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The United States is a country known as a land of opportunity, a distinction that lures millions of immigrants to the shores of America every year. After all, this is a land of billionaires, hedge funds, small business owners, and everyday people chasing their dreams and living out their right to pursue happiness and prosperity.
With as much emphasis as this country puts on opportunities, it only makes sense that we’re a nation that’s preoccupied with how successful people achieved their success. What is it that separates the super successful from everyone else in the country? Continue reading to learn about some qualities and habits that bind successful people.
Successful people aren’t afraid to invest in themselves.
Self-confidence is one of the most admired traits for people to have for a reason. One of the things that all successful people have in common is a belief in their gifts. All successful people are investors because they believe in themselves enough to invest in themselves.
When you hear the word investment, it doesn’t always mean money. One of the greatest investments you can make is putting time into developing your craftsmanship and becoming the best that you can be at what you do.
One of the main things that sets John Arnold apart is his willingness to invest in himself. He got his start in energy trading at Enron and was there when the company got caught up in a scandal that rocked the nation. Not many at the energy giant made it out without accusations of wrongdoing, but Arnold was one of the few who left with his reputation and integrity intact.
After Enron went through its crisis in the early 2000s, Arnold decided to go to New York and launch his own hedge fund rather than sit around waiting for the next opportunity to come his way. As a result, Arnold is now a self-made billionaire, and he’s retired from his hedge fund to focus full-time on philanthropy.
Successful people set trends rather than follow them.
One of the most common traits you’ll find among successful people is a desire to blaze their own trail. Even if they have others in their career field to whom they look up, they find ways to make their mark by doing something unique.
There’s a reason that when you look online at a guide for men’s watches that the man modeling the wristwatch always looks like the epitome of success. That’s because companies that make luxury watches and luxury vehicles know that success sells. Even though you may be mesmerized by the timepiece, it’s the success of the person wearing the Patek Philippe timepiece that’s really for sale.
Success in itself is a trend that people want to follow, which is why we’re taught from a young age to choose role models who are in a similar career field. However, on the way to success, you’ll find your own way of doing things that will serve as a model for an up and coming entrepreneur.
Successful people live in the moment.
Another thing successful people tend to have in common is an ability to live in the moment while also recognizing how each moment is a predicate for the future. In other words, a Rolex is an accessory to a successful person because the time is always right now.
When you set big goals and have real aspirations of achieving them, you don’t have time to dwell on what happened last year or even last night. If you want to achieve success, you have to always be in the moment and aware of the present like an automatic watch that sets itself based on the local time.
Successful people give back.
Oftentimes, when people reach the pinnacle of their career field and realize personal success and satisfaction, it’s natural for them to turn their attention outward to either help other people reach their potential or help the less fortunate. John and Laura Arnold launched the Arnold Foundation to focus on criminal justice, healthcare, education, and public finance.
Becoming a philanthropist was an easy decision for John Arnold after achieving massive success for himself. Now, he focuses his time and resources to help others to get a fair chance at realizing their potential.
Success is different for everyone, and only you can determine whether or not you’re successful. However, as long as you remember to live in the moment, blaze your own trail, invest in yourself, and pay it forward, you can leave a legacy that can serve as a blueprint for others in your career field.
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