"A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge."  *-- Thomas Carlyle

"Failure is success if we learn from it."  *-- Malcolm Forbes 

"The man who has no imagination has no wings."  *-- Muhammad Ali

"If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking.  Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk." 
*-- Raymond Inmon 

---

There Are Four Types of People

Take a look at those around you and reflect on those who have influenced your life the most. What are they doing to your dreams, your esteem and your potential? They are either being destructive or constructive to your future plans. There are four types of people in this world: the Living Dead, the Dreamers, the Achievers and the Exponentially Successful. We have all met the Living Dead. They tend to suck the energy right out of us. They have given up on life and figure that if they can’t be happy, you shouldn’t be either. They will often do everything in their power to impede you from achieving your goals. They love to burst your dreams and remind you of all the inherent impossibilities, your past mistakes and why you can’t achieve what you are aiming for. They point fingers and seek to pull you down because they see you getting closer and closer to what they wish they had themselves. Many don’t tear down your dreams consciously, and they may not even realize why they feel the need to do so. Even in the face of the most intense criticism, you need to have the courage to do the things you know you need to do.

Then there are the Dreamers. Dreamers are full of great ideas. They make many noble attempts at success, but their zeal fizzles before they’ve solidified that success. They have a plethora of projects perpetually hanging in the midway zone. They tend to say “if only…” and “someday…” and “when such-and-such….” These people go through life stuck in first gear. They’re moving, they’re plugging along, but it sure is hard on the engine. They turn up the radio so the thrill of the vision drowns out the groan of the struggling machine.

The Achievers have reached a moderate level of success. They are accomplished, they are skillful, but they have not yet forged into the fire. They’ve climbed the ladder and found a pleasant view, so they’ve stopped short of the thrilling vistas only a few rungs away. They’ve found a comfortable spot, so why risk toppling to the bottom now? They’re satisfied with the success and accomplishments they’ve already gained. Living on past success is easy to do. They think, Why rock the boat? It’s nice to take a breather, but then that breather often grows more and more into their way of life. Let’s just settle for mediocrity, they decide. They refuse to think that there is more to learn. They have made it in their own minds and can’t see themselves going to the next level.

The Exponentially Successful are doing what they love. They enjoy life and others enjoy being around them. Life is exciting and they love all that life entails—the challenges and the joys alike. The Exponentially Successful constantly strive to improve themselves. They learn from their mistakes and from the experiences of others. They read, they learn, they risk, and all along the way, they grow, no matter the situation. They are self-confident and well balanced. They have a passion for life. They know who they are, why they are here and where they are going. These are the people who make massive success look easy. Exponential success is where I want to take you. Now is the time; this is your year.

Take a look around you. Are the people in your life pulling you up or pulling you down? Are they constructive toward your future plans or destructive toward your goals, dreams and aspirations? An important trait exponentially successful people possess is their ability to follow their hearts. It does not matter what other people say or do. They know they are on the right track in pursuit of their dreams. Think what would have happened if Abraham Lincoln had listened to his critics, if Thomas Edison had taken to heart everyone who said his inventions were impossible. What if Bill Gates (while going to Harvard) listened to his counselors and stayed in school? What if Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield listened to the over 100 publishers that turned them down for Chicken Soup for the Soul and hadn’t gone on to sell over 100 million copies? I could list volumes of similar stories. Ask anyone you know who is successful and I guarantee you will hear a similar story.

The Mental Game

As I said earlier, it is important to learn and take clues from others who have gone before you and experienced what you hope to experience. But make sure your study and observation of such individuals is only part of the full plate of information you’re trying to absorb. Then step back and view the big picture. It’s easy to get swept up in one person’s energy and enthusiasm, so you have to be careful that you don’t get too excited and follow them mindlessly. Even if duplication of a few successful people’s patterns yields good results, doing so is not going to be the same as if you had drawn the best advice from as many sources as possible and cultivated a personalized success pattern of your own. The more tools in your tool belt, the more equipped you will be to propel yourself higher and higher. Only then will you allow yourself to continuously maximize your present success potential while simultaneously expanding your boundaries to even greater heights. When you unearth this pattern, your passion will kick in like never before and you will begin to recognize the taste of true greatness.

If you aren’t sure whether or not you have chosen the right direction in your own life, don’t panic. We’re going to work through that together. As you read this manual, you will become more and more able to determine your focus, your passion and your direction. There are things in this life you are here to accomplish. Everyone has great ideas, goals, un-started business concepts, dreams and unwritten books inside of them. You have to realize that your mind, skills and talents are not limited natural resources.

They are not like a computer hard drive or RAM with limited storage potential. They will never run out and are only wasted if you don’t use them. If you don’t fulfill the mission you’re here to fulfill, somebody else will have to do it for you. Don’t be denied of your dreams and what you are supposed to accomplish. Remember that you are responsible for fulfilling your dreams. No one else will perform them the way you could have, and no one else’s accomplishment of them will give you the joy and satisfaction that could have been yours. Until you hold yourself totally responsible, you don’t own your dreams—you are only renting them.

Burning Desire: The First Step Toward Exponential Success

When you learn to channel your energy and emotions into a burning desire, you are laying the foundation for exponential success. Desire is the first step toward ultimate achievement. Your desire will be so great that even subconsciously you will be giving every ounce that is in you toward accomplishing what you were meant to achieve. There will always be those who scoff and scorn you, calling your dreams “impractical” or “irresponsible,” but in all actuality, it is embracing what’s closest to your heart that will unleash within you your greatest energy and imagination. And just like striking oil, you will experience a surge of greater productivity than you have ever had in your life. It is desire that will allow you to transform mediocre abilities into mind-boggling success that is maximized to heights above and beyond what you ever thought possible. Another word for desire is conviction. I like this word because it suggests an emotion that is even deeper within, even more driving. Soul-filled conviction has the power to pull you through every possible challenge and give you the strength to scale the highest peaks. So how do you find this conviction and tap into it? As you hone the skills in this manual and use them diligently in your daily life, your conviction will rise within you and become ever clearer. Right at this very moment, you have within you a power plant burning with potential energy. You have the potential to light a whole city, but you are only burning one bulb or lighting one house. The potential is there, and now is the time to tap into it.

Just as a space shuttle expends the most fuel in creating the momentum to leave the atmosphere and soar into orbit, kicking off a new plan towards exponential success also demands the greatest amount of energy and effort up front. Once the shuttle is in orbit, it expends less energy. Similarly, once you’ve acquired the Exponential Factor, exponential success will naturally follow and success will be yours.

"If we listened to our intellect, we'd never have a love affair.  We'd never have a friendship. We'd never go into business, because we'd be cynical. Well, that's nonsense. You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down."  *-- Ray Bradbury

"Your success will be affected by the quality and quantity of new ideas you suggest."
*-- Brian Tracy - Million Dollar Habits

"Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don't go to the ocean with a teaspoon.  At least take a bucket so the kids won't laugh at you."
 *-- Jim Rohn - 7 Strategies for Wealth & Happiness