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McGhee's Manifesto

~ Reflections on Life and Leadership

McGhee's Manifesto

Tag Archives: Success

Start with what you need to stop

29 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by David McGhee in Leadership, Life

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Self assesment, Success

As we reach different stages in our lives, we find ourselves wanting to do more, needing to do more, and inspiring to do more.

Contrary to popular belief, much of our success isn’t tied to what we do.  In retrospect, it is actually tied to those things in which we don’t do.  Yes, people who have reached any level of success have done some great things; things worthy of being recognized and noted in the walks of history.  However, I assure you that all of these individuals share a common theme: They have resolved some things that they don’t do, have stopped doing, and will never do again.

Too often we are so determined to “start doing” something, that we overlook those things we should “stop doing”.  This could be the very thing holding you back.  This could be the difference between good and great.  This could be the difference between simply living, and leaving a legacy.

Stopping, in many cases, is better than starting.  So the next time you ask yourself, “Where should I start?”  Remember this: Start with what you need to stop.

With God, nothing is impossible.

© David McGhee

Being Successful Isn’t All That

14 Sunday Nov 2010

Posted by David McGhee in Uncategorized

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McGhee's Manifesto, David McGhee, Success, Significance, Mentoring 101, Successful

Whether you believe this or not, it is said that you will influence at least 10,000 people during your lifetime.  10,000 people!  So my question to you is this – How will you use your influence?  How will this world be a better place because you showed up?

In some area of our lives, we have all experience a level of success.  If you are reading this post that means you’re alive and that, in and of itself, is a blessing and can be looked at as a success.  Our lives, however, should be more about becoming successful – significance is what we should strive for.  Success is too small a word to fulfill what God has placed in each and every one of us.

I look at it like this: Successful people change themselves.  Significant people, on the other hand, change the world.

We are living today, during a point and time in our nation’s history, where the financial state and the economic security of our people stand in peril.  People are hurting today like never before.

Yet, many of us continue to equate success with money, fancy clothes, big titles, nice cars, and being famous or popular.  Today success is portrayed as strictly material.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against having nice things – but nice things should never have you.

To that end, I would like to offer the same words our 44th President, Barack Obama offered to a group of students as he addressed them on their day of graduation.  “Your appearance should never outweigh your substance, and your celebrity should never outweigh your character.”

In an earlier post, Mentoring 101: Success Must Be Studied, I talked about the importance of studying successful people in order to become successful.  This post serves as a follow-up, simply because success isn’t the end of the road.  After you become successful, significant is the next step to take.

With God, nothing is impossible…

© David McGhee

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