The Ten Times Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure

Chapter 5
There Is No Shortage of Success

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The way you view success is just as important as how you approach success.
Unlike a product that is manufactured and inventoried, there is no “limit” as to
how much success can be created. You can have as much as you want, and so
can I—and your achievement does not prevent or limit my ability to achieve.
Unfortunately, most people look at success as though it is somehow a scarcity.
They tend to think that if someone else is successful, it will somehow inhibit
their ability to create success. Success is not a lottery, bingo, a horse race, or a
card game that allows for only one winner. It is simply not the case. Gordon
Gekko in the movie 
Wall Street
said, “for every winner, there is a loser.” Success
is not a zero sum game, there can be many winners. Success is not a commodity
or resource that has limited reserves.
There will never be a dearth of success because it is created by those who have
no limits in terms of ideas, creativity, ingenuity, talent, intelligence, originality,
persistence, and determination. Notice that I refer to success as something that's
created
—not 
acquired
. Unlike copper, silver, gold, or diamonds—items that
already exist and that you must find in order to bring to market—success is
something people 
make
. Great ideas, new technologies, innovative products, and
fresh solutions to old problems are all things that will never exist in shortages.
The creation of success can take place all over the world—either at the same
time or at different times and at different levels—by millions of people who have
no limits. Success doesn't depend on resources or supplies or space.
Politics and the media perpetuate these shortage concepts by suggesting that
there is not “enough” of certain things to go around—that “if you have
something, I cannot.” Many politicians believe they need to spread this myth in
order to energize their followers to take a stand for or against another politician
or party. They make statements like, “I will take better care of you than the other
guy,” “I will make life easier for you,” “I will reduce taxes for you,” “I promise
better education for your kids,” or “I will make it more possible for you to be
successful.” The underlying implication of these claims is that only 
I
can do this
—not the other guy. These politicians first emphasize the topics and initiatives
that they know followers consider important—then they create the sense that
citizens aren't capable of doing things for themselves. They highlight the
“scarcity” that exists and do their best to make people feel that their only chance
of getting what they want and need is to support them. Otherwise, they imply,
your chances of getting your share become even 
more
remote.
One of the reasons why it's difficult to discuss politics or religion with people
is because exchanges about both tend to suggest a shortage—which then causes
inevitable disputes. For example, if your political beliefs win, then my politics

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lose. If one party gets what it supports, then another group must suffer. The same
can be said for certain general attitudes and viewpoints. It's extremely difficult
for people to “agree to disagree”; people operate under the assumption that one
person's beliefs cannot be maintained if another person's conflicting beliefs exist.
This notion—based once again on the concept of limits and shortages—only
increases the amount of tension we have with one another. Why does one person
have to be wrong and another right? Why the need for shortages?
The notion of competition suggests that if one person wins, someone else must
lose. Although this might be true in a board game, where the goal is to produce
one winner, this is not the reality with regard to success in business and in life.
The big players do not think in terms of restrictions like this. Instead, they think
without limits—something that allows them to soar to levels that many others
consider impossible. Financial legend Warren Buffett's success is not capped or
limited because of someone 
else's
investment strategies, and in no way does his
financial prowess confine or limit 
my
ability to create financial success for
myself. The founders of Google didn't stop the creation of Facebook, nor did two
decades of Microsoft's dominance prevent Steve Jobs from raising Apple's
profile with iPods, iPhones, and iPads. Similarly, the amount of new products,
ideas, and successful creations by these companies over the past few years will
not prevent others—maybe you—from generating success at even more
astounding magnitudes.
You don't have to look far to see the shortage myth perpetuated by most of the
population via expressions of envy, disagreement, unfairness, and suggestions
that those who “hit it big” have been unfairly compensated. Then there are the
constant reports in the media of shortages of jobs, money, opportunities, and
even time. How often do you hear someone make the claim that “there isn't
enough time in the day”? Or someone else complain that “there aren't any good
jobs” or that “no one is hiring.” The reality is that even if 20 percent of the
population is unemployed, 80 percent have jobs.
Another example of this “shortage thinking” has taken place right in my own
neighborhood. The man who lives next door to me is, incidentally, one of the
most famous actors in Hollywood; he's a major star and an incredible actor. The
road that separates my house from his constantly has potholes that the city never
seems to be able to fix. Another neighbor who lives at the end of the street had
the gall to suggest that “the movie star” fix the street because he makes $20
million a movie. I was shocked by this person's thought process regarding
success—that just because this actor had created success beyond that which any
of us in the neighborhood had, he should foot the bill for fixing the street. I was

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thinking that the rest of us should improve the road for him, since he improves
the value of our neighborhood!
When some TV personality gets a massive financial contract, people often
react by asking, “How can one person get paid so much money?” But money is
created by man and printed by machines. Not even money exists in shortages; it
merely suffers from reductions in value. Some group deeming a single individual
worth $400 million should be an encouragement to you that 
anything
is possible.
I've found that most—if not all—shortages are simply manufactured notions.
The company or organization that can convince you that there are limited
amounts of whatever you need or want—be it diamonds, oil, water, clean air,
cool weather, warm weather, energy—can produce a sense of urgency, thereby
inspiring people to support their cause.
You must rid yourself of the concept that success can be restricted in any way.
Operating under this notion will hurt your ability to create success for yourself.
Let's say that you and I are bidding to win a client, and I get the business. This
doesn't mean that you cannot be successful; after all, this wasn't the only client
you were bidding for. Being dependent on only a single thing or person for
success will limit your chances of achievement. Although you and I are
competing on this one contract, “Mr. Think Big—No Shortages” is winning
thousands of clients and showing us the 
real
definition of success!
To get beyond the shortage myth, you have to shift your thinking to see that
others' achievements actually create an opportunity for you to win as well.
Success for anyone or any group is ultimately a positive contribution to all
people and all groups as it provides validation of the possibilities to all.
That is
why people become so inspired when they witness some great victory or
performance. Seeing success in action invigorates us all and reduces our belief
that our ability to accomplish something is “impossible.” Whether the success is
new technology, a medical breakthrough, a higher score, a faster time, or a new
record price for a business acquisition—and whether you participated or not—
achievements like these are a confirmation that success is not in shortage and is
entirely possible for anyone.
Erase any concepts you might have that success is limited only to some and
only in certain amounts. You and I can get as much as we want—at the same
time. The moment you start thinking someone else's gain is your loss, you limit
yourself by thinking in terms of competition and shortages. This is the moment
when you must discipline your thinking to equate any success with the
possibilities for more success. Then move back to your commitment that success
is your ethical duty. This will motivate the most creative parts of you to find the

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solution and the way in which you can create original success in abundant
amounts.