--Abraham Lincoln 40*

The retiring president of a company after a standard farewell, gave two envelopes marked No. 1 and No. 2 to the incoming president, and said, "Whenever you run into a management crisis you cannot handle by yourself , open envelope No. 1. At the next crisis, open the second one."

A few years later, a major crisis came. The president went into the safe and pulled out the first envelope. It said, "Blame it on your predecessor." A few years later a second crisis came. The president went for the second envelope, and it said, "Prepare two envelopes for your successor."

Responsible people accept and learn from their mistakes. Some people never learn.

We can do three things about mistakes: ?.

Ignore them Deny them Accept and learn from them

The third alternative takes courage; it is risky but rewarding. If, instead, we defend our weaknesses, we actually start building our lives around them, making them a center point, rather than overcoming them.

4. Hard Work

Success is not something that you run into by accident. It takes a lot of preparation and character. Everyone likes to win but how many are willing to put in the effort and time to prepare to win? It takes sacrifice and self-discipline. There is no subst.i.tute for hard work.

Henry Ford said, "The harder you work, the luckier you get."

The world is full of willing workers, some willing to work and the others willing to let them.

I like to work half a day. I don't care if it is the first 12 hours or the second 12 hours.

--Kammons Wilson, CEO of Holiday Inn

One cannot develop a capacity to do anything without hard work, just as a person cannot learn how to spell by sitting on a dictionary. Professionals make things look easy because they have mastered the fundamentals of whatever they do.

If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem wonderful at all.

--Michaelangelo 41*An executive called a company to check on a potential candidate. He asked the candidate's supervisor, "How long has he worked for you?" The man replied, "Three days." The executive said. "But he told me he was with you for three years." The man replied, "That is right, but he worked three days."

The average person puts only 25% of his energy and ability into his work. The world takes off its hat to those who put in more than 50% of their capacity, and stands on its head for those few and far between souls who devote 100%.

--Andrew Carnegie

Success is the result of believing in asking how much work and not how little work, how many hours not how few hours. The best musicians practice every day. Winners don't need to apologize for winning because they work hard and long. It didn't come easy.

Everything that we enjoy is a result of someone's hard work. Some work is visible and other work goes unseen, but both are equally important. Some people stop working as soon as they find a job. Regardless of the unemployment statistics, it is hard to find good people to work. Many people don't understand the difference between idle time and leisure time. Idle time amounts to wasting or stealing time; leisure time is earned.

Procrastinating amounts to not working.

Excellence is not luck; it is the result of a lot of hard work and practice. Hard work and practice make a person better at whatever he is doing.

Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.

--Abraham Lincoln Hard work is both a beginning and an end in itself. The harder a person works, the better he feels; and the better he feels, the harder he works. The best ideas will not work unless you work the ideas. Great talent without will power and hard work is a waste.

We need to learn from nature. The duck keeps paddling relentlessly underneath but appears smooth and calm on top.

Once when Fritz Kreisler, the great violinist, finished a concert, someone came up to the stage and said, "I'd give my life to play the way YOU do." Kreisler replied, "I did!"

There is no magic wand for success. In the real world, success comes to doers, not observers. A horse that pulls cannot kick; a horse that kicks cannot pull. Let's pull and stop kicking.

Without hard work there is no success.

Nature gives birds their food but does not put it in their nest. They have to work hard for it. Nothing comes easy. Milton rose every morning at 4 a.m. to write Paradise Lost. It took Noah Webster 36 years to compile Webster's Dictionary.

Even small accomplishments require hard work and are better than big talk.

5. Character

Character is the sum total of a person's values, beliefs and personality. It is reflected in our behavior, in our actions. It needs to be preserved more than the richest jewel in the world. To be a winner takes character. George Washington said, "I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most valuable of all t.i.tles, the character of an honest man."

42*It is not the polls or public opinions but the character of the leader that determines the course of history. There is no twilight zone in integrity. The road to success has many pitfalls. It takes a lot of character and effort not to fall into them. It also takes character not to be disheartened by critics.

How come most people love success but hate successful people? Whenever a person rises above average, there will always be someone trying to rip him apart. Chances are pretty good when you see a person on top of a hill, that he just didn't get there, but had to endure a tough climb. It's no different in life. In any profession, a successful person will be envied by those who are not. Don't let criticism distract you from reaching your goal.

Average people play it safe to avoid criticism, which can be easily avoided by saying, doing or being nothing. The more you accomplish, the more you risk being criticized. It seems there is a relationship between success and criticism. The greater the success the more the criticism.

Critics have always been sitting at the sidelines. They are underachievers who shout at doers, telling them how to do it right. But remember critics are not the leaders or doers and it is worthwhile asking them to come down to where the action is.

The critic is one who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Oscar Wilde

There is another breed of people who are willing to help others until the others are able to help themselves. But as soon as they are able to help themselves, this group of people make life as miserable and as uncomfortable as possible. This is part of life and if we have to succeed, we have to do it in spite of them. This kind of behavior is the result of jealousy.

Character is a Combination

Character is a combination of integrity, unselfishness, understanding, conviction, courage, loyalty and respect.

What is a pleasant personality with character?

It is a cla.s.s by itself.

It is composure.

It is poise.

It is surefootedness and confidence without arrogance.

It is being considerate.

It is never making excuses.

It is knowing that courtesy and good manners take many small sacrifices.

It is learning from past mistakes.

It has nothing to do with money or blue blood.

It never builds itself by destroying others.

It is substance, not just form.

It can walk with the elite and yet maintain the common touch.

It is a gentle word, a kind look and a good-natured smile.

It is the secret pride that stands against tyranny.

It is comfortable with itself and others.

43*?