There are countless books that describe success principles. Here are a few principles that I have summarized for you:

* Believe in yourself, your abilities, and in your God-given yet unused talents.

* Have a dream. Write it down as a goal using specific guidelines and setting a realistic deadline by which you will accomplish it.

* Speak in the positive. State everything you say as the glass being half full and come up with your unique plan to fill it.

* Develop your action plan. Use it as a map to help you reach the destination of your dream.

* Use Affirmations. They will help to build your belief in yourself. If you have difficulty finding books with them, create your own.

* Take action NOW! Be persistent! Do something each day to move you closer to the realization of your dream and your goal.

* Associate with successful people. From this collection of experts, select a mentor to guide you along.

* Share yourself with others. Volunteer your time and your talents. Join civic and charitable organizations.

* Develop a sense of humor. Learn to laugh at life; don't take it too seriously. Begin by laughing at yourself and your mistakes.

* Exercise your creativity. Use your God-given imagination to see problems from a different point of view. They probably won't seem so big, after all.

* Exercise your body. Exercise keeps the body tone, healthy, and vitalized. Not only will you be keeping yourself healthy, but you will be shedding the extra pounds without realizing it.

* Balance your life. Take comparable amounts of time for fun and relaxation as you do for work and home.

* Change the things you cannot accept. Accept the things you cannot change. Be a doer, not a complainer.

Remember: When you maximize your potential, everyone wins. When you don't, we all lose.

Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW

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