Pyramid of Success

Industriousness"There is no substitute for work. Worthwhile results come from hard work and careful planning."

What this block means is that you need to work hard. You shouldn't just stand around and do nothing. You need to get up and start working towards something. You need to start working towards some goal, it doesn't matter if its small or big. Nothing can come your way if you don't work. You can only get results when you work hard. There is no other way to get results because hard work can't be substituted.It also says you need some plan. The plan can include what your goals are and how to achieve them. Through hard work and careful planning you can achieve the results you want. I will try to apply this goal when ever I want to achieve a goal. Michael Grant said, "It couldn’t last. Everyone was just killing time. But if all they did was kill time, time would end up killing them.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                 
Enthusiasm "It is the engine that powers all blocks of the Pyramid. It is why I chose Industriousness and Enthusiasm as the cornerstones of my Pyramid of Success. It is where everything begins."

This block is saying that enthusiasm is the engine of all these blocks. This means that enthusiasm is what powers you to complete the other components of this triangle. Enthusiasm is what also powers you to complete your goals. Enthusiasm is also what gets you through the day. Enthusiasm is motivation. You will have a hard time trying to complete goals without enthusiasm. Enthusiasm acts as fuel for you to complete things. Without enthusiasm you will most likely not get anywhere. Without enthusiasm you will most likely give up quickly before things even get started. This is why its important to have enthusiasm in life. I will try to apply this block by not letting things get to me so I can achieve my goals. Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr said, “It's faith in something and enthusiasm for something that makes a life worth living.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                 
Friendship"Comes from mutual esteem, respect and devotion. Like marriage it must not be taken for granted but requires a joint effort."

This block is about friendship. As you can see from the picture above friendship is one of the base building blocks and theres a good a reason. Friendship is important because it means you have bonded with someone. It also means that you are not alone anymore. Its great to have friendship because you will have someone to have your back. Your friends can support you in your goals. In order to have friendship however, there are many things that you need. You need to have mutual respect. You can't have a friendship if you don't respect each other. You also shouldn't take your friendship for granted, which means you should not be using your friends or manipulating them. Friendship also requires both people to make an effort to keep the friendship up. I will try to apply this block by talking to more people and trying to make friends. Elbert Camus said, "Don’t walk in front of me… I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me… I may not lead. Walk beside me… just be my friend” 

                                                                                                                                                                                                 
Loyalty "To yourself and to all those depending upon you. Keep your self-respect."

This block is about having loyalty. This is also one of the base blocks of the pyramid, which shows that this block is important. This block doesn't mean swearing loyalty to another, but also to yourself. Loyalty is what builds up your personality. Loyalty determines your reputation. Loyalty helps build strong bonds. Loyalty to yourself means being true to yourself. It can mean keeping to your beliefs. One way you can be loyal to yourself is not being a hypocrite. It also means sticking to your beliefs, what you believe in and not straying away from it. I will try to apply this rule by staying true to myself and to others. Veronica Roth said, "I belong to the people I love, and they belong to me--they, and the love and loyalty I give them, form my identity far more than any word or group ever could.”

                                                                                                                                  
Cooperation "With all levels of your co-workers. Listen if you want to be heard. Be interested in finding the best way, not in having your own way. "

This block about cooperation is one of the base blocks of the pyramid. The reason why this block is one of the most important ones is because cooperation helps you succeed in almost anything. When you do things yourself, you might be able to do it, but doing things alone can end up in failure. Doing things alone can also make a lot of things more stressful because all the pressure is on you. This is why cooperation is helpful. Cooperation means working with someone. Cooperation includes working towards the same or similar goals. In order to have cooperation you need to find a good teammate. A teammate isn't always going to be perfect, you need to be able to respect your teammate on all levels. You also need to listen to your teammate and both of you will need to be able to find the best way together, not doing it one person's way. I will try to apply this block by listening to my teammate and figuring solutions to a problem together. Bill Clinton said, "We all do better when we work together. Our differences do matter, but our common humanity matters more.”

                                                                                                                                                                   

Ambition (For noble goals)

This block is about having ambition. Ambition is one of the important steps in achieving your goals. Ambition is what makes things more thrilling for you. Ambition is what gives you fuel. Ambition is what pushes you forward to achieve your goals. Without ambition, it makes achieving goals much harder. Ambition is your desire to achieve a goal. Ambition can be also what gives your goals meaning, its what makes a goal more important to you. Without ambition, goals can sometimes become meaningless. Whenever you decide to go after a goal, make sure you have the ambition for it. I will try to apply this block by making sure I have the right motives for going after a goal. Marcus Aurelius said, "A man’s worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions.”

                                                                                                                                                                   

Self-Control "Practice self-discipline and keep emotions under control. Good judgement and common sense are essential."

This block is about having self control over your own actions. Self control is not only important in becoming successful it also important for your own character. Self control means keeping yourself in check. Self control isnt always easy to have. Self control takes discipline. Self control sometimes requires you to have a good morality. You would need to know whats right and whats wrong. Self control requires that you have common sense. You need to know what you shouldn't do without even thinking about it. You need to force yourself to not do what you're going to do. I will try to apply this block by not doing something that will distract me from homework.  Thucydides said, "Self-control is the chief element in self-respect, and self-respect is the chief element in courage.”

                                                                                                                                                                   

Alertness "Be observing constantly. Stay open-minded. Be eager to learn and improve."

Alertness is important for success. Being alert means knowing whats going on around you. It can help you know what you need to do. It helps you learn what opportunities there are around you. Alertness can also mean being open minded. It means know what others are thinking. It means being alert to their needs and wants. It can mean accepting what they believe in. Alertness means being focused on something new. By being alert you can learn and improve. I will try to have alertness by paying attention in class. Michael Bassey said, “Always be careful of where you run to. When the going gets tough, take it easy and slow down, else you venture into the den of lions.” 

                                                                                                                                                                   

Initiative "Cultivate the ability to make decisions and think alone. Do not be afraid of failure, but learn from it."

This block is saying you need to learn how to become initiative. Initiative means having the ability to make decisions and to be able to think alone. Initiative is useful for when you aren't working with anymore. Having initiative helps you think and come up with ideas all by yourself. Being initiative is useful for making good decisions that can benefit you or others. Initiative is all about being independent. Things are harder when you are by yourself, but the experience will help you grow. You should not be afraid of failure because you can learn from it. Initiative can also mean you will have to face failure by yourself, but in the long run it can help you grow too.Without initiative you won't be able to grow outside your comfort growth. I am being initiative by working by myself in most work. Andy Warhol said, “They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”

                                                                                                                                                                   

 Intentness "Set a realistic goal. Concentrate on its achievement by resisting all temptations and being determined and persistent."

This block is saying that you need to be realistic. Setting a goal that you can achieve and one that is realistic is really important. If you set a goal that is impossible then it will lead to disappointment when you did not achieve it. Sometimes having a realistic goal is a good step towards a goal that is out of your reach. For example, saying you want to do 100 pushups in a day when you never done a lot of pushups before is impossible. However, if you work your way up by doing 20 pushup weekly and then knock up the numbers of pushups after a few weeks, you can achieve that goal. Having intentness can also mean that you are determined and persistent. This is important when trying to achieve a goal. Goals required you to be determined, without determination you won't be stay focused on the goal. Persistence is important, it means that you need to make a routine that will help you achieve your goal and sticking to it. Without persistence we can become lazy and you won't be able to finish your goal. I will try to apply this block by making goals that I can achieve and ones that are in my reach. Roopleen said, "“If you have a dream, don’t just sit there. Gather courage to believe that you can succeed and leave no stone unturned to make it a reality.” 

                                                                                                                                                                   

Sincerity (keeps friends)

This block is telling you to be genuine. Sincerity is not only wanted by others but sometimes it can be good for yourself. People want you to be honest and genuine to them. Its also good for you since you don't have to bottle up your feelings and what you think. Without sincerity these bottled up thoughts and feelings can ruin your happiness. Sincerity is wanted by people so by having sincerity you can keep friends. There are many ways to be sincere to yourself and to your friends. You can be sincere by express how you are feeling or say what you think. This is good because your friends can understand what you are feeling and maybe you and your friends can do something to make a change. Sincere is not only saying what you think but you need to mean what you say. I will try to be sincere by expressing how I feel to people I know. Confucius said, "Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.”

                                                                                                                                                                   

Adaptability (to any situation)

This block is saying that you need to be able to adapt. You need to know how to live in any situation. You need to learn how you should react to every situation. Not all situations is the same. This is why adaptability is important because it helps you in any situation. Being adaptable is what keeps you going. If you are not adaptive then you won't be able to get out of most situations. In the work force being adaptive is extremely important. Everyday being adaptive is what keeps you in the job. Sometimes at work there might be a big change which will force you to change. I will try to be adaptive by working hard and finding ways to change in a new situation. Leon C. Megginson said, "It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change."

                                                                                                                                                                   

Condition "Mental-Moral-Physical. Rest, exercise and diet must be considered. Moderation must be practiced. Dissipation must be eliminated." 

This block is about your condition.The condition of your body is important for you to succeed. You need to make sure your body is healthy enough to help you get through the day. If the condition of your body is bad you can possibly get sick and this will make it harder for you to get through the day. Condition isn't just about the body, it can be about your mental or mind and morals. The health of your mind is also or even more important. Having a good mental health can help you think and make decisions. A good mental health can mean you are sane or don't have anything troubling your mind. When you have a bad mental health, it can mean you have depression and things like this can cloud your judgement and hinder your thinking process. Good morals can mean that you have a good sense of right or wrong and this can help you in making decisions. I will try to use this block by making sure I take care of myself and making sure I have a good sense of morals and a clear mind. Stephen R. Covey said, "Our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our conditions.” 

                                                                                                                                                                   

Skill "A knowledge of and the ability to properly and quickly execute the fundamentals. Be prepared and cover every little detail."

This block is about having skill. Skill is the ability to professionally execute something. Skill can mean being prepared for things to come and being able to handle them. Skill can mean knowing every little detail of whatever you are handling and handling it accordingly. Skill is important to succeed. Jobs require that you have skill in order for you to complete the job. Some jobs might require that you have a high amount of skill since these jobs might be difficult. To get skill there are different ways. Going to College can teach you high level skills which you will need for your job. Personal experience and repetition can build on your skill level. Even going online and researching can help build your skill. I will try to apply this block by working harder and researching in order to have better skill. Robert A. Heinlein, "Sex, whatever else it is, is an athletic skill. The more you practice, the more you can, the more you want to, the more you enjoy it, the less it tires you.”

                                                                                                                                                                   

Team Spirit "A genuine consideration for others. An eagerness to sacrifice personal interests of glory for the welfare of all."

This block is about being cooperative. It mean being able to work with others. This block is great to master whenever you work in a group. Team-spirit is what fuels the team. It can act as motivation for the entire team. Team spirit usually involves a sacrifice of personal interests for the good of the team. You can't have team spirit if you are only thinking about yourself. You also must be eager to help out your team. Team spirit needs you to be productive in your team and doing whatever you can to help your team succeed. I will try to apply this block by working hard in a group work.  Lailah Gifty Akita said, "We can only reach the highest height, if we encourage each other.” 

                                                                                                                                                                   Honesty (in thought and action) "Honesty is the best policy."

This quote is about having honesty. Honest is important to have in your character. Usually honesty is good for most situations. When you are honest you make the impression that you are truthful. When you are honest you can strengthen a bond. Honesty can help you make real friends. This is why honest should become your policy. Without honesty its will be hard to get out of most situations. Honesty tells others who we are and without that it can give a bad impression about yourself . Honesty is usually what keeps you out of trouble. Honesty I will try to apply honesty by telling the truth in most situations.  Virginia Woolf said "If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people.”

                                                                                                                                                                   

Resourcefulness (proper judgment) “Make the most out of what you have.” (Anonymous)

This quote is about being resourceful. It means to rely on what you have. Some things can be hard to come by. Resourcefulness also means having good judgement. People make a lot of decisions throughout their day. Sometimes whenever you make a decision there won't be enough time to think about it and will require you to answer it within the next few seconds. When ever you need to make a quick decision you need resourcefulness. Resourcefulness can help you decide what to do. Resourcefulness is the ability to use what you have and make it work in order to complete the decision you made. Resourcefulness is important in order for you succeed in work and everyday life. I will try to apply this block when ever I need to make quick decisions. Kerry E Wagner said, "you don't have to worry about burning bridges, if you're building your own”

                                                                                                                                                                   

Poise "Just being yourself. Being at ease in any situation."

This quote is about having poise. Having poise means being confident in yourself. It means just being able to act like yourself. When you have poise you feel more at ease in almost any situation. A good poise helps you reveal things about yourself to others. Poise can be hard for some people to obtain. These are usually people who don't have self esteem and confidence in themselves. In order for them to get poise they need to work on their self confidence. Poise is not only important for being a success its also important for your own happiness. When you have poise you are not lying to others and to yourself about who you are and you can express who you actually are with ease. I will try to apply this block by expressing myself more to others. Michael Bassey Johnson said, "Don't tell a lie to be loved, speak the truth to be hated.” 

                                                                                                                                                                   

Confidence"Thorough preparation breeds confidence" Gerald Bell in "The Carolina Way"

This quote is about having confidence in yourself. It can obtain through preparation. Confidence is important for you to have. Confidence is what fuels you to do things. Confidence is one of the important steps for success. Confidence helps you get through the day. Confidence encourages you to complete a task. If you don't have confidence you will have trouble getting through the day. Confidence is your fuel and without it you will scared to do most things. Having a lot of preparation will you give you confidence so its important for you to be prepared everyday. I will try to apply this rule by being prepared everyday. J.M. Barrie said "The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.”

                                                                                                                                                                   

Reliability (creates respect)

This quote is saying you need to develop the characteristic called reliability. Reliability usually means you are mostly independent. It also means others can depend on you. Reliability can be very hard to obtain. It means you need to develop skills that are not only useful for yourself but also skills that can be used to help others. It means having traits that others need. When you are reliable people will began to like you. It will make them think you are someone you can depend on. Reliability is also important for your success in life. If your employer believes you are a reliable person then you will mostly get the job. If your boss sees you are reliable then he can trust you with more work. I will try to be reliable by developing traits that will help other people.Wolfgang Schauble said "Reliability is the precondition for trust".

                                                                                                                                                                   

Fight (determined effort)

This quote is saying you need to fight. To fight means you don't give up. It means you don't let obstacles stop you. Fighting means you keep pushing forward towards your goal. Fight means being determined. In order to fight you need to have determination and put a lot of effort when you are trying to achieve something. You can't find if you don't have determination. Without the mindset you won't be able to achieve your goals. In the world you need to fight to achieve your goal because if you stand back and watch you get nothing wrong. You can't be a success in life if you don't fight for it. I will try to apply this block by being determined to achieve me goal. Sira Masetti said, “If you lose one battle, don’t give up. Get up again, you have a war to win.”

 

                                                                                                                                                                   

Competitive Greatness " Be at your best when your best is needed. Enjoyment of a difficult challenge."

This quote is about being competitive. You need to be competitive at times when it is needed. However, not only do you have to be competitive when needed, you also need to make it enjoyable for yourself. When things become challenging don't make it worse on yourself by constantly stressing over it. This is where competitive greatness comes in. Having competitive greatness can make challenging less stressful. When you have competitive greatness you can find enjoyment in challenging situations. You need to try your best but don't overexert yourself because it can make the situation harder on you. I will try to apply this block by making a challenging experience more enjoyable for myself. Coach Wooden said, “All of life is peaks and valleys. Don’t let the peaks get too high and the valleys too low.”

                                                                                                                                                                   

Integrity (purity of intention)

This quote is about having integrity. Integrity is about having pure intentions. This means that you have intentions that is based on moral uprightness. It means you are honest with the intentions you have. Your actions should have good intentions behind them. An example of integrity is helping people just because you want to help people. It means you don't help people just so you can get something from them or use them when they try to return the favor. Your actions should not have any other immoral reason behind them. To have integrity all or atleast most of your actions should have a reason that doesn't benefit. You do things because they are the right thing to do. I will try to apply this block by doing the right thing without any other reason behind them. Oprah Winfrey said, "Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.”

                                                                                                                                                                   

 Faith (through prayer) Believe and Achieve. Positive belief.

This quote is saying we need to have faith. There are many things in our life we can have faith in. However it depends on the person. You can have faith in your friends or family. You can have faith in the future that things will come your way. You can also have faith in yourself. When you have faith in something it means you believe in something. If you believe in yourself you will produce positivity. With positivity you can achieve things. If you don't have faith in yourself you will most likely fail. I will try to apply this block by having faith in myself.  Roy T. Bennett said, "Believe in your infinite potential. Your only limitations are those you set upon yourself.” 

                                                                                                                                                                   

Patience (good things take time)

This block is about having patience. Patience means having the ability to wait. It means being able to wait for what you want to get. It means being able to continue to work for what you want.  It means not giving up during the time you are trying to reach your goals. Patience is very important for achieving your goals. Patience is knowing that things don't happen overtime. Without patience you will most likely be giving up on your goals much sooner. In order to become successful you also need to have patience. Hard work takes a lot of patience I will try to apply this block by being patient when i try achieving my goals. A.A. Milne said “Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” 

                                                                                                                                                                   

Reflection

I have made some progress. From the start of this post I have barely made any progress of most of these.I was confused by some of the blocks because a couple of the blocks seemed similar to me. After a while I was able to see  the difference between one block and another. I learn that some of the blocks build on each other and that why they seem similar. Just like how patience seemed a bit similar to many other blocks. Just like how resourcefulness seemed similar to adaptability but I was able to notice the difference. It took me a while for me to make progress. I had trouble in a couple of blocks. I had trouble in making progress in confidence. It took me a while to be confident in my own work. I had trouble being adaptive.