Home
>
Success
>
No Shortcut To Success

No Shortcut To Success

Sometimes short cuts are not worth taking. They may bring you quick money but they do not make you become a better, stronger or more skilful person.

On the internet a lot of people are promoting private label products. You pay some money and get the rights to put your name on software or ebooks. In other words you claim credit for having achieved something you haven't.

So far I have resisted the temptation to buy these rights. I would feel uneasy about claiming to be the author of a book I had not written. What happened to honesty?

Another reason for not buying private label ebooks is that they take away your chance to become a writer. Why bother to learn the skills of writing if you can buy the fruits of someone else's hard work and claim their efforts as your own? You lose the incentive to become an expert author in your own right.

Some people are offering products in the rough. You do some work on these and then can put your name to them. This is more acceptable in my view since most writers borrow or adapt the ideas and occasionally the words of other writers. Few books are ever totally original.

The foreword to one of my books is written by a copywriter. I offered to put his name to it but like many copywriters he preferred to keep his name out of the equation. Maybe he didn't like my book!

In the martial arts world, many students want to become black belts as soon as possible with the minimum of work. They show up to lessons before a grading exam is due and are content to scrape through and get their next belt and then they disappear until the next exam is imminent.

They do not realize that they are missing out on the satisfaction and power of becoming a real black belt. They think that having a black belt round their waist somehow makes them great. It doesn't.

You can tell the black belts who have really earned their black belt a mile off. They take your breath away with their power and skill or, failing that, with their determination and effort.

I was never very skilful at my gradings but I did, at least once, get an award for effort and, at my black belt grading, one person, at least, described my performance as 'awesome'. He wasn't a friend or relative! I was in some pain after the grading and had trouble lying down and standing up but the joy of achieving the belt lasted for weeks.

My Taekwondo Teacher, Master Hock Lye Ooi, once offered to give any one who wanted it a blackbelt: "Here come and take it." He was making the point that being given a blackbelt for free means nothing. Any one can buy one in a shop or order one on the net. There is no emotional satisfaction in getting a black belt when you have avoided the hard work necessary to achieve it.

One of my Karate teacher's favourite admonishments was that, if you are not working flat out, "you are only cheating yourself." He was right.

In the Contenders boxing reality show run by Sylvester Stallone and Sugar Ray Leonard, some of the boxers pick the toughest fighters as their opponents. They are not at ease with taking short cuts by picking a weak opponent. They know that, if they face up to the most fearsome opponents, they can walk tall anywhere. They will have paid their dues.

Others are more concerned to win the million dollar prize than they are to become great boxers by fighting great opposition. They pick the boxer they believe they can demolish easily. These 'short cut' boxers will probably fail to win the prize anyway because they will not have become worthy of it.

In the long run, working hard and paying your dues is in fact easier than doing things in a half-hearted way. If you charge into a rugby union scrum with minimum effort and aggression, you will probably get hurt.

If you do anything properly and thoroughly, you will feel much happier than if you are skiving and taking things easy at every opportunity. Even making your bed well can be satisfying and you will sleep better!

The great Jim Rohn, as usual, sums all this up perfectly:

"The major value in life is not what you get. The major value in life is what you become. That is why I wish to pay fair price for every value. If I have to pay for it or earn it, that makes something of me. If I get it for free, that makes nothing of me."

However, there are ways in which you can make any work you do much more effective and even easier. By using affirmation, prayer and visualization techniques you can enlist the aid of your subconscious mind and the power and abundance of the universe. This is not so much a shortcut as a way to row downstream instead of upstream!

About the author
John Watson is an award winning teacher and martial arts instructor. He has recently written two books about achieving your goals and dreams.

They can both be found on his website http://www.motivationtoday.com along with a daily motivational message.

The title of the first book is "36 Laws To Ignite Your Inner Power And Realize Your Dreams Now! - Acronyms, Stories, Pictures And Quotes...Easy To Remember And Use Everyday To Grab Your Life And Soar With The Eagles"

The book can be found at this URL: http://www.motivationtoday.com

The book uses acronyms, stories, pictures and quotations to help readers remember 36 laws that can gradually transform your life if you apply them.

Ezine editors / Site owners
Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site but please include the resource box above.

scheduled maid service Northbrook ..

In The News:

A third-party dental marketing agency's unsecured database exposed millions of patient profiles with personal information that could be exploited for identity theft and insurance fraud.

New York-based Aircela unveils refrigerator-size device that converts air and water into fossil-free gasoline, with initial deployments planned for 2025.

Your home address is easily accessible on people finder sites, putting you at risk for stalking and identity theft, but data removal services can help protect your personal information.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents

Robot combat evolves at Unitree's Iron Fist King event as G1 robots face off in China, featuring knockouts, precise strikes and agile machines that can perform side flips.

Take control of your digital privacy with actionable tips like Facebook privacy checkup, location tracking management and data removal services to protect your personal information.

Smart TVs and streaming devices manufactured in China are being compromised by BadBox 2.0 malware before users even power them on; infections have been detected in 222 countries.

The lightweight, 15-pound Tenniix tennis robot mimics pro playing styles like Nadal and Federer, using AI trained on 8,000 hours of professional tennis data.

Oak Ridge's uranium enrichment facility supports America's AI ambitions amid concerns that China's aggressive nuclear reactor construction could give it an edge in powering data centers.

Facebook scam ads now leverage AI and deepfakes to create convincing celebrity endorsements, targeting specific demographics with sophisticated schemes.

Apple unveils iOS 26, macOS 26 Tahoe and iPadOS 26 with translucent Liquid Glass design at WWDC 2025, featuring ChatGPT integration as competitors advance rapidly.

The Atom Touch prosthetic arm combines an AI neural interface with EMG sensors, allowing amputees to control individual fingers with precision at an affordable $25,000.

Aspen officials aim to have crews on the scene within five minutes — something they say would be nearly impossible without precise location data the AI technology gives.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says iPads are usually secure, but hackers can access them. Spot warning signs early to protect your data.

Tech expert Kurt Knutsson reveals how to easily move photos and videos off your iPhone or Android to securely protect your favorite moments.

The Social Security Administration is launching digital SSN access this summer. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you learn how to use it and protect your identity.

Glide underwater with CudaJet and make the ocean your playground. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses the redesigned tech that might be your next big thrilling adventure.

Protect yourself from login alert scams with five security steps, including avoiding suspicious links, checking account activity and enabling two-factor authentication

Skip the usual Father's Day gifts with personalized ideas for tech enthusiasts, home brewers, pool owners, seniors, outdoor lovers and privacy-conscious dads.

DMV text scam alert: Fraudsters impersonating motor vehicle departments nationwide are sending threatening messages about unpaid tickets and tolls to steal your information.

Fox News' AI Newsletter brings you the latest on this rapidly evolving technology.

E-BAR, MIT's mobile robot, provides physical support for seniors with handlebars that follow from behind, helping prevent falls while maintaining dignity for aging adults.

AI is changing everything – now, we can even use it to generate video. I tried OpenAI's Sora and Google's Veo – here's how they measure up against each other.

Five simple phone setting tweaks that make your device work harder for you, from automatic text message deletion to scheduled focus modes.

Android users can save time with 10 simple automations, including automatic battery saver mode, location-based Wi-Fi settings and scheduled "Do Not Disturb" mode.