One thing is for sure: ADVESITY BREEDS CHARACTER and success breeds SUCCESS, as it gathers a momentum of its own and you get on a "winning streak", when everything seems to fit into place.No matter field of endeavour, it's a matter of great PERSISTENCE that moves you towards ultimate success. So, "Keep on keeping on".

I like all of following quotations. They all stand for what success means to me personally. So I'll share them with you...

"Success is continuous journey towards achieve- ment of predetermined worthwhile goals." - Tom Hopkins, American motivator

"To live your life in your own way To reach goals you've set for yourself To be person you want to be - That is success." - author anon.

"There is one only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way" - Christopher Morley Most of all, I believe success is a matter of PERSONAL GROWTH. If every day you are developing or growing just a millimeter (or acquiring a "teeny weeny" bit of knowl- edge for improving yourself that you didn't have before), I believe one is successful. So dwarfs can be very success- ful people too. Sorry about that "un PC" comment, dwarfs!

Just being a slightly better person each day for me is suc- cess. I've got a very long way to go then!

Finally , always remember... success is a PROCESS and is not simply a matter of arriving at a destination. Suc- cess is what you BECOME in often very difficult and hazardous journey down river (or in my case, nego- tiating "raging rapids"*) of life.

*Note alliteration

"I am not just a human being... I am a human just becoming ." - My great friend and "wise" intellectual philosopher, Dr Andy Eastcott (thanks for fixing my teeth and for most interesting , "mate")

The beauty of soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper.

-- Aristotle

The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.

-- Charles Du Bos

7. Be persistent. Winning often means getting up one more time than you have been knocked down. Persevere and never give up.

8. Adapt to change and see it as a challenge rather than as uncertain and frightening.

9. Always keep things in perspective. Because our job is such a big part of our self image, a career set-back can make us lose perspective. If you become unemployed, don't see yourself as a failure, but rather as having options and an opportunity to pursue a new direction.

and finally,

10. Believe in yourself, but trust in God .

YOUR ATTITUDE DETERMINES YOUR DESTINY and YOUR ATTITUDE DETERMINES YOUR ALTITUDE

Realistically analyse your strengths and weaknesses. As a matter of interest, people generally list more weaknesses than strengths, especially women (nice things those!). Too often people discount their accomplishments and focus on what they haven't been able to do.

Making money in itself is not success, but rather a by-product of success. Most successful people use technique of visual- isation to foresee ideal outcomes. If you can foresee getting your desires in mind, then you can get there in body.. .at least I think so!

"As a man thinketh so is he." Haven't I got that one in already?

Success or failure is not a matter of luck. The key ingredient is a winning attitude, together with PERSEVERANCE and common sense.

Your attitude determines your destiny:

Remember to stick at a task when things don't go right. "When going gets tough, tough get going", as my dear father used to tell me often. Did it work though with me? All successful people have true grit and stickability, as well as natural ability. The winner is often person who gets up one more time than they are knocked down. You will hit attitudes in others who say 'you can't do it'. You have a choice then: a) To remain convinced that you can do it. b) Stay with their attitude and quit yours.

All world's greats would never have been great if they had listened to opinion of even their closest friends. Caruso, world's greatest tenor, was told his voice sound- ed like a tin can. Thomas Edison, inventor of motion pictures, was advised that no-one would pay to listen to sound coming from a screen. Edison told Henry Ford to give up making cars and work for him instead and make millions. Marie Curie was told to forget about radium. Laurence Olivier was told by friends to give up acting. Benjamin Franklin was told to stop fiddling with lightning. People told Johnny Weismuller (Tarzan) that no-one would ever beat his fifty swimming records. His 1936 world record was qualifying time for 1972 Olympics! Attitudes of time said his records could never be beaten. Now 12 year old girls regular- ly beat his times.

Christopher Columbus took 14 years to raise funding for his ships and crew before setting out on his explorations. The science and culture of day had said that world was flat. However, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain had faith in Columbus. With that faith and money behind him, Columbus took just six months to discover New World.

In same way, a "flat-world mind-set" can limit our thinking and lead to mediocrity. In same way that you can train fleas to jump a certain height in a bowl, when you take away bowl, they still do not jump higher than learned height.

Our mind can tie us down and limit us, so that mediocrity becomes our destiny. Negative attitudes get cemented in concrete.

WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE YOU CAN BE GREATER THAN ANYTHING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU:

ATTITUDE BEATS FACTS EVERY TIME.

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT

* * *

A short exercise:

Talk to your best friend or partner *(I hate that common New Zealand expression- cheapens institution of mar- riage anddenotes immoral living - Yes, sir "Mr goody goody two shoes") about: * I far prefer term 'spouse', which could be an abbrev- iation for "spastic mouse". Enough about my personal opinions...

1. The picture you hold of yourself (i.e.. how you see yourself): Is it positive or negative, are you an introvert, extrovert, popular?

2. How you see other people seeing you - their perception of you, or looking glass). Which brings to mind following wise words (not mine)...

"I am not what I think I am." "I am not what you think I am." "I am what I think you think I am."

Abraham Lincoln grew up in a very difficult environment. He had less than one year of formal schooling. He experienc- ed defeat and failure year after year, but is one of great- est success stories of all time. In spite of everything, he had right attitude to achieve success.

I HOPE THAT YOU DO TOO.