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The Success Train

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THE SUCCESS TRAIN

You’re the boss.

     How should a book about the success train start? I could tell you some stuff about freight trains but a freight train isn’t the success train. A freight train is good for hauling stuff. You can haul trucks on a freight train. That’s interesting but doesn’t tell us much about the success train. We’ll need a better way than that to start this book.

     What about passenger trains? They are a good way to get to places you want to go. They have nice seats and some passenger trains have a dining car where you can have a snack. Wonder why you never see a freight, passenger train? That’s a train with some cars for people and some cars to haul stuff. You see passenger trains and you see freight trains but don’t see passenger, freight trains. That’s interesting but doesn’t help much with learning about the success train. We’ll need a better way than that to start this book.

     You’ve probably seen a toy train. Maybe you own one yourself. Some run on electricity. Some you just push along on the floor.

     What did you say? Is that you talking to me? Are you saying, “Get this book started. I want to learn about the success train. That’s enough stuff about other kinds of trains. Let’s get down to some important business.”

     Well, okay. We’ll do it. Let’s get focused. Let’s think about the success train. Toot! Toot! Here we go, clickety-clack, clickety-clack down the success track. It’s time to say “Yes,” to success.

     Did you notice? There were a couple of little rhymes there: clickety-clack down the track and yes to success. What do you think? Is that some fun stuff to put in this book?

     If it’s okay with you, I’ll hide some other little rhymes here and there. If you have time for a rhyme, you can try to spy them as you read. When you find one, let’s hear a “CHOO-CHOO!” from you. Is a “CHOO-CHOO!” from you a good way to remind everyone that you’re the success train boss? Sure it is. It’s a real deal.

     Okay, you’re right. It’s time to focus on the success train. It’s hard to get down to business, isn’t it? That is too true sometimes. That’s why you’ll need this totally terrific success tip. It’ll help you be a spectacular success train boss.

!    Your success starts with Focus, Focus, Focus.

     Are you ready to climb aboard the success train? I sure hope so. It’s pulling out of the station right now. It’ll be great if you’re not late but don’t complain if you miss the train.

     What you do is up to you. Are you going to say “Yes,” to success? Sure you are. I know it’s true because I know something special about you. I know that you’re way too smart to let the success train leave the station without you. How smart are you? You’re sooo smart. That’s why you’re the success train boss.

     Please lean down very close to the page and listen carefully. I need to whisper because no one else gets to know this stuff. It’s an important secret just for the success train boss. That’s you and here it is.

     Some people don’t know that success starts with focus, focus, focus. They think it’s okay to fool around and never get down to business. They don’t say “Yes,” to success. They don’t understand that when it’s time to do it, you have to get down to it.

     Did you spy that one? It’s right there: time to do it and get down to it. Let’s hear it. Go ahead and say it. “CHOO-CHOO!”

     That makes me wonder. Can a choo-choo train chew chewing gum? Okay, I’m being silly. Thanks for reminding me. Success starts with focus, focus, focus. Let’s see if we can get back on track.

     The success train is pulling out of the station and you’re already aboard. You figured out the next totally terrific success tip all by yourself.

!    Your success depends on Timing, Timing, Timing.

     You’re always there when it’s time to climb aboard the success train and get down to business. You definitely know when it’s time to go. That’s because you’re sooo smart.

     Can you handle another little secret? Of course you can and here it is. Some people focus on what they need to do. They also understand how important timing is. They try to do what they need to do when they need to do it. Here’s the problem. They don’t have the success attitude.

!    Your success depends on Attitude, Attitude, Attitude.

     Well, okay. You’re right. I slipped that totally terrific success tip in there without explaining it first. I slipped the tip right in there, yes I did. I’m not surprised you noticed. You notice things like that because you’re soooo smart.

     What’s the success attitude? There’s something you need to do. It might be your homework or cleaning your room. It might be playing a game or sitting still while you get your hair cut. It might be studying for a test or learning how to swim. Whatever it is, it’s there for you to do.

     The success attitude begins with knowing what your goal is. If you don’t know what your goal is, you won’t succeed. This is a little complicated but that’s okay. You can handle complicated stuff like this. I can tell you this part because you’re soooo smart.

     Your goal isn’t doing your homework. It’s getting your homework back after your teacher looks at it and lets you know that you did a good job. You need to do your homework. Your goal is knowing that you did your best.

     Your goal isn’t cleaning your room. Your goal is to look around your room and see how clean and neat it is. You need to clean your room. Your goal is feeling good about what a totally terrific job you did cleaning your room.

     Your goal isn’t playing a game. It’s knowing that you played the game as well as you can. Your goal isn’t sitting still while you get your hair cut. It’s having a totally cool haircut and looking good.

     Your goal isn’t studying for a test. It’s taking the test and knowing that you did your best. Your goal isn’t learning how to swim. It’s being a good swimmer.

     Do you see how it works? You have stuff you need to do. It’s waiting for you to do it. You need to do it now. Your goal is on down the track. You’ll need to climb aboard the success train and get headed that way.

     You know what your goal is. You know what you have to do to get there. Do you have the success attitude?

     Turn your neck so you can check. Check each side so no one can hide. If it’s clear so only you can hear, I have another secret for you.

     Some people don’t have the success attitude. They get moody and pout. They don’t care whether they do a good job or not. They don’t just go ahead and do it. They don’t climb aboard the success train and head on down the track toward their goal.

     Do you know some people who don’t have the success attitude? Sure you do. They like to complain when they miss the train. They have stuff to do just like you. They think they’ll do it when they get around to it. They’d rather fool around or take a rest than climb aboard and give it their best.

!    You know what you need to do.

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!    You know what your goal is.

!    You Focus, Focus, Focus on reaching your goal.

!    You know that Timing, Timing, Timing is important and you try to do what you need to do when you need to do it.

!    You never forget that your success depends on Attitude, Attitude, Attitude and you have the attitude it takes to reach your goal. You always say “Yes,” to success.

     There’s one more totally terrific success tip that goes in this chapter. I’ll share it with you before this chapter is through. It’s an eleven letter word you may not have heard. The word is persistence.

!    Your success depends on Persistence, Persistence, Persistence.

     “Okay,” you say. That’s definitely an eleven letter word. It’s not the longest word you’ve ever seen but what does it mean?

     It means that you aren’t a quitter. You don’t give up. Anyone can do the easy stuff but it takes persistence when the job gets difficult. When the job is hard, you just work harder. You hang in there until you reach your goal.

     Whether the success train is going fast or slow, this is what you need to know. You’re the boss. You’re in charge. It’s up to you to say “Yes,” to success.

     You did it. You climbed aboard the success train and made it all the way through this chapter. What do you need if you want to succeed?

     You need:

!    Focus, Focus, Focus

!    Timing, Timing, Timing

!    Attitude, Attitude, Attitude

!    Persistence, Persistence, Persistence

     That’s all. Maybe you should stop an play some ball. When you get back, we’ll take the success train on down the track.

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