There I was riding on a private jet with Cedric “the Entertainer.” We were being flown from the set of The Steve Harvey Show to a city where we were going to perform as the Kings of Comedy—when it was just me, Bernie Mac, and Ced. Everybody in the passenger cabin on the jet was asleep. When I looked out the window, I could see the lights sparkling in the city below. Next thing I knew, tears were streaming down my face.
At that point, I hadn’t taken full inventory of my life and all of my blessings and achievements. I couldn’t believe that I was sitting on a G3 jet that was sent by the tour promoters. I thought, Look at what my life has become. I had been told that I would never amount to anything. But I had made it through the miserable carpet-cleaning business; selling insurance, which I didn’t enjoy; the weeks on the road with no gigs; quitting my job; homelessness; and getting laid off. I realized that I had been through a lot.
Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of accomplishment flooded over me and the tears continued to flow. It hit me that my dreams were coming true. I had wanted to be one of the premier comedians in the country, and it was happening. The announcement of the tour gave us a title—the Kings of Comedy—and then we came out and proved it to be true. We became the largest-grossing comedy routine of all time. The tour took in $58 million! My dreams were coming true right in front of me. That was the first moment, on that jet, that I recall feeling success—really feeling the joy, contentment, and true alignment with God’s purpose for me.
Success for me is not about the car I drive, the house I live in, the way I travel, or the suits I wear. Part of my success is connected to the money I earn and the things I am able to do for my family and myself. But anyone who knows me well will tell you that money is the smallest part of my success. Success is being in the marriage of my dreams with a woman who helps me be my best. Success is expressing my love for my children and having the opportunity to work with them as I build and expand my business. Success is working my butt off every day doing what I love to do.
Your definition of success may be slightly different, but we tend to desire the same things in life—peace of mind, loving friends and family, good health, and a certain level of financial comfort. Whatever your definition of success, this life-changing book will put you on the right track to achieving it.
Spending your hard-earned dollars to purchase Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success is an indication that you are serious about taking your life to a new level and attaining all that the world has to offer you. And this book will not let you down in helping you get there. I have written these pages with many people in mind—whether you are a college student, a recent graduate trying to find your way in the work world, a retiree seeking what comes next, or someone who is on top and trying to stay there. It’s for you if you are just starting out, or have decided to stop struggling with obstacles that you are determined to overcome, or have already been climbing the mountain and can’t find the motivation to climb anymore. It’s for those of you who have fallen. It’s for those of you who have traveled part of the way and discovered that this can’t be all the world has to offer you.
My first book, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, helped millions of women take a fresh look at their relationships and dating behavior. Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success will help you to evaluate your life goals and determine the means to achieving them. My previous books targeted women as the primary audience. Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success was created to empower everyone—men and women, young and old, fresh to the workforce or newly retired. This book is enriched with compelling material that can help no matter where you are on your journey.
Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success lets you know that it is not good enough to simply exist. Life is more than wading through a lifeless job, earning a gold watch, and cashing in your 401(k). Your life has to be more than just waiting for the right opportunity to come along and find you. Your life has to be more than just marking time watching others achieve success. The words in this book will motivate you to get the most out of your life by using something that you already have—your gift.
My gift is making people laugh. You have a very special gift, too. Our creator, in his infinite wisdom, created every single soul with a gift. Your gift may be totally unique or it may be similar to someone else’s, but know that your gift is yours.
When we utilize our gift, the universe thanks us by giving us an abundance of riches—from abundant opportunities to good health to financial wealth. When you aren’t sowing into the soil of the universe, you notice that things in your life just seem to dry up and get worse. But when you sow back into the universe with your time, your passion, and your commitment to others, the world will offer abundant opportunities for you to blossom into the new you. Incorporating your gift into your life and sharing it with others will bring you joy, passion, and a new vigor for living life to the fullest. This book will show you how to manifest your gift in your life.
This book also focuses on how you can transfer your gift to other important areas in your life, such as building a better working relationship with your boss or investing more in your community or strengthening your family. Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success will get you thinking about increasing your life in whole new ways.
The success I’m enjoying now didn’t just happen overnight. I had to learn to be successful, and the life I have now is literally a dream come true. Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success is full of information about what I have learned on my journey to self-fulfillment. I want to share it with you so that you, too, can see your dreams made real in your life.
Part One of Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success deals with being real about where you are right now. We are going to get brutally honest about overcoming your fears, releasing your limitations, and taking the lid off of life.
Part Two focuses on helping you to determine your gift. Once you know what your gift is, I offer tips on attaching it to just the right vehicle for transforming your life. You will be doing what you love. When you exercise this opportunity, you will see great changes in your life. The initial change will occur within you. You will exude a radiance that will serve as a magnet, drawing closer to you other success-minded people with similar drive and ambition. You will enter into a realm of successful thinking. I discuss creating a vision board to serve as a regular reminder to stay on course in your travels to a bigger life.
After you have attached your gift to a vehicle, you will need to sharpen your professional makeup to allow your gift to work best for you.
Part Three reveals ways to enhance your gift. These chapters present valuable information and tools for accentuating and utilizing your skill set. They include advice on goal setting and its relation to making your dreams come true. These practical suggestions are something you can implement in your life immediately. Learning how to walk in your gift doesn’t make life perfect, but it gives your life purpose and meaning.
I remind you that being able to self-evaluate your performance with honesty is a major key to success. This section talks about the value of time. I cover the necessity of saying no and of asking for what you want, as well as of dealing with self-doubt. I also address the concept of “everyone who comes with you cannot go with you.”
Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success closes with inspiring words to encourage you to share your wealth. This section capitalizes on three important themes: healing yourself from haters with success, learning the keys to having a balanced life, and allowing your blessings to bless someone else.
Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success is not meant for you to simply read and walk away unchanged. It engages you with Success Actions: I encourage you to write down your reflections, aspirations, and visions for your life in a journal. When initiated, this will serve as your Success Action Plan. Be accountable for what you create as you uncover your gifts and talents.
Establish a team if you need help staying motivated and applying the tools for success. Together, your team should read the book, share notes, and assess goals. This will provide the support you may need to reach your next level of success.
I have also created an online community of people just like you who are committed to Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success, at www.actlikeasuccess.com. You can join with people all over the world who are working to increase their life. You can use this website to develop your own Success Plan. The website includes an area where you can track your thinking and action changes, receive inspirational messages from some of the most incredible people on the planet, and even leave your own testimonies about your growth.
If you’re on Twitter or Instagram, you can send me a tweet or video about your progress to @ActLikeASuccess, using the hashtag #IAmSuccess.
Many self-help and inspirational books tell you that you need to get something that you don’t already have in order to achieve greatness. I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to take another class, learn another language, get with a new set of people, or spend money you don’t have. To become truly successful in your life, you have to start with your gift. And you know what’s so great about that? You already have it! I know that some of you do not yet know what your gift is. Others of you may have an idea of what your gift is, but you haven’t figured out how to appreciate it, perfect it, and attach it to the right vehicle that will lead you to even more success than you can ever imagine. You have all the answers right here in these pages.
In my journey toward success, I came to realize that staying successful is as much an art as becoming successful. When you really take on acting like a success and thinking like a success, you can have all the riches that life has to offer. This is the kind of blessed life that I want you to start living.