We, as human beings, love hearing stories of daring, stories in which the hero refused to be told it "couldn't be done."  Our own basic make-up leans toward the belief that it IS possible, if only we persevere with absolute self-confidence and belief. 

"No problem can stand the assault of sustained thinking," wrote Francois Marie Arouet de Voltaire(1694-1778), French writer and satirist, the undisputed leader of the Age of Enlightenment.  A crusader against tyranny and bigotry, he left behind him over fourteen thousand known letters and over two thousand books and pamphlets.  Such is the power of constant directed action.

One of the greatest figures in Western literature, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote of the dynamism of continuous action:  "Austere perseverance, harsh and continuous, may be employed by the least of us and rarely fails of its purpose, for its silent power grows irreversibly greater with time." 

These are classic authors whose philosophical belief systems are still in alignment with what we know of success.  An assessment of those who have achieved magnanimous success throughout the ages - public servants, Nobel prize winners, philosophers, medical doctors, authors, performers, financial strategists, inventors, entrepreneurs - display a belief system consistent with unswerving perseverance and directed action.

"Man’s power of choice enables him to think like an angel or a devil, a king or a slave. Whatever he chooses, his mind will create and manifest," said Frederick Bailes. 

Develop your power of concentration, not by force, but by an enumeration of your specific goals, with intermediate steps that will lead to the manifestation of your purpose.  "Put yourself in a state of mind where you say to yourself, 'Here is an opportunity for me to celebrate like never before, my own power, my own ability to get myself to do whatever is necessary,'" recommends Tony Robbins.

Avoid the temptation to do the thinking for others.  Too often, you may avoid that which could lead to success because of the imagined criticism of those whose support you seek.  The reality is that those in positions of power recognize guts and determination, will feel your magnetism, will be lured by your enthusiasm and will applaud your confidence.