Success – we all want it, and its definition is very personal for each of us.  Whether in our career, our relationships, our finances, our health, or any other area; we are all striving to achieve a level of satisfaction in our lives to be successful in our own mind.

Some people will achieve what they set out to with much determination and laser focus.  Others will dream and be paralyzed, or simply accept their fate as being sealed by the cards that life has dealt them.

I recently pulled from the shelf one of my favorite books, as I do occasionally throughout the year.  This book inspires me when I need a little gas in my tank.

If you haven’t read The Success Principles – How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield, it is a must-read book.  It is an older read having been published 17 years ago, however each page remains relevant today.

I am about to share with you a part of my favorite chapter from the book because the words are impactful.  They are words that give a little jolt to remind you that at any moment you can redefine your life and start to take 100% responsibility for it. 

Excerpts from Chapter 1 – Take 100% Responsibility for your Life. 

“If you want to be successful, you have to take 100% responsibility for everything you experience in your life.  This includes the level of your achievements, the results you produce, the quality of your relationships, the state of your health and physical fitness, your income, your debts, your feelings – everything!

This is not easy.

In fact, most of us have been conditioned to blame something outside of ourselves for the parts of our life we don’t like.  We blame our parents, our bosses, our friends, the media, our coworkers, our clients, our spouse, the weather, the economy, our astrological chart, our lack of money – anyone or anything we can pin the blame on.  We never want to look at where the real problem is – ourselves.”

Jack continues:

“If you want to create the life of your dreams, then you are going to have to take 100% responsibility for your life as well.  That means, giving up all your excuses, your victim stories, all the reasons why you can’t and why you haven’t given up until now, and all your blaming of outside circumstances.  You have to give them all up forever.

You have to take the position that you have always had the power to make it different, to get it right, to produce the desired result.  For whatever reason – ignorance, lack of awareness, fear, needing to be right, the need to feel safe – you chose not to exercise that power.  Who knows why?  It doesn’t matter.  The past is the past.  All that matters now is that from this point forward you choose – that’s right, it’s a choice – you choose to act as if (that’s all that’s required – to act as if) you are 100% responsible for everything that does or doesn’t happen to you.

If something doesn’t turn out as planned, you will ask yourself, “How did I create that? What was I thinking? What were my beliefs? What did I say or not say? What did I do or not do to create the result? How did I get the other person to act that way? What do I need to do differently next time to get the result I want?”

I leave these words with you to do what you choose.  I believe that on the hamster wheel of life, we often become complacent or lose fact that we are in control. 

Sometimes we need a simple reminder that we can hit ‘reset’ at any time and steer life in the direction of our dreams.

If not today – then when?