Understanding this truth is essential because it eliminates all excuses and initiates personal responsibility. Our successes, goals, and dreams are thus not solely determined by circumstances or others; they are ultimately realized by and conditioned on our own personal attitude, belief, initiative, and persistence. Hence, no excuse can ever justify a failed dream or goal, because most often the dream failed because of our own lack of desire and belief, our inability to overcome fears and doubts, our unwillingness to put away excuses and exert the necessary effort required, and our weakness in persisting despite the difficulties and set-backs that always appear along the journey.

Personal responsibility for our individual goals and dreams is essential, and yet it is so commonly lacking. How often do we hear about people who are hesitant to take a risk because they feel they lack the necessary knowledge, time, or money? These unfortunate excuses actually reveal that such an individual is unwilling to obtain the knowledge that is so often easily obtainable, lacks the ability to prioritize and make time, and does not recognize that money is often not a pre-qualification to make money.

Similarly, the majority of people not only become content with their social, economic, or intellectual position, but they actually believe that other individuals, conditions, and circumstances are what prohibit them from realizing their goals and dreams in life. How unfortunate is such a limiting mentality. Gone must be the days when we believe that our potential is defined by the color of our skin, the anatomy of our body, the status of our family, the size of our bank account, the location we come from, or the uncontrollable circumstances we were placed in. We literally have the potential to become and accomplish anything – it is up to us.

And perhaps that reality reveals the most challenging element of what most often prohibits our personal progress and achievement – it is our inability to believe in ourselves and that anything is possible. Never forget that the vast majority of individuals who have ever accomplished anything great or achieved success in any way, they also had to start at the bottom. They too were regular ‘Joe’s’ at one point who likewise experienced the same fears, doubts, challenges, and even failures that you have. The great secret of success is that those fears, difficulties, and set-backs never go away – for those who are successful, and for you.

Thus, is it not evident that our goals are only realized and our successes only achieved when we personally develop the necessary attributes and put forth the required actions to accomplish our goals and dreams in life? Our success is determined and obtained, ultimately, by us alone! The great challenge is never letting circumstances, other individuals, and all possible excuses to justify us in to inaction. The difficult, but completely possible journey that results in success is only obtained when we personally commit, believe, take responsibility, overcome fears and doubts, take risks, learn from failures, and persist in action until our goals and dreams have been achieved.

Every goal, dream, and success always starts as a thought in the mind. That thought may initially be a desire, idea, wish, or belief – but it will never become a reality until thoughts are put into action. People everywhere have great ideas, reachable dreams, and unlimited potential, but they spend too much time listening to the voices of fear and doubt that they never take action. And yet, what is so tragic about this reality is that the first necessary action to take is so simple in nature, yet so often neglected. And what is this simple action? It is as basic as carrying a pen and notepad with us always, and then writing down the thoughts and ideas the moment they come to our minds.

If our ideas, goals, and dreams are not written down, reviewed often, revised occasionally, specifically organized, and constantly acted upon – then we risk becoming like the majority of dreamers who later in their life look back at missed opportunities, ideas not acted upon, and failed potential, and they regretfully say ‘I wish I would have.’

Now, as we all know, simply writing down our ideas on a notepad is certainly not enough, and will not in and of itself produce results. It is putting into action those written ideas and thoughts that will eventuate into dreams being realized and success being accomplished. However, far too often what happens is we have an incredible or simple idea come to mind – be it a business idea, something that could be done differently or better, what we can personally improve upon, or even an impression of how we could help another individual – and we wrongfully assume that we will remember that thought, idea, or impression. This rarely happens; and more often than not, if we did not write down and act upon the thought and idea in the moment, then time has a way of causing us to either forget the thought, disregard it, or actually convince ourselves that it was of no value anyway.

Isn’t it ironic that our goals, dreams, and our very potential is determined upon the ability to carry a pen and notepad with us always, write thoughts and ideas in the moment they come to mind, and then most importantly – immediately act upon the ideas we wrote with that cheap pen on a silly notepad.

Successful individuals understand how to set goals, and they implement what is necessary to achieve their goals. Below are 15 tips relating to goal setting that are necessary to achieve your dreams and personal successes:

1) Dream Big: The great Michelangelo once said: “The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” You can become and accomplish anything – but in order to achieve that ‘anything’ you have to not only dream big, but also ensure your goals are big so that you can become and accomplish big things.

2) Written Down: Put pen to paper and write your goals down.

3) Completely Committed: Emerson was not lying when he said that the world makes way for those individuals who know who they are and where they are going. Determine your goals, write them down, and then completely commit to them every day. Never forget that complete commitment entails doing whatever necessary to accomplish the goal – despite the work required, criticism from others, or potential failures along the way.

4) Reviewed Daily: After writing down your goals, put them in a place to be looked at and re-committed to every day. Therein is the secret for success – not just looking at your goals each day, but completely re-committing to them every day. This practice should also suggest the absolute necessity of daily planning. Reviewing your goals should coincide with going over your calendar, establishing specific to-do’s for the day, and actually writing down an agenda every day – and sticking to it.

5) Revised Often: The end goal should rarely change, but the specific plan and daily actions on how to accomplish that goal may need occasional revising.

6) Specific Action Plans: Goals are not enough. A detailed, written, organized, and specific plan is absolutely necessary. A goal is merely a futile hope if the end result is a dream with no specific daily action plan of what is required to accomplish it.

7) Short-Term vs. Long-Term: Long-term goals are the hope, the dream, and the accomplishment. Short-term goals are the daily actions, the specific plan, and the reason long-term goals are achieved. Both are critical. Never forget, however, that those who accomplish the long-term goal are those who persist despite the short-term challenges, effort, and even failures.

Daily To-Do List: After your short-term goals have been established, perhaps the most important document and element necessary for the accomplishment of your goals is a daily to-do list. Each day you will plan your day’s activities and schedule, and part of this process will include placing 5 activities on your daily to-do list. Because you are committed to your goals, you will not retire for that day until each activity has been accomplished. It is vital, however, that everything listed on those 5 daily activities will contribute to and eventuate in the accomplishment of the goal. It is not enough to fill your day with activities if they are not revenue producing, accomplishing a short-term goal, or will eventually result in the long term goal being realized.

9) Fears, Doubts, & Failures: Like everyone, fears will arise and others will doubt you as you pursue your goals. Remember that the only limitations in life are the one’s we create, believe, and nourish within our own minds. If and when failures happen, as they often do, view them as learning experiences, what not to do, and getting one step closer. Keep in mind that the road blocks, detours, and dead-end streets along the journey only become difficulties when we take our focus, commitment, and eyes off of our goals.

10) Reachable & Realistic: As important as it is to dream big, be reasonable. Ensure your goals are set high enough to challenge you, but not so unrealistically that you become unmotivated and discouraged.

11) Measurable & Deadlines: After your goals have been written, specified, and organized, you also need to track and measure them. Create a system or spreadsheet that specifically tracks your progress. Ask yourself ‘how much’ and ‘by when’ and stick to the plan. Because successful people review their goals daily, they not only look at and re-commit to the goals, but also assess where they are at, what else needs to be done and by when, and then they do what is necessary to stay on track and schedule.

12) Punishments & Rewards: Hold yourself accountable. As you establish short-term deadlines, if you hit your short-term goal, reward yourself. However, if you do not, establish a punishment – and stick to it.

13) Vocalize & Share Your Goals: Commit to vocally reading / reciting your goals daily. In addition, review them mentally all the time. Perhaps most importantly, inform others of your goals, which automatically makes you more committed to achieving them. Ideally, a spouse, family member, or friend will also commit to holding you accountable, tracking your progress, carrying out punishments and rewards, and helping and encouraging you along the journey.

14) Law of Attraction: You absolutely must surround yourself with individuals who will inspire, encourage, and support you in your desire and pursuit of your goal. Doing so will attract like-minded people who will not only encourage but also help you achieve your goal.

15) Do Not Quit: The accomplishment of our goals requires belief, action, and persistence. However, difficulties and failures will happen. Never forget that the majority of personal successes in life have been accomplished after the individual determines to not give up when they experience a failure. Because you originally were completely committed to your goals, you are not only willing to put in the necessary work required for success, but are completely determined that regardless of what happens along the journey to your goals and dreams – you will never quit.

The difficulty of this necessary task should suggest the importance of the effort – for all things worthwhile require great work, discipline, and persistence. It is important to remember that the laws that govern self-control and discipline are the very same laws that dictate and determine success – namely: desire, belief, commitment, an organized plan, daily action, learn from and not repeat mistakes, persistence, and to never give up!

The next and most important principle to understand and implement into our lives is the reality that we literally are the ‘master of [our] fate, the captain of [our] soul’ (William Ernest Henley). The greatest mystery, and most important task in life is to learn how to completely control our thoughts in such a way that they dictate our actions – actions that are good, disciplined, unselfish, and convert into habits of success. And regardless of the constant voices in our head – those of fear, failure, doubt, lusts, idleness, selfishness, laziness, or being content with mediocrity – we must never give in or give excuses, we have to always eradicate limiting beliefs, and we absolutely must put forth effort daily. Is it possible? Absolutely!

While the principle described above is both inspiring and empowering, the reality is – it is extremely difficult to accomplish. In fact, the real difficulty is made evident when after a day of successful mental and physical discipline and effort, the daily voices of fear, failure, doubt, lust, selfishness, and laziness will inevitably reappear, and discipline is once again required as the sun rises on a new day.

Thankfully, with constant effort combined with belief, we literally can welcome a new life mentally, and become and accomplish anything. The ability to control our thoughts and mind is possible – and in fact, is necessary for success in anything. Whether you personally are trying to achieve a goal, learn an instrument, stick to a diet, become a better parent, exercise daily, master a skill, succeed in a job, or even start a business – the first and most important element of success in anything is to believe it is possible and control your mind so that your thoughts convert to actions that eventuate into the dream/goal being realized. Is it difficult? Every day! Is it possible? Absolutely!

Knowing this should logically explain the reason why certain people succeed; and likewise, why so many fail. Success is thus not solely determined by circumstances or situations, location or environment, genetics or skin color, age or ability, knowledge or money, or even who you know – success ultimately lies within the mind of each individual, and is determined by their belief, self-confidence, commitment, actions, and persistence in the goal or dream sought.

So – what are your dreams and goals in life? What is it that holds you back from accomplishing them? Could it actually be a lack of self-confidence in yourself, your abilities, and your potential? The solution obviously is developing increased self-esteem; however, doing this is simple in theory, yet extremely difficult in practicality. But thankfully, with consistent effort and discipline (and belief), it is absolutely possible. Let me suggest just 10 of the many ways we can increase our self-esteem so we can accomplish our goals and dreams in life:

1) Eradicate Limiting Beliefs: We each have limiting beliefs we must get rid of. Never let yourself say ‘I can’t.’ Don’t think or say that things are impossible. You don’t need more time, money, or knowledge to accomplish your goals. You can become and achieve anything – it just starts in telling yourself that and believing it.

2) Forget What Others Say & Think: Develop the ability to not worry! Train yourself to not think of or care about what other people say or think about you.

3) Never Compare: You will never be perfect, and neither will anyone else. Be you, and be proud of that. The moment we stop worrying and comparing is the moment we start to realize our own potential.

4) Avoid Negative People: Just stay away from them, period!

5) Face Your Fears: Success will never be accomplished, dreams will never be realized, and self-esteem will never be obtained until you face your fears. That is not to suggest it will be easy or that you might fail, but until you face them, you’ll also never know if you could have possibly succeeded.

6) Failures Do Not Equate To YOU Being A Failure: If you fail, you have actually fallen forward because it is a necessary stepping stone to achieve success. Get up and learn from it. Your mistakes and failures never mean that you personally are a failure.

7) Fake It Till You Make It: If you currently have low self-esteem, just fake it till you make it. Easier said than done, right! But regardless, it is still true – you just have to do it.

Master Your Thoughts: Self-esteem is made evident in our emotions, verbal and non-verbal communications, and physical appearance. However, it is initiated in our own minds. Thus, the greatest secret of life is the ability to learn how to control our thoughts. We literally are the captains of our souls, the makers of our destiny, and the deciders of our attitude – self-esteem is thus a reflection of what goes on in our own minds.

9) Positive Self-Talk: The title of this principle should actually be: Positive self-talk, thoughts, and actions. Be positive in everything. Oh yes it is hard – but it is necessary. Think confidently, talk confidently, and act confidently. Look for and be positive in everything in life.

10) Repetition Brings Power: If you think that you will obtain self-esteem in a week after implementing these principles for a few days, you are sadly mistaken. Anything worthwhile in life takes consistent effort. Keep at it, and never quit. Persistence is a necessary element to be successful in anything.

Perhaps more important than any of the 10 principles just mentioned – develop the habit to lose yourself … often. Forget about yourself and think of others, serve others, help others, and give to others. The moment you can forget about yourself and help others is the moment your own self-image, confidence, and self-esteem will be heightened. And it is this self-esteem that is absolutely essential to initiate the ability to take risks, put forth action, and develop the character necessary to achieve success in anything.

Positive or negative thinking, believing or doubting, being shaped by circumstance or creating circumstances, taking risks or being mediocre, expressing gratitude or complaining, persisting or quitting, and success or failure – ultimately, it is our choice. Our potential, dreams, accomplishments, and successes are determined by ourselves alone. And it all starts in our own mind and how we think.

An individual who has control over their thoughts has control of their life and their destiny. Such individuals do not allow circumstances to dictate their thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and moods. They fully understand that in all situations, they have a choice on how they can respond, think, and act. And yet, they also understand that positive thinking is not enough unless positive feelings, words, and actions accompany those thoughts.

These same individuals who think positively also control their thoughts, choose their attitude, eliminate fear and doubt from their mind, look for the good in everything, do not worry what others think, and focus all their thoughts and attention on things that will result in positive and successful actions and accomplishments. You will never hear these people use words such as: can’t, impossible, hard, no way, nervous, or afraid. They understand that the only limitations in life are the ones they create, believe, and nourish within their own minds.

It is these people who become successful, not because they have more time, talents, money, or knowledge – it is because of their state of mind. They think in terms of ‘can’ and ‘possible.’ They not only believe in their dreams and goals, but they believe in themselves, their abilities, and their potential. Because they think positively, they resultantly have better health, more strength and energy, higher self-confidence, more drive and initiative, increased self-discipline and strengthened persistence. Their positive thoughts, believing attitude, and healthy self-confidence attract like-minded people – which of course forms relationships that combined create even greater potential, happiness, and success.

If you literally are and become what you think, then is not success and failure a result of what is going on in your own mind? Thus, you alone determine and create your potential. And never forget that your potential is not measured by your family inheritance or dynamics, racial characteristics or unborn talents, education obtained or institutions attended, or even the size of a bank account. Our full potential is already inherently within our own minds – we just need to find, believe, and develop it. The ability to control our thoughts, think positively, choose our attitude, think big and believe more is the first essential step on the pathway to success. Accompanied with daily action and persistence, our thoughts literally create and become our character, successes, and our eventual destiny.

In order to actually think big, believe more, and act now, we need to stop worrying. Stop worrying about things that are out of your control. Stop worrying what others think and say about you. Stop worrying about your own fears, weaknesses, inabilities, doubts, and previous failures. Stop worrying about unimportant things, people, news, information, and all the other situations happening around you that are not worth your time and energy to think about. In fact, you need to worry less about the very things you actually need to worry about! To reach our full potential and accomplish our goals and dreams in life, we need to think big, think differently, be creative, control our thoughts, and take action – and the more we worry, the less we accomplish.

Easier said than done, right! Understanding why we need to stop worrying is perhaps not the problem – it is how to stop worrying that is the difficulty. Below are listed 8 essential tips on how we can actually stop worrying and start accomplishing our goals and dreams in life. However, even an understanding of the how is not enough – we must also believe the how’s are possible to achieve, and then actually implement and do what is suggested below:

1) Stop Worrying About the Fruits & Start Focusing on the Roots: Each of us fall victim to spending too much time thinking, dreaming, and worrying about the end result and do not put in the effort to achieve that result. That end result, or ‘fruit’ has many names: financial independence or retirement, promotion or position, award or certificate, wealth or time freedom, knowledge or talent, dream or goal being realized, etc. Like any tree, the ‘fruit’ will not be produced unless and until the ‘roots’ are nourished. Those ‘roots’ are: hard work, daily action, faith and belief, overcoming fear and doubt, persistence and never quitting, etc.

2) Worrying Blinds Opportunity: The most recent recession in the U.S. serves as a perfect example of masses of people unnecessarily worrying about news and events that are out of their control; all the while, a select brilliant few see the ‘doom and gloom’ as an incredible opportunity to make money and achieve success. These optimistic people who have not only learned how to stop worrying, but actually don’t have time for it, have realized that opportunities come before they are prepared and leave before they realize it. They likewise know that had they been worrying during those times, their minds would have been clouded and distracted which would have resulted in them not being able to see and recognize opportunities when they came. Perhaps even more importantly than not worrying – they put forth action!

3) Live in the Now: Wise was the person who penned: “yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift – that is why it is called the present.” Living in the now will accomplish far more than worrying about the failed yesterdays and the unachieved tomorrows will ever produce. We must stop waiting for future events to come and heal our present day problems, for when those events come, they become the present problems and we go on waiting for future remedies. Stop worrying about what was and what will be, and start living today and accomplishing great things by acting now.

4) Develop Discretionary Ignorance: There are just certain things in life that you do not need to know about, dwell upon, or worry over. From the bombardment of news, to the unending gossip, to useless information, to situations and circumstances that are out of your control, to even what others think or say about you – you must develop the ability to be ignorant about things that do not matter. Am I referring to current events, educational knowledge, or even caring about others and what is going on? Of course not. However, there are certain things that you must choose to be ignorant about – those things, events, people, and information that don’t matter and are out of your control – because your success depends upon it.

5) Focus on Solutions, Not Problems: Wise is the leader, employer, or parent who teaches others to bring them solutions to the problem – not just the problem. Not only is this ability important for their development and is a wise delegation technique, it eliminates the majority of unnecessary worry and stress and allows them excess time and mental abilities to focus on solving the problem and actually accomplish much more. Achieving success depends upon developing the ability to worry less and focus on solutions, not problems.

6) You Don’t Have Time to Worry: Success does not wait for anyone. Dreams are not achieved as a result of procrastination. Goals are never accomplished when idle minds and actions fill our time. The more you worry, the less you act – the less you act, the more you fail. And if part of your worrying includes the excuse that you do not have time – the reality is that you do not make time.

7) Who Cares What Others Say & Think: The moment you develop the ability to not worry what others say and think about you, it is then that you have unlocked the key to achieving your potential. There will always be people who doubt you and your abilities – unfortunately, many of these people are your closest friends or they actually share your last name. Develop the ability to train your mind to ignore the nay-sayers, the dream-busters, and the opinions of others. Ironically, it is these same people who often epitomize the definition of mediocrity because they have never learned how to dream big, take risks, and put in the effort necessary to achieve their own goals and dreams.

Stop Comparing, Overcome Your Inferiority Complex, & Be You: You will never be perfect, and neither will anyone else. Your talents and abilities, past history and circumstances, and dreams and potential are different than anyone else – and these are not liabilities, they are assets. Be you, and be proud of that! Realize that your dreams and goals don’t have to mirror the accomplishments and successes of others, nor should anyone else define what ‘dreaming big’ for you means. You ‘dream big’ for you, and remember that in order to ‘be big’ you have to stop worrying about others’ dreams and accomplishments and cease comparing your different and unique talents to theirs.

Our successes, full potential, and the accomplishment of our dreams and goals are dependent upon the ability to stop worrying. The only problems, limitations, and stresses in life are the ones we create, believe, and nourish within our own minds. And always remember that the only time that worrying is actually good is when it initiates action to change and achieve!

Anyone addicted to this evil – pornography – will certainly attest and declare that the reward for this selfish and addictive act is anything but ‘freedom.’ The reality is that thoughts become corrupted, commitments and responsibilities discarded, crimes committed, addictions developed, and selfish lusts become more important than self-control. Pornography is an industry that makes a few wealthy at the expense of destroying lives, tearing apart marriages and families, and essentially weakening the very foundation of our society.

Ironically, one aspect of pornography’s destructive influence that is rarely mentioned is its negative impact on our personal, family, and even financial potential. Participation in pornography always results in: a lack of confidence, guilt and shame, mental and spiritual abilities weakened, and potential relationships ruined (relationships that are necessary not only for our happiness, but our eventual success). People involved in and addicted to this evil fail to realize that this same self-confidence, mental reasoning ability, belief in oneself, family relationships, self-control, time not wasted, spiritual awareness, and ability to overcome are the very underlying elements to success – thus, necessary to reach our full potential in anything.

And yet, in the midst of the daily bombardment of immorality seen on the TV, movies, commercials, magazines, and websites – one would logically wonder if and how it’s possible to overcome such a temptation in order to fully live up to ones full potential.

Thankfully, it is possible! Let me suggest 8 tips, that if applied, will not only result in avoiding or overcoming the addictions of pornography, but actually result in personal self-confidence, family happiness, and developing the attributes and habits necessary to reach our full potential and be successful in anything in life:

1) Daily Effort: It is of utmost importance to remember that although continuous actions for good result in habits that are good, temptation and pornography will still abound … often daily. Thus, the necessity of controlling our thoughts and developing self control must be a daily effort. Just as we would practice daily for a sport or learning an instrument, or putting forth the daily effort to succeed in school or work – the same DAILY effort is required to fight this moral battle.

2) Turn off the TV: Although in some instances it is impossible to avoid this evil, we can do more. Don’t visit that website, do something other than watch TV, don’t go see that movie, put down the magazine, don’t enter the pop-up or advertisement, turn the channel during that commercial, etc. It’s hard, it takes discipline, and even if ‘everyone else is doing it’ … you must not! In fact, this is more than just avoiding pornography. We need to turn off the TV more and stop wasting time ‘surfing the web,’ and instead, pick up an educational book or spend an hour developing a talent, exercising, or working on an entrepreneurial venture – these are a few of the reasons people are successful, accomplish great things, and acquire much wealth.

3) Control Your Thoughts: Do you actually realize the power of your thoughts? Thoughts literally convert into actions. Thus, whatever it is that we entertain on the stage of our own minds will in time become our very actions, habits, and character. You may not have asked or chosen to view the image, but you certainly have the choice as to whether or not to keep that image playing on the screen of your mind. If you can learn the art of controlling your thoughts, you have won half the battle to succeed at anything in life!

4) Remember the Consequences: Realize now that the fruits of pornography are: momentary gratification and lustful pleasure followed by immediate shame, guilt, fear, embarrassment, and possible failure. Eventually addictions form, curiosity heightens, people become past feeling, and the result – marriages end, families are torn apart, fortunes lost, dreams not realized, and crimes perhaps even committed to satisfy a lust (or possibly reach that ‘dream’). From a strictly financial or potential perspective, viewing pornography will always lower one’s self-confidence, result in addictions that waste time, cost money, and tear apart important relationships. To be successful in anything, we must have clear minds, high self-esteem, never be idle mentally or physically, and protect and enhance all important relationships in our life.

5) Difference Between ‘True Love’ and ‘True Lust’: Love is attraction, affection, and even sexuality – but more than that, ‘true love’ requires work, effort, change, sacrifice, compassion, discipline, and unselfishness. And yet, the entertainment of the world promotes images and messages that over time convince us that ‘lust’ is actually ‘love.’ In every sense of the word, ‘lust’ is instant and temporary gratification that is easily obtained, and is the epitome of selfishness. Success in life – in business pursuits, academic endeavors, family life, or personal goals – will never be achieved if we cannot first learn how to control our minds, discipline our actions, implement the attributes of ‘true love’, and daily conquer this moral battle.

6) Idle Minds & Actions are the Seedbed for Disaster: The moment you find yourself idle either mentally or physically, you must know that this should be the first warning sign of possible danger ahead. ‘Surfing the web’ alone, or with nothing else to do; watching a movie that perhaps should not be viewed; flipping through a magazine; or going into the pop-up just out of ‘curiosity’ – these are the first idle steps to inevitable temptation (and eventual failure). Decide now to have integrity when alone, and make a rule to never ‘surf the web’ when you feel lonely, depressed, frustrated, tired, or with nothing else to do. This isn’t just about you – this is about every relationship that is important to you: spouse, children, family, friends, and even business relationships. Successful people are not idle mentally or physically, and they certainly never allow others to entice them to use their minds, talents, and time that will only result in weakness, guilt, failure, and possible destruction.

7) Deciding in the Moment of Temptation is Too Late: Decide right now that you will NOT enter that website, rent that movie, or watch that TV show. Decide now what your limits are, and never cross them. Write your decision down on paper, put it in a place seen often and review it daily, and completely commit to the decision made in the moment of clarity of mind (not when you must decide in that fleeting hour of lust, selfishness, temporary gratification, and temptation). The ability to DECIDE NOW, and stick to that plan (regardless of what comes up) is an indication of a successful individual. We often are faced with opportunities that if we can’t develop the ability to be assertive, take a risk, make a decision, be disciplined, and follow through with that – we’ll never accomplish anything worthwhile in life.

Absolutely No Excuses: Always remember that the media, individuals, and companies everywhere have one goal – to make money. Thus, they entice us to buy their product by luring us in with sexually exciting, pornographic, and addicting images and messages. Regardless of this fact, there is never an excuse for looking at and becoming involved in this filth. It does not matter if you are just ‘curious’ – don’t look, don’t go into that advertisement, don’t watch that show or visit that website. And realize that the moment you hear yourself saying or thinking these things, you are headed for trouble, addictions, misery, and possible failure. When you hear yourself saying: it won’t hurt anyone, it’s my choice, everyone is doing it, I am just curious, it’s not that bad, I need to know so I am not ignorant, my friends want/force me to, etc. Stop! Turn away immediately. Be proactive. Be disciplined. Don’t give excuses. Just turn away and don’t get involved.

This is more than simply not looking at pornography – this is developing the ability to acquire the necessary discipline and attributes that are essential to success in anything in life. Just like any success, overcoming pornography requires desire, belief that it is possible, learning how to control your thoughts, putting forth daily effort, not being idle, deciding now and having a plan, and then sticking to that plan regardless (without ever quitting – or giving excuses). This is the formula to both avoiding pornography and also achieving success in anything in life.