Vital Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks

Thousands of people over the years have asked me, "Where did you go to school?" I simply tell them, "The School of Hard Knocks." I also tell them I love the school I attended because the campus has no boundaries. This school is available to anyone who wants to attend, is willing to actively participate, and is serious about learning lessons for living. In the School of Hard Knocks, I have learned some incredible attitudes and principles for success that have served me well for a lifetime. It is a part of my great fortune that I want to share with you!

Life Lesson #1: Seize the day!

Develop a seize-the-day attitude by staying alert, being a good listener, and having your radar out for every opportunity to meet people and to expand your horizons. Seize the day by seeing the potential in other people and encouraging them to use it, having a loving heart and a forgiving spirit, and helping as many people as you can in as many ways as you can in as many places as you can for as long as you can.

Life Lesson #2: Take personal responsibility

Responsibility applies to every area, attitude, and action of your life. When you accept personal responsibility for your life, the whole world looks different. When you know it is up to you, you prepare better, study more, learn more, and have greater resolve. When you accept personal responsibility for your life, you also learn to use more of your God-given talents.

Life Lesson #3: Think outside the box

Set your imagination free - be creative, inventive, and resourceful, and think beyond the obvious. Remember that real intelligence is the creative use of knowledge - not merely the accumulation of facts. Using your mind to think outside the box will help you become more imaginative, inventive, and creative than your counterparts and will be both personally satisfying and personally profitable.

Life Lesson #4: Never, never, never give up!

"One more time!" That is how many times you must get up after someone knocks you down, criticizes, or attacks you. Refuse to stay down, and enter the game of life even more enthusiastically than before. Never give mental recognition to the possibility of defeat. This approach will provide you with an invincible attitude of "I can, and I will!" Remember that 90% of all failure comes from quitting too soon, so hanging on with persistence will give you the best possible chance of reaching your goals. Hanging on until success comes is the essence of determination and persistence.

There are many, many more valuable lessons to be learned through the School of Hard Knocks, so never drop out! When you start out as a serious student in this school, you will be mostly raw material. But as you work your way through the courses, every knock will enhance your understanding and help you grow a little wiser, and every knock will open a door to a greater possibility.

About The Author A millionaire by age 27, Paul J. Meyer, New York Times best-selling author and one of the founders of the self-improvement industry, has dedicated his life to sharing his fortune by motivating people to their full potential ﾮ. To learn more about how to claim and share your own fortune, order A Fortune to Share today, available at http://www.pauljmeyer.com.