Have you ever wondered what distinguishes successful people from the ones we often view as ‘not so fortunate’? Is it some privilege they were born with, such as money, a network of connections or special talent that only exists in them?

I am here to argue that none of that matters in the long run, because your mentality towards success and abundance is the primary factor in deciding which direction you are heading to.

Take for example the average person, making ends meet, but always struggling to have a bit of money left over at the endof the month. You know who I’m talking about, don’t you? It could be your co-worker, a relative or friend or maybe even yourself.

So what if that person all of a sudden got a large sum of money handed to them from an inheritance or from winning the lottery? Do you think they would be set and happy for the rest of their days? Well, most of them would not. They would quit their job, live like royalty for a year or so and then suddenly find themselves at the very place they started from.

And then, there are others, sometimes called ‘dreamers’, who start with very little and seem to have it all stacked against them. I met many such people in the past 10 years, and would like to share the true story of one amazing individual with you today.

His name is Arash, and we lived on the same dorm floor at freshman year university. Being a native of Afghanistan in a pre 9/11 world was difficult enough, but he managed to get a study permit to come to Canada andget enrolled in the Arts faculty. From day one I noticed that something was different with him, compared with our peers from around the world. He felt that he was meant to be there and therefore nothing could stop him from getting ahead.

And so while most of us majored in getting drunk and spent as little time as possible over our books or in a classroom, he went to study every evening for his first midterms. After getting straight A and A+ marks on all his exams he decided that it was time to reduce the studying and focus on social andnetworking opportunities outside of class. Needless to say, most of his peers had bombed their first round of tests, but at least had a formidable lineup of hangover stories to share for it. Not so Arash.

He just got started and when time came to apply for a specialization in 2nd year, he choose a tough course load, convinced it would get him into the legal field which he came to North America for.

So here is a guy from a poor family that fought for a chance to study at a world-class university, not knowing if any of his labor would bear fruit and if he would be able to stay and find a career after his studies. He never let go of the belief that he belonged here and this played a very significant role in where he ended up. He viewed the world as filled with an abundance of opportunities, and surely a few of those would present themselves to him once he was ready for them.

Today he is a top-flight lawyer thanks to his belief that there is a place for all those who are willing to try and give it their all to fulfill their dreams. Many students applied, a few hundred got accepted, and fewer even made it to the top. It doesn’t have to be this way.

One of the things I can definitely recommend for anyone who wants a better life, a better career or whatever it is you are looking to improve, is to take a look at your beliefs and find out if you are on track to success or to mediocrity. It’s not the outside world that imposes limits, it’s the scarcity within our mind that keeps us from becoming what we want to become.

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