Ken Poirot's Blog - Posts Tagged "achievement"

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Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement

Ken Poirot

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Named "10 Books to Read in 2014"

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Article on "Mentor Me" below:

http://www.12newsnow.com/story/273201...

Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement

Ken Poirot

99 cents Kindle Edition for a Limited Time...(Regular Price $9.99)

Get your copy at 99 cents while you can...

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See What Others are Saying...New Review...

"Mentor Me" Book Review:

"Yes, there are plenty of bestselling gurus willing to show you the way, but few make it so readily relatable as Poirot.

Insightful but above all else practical in its application, Mentor Me provides the tools for personal change and achievement and is deserving of your attention. It is highly recommended."

Read the full review below:

http://bookviral.com/mentor-me/458793...

Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement

Ken Poirot

"Mentor Me" Became a #1 Bestseller on Amazon (Business Mentoring and Coaching) Last Night, 1/27/2015!!!

You can see the photos here:

https://www.goodreads.com/photo/autho...

The Kindle Version is still 99 cents for a short time.

You can pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPGM28C


Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement

Ken Poirot

Below is an excerpt to a recent author interview:

"Q: Why did you write MENTOR ME? Your life seems quite full without the need to produce a book!

Ken Poirot: I have a deep desire to help people and to influence others in a positive way. You can only touch so many people’s lives directly on a daily basis, even as a manager sometimes interacting with hundreds.

In contrast, a book is a medium you can use to leverage yourself and potentially positively affect many, many more lives. Additionally, a book is permanent. We all face the fact we are mortal; as I wrote in 'Mentor Me':

'Time (T) is our most valuable commodity. None of us knows how much Time (T) we have on this earth, and no matter how much money we have, we cannot buy any more of it.'

Writing this book was a way to leverage my time to potentially help more people presently and even after I am long gone from this earth."

See the full author interview with the link below:

http://strandssimplytips.blogspot.com...


Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement

Ken Poirot

Warmly,
Ken Poirot

"Mentor Me" Review:

"Are you wanting, wishing for your dreams to come true?...Then this would be the book for you.

Now a bit of full disclosure, I don't like these types of self-help books...I was pleasantly surprised. This one had some really great ideas, pointers and ways to plan to actually get your ideas to manifest..."

For the full review see the link below:

http://www.confessionsoftheperfectmom...

Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement

Ken Poirot

Warmly,
Ken Poirot

Epiphany: What Makes Someone Successful?

I had an epiphany last night that will transform your life...

I discovered the most important reason some people are successful and some people are not successful.

There is one fundamental difference, one simple distinction between the most important, successful leaders and historical figures in the world compared to the average person...one common characteristic that made them successful.

The good news is...once you have the answer, you will be well on your path to achieving the success in life you dream about.

Additionally, this answer is simple to implement and act upon. I will walk you through that step, taking action, later here in this blog.

I am even willing to say, this is the one piece of information that will be the reason you finally find success in life, once you take action on it.

Additional 1.5 Years of Thought

It has been almost a year since I published (almost 1.5 years since I completed writing), Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement.

Mentor Me was written to provide a real-world, practical (not just theoretical like so many books) guide for people to take positive action in life. It delivers tools to help people achieve their definition of ultimate success, in a concise, easy-to-read, and easy-to-implement package.

Many deeper themes are also written into Mentor Me in order to stimulate profound thoughts about life...some of these themes are subtle and some are not-so-subtle.

Within its pages are the mindset, exercises, and useful tools to help people on their journey to fulfill their Greatest Achievement (GA).

The Thought Process to The Answer

First a few questions, then I will provide the answer to what makes someone successful.

You deserve to have the answer and to achieve the success you dream of in life.

I will ask you for something in return...share this blog and this information with others.

Please help someone else achieve their dreams and their definition of success in life.

My Question for You

Who are you and what is most important to you in life?

In other words, how do you define yourself and your life?

This seems like a very fundamental question. Yet, if I asked you this question in person right now, could you communicate your answer succinctly and effectively?

Try it right now. Please write down...how do you define yourself and your life?

I am guessing you are just like most of the people to whom I have posed that question...you are struggling with a concise definition of you.

The Answer

Having a deep-rooted knowledge, conviction, and belief of yourself, who you are and what is important to you, is the fundamental basis of focusing your life for success.

This is the biggest difference between those who are successful in life and those who are not.

Think of the most successful person you know...either someone personally or someone you admire; a contemporary or someone from history.

Think of the qualities that person exhibits or exhibited in history. They have a "presence" when they enter a room. People are naturally attracted to them, want to follow them, and to be a part of their lives. Why?

...because this person knows who they are, they can define themselves, and concisely, effectively communicate that definition to others.

They have a direction in life and people want to follow them because it is our human nature to want to be a part of something bigger than us.

We all want to be in the presence of success, greatness, and inspirational leadership. It is our innate constitution to want to achieve, or be a part of something remarkable, earth-shattering, and truly great.

Everyone wants to have a greater purpose in life. Exceptional, charismatic leaders exude confidence and attract followers who believe in them. Their followers believe they will be taken to a place of greatest achievement in life, well above what they could have achieved on their own.

It all starts with defining yourself, having a solid, foundational belief in who you are, what is important to you, and the ability to communicate that effectively to others.

Once you can define yourself, radiate the confidence and belief in who you are, where you are going in life, and concisely, effectively communicate this to others...people will follow you and help you achieve your definition of success.

The X Factor

Last night I realized, that is the difference between great leaders throughout history and the rest of the population.

Some call it the "X Factor." Yet, to my knowledge, no one has succinctly defined the "X Factor" and told you how to construct your own "X Factor"...until today.

Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Alexander the Great, George Washington, Mohatma Gahndi, Mother Teresa, Jesus Christ, etc... all the great and historically relevant leaders in the world:

If you asked any of them, they could answer that question, how do you define yourself and your life?

Any one of them could readily define themselves, radiate confidence in their belief of that definition, and concisely communicate that definition effectively to others.

Deliberately I used diverse names from varied backgrounds, such as, innovative business leaders, nation or empire builders, names synonymous with peace and love, and religious leaders in my example above to make a point...you define you.

Whatever defines you and is most important to you is up to you.

Your definition may be with respect to your profession, your business, your community, your family, your religion, etc...

...it can be anything as long as it is yours and you define it. Your definition of you and your purpose of being is yours to decide and yours alone, which leads me to my next point:

Define Yourself; Do Not Let Others Define You

Once you have constructed your definition of you, you believe it with conviction, and you can communicate it effectively to others...then nothing anyone else says can truly harm you.

Your definition of you is like a suit of armor protecting you in the battles of every day life.

Once you have this deep-rooted belief and understanding of who you are and what is most important to you, then anything anyone else says to you outside of this definition cannot penetrate the emotional armor you have donned.

Anything anyone says will bounce off and be discarded by your conscious and subconscious mind if it is not congruent, or in alignment with, your deep-rooted conviction of your definition of you.

As I wrote in Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement, there is constructive and destructive criticism.

When you have a firm belief and definition of yourself, you can easily shrug off any destructive criticism of you, with the true knowledge and belief it is not accurate, or worthy of a second thought from you.

Your definition of you is like an impenetrable tank, protecting you every second of each day from words of jealousy, hatred, bullying, or abuse.

You Will Be Unstoppable In Achieving Success

By establishing your definition of you, you will attract people to you who will reinforce your positive self image.

People will want to help, nurture, and follow you, while you ward off and repel those who want to harm you, or feed you destructive criticism.

Furthermore, your definition of you will provide you the confidence, direction, and focus in life to achieve your greatest accomplishments.

It will be the guiding principal for your life, directing you to success and making course corrections to your targeted goals like an unstoppable, guided missile.

Some people define themselves through their profession, career, family, relationships, affiliation with groups, church, religion, etc... your definition is completely individualized and it will encompass all that is most important to you.

So how do you physically, concisely, and effectively do this? How do you define yourself and your life? How do you write this down in a way that is easily communicated to others?

Define You: The IBT Model

Last night I came up with a model, or framework, to help people define themselves, write it down, and concisely, effectively communicate this definition to others; I call it the IBT Model.

Write down on a piece of paper the following three words, leaving space between them so you can fill in the blanks.

Write:

I

By

Through



Then think about how you will define you and what is most important to you:

"I" is who you are.

"By" states how you accomplish who you are and your life purpose in relation to you.

"Through" states what medium you use to accomplish your life purpose.


So take some time right now, think about you, your life, and what is most important to you.

As I wrote in Mentor Me, "Something magical happens when we put down what we want on a piece of paper, verbalize it, visualize it, define it, and allow ourselves to experience it…We can program ourselves to have it!"

Your Definition of You in Writing

Write it down, believe it with conviction, and communicate it effectively to others.

I will share what I wrote last night as my definition of me as an example:

"I help people define and achieve their definition of success by providing information, motivation, and inspiration through writing books and coaching."

The people I help can be friends, family, a member of a group I am affiliated with, someone in my community, etc...anyone. It is an all encompassing definition of me.

In order to easily share this with others, I created a photo quote which is located here:

https://www.goodreads.com/photo/autho...

Once you write down your definition of you, refer to it each day. It will be the guiding force for your life, your being, and drive you toward success.

Having this written statement, your deeply-rooted definition of you, is the difference between the greatest leaders and historical figures of all time versus the average person.

You now have the foundation to truly achieve your definition of success.


Help Others and Continue Your Journey

Share this blog with others, help them define themselves, and take the next step...map out your blueprint to achieve your dreams.

In Mentor Me, I assemble the exercises and tools to help people define and achieve their lifelong goal(s), their Greatest Achievement (GA).

After all, you have seen my definition of me:

"I help people define and achieve their definition of success by providing information, motivation, and inspiration through writing books and coaching."

Now that you have your definition of you, pick up a copy of Mentor Me and continue your journey:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPGM28C

Continue on your path to achieving your definition of success...your Greatest Achievement (GA).


Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement

Ken Poirot

Warmly,
Ken Poirot

Have the Courage to Take Action

How many of us are paralyzed by fear?

The fear of the unknown, the fear of failure, or the fear of getting hurt in relationships, just to name a few fears many people experience.

The result of fear: if we succumb to it and allow it to dictate the direction of our lives, then we are guaranteed to never achieve our dreams.

Taking action requires courage: the courage to commit to a goal or dream. The courage to plan for success and follow that plan. The courage to overcome obstacles along the way to success and repel any naysayers we may encounter along the way. The courage to overcome the inertia in our lives caused by the fear of failure or the fear of getting hurt.

The amazing thing about taking action to achieve your dreams is the reaction from others. You will encounter people along the way who will tell you that you can never achieve your dreams. Or even worse, you may encounter those who try to tear you down or undermine your efforts on the road to achievement.

As I wrote in Mentor Me, "The same people who told you what you can and cannot do are only saying that because they gave up on their dreams."

Two Crabs in a Bucket

There are two types of people in this world: those who will support you in your goals and dreams, and those who won't (including those who may even attempt to block or sabotage your efforts).

It is important to surround yourself with people who will give you positive support and cheer you on. Equally important is to separate yourself from those who try to beat you down, hold you back, or undermine you in life.

There is an old adage about crabs in a bucket that illustrates this point.

As the story goes, if you put one crab in a bucket it will easily crawl out.

...but, if you put two crabs in a bucket, the second crab will clamp its claw(s) onto the leg(s) of the crab attempting to crawl out of the bucket. Therefore, the second crab will actively hinder the first crab from escaping the bucket.

The end result is neither crab will be able to crawl out of the bucket.

"Crawling out of the bucket" is a metaphor for getting ahead in life, or achieving your goals and dreams.

The moral of the story: rid your life of any crab(s) who might hold you back and/or keep you from getting out of your bucket (achieving your goals and dreams).

Soldiers Exemplify Taking Action in the Face of Fear

So why do some people take action even though they experience fear, while others are so paralyzed by fear they quit or do not take action in the first place?

...or a better question, how can someone learn to take action in the face of experiencing fear?

I believe the answer to this question is best exemplified by the courage of our soldiers while encountering severe opposition and the real specter of death.

Soldiers come from every cross section of our society and they are taught to take action in the face of fear. They learn to control their panic in war situations which would prevent most people from moving forward; soldiers make decision/take action in circumstances which the average person would be paralyzed by extreme fear into quitting or inaction.

The good news then is this: the average person can learn to take action in spite of fear.

In other words, this is a behavior we can all acquire...the ability to take action in the face of fear!

The D-Day Invasion

First, I would like to take a moment to commemorate and remember all the soldiers, veterans, and our current, active military personnel this Memorial Day. All of these individuals are heroes in my mind.

Anyone who serves our country and is willing to give their life for the United States deserves our thanks and respect.

Likewise, any soldier who has fallen in battle should be honored for giving the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

I am using just one example of the heroism of our soldiers here, the D-Day Invasion, because it is an illustration for which most of us have studied or have a powerful visualization due to all the photos taken of this particular battle.

One cannot imagine the fear and terror soldiers engaged in the D-Day Invasion must have felt while riding in their transport ships to the shores of Normandy, France.

Listening to the seemingly infinite rounds of machine gun fire hitting the ramps of their transport ships, while waiting for those same ramps to be lowered to the sea, guaranteeing death to those stationed in the front of their ships.

As the ramps came down, rows of soldiers were struck and killed before they could even take one step into the ocean.

Soldiers behind them had to crawl over their wounded, dead, and bleeding buddies in order to get into the sea. Then push forward onto the beaches targeted by more machine gun fire, bombs, booby traps, and razor wire.

Sheer chaos and almost certain death enveloped these soldiers in the fog of war, smoke, explosions, and the screams of the fallen. Yet, through all this horror, the pieces of friends and fellow soldiers surrounding them, they still moved forward.

What we forget is, with all the planning that went into the D-Day Invasion and the 160,000 troops that took part in this operation: success was not guaranteed.

The price was high as more than 9,000 Allied soldiers died during this mission.

How can the average person develop courage?

So how can the average person be transformed into an heroic and courageous soldier?

Our soldiers had the courage to take action, to be brave in the face of the unfathomable hell that greeted them on the beaches of Normandy. Against all odds, almost impossible to imagine circumstances, and sheer terror, our soldiers showed unimaginable courage.

What can we learn from our soldiers and their heroism? What can we learn from their courage and how can we use their example to change our lives?

We can break this down into three steps the average person can use to overcome fear and take action in their lives, namely:

1) Commit to the Mission/Commit to No Return (Vision)
2) Implement Training and Practice (Planning)
3) Manifest Belief and Expectation (Execution)

Have Vision and Commit to "Death Ground"

It starts with having a vision and committing 100% to the achievement of that vision no matter what obstacles are encountered.

As General Dwight D Eisenhower said about the D-Day Invasion, "We will accept nothing less than full victory.” This same commitment was communicated throughout the ranks to every soldier under General Eisenhower's command.

This vision and commitment of our leaders/generals to the D-Day Invasion put 100% of those 160,000 troops into harms way with the only acceptable outcome: full victory (the outcome could have been complete annihilation or failure).

Looking back at the invasion it is easy to forget since we were victorious: the outcome could have been much different.

Heading into that day, no one could guarantee victory...failure and the complete loss of all 160,000 troops was one possible result of the D-Day Invasion.

Another illustration of complete commitment was written by Sun Tzu in The Art of War. He wrote of this complete commitment to moving forward and no return as creating "death ground." This "death ground" is defined as a place where an army is backed up against some geographical feature like a mountain, a river, ocean, or a forest which offers no possible escape route.

Per Sun Tzu, without a way to retreat (a complete commitment to move forward) an army fights with double or triple the spirit compared to combat on open terrain, precisely because death is viscerally present. The soldier has no choice except fight ferociously to live or die!

Sun Tzu advocated deliberately stationing soldiers on "death ground" to give them an edge of desperation which transforms people to fight like they never have before.

Our generals undoubtedly studied Sun Tzu and used this principal in the Normandy invasion. Our soldiers were shipped to the shores of Normandy and had no alternative for escape.

There was nowhere to hide in the waves of the sea where our soldiers were sitting targets for German bombs and machine guns. They were placed on "death ground" and they had no choice but to fight their way forward just for a chance to live.

Implement Training and Practice: Planning

So how can you take the average person who becomes a soldier and turn them into a hero who takes action in the face of fear?

For our soldiers it comes down to their training and practice. The constant drills, basic training, and live fire exercises. Getting used to the feel, sounds, sights, and smells of battle. The smoke, explosions, machine gun fire, and even the screams associated with the fallen.

These drills also expose soldiers to the mental, emotional, and physical stress of fatigue and adrenaline experienced in combat. They are designed as a total assault on the senses while teaching soldiers to maintain discipline, follow orders, control their actions, and press on while experiencing fear.

This training and practice helps to condition our soldiers for the terror they will experience in war. In other words, they undergo a great deal of planning for combat.

What we can learn from this is to plan for the fulfillment of our goals and dreams. Whatever your craft, practicing your craft, and training your skills for success are necessary. Also necessary is maintaining the control and discipline to follow the plan through the mental, physical, and emotional stresses along the way.

Above and beyond this practice and exercise, making a written plan (which also strengthens your commitment to that plan) is crucial for success. Additionally, pursuit of any goal or dream requires a total cohesive physical, mental, and spiritual vision and commitment to its achievement; never taking your eyes off the target and continually focusing (and refocusing) your thoughts on the achievement of that vision.

This is why I dedicated various chapters of Mentor Me to information/exercises designed to commit mentally, physically, and emotionally to creating a blueprint for goal achievement, as well as providing tools for garnering support on the path to success.

It is also why these same chapters are constructed to solidify the belief and expectation of success.

Manifest Belief and Expectation: Execution

As stated in the Bible, Matthew 17:20, "Jesus said to them, Because of your unbelief: for truly I say to you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you."

The above passage is typically summarized as "With faith you can move mountains." When you have a deep-rooted faith (belief) and expectation of success, you are much more likely to achieve success.

Dwight D Eisenhower, our leaders, Allied generals, and our soldiers were all 100% committed to the vision of success of the D-Day Invasion. They trained, exercised, and planned for victory. Additionally, they believed in the mission and they expected to succeed.

This belief and expectation permeated all who executed this plan, from the leaders at the top down to the foot soldiers who carried out the invasion. All executed this D-Day Invasion plan with a deep-rooted vision, commitment, belief, and expectation of "full victory."

These were the thoughts I had when I penned the phrase, "Take Action: Success is not guaranteed but inaction will guaranty failure." For this reason, I purposefully chose a famous photo from the D-Day Invasion to illustrate this quote, which can be seen here at the link below:

https://www.goodreads.com/photo/autho...

Remember the sacrifice of our soldiers and fallen heroes today, this Memorial Day. Also remember to take action to achieve your goals and dreams on the way to transforming your life. Yes, taking action cannot guarantee success...but inaction will guaranty failure.

Remember, you can acquire the ability to take action to achieve your goals and dreams, even if you experience fear, by following these three steps:

1) Commit to the Mission/Commit to No Return (Vision)
2) Implement Training and Practice (Planning)
3) Manifest Belief and Expectation (Execution)

Have the courage to take action and live your life to the fullest in pursuit of your goals and dreams!

Have a great Memorial Day!

Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement

Ken Poirot

Warmly,
Ken Poirot

Success versus Greatness

In my last post I wrote about the "Three Keys to Success," namely:

1) Goal Setting
2) Time Management
3) Life Skills

If you have not read that post already, you can access it here:

https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

So what is the difference between success and greatness?

Success is very personal; everyone has their own definition of what constitutes success. For example, some people may have set financial goals, like accumulating a certain amount of money, attaining a specific level of annual income, or achieving complete financial freedom.

For others success may be creating a non-profit organization for a definitive cause in order to help others.

Someone else may measure success as channeling all their Time (T) and Energy (E) into the mastery of the arts, music, literature, a particular sport, etc...

In this way, success is a very individualized and personalized experience that has a different definition from one person to another. Since we all have divergent goals in life, therefore, success is subjective in the eye of the beholder; as such, success to you may not necessarily be seen as success by someone else.

Greatness takes success to an entirely different level and order of magnitude. In contrast to success, which is measured internally, true greatness is measured externally by its impact on society as a whole.

For some, their ultimate measure of success may be to attain greatness. For this reason, in addition to helping people achieve their definition of success, elements and exercises are incorporated into the design of Mentor Me to help people achieve greatness, if that is their personal ambition.

What are the Requirements to Achieve Greatness?

The first step in achieving greatness is to attain success. In addition to that, the ultimate fulfillment of true greatness necessitates an extraordinarily higher level of three further requirements, namely:

1) Sacrifice
2) Belief
3) Conviction

Greatness is defined by public recognition of the value of ones contributions to society, and therefore, true greatness is a bit more elusive to obtain than success.

Yes, success requires a degree of these three requirements above, but if your ultimate vision is to achieve greatness in life, you will have to take your personal sacrifice, belief, and conviction to an even higher level once you have reached success.

Let's look at three people in history who I think we can all agree realized true greatness.

Each of these individuals exhibited an extraordinary level of sacrifice, belief, and conviction in their lives, above and beyond their initial achievement of success.

Nevertheless, I will highlight one of these specific requirements over the other two, as I explore these individuals who exemplify greatness.

Sacrifice: Nikola Tesla

When I think of sacrifice , I think of Nikola Tesla. It can be argued that Tesla's work has touched virtually every man, woman, and child in the modern world.

His work with alternating current (with Westinghouse), including the very public opposition of Thomas Edison's direct current structure, eventually led to the adoption of alternating current as the more efficient world standard for electricity production and distribution.

Nikola Tesla sacrificed everything for his work. He was estranged from his family in Croatia and he never married. In fact, it is said he may never have had any romantic relationships in his life; he believed celibacy was important to keep him focused on his work.

Later on in life, as documented by a reporter, Tesla remarked, "Sometimes I feel that by not marrying, I made too great a sacrifice to my work ..."

When Tesla died, he was found by a maid in the Hotel New Yorker in New York City, alone, penniless, and in debt.

I was thinking about Tesla when I penned the quote, "Some journeys in life can only be traveled alone."

For this reason, this quote is portrayed with a photo of Nikola Tesla, which you can see here:

https://www.goodreads.com/photo/autho...

His life unfolds as a story of sacrifice and tragedy. One of his brothers died when he was only five years old, a prolonged nine month battle with cholera almost killed him multiple times, he never graduating from his university due to his gambling addiction and disagreements with his professor, he had many public fights with his one time mentor, Thomas Edison, he lost various patents when he was ousted from the first company he founded, and he had to resort to digging ditches just to survive at one point in his life.

Tesla sacrificed for his scientific work, for which he received great recognition. His success was so highly regarded by the scientific community during his lifetime, that it is said he was considered for a joint Nobel Prize with his nemesis Thomas Edison.

Tesla's greatness is immortalized by his many scientific awards, the impact of his work on society, the Tesla unit named after him (world standard unit for the measurement of magnetic flux density), Tesla Day in his native nation of Croatia, his photo gracing the cover of Time Magazine, an airport named after him, various planetary objects with his namesake, museums, his face on stamps and money, etc...

Throughout his life, Tesla exhibited all three of the requirements necessary for greatness; it was not just dependent on his personal sacrifice, he also had an extraordinary belief and conviction in his abilities, as well as the importance of his work.

Having said that, I see Tesla's life as the epitome of sacrifice.

Tesla was literally married to his work.

As a result, his contributions to the world earned him a level of greatness which transcends time.

Belief: Steve Jobs

When I think of the word belief , I think of Steve Jobs. What best defines his contributions to the world, technology, and the impact of his inventions on the average person, is Steve Jobs' belief. The driving force behind his achievements is his belief he could take complex technologies, make them fun, simple to use, and deliver this experience to the average person.

This belief permeated all the innovations Steve Jobs created. Jobs certainly sacrificed for his belief and vision of creating new, innovative, and intuitively easy-to-use technological products for the masses.

We need to look no further than his public dispute with the board of Apple to catch a glimpse into his sacrifices. One can't imagine what he must have been feeling when he was ousted from Apple in September 1985, the company he founded, due to his disagreements with Apple's Board of Directors.

Even at that point in his life, if he had just walked away from technology and business, he still would have achieved a staggering level of personal and professional success.

What makes Steve Jobs truly great is the fact he continued to pursue his core belief and create new, innovative products which never existed previously. He dreamed up these complex electronic devices, then designed them to be fun and intuitively user-friendly for the average person time and time again.

To me, Steve Jobs is the epitome of the word belief.

Of course, he also had the conviction to make his belief and vision come true.

There is no doubt, Steve Jobs had an unprecedented impact on the everyday lives of billions of people around the world. The user-friendly technologies he invented makes his greatness truly legendary.

Conviction: Benjamin Franklin

So what is the difference between belief and conviction?

Belief can change over time, but conviction is unwavering belief on steroids. Conviction is the unconditional faith that moves mountains, to paraphrase the Bible.

When I think of conviction, I think of Benjamin Franklin.

Yes, Benjamin Franklin also sacrificed much for his greatness. His own son, who Benjamin Franklin adored as his beloved companion early in his life, chose to side with England during The Revolutionary War. This created a painfully tragic rift between Benjamin Franklin and his son that was never repaired in their lifetime.

As the chief diplomat for the American colonies in England, France, and then again in England after The Revolutionary War, he spent a great deal of his life separated from his wife. In fact, he was in England when his wife died of a stroke in 1774. He later returned to America only after his work was done, in 1775.

Benjamin Franklin was the equivalent of an iconic celebrity, debutante, and rock star, all rolled into one in his day. He was a successful author, publisher, scientist, inventor, and diplomat known throughout the world.

He is one of those rare individuals who actually achieves greatness within his own lifetime.

What stands out for me the most though, is Benjamin Franklin's conviction. As mentioned earlier, belief can be changed; early in his life, Benjamin Franklin was loyal to England. This belief began to change as England flexed its muscles over the American colonists.

The final change for Benjamin Franklin, turning his belief into conviction for American independence, resulted from the aftermath of the Boston Tea Party. After this event, England's Privy Council summoned Benjamin Franklin into their court where they put him on "trial," verbally and publicly humiliating him.

Historians say Benjamin Franklin walked into that meeting with the belief in England and the American colonists reconciling their differences, but walked out with the conviction that independence from England was the only viable solution for America.

Benjamin Franklin biographer, Edwin S. Gaustaud, in his book, Benjamin Franklin: Inventing America, would write the following in reference to this meeting:

"He now referred to England as 'this old rotten state' and its ministers as the very embodiment of 'extreme corruption.' Why should the colonies any longer consider union with Britain as a great good to be pursued, he wondered. 'I apprehend, therefore,' he wrote to Joseph Galloway, a Philadelphia friend on February 18, 1774, 'that to unite us intimately will only be to corrupt and poison us also.'

To Charles Thomson, another friend, Franklin wrote four days after his 'trial' that those who berated him had the never to claim 'soveignty over three millions of virtuous, sensible people in America,' but in fact 'appeared to have scarce discretion enough to govern a herd of swine.'

These strong words came from a man of gentle wit who usually practiced conciliation and compromise. But not after his humiliating experience before the Privy Council in January 1774."

From Franklin's own words, his belief in compromise gave way to a new belief, and deep-rooted conviction for the need of American independence from England.

Benjamin Franklin is later credited with his diplomacy in France turning the tide of The American Revolution. Through Franklin's diplomacy, ultimately convincing the French to support America with money, arms, troops, and their navy, France gave America the necessary resources to decisively defeat the world's superpower, England, in order to gain independence.

Yes, the man paid the sacrifice and he exhibited belief, but what really sets Benjamin Franklin apart is his conviction to the American cause of independence.

This conviction solidified his greatness, which echoes throughout the fabric of time.

Without Benjamin Franklin's conviction, and ability to win France's support, it can be argued the American colonists may not have prevailed against England.

What Price are you Willing to Pay for Greatness?

As we can see from the examples of these three individuals who achieved true greatness, greatness is a much more elusive achievement beyond success.

All of these historical figures were successful, and additionally, each of them took their success further by their extraordinary fulfillment of the three requirements for greatness:

1) Sacrifice
2) Belief
3) Conviction

As we have seen, success is only the first step on the road to greatness.

The biggest question is, once you achieve your definition of success, are you willing to increase your level of sacrifice, belief, and conviction to pursue greatness?

If so, you may be among those few in history who achieve true greatness.

You may be like Nikola Tesla, Steve Jobs, or Benjamin Franklin, and your pursuit of greatness may positively affect billions of other people, as well as all of society forever.

Realize you may never know within your lifetime how many lives you may ultimately influence. ...but know that if you decide to pursue greatness, your life may have a ripple effect on the world that lives in perpetuity throughout the ocean of time.

If you resolve to start your pursuit of greatness, if you are willing to sacrifice, if you are strong in your belief, and take this belief to the level of true conviction, know that you can achieve greatness!

The question is: what do you want from your time in this world? Do you want success, or do you want to dedicate your life to the pursuit of greatness?

Either way, Mentor Me can help you design your blueprint, provide the tools necessary to achieve success, and guide you on your journey in pursuit of true greatness, if that is the dream you choose to pursue...

Warmly,
Ken Poirot

Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement

Ken Poirot