One of the most important qualities you can have to succeed in your life is not intelligence, money, or education. What you need is actually free, and you can have it today and every day for the rest of your life.
You must simply believe that you will prevail.
I know it sounds too simple to be true, but if you believe you will prevail I guarantee that you will succeed in your life. Please remember that success is not prevailing at once. It is prevailing at last.
Lorelei has been a good friend of mine for more than forty years. She is smart, attractive, and has earned both college and graduate degrees. But Lorelei worries—all of the time.
At lunch three days ago I asked Lorelei to think about her entire life and tell me at what point in time she knew she would prevail. There was a pause.
“I don’t think . . . ever.”
“What about high school? I remember that you played hooky from school, smoked, and were rebellious. You must have known that you would ‘get away’ with it.”
“No. Not really. Basically I was just angry. And I did pay a penalty.”
“Okay. How about your son Loki? As a child he needed special help in school and you fought hard to get him what he needed—for many years. And you got it.”
“Yes. I knew I would fight for my son forever. But I didn’t know if I would ever prevail.”
I was surprised, as I often am when someone is different from me in an important way. We continued our conversation talking about less substantial matters like cabbages and kings. At the same time my subconscious was working on an idea.
At the end of our lunch I said, “I have a homework assignment for you.” I was afraid that she would tell me that I was out of my mind for trying to give her—a grown woman—homework. But she seemed open to it, so I continued.
“Tomorrow morning, when you wake up, think of something on which you can prevail. Plant a seed, write a paragraph, read one page on the internet. It doesn’t matter what you choose. The seed doesn’t have to grow into anything.
The paragraph can be one short sentence with misspelled words. The internet page can be a Google map. Tomorrow morning just choose an act that you will do, and then know that you will prevail. In other words, begin to form a new habit.”
To my delight, she said, “I’ll do it.”
Yesterday at lunch I remembered Lorelei’s assignment. With slight misgivings about how she might reply, I texted her.
This morning I texted back.
Two years ago I weighed 278 pounds. Two years ago I hadn’t ever published a short story, let alone a book. By the end of this month I will have had two books published, and I’m working a third. I’ve written this blog every week without fail for more than a year. If my life were a slot machine with five rows, all would be displaying a “7” and I would be winning a huge jackpot. But I don’t need to go to Las Vegas to win. I win because I have the habit of believing that I will prevail.
What are you going to prevail on today?
I know you will.
Alan
