Sunday, January 30, 2011

"The big eight things that lead to success"

My brother (a successful engineer) sent me this YouTube clip of Richard St. John who gives the secrets of success in eight words and three minutes.


After watching, it's hard to argue.

9 comments:

  1. Another great example of people associating success with tons of money......people who equate success with tons of money are destined to fall on their face, because not everyone gets "tons of money"; take away that as the main-or-only goal of being successful and then a majority of people are hugely successful due to a myriad of other goals they have achieved......

    Luckily there's just as many role models who are successful and yet really don't have very much money, as there are the Bill Gates in the world......

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  2. Probably the most interesting part of that video was the fact that it was made in Monterey, Ca. That's a very liberal city in a very liberal state, and that's where they held a conference on success? LOL, seems like an odd choice of location. The most successful enterprise in Monterey is the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the hardest working "employees" there are the fish. Go figure.

    Success is a great concept and it's wonderful to know that some guy (sounds like a Canadian to me, but that's not a complaint, just another irony) is trying to teach young people the keys to success. Does he also tell them that the elitists-in-charge are opposed to rewarding success? IOW, it's OK to be successful as long as there is no reward other than personal satisfaction, which won't feed your family.

    Gosh, why can't I ever see the silver lining to all these feel-good things? Maybe because I see the impending demise of Western civilization and the futility in trying to improve that which is doomed to failure? I see these things as too little, too late. My hope is waning and my attitude is suffering for it. Please excuse me.

    Anonymous Patriot
    USA

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  3. At the risk of offending some ethereal "blog police" somewhere in cyberspace, I'm posting another comment. Another negative comment, but I know no other kind these days.

    Did a little research about the group to whom Richard St. John presented his Success Seminar - it's the TED group (TED = Technology, Entertainment, Design). The TED group is wholly owned by the Sapling Foundation. Now it appears the two entities are one in the same. The goal, supposedly, is to spread "good ideas" around the world. Ah, but upon a little closer look, it appears to me to be a front for a radical environmental movement and for social justice. IOW, another push towards one big happy world family.

    Looking closer again, one sees that Van Jones was one of their "honored guest speakers."
    You all remember who he is, the Prez's Green Czar who was asked to leave the White House in the dead of night in 2009 after Glenn Beck exposed him as a commie rabble-rouser who espouses violence.

    So, are there any other "honored guest speakers" of note who have graced TED/Sapling Foundation attendees with words of wisdom, words that they believe should be spread around the world? Oh yes, here's a very short list:

    Martha Stewart - the cold-as-ice ex-felon. She' a good role model, don't you agree?

    Al Gore - the fatcat hypocrite who lives like a potentate while telling all the little people they should get ready to freeze in the dark, if he has his way. Wow, what a perfect fit for the TED/Sapling Foundation.

    Jody Williams - she won a Nobel Peace Prize for her work to remove landmines. That's a noble cause (pardon the pun). BUT, she's also big into social justice and spreading American income around the world. She's all about disarming America so the defense money can be spent for improving the rest of the world. Sure, that'll bring world peace. NOT!

    Well, that is just a small sample of what TED/Sapling Foundation is really all about. Knowing this, and being a great big skeptic about everyone and everything these days, I have to wonder what Richard St. John is doing with a bunch of one world order people. I can only surmise that he is one of them. He's teaching them to be successful at bringing down our republic.

    Isn't Technology, Entertainment,Design the tools with which the leftwing in this country has dumbed-down the children? How they've taken our eye off the ball? How they've told us what is important through manipulation of the media through technology and by design? Maybe I'm all wet, or maybe I'm onto something.

    Patrice, is your brother a liberal? No offense meant, but what would a smart guy like your brother be doing hanging around propaganda like the stuff TED/Sapling Foundation tosses out to the masses? I'm getting nervous. Who can we trust?

    Anonymous Patriot
    USA

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  4. Oh, forgot to add this link, although you'll have to cut & paste and then hunt & seek.

    http://www.wiserearth.org/organization/view/11a6d17f693719e2f072df38b5a92937

    -A.P.
    USA

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  5. Funny (or perhaps sad), but all of these were at one point Core American Values.

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  6. ROFLOL - no, my brother is about the biggest conservative this side of the moon.

    But look beyond the liberal background of the speaker and consider the impact of those eight words. We (my husband and I) are not "successful" monetarily. But I consider us successful by the yardsticks we use and consider important, such as family values, marital felicity, and achieving our dreams (which included homesteading and writing). While Richard St. John (whoever he is) might have surveyed people whose values we find offensive, the core concepts remain. Those who are "successful" - regardless of whether or not they're rich - have pursued their definition of success by using those qualities. One can have a successful marriage by employing those qualities. One can have a successful home craft business by employing those qualities. It can even be argued that one can be a successful blogger by employing those qualities.

    In other words, look beyond the background and political affiliations and connections of the speaker to consider whether his words have merit or not. I believe they do.

    - Patrice

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  7. Yes, the words have merit. Still can't separate the words given from the word-givers.
    Van Jones? C'mon. That's a leap too far.

    Relieved to know your brother is a conservative. Please ask him to promote Drudge, not TED. ;)

    -A.P.
    USA

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  8. I think some of the criticism of money might be displaced. When motivating my own children to read I choose book titles that appealed to them. I would rather have them read Westerns and Science Fiction then nothing at all. Children of our generation and most past generations have been motivated by money. Hopefully everyone learns the real riches are in family and friends but lets get them motivated first.
    The best advice ever given to me was simple. I had to complete training and pass tests to advance in my field. I had 18 months to complete my training and I was on track to do so in 18 months. What the heck there were no openings anyway. I senior co-worker told me to complete the training in less then six months and to also complete any other requirements. His reasoning was that opportunities often came suddenly and those most prepared would benefit from them. As one of about 20 trainees I did complete my training before anyone else and indeed a few opportunities for promotion came up and I was able to get one. "Luck favors the prepared mind". Be ready for opportunity. One last point. In my 67 years of life I have dioscovered that every opportunity comes disguised as hard work or worse. I am not saying that every difficult task is a great opportunity but I do think that most opportunities are difficult tasks. Be ready to work for success.

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  9. Suzi - from somewhere in deep South Florida where one must speak Spanish to get a job.August 4, 2011 at 10:37 PM

    Wow Thanks to this blog, I was able to confirm my suspicions of TED being some UN/One World Government/Propaganda instrument disguised as hip and cutting edge thought.
    The Sapling Foundation connected to the Wiser Earth "The Social Network for Sustainability" Probably has connections to Agenda 21 but it's late and I need to get to bed (it's 1:30AM EST!)

    While interesting, I find myself trying to read the liberal message between the lines with all the TED speakers.
    Nice Blog Post, BTW!
    Cheers

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