What makes a person successful? With hindsight I can see clearly what developed my successful career in sales, and to my own surprise it is not the hard work that I did or the long hours. Funny, because that is what I was taught, but hard work actually has little to do with the outcome.

Success begins in thought, as does everything. Success is a mindset. When my career in sales began, I was living with horrible circumstances where I needed to train my brain to stay in the present moment or be swallowed by the sadness. I made a commitment to be happy, which to me, is my biggest accomplishment.

Sales actually helped me achieve my goal of happiness because being engaged with clients helped keep me in the moment, the long hours filled my days, and my commissions provided a means of support. I did the very best I could with the job in front of me, which I recently learned is one of the spiritual laws of success.

When I decided that I wanted to be a sales manager I had no clue how to achieve that goal. But I started talking about it and began asking myself questions. “What would I do differently? What would I be wearing? Where would I live?” And I used my imagination all the while doing the best I could until one day I was invited to be a sales manager.

Every time there was a sales contest I would place the reward somewhere in my office where I would see it often, and I drew myself in the picture. Each time I noticed it I would just say, “Yes!” At the time I did this just to keep myself focused on something positive, but I won almost everyone. Several years later when horrible circumstances in my life passed, I had a fantastic life, and my happiness level was over the top.

Today I realize that because of that positive trigger and my commitment to being happy, I attracted the means to succeed and win many awards and contests. I have traveled all over the US and Europe, not only for free, but with red carpet treatment. I know plenty of people that worked just as hard as I did and never won an award.

So, the way I see things, happiness is the key to my success. My mindset to be happy and my focus on the positive presented me the tools I needed to succeed: Sales. In sales I learned that the questions I ask direct and control the sale, and in life the questions we ask ourselves. direct the outcome of our life.

We have a built-in navigation system. When you set any goal and commit to it, you turn the system on. Your belief starts the engine, and when you say, “I can,” you fuel the system, and you will receive directions through your thoughts and feelings.

We often give up on our dreams because we do not see how we can possibly succeed with the human mind. But all things are possible when you take into account the spiritual realm.