Thought precedes physical form and that “the action of Mind plants that nucleus which, if allowed to grow undisturbed, will eventually attract to itself all the conditions necessary for its manifestation in outward visible form.” ~ Thomas Troward

Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha was the first true guru of modern day positive thinking. Modern day being 483 BCE, yet his teachings on “what you think, you become,” has been passed down for centuries in the teachings of Buddhism, as well as adopted by those who choose to practice another (or sometimes no) religion. This post isn’t about the teachings of Buddha, but it is about the ideology of behind his most quoted phrase and the importance of the “self” in success.

There are 3 kinds of people in this world;

  • those who wait for success to come to them
  • those who take success
  • and those who earn the right to achieve success

This is the conundrum of our overly processed, socioeconomic age.


The quote “All good things come to those who wait,” is usually misinterpreted to mean “do nothing,” and those who wait usually lack the understanding behind what it means to truly succeed. Why? Simply, because they were not part of the process and without being part of that evolution of that success and connection to it there comes a lack of understanding, lack of value and personal responsibility. The word “entitlement” comes to mind. In the 60 Minutes segment titled “Generation Y: Entitlement Generation” we can see the socioeconomic archetype at play; where more and more young adults are coming out of University sheltered an d expectant of high salary and work right away. When in actuality we have a higher percentage of youth unemployment than ever before.

In the 1997 book The Fourth Turning by William Strauss and Neil Howe, the authors outline Generation Y as “Millennial’s” who belong to the Hero category, featuring a deep trust in authority and institutions; being somewhat conventional, but still powerful. Meaning they grew up during an Unraveling cycle with more protections than the previous generation (Gen X) due to a world fraught with chaos and disorder. Yet, with this security there is a lack of understanding that value and position are not just a given.

Nonetheless, no matter what generation or socioeconomic re positioning that takes place, universal abundance and law of attraction will always state “like attracts like,” and those who do nothing or play the waiting game of expectation, will likely achieve just that – more waiting.


Those who take success usually do so at the heart of “ego” and at the plight or fall of another. Instead of seeing the glory in the process; and the understanding that none of us can truly succeed on our own, we must connect with others to succeed – they are blinded by the idea that they are owed success. The ego is the part of the human psyche that controls the “me,me, me” syndrome of the brain. The ego constantly strives to be always right, always superior, never wrong and never inferior. The ego is at the center of our psyche that will always manifest recurring pain (past experiences we have not yet let go of), self doubt & powerlessness and manifest a visceral response of anger, judgement and negativity. The taker has a constant need to pull away from interdependence with (and of) the world to the tune of just one (him or herself) and constantly demands to be satisfied and satiated usually through power, negative thought, judgement, criticism and by dis-empowering others along the way.

In the book the “Power of Now,” Eckhart Tolle says the ego is; “a mental image of who you are, based on our personal and cultural conditioning.” Those who take do not fully understand that your ego, can also be your ally. It can act as a catalyst and a constant reminder for when life presents a radical change in thought and action. When there must be a transformation in human consciousness.



The Law of Attraction can be dated back to the early 1900’s. Napoleon Hill’s greatest quote (in my personal opinion) was fundamental in this area of R&D; “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”

Those who earn success have a deep driving force because the evolutionary process has been embedded in the very fabric of their soul. They live and breathe the goal and if they bump up against adversity and failure; it is merely a stepping stone to a learned response towards a higher form of greatness. Why? Simply, because they are living their potential, they are free from the over use of the ego. Keeping in mind “ego” and “self-confidence,” are distinctly different. They understand the value of the journey, not just simply the destination and hard work is part of this process. Historically, anything worth achieving in the world has come with hard work, dedication to a goal, connection with others and respecting the responsibility that comes with obtaining that goal. When you earn success, it’s much more meaningful.


The reality is that at some time in our lives, we have dabbled in all 3. Through cognitive development as children and youth we explore the waiter, the taker and the earner; as this is a natural state of learning, processing and evolving. As we age and become more aware of life outside of our 3 block radius and we come to terms with the exchange of work and value (or at least we hope). As adults, we understand that work leads directly to success and that the longevity of this success is in direct proportion to the hard work, dedication and passion put forth, on-going, to maintain the caliber of the result. The BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) is to never lose sight of 3 things along the journey and after success;

1) Practice your personal responsibility – Success is not just earned, the act of achievement is repeated over and over again to maintain balance. To keep you, you must practice greatness.

2) Pass on your knowledge – influence and motivate others to understand the value and the process of achievement. History repeats itself, but we have the power to honor the path of choice.

3) Check your ego at the door – your ego is your internal “emotional intelligence” temperature gauge. It can be your ally but do not let it overpower your judgment, your logical rationale, or your connection to others.


Most of my personal success has come from hard work, dedication and never losing sight of all the opportunities that have been offered to me. We do not get there alone. We may put forth grueling hours in the gym, on the track, in the office, in the school etc ~ but nothing is ever achieved alone because success is an exchange and if you are lucky if you repeat this exchange enough times, it will become habit and that, my friends, leads to integrity in mind, body and soul.

Happy Earning!

About the Author: Sarah Jamieson

Sarah Jamieson has written 155 posts on this site.


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