Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American philosopher, poet, lecturer, andessayist. Emerson is most noted for leading the Transcendentalistmovement of the mid-19th century. He was also regarded as a chiefleader of individualism.
Emerson circulated his ideas through dozens of published essays, and more than 1,500 public lectures across the United States.
Emersongradually moved away from the religious and social beliefs of hiscontemporaries, expressing the philosophy of Transcendentalism in hisclassic 1836 essay, “Nature.”
Considered one of the greatlecturers of his time, Emerson had an excitement and respect for hisaudience that captivated the crowds.
Emerson's work hasinfluenced nearly every generation of thinker, writer and poet sincehis time. Without further a due, here are seven success lessons fromRalph Waldo Emerson.
7 Must Read Success Lessons from Ralph Waldo Emerson:
1. Thoughts Become Things
Anyonewho has successfully changed a bad habit knows that right thinking isthe foundation for change. This person knows that to the degree theirthinking has changed is to the degree their desires have changed.Desires are birth from thoughts. What are you thinking about? Whateverit is, it is creating your life.
What you ponder you become!Thoughts of success will produce success, and thoughts of failure willperpetuate failure. To change your life you must change your thinking.Thoughts are the root of all change.
2. The Compensation Principle
Tohelp yourself you must help others. The quickest way to succeed is togenuinely help as many people as you can. Bill Gates has helpedbillions, which explains why he has billions.
How many people are you helping? You will only be compensated in this lifetime for helping others.
3. Action Trumps Theorizing
It’seasy to sit around and theorize, but the reward is in the action. It’simperative that you’re in action! Don’t just discuss your theories,test them, and test them today.
Action always trumps inaction, get in motion, have some failures, and it time, success will be yours.
4. Build Something Better
To succeed you must build something better.
Youmust first use your difference to perceive something better, and thenyou must use your existing resources to build it. If you build well,you will be rewarded. Emerson said, “Doing well is the result of doinggood. That's what capitalism is all about.”
5. Keep Good Friends
A large part of success is having good friends. A good friend is someone who you can be yourself with.
You don’t have to put on a show, and you don’t have to be smartfor a good friend. In the words of Emerson, “you can afford to bestupid with them.” Recognize your good friends, mark them, they are apart of your success.
6. Raise the Bar
Ifyou’ve ever done any serious weight training you know that your muscleswon’t grow if you keep on doing the same thing. They will max out! Asin the gym, so it is in life. If you don’t stretch yourself, if youdon’t get out of your comfort zone and do what you haven’t done before,you will never grow. So commit to raise the bar today, stretch yourhorizons, and you will stretch your life.
7. Start Small
It’sokay to start small. What’s small today will one day be enormous, ifyou stay consistent. Don’t be concerned with your current size; beconcerned with the direction that you’re traveling in. If you’re goingin the right direction, you will eventually get to your goal. You willeventually become, what you were destined to become. At last yourgreatness will be revealed.
Emerson circulated his ideas through dozens of published essays, and more than 1,500 public lectures across the United States.
Emersongradually moved away from the religious and social beliefs of hiscontemporaries, expressing the philosophy of Transcendentalism in hisclassic 1836 essay, “Nature.”
Considered one of the greatlecturers of his time, Emerson had an excitement and respect for hisaudience that captivated the crowds.
Emerson's work hasinfluenced nearly every generation of thinker, writer and poet sincehis time. Without further a due, here are seven success lessons fromRalph Waldo Emerson.
7 Must Read Success Lessons from Ralph Waldo Emerson:
1. Thoughts Become Things
“A man is what he thinks about all day long.”
Anyonewho has successfully changed a bad habit knows that right thinking isthe foundation for change. This person knows that to the degree theirthinking has changed is to the degree their desires have changed.Desires are birth from thoughts. What are you thinking about? Whateverit is, it is creating your life.
What you ponder you become!Thoughts of success will produce success, and thoughts of failure willperpetuate failure. To change your life you must change your thinking.Thoughts are the root of all change.
2. The Compensation Principle
“Itis one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man cansincerely try to help another without helping himself.”
Tohelp yourself you must help others. The quickest way to succeed is togenuinely help as many people as you can. Bill Gates has helpedbillions, which explains why he has billions.
How many people are you helping? You will only be compensated in this lifetime for helping others.
3. Action Trumps Theorizing
“An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.”
It’seasy to sit around and theorize, but the reward is in the action. It’simperative that you’re in action! Don’t just discuss your theories,test them, and test them today.
Action always trumps inaction, get in motion, have some failures, and it time, success will be yours.
4. Build Something Better
“Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door.”
To succeed you must build something better.
Youmust first use your difference to perceive something better, and thenyou must use your existing resources to build it. If you build well,you will be rewarded. Emerson said, “Doing well is the result of doinggood. That's what capitalism is all about.”
5. Keep Good Friends
“It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.”
A large part of success is having good friends. A good friend is someone who you can be yourself with.
You don’t have to put on a show, and you don’t have to be smartfor a good friend. In the words of Emerson, “you can afford to bestupid with them.” Recognize your good friends, mark them, they are apart of your success.
6. Raise the Bar
“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.”
Ifyou’ve ever done any serious weight training you know that your muscleswon’t grow if you keep on doing the same thing. They will max out! Asin the gym, so it is in life. If you don’t stretch yourself, if youdon’t get out of your comfort zone and do what you haven’t done before,you will never grow. So commit to raise the bar today, stretch yourhorizons, and you will stretch your life.
7. Start Small
“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.”
It’sokay to start small. What’s small today will one day be enormous, ifyou stay consistent. Don’t be concerned with your current size; beconcerned with the direction that you’re traveling in. If you’re goingin the right direction, you will eventually get to your goal. You willeventually become, what you were destined to become. At last yourgreatness will be revealed.