I’m somewhat obsessed with the study of successful people and how they think. One of the best books I’ve read on the topic of success is Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill. I’m on my fifth or sixth reading of it right now!
Each time I read it, a new concept jumps out at me. Today, I had a deep insight when I read this:
SUCCESS comes to those who become “SUCCESS CONSCIOUS”
and
FAILURE comes to those who become “FAILURE CONSCIOUS.”
When I read that, I asked myself, “which one am I?”
I recalled all of my failures and successes in my life, and those of the artists that I know. I saw a pattern where the thought “oh this isn’t going to work out” – which equals “failure consciousness” – actually leads to things NOT WORKING OUT. Why? Because the belief that it won’t work leads you to not take the necessary action to make it work, and so then it does not work.
Has this happened to you: You start something, begin to doubt yourself when it doesn’t work out right away, and then quit before you create success. This is the result of “failure consciousness.”
You don’t believe you will be successful, and so you don’t truly commit and then you make decisions that lead to failure.
When I was younger I dreamed of being an author. I loved writing poetry and short stories and novels. But, I had a failure consciousness when it came to being published, so, I never took the action required to become an author. Not until I was much older, after I learned to change from thinking “failure” to thinking “success.”
WHICH ONE ARE YOU OPERATING FROM?
Here’s how you can determine if you are SUCCESS CONSCIOUS vs. FAILURE CONSCIOUS:
Notice what you are thinking about MOST of the time.
If you are thinking about the SUCCESS of what you are working on, you are “success conscious” and you will guide yourself to the results you seek.
If you are thinking about the FAILURE of what you are doing, you are “failure conscious” and you will most likely make decisions that cause you to fail.
FAILURE CONSCIOUSNESS LOOKS LIKE THIS:
If you’re worried, you are focusing on failure
If you think of all the reasons that “this just won’t work”, you are focusing on failure
If you’re unhappy, you are focusing on failure
If you are scared, you are focusing on failure
If you think you’re not going to make it, you are focusing on failure
If you think “that isn’t going to happen for ME, you are focusing on failure
If you are talking about all the things you DON’T WANT, you are focusing on failure
SUCCESS CONSCIOUSNESS LOOKS LIKE THIS:
If you are EXCITED, you are focused on your success
If you are ENTHUSIASTIC, you are focused on your success
If you are feeling PASSION, you are focused on your success
If you DREAM of things as you WANT them to be, you are focused on your success
If you TALK about all the things you’re GOING TO MAKE HAPPEN, you are focused on your success
If you take ACTION, with FAITH that you’ll be successful, you are focused on your success
If you’re committed to doing what it takes, you are focused on your success
WHY do your thoughts and feelings lead to either failure or success?
Because what you think about most of the time, is what guides your CHOICES AND ACTIONS.
If you take action from fear of failure, then your action will be weak. Essentially, this is what we see when people do things “half-assed.” They don’t believe that they will have success, so they only “halfway” do things and then they quit before they get any traction. Failure always results from giving up. Of course it does!
If you take action from your ENTHUSIASM and FAITH that things will work out, your decisions will lead you to the success you seek. You will confidently take action, and you will put 100% into it. You won’t quit until you find success. And so, you will find it.
WHAT IF you catch yourself thinking “failure” but you want to develop a “success consciousness”? You absolutely can change the way you think.
THE FORMULA FOR DEVELOPING A SUCCESS CONSCIOUSNESS:
1 – Set the intention to train your mind to think in terms of success. Say to yourself, “I intend to develop a success consciousness.”
2 – Notice what you’re thinking most of the time, and correct your thoughts as you catch them.
3 – Look back on your successes in your life (i.e. a great trip you manifested, a good relationship, a successful business situation, etc.) and reflect upon HOW you were thinking when you created that for yourself.
Notice that you naturally operate from a success consciousness in some areas of your life. Now you need to train your brain to have it in all areas.
4 – Be patient and continuously retrain your brain for success. It takes time to develop new thought patterns!
Developing a success consciousness is like re-programming your brain. Thoughts of failure are a HABIT that you formed a long time ago. The good news is that ALL habits can be changed, with practice.
What are you thinking about most of the time? The success of what you are working on? Or the failure of it?
Please LEAVE ME A COMMENT on this post and share your thoughts with me. Your comments mean a lot to me and I read every single one of them!
xxoo Maria
P.S. Drew and I just finished writing a new book titled PAINTING SURFBOARDS AND CHASING WAVES-An Artist’s Journey to Success. It’s Drew’s story and art photos of his thirty year art career, sharing his struggles and successes and everything in between. We are selling the first 100 copies signed (over half are sold already) You can get your signed copy here.
25 Responses
Really good advice, Maria! On one of your recent Instagram posts you said that if you knew earlier what you know now, that you would have had experienced success much quicker. If you have additional tips along these lines, hope you will fill us in. Thank you for sharing this!
Thanks Lori, I surely will share more on this topic in future posts!
So true love this. I see it in my friends don’t believe in their work there for it goes no where. Just was saying this yesterday to someone.
great advise, i will reprogram
im constantly questioning my artistic moves and where to focus my motivation for that success
which bums me out. but
i will reprogram
Thanks for this article, Maria. It can be really hard to make the switch so I appreciate how you have laid out simple steps to do just that. It’s confusing the way I can achieve success with something and then crash back to feeling failure right after. That Success Consciousness is so important to keep the focus moving forward instead of rollercoastering. I will need to get better at that!
Maria, As always wonderful insights! Great read to sleep on after a day of thoughful introspection. Remembering to Focus on the pluses.
This resonated with me so much. I have always known about the concept of if you think negatively you are more likely to get negative results. But I don’t think that it ever dawned on me until this post that it is true because your thoughts drive your actions and also determine how persistently you pursue something. Which totally makes all the difference of whether you fail or not.
I think this was something that I needed especially right now as I am definitely dealing with some new changes in my life and I am scared and have doubts and worried and am focusing on all the things I don’t want. So this blog post was a little like holding a mirror up to myself!
Thanks Maria! 🙂
Krisitna, thank you so much for your comment. Glad this resonated with you!
Yes, the “inspired action” part is what often gets left out when people talk about manifesting based on your thoughts and your vibration.
Once the right vibration is generated, then you are inspired to take the right action, which leads to the results you want!
That’s so simple, yet we often forget about it!
Glad this post helped you. 🙂
I have had a failure mindset all my life, yet I have succeeded at many things. I am now beginning to concentrate on my successes and get excited about more, and the shift has paid off this year. I too love Napoleon Hill’s books as well as many others along those lines. Thank you so much for all you do to help us raise our self esteem!
Of course, you’re right Maria! It’s all about getting rid of the “head trash” and having a positive attitude about succeeding. Thanks for the reminder!
I agree with almost everything you said but the one thing that stood out was this
“Be patient and continuously retrain your brain for success. It takes time ..”
To me time is the killer—> for patience, for achievement, for finding yourself and much more. What is good today is passe tomorrow. Hanging in there is the hardest thing for today’s society. And hanging in there is the only path you have for Success……..or Failure.
I’m printing this and hanging in my studio as a daily reminder! Thanks for the never ending positive guidance.
I keep this tab open on my computer and refer to it whenever I feel things are sliding in a negative direction. It’s an excellent reminder of how we do always have the power to choose our thoughts, no matter the circumstances. Thank you, Maria.
THANK YOU for this reminder, Maria! I’ve experienced this 1st hand in some areas of my life in the past, but am greatly struggling with it in certain areas at the moment. Time to change those thoughts… 🙂
I love this book! Have you read Outwitting the Devil? That’s a good one too. Thank you for the reminder 🙂 Our thoughts are powerful and influence our behaviors. When I start going down a negative path, I change it around. It works. I’m so glad I found you and your book Art, Money, Success!
Clarissa, YES! I had a copy of Outwitting the Devil – another classic by Napolean Hill. Thanks for the comment and I”m so glad you like my book! xxoo
Your book has been really helpful. I’m going through the exercises. For me, it’s about finding my audience. I have collector fans who I’ve met through my social circles, and next phase for me – who are my right buyers. Honing in on that piece 🙂
Thanks, I needed to read this. I’m definitely failure conscious right now and I need to change.
Maria, this is exactly what I needed to read this a.m. I have awoken early because of negative thinking. I am an extension online student for Graphic Design with UCSD. I will be having a 3 month break in 2 weeks before I enter my last quarter with them. In the meantime I must find part time work and would like it to be something related to graphic design. I find myself cowering from the email I receive from recruiters. Saying to myself that I am not qualified. Mindset- failure!
Thank God for this great write up
It relay help to Chang some area of my life I am totally tired of
Marie, if your readers only knew how important Think and Grow Rich really is it would change their live. This is the icon for success books! Because I am a little older (83) I was privilege to attend event where I actually listened to Napolean Hill relate how he came to write the book.” What ever the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve”. I have never forgot it. I have followed you for a long time, Marie, and your advice is priceless. Thank you
Also reading Think and Grow Rich! Thinking Success Conscious everyday!!
I love the article thanks you Maria 🙏
I like this story because its positive and it talks about success and failure and if you fail or mess up you can always get back up and try again.
I just started with Think and Grow Rich and the first chapter itself mentioned SUCCESS CONSCIOUSNESS- googled it and this is the where I landed. You’re so on point here, I read this twice and wrote all the pointers down- pasted it right in front of my desk and read it every 10 minutes. Kudos!