What is the real factor for success?

I would agree with you 100%, Aja. Even in winning the lottery, you still can't win it without buying the lottery tickets. I have read one writer on success suggest that we open up floodgates where prosperity could come in. That means we make a lot of possibilities and options for us that money and income could come it...it may be seeking for other good jobs or business, searching the web for opportunities, talking with a friend who is doing well and asking him what business he is in, joining different seminars, and the likes. Yes, I would also say Faith and work goes hand in hand. I remember my father often tells me that it is mainly faith that helps a person succeed financially so he discourages me to think or discuss with them some possible income opportunities to pursue, and he always reminded me that when he was in business in the past he said his business grew when he was active in a Christian Charismatic group. But the thing I wanted to point out here is that he did put up his business and managed it, so that is working towards a goal. It is up to God then to bless that work, and if he didn't put up his business, where will his blessings come from?

May I add here that blessings could start from having a good idea put into action. For now, I look for a lot of ideas on the internet which has lots of them but I needed to stay away from information overload by taking only the most workable business ideas and those that are in accordance with my preferences.

You and I are thinking along the same lines. Your father must be a very dedicated man. But he wouldn't be where he is without his own efforts as well. I believe the positive effect of his faith made him better at what he does in his business. If we let ourselves be God's instruments then God will surely be there for us. I want to learn more about money making and business, too. I'm not exactly independent so I have to do my best to think like one at least and gain financial independence some day.

I would agree, Aries. I remember some Bible verses that supports what you have just said like "Man proposes but God disposes...", "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and everything will be added unto you...", "If you believe, you could say to this mountain move! And it will move..." There are a lot more, but the basics is that God is the ultimate decider of our faith so we needed to rely on him. I almost forgot this verse "Ask and you shall receive..."

Well in my opinion there is a point here. If one is grateful in life, he feels happy and with happiness comes positive thinking. When a person has positive thinking and a happy disposition, then he attracts all positive things in life which equals success.

What caught my attention is what you said about people 'doing what they love to do'. I t hink it's an important factor for success, because people who attain great heights of success are always passionate in their chosen careers and therefore attain excellence in their craft. This can be obviously seen in accomplished athletes, Hollywood superstars, bestselling book writers, etc... There is a popular saying which says " follow your bliss..."

I agree jvincent. I remember the saying "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God..." Yes, there is also the luck factor, and I also will add that whatever situation we are in to be content, because being content makes us happy and I believe a happy disposition attracts fortune while the opposite is true for the opposite type of disposition. I felt my luck in life has changed a lot for the better the moment I started practicing gratitude and contentment.

Yes, I think it's similar to creating 'gateways' wherein prosperity and success can come in, and this gateways could be doing more work and having more dedications to it, and it could also be looking for more good opportunities that could lead to more success. It also reminds me of the saying, "Pray as though everything depended on God, and work as though everything depended upon yourself". I believe in most cases, this is true but in few isolated cases I think God gives blessings even though we don't do anything. "God blesses his children even while they sleep" but of course this is not an excuse to do nothing, but it is my believe that all blessings comes from God but we have to open up 'gateways' (our work and other earning opportunities) to let God's blessings reach us.

great point, doroffee. So being an expert in anything you do is a good way to maximize your earnings leading you to a lot of possibility to gain success and prosperity. I like the part when you said even if someone is a con artist because even if they do it for bad reasons, they are good in what they do. So if we do things for the good reasons and become experts in what we do then I guess success would only be waiting for us somewhere somehow.