Where Will You Be Five Years From Today?

In five years Columbus opened up a whole new world by discovering the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, and North and South America.

In just under five years, Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel.

In less than five years, Shakespeare wrote "Hamlet," "Othello," "King Lear," "Macbeth," and five other immortal plays.

In 1961, Julia Child graduated from cooking school with a quirky idea for a TV show. Four years later she won an Emmy as America's Favorite TV Chef.

Fired from their home improvement jobs, Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus created a business model called Home Depot and went public with their idea. Just three years after losing their jobs, their annual sales were $1 billion.

At age 30, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was living in a 500-square foot apartment. Five years later his net worth was $10 billion.

"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Louis Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein." - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Five years...260 weeks...1,825 days...2,333,000 minutes. What will you do with it? What could you do with it?

Discover Your Gifts

Not everyone is self-aware and has a good handle on their own skills, gifts, and talents. There are many individuals who grew up in a household where they received little encouragement or affirmation, and as a result seem at a loss for direction. If you have that kind of background, you need to work extra hard to figure out what your gifts are. Take a personality profile such as DISC or Myers-Briggs. Interview positive friends and family members to see where they think you shine. Spend some time reflecting on past successes. If you're going to focus your thinking in your areas of strength, you need to know what they are.

Focused Thinking

Focused thinking will take you to the next level. No one achieves greatness by becoming a generalist. You don't hone a skill by diluting your attention to its development. The only way to get to the next level is to focus. No matter whether your goal is to increase your level of play, sharpen your business plan, improve your bottom line, develop your subordinates, or solve personal problems, you need to focus.

"The immature mind hops from one thing to another; the mature mind seeks to follow through." - Harry A. Overstreet

Prayer Is the Hub

In the circle of successful living, prayer is the hub that holds the wheel together. Without our contact with God, we are nothing. With it, we are a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor.

True Happiness

“The happiness which brings enduring worth to life is not the superficial happiness that is dependent on circumstances. It is the happiness and contentment that fills the soul even in the midst of the most distressing circumstances and the most bitter environment. It is the kind of happiness that grins when things go wrong and smiles through the tears. The happiness for which our souls ache is one undisturbed by success or failure, one which will root deeply inside us and give inward relaxation, peace, and contentment, no matter what the surface problems may be. That kind of happiness stands in need of no outward stimulus.”

- Billy Graham

Promise Yourself...

"Promise yourself to look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true." A positive attitude and hard work keeps you moving forward.

"Promise yourself to think only the best, to work only for the best, and expect only the best." You should strive to be the best you can be.

"Promise yourself to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own." It is important to help and encourage one another and no matter what the outcome is, you should be happy for one another.

"Promise yourself to wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile." It takes a greater number of facial muscles to frown than it does to smile.

"Promise yourself to give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others." Focus on areas you need to work on instead of talking about what others need to work on.

"Promise yourself to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble." Don't let worry, anger, fear, and trouble distract you from your goal. Stay positive and always strive to be the best you can be.

Source: Sydney Durso, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader