It is Up to You by Jim Rohn

One of the first  things successful people realize is the old adage, "if it is to be, it is  up to me." That is, for you, the fact that your success and your course is  up to you. This doesn't mean that you do it all alone. It simply means that you  take responsibility for your life and your career.

Too many people today  look at opportunity and figure it is up to someone else to make sure they get  it. They look at financial security and hope that the government will make sure  they live safely in retirement or in case of disability. They wait and wait,  figuring that it is up to someone else. And then the wait is over, and it is  too late to do anything. Their life is over and they are filled with regret.

This isn't true for  you however. You know that you must take responsibility for your life. It is up  to you.

The fact is that  nobody else is going to do it for you “you must do it yourself.

Now, some people may  say, "Jim, that's a lot of responsibility." Friends, that is the best  news you can ever hear. You get to choose your life. Hundreds of millions of  people all around this world would give anything to live in the situation you  do “just for the chance to have the opportunity to take control of their  destiny. "It is up to you" is a great blessing!

Here's why:

1. You get to chart  your own destiny. Maybe you want to start a small business and stay there.  That's great because you can choose that. Maybe you want to create a small  chain of stores. Maybe you want to have a net worth of $100 million. That's  okay too. The idea is that you get to choose. You can do whatever you like.  Different people have different dreams and they should live them accordingly.

2. You can reap what  you sow. Sleep in and go to work late and reap the return. Or get up early and  outwork the others and earn a greater return. Place your capital at risk and  earn a return “or place it at greater risk and perhaps reap a greater  return. You decide what you will sow and thus what you will reap.

3. No one else can  stop you from getting your dream. Yes, there will always be things that come up  and people who may not like what you are doing, but you can just move on and  chart your own course. There is great freedom in that.

4. You experience the  joy of self-determination. There is no greater pride than knowing you set your  mind on something and accomplished it. Those who live with a victim mentality  never get to experience the joy of accomplishment because they are always  waiting for someone else to come to the rescue. Those who take responsibility  get to live the joy of seeing a job well done.

Let me ask you a  question: Where will you be in 5 years? 10 years? Or 25 years? Do you know? DO  you have an idea? Have you ever dreamed about it or set a goal for it? Are you  willing to take responsibility and recognize that, "It is up to you?"

You will be wherever  you decide to be in those timeframes. You decide. It is up to you.

And that is very  exciting!

— Jim Rohn