The Secret to Success Summed Up in a Word

What’s the one word you would attribute success to, yours or another’s?

For me, it’s love.

The word gets thrown around a lot. But to me love is that sense of completion, that feeling of wholeness, that emotion of joy.

Love is freedom and allowing, acceptance and going for it.

Love it trust and leaping and knowing that you are worthy.

Love is the cat’s pajamas as far as I’m concerned, and it’s the singular thing that has made me successful.

See you can’t take risks from fear, in fact you can’t do anything based in fear and expect it to work out because you’re calling the opposite of what you want to you.

Example, I want a new computer (this is true, mine is a beast), however, I was afraid to invest because, what if I needed the money next month? If I was to go ahead and make the decision to buy in spite of that lingering fear, well, chances are that I wouldn’t have the money, since that’s what I was focused on.

So, what did I do? I waited. I held off on that decision until I could make it from trust and, wait for it, love. This month I will be purchasing a computer.

My mother, wise jovial woman that she is, has always told me; Never do ANYTHING out of fear.

Smart woman that one. I’m so grateful that she taught me the in-the-pit-of-the-stomach difference between love and fear, and how to move through them.

I know the success of my business, of my life, hinges on my ability to make (normally very scary decisions) from love — to acknowledge the fear and say, that fear is not me, follow my intuition, move into trust, and leap. And let me tell you, I’ve done a mammoth’s share of leaping in my scant 31 years.

Things, even the scratchiest situations, have worked out. Life, as a whole, has yet to permanently let me down.

So how do you get a ladle of this love success soup thing?

I’ll start with mamma’s advice.

Never make a decision from fear. Which means you must first acknowledge your fear, anxiety, jealousy and all other emotions that are not love. Then, you can either find a way to trust now, or hold off on taking action until you can.

Make lists of things that are going well — small and large. Do this daily. You know how I’ve talked about the power of love letters? Write them.

Find things that lift you out of feeling dingy and do them. For me reading inspirational books or listening to audios that pertain to whatever issue I’m having trouble mustering trust about helps immensely. Right now I’m rereading Deepak Chopra’s The Path to Love. He’s the bomb.

But maybe reading and listening aren’t for you; maybe you need physical release. That works too. I head to the ocean. Find what works for you and make it your go to.

Keep a handful of affirmations at the ready. My favorite all encompassing affirmation comes from Abraham-Hicks, Things are always working out for me. Find some that move you and commit to saying them. I know I’ve mentioned this a time or two, but words, my friends, are power. Choose the ones that make you feel the best.

I’m curious. What is the one word YOU attribute success to?