This is the first in a series on Nido Qubein’s book, Stairway to Success.

Most of you have probably never heard the name Nido Qubein, but this is one name you want to remember. About a month ago I had the pleasure of listening to him speak at a local Learning Club (a group of dentists that gather for the purpose of growing personally and growing their businesses). I am going to be condensing Nido Qubein’s book, Stairway to Success for the next couple of posts. This book is full of great insight and life experiences that can help you determine your success in life and business. Here is Nido Qubein’s introduction:

Nido Qubein came to the United States as a teenager with little knowledge of English, no contacts and only $50 in his pocket (sounds a lot like Scratch Beginnings). His life has been an amazing success story. He has been the recipient of many, many honors (I can list them or you can go to his website HERE).

He is the president of High Point University, which enrolls 3,000 undergraduates and graduate students from 50 countries. He has authored more than two dozen books and audio programs (which I have most of currently).

Nido Qubein serves on numerous boards including BB&T, a financial institution with over $115 billion in assets, La-Z-Boy, and is the chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company with 218 stores.

Nido has also been the recipient of the Toastmasters International Top Business and Commerce Speaker award along with the Golden Gavel Medal.

Of course this was the condensed version of Nido Qubein’s awards and successes, but it still shows what things can be accomplished by one person. If you ever choose to read one of his books you will quickly realize that great success is more of a mindset than set of circumstances.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

This question we are faced with at a very young age and for most of us we choose to skip over it until we are well into our 20s or 30s. Nido explains that the quicker you can determine the answer to the question, the quicker you can set out on your path to success.

“You are talented!” – Nido Qubein.

Everybody is talented at something. It is a matter of growing that talent to be the best you can possibly make it that partially determines success. You have to know, learn, love and enjoy the things you are doing in order to achieve great success.

Make a commitment

Making a commitment is like signing a contract on a house or a car, it is a here in now choice that determines a part of your future. When you sign a home loan you normally commit to 30 years of payments. When you make a commitment to yourself that you want to do or be someone in the future, it is the same thing. These questions are important to ask yourself: “How do you picture yourself in 3 years if everything went perfectly as planned in business, life, spiritually or physically? A commitment is a commitment no matter what it pertains to.

“The past is over… Your focus should be on the future.” – Nido Qubein

So many times I find myself worrying about the future or the past as if there is something that I can magically do to change any of it. The truth is I only live here and now and can only change this moment to either better or lessen my future in whatever facet. Who you become in the future is determined by what you do today. That is why it is important to have a clear goal of who, what or where you want to be in the future.

That goal can always change and it does all of the time. If you were to ask yourself the same question two years ago or two years from now the answer would be different. But when you choose not to ask yourself those questions is when you find time slowly passing by without any rhyme or reason.

I will continue with parts 2 and 3 on Nido Qubein’s Stairway to Success.

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