One way or another, we all get glimpses of ourselves daily. In life there’s always something or someone on hand to give us a playback of ourselves. A reflection pool of water, the rear and side view mirrors on a set of wheels, another person’s reaction to something we’ve said or done. It’s not what you see yourself in, but, rather what you see yourself as that counts, your image. Ask yourself: How do I see myself? A failure? Poor me? Just getting by? Hanging in there? Or flat out successful? If you see success, great. You’ve earned it. It all begins with how you think about yourself.
For years I’ve told my readers and those who’ve attended my lectures: “You are number one, numero uno, the most important person in the world. Remember that as number one you’re the cream of the crop, and the cream always rises to the top. But you can’t be number one if you don’t like yourself. Act as if your number one and you will be! I have a sign in my office. It’s the first thing people see when they enter. It says “I like you!” But I could never have said that, and meant that, if first I didn’t like who and what I was. There is only one you. You are an original in the fullest sense of the word. And now that you know it, your job is to reinforce that fact in your conscious and subconscious mind every day.
I realized at a very early age that it was up to me to look out for number one. Nobody else was going to bother. Other successful businesspeople tell me that the same holds true for them. Once that conviction is firmly established in your mind, you’re ready to take the steps that help you reach the top in your chosen profession, whatever it may be. You not only take them, but master them. And you have a great time, a rewarding time, doing so. You can be first, just remember that you are first among equals.
So reaffirm to yourself every day that you’re number one. Act like it. Walk like a number one person, with your head held high and your shoulders back. Dress like a number one person in clothes appropriate to the situation. Talk like a number one person, watching your language and avoiding gossip. Like yourself as a number one person and then you’ll like and treat others the same. And work like a number one person all the time.
If you just keep selling yourself on yourself, you’ll have an easier time of getting to be and remaining number one. I remember my mother smiling and holding my hand and saying “Joey, there is no one else in the world like you”. Thank God, most of us have mothers who think about us that way. I had so much love for her; I believed what she told me. Just as plants need fertilizing, so does your mind. Put negative thoughts; envy, jealousy, greed and hate out of your life. Give yourself a pat on the back at least once every day. And remember, the number one rule is to have faith in yourself the greatest product in the world, an individual who has no counter part anywhere!
