***** Positive Thinking, Happy Living

Are you living a happy and successful life? Certainly not, I presume. If you had been living a happy and successful life then you would not have been here reading this article!

Everyone, at some point of his or her life, has dreamed of being somebody special, somebody big. Who hasn't fantasized about being the one who hits the game-winning homer? Who hasn't dreamed of being the homecoming queen? And how many times have we dreamed of being rich, or successful, or happy with our relationships?

Often, we dream big dreams and have great aspirations. Unfortunately, our dreams remain just dreams. And our aspirations easily collect dust in our attic.

When I ask people to describe characteristics of successful people, they often identify characteristics that they associate with others but not themselves. This never ceases to amaze me.

In a recent Red Ladder survey, respondents indicated that the top two drivers for success were 1) having a strategic vision (87.5%) and 2) having written goals (50.0%). Further, 62.5% indicated that their definition of success was "work that is both challenging and rewarding." Interestingly, no one indicated that their definition of success was "being financially secure."