Henry Ford is an American inventor and founder of Ford Motor Co. He revolutionized manufacturing, set industrial standards and made cars accessible. Ford once said, ¨If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve already got.¨
Growing up, my dad always recited this quote to me, and it has impacted my view on life, challenges, myself and others. Pushing yourself, whether it’s academically, physically or emotionally, will lead to growth. Growth happens naturally over time. However, people can make negative or positive decisions that impact their rate of growing and learning.
Every day you wake up, you are given the opportunity to learn not only from yourself but from people around you. Otto von Bismarck was a Prussian statesman and the first Chancelor of Germany. Bismarck once said, “Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others.” This statement emphasizes humility and the importance of strategic learning to save yourself from unnecessary hardships.
Comparing yourself and your success to others can push you to become better, have bigger goals and inspire you. However, some argue that ¨comparison is the thief of joy.¨ While comparison can be positive or negative depending on how you look at it, it’s all about balance and perspective. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, but improving yourself can be positive no matter the scenario.
Seeing others save their money, get into a great college, go on vacations, drive nice vehicles, be a hard worker academically and in the workplace, have lots of friends, become strong in the gym and get all A’s are the sorts of traits and luxuries that so many people want in life. Seeing your peers or even your enemies achieve the goals you have implemented for yourself can be used as motivation to work even harder to achieve what you want.
There is no single key to success, however you can have a strong and positive mindset. Vision, clarity, discipline, consistency, resilience and adaptability can all help you achieve your goals.
Henry Ford also said, ¨If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.¨ Your attitude and mindset completely affect your outcome. If you wake up every morning with the same negative mindset and attitude, then the chances of you having a poor day are greatly increased. People’s moods are also contagious to those around you, so you should try to be uplifting and positive.
Jim Rohn was a well known motivational speaker and author who supported self development. Rohn once said, ¨You’re the average of five people you spend the most time with. Now some may argue that this isn’t true. However, I fully believe that it is. Surround yourself with people who positively impact you. Find people with big dreams, good jobs and high grades. Look for those who are kind, supportive and prioritize their health and well being.
Acknowledging that being positive and changing your mindset doesn’t only affect you and your life but also the people around you changes people’s perspectives about their own attitudes. Making small adjustments to your behavior, tone, outlook and mindset all affect one another.
