10 'Not-So-Secret' Secrets to Success

People are very interested in knowing how others succeed. So they search for web sites that offer success secrets, read lengthy books or a quick "One Minute Manager" booklet, they attend seminars, or even consult their horoscope, hoping to stumble upon that special formula -- the key that unlocks the door to success.

Take for example the newspaper, Investor's Business Daily (IBD). When he was home, my son subscribed to this paper and, although not into investing, I picked it up one day. I read a very interesting column entitled, "IBD's 10 secrets to success."

The caption described it this way: "IBD has spent years analyzing leaders and successful people in all walks of life. Most have 10 traits that, when combined, can turn dreams into reality."

I found it a very insightful, and often inspiring, column about real people, both contemporary and historical, and their successes. But what surprised me more was that these secrets were not secrets at all! Everyone of them and the wisdom that they contained were written long ago and can be found in the Bible! Due to space limits let me just list IBD's 10 secrets with just one relevant verse from scripture:

1. How you think is everything: Always be positive. Think success, not failure. Beware of a negative environment. (Philippians 4:8-9; "Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious- the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, no things to curse. Put into practice what you have learned from me, what you saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies." Prov.23:7; "For as a man thinks within himself, so he is." (OK, that's two.)
2. Decide upon your true dreams and goals: Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them. (Philippians 3:13-15; "Friends don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward-to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us."
3. Take Action: Goals are nothing without action. Don't be afraid to get started now. Just do it. (James 1:22-25; "Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the morror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea of who they are, what they look like. But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God-the free life!- even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action."
4. Never stop learning: Go back to school or read books. Get training and acquire skills. (2 Timothy 2:15: "Study to show yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.")
5. Be persistent and work hard: Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up. (Hebrews 12:1; "Do you see what it all means- all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running- and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how He did it.")
6. Learn to analyze details: Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes. (1 Thessalonians 5:21; "Test everything. Hold on to the good...")
7. Focus your time and money: Don't let other people or things distract you. (2 Timothy 2: 3-4; "When the going gets tough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did. A soldier on duty doesn't get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out orders. An athlete who refuses to play by the rules will never get anywhere. It's the diligent farmer who gets the produce. Think it over. God will make it clear."
8. Don't be afraid to innovate; be different: Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity. ( Matthew 9:17; "Jesus said, "Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both will be preserved.")
9. Deal and communicate with people effectively: No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others. (Matthew 7:12; "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also for them...; Proverbs 25:11; "The right word at the right time is like a custom piece of Jewelry.") -- I know, that was two.
10. Be honest and dependable; Take responsibility; Otherwise, number 1-9 won't matter. (Proverbs 11:7; "A good and honest life is a blessed memorial; a wicked life leaves a rotten stench.")

The Bible is filled with a rich wisdom that transcends time and cultures. Those who view it as just an old book with no relevance for today most likely have not read or studied it. Truth is, our entire Western Civilization, government, arts, literature, and morals have been, and continue to be, influenced by the Bible.