“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” – Seneca

So often, we think that success is about getting that lucky break. And it is. One lucky break can propel you from an average life to the life of your dreams.

But what we don’t realize is that “lucky” breaks aren’t the product of luck. They are the product of choosing to work hard. And to be ambitious. And to be persistent. In short, success is a choice.

You have everything that it takes for great success. You have the looks, the talent and the intelligence. Your only obstacle to success is yourself. Today, you can start making choices that propel you toward achieving your fullest potential.

The following are ways that you can make the best choices possible to achieve your goals.

Don’t Allow Your Circumstances to Dictate Your Success: Whether your parents were rich or poor does not dictate your success. Whether or not you went to a good school does not dictate your success. Whether or not you are beautiful or are a Mensa level genius does not dictate your success. The only thing that dictates success is drive. Driven people succeed because they go over and around obstacles to achieve their goals in ways that others won’t.

For example, when I was growing up, my parents did not save money so that I could go to college. As a result, at the end of high school, I was unable to go to a university in the United States where a college education is quite expensive.

However, I didn’t let that stop me. I ended up going to university in Canada, where I could get a college education at a fraction of the cost of a U.S. school. At the time, I felt sad because all my friends were going to colleges in the U.S. I thought that I was missing out on the “American college experience.” However, going to school in Canada was one of the best experiences of my life. I had wonderful professors and terrific classes. What I thought was a disappointment turned out to be an incredible blessing.

The key to my having a successful undergraduate experience was to not allow my circumstances to stop me from getting a college education. I had an obstacle – money – and I figured out a way to go around it. In all predicaments, where there is a will, there is a way.

Capitalize on Your Gifts: There is no one who has it all. There is no person who is brilliant, beautiful and who has the perfect personality. That person does not exist. We all have been blessed with different physical and intellectual attributes.

The key to success is to forget about the qualities that you don’t possess, and focus on the qualities that you do possess. Capitalize on them! Figure out what gifts God has given you, and milk them for all that they are worth.

For instance, I am no genius. I would never be accepted into Mensa. But I am smart enough. And I am kind and friendly. And I am hard-working. Believe it or not, those qualities alone got me through college and law school and have given me a 25-year career in the law. I simply have spent my life doing as much as I could with the qualities that I have been given.

You have gifts and talents. Don’t worry about what you lack. To be successful, you simply have to focus on the qualities that you do have and use them to propel you forward.

Seize Every Opportunity: I am a big believer in saying “Yes.” I have spent my life saying yes to nearly every opportunity that has come my way. I’ve accepted opportunities for jobs and to serve others as a volunteer. And it has always been to my benefit in one way or another.

In fact, the two times I forwent opportunities for jobs, it was a huge mistake. Often, we don’t accept opportunities because we think that something better is going to come along. Or, we are fearful of committing to something that isn’t perfect. Well, nothing is perfect.

God presents us with opportunities to see if we are brave enough to take a leap of faith. Do we trust Him to lead us in the right direction? I have no regrets for any of the opportunities that I have seized. I only regret the opportunities that I let fall by the wayside.

Seize your opportunities. Take advantage of every good break presented to you. You’ll be amazed at where your life can go when you have the courage to go through the doors that God opens for you.

Help Others Along the Way: Part of the path to success is helping others. Call it karma. Call it following the Golden Rule. Call it whatever you’d like, but when you choose to help others, I can assure you that the universe is going to send folks to help you.

There are so many ways to help others. If you are experienced in your job, and a new employee joins your organization, help them! Share your knowledge with them. That is what team players do. I not only have helped new employees in my jobs, but I, in turn, have been helped by others countless times.

The same holds true for helping others personally. You probably can’t volunteer every time someone needs your help, but you can volunteer whenever you reasonably can. I will help others when I can (and sometimes when it is fairly inconvenient), and I can say that I equally have been helped by others over the years.

When we help others, it allows us to develop the skills that we need for success. It takes confidence and leadership abilities to say, “I am capable of helping another person.” It also takes generosity to be willing to give up your time to selflessly help someone else. You cannot be truly successful without developing those qualities.

Know that there is nothing holding you back from success – other than you! You can achieve your goals. It is simply a matter of making wise choices. Don’t settle for a mediocre life. Make great choices and position yourself to have an amazing life!

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Email: yourmorningcupofinspiration@gmail.com

Books: “The Secrets to Success for the Working Mother” by Meerabelle Dey (https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Success-Working-Mother/dp/1546329544 )