Without a doubt, there are few people in history that affect others like Michael Jackson did and still does. While there are people who idolize him, there are others who are sickened by the sight of him or the mention of his name. His passing probably only strengthens how each camp already sees him. That is the challenge when talking about Michael Jackson.
So I'm going to ask now that, if you don't like him, set that aside for a few moments, however difficult that maybe. It will be worth it to you. Cool? Alright. Let's go. Because, what you must accept, embrace and keep in mind for the rest of your life is that every single person you meet, see, hear or read about can teach you important lessons... lessons on what to do or say, what not to, how to improve and become more successful or happy in life. And Michael Jackson, for all of his problems, like everyone else, he can teach us all lessons about success in any area of life. Those lessons can change you for the better... forever. Now, unlike the hero-worshipper types, I personally was just fascinated by how effortlessly he moved, how he danced as if floating above the ground, and how he could sing practically any style of music. Until the mid 1980s, when I didn't yet understand what it took to be successful at anything, I'd see talent like that and, like many other people, assumed that it was all God-given and that all came so easy to those like Michael Jackson and other accomplished, successful people. I never looked beyond the performance and asked, "How did he gain those skills?" But a few years after "Thriller" (the best selling album of all time) came out, I saw a news story about him. In interviews with him and those who knew him well, I learned that he had been dancing and singing and entertaining sincehe was a very young child, for some 18 or so years before"Thriller" was released. He told of the years of constant practice it took to be able to move and dance and sing the way he did. Years and years of daily practice. Oh sure, he obviously had natural talent, like all of the most successful people in any field do. But talent alone is never enough. It cannot take you veryfar. All of have something that we could be great at. But sadly, few ever develop their talents to any degree. So talent alone won't take you anywhere unless you are ready,willing, and able to put the time and effort in to develop it.
So I started watching closely the most successful people in every field. It became an obsession. I read about them, listened to them, and pondered their thought processes concerning the areas of life where they were most skilled. Business, entertainment, sports, fitness, social skills, politics, academia... it didn't matter. Successful people share a few definite traits that make them successful. They work at it. And more, they love it...Love what they do so much, they're willing to invest their time. And like anyone whose ever studied success like I did, it became clear to me that I could change my life 180 degrees if I could just commit myself to excellence and went and working toward some meaningful, worthwhile goals.I thought, "If I could get myself to learn and study and practice the profession of sales, I could become successful at anything. I came to believe that if I could learn to motivate myself, to ignore temptation, to ignore people who wanted to keep me down, to keep my eyes on my objectives, then I could literally be anything I wanted to be. That is what I convinced myself of. And like Michael Jackson, I practiced with purpose for many hours each day, becoming among the best in the world in that one skill set. And it all started with watching someone who seemed to float over the ground, as if he wasn't even touching it. You see, with practice, we can all accomplish amazing things.The key is to be able to gain a high level of control over your mind. Do that and I don't care what your disability, or what excuses you've ever had for your failings or your emotional breakdowns... when you can gain control over your thoughts and emotions, you are in the driver's seat of your life. The event that first grabbed me was seeing Michael Jackson float on air. After that, there were many other people whokept me convinced that with a powerful mind and trained skills comes success. Now, no one will ever gain complete mastery over their minds. But the good news is, you don't have to. You just need to control it enough to keep yourself, confident, motivated, facing in the right direction and to never quit. That is all successful people do. Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? The hare had the most God-given talent, but he didn't stay focused. The tortoise was slow, but he stayed focused on his goal and didn't quit. So he, not the hare won the race. That is so simple to understand...But how many people do meaningful work they love, master it and develop their talents like they expect others to do? Not many. If most people did, the world would be a much different place.
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