Home
>
Success
>
Success Secrets of The Rich - Are Rich People Lucky?

Success Secrets of The Rich - Are Rich People Lucky?

I've just sent an email to my mailing list based on Stuart Goldsmith's 'Seven Secrets of The Millionaires.' I don't know how they felt after reading the message it contained but it impressed me so much that I felt I must immediately write an article about it.

Stuart Goldsmith is a British multi-millionaire who moved from being in debt to becoming one of the rich people through his direct mail business. He also wrote a brilliant news letter. Some of his ideas may not be new but they are expressed in a powerful way and deserve to be read again and again. The key idea in this article is one of them

In Chapter One of his classic book, Stuart demolishes the idea that millionaires are lucky; instead they have become rich by making thousands of small decisions in which they chose to get the job done rather than not to get it done. They chose action rather than inaction:

"Most people believe that wealth is a lottery, that cards were shuffled and then randomly dealt and some received an Ace, whilst others received a Two or a Three and some get the Joker. They further believe that this is just luck - like the lottery, and so those lucky people with Aces should be willing to hand over a portion of their wealth to those unlucky people with lower cards.

Closer examination reveals a different truth, and one which is unpalatable to the general public. It is not a truth they wish to hear. The truth is that with a few exceptions, the wealth creators were not dealt Aces randomly by fate. They worked at their success by making correct choices on a minute by minute, day by day basis. Let me explain.

Everything you are and have today is the exact summation of countless thousands of little choices and decisions you made from the day you were first consciously able to make such choices. And stating it simply, those choices were mainly between action and inaction. Or putting it another way, between action and laziness. I'm not talking big, life-changing decisions here. I'm talking about tens of thousands of day by day, minute by minute choices like "shall I get up or lie in bed for another half hour?" "Should I read another chapter of that textbook or go for a beer instead?" "Should I try a little harder to get this job right, or just turn it out in a sloppy fashion?"

Thousands upon thousands of little things going right back to school days when you decided between completing a homework assignment or watching TV instead.

As Jim Rohn says, "Everything matters." It is the small choices which matter. The little day by day disciplines which build into an inexorable force propelling you towards success and wealth. After a lifetime of always choosing the easy option, the lazy way out, the least amount of work, the mediocre will have the temerity to call you 'lucky.' They will then demand 'their' share of your wealth - the wealth you built by numerous small daily disciplines, each one requiring you to forgo immediate gratification of your desires.

If anyone ever accuses you of being 'lucky' just reply: "You're right. And you know what? The harder I worked, the luckier I got." Whilst your friends are watching soap operas or down the pub, you will be working late nights, forgoing instant pleasure, striving to create new values, new products, new ideas which will move mankind forward."

I was going to add several comments to Stuart's words but I think he has said it so well that I will only add one or two comments. Nor am I infringing his copyright since I was an attendee in 2002 at one of his 'retirement' seminars when he generously handed over licences to his info products to the attendees.

In the passage above, he has provided a very effective guide or measuring tool to help us choose the best decisions minute by minute. Choosing action over inaction may seem stunningly obvious but the results of not choosing action only show up gradually and so it helps to have some one like Stuart point out the power of the thousands of chances we get to choose to get the job done rather than not get it done. We all need to do our 'homework' on a regular basis.

Not getting it done may seem to have no effect on our lives at the time but later on we'll suffer the consequences. I have chosen to read emails rather than mow the lawn for weeks. The back garden has suffered and will take a long time to mow.

This is no big deal but other choices could mean the difference between riches and poverty. A choice to take action and check out your investments more carefully could save you losing thousands if you have invested in another Enron. On the other hand daily choices to save money could keep you out of debt.

On reflection, we can be grateful that we are able to make these daily, minute by minute choices. Our lives, in all their glorious or inglorious details, are in our own hands. We can act or not act. Luck has nothing to do with it! The next time you are hesitating about making that phone call or leaving it till tomorrow, just pick up the phone and make the call. Choose action over inaction. Choose action over laziness.

About the author

John Watson is an award winning teacher and fifth degree black belt martial arts instructor. He has recently written several books about achieving your goals and dreams.

They can be found on his website http://www.motivationtoday.com along with a motivational message and books by other authors

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.

kitchen deep cleaning Deerfield ..

In The News:

Airport workers report surge in fake lost luggage claims as scammers retrieve discarded baggage tags containing passenger names and travel information.

Unlike robotaxi competitors, Tensor focuses on consumer-owned self-driving cars that adapt to highways and urban roads with full redundancy systems for safety.

Medicare scams cost $54 billion in 2024 as fraudsters target beneficiaries with fake calls demanding payments and personal information to steal benefits.

Scammers create fake Evite invitations that mimic legitimate event emails, requiring users to verify senders and use antivirus software for protection.

The new Apple Watch hypertension feature passively monitors blood pressure patterns over 30 days using sensors to detect chronic high blood pressure signs.

Chrome extension spyware disguised as a free VPN service highlights security risks after it captured private browsing data from trusted sites.

New research shows how fatty acids in cooking oil can safely dissolve and recover silver from circuit boards without harmful chemicals or environmental damage.

The Fox News AI newsletter gives you information on the latest AI technology advancements, and about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Anthropic investigates alarming AI abuse case where hacker automated entire cybercrime campaign using Claude, stealing sensitive data from defense and healthcare firms.

TikTok, Meta and YouTube restrict Charlie Kirk shooting videos with age gates and warnings while X faces criticism for allowing continued circulation.

Cybercriminals use fake troubleshooting websites to trick Mac users into running terminal commands that install Shamos malware through ClickFix tactics.

San Francisco startup Fable launches Showrunner, an AI platform dubbed the 'Netflix of AI' that generates animated episodes from text descriptions with Amazon support.

Apple raised iPhone prices for some models despite receiving tariff relief from President Donald Trump, with the new lineup starting at $799 for the base model.

A two-story 3D concrete printed home in Western Australia demonstrates faster construction methods that could reshape American housing amid rising costs.

Credit scores remain important during retirement for insurance rates and housing applications, while seniors become prime targets for identity theft and financial scams.

Scammers now send unexpected packages with QR codes that redirect victims to fraudulent websites or download malicious software to steal sensitive information.

Meeting AI tools record private conversations alongside work discussions, creating privacy risks that can be managed with proper settings and awareness.

Hotel privacy concerns are valid but rare, with methods to detect hidden tech using smartphone flashlights, mirror tests and scanning apps.

Improve your Wi-Fi speed and reliability with 10 simple router optimization tips that don't require special apps or expensive subscriptions.

A Columbia University breach exposed names, Social Security numbers and academic records of nearly 869,000 people, with notifications beginning in August.

Rental car drivers use AI-powered apps like Proofr to protect themselves from unfair damage fees as major companies deploy automated inspection tools.

Fox News' AI newsletter brings you the latest on technology advancements around artificial intelligence.

OnTrac data breach between April 13-15, 2025, exposed personal information of over 40,000 people including Social Security numbers and medical records.

A woman named Wika announces her engagement to an AI chatbot sparking worldwide debate about virtual relationships and technology.

The notorious people search site National Public Data relaunches despite a previous breach affecting 3 billion individuals, raising fresh privacy concerns.