There is one thing that is both extremely rare in real life and hardly predictable in spiritual world, that is, “certainty”. However, in spite of its infrequent occurrence, certainty does appear to be there. For one sure thing, no matter who a person is, no matter how old he is, no matter where he lives, no matter which profession he is in, and no matter how he claims otherwise, we can certainly and confidently state that everyone wants to be successful.

Speaking of being successful, a famous quote props up instantly in our mind: “Success is made of 1% of inspiration and 99% of perspiration”. In a brief sentence, the essential ingredients that are responsible for success are revealed. However, what is not told here is another vital component, without which our road to success will be quite rugged, that is “how”. Fortunately, there is another less well-known formula of success that comes readily to our aid, and gives us much in-depth know-how about being successful:  “Be first, be best, or be different”.

The value of being the first in our striving for success can never be underestimated. Whatever you do, you want to be first to invent the wheel; you attempt to be the first to land on the moon; you like to be the first to find a cure for cancer; and you desire to be the first to catch the heart and soul of the one you love, etc. Nevertheless, with only a limited number of “firsts” in the real world, alternative routes have to be sought in order to be successful. This leads to the second part in the formula of success, be best.

If you can not be the first, then it is important to be the best. You try to be the fastest runner in a sprint; you strive to be the sharpest shooter in a basketball game; you endeavor to be the highest scorer in a competition; and you aspire to be the coolest in a show, etc. In a nutshell, you develop a positive attitude that anything others can do, you will do better. However, for whatever reasons you are unable to be the first, or the best, do not despair. There is one other thing you can also do to be successful, that is, be different.

In fact, to be different is the easiest of all for many of us to attain our goals. You use your lateral thinking skills to improve an existing, well-documented technique; you look for alternative, but better method to perform a routine task; you approach a thorny problem via a different angle; and you employ common words and phrases in an innovative manner to deliver a bestseller. Indeed, the option for being different is endless, and eventually, “All roads lead to Rome”.

Now the secret formula of success is right in front of you. You are the one who will determine whether you will be a true success or not. You will be pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to be successful if you put your mind to work.