Part 1 of 4: Principles of success…

This series is intended to guide you in finding fortune…or at least with finding clovers having more than three leaves anyway. Though in all likelihood, you’ll find this series is generally applicable to life.

Since publishing “Outstanding in your field…”, I’ve been asked if I really do know how to find four and five leaf clovers with such ease that I’ve lost count. And the answer is, unequivocally, “yes”. 

Actually, people who are not so proficient at it tend to find this seemingly innate ability to be quite annoying. I’ll just be walking along doing something else and the lucky clovers “pop” out at me. I might even have passed them by, then will stop short and return to a spot where they first waved to me. It’s almost as if they’re signaling to me to be found amidst a sea of dominant three leafed clones. There they are, just beckoning with voices that apparently only certain ears can hear – performing a subtle aria for an audience of one. Much the same as Horton’s experience in “Horton Hears a Who” by Dr. Seuss.

At least that’s how others interpret the ease with which these discoveries are accomplished. And especially given that the odds of finding a four leaf clover are roughly 10,000 to 1. Or that finding a five leaf clover may be as much as 1,000,000 to 1, or up to 100 times more difficult than finding the more common four leaf variety. The odds may sound extremely daunting, but by following the rather simple guidance provided here, the likelihood of your success at this or other things will become significantly better. 

The video below can help you a little and provides science that supports some of the facts behind finding lucky clovers. However, it is not very detailed about the actual process and could leave you feeling no more confident in your abilities at ever finding one. Fret not and read on to put success within your reach.

As I mentioned in “Outstanding in your field…” there are 4 basic principles for success in finding lucky clovers, or being a good hitter in baseball, or virtually all matters where you’re looking to achieve a goal. The principles to success are practice, patience, confidence, and vision. They are all important, though for the sake of this discussion they will be put in order of logical progression to help you attain the best chances of success.

VISION

Vision in this case is not the same as the sense of sight. Instead it is about picturing what you want – the visualization of the goal you’re trying to achieve. It should be noted that the vision does not require you having an entire plan. However, a strong rationale behind the vision will fuel your motivation and will enable making the vision a reality.

Why bother looking for these genetic mutant forms of foliage in the first place? Why does this (or any goal) matter to you? Maybe it’s because you believe that these unusual plants will endow you with good luck or fortune as legends proclaim – no harm in seeking a little extra boost, right? Maybe it’s simply because you’ve never tried it before and others have so rarely succeeded in this pursuit – like a mini Mount Everest. Or that it represents something bigger than yourself, perhaps a shared experience with people you care about or an important token that you wish to bestow upon someone in need.  

If you have a clear vision of the goal at the start and its meaningfulness to you, then your success is much more imminent. Conversely, if you lose sight of the goal or it is not well defined from the beginning, then failure is much more probable. Visualizing the result as if it already happened and as concretely as possible makes the outcome that much more desirable and, consequently, more achievable! So, we must start there.

“If you can dream it, you can achieve it.” Zig Ziglar

To help with the visualization and show you how powerful this is, let’s do a little exercise. Below is a picture often used in courses on psychology, visual learning, and developmental education. Take a look at the picture and determine what it is supposed to be… 

Some of you may decipher what this is immediately, either because you have seen this image before or because of your familiarity with the subject matter depicted. However, most will be baffled by this image and claim that it makes no sense whatsoever or is something other than what it is. But once the subject is revealed many will feel foolish that they didn’t see it right from the start. Further, you won’t be able to unsee it once you understand what it represents.

Now, let’s provide some actual clues since you’re probably no closer to figuring it out (unless you already searched the web for the answer). It is something you typically find on a farm. The thing in the picture is looking at you. The sound most associated with this animal starts with an M and ends with an O. 

If you haven’t figured out yet that what you’re looking at is the face of a cow, trust me, that’s what it is. The smallish dark, c-shaped spot in the approximate center of the image is one eye. The larger solid dark oval-like patch on the left edge of the page is an ear. The dark splotch at the bottom of the page that looks a bit like Australia is the nose and muzzle of the cow. (Check out the comments for a clearer image of the cow if you’re still not able to see it.)

The point here is that you need to know what you’re looking for in order to find it. If you’re familiar at all with the subject of your vision, then the result of finding it is so much more plain and obvious, that others will wonder why they didn’t see it, too. Just as it is with acquiring lucky clovers or seeking any desired goal. 

So, if you haven’t seen a four leaf clover before, here’s what we’ll be looking for:

Study it, memorize all the details of it, close your eyes, and picture it. Does the image seem real? If not, keep examining it until it does. And keep in mind why it’s important to you. Continue to fuse those two things about that which you seek: “the what” and “the why”, and success will follow with relative ease. 

Just to test this theory, here is the field where that lucky clover was located. Can you spot it…? 

Some of you will be surprised that you could find it after this simple exercise of visualization. However, for the majority of you who didn’t find it, don’t be disheartened, success is still in your future. There is more to follow in the series to ensure optimal and continued success…

Would love to see your comments on this topic of “VISION”