor for the false trappings of status. Living on less can eventually yieldmuch more. The simpler you make your life, the easier it will be to in terms of moderation. It is easier to buy things than to sell them. You can make a comfortable life for yourself by finding contentment in the thingsyou already have and holding reasonable expectations. Be pragmatic. To build an investment bankroll, you can work more or youcan spend less. Many people who write and stick to a household budget findthat the simple act of thinking and organizing before spending can yield savingsof between 10% - 15% of their earnings without seriously compromising theirlifestyles. Give yourself a raise by being frugal.
9Make Today SpecialMany people enjoy using the first few minutes of the day for their ref l e c t i v e time. How did yesterday go? What do you want to accomplish today? What willbe most important? This, of course, becomes your prioritized to-do list. How willtoday vary from your usual routine? Can you think of any small things that youcan do? Perhaps there is something that you’ve been avoiding, that, if you do it,would make you feel especially proud of yourself. Give each day a specific purpose. For unsuccessful, unhappy people, there isoften a sameness to their days. Is it Monday or Thursday? Is it March orNovember? Is it 3 o'clock in the afternoon or 10 o'clock in the morning? They’rein a rut and it doesn't has the same amount of time each day. How are you going to spendyour 24 hours? Plan in advance. Make lists. Lists are your road map to personalaccomplishment and balanced living. Always carry paper and pen. What are you doing today to ensure a better tomorrow for yourself and your family?
10 Record Your ThoughtsCarry index cards, a hand-held computer or a small notebook. Borrow nap-kins to write on. As you become an action-oriented person, positive thoughtswill occur with increasing regularity. Write down your ideas. You will have goodideas because you will have many ideas. Review your notes before your quiettime or before bed. You will become your own best therapist. You will see theways to solving your own problems, finding your own route to happiness andrealizing your own dreams. Spend most of your time thinking about solutionsand not problems. Get back to recording your thoughts.
11 Use the Power of PatienceYou can handle most problems because you know that only a little timestands between you and your goal. It may take twenty calls to make a sale. Bepatient. It might take you five attempts to quit smoking or lose weight. It mighttake ten applications to get the job you really want. The point is that you try andkeep trying until you succeed. Most people quit too soon. Be persistent. Bepatient. Concentrate on your major goal until you have achieved it. It is not whatyou did yesterday. It is not what you may be doing today. It is what you are pre-pa r ed to do every day. That one cold morning when you want to roll over butinstead get up and go to the gym, is a defining that all wealth, all businesses, all real estate and all trea s u r es even-tually pass from old hands to young. Be prep a r ed. Your time is coming.
12 Maintain A Po s i t i v e Mental AttitudeApositive mental attitude results from a life dedicated to self-improv e m e n t and service. With a personal commitment to doing your best today, you don’thave to be overly concerned about tomorrow. You can be confident that goodthings will happen and be equally confident that if trouble comes you will havethe strength and skills to cope, take control and then conquer. You are stay at it. You don’t allow your doubts to destroy your dreams. Hope doesspring eterna l . You are thankful to have the curiosity to keep learning. You are grateful tosee opportunity knock so often. You are thankful to have the personality to keepmaking new friends. Your mind can only hold one thought at a time so makethat one thought positive. Count your blessings. The way is clear. The world isa better place because you are in it.
13 Risk FailureBe ready. There is no better time to start taking positive action than rightnow. You res e a r ch and you have confidence in your preparations. You don’tallow yourself to become paralyzed by indecision. You realize that a time comeswhen you must act. If you hesitate too long, doubts will linger and turn intofears. Yes, you may stumble. Yes, you may be rejected. Yes, you may fail. Thisis life. Life’s winners accept that in trying they may have to adjust and even startagain and again. The diffe r ence between successful people and others is notwhether you make mistakes or even temporarily fail, but how you res p o n d . Many people look for guarantees before taking independent action. Yet, inseeking assurances, they frequently receive cautions, which can easily be usedas excuses for inaction. Be aware that those who love you the most may be theloudest in warning you not to risk.
14 Get ToughTough means that you are willing to stand tall and persevere. Even when yourmind and body signal perfectly good reasons for giving up, you go on. This tough isobvious. But tough can be seen every day if we choose to look. Tough may be apatient undergoing cancer treatments or a single mother struggling to raise children . Tough can be an alcoholic ready to face rehab or an athlete living in a can be rejecting false praise and honestly accepting you and your children forwho and what you are. Tough is an ability to make the best from what you are is making the decision to replace self-pity, complaints and dependence withse l f - r eliance, independence and ’ve got to be tough to do the big things in life like taking risks, admitting mis-takes, and changing bad habits. You’ve got to be tough to do the little things like bit-ing your tongue, waiting your turn and putting up with fools. Self-reliance and self-confidence will demand your toughness. Then, you must temper toughness withkindness, realizing that many times it will be tough to be kind. Be kind anyway.
15 Cause ChangeThe status quo may be comforting, but for there to be growth, there must bechange. Since you seek growth, you must seek change. You must see yourselfand your environment not only as it is, but also as it could and should be. You seek the changes necessary to reach the better you so that you can play yourpart in making a better world. First, you change yourself. Can you change your day and spend more timewith your family? Can you change your standard lunch routine and take a walk?Can you change your drive home and stop at a nursing home for twenty min-utes and see someone who may have few visitors? Can you change your offi c e habits and find the time to make five more phone calls? What are the possibleconsequences of not changing? Realize that many people don’t make plansbecause they don’t want to risk any change. Doing little with your life is mucheasier and safer than taking risks, but then you will be a small person. Instead,seek the changes which will allow you to be all that you can be.
16 Pass The Tes t Life is a test and the points on that test are earned by how much attention yougive to improving yourself and helping others. When your test is graded, to whatwill you attribute your success: study, hard work, personality, talent, skill, oppor-tunity, connections, patronage or luck? No amount of material success earne d and kept will be awarded credit. The greater your blessings, the greater yourobligation to share your good fortune. Use your special talents to serve the common good. Let your actions be moti-vated by a commitment to charity and justice. Be compassionate, kind and con-siderate. Free yourself from your attachment to things. The Action Principlesar e your ideals. Right now is the time to consider your blessings. Start scoringpo i n t s .
17Accept DifferencesSee each person as an individual and not as part of a group. All humans from all countries and cultures are equal without regard to race, color, creed or gen-de r . Believe with confidence and trust that the vast majority of people whom youmeet, befriend or do business with are more similar than diffe r ent from you. People are inherently good. Most people act in good faith. They mean you noha r m and would assist you in time of need. Don’t waste your time thinking oth-erwise. Do not become a party to rumor or stereotypes and the divisive and demeaning policies that group peopleinto categories. Be the first to build bridges of tolerance and understanding.
18 Master SuccessThe r e is a master inside you. It is an ideal. It is you at your best. Keep are calm, thoughtful, patient and confident. You are honest, trustworthy, responsible and rel i a b l e . You are loyal and prou d . You are humble and rev e r en t . You are tough, self-reliant, persistent and hard are organized, neat and are inquisitive and are healthy, vibrant and are kind, friendly, helpful and generou s . You are brave and are moral and ethical.
19 Spread Your EnthusiasmPutting the Action Principles to work in your life will elevate your soul andlift your spirit. You will feel a zest for life. You will live full, enriched days. Thiswill happen because you will have taken the quiet time to think, organize andprioritize your days. You will love many things and these things will become partof your day. You will be in control. Every day you will do good things for your-self and others. Words like boring, bland and uneventful will rarely describe yourwork or your rel a t i o n s h i p s . Listen to your favorite CD. Call a friend. Read a good book. Smile. Hear. . Smell. Take a walk and look at all the wonders of your world. Let every-one in your life know that life is worth known as a motivator. Ask others about their goals and how you can helpthem. Make people feel part of a successful team. Solicit their input. Keep every-one informed and involved. Establish perfo r mance incentives. Look for oppor-tunities to praise and reward. Enthusiasm is contagious.
20 Applaud the BeginnerYou walk into a karate school for a first visit and seekicking, punching, blocking, chopping and flipping. Itcan be intimidating if you’ve never done these , you may look and feel awkward learning to snowski or rollerblade or taking a foreign language. Butpersist; this is your first day and there will never beanother first day. Any new endeavor may be tough in the this. You must believe in yourself. Initially, crit-ics may feel free to ridicule your ideas and goals asfoolish and unrealistic. When you ultimately succeed,everyone will claim to have been on your team from the beginning. Take action and persist. Applaud thosewho try, because the first step is often the the newcomer.
21 Gi v e Yourself the Gift of Se l f - R e l i a n c e If there is one gift that you can give yourself that will enhance the overallquality of your life, it is self-reliance. You already possess everything you willneed to succeed. You can work on your own schedule toward your own goalswithout feeling pres s u r ed by the demands of you are self-reliant, if you lose your job, you’ll get another. If you losethat job, you’ll start your own business. You can make more money as a self-employed handyman applying the Action Principles to your work than a lazylawyer will ever earn. You need the will, the self-confidence and a realistic a follower of the Action Principles, you will have them. Life just can’t get youdown because you are in control of yourself.
22 Lead by ExampleStart acting immediately as the person you will be, a person of character witha sound reputation. Your words, your manner, your attitude, your dress, yourpo s t u r e and your actions are all reflections. In modern society, people are con-stantly bombarded with visual and auditory messages. People need cues to sortgood from bad and to find order so that they can make decisions. In many dif-fe r ent aspects of your daily life, you are giving off cues that can be positive ornegative. If you speak well, dress appropriately, smile, are courteous, work hard,volunteer and don’t complain, you give people short cuts to view you in yourbest light. You must never expect others to do what you would not do. You must be fair,fi r m, friendly and dependable. If you have to correct someone, do it in have succeeded as a leader when your team works just as well in yourabsence. Be constantly on the lookout for heroes in your own life to admire andemulate. Adopt their styles. Then, lead by example.
23 Co n t r ol ConflictRemain calm and detached. Allow others to rage while you consider theap p r opriate response. Should you reason, agree, apologize, fight or leave? Whichis to your benefit and to the benefit of those you must protect? Arguing oftenmakes the other party become more defensive and determined to prevail. Let goof your anger. It only clouds the issue and draws you into a quick res p o n s e . Whenever possible use kindness as your weapon against evil. Neutralize shout-ing with soft words. Answer threats with serene confidence. Speak plainly. Don’tuse foul language or sarcasm. Breathe deeply with long exhalations. Let theanger wash over you. Maintain your presence. Don’t exaggerate. Don’t lie. Attackthe argument and not the person. Long term relationships are almost always more important than short-termpr oblems. Be an active peacemaker, building bridges of understanding.
24 Listen to Your Instincts“I don’t feel comfortable here. I don’t like the sound of this. This doesn’t lookright to me.”With regard to your body or surroundings, your instincts are your best earlywa r ning system. Listen to the inner voice. Listen to that gut feeling. Go to thedo c t o r . Leave the party. Get away from these people. Quit this job. Don’t openthat door. Duck into that store. The world is an imperfect place. There are dan-ge r ous places and people. Every once in a while, your instincts may be off and you may feel foolish. Erron the side of safety and your instincts may save you from danger. Give your-self time or space to consider your options. It is foolhardy to do otherwise.
25 Face FearKnowledge, practice and courage are your weapons against person can step out of an airplane door at 2,000 feet without can stand before an audience of 2,000 and give a speech without brea k i n g into a sweat. Fears can be rational or irrational, but they are always personal and rea l . Everyone fears something. To diminish a fear, you must first face it. The one hundredth skydive or speechwon’t be as traumatic as the first. The best way to deal with first fears is through acombination of logic and bravery. Logically, most people who jump from planes orgive speeches don’t die. They succeed through preparation. If your equipment isright and your training is complete, you are ready to jump. If your speech is care-fully crafted and practiced, you are ready to with confident people. You have seen many who have already done whatyou fear doing. Now, do what they have done. Courage grows with action. Fear isle a r ned and must be unlearned. After facing that fear, you will feel exhilarated. Wit h o u t fe a r , there can be no courage. Fear provides the opportunity to be brave.
26 Do n ’ t Be A PerfectionistTrying to be perfect takes too much time and effort. It creates too much stres s and is impossible anyway. Instead, strive to relax at the 90% level. This is thepersonal mastery level. Following the Action Principles, reaching the 90% levelin most of your financial and social endeavors will be something that you don’teven have to think about. It will happen through your persistence, determi n a -tion, hard work and nice now, learn about the income and the lifestyle level of those in the top10% of your profession. If you aren’t content earning more than 90% of your co-workers, choose another prof e s s i o n . It is possible to try too hard in business, exercise and relationships. Overworkcan produce stress and anxiety, which is the opposite of the inner peace youseek. Your best is good enough. Live to a high standard, not to an impossibleob s e s s i o n .
27 Remain AdaptableIn daily life, through a love of many things, it is possi-ble to remain adaptable. If it starts raining on the way tothe beach, you’ll enjoy going to the movies. If you are keptwaiting for an appointment, don’t get angry. Make a fewcalls or work on your schedule. If you get stuck in traffi c , enjoy your favorite motivational audiotape, radio station orCD. Always have a book with you and you will never bealone. The small stuff can’t get you down if you are rea d y to substitute one good thing for another.
28 Think Win-WinThinking win-win is a frame of mind that seeks mutualbenefit and is based on mutual respect. It is about bar-gaining fairly, and being open-minded and reasonable toall parties. It is about compromise and a sincere desire tofind agreements that occupy the middle ground. Win - w i n is not taking advantage when it is understood that you arebeing trusted to act with honor. It’s about thinking in terms of abundance. There is anev e r -expanding ‘pie,’ a cornucopia of opportunity, wealth,and res o u r ces, not scarcity and adversarial competition.
29 Be Prou d Take pride in who you are and in those values and beliefs for which youstand. Be proud of your education, work and personal accomplishments. Bepr oud of your spouse, children and extended family. Be proud of your homeand neighborhood. Be proud of your country. Be proud of your body, person-al grooming and your manners. Be proud of the sports teams and cultural orga -nizations that you support. Be proud of your government officials when theystand selflessly for the public ’t be afraid of who you are, since you act with courage and others, and bask in the feeling of being your best. Teach others, so they, too,may be prou d .
30 Be DecisiveYou don’t have to wait for permission to do the right thing. Be decisive. Tak e the initiative. Get the facts. Do it now. If you don’t have time to send a letter to asick friend, send a card, a fax or an e-mail. If you can’t visit your mother, call you see a gift that a friend would love, buy it for him or her. If you can’t go tothe gym or dojo for ninety minutes, go for forty minutes. Avoid not doing things because you can’t get them done exactly as you’d origi-nally planned. Be bold and get in the habit of doing something. Walk down oneblock. Pay three bills. Spend fifteen minutes with your children’s homework. Givefive dollars to charity. Small efforts done continually can yield significant, positiveresults. Do it now while it’s on your mind. You don’t have to be perfect to live theAction Principles. Just be a person of action. You must have more than good inten-tions to succeed. You must act. Get it done. Start it now.
31 Be the War r i o r The warrior is tough in loyalty, intensity, determination, bearing, initiative,endurance, courage and strength of will. The warrior is soft in calmness, self-confidence and compassion. The warrior is frequently called upon to step for-ward when most gladly step back. Warriors exist on the battlefield and in dailyli f e . People may react to you rudely, selfishly and with malice. Be courteous you help may whine and offer no thanks. Help them honest words may be challenged and ridiculed. Speak may involve many mistakes and disappointments. Succeed donations may seem too small to matter. Give warrior is a master, ever prep a r ed to improve and to be of service to others.
32 Embody IntegrityAs a follower of the Action Principles, you are proud, strong, friendly, gen-er ous and successful. Many will seek your counsel. People will depend on faith and a belief in your cause. Know what you will fight for and whatyou won’t. Do not compromise what is right. Stick to your convictions and prin-ciples as you allow your ethical values to direct your decision-making. Integritygoes beyond self-interest to moral courage. Lying only leads to more your promises. Fulfill your commitments. People want to know whereyou stand and for what you stand. People respect honesty and sincerity, but hatehypocrisy. Be consistent. Speak in clear precise facts. Be sure your words matchyour deeds. Do what you say and your credibility builds. You cannot speakst r onger words than, “I give you my word. ”
33 Stay CenteredIn the battles of life, you will take punches. Some may hurt. This too will are the center of your universe. Take care of your own needs first. Then goto your family, then to friends, neighbors and employees. Move on to the larg-er communities. Don’t use saving the world as an excuse to forget your ’t allow others to rush or pres s u r e you toact before you can decide what is right. Themost important thing that a father can do forhis children is to love their with your knees slightly bent. Head eathe deeply from your belly. You are avery small part of the grand scheme of are one with the universe. You are every-thing and nothing. Remain calm, balanced andaw a r e.
34 Lo v e Many ThingsYou proportionally increase your chances for happiness by increasing thenumber of things that you love doing. Love many things and your happiness willescalate into an enthusiasm for life, which will have a positive effect on you andthose around you. Seek and enjoy those things that give your life value and pur-pose. To love many things, you must be adventurous. A boring life is your ownfault. Try new things. Be excited and passionate about life. Feel good. You mustbe able to see beauty in the grand scheme of things as well as in : music, art, books, food, T’ai Chi, karate, theater, travel, movies, sunsets,ex e r cise, friends, gardens and the Internet. Open your mind. Find your pref e r en c e s . Make your home, office and dojo beautiful places to love. Keep going …Remember how lucky you are to have so many interests. Happiness may notbe a result of financial success. Happiness is a result of loving many things andap p r eciating what you already have.
35 Forget Ever y b o d y Not everybody wants to do business with everybody wants to be your friend. Noteverybody wants world peace. Not everybodywants to work hard. Not everybody wants to bepr es i d e n t . Not everybody is smart enough to be a roc k -et scientist. Not everybody is fast enough to runin the Olympics. Who is helped by pret e n d i n g ot h e r w i s e ? Trying to accommodate everybody is a trap. Itcan’t be done. Be yourself. People know theirown problems better than you do. Not every-body will listen to reason or even act in his orher own best interest. You can.
36 Maintain Your PresenceYour contented presence shows an air of simple elegance and refinement inattitude and form. You appear physically, emotionally and spiritually strong, yetyou seem to have even greater strength in reserve. You are poised, coordinatedand balanced. You command with effortless, assured confidence. Be calm. Bedeliberate. Feel assured and alert. Look good. Feel good. Keep your head up andyour shoulders back. Keep your eyes forward. Breathe deeply. Speak with a softvoice in a thoughtful manner. Rarely interrupt. Be brief. Walk with a ’t rush. Have a firm handshake. Your eyes are friendly. Your demeanor isrespectful. Let your smile begin in your mind. You exhibit both style and impressions are things you want drawn to you will come as a result of your good natureand determined persistence. Pause and savor the moment. Begin your work.
37 Act As You FeelWhen you feel in the mood to do something, this is the best time to do you feel happy, you feel daring, you receive good service, you feel energetic, do something you know a good joke, tell you feel generous, you are interested in becoming wealthy, save and someone needs help, lend them your strong hands or soft you give your word, keep you want to make things better, vote.
38 Appreciate Your AppealFollowing the Action Principles makes you an appealing,charismatic person. Students will want to learn from you,bosses to promote you, banks to lend you money and cus-tomers to buy your products or services. Your allure will be your genuine selflessness in wanting tohelp them to achieve their objective, whether it is to becomea black belt or buy a car. By not trying to be a salesperson, buta true customer service person, you will make more isn’t painted on the outside. It comes from the honest. Be yourself. Adopt this attitude and you will beliked by many – immediately.
39 De v elop Your Sense of HumorIn all areas of life, a quick wit, a hearty laugh, a smile and a warm sense ofhumor are appreciated. To be a good joke teller, tell jokes often. Practice. Modelyour delivery after comedians you admire and funny friends. Start a joke be absolutely sure that your material is clean and non-offensive. Stickto a universally funny subject – you. Most of the best humor is self-deprec a t i n g . That is, you have to learn to laugh at yourself. On your road to success, therewill be many stumbles and fumbles, providing many opportunities for you totu r n the unexpected into stres s - r educing laughter. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Laugh about it. Be affable. Humor will add to your attractiveness.
40 Become Grat e f u l Life isn’t exactly the way you want it to be. You will have your ups and downsand crosses to bear. You will have opportunities to practice holding your tongueand exercising patience. Yet, because you are focused on the larger picture, you willbe able to keep everyday events in grateful for all you have. Acknowledge and accept compliments. In the larg-er scheme of things, you may wish to be grateful for good health, a supportivespouse, a rewarding profession, obedient, healthy children, conscientious employ-ees, prosperity, religious faith, loyal friends and even winning sports teams. You addand choose. Why not write letters to people in your life who have made a diffe r -ence and thank them? You will both feel you can look forward and be thankful, you can help others do the the burning candle from which others can light their gratitude.
41 Show LoyaltyBe a stand-up person. You stand for your family, country and friends. When andif trouble comes, let others have no doubt that they can count on you for help andsupport. Your commitments don’t waver with the moods of the moment. You don’thesitate to work, you build customer loyalty by concentrating on service with an attitudeclear to everyone that customer retention is very important to you. You don’t run abusiness solely dependent on finding new are consistent, devoted, faithful and true. You stand for your beliefs and val-ues. You aren’t afraid to pledge allegiance to what is right. This is loyalty.
42 Pr actice Forgiven e s s Ang e r , hatred, bitterness, resentments and thoughts of revenge are heavyweights that slow a person down. Allowed to fester, these negative feelings canconsume increasingly larger portions of your life. Liberate yourself. Let it go. Thefo r giving person is always stron g e r . Be like the rock in the stream and let thethoughts of revenge flow by you. As a person of action, improving yourself and helping others, youwill make lots of mistakes. You will do foolish things. Learn thele s s o n . You practice forgiveness for yourself. Consider those whomyou may have offended or injured and ask for their for-giveness. Can you say, “I’m sorry and I apologize if Iof fended you.”?If you ask and your request isrejected, you have lightened your burden in to encourage efforts at rec o n c i l i a t i o n .
43 De m o n s t r ate Your LoveFrom the Bible, we learn that love is patient and kind. It does not envy. Itdoes not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking; it is not eas-ily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs. It always protects, always trusts,always hopes, always perseveres. It is responsibility and a willingness to workout prob l e m s . Love is too wonderful and too powerful to be kept bottled up. Let it out withyour smiles, your voice, your manner, your enthusiasm and your continuing actsof kindness. For love, you can risk being you find love, cherish and safeguard it. A loving marriage and family isworth all your effo r t s .
44 Be PrudentJust because you deserve victory doesn’t mean that you will win every fight,game or argument. Someone else may have the tactical advantage. Have the self-confidence to know when not to fight. Perhaps the smartest course of action isto ret r eat and reflect upon your options. Can you ret u r n to the challenge onanother day better equipped, more experienced and stron g e r ? The non-action of the wise man is not inaction. It is not studied. It is not shak-en by anything. The heart of the wise man is tranquil. It is the mirror of heavenand earth … emptiness, stillness and tranquility. Wise men don’t fight each other.
45 De v elop Your Special Tal e n t You were born with a special talent. It may be to sing, write, teach, paint,me n t o r , preach, defend or befriend. You have something special to offer theworld, something you can do better than 10,000 others. You must keep learni n g and trying new things to find your special talent. The world needs your gift. Beaw a r e that even a special talent can go stale if you don’t keep using and honingit. Endeavor to keep your talents and all your skills up to date. An advantage isn’t an advantage unless you use it. Find ways to use youradvantages to set and reach your goals. Likewise, you should recognize and thentry to minimize the impact of your limitations. Remember that not all advantagesar e transferable. Just because you are talented in one area doesn’t mean that youwill be talented at everything you try. The successful real estate investor can eas-ily lose her money opening a restaurant. Stick to your advantages and don’t strayfr om them without reasoned justification.
46 Be PersistentMod e r n life can make you soft. The status quo may become comfortably familiar. You can actu-ally begin to believe that you are doing all that you can, or that doing more isn’t worth the effo r t . Challenge yourself. You must start the positive momentum in your life and then you’ve got to stickwith it day to don’t need someone else to tell you not to smoke. If today, you smoked a pack, tomorrow smoke 18. The next day, 17. Improve. If you haven’t read a book recently, read one. If you don’tex e r cise, take a walk around the block. If you’re shy, say to five new people:“Good morni n g ! ” You know yourself. You know what improvement you need. You don’t need anyone to tell younot to jump from a fifty-story building, so why would you need someone to tell you not to do drugs,to exercise more, eat a sensible diet, talk to your kids, or compliment your employees? You knowwhat to going. No one can say that you failed until you do. Keep taking small steps toward yourgoal. Challenge the you who is content with yesterday’s accomplishments. Take a deep brea t h . Changes that last a lifetime begin in a moment. With persistence, only time stands between youand your goal.
47 De v elop Winning HabitsIf becoming a success were easy, everyone would do it. It isn’t. They don’ a follower of the Action Principles, you can. You can develop winning habitswhile identifying and working to eliminate your bad habits. Be studies have shown that it takes about 30 days to begin to form orbegin to rid yourself of a can keep your word even though this may not always be easy. You canwrite and focus on your goals and objectives and your to-do list. You can exer-cise when you’re tired. You can read business materials. You can volunteer. You can give a little extra money to charity. You can give a little extra time to fami-ly members, students and customers. You can pick up litter on the jogging can delay gratification. You can do a lot while others are won’t always want to do these things. You will feel that you are doingmo r e than your share. You are right. Work on your habits. You are tough.
48 Do What Others Can’tMost people can’t give two nights a month to volunteer at a hospice. You ca n . Most people can’t get up at 6:00 AM and jog two miles. You people can’t give up their lunch hour to solve a customer’s problem. You ca n . Most people can’t help to clean up other people’s messes. You people can’t help a friend deal with destructive behavior. You people can’t give five percent of their money to charity. You are following the Action Principles.
49 Accept Hard Wor k Great accomplishments come from hard work. Luck accompanies hard necessary, be prep a r ed to endure temporary hardship. At times, the work isgoing to be hard to do and you would prefer doing something easier. Acceptthis. Put enthusiasm into your work and you will reduce boredom. Commit your-self to hard work and be thankful that you aren’t lazy. Laziness makes all workdi f ficult. Fr om day one, you accept the premise that by following the Action Principles,you will work hard and give much. Don’t cheat, or look for the easy way in the feeling of exhilaration and accomplishment that few will you work hard, you will never go hungry. In the end, you will discover thatall the hard work was worth it. Work hard and don’t wish that your life were anyother way. Get accustomed to doing what others can’t or won’t.
50 Venture Outside The BoxIt would be nice if there were logical step-by-step instructions for every stepon your success journey. But, there aren’t. You learn from your own experiencesand by studying the experiences of others, and then you often have to find yourown way. To find an answer, you may have to go outside the all graphic designers are offering computer-generated work, maybe your nicheis hand drawing. If all your day care center competitors are strict about pick-uptimes, maybe your niche is to be flexible. If none of the other landlords in your area allow pets, maybe you do. Being a little diffe r ent can be prof i t a b l e . If you can’t earn a degree full time, perhaps you can take evening or corre-spondence or on-line courses. If you are worried about starting a business, youcan consider buying an existing business or a franchise. If you can’t exerci s e because you have to baby-sit, how about taking the kids for a walk or run withyou? Don’t give up. At times, you may have to improvise and be crea t i v e . Quitting or not trying isn’t an option.
51 Communicate with EaseCan you talk your way out of most tough situations? Can you talk your way through todecision makers to build up your sales? Can you talk to the media and garner positive pres s for your business? Can you talk to 500 people and win converts to your cause or position? Being an effective communicator can take you a long way and is a skill worth devel-oping. Be yourself. Believe in your own words. It doesn’t matter if you are talking to oneperson or one thousand. If you want people to like what you say, persuade with modestyand build your audience up. Listen to good communicators and model yourself after them. How do good interview-ers ask questions? How do good public speakers work? How do good salespeople sell? Tocommunicate well, you can’t get stuck on transmit. Pause before you speak. You must lis-ten and speak with purpose. Get to the point. Create interest with visual aids. Tell themwhat you are going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you told them. Sit ’t let technology leave you behind. Learn to communicate via e-mail and theIn t e r net.
52 Avoid Negative PeopleYou have one life to live. You want to be happy and to make your life mean-ingful. You haven’t got time to waste with negative people. They will drain youren e r gy. When they find a willing audience, they won’t let it go. They may havejustifiable concerns but too often get involved in minor matters. They blame andlook for excuses. Even when blame can be justified it serves no productive are usually negative because they have ceded control of their happiness toothers – the boss, the neighbors, the kids, the politicians, the police. Be polite and encouraging to negative people. You can be compassionate, butstill be strong enough to walk away. Everyone has problems, but not everyoneallows those problems to rule them. You can offer a temporary safe haven with-out becoming a permanent home. You do not have to sacrifice your life to thepr oblems of another.
53 Stay Fit and HealthyBe prep a r ed to succeed both physically and mentally. You do not knowwhen you will be called upon to defend with a block, a blow or a word. You can swim, run, or rollerblade. You can take a walk. Staying fit also helps to pre-vent injury and helps you deal with stress and fatigue. If you want to be thinner, start putting out more caloriesthan you take in and you will lose weight. Start now. If youwant to be healthier, add more fruits and vegetables to yourdiet. Drink a lot of water. If you want a strong heart, dotwenty minutes of vigorous calisthenics each day. If youwant to look good and feel strong, work out with weightsth r ee times a week for thirty minutes. You don’t need fancygym equipment to be fit. You don’t need a lot of time. You just need the will to start and persist.
54 Relax Your BodyIn your personal dealings, remain loose and light. Eliminate stress. There isra r ely need to be tense and hardheaded. Much can be accomplished throu g h calm reason and a soft physical movements should be loose, light, fluid, agile and flexible,rather than tense, hard, rigid and stiff. Slow, deep breathing will calm anxieties,lower your heart rate and allow for concentration. Massages, steam baths, saunasand whirlpools also help the muscles to rest. Make sure you get your rej u v e n a t -ing 6-8 hours of sleep per night. At any time, start counting backwards from 100 as you breathe deeply. Let theair fill your belly as you inhale and exhale, more slowly and more fully with eachbr eath. Quiet your muscles and rel a x .
55 In v est In Your FutureToday, investors sacrifice and spenders enjoy. Tom o r r ow, investors enjoy andspenders keep working. If you buy a house today, you may have to work twojobs to make the mortgage payments now but you may own the house withoutdebt in twenty years. If you give up TV tonight, you can take an evening courseand in six years earn a college degree. If you start training today, you may beso r e tomorrow and a black belt in four years. Invest in wealthy people save between 15% and 20% of their income. Invest infields in which you have a specialized knowledge. If you sell cars, invest in theauto industry. If you are a real estate brok e r , buy income properties. Be sure todiversify your holdings by investing in a ret i r ement plan and a no-load mutualfund. There is a time value to money, so the earlier you start investing the bet-te r . Invest in things that appreciate rather than spend on things that deprec i a t e . Se c u r e your own ret i r em e n t .
56 Retire EarlyIf you didn’t have to worry about earning a living, you could concentrate onyour personal potential and being of service to don’t have to be a millionaire to ret i r e early. In fact, if you had savingsof half that amount, invested prudently, you could ret i r e and earn an annualincome that exceeds the annual income of 75% of the people in the UnitedStates. Over half of the people in the United States have less than $10,000 savedfor ret i r ement and live from paycheck to paycheck. They have no definitivefinancial plans. You are diffe r ent. You now have a financial goal: to ret i r e this: After 20 years of saving 20% of your income, you may crea t e the choice of not having to work for a this: As an alternative to saving 20%, can you earn 20% more if youwork 10 hours a day rather than 8, or 6 days a week rather than 5?
57 Ha v e FaithLook around the train, the classroom or the office and you will probably seeordinary people who are going to live ordinary lives. There is nothing wron g with this choice. But you feel diffe r ently. You read this book and you feelem p o w e r ed. You go to for more training. Your mind fills with find mentors. You res e a r ch. You dare. You persist. You make money. You save. You invest. You succeed. You put your free time and extra money to gooduse. Many around you could have done exactly the same thing. They didn’t. You did. Why?You can’t easily answer all of life’s questions. You must have faith. Thank Godfor making you extraordinary. Thank God for helping you see so many possi-bilities. Thank God for making you a person of action.
58 Follow Your Code of HonorAs a follower of the Action Principles, you adhere to a strict code of honorregarding your personal behavior. Your honor becomes your do not need to prove your might at the expense of do not need diplomas, awards or the acclaim of others to know who you are. You do not need an audience to do the right do not need a lot of money or many physical possessions to be do not need to stand first in do not need lessons to act do not need prompting to help someone in need.
59 Enjoy Quiet Tim e Everyone needs quiet time in their day when they can just be with their ownthoughts. This isn’t daydreaming. The serenity of quiet time can be enjoyed in avariety of ways. It can be traditional Zen or transcendental meditation, but it canalso be taking a walk, gardening, making a pot of tea or taking a long, hot show-er . You may wish to pray. Each day, take twenty minutes to stop, reflect andenjoy being who you are. Think about the past, present, future or nothing in par-ti c u l a r . Relax by yourself and you will feel renewed. Tranquillity will re- e n e r gi z e you. Without trying, you will be amazed at how your subconscious mind rel e a s -es so many good ideas. As you reflect upon the true sense for your existence,you can better deal with as the time you spend exercising strengthens the physical you, quietreflection strengthens the spiritual you. Quiet time also gives you the opportu-nity to practice minding your own business. Take a deep breath and continue tobr eathe slowly and steadily. Look around. Use all your senses. You will find con-tentment in the solitude.
60 Look in the Mirror Look at yourself as your family, co-workers, customers, students and the generalpublic may be seeing you. Endeavor to like and admire what you and they ’t kid yourself and fall victim to self-deception. Success means nothing ifyou are a professional athlete on drugs. Success means nothing if you are a doc-tor who is abusive at home. Success means nothing if your sole aim is to makeyour own life can’t honestly judge others if you can’t honestly judge yourself. You can-not build a stronger self if you rely upon what may be the self-serving falseappraisal and expectations of others. Do yourself a favor and be honest withyourself. Are you doing all you can do? If you are not honest with yourself,doubts and fears will haunt you. During your quiet time each day, quickly con-template the thought: Is this the way that I want to be thinking and acting? Makese l f - r eflection a daily habit. Pay close attention to yourself. This is characterbuilding.
61 Im a g i n e Imagine that you can give your family all the money they that you can give your family all the time with you they that you will be seen as a respected leader in your that your students will like that your employees will work hard for that people are telling you that you are making a diffe r ence in their that you can accomplish all you is not a daydream. This is a result of following the Action Principles.
62 Hold Sacred …… your religious faith. … your family. … your good name.… your given word. … your moral code.… your self-reliance. … your positive attitude. … your healthy lifestyle. … your self-improv e m e n t . … your love of learning. … your willingness to share.
63 Focus on Your StrengthsRely on your strengths. To know your strengths, you must first acknowledgeand then compensate for your weaknesses. Ask your friends and mentors: Whatam I good at? In what areas should I improve? What do you do better than mostpeople? Don't be afraid to ask for advice or help and don’t be afraid to listen tothe answers. Reflect and learn. Knowing yourself allows you to plan your daysfor peak perfo r ma n c e . In business, solicit comments on your products and services. Customer andemployee compliments and complaints are important tools to improve effi c i e n -cy. Who knows you better?Accept your limitations. Accept your circumstances. Following the Action Principles, you should have more than enough of every-thing to succeed. Be the best you can be on the inside, and your beauty andconfidence will be reflected on the outside.
64 Understand Courag e The r e is a diffe r ence between physical and moral courage. If you earn a blackbelt in karate, you may be called upon to be physically courageous but suchevents will be extraordinary. Even police officers, firemen and military person-nel may only have to be physically courageous a few times in their caree r s . Moral courage is needed more often than physical courage. Moral couragemay mean the challenge to stay with a belief when your position may not be themost popular. Moral courage can be standing tall against bigotry, prej u d i c e , un f a i r ness, and bullying behavior. Moral courage is a challenge to do what isright, regardless of the personal consequences. Moral courage may ask you tofo r gi v e . Think of people in physical pain or mental anguish. You may see couragebeing lived every day.
65 Ask You r s e l f Are you healthy enough to keep to a regular exercise schedule?Ar e you self-disciplined enough to stick to your prioritized to-do list?Ar e you smart enough to be able to debate current affa i r s ? Ar e you brave enough to take a moral stand?Ar e you humble enough to ask for help?Ar e you strong enough to delay material gratification?Ar e you merciful enough to forgive those who offend you?Ar e you generous enough to share your good fortune?
66 Run the Short RoadThe short road leads you to physical fitness. If you work out three or fourtimes a week, in three to four months you will probably be in good shape. Thisis a short road to a notable short road leads to financial independence. If you offer a quality prod u c t or service and you appreciate your customer and you keep improving, you willea r n enough money not to have to worry about it. This is a short road to anotable short road leads to strong personal relationships. If you smile at, listen toand are generous with family, employees and the public, you will be rew a r d e d with many friends. If you are courteous, you will be welcomed anywhere. Thisis a short road to a notable accomplishment.
67 March the Long RoadOn the long road, experience beats inexperience; smart beats uninforme d ; ef fort beats laziness; polite beats rude; generous beats selfish; fit beats fat andin t e r ested beats bored. Be patient. Your time is coming. With time, everythingpasses from old hands to the long road, time will reward the prudent investments you make the long road, you accept the physical, mental and financial blessings thatyou enjoy from following the Action Principles as you continue throughout yourlife to improve yourself and to give back to your family and society.
68 Close the Door on the PastThe past is only alive if you keep it alive. You can’t change yesterday but youcan build today for tomorrow. Don’t shackle yourself with reg r ets. Don’t startfeeling sorry for yourself. Whatever your previous circumstances, others havegotten through the same or worse. Appreciate yourself as a tested survivor:st r ong and determined. Learn from the past but don’t assume that your past auto-matically equals your future. Instead, fill your life with anticipation. Set your goals. Write your to-dos. Justbecause you haven’t done something before doesn’t mean that you can’t startdoing it right now. Be the new, dynamic you. Right now.
69 Avoid Thinking That …… you need to chant or fast to find yourself. … you need a lot of money to start a business. … you need more than eight hours sleep.… you need a personal trainer to exercise. … you need advanced university degrees to be successful.… you need to work forty or fifty years before ret i r ement. … you need special physical abilities to become a black belt.… you need more time or res o u r ces before helping others.… you need to criticize more than compliment.… the world owes you anything.
70 Count the Tim e How long does it take to exerci s e ? How long does it take to stay informe d ? How long does it take to be well groo m e d ? How long does it take to read your child a bedtime story?How long does it take to say a kind word or deliver a compliment?How long does it take to clean up after a meal at a shelter?How long does it take to complete the next entry on your to-do list?How long does it take to vote?Pr obably just minutes.
71 Act With BoldnessEveryone admires the bold, courageous and daring; no one honors the faint-hearted, shy and timid. Look around at what others have done and what you canalso do. Everyone is afraid. The strong act in spite of the fear. The weak cowerbecause of the fear. Timidity breeds doubt and hesitation that not only weaken butcan be dangerous. The coward dies a thousand deaths. Th e r e is a formula for personal development. It is the same formula for must study. You must plan. You must practice. You must be tested. Some willshrink simply facing the task. Some will do the minimum and pass. Some will cutco r ners and pass. Instead, you must boldly welcome the challenge of honestly meet-ing the standards. Then and only then will you feel the true pride of a personal decision to do what it will take to succeed. These principles areknown to many but lived by few. Most people know what they should be lack the will or the self-confidence to test themselves physically and mentallyby starting a business, making an investment or establishing a friendship. This is notthe independent you. You are a person of action.
72 Rejoice In the DayYou got up early. You did your best at work. You ex e r cised your mind and body. You were pleasant toothers. You did a good deed. You took time to ref l e c t and plan tomorrow. You found a small way to spoilyourself. Take pleasure in your accomplishments. Bepr oud of yourself. If you keep putting days like thisto g e t h e r , there is no telling how far you will go andhow many lives you will be able to touch in a posi-tive way. Today, you moved one day closer to achiev-ing your small victories and small joys and smallwonders. You did your best. Put your head on yourpillow. Live vibrantly. Sleep peacefully.
73 Do What You Love DoingThe r e are 5,000 diffe r ent types of one that you love. People have been suc-cessful at all of them. They are your models. You can do the same. When you love your job, it does-n’t seem like work. If you are caught in dead endemployment, use your free time to find a job thatyou can love doing or start your own e r e are unlimited activities to occupy your free time. Make sure that each of your days, weeks,months and years are full of activities that you lovedo i n g . Plan to spend a lot of your time doing what youlove. You are in control of your own happiness.
74 Appreciate Your CustomersIt is people who are going to give you their time, help or money, so you canhave everything that you ever wanted in your life for yourself and your people are voters and tenants and fans and customers and clients andpatients and teammates. Listen to them. Appreciate them. Support them. Theyhold the keys to your success. People who feel appreciated will remain loyal andwill become your goodwill ambassadors as they happily sing your praises to oth-ers. By focusing on the needs of others, a wonderful thing happens. You geteverything that you want. Customer service is important for the customer, but itis essential to your business. Without customer service, you don’t have customersand you don’t have a business.
75 Build NetworksYou can go a long way by yourself, but you advance much better, muchfa s t e r , with the help of others. Seek out others with a common purpose and helpeach other. Work through your mentors. Find them. Tell them why you admirethem. Successful people will not be threatened by your enthusiasm for n c e r ely ask for their help and often you will be rewarded with positive sug-gestions and the names of contacts. Carry and exchange businesscards. Rehearsea personal introduction that clearly and precisely states who you are and whatyou do. Fo r m alliances for common purposes. Establish your own personal supportsystems. Where do you find good attorneys, physicians, investment advisors,dentists, tailors, or contractors? Ask those you respect for recommendations. Ifyou have a computer, buy a contact management program, and as you meet newpeople, add them to your personal network database. Keep in regular contactwith your network. Form your support systems and personal networks beforeyou need them.
76 Build Your Tea m In building your winning team to play a game or build a business, don’t beafraid to pick people who are stron g e r , faster, smarter, better organized, braver,mo r e ambitious, funnier or more pleasant than you are. Ask your best peoplefor recommendations. Think about the spirit on the best teams you were everon and how your teammates cooperated in reaching a common goal. Thinkabout the dignity and respect your teammates showed to one another. Thinkabout how you were able to rebound from losses to play and win want your team to be built on excellence. You want your team built withmembers of merit and character. Resist those who propose membership basedupon patronage. Excellence is excellence and is not subject to conditions of race,co l o r , creed, national origin, etc. If people are the best-qualified to fulfill theteam’s mission, then that’s what they are. If they are not, they are not.
77 Negotiate With PowerAlmost everything is negotiable. Research and prep a r e before you with quiet authority. Know what you want and will accept before youbegin. Ask for what you want. You shouldn’t expect the other party to guesswhat you want. Be sure that the person you are speaking with can grant yourrequest. Be persistent. Try diffe r ent angles of attack. Ask the other party to sug-gest a resolution. Suggest a compromise. Start the negotiation process with a lower than expected offe r . Be rea s o n a b l e . Don’t argue or threaten. Respect the other party’s position. Suggest logical argu -ments for your request. Clearly state your opinion and the rep e r cussions to bothparties if an agreement is not reached. When you finalize the sale or negotiatethe deal, stop talking, shake hands and move on to a neutral topic.
78 Offer FreelyThe single best word in advertising is free. So give freely and reap the rew a r d s . If you are a hairdresser and need new customers, don’t sit in the salon doing noth-ing. Hand out business cards, give free haircuts and show your you are a black belt, offer free self-defense clinics at factories, schools, fairs andan y w h e r e else that will let you are an artist, donate one afternoon a month to teaching at the children ’ s ho s p i t a l . Look for ways to say, "free" and keep you give with positive intent, you don’t have to worry nor should yoube worried about the benefits. You will feel good. You will feel apprec i a t e d . Th e r e is a universal human law of rec i p r ocity. When you give something tosomeone, that person feels obligated to give something back. It could be newbusiness. It could be media attention. It could be a testimonial letter. It could bea heart-felt“Thank you.”
79 Work At Wor k Work expands to fill the time available. Many people will work only up toexpectations. Some work just hard enough to not get fired. Some people actu-ally work as little as possible at work. No one likes the self-pitying whiner whoslinks in the shadows while others do the work. These people create a windowof opportunity for ’t worry about being obligated to work more hours to beat the competi-tion. You probably don’t have to invest more time. Instead, if you work all thetime you are at work, you will probably come out well ahead of your competi-tion. Guard your time; discourage interruptions. Ho w e v e r , don’t become lulled into mistaking activity for your prioritized to-do list. Live and appreciate every day as an importantda y .
80 Le a r n You are responsible for your own education. When you want to learn abouta new subject, go to the library. Go to the bookstores and buy books and mag-azines. Log on to the Internet. Join a club or association. Find experts in the questions and more questions. Take courses and ask your teacher ’t just sit there. Make the course your course. As you begin a new subject orreach a new plateau in your studies, there may be awkward and embarrassingmoments. Don’t be afraid or think that you lack the aptitude to succeed. Everyonegoes through the same learning curves. Work to understand the basics. Stick withit. Hunger for knowledge, because knowledge is power. You don’t need to attendfamous universities, or burden yourself with piles of college tuition debt. You canle a r n anything you want to learn. It is a gift that you give yourself. Knowledge isportable. You take it with you everywhere. The smart will defeat the stron g .
81 Ask a Lot of QuestionsThe easiest way to get information is to ask a question andlisten to the answer. Good parents, friends, students and lead-ers aren’t shy. If someone seems upset, depressed or anxious,ask why. Ask and get to the point and you may be able toco r r ect a small incident before it becomes a big problem. Ifyou are rejected, ask a question and you may learn enoughto succeed on your next attempt. Let one question lead to thenext. Questions are stepping-stones to self-improvement. Theonly meaningless question is the one not the receiving side, remember that the truth fears noqu e s t i o n .
82 Read Biograp h i e s What if you could learn the success secrets of the greatest people who everlived? You can. The lives of the famous and the infamous have been recorded in biographiesand are ready for you to read and res e a r ch. The lives of great government leaders, businesspeople and humanitarians areth e r e. You will read about successes and triumphs. You will also learn how manytimes champions lose on their way to reading biographies, you may come to the startling conclusion of howmuch greatness you possess. You may conclude, “Hey, I can do that.” You canmake your life significant. Biographies help show the way. You only have to takethe action to go to the library, bookstores or surf the Interne t .
83 Be Open to New IdeasThe r e is always more to learn. Your employees, family, friends, suppliers andeven your competitors may all have suggestions that you can put to prof i t a b l e us e . Be open-minded. Observe, read and listen. Be open to the fact that lots ofpeople are going to have ideas worthy of your consideration. Welcome the better ideas into your business and personal new ideas in books, magazines, videos, audiotapes, newsletters, trade lit-er a t u r e, and on the Internet. Find new ideas at conventions, seminars, lectures , and by taking evening courses. Seek new experiences and adventures. Whoda r es must guard against being unchangeable or apathetic.
84 Heed the War n i n g s “H igh voltage.” “Wear Your Seat Belt.” “Capacity Limitedto 150.” “Danger - Thin Ice.” “Don’t Drive Drunk.”You may wish that you were invulnerable but you arenot. You are human and your body can get hurt if youar en’t a vigilant guardian of your own physical safety. Awf u l accidents may happen beyond your control. They are acci-dents and acts of God. But we are also often forew a r ned. Aprudent person appreciates the warni n g s . On occasion, you will find yourself in the company ofstupid people who don’t care about their own safety oryours. Be courageous. Speak up and then leave them totheir stupidity.
85 Ob s e r v e and Be Awar e At first, observation and awareness will req u i r e conscious effort on your time, they will become instinctive and will be some of your most valuablesk i l l s . In business, you see ads and get ideas for your ads. You shop in stores andget ideas for your store. There is no point in re-inventing the wheel. If a prov e n strategy already exists, find it and try it. In self-defense, you enter a movie theater and you make a mental note of theexits. You walk down an unfamiliar street and automatically scan for the unusual. Listen to the speech patterns of powerful people. Be silent. Think twice andspeak once. Be an active listener. Look at the person who is talking. Don’t inter-rupt. Be aware of their body language. Listen and they will like you. It is arro-gant to not listen. Your self-confidence in mind and body will create a charis-matic aura. Ask questions. Stay informed. Get involved. Read newspapers, mag-azines and books. Watch the news.
86 Read, Read, ReadThe r e are few things that we can do that are more important than to instill alove of reading in our children. Reading is a lifelong gift. If you read, you canalways educate yourself. It doesn’t matter if you are reading from a computersc r een, a paperback or from a leather-bound classic. Rather than getting upset atlife’s delays, A-B-A-B (Always Bring A Book) and put this time to profitable the reading example in your home. Children onlyread when they see their parents reading. Keepplenty of books, magazines and newspapers in thehouse for everyone to read and discuss. Set familyreading goals and provide children with incentivesfor reading. Set aside a time each week for rea d i n g aloud as a family. Take regular family trips to book-st o r es and libraries. Make sure children are involvedin a summer reading program. Encourage all familymembers to give books as pres e n t s .
87 Respect and Defend All Life Who will stand and speak for the children, for the condemned, for thosede p r essed or suffering in physical pain? Defend the rights of the old, lonely, home-less, unwanted, forgotten, the harassed, physically and mentally challenged andde p r essed. Our blessings morally obligate us to share our time, money and exper-ti s e . The easy course would be indiffe r ence and apathy reflected in our silence. Whenwe do not fight for every life, we jeopardize our own. As the twenty-first centurydawns, how many alternatives are we willing to consider before we give up evenone life? Can we reach out compassionately to those dealing with life issues? Don’twe have enough time, talent, money, and love to keep trying? The strong and brave must defend those who cannot do this themselves. This isleadership. It is preserving human dignity and defending human rights. There, butfor the grace of God, go I.
88 Honor The MilitaryAs we work toward world peace and we commit to finding nonviolent solu-tions to our problems, we must acknowledge that our freedom to do so hascome as a direct result of those brave men and women who have served in themilitary. There is no doubt that without a strong response from good, evil wouldhave triumphed. We must remain vigilant in our support of our armed we begin to rely upon demoralized troops to fight push button wars,our security is jeopardized. Once we begin to believe that our defense can beleft to others, we will soon be now, we can do more. In every city and town there are plaques andst r eet signs to honor those who stood in our places to defend freedom. They leftand did not ret u r n. They died heroes. They died for us. Yet, we have allowedtheir memories to fade. School children do not know their stories. We do notknow their names. Can you adopt one fallen hero from your town and proc l a i m his or her name as a hero?
89 Treasure the EarthWe are obligated to future generations to protect our world. Clean air, cleanwa t e r , green open spaces, national parks andpr eservation of our natural res o u r ces are everyone’sbusiness. Human beings are dependent crea t u r es . Each of us must accept responsibility and do ourpart. We can be active supporters. We can pick uplitter in parks and streets without worrying how itgot there. We can recycle and be aware of the dis-posability of the products we buy. We can planttr ees. Others will notice our example. Educatorsand parents must join together to teach environ -mental awareness to our youngsters and, by exam-ple, the importance of conservation. Tread mindful of the fragility of our planet.
90 Allow Your Opponent To Save FaceIn business, sport or everyday relations, always allow your opponent to saveface. You won. That should be enough. Bragging is counterproductive – you sim-ply present the opportunity for your audience to think the opposite. It costs littlefor you to offer your opponent the opportunity to excuse his loss. In fact, youmay gain appreciation from many taunt or shame a defeated opponent may simply set the stage for anotherco n f r ontation, with the odds stacked against you. Your humiliated opponent mayplot to redeem his lost honor by staging a rematch with more allies and morepo w e r ful weapons. You turn a quick battle into a long-term war. If you lose, do so with grace and good spirit. You won’t always win, but youcan always do what you believe to be right. For you, there will be another you win, be gracious in victory, because some day very soon you will be vul-nerable. Winning provides you with the opportunity to show both mercy andhu m i l i t y .
91 Thank Your AncestorsLea r ning is a process of self-discovery. Usually, that self-discovery is based onthe trial and error and experience of those who have come before us. Someoneve n t u r ed forth from the safe warmth of the prehistoric campfire. Someone han-ke r ed for a better life overseas. The curiosity and bravery of others has given usthe knowledge to live long, comfortable lives. The human race is stronger andmo r e adaptable today than ever before. Whatever you hope to accomplish withyour life, the going will be easier because of the hard work and chances takenby those who came before us. Be grateful for the explorers and scientists. Be grateful for all teachers whopass the love and enthusiasm for their subjects to us. Be grateful to your paren t s . Be grateful to your personal mentors. Be grateful to anyone who took a personalin t e r est in down the path. Respect those who work on your behalf. Some day,you will be old and will appreciate the repayment of others’ kindness. Thankyour ancestors.
92 Pr actice PeacePeace begins within each of us. We find it in our quiet time in personal ref l e c -tion. It is shown in the understanding and forgi v e -ness that we extend to each other. We can onlyteach peace by becoming examples of peaceful, we extend peace to all ween c o u n t e r . Peace is not a far away place but righthe r e, right is not born from weakness. We must practicepeace. As people of action, we must assume themantle of defenders of the peace. We must rem a i n vigilant and ready, willing and able to take theaction to protect those in our neighborhoods vic-timized by bullies. Enemies of peace must never beappeased through our apathy or encouraged byour indecisiveness.
93 Make Everyone Feel ImportantTeach with enthusiasm and your love for your subject will spread. Sell your prod -ucts or services with enthusiasm and your company will grow. Presume that your stu-dents and employees and customers are your equals because they are. Don’t teachor sell down to anyone. Speak with and not at or to your students or a r n and use peoples’ everyone you meet feel important. You can’t be selectively likable. If youtry to like some people and not others, you will eventually be seen as a phony, andno one wants to do business with a phony. When you talk down to people, you shift the focus from your subject or prod u c t to your condescending . Be patient. Pay attention. Don’t interrupt or fidget. Make eye contact. Smileand nod encouragement. Don’t try to top another’s story with your own heroic love to be involved in projects which they helped design. Help others toidentify and develop their strengths. Be quick to praise and slow to criticize. Lookfor opportunities to teach others about the Action Principles.
94 Gi v e Generou s l y Follow the Action Principles and you will be blessed with much more thanyou need. You will work hard towards your goals and you will be liked. Justthese two attributes will result in your being well rewarded. Your orga n i z a t i o n -al abilities will allow you to have more time than most. Your persistence andde t e r mination will get you more financial reward than most. You must earnbe f o r e you can give. Share your time and money. Send lots of flowers, candy,e-mails, handwritten cards, teddy bears and thank yous. Extend a helping . Compliment. Tell jokes. Laugh. Remember names, anniversaries and birth-days. Be generous and then forget share your time and money because it is right. You will set in motiona chain of positive actions and reactions. To be unselfish, sharing, generou s , bountiful, magnanimous, noble-minded and gracious is much more about atti-tude than about money. As much as you give, much more will you rec e i v e .
95 Share the CreditIf you organize a group to clean up a park, let everyone enjoy the thank your sports team wins a competition or makes a good showing, be proud, stepback and let everyone walk around with the trop h y . If your sales team meets its objectives or if your customer service departmentsolves a tough problem, take everyone out to lunch. Let everyone a leader, your greatest satisfaction should come from seeing the people inyour team, department or company succeed. Share the credit and experience thecamaraderie. You know who you are. Let others glow in the feeling of accom-plishing a mutual goal. Be enthusiastic for others. Acknowledge exceptionalwork. Encourage cooperation. Your reward will be many e we ready to say, “Y es, we can do more. Yes, we can give more. ” ?
96 Pr omote The Action PrinciplesThe Action Principles are yours. Toss this book into your pocket, purse orpack and when you have a free moment read a principle. The surest way foryou to stay on your personal journey to peace and prosperity is to get the work that you do for us helps others and rei n f o r ces your own commit-ment to success. Take action. Spread the word and help us help others. You can tell co-work-ers and friends about the Action Principles. Send them to to learnmo r e. You can give a copy of this book to someone you care about. You cancheck that the public and school libraries in your town have copies of this you are able, purchase and donate copies of the book to social or education-al organizations. Most importantly, you can be the example. Share your successand your knowledge.
97 Walk The Tal k When you live your life with concern and love for others, wonderful thingswill happen. You will be fulfilled. You will feel a warm pride from your selflessacts that will then allow you the grace of humility. To be first, you must put your-self last. The true leader goes to the end of the line. Say what you mean andmean what you say. Be sure your words match your you give a dollar to a beggar? Can you lend an ear to one avoided byothers? Can you work an extra shift for a parent who needs to be with a sickchild? Can you visit a shut-in? Can you speak up and defend a poor soul beingteased or bullied? Can you treat all people as your brothers and sisters? You r example may become greatest sorrow is to be lonely and unloved. Refuse to let this happenwith your idle consent. Right now, the days of homelessness, hunger, and unsafest r eets can be over if we make the commitment.
98 Teach Our Children…… a respect for all life.… the benefits of hard work and frugality.… the value of physical fitness and healthy living.… the merits of military and public service.… the importance of charity and volunteering.… a pride in heritage, home and country.… the advantages of courtesy and manners.… the power of knowledge.… the blessings of positive thinking.… the strength in self-rel i a n c e . … the goodness of man.… faith in i l d r en will only learn from us as we become the example.
99 Be A MentorIf you want to learn first hand about a new subject and drastically shorten thele a r ning curve, one of the best ways is to find a mentor. A mentor is an experi-enced person who is doing or has done what it is that you want to do and agree s to be your guide. Many successful people remember their own early strugglesand gladly agree to serve as mentors, especially if you are an enthusiastic, appre-ciative novice. Besides sharing their knowledge, some mentors offer the addi-tional bonus of sharing their contacts and networks. Imagine being able to con-sult with a senior partner who has been there and done that and whom youdon’t have to others are willing to help you, don’t forget your own potential role as men-to r . This is what the Action Principles are all about; one person helping anotherwho helps another. Even a small amount of time can make a big diffe r ence to ane w c o m e r . Listen for the wise words of experience.
10 0 Call to ActionIt is the people who make a country great. Inevery country, brave, compassionate people ofaction must be willing to assume the mantle ofleadership and face the challenges to education,law, government, health care, the environ m e n t and human rights. If you live the ActionPrinciples, this person is you. Even as one, yourexample can make a diffe r ence. Your stron g moral stance can give courage to the many whomay face the relentless evil intent of a is a call to action. Following the ActionPrinciples will show you the clear path to peaceand prosperity in your life and beyond. Pass it on.
Master Success MaximsA maxim is a general truth, fundamental principle, or rule of conduct. Adapted from the 100Action Principles of the Master Success SystemStart anywhere, at anytime, and persist. Imagine the the important and not just the urge n t . Fo r give quickly and move on. Submit to a high moral frugality; save and yourself of r ead your stereo t y p e s . Help others for you and morally humility and it before you’re not compromise what is right. Always be prot e c t e d . Don’t harm your prom i s e s . Make everyone feel ep a r e to endure. Avoid self-destructive r e about people more than a s u r e yourself against the best. Defend the self-rel i a n c e . Count your your spirit through daily ref l e c t i o n . Ask and listen for the yourself esent yourself as an jokes and have to be to your to hard many more and want p r eciate what you already known for your ethics and a principle-centered p r ove so others may have an easier jour-Read and learn , focus and aim y . Imitate your heroe s . Say what you mean and do what you the the support of for the simple answers a way without your word your your wants from your others as you wish to be trea t e d . Accept res p o n s i b i l i t y . Be mindfully in the pres e n t . Speak once and listen and savor the anger with s u r e a happy marriage and a r n from your those who begins inside good in doing daily with prioritized every day your body and your character, not your rep u t a t i o n .
The Two Rules of Master Success 1. Improve You r s e l f . Every day think of small ways to become stron g e r ,mo r e self-disciplined and more self-reliant. Become aware. What are youdoing at home, at work or at the gym? What are you doing to train your bodyand mind? How are your savings and investments doing? What are you doingto make your life more comfortable and peaceful? How are you filling yourlife with beauty? What are you doing to thank God for all your blessings?Don’t let your life pass in a succession of boring days. Small actions doneconsistently yield tremendous res u l t s . 2. Help . Smile. Open doors. Wait your turn. Be impeccable manners. Vol u n t e e r . Contribute. Be interested and youwill be interesting. Be caring and you will have many friends and many cus-tomers. You will have a good marriage and good children. You will berespected. You will have found the secret to peace and pros p e r i t y .
The Master Success Daily Dozen1. Read your mission . Appear well groomed and orga n i z e d . 3. Write and prioritize your to-do list. 4. Set aside 20 minutes as quiet time. 5. Exercise for 20-90 . A-B-A-B (Always Bring A Book).7. Work at . Be the example. 9. Say a prayer of . Pleasantly surprise . Find a small way to spoil . Maintain awaren e s s .
3 Rules To Master Success InBu s i n e s s Success in business isn’t necessarily complicated. Whether you work for your-self or others, through diligent application of the following simple rules, you areputting yourself on the fast track to pros p e r i t y . 1. Offer a quality product or service that the market demands at a fairpr i c e . 2. Appreciate your thank-you, follow-up and ask for morebusiness and ref e r r a l s . 3. Copy the industry leaders who are already doing what youwant to do and do what they are doing. In most situations when you are estab-lishing your business, it makes more sense to be imitative rather than innovative.
20 Distinguishing Characteristics Of A MasterCommits to ethical everyone words with the for res p o n s i b i l i t y . Works independently of criticismSeeks simple r es to ganizes to learn. Ap p r eciates all p r oves oceeds patiently.
American Success Institute, a Nonprofit Org a n i z a t i o nIf you like the common sense approach to life found in the Action Principles,you will certainly want to learn more about the Master Success System and book-mark our website, . The site includes both multi-media enhancementsand interactive capabilities covering the six levels of the Master Success additions and improvements are made every week. On the site, you willfind many res o u r ces, including:• FREE Palm and e-book book downloads.• Related courses, stories and articles.• Bulletin boards for each level of the system.• Hundreds of links and other educational tools.• Several separate libraries of motivational quotes.• Contests, prizes, a gift shop and much more. • Action Challenges to keep you on course.• Celebrity testimonials and success stories.
Accept this Ac t i o n Ch a l l e n g e $.0 0 1
Accept this Action Challenge and join us in promoting the spirit of the ActionPrinciples. Begin by giving copies of this book to: family members, friends, clients,customers and co-workers. If you can, please consider doing more. Make a posi-tive contribution in your community by distributing multiple copies of this bookto: schoolteachers, counselors, police officers, social workers, clergy members andothers who are in a position to share the Action Principles with those most inne e d . To support your efforts in helping others, you may order any number of copiesof The Action Principles for $ each (minimum 10). To order online: order by telephone: 1-800-585-1300To order by mail: ASI, 5 North Main Street, Natick, MA 01760In t e r national: E-mail us regarding postage, info@. Note: The Action Principles will soon be available online in Spanish, Fren c h , Arabic, Japanese and Russian. If you would like to volunteer your translating skillsin other languages, please e-mail us at info@.
Please Join Us InOur Wor k The American Success Institute (ASI) is a501(c)3 nonprofit educational and philan-th r opic organization founded in 1993 byBill FitzPatrick. The mission of ASI is tocr eate success to share. ASI offers a FREEbusiness education on the Internet at . Each year, ASI donates thou-sands of motivational books to schools, correctional facilities and social agen-cies. We also help build playgrounds for poor children in Central need and appreciate individual donations in any amount. With a cred i t card, please call 1-800-585-1300 or make a donation to ASI on-line atSu c c e s s . o r g. Checks can be mailed to ASI at 5 North Main Street, Natick MA01760. Donations are tax deductible. Please verify your particular tax situationwith your accountant. If your company is involved in charitable giving ormatching donations, please ask them to consider our orga n i z a t i o n . Thank you in advance for your help and generos i t y .
The Master Success SystemFollow the Master Success System and you will become a self-reliant, no-excuseperson of action. Immediately and forev e r , your prosperity will increase and you willbe blessed with love, respect and feelings of personal peace that come from doingyour e r e are six levels in the Master Success System. The Action Principles are LevelOne. Level One is called the Awa r eness Level. You need go no further. if you believein the Action Principles, you may decide to move on to Level Two. Level Two is calledthe Commitment Level. Here we will read and discuss the twelve lessons of the book,Master Success. Topic by topic from making money to building relationships, you willle a r n and discuss with Bill and other members how best to incorporate the ActionPrinciples into your daily , you can stop or decide to accept the Action Challenges and move onth r ough the remaining four levels. Level Three, the Achievement Level covers thirtylessons on making money as an entrep r en e u r , salesperson or valued employee. OnLevel Four, the Investment Level, you learn how to manage and invest your moneyso that you can enjoy a comfortable early ret i r ement. Level Five is the LeadershipLevel. Having lived the Action Principles and worked through the Action Challengesfor several years, you will see your star rise. Often, you will be called upon to lead orcounsel. On this level, you will acquire the skills necessary to take charge. The finallevel is Level Six, the Mastery Level. You will become a Master of Success.
Re a d In Master Success you will learn to:• Master Goalsand set your course for peaceand pros p e r i t y . • Master Tim e and take control of your life.• Master Wor k and know that you make a dif-fe r en c e . • Master Moneyand achieve worry-free living.• Master Real Estateand leverage your wayto pros p e r i t y . • Master Healthand feel invigorated to live anexciting life.• Master Mindand tap into your inner$st r en g t h s . 19 . 9 5 • Master Relationships and find friendship andres p e c t . • Master Lifeand discover your love of many things.• Master Alliancesand rapidly increase your capabilities.
What people are saying about Master Success:It gives the readers immense hope for what is to come in the near future. Ilook forward to sharing this book with Senator Bob SmithA helpful and informative book … with the capacity to assist me in my pub-lic as well as my private Senator John Ashcrof t This book is thoughtful and hard hitting, and if you follow through will leadyou to a better Rogers, OlympianRead a sample chapter on . Shipped within 24 hours on
About Bill FitzPatrickBill FitzPatrick enjoys a reputation as a popular mar-tial arts master and business teacher. Bill is an EagleScout and served for six years as Infantry Sergeant in theAr my Reserve. He earned a Master’s Degree inEducation from Boston College. He is a 4th degree blackbelt in Shaolin Kempo karate and has taught self-defenseclasses for over twenty years. For fifteen years, Bill ran ahigh school program for court offenders in Cambridge,Massachusetts. He has written extensively on real estateinvesting, small business, personal perfo r mance and martial arts topics. Bill isthe Founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit American Success Institute(ASI). His speaking engagements and charitable work on behalf of ASI havetaken him throughout North and Central America, Europe, Asia and NorthAfrica. He is the author of eight books including The 100 Action Principles an d Master Success. Bill lives with his wife Karen in a Boston suburb. Bill andKa r en are the proud uncle and aunt to many wonderful nieces and nephews.
Le t ’ s BeginWhen you commit your life to continualse l f - i m p r ovement and helping others, it doesn’tmatter where you start and there is no tellingwh e r e you will end up. It doesn’t matter if youar e sitting in a stretch limo or in a doesn’t matter if you live in an affluent sub-urb or a country trailer park. It doesn’t matterif you have the physique of an athlete or havejust lost two hundred pounds and still need tolose another three hundred. No one can tellhow tough or successful you are simply byseeing the outside you. It is what is inside ofyou and what you do with your God given tal-ents that will make the diffe r ence. Don’t giveup. Let the Action Principles lead you to writeyour goals, make your plans, list your to-dosand make today and every day special. Pushyourself. Make yourself do the hard things.
Live a full, rich, rewarding life. Inspire others by your quiet example. At theend of the day, you can relax tired, but satisfied and happy that you havedone your best. Be the best that you can be because you can’t conceive of living any otherway. Stand tall. You will be surrounded by genuine affection from your hus-band, wife, children, friends and co-workers. Even strangers will react positive-ly to you, having sensed your confidence. Love, friendship, respect, peace andpr osperity will be yours to live and enjoy every day. In trying, you are a mas-ter of success. This may all seem miraculous to you but it will just be you fol-lowing God’s plan and, in this defining moment, committing to improv i n g yourself and helping you at ,
