What did Christopher Hitchens, Kim Jong-il, Whitney Houston, Heavy D, Joe Frazier, Andy Rooney, Michael Jackson, Teena Marie, and so many more – have in common while alive?

There are many words that can be used to describe the level of success among the above and

so many more celebrities. But for the purpose of this entry the common word is “determination.”

This morning while on my trampoline, it occurred to me that with all of the challenges in my life, with all of the choices I could have made to do things for better or worse, with all of the internal fears, with all of the worries, and with all of the issues; the one thing that is among the most important factors that have allowed me to experience any level of success is: my determination.

Being determined is about having a focused and firm purpose. As a matter of fact, when I looked up the definition of the word – one of the phrases in the dictionary was – a firm and focused purpose.

Letting Go of Stuff is very much about being determined to de-clutter your life – by un-cluttering your spirit.

Every successful individual, whether celebrity or not, at some point in his/her life must be focused and dead set on

achieving the vision held in their mind’s eye. And so it is with you, the reader of this blog entry.

• What is your firm and focused purpose?
• How determined are you to fulfill that purpose?
• How often do you allow your fear(s) to get in the way of your determination?

Not sure if you are determined enough? Mahatma Gandhi expressed it this way, “A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.”

Below are three things you can do immediately to increase your determination.

1. Define your purpose – in what ever it is you want to accomplish.
2. Begin your morning by claiming your determination to fulfill that purpose.
3. Then – believe in yourself and your ability to go after that purpose with intense energy.
4. Finally, visualize your plan to fulfill that purpose – throughout the day – every day – until fulfillment.

Darren

PS – All the best and condolences to all the families of all of those who have left us. Their greatness remains in all of our hearts, whether we realize it or not.