One day you will inevitably die. A morbid statement, I know, but one that is true. I don't want to upset you so let me say this - hopefully that day will be a long, long way off. However, I have a question for you now.

What words will they chisel into your tombstone? Oh I know, most people are cremated these days. What I am really saying here is this - when it is all over for you, what will you be remembered for?

What about something like this?

"Here lies Fred Nurk. He was born. He lived. He died."

Not too impressive is it? You might ask: "What did Fred do all his life? Perhaps somebody in the mourning congregation might say a few words to explain the meaning of Fred's life.

"Well, Fred never said much coz Fred hated criticism. And he didn't do much either coz he couldn't be bothered. He never married either coz he couldn't make a commitment. He didn't work either coz he never found anything worth doing. Shucks, I guess poor old Fred never did anything!"

Why is it that some people achieve so much, while others achieve so little?

This reminds me of a story I heard once where a poor man walked up to a very successful business man and asked:

"What is the secret of your success? How do you get so much done?"

The business man replied: "That is the answer."

The poor man scratched his head to which the business man said: "I see you are having trouble with my answer but you mentioned the answer yourself in your question."

Again the poor man scratched his head.

The business man said: "I am successful because I get so much done."

The poor man then asked: "How do you do so much?"

The business man replied: "How do you do so little?"

This sounds like Confucianism. But it shows that sometimes, if we are smart enough to ask the question, we are already in sight of the answer.

The truth is – some people wear out while other people rust out. What would you prefer?

Motivation, education and action will set you on the path of success. Lack of motivation, ignorance and inaction are the traits responsible for the "Fred Nurks" of this world.

Time is moving on. It will wait for nobody. There is no time like the present to start doing something worthwhile.

If you are restless and feel it is time to do something with your life then I recommend some education for you – not necessarily the education you get in a classroom, though that, too, is highly recommended. A good alternative is to take a trip to your local bookstore. Seek out a book called "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill (ISBN: 0-87980-163-8). There are many other similar books that you can select from but this is a very good one. The categories to look under are:

Motivation
Self Help
Personal Development
Success

If you ask the assistant you will get the help you need.

Don't tiptoe through life like the Fred Nurks of this world. Make the inscription on your tombstone a magnificent one.

Life and success are yours for the taking!

About the author: Gary Simpson is the Course Co-ordinator for the "Life, Journey, Destiny - Personal Development Home Study Course" and the author of "How to Stop Wasting Your Life and Start Getting What You Want". His email address is budo@iinet.net.au. The website containing this article and others is located at Motivation">http://www.storesonline.com/site/motivation/">Motivation & Self Esteem for Success.

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About the Author
Gary Simpson is the Course Co-ordinator for the "Life, Journey, Destiny - Personal Development Home Study Course" and the author of "How to Stop Wasting Your Life and Start Getting What You Want". His email address is budo@iinet.net.au. The website containing this article and others is located at Motivation">http://www.storesonline.com/site/motivation/">Motivation & Self Esteem for Success.