Richard & Gordon,

A few days ago we had a thread on "self-confidence." To me, that's the key.

If I was given a simple-to-follow formula when I had no self-confidence, I would have started enthusiastically, but at the first sign of trouble, I'd have thought, "Yeah. Well, I didn't expect it would work for ME, anyway."

I'd have figured there was something left out of the formula, or something the other guy knew that I didn't, or more likely, some talent he had that I could never hope for, and so I'd know my actions were doomed, and I would have "Hamlet-ted" myself into a totally catatonic state.

I was a piece of work, huh?

Assuming equal "success" technology, expectations are the entire difference between the small percent who make it and the large percent who don't. No matter how good and true and simple the path is, there will ALWAYS be stumbling blocks. I'd have tried AIDA, hit a stumbling block and said, "Oh. I'm dead. This is a waste of time. I'll try something else."

You, on the other hand, KNOW that it works. And you know to just keep going.

But the person without success, without self-confidence, loses their drive. They don't believe.

And the only cure I see is getting to the point that you are 100% positive you're right or 100% passionate about what you are doing, so whatever happens, or whatever anybody else says or does, means nothing to you.

THAT is the part that's not easy.

Richard Dennis