SPOTLIGHT CLE: TRUE SUCCESS: THE ART OF ACHIEVEMENT IN TIMES OF CHANGE

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1 SPOTLIGHT CLE: TRUE SUCCESS: THE ART OF ACHIEVEMENT IN TIMES OF CHANGE Sponsor: Stites & Harbison PLLC CLE Credit: 1.0 Thursday, May 12, :50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. Cascade Ballroom B Kentucky International Convention Center Louisville, Kentucky

2 A NOTE CONCERNING THE PROGRAM MATERIALS The materials included in this Kentucky Bar Association Continuing Legal Education handbook are intended to provide current and accurate information about the subject matter covered. No representation or warranty is made concerning the application of the legal or other principles discussed by the instructors to any specific fact situation, nor is any prediction made concerning how any particular judge or jury will interpret or apply such principles. The proper interpretation or application of the principles discussed is a matter for the considered judgment of the individual legal practitioner. The faculty and staff of this Kentucky Bar Association CLE program disclaim liability therefore. Attorneys using these materials, or information otherwise conveyed during the program, in dealing with a specific legal matter have a duty to research original and current sources of authority. Printed by: Evolution Creative Solutions 7107 Shona Drive Cincinnati, Ohio Kentucky Bar Association

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS The Presenter... i True Success in Times of Change... 1 True Success: The Art of Achievement in Times of Change... 5

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5 THE PRESENTER Thomas V. Morris PMB CC Military Cutoff Road Wilmington, North Carolina THOMAS V. MORRIS is one of the most active public philosophers and business speakers in the world. A native of North Carolina, he is a graduate of the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and holds a Ph.D. in both Philosophy and Religious Studies from Yale. For fifteen years he served as Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, where he was one of their most popular teachers. Mr. Morris is the author of over twenty books. His twelfth, True Success, launched him into an ongoing adventure as a philosopher working throughout the broader culture. His audiences have included a great many of the Fortune 500 companies and many of the largest national and international trade associations. His work has been mentioned, discussed, or covered by NBC, ABC, CNN, CNBC, NPR and most major newspapers and news magazines. He is also the author of The Oasis Within, If Aristotle Ran General Motors, Philosophy for Dummies, The Art of Achievement, The Stoic Art of Living, The 7 Cs of Success, Twisdom, and If Harry Potter Ran General Electric: Leadership Wisdom from the World of Wizards. Mr. Morris has been called the world's happiest philosopher. i

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7 TRUE SUCCESS IN TIMES OF CHANGE Tom V. Morris I. INTRODUCTION From Plato and Aristotle to the present, the wisest people who have thought about life achievement have left us powerful advice for attaining ethical and satisfying success in anything we do. It boils down to seven universal conditions. II. THE 7 Cs OF SUCCESS For the most satisfying and sustainable forms of success, we need: 1. A clear CONCEPTION of what we want, a vivid vision, a goal clearly imagined. 2. A strong CONFIDENCE that we can attain that goal. 3. A focused CONCENTRATION on what it takes to reach the goal. 4. A stubborn CONSISTENCY in pursuing our vision. 5. An emotional COMMITMENT to the importance of what we're doing. 6. A good CHARACTER to guide us and keep us on a proper course. 7. A CAPACITY TO ENJOY the process along the way. There are certainly other tips associated with success, but every other one is just a version or application of one of these in specific situations. The 7 Cs, in my estimation, give us the most universal, logical, and comprehensive framework for success. Let s briefly look at each condition. Tom Morris is the author of such books as True Success, The Art of Achievement, If Aristotle Ran General Motors, and If Harry Potter Ran General Electric. His most recent books are the short new novel The Oasis Within, a prologue to the new series Walid and The Mysteries of Phi, and the first big philosophical novel in that series, The Golden Palace. Tom can be found at TomVMorris.com. 1

8 (1) A CLEAR CONCEPTION OF WHAT WE WANT, A VIVID VISION, A GOAL CLEARLY IMAGINED In any facet of our lives, we need to think through as clearly as possible what we want to accomplish. True success starts with an inner vision. The world as we find it is just the raw material for what we can make it. We re meant to be artists with our energies and our lives. And the only way to do that well is to structure our actions around clear goals. (2) A STRONG CONFIDENCE THAT WE CAN ATTAIN THE GOAL Inner attitude is a key to outer results. Philosopher William James learned a century ago that a proper confidence has powerful effects. In any new enterprise, we need upfront faith in what we re doing. Sometimes we have to work hard for this attitude. But it s worth the work, because it raises our prospects for success. The best confidence arises out of preparation and then augments it. It s no guarantee of success. But it is among the chief contributors to it. (3) A FOCUSED CONCENTRATION ON WHAT IT TAKES TO REACH THE GOAL Big dreams just lead to big disappointments when people don t learn how to chart their way forward. Success at anything challenging comes from planning your path and then putting that plan into action. A new mental focus generates new perceptual abilities. Concentrating your thought and energy toward a clear goal, you begin to see things that you might have missed before and that relate to the goal. This focus allows you to plan, act, and adjust along the way. Even a flawed plan can start you off and lead you to discover a better one. A focused concentration of thought and action is key. (4) A STUBBORN CONSISTENCY IN PURSUING OUR VISION The word "consistency" comes from two Greek roots, a verb meaning "to stand" and a particle meaning "together." Consistency is all about standing together. Do my actions stand together with my words? Do the people I work with stand together? This is what consistency is all about. It s a matter of unifying your energy and efforts in a single direction. Inconsistency defuses power. Consistency moves us toward our goals. 2

9 (5) AN EMOTIONAL COMMITMENT TO THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING Passion is the core of extraordinary success. It s a key to overcoming difficulties, seizing opportunities, and getting other people excited about their work. Too much goal setting in business is an exercise of the intellect but not of the heart. We need both to guide us on to the tasks right for us, and keep us functioning at the peak of our abilities. (6) A GOOD CHARACTER TO GUIDE US AND KEEP US ON A PROPER COURSE Character inspires trust. And trust is necessary for people to work together well. But good character does more than just provide for strong partnerships. It has an effect on each individual s own freedom and insight. Bad character corrupts and blinds. Good character makes sustainable success more likely. (7) A CAPACITY TO ENJOY THE PROCESS ALONG THE WAY The more you can enjoy the process of what you re doing, the better the results tend to be. It s easier to set creative goals. Confidence will come more naturally. Your concentration can seem effortless. And so on. A capacity to enjoy the process is entwined with every other facilitator of success. III. CONCLUSION These conditions of success are all deeply connected. They constitute a unified framework of tools for most fulfilling forms of achievement in our world. They can help us make our proper mark in the world. Why should we ever settle for anything less? 3

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11 TRUE SUCCESS: THE ART OF ACHIEVEMENT IN TIMES OF CHANGE Tom V. Morris The 7 Cs of Success For True Success, we need: C1 A clear CONCEPTION of what we want, a vivid vision, a goal clearly imagined. The Greatest Advice Ever Given for Powerful Goal Setting: Know Thyself 5

12 The Second Greatest Advice for Powerful Goal Setting: You Do not allow what is very good to keep you from what is best. Hill A Hill B C2 A strong CONFIDENCE that we can attain that goal. William James "Precursive Faith" 6

13 We need two kinds of confidence: (1) Initial Confidence (2) Resilient Confidence C3 A focused CONCENTRATION on what it takes to reach that goal. Zeno Start : : : Goal Divide then Conquer 7

14 C4 A stubborn CONSISTENCY in pursuing our vision, a determined persistence. The Three Causes of Persistent Inconsistency: Ignorance Indifference Inertia C5 An emotional COMMITMENT to the importance of what we are doing. 8

15 The Dual Significance Principle Every job productive of any good can be given either (1) A trivial description or (2) A noble description Ultimate motivation requires that we have, in our own minds, a noble description of what we do. C6 A good CHARACTER to guide us and keep us on a proper course. Aristotle on Masterful Persuasion and Salesmanship Logos Pathos Ethos 9

16 C7 A CAPACITY TO ENJOY the process along the way. ENJOY THYSELF The 7 Cs of Success 1. A clear CONCEPTION of what we want, a vivid vision, a goal clearly imagined. 2. A strong CONFIDENCE that we can attain that goal. 3. A focused CONCENTRATION on what it takes to reach the goal. 4. A stubborn CONSISTENCY in pursuing our vision. 10

17 The 7 Cs of Success, cont. 5. An emotional COMMITMENT to the importance of what we re doing. 6. A good CHARACTER to guide us and keep us on a proper course. 7. A CAPACITY TO ENJOY the process along the way. For More on The 7 Cs: The new book, The Oasis Within The book, True Success The book, The Art of Achievement The book, The Stoic Art of Living All are by Tom and are available at Amazon Visit Tom any time At: TomVMorris.com or TheOasisWithin.com. 11

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