7 Signs of a Successful Persons

A friend of mine approached me a few weeks ago asking if I could make an investment into a jewelry store he was looking to purchase. Typically when I get these types of offers, I don’t give them too much attention, but this offer was slightly different.

And it’s not so much that the offer was different, but the person making the offer was different from the usual requestors.

Whenever someone asks me to invest in their business, I always go through the following “signs” to determine if the person will become a success.

If I believe they will succeed, I will invest; I don’t mind investing in success.

The 7 Signs of a Successful Person

1. Passion and Purpose

“Without passion you don’t have energy; without energy you have nothing.”

~Donald Trump

Passion and purpose are crucial. Passion is birth from purpose.

Why is passion and purpose so critical? Because there will always be unforeseen obstacles and reasons to give up, passion and purpose give you the strength to overcome these obstacles without losing hope.

Passion and purpose create the focus you need to push yourself to victory. As Walter Cronkite so eloquently put it, “I can’t imagine a person becoming a success who doesn’t give this game of life everything he’s got.”

2. Persistence

“Success…seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit”

~Conrad Hilton

In order to succeed you must have a “no-give-up” attitude. You have to be like a bulldog, Winston Churchill said, “The nose of the bulldog has been slanted backwards, so that he can breathe without letting go. Are you as persistent as the bulldog?

3. Experience

“Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment.”

~Rita Mae Brown

How much experience do you have? Experience is priceless.

Virtually every successful person I know went through many years of experience prior to becoming a success; typically, 10, 20, sometimes 30 years of experience before succeeding. What are you experienced in?

4. Courage and Faith

“The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are, for what we could become.”

~Charles Dubois

Nothing great is ever achieved without the courage to make great sacrifices, and the faith to believe you will succeed. Are you willing to put everything on the line and face your fears with faith, confidence, resolution and bravery? William Shed said, “A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.”

5. Sincerity and Integrity

“To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.”

~Douglas Adams

Isaiah wrote, “Without a vision, the people perish.” I came here to tell you, “Without people, the vision will perish.” No one can succeed without people, and people will only help those they like and trust.

6. Wisdom

“In the multitude of counselors there is safety.” ~Solomon

Do you take wise counsel, who’s coaching you? Who are your mentors? This is pivotal, it’s critical that you lean on the wisdom of others. No man is an island.

7. Growth

“He that never changes his opinions, never corrects his mistakes, and will never be wiser on the morrow than he is today.”

~Tryon Edwards

Are you willing to fail forward? I often say that the road to success is paved with bricks of failure and mortar of rejection. Failure is necessary for success. If you’re not failing, you’re not growing, and if you’re not growing, you’re dying.

In Conclusion

Will Rogers said, “In order to succeed, you must know what you are doing, like what you are doing, and believe in what you are doing.” I agree with Mr. Rogers.

In case you’re wondering about my friend’s business venture, I did make the investment. I believe success is predictable, and my friend possesses the signs of a “successful person.”