21 Success Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires

 revelation of reality, January 29, 2009

I love Brian Tracy because of the passion he displays when presenting his ideas about success. I first read Brian's small book titled 21 Secrets of Self-made Millionaire and I totally got transformed pulling myself from poverty striken conditions in Africa to creating personal business. He is an amazing motivational speaker and teacher as well.

 Eloquent and Practical, February 14, 2008

Long ago while growing up in Chicago, I read two books which have had a lasting impact on my personal and professional development: Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People and Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich. I make it a point to re-read both at least once a year; also Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography. My guess (only a guess) is that these three books have also had a positive and lasting impact on Brian Tracy. Their influence is suggested in this book as are the Four Gospels and Saint Paul's various Letters in the New Testament.
However, we all realize that each of us must assume full responsibility for our successes and failures in life. The most valuable lessons we learn are from our own experiences, especially from failures. Tracy notes that "more than 90% of all financially successful people today started out broke or nearly broke. The average self-made millionaire has been bankrupt or nearly bankrupt 3.2 times." Hmmm. He chose self-made millionaires as the focal point of this book "because these people had demonstrated social qualities and behaviors that were observable and measurable." He offers 21 "success secrets," most of which are really not secrets. I would be very surprised if any one of them is unfamiliar to anyone who reads this book.

For me, this is the key point: No matter what we read and how carefully we read it, now matter how much wisdom is provided by what we read, NOTHING beneficial will result unless and until we embrace appropriate values, then make decisions and take appropriate actions which are guided and informed by those values.

Tracy insists that success is predictable. I presume to add, that the same is true of failure. "Your greatest responsibility is to dream big dreams, decide exactly what you want, make a plan to achieve it, practice the strategies in this book, take action every single day in the direction of your dreams and goals, and resolve [as Churchill urges] to never, never, never give up." Throughout his book, Tracy does indeed recommend specific strategies to follow and includes a series of Action Exercises to complete. In that event, "You become unstoppable and your success becomes inevitable."

Hill, Carnegie, Franklin, and countless others do indeed share the credit for whatever I may have achieved in my life thus far but only I am responsible for what remains of that life.

It is not enough to read and admire Tracy's book. As I have previously indicated, the challenge is to embrace appropriate values, then make decisions and take appropriate actions which are guided and informed by those values. The extent to which we respond to that challenge will determine whether or not we succeed or fail when pursuing whatever our dreams may be.