What Winners Do To Win by: Nicki Joy - Essay Example

Order 392102 Topic: What Winners Do To Win by: Nicki Joy Introduction: The mighty mountain remains under the feet of the conqueror. Winning, however, is not the level of ones achievements in life. It is the process of living—how boldly one meets the challenges of life! No individual is a failure unless one admits defeat! One should not try to escape responsibilities in the various stages of life. The book “What winners do to win,” is meant to serve as inspiration for those who value perspiration! (Hard and intelligent work ) Concentrate on the goal and be aware of the target always. In every action, in every thought, in every moment one needs to work for the goal. This is the level of concentration needs to be maintained to win in life! Always remember-- be the owner of well-targeted activities— not the one who just carries it as the mind-level luggage! Life is not to be measured in terms victory or defeat; what is important is permanent effort! Nicki Joy writes, “ It has been said that you can be young once, but you can be immature indefinitely.”(2) Success is to be measured not by the position that an individual has reached in life but by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to win. Without beating about the bush, Nicki Joy straightaway comes to the point in the first few pages of the book to lead an individual to the winnable position. She avers with authority, “ In being able to determine ones level of maturity, I have noticed that nine abilities come to play,” (5)and she lists them out: “1.The ability to do a job without supervision 2.The ability to complete without prodding, the job that you started 3.The ability to carry money in your pocket without having to spend it on something 4.The ability to carry on injustice without feeling the need for revenge 5.The ability to anticipate—to see down the road 6.The ability to be discreet, to have self-censorship and tact 7.The ability to think about the repercussions and consequences of your actions and inaction 8.The ability to take blame when warranted 9.The ability to learn from experience.”(5) What is it to win? This five-words question can be answered in three words: Absence of failure! To win is the most cherished goal of every human being. But the winning path confronts and confuses!Make honest appraisals at different stages of life about the winning program. These appraisals must lead to final decision as for the goal in in life and the methods that one is going to employ to achieve them. Some children possess extraordinary innate talents in music, literature, sports, etc. Such divine-blessed ones should be coached intensively to polish their skills and encouraged to upgrade their talents and take professional degrees. The suffixes after one’s name do help in improving the prospects in career goals. Normally a two feet wide space is sufficient for one to walk—but can one walk on a two feet wide bridge if a turbulent river gushes below and the water level almost touches the bridge?Obviously, some other factors affect the attempt to walk. You have the ability to walk, but fear prevents from crossing the river. To win, one needs to be fearless! Nicki Joy opines, “ Winners supervise themselves, so to speak.”(6) Just observe how orderly the Nature is and how precise are the movements of the celestial bodies. The changing seasons, the growth of the saplings, the blossoming of flowers, the timings of sun-rise and sun-set etc. Punctuality and precision are the hallmarks of the functioning of the cosmos! Everything works as it should! Lapses are never seen. The right things happen at the right time. Our understanding of the functioning of Nature can be faulty, but Nature is faultless. It is, therefore, correct to conclude that discipline and dedication are the hallmarks of a winner. Stiff challenges that one encounters in life need to faced with courage to reach the winning post. Every crisis is an opportunity. Accept the challenges of life and live through the trials and tribulations, with self-confidence. One is sure to reach the portals of success. Young age is the formative period of ones life. In the fast pace of life, impacted by the materialistic civilization, industrial and internet revolutions, the parents have hardly any time to counsel the children. They fail to interact with them when such a process is most essential. A parent counseling their child has become the issue of the past. Parents have no time to interact with children. Can the children take their own decisions as for their future? If the process of molding the character of children is not given a firm shape at young age, perhaps the future possibilities of doing so are grim. In the present circumstances, the children need to be given moral and spiritual training. That is the guarantee for a healthy and virtuous future generation. Spirituality at the young age! Is it not an after-retirement project in this modern internet age? Many intellectuals pose this question –unfortunately though! These argumentative Toms later regret when the incorrigible adults challenge their authority and go against the wishes of the elders and make a mess of their lives adopting negative tendencies like smoking, alcohol and drug consumption etc. Molding the character of children to make them noble human beings is the vital part that will take them to the winning position in life. Money and material possessions also make or break life! Nicki Joy makes appropriate observations, and about the money management experience and she comments, “Finding the balance between enjoying ones money and frittering it away is often difficult, but its indeed a sign of maturity.”(7) Compare life to a flowing river. If the water level is very low, one does not enjoy the beauty of a freely and majestically flowing river. Similarly those who fail to achieve money and material possessions in life and say they are no good- it is just like the fox saying that the grapes are sour, when it failed to reach up to the bunch. One must earn wealth to know its utility and futility. Ones wealth can contribute to take others to the winning position provided one uses it like a philanthropist. Judicious charity is twice blessed; it blesses the giver as well as the receiver. One gets inner peace and strength and enjoys as a winner, when one helps others with a sense of responsibility. There are many confusing and conflicting definitions about what is wining. Only those who have achieved true success know the meaning of winning. Total winning concept in life is a great experience, and partial win will not contribute to total peace. Nicki Joy explains such a level of the individual in apt words in the introduction to the book thus: “Well to me, winning is playing it—playing it in such a way that your life is comfortable, happy, enjoyable, positive, rewarding, and fun.”(xi) Life must be lived in trials, tribulations, in its duty and beauty and such a state is the winning level. Winning is a process, not the final product!Once you mentally know what you want to achieve and relentlessly work for it, you are the winner. Having acquired the theoretical knowledge on the contributing factors to winning , like the strong desire, will power, concentration, visualization, self-discipline and persistence, try to put them into practice in small and big day to day activities. Mere knowledge of these ideas, without knowing the merit and timing of their practical application will not take one to the winning position. About winning it is mentioned, “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, and live on idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.”(Anonymous) Listen to the inner voice and live up to your convictions using discrimination. Winning path is for everyone, now and at all times, opines Nicki Joy, and records it in the following words: “Winning path is for everyone, now and at all times....Many feel that youth, because its the most carefree time of life, must also be the happiest time. For most of us, however, that will not prove true at all. The happiest times in our lives are times when we are thinking the most motivating, intelligent and productive thoughts.”(2) What you do is not important; how you do, what you do is important to be a winner in life. Understand and react to the situation correctly, to be a winner. In fine, in adverse situations, do not throw up the towel. One is not defeated, unless one admits defeat! Howsoever powerful may be the waves, know for certain that their real nature is mere water! Winning demands one must go where one has never gone before by doing what one has never done before. Understand perfectly well that money is the by-product of living a successful life—not the measure!Nicki Joy puts it succinctly, “When you reach a stage of maturity, you have ripened, blossomed, and have attained a peak developmental level. The good news is that when your maturity level goes up, it doesnt ever have to come down.”(4-5) When one shapes oneself as a winner, many of the former critics will assemble in the galleries to applaud. Conclusion: This is a sterling book by the the founder of Nicki Joy & Associates, Inc. She has authored articles for Washington Post and Entrepreneur magazine and has appeared on CNBC and Fox News. The contents of this book have the capacity to change ones life. The methods given are proven techniques. Some of the quotes in the book are for all time to come and will help to keep inspiration at the highest level, like, “Winners are not only self-starters, but also self-finishers.”(7), “The commitment towards completion is really part of the winners creed”(7), “ Honesty saves energy and allows attention to be paid to fixing the problem rather than hiding it.”(14) The book is highly readable, and gives practical lessons to be a dynamic winner. Works Cited: Joy, Nicki. What Winners Do To Win: The 7 Minutes a Day That Can Change Your Life; Wiley; 1 edition, March 20, 2003. Read More