Instead of letting life's obstacles bring you down and destroy you, use them. Use your adversities to make you stronger and help you succeed in business, education, or whatever you choose. Use hardship to toughen you.

Telling your story to your customers and associates will undoubtedly get you support, respect, and even success. Don't embellish your tale or beg for pity, but don't be afraid to let people know what you have been through. Being honest about your life's history will inspire trust and understanding in others who may very well have been down same road.

You must however have a goal clearly in mind. This can be referred as a vision of what you want your life to be. It's like parent asking their child what they want to be when they grow up. If you don't have a clear vision as to where you want to be, your odds of success are greatly diminished. You, and only you, can decide where you want to go on your travel through life.

But you can't sit on top of a hill and think pleasant thoughts all day. You have to come down to real world and set your goals and objectives. You have to set priorities and have a plan to meet them on a regular basis. You must have a plan of action, and follow it. In other words, "plan your work and work your plan". While things come up to delay you at times, you must meet your goals each day. You must be organized, and have a system in place to attain your objectives. Without one, your ship will certainly founder. Excuses don't count. Leave these behind you. Build your own personal image of success.

Do you spend any time honing your skills? Community involvement is a great way to do this. Get out and meet people. Do some public speaking - anything to allow you to practice your techniques when dealing with people. Most sales are not product driven. If people believe in you, you are more than halfway home to making a sale.

If you are fired with enthusiastic ideas and allow them to dominate your thoughts, you will find that new horizons will open. As long as your enthusiasm lasts, so will new opportunities. Don't wait for world to beat a path to your door - it won't. Search out and seek new ventures.

Allow yourself to think outside boundaries. Remember, failure is merely a stepping stone on your road to success, and if you exercise positive thinking, you will reach your objective.