Leading an Inspired Life

366 Pages·1993·3.31 MB·English

by  Jim Rohn

L
EADING
AN
I
NSPIRED
L
IFE
J R
IM OHN
Published by Nightingale-Conant Corporation, Niles, Illinois
Distributed by SUCCESS Books, Lake Dallas, Texas
Copyright
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval systems, without the written permission from
the publisher. For more information, contact SUCCESS Books.
Copyright © 1997 by Jim Rohn. Published in conjunction with Nightingale-
Conant Corp.
Copyright © 2010 by SUCCESS Media. All rights reserved.
Distributed by SUCCESS Books™, an imprint of SUCCESS Media.
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Lake Dallas, Texas 75065
Toll-free: 866-SUCCESS (782-2377)
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SUCCESS is a registered trademark and SUCCESS Books and its colophon are
trademarks of SUCCESS Media. All trademarks and registered trademarks
included in Leading an Inspired Life are property of their rightful owners.
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-935-94499-7
EPUB ISBN-13: 9781935944799
MOBI ISBN-13: 9781935944706
Contents
Foreword
Chapter 1: A Magic Word: Discipline
The Bridge Between Thought and Accomplishment
A Spiral of Achievement
The Rewards for a Disciplined Existence
Improving the Quality of Your Life
Doing Your Best
Reaping a Multiple Reward
Price vs. Promise
The Time to Act
Chapter 2: The Art of Personal Development
Starting the Process of Change
Preparing Yourself Mentally
The Principles of 'Self-Making'
Accepting Responsibility
Increasing Your Value to the Marketplace
The Promise of the Future
Maintaining the Physical
Taking Care of the Temple
Chapter 3: Setting Compelling Goals
Knowing Where You're Going
Becoming a Millionaire
Two Rules for Goal Setting
Putting It Down on Paper
The Self-Knowledge Acid Test
Progress Through Self-Preparation
Tracking Your Progress
Visual Chain Thinking
Reasons to Persevere
Chapter 4: The Power of Ideas
Searching for Information
Finding the Right Combination
A Constant Search for Knowledge
Accessing the Information You Need
Building Your Library
Absorbing and Responding
Keeping a Journal
Reflection: An Investment in the Future
Generating Creative Ideas
Chapter 5: The Driving Force of Motivation
Reinforcing the Habits of Success
Analyzing Your Progress
Four Factors of Motivation
Creating Your List of Reasons
Balancing the Personal and Professional
Living Your Life in Style
It's Not the Amount that Counts
The Universal Quest
Chapter 6: The Qualities of Skillful Leadership
The Great Challenge of Life
Building a Successful Team
Following the 80/20 Rule
Mysteries of the Mind
Nurturing Your Crops
The Frog and the Scorpion
Raising a Solid Family
Embracing the Responsibility of Leadership
Developing Your Craft
Chapter 7: The Road to Financial Independence
A Life Abundant
Your Wealth Philosophy
Leaving a Profit
The Three Attitudes of Wealth
A Worthy and Legitimate Ambition
What You Do with What You Have
Planning Your Financial Future
Reaching Your Objective
Enriching Your Life
Chapter 8: The Keys to Powerful Communication
Getting Your Message Across
Intensifying Your Words
Expanding Your Perception
Communicating Appropriately
An Exercise in Sensitivity Training
Developing Your Networking Skills
Strengthening Your Mental Muscle
Asking and Receiving
Chapter 9: The Dynamics of Growth and Change
Your Hope for the Future
Beginning the Process of Change
A New Life
Counting on Yourself
Becoming All You Can Be
A Challenge to Grow
The Four 'Ifs'
Preparing for All Possibilities
Surviving and Thriving with Flexibility
The Ability to Adapt
Chapter 10: Fundamentals of Business Success
Cultivating Your Enterprising Nature
The Ant Philosophy
Creating Opportunity
The Best-Kept Secret of the Rich
Managing Your Time
The Way to Focused Concentration
Separating Work and Play
Setting Careful Priorities
Conquering Mental Roadblocks
Chapter 11: Fundamentals of Personal Success
Forging Your Character
Character vs. Charisma
Positive Self-Direction
Finding Your Own Way
Enlightened Self-Interest
Your Self-Appreciation Inventory
The True Nature of Courage
Facing Your Fears
The Source of Wisdom
Chapter 12: Refining Your Philosophy of Life
Setting Your Sail
Getting Help When You Need It
Enlisting the Power of Time
The Substance and Strength of Patience
The Key to Victory
The Power of Ratios
An Intellectual Feast
The Pursuit of Mental Development
Chapter 13: Building Exceptional Relationships
Working Well with Others
Bridging the Gap
Evaluating Your Associations
Associating with the Right People
Sharing: A Win-Win Proposition
Connecting Through Integrity
Teaching Integrity to Kids
The Gift of Honesty
Chapter 14: Mastering the Negative
Turning Your Life Around
The Seasons of Life
What Is Failure?
Bouncing Back with Self-Encouragement
Where the Miracle Begins
Increasing Your Resiliency
Facing the Enemies Within
Ending Procrastination
Doing the Remarkable
Chapter 15: Enjoying True Success
A Practical Definition
Developing Your Own Model
Results: The Measure of Success
Why Success Can Be Easy
From Wishes to Desires
Fortifying Your Ambition
A Foundation of Confidence
Achieving Your Dreams
About the Author
JIM ROHN RESOURCES
Foreword
Y
ou’re going to learn a great number of ideas as you go through this book…
ideas that have helped successful people accomplish their goals, achieve certain
wealth, and experience greater joy and satisfaction in their lives. My hope is that
you’ll find these ideas very useful.
I don’t know you personally; I’m not familiar with your dreams or problems. But
I don’t need to be, because the ideas you’re about to discover are fundamental to
the art of winning. They are guaranteed to help you achieve your most inspiring
dreams.
Where did these fundamentals come from? I didn’t make them up. I first
discovered them when I was twenty-five years old, a time in my life when I
needed some new ideas to help change my direction. I wasn’t destitute at the
time, but I certainly needed some help. I guess we could all use a little help at
age twenty-five.
I had gotten off to a great start in life. I was raised in Idaho’s farm country, in a
small community of about five thousand souls. We were not far from the Snake
River in the southwestern corner of the state, a great place to grow up.
After graduating from high school, I attended one year of college. Then I
decided I was smart enough, so I quit—which was but one of the many major
mistakes I made in those early days. But I was ambitious and willing to work
hard, and I figured that I wouldn’t have any trouble getting a job… which turned
out to be accurate. So with a head full of dreams and ambitions, I started my first
job.
About three years later, I got married, made lots of promises, and continued to
work hard. A couple of years after that, we started a family. At age twenty-five, I
began taking a new look at my life. My weekly paycheck amounted to a grand
total of fifty-seven dollars. I was behind on my promises, behind on my bills,
and discouraged—far from making the progress I should have made.