Lori Sue

"All you need is to know what you want, and to want it badly enough so that it will stay in your thoughts." - Wallace Wattles

There's a story Steve Jobs once told about his father building a chest of drawers. His dad insisted on using quality wood even on the back—the part that would face the wall, the part no one would ever see.

"Why?" young Steve asked.

"A great carpenter never uses bad wood on the back of a cabinet," his father replied. "The quality has to be carried all the way through."

Years later, when Jobs was building the Macintosh computer, he demanded the same standard. The inside of the machine had to be as beautiful as the outside. His team protested—no one would ever see it. But Jobs insisted. And when they brought it to market, he had each key team member sign their work. Those signatures were engraved inside the machines.

Real artists sign their work.

Not just the parts people see. Not just the exterior. All the way through.

This is what it means to do things "in a certain way."

Here's what most people miss: there is a science of getting rich, and it is an exact science, like algebra or arithmetic.

Not a maybe. Not a hope-and-pray strategy. Not a "cross your fingers and see what happens" approach.

An exact science.

Wallace Wattles said it plainly: "There are certain laws which govern the process of acquiring riches, and once these laws are learned and obeyed by anyone, that person will get rich with mathematical certainty."

Mathematical certainty.

And here's the foundational principle: like causes always produce like effects. It's natural law. When you study successful people—really study them—you discover they're not successful because of their background, their intelligence, or their circumstances. They're successful because they've discovered the causes that produce success.

Getting rich isn't about being the smartest person in the room. It's not about being the strongest, the most frugal, or even the hardest worker. Brilliant people get rich. Simple people get rich. Healthy people get rich. Sick people get rich.

The difference? They learned the laws. They followed the science. They did things in a certain way.

But here's where it gets interesting—and uncomfortable.

To grow, you must fail. Not occasionally. Not accidentally. Deliberately. Repeatedly. Systematically.

Think about that for a moment. We spend our entire lives running from failure, hiding from it, making excuses to avoid it. And yet failure is the very mechanism through which we grow.

When you lift weights properly, you go to failure. You push until you literally cannot do another rep. Then you drop the weight and do it again. And again. You're not avoiding failure—you're seeking it out, because that's where the muscle grows.

The same principle applies to your business, your relationships, your dreams.

Failure is not the opposite of success. Failure is the pathway to success.

Most people fear failure so much they never do the things they know they should do. But what if we feared NOT failing? What if we understood that avoiding failure means avoiding growth?

Here's the shift: successful people make excuses too. The difference is they've learned to handle their excuses instead of letting their excuses handle them.

Steve Jobs had what his team called a "Reality Distortion Field." It was an unbelievable level of belief that created a vortex—once you got near it, you got sucked in. Suddenly, everything seemed possible.

People thought he was crazy. Facts seemed to contradict his vision. Logic suggested it wouldn't work.

But Jobs understood something crucial: we absolutely need to distort reality.

Not lie about it. Not ignore it. Distort it.

Because here's what's true: billions of things will try to distract you. Countless voices will tell you it won't work. Facts will pop up that seem to say you're foolish for trying. People will think what you're doing is insane.

The question isn't whether reality will push back. The question is: What kind of future are you creating? What type of reality vortex do you want to live in?

Do you want to live in a world where you can succeed no matter where you come from? Then you must learn to distort reality in favor of that vision. Allow in only the truths that support what you're building.

This isn't delusion. This is decision. This is leadership. This is how every great thing that ever existed came into being.

Here's a truth that will either liberate you or haunt you: practice doesn't make perfect. Practice makes permanent.

Perfect practice makes perfect.

If you practice the wrong thing, you solidify the wrong way into your subconscious. You can work hard, stay consistent, and end up mastering the wrong approach.

This applies to everything: how you talk to people, how you write emails, how you create videos, how you show up for your business. You must think about what you're doing. You must understand the principles behind good work. Then you must practice those principles deliberately.

Don't just do more. Do it right. Then do it right again. And again.

Because what you practice today becomes who you are tomorrow.

At a church meeting, missionaries shared a story about working in the Middle East, where proselytizing could get you killed. So how did they share their message?

They gave first.

"Would you like gasoline? I'll pay for that." Whatever people needed, they provided. Not to manipulate. Not to create obligation. Simply to serve.

And you know what happened? People invited them into their homes. Relationships formed. Trust grew. Conversations happened naturally.

The secret of living is giving.

Not after you succeed. Not once you've "made it." Now. Today. With what you have.

Jobs became a multi-millionaire as a young man, yet he lived simply most of his life. He understood something profound: you can't take anything with you. There's no U-Haul behind a hearse.

What matters? Three things form the holy trinity of a life well-lived:

Gratitude. Generosity. Love.

That's it. That's the whole game.

Success isn't complicated. It's simple. Beautifully, powerfully simple.

Here's the system:

1. Become a product of the product - Live what you're building


2. Make your list - Know who you're serving


3. Launch your business correctly - Follow the proven path


4. Pull up to events - Surround yourself with successful people

Four steps. That's it.

As Leonardo da Vinci said: "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."

But here's the catch: simple doesn't mean easy. You must do these things in a certain way. You must carry the quality all the way through. You must go to failure and learn the lessons.

And you must do it consistently, even when—especially when—it's uncomfortable.

Here's perhaps the most powerful principle of all: if you can feel good while you're uncomfortable, that growth will allow you to go further and much farther.

You don't have to be perfect. You just have to get started and be consistent and be grateful during the journey of ups and downs, turns and twists.

Every hard time, every challenge, is an opportunity to be creative, to build character. How you choose to feel in that moment tells you more about your own character than any success or failure ever could.

Thank God for not making you perfect but giving you something to strive for. A worthy destination. Better health. More wealth. Better relationships. Something to work for.

You don't need to be perfect.

You need to begin.

Right now, in this moment, you're creating your future. Not someday. Not when conditions are perfect. Not when you finally feel ready.

Now.

The question isn't whether you'll face obstacles. The question is: what reality are you creating in spite of them?

Will you be the carpenter who uses cheap wood on the back because no one will see it? Or will you carry quality all the way through?

Will you avoid failure and stay small? Or will you embrace failure as your pathway to growth?

Will you let excuses handle you? Or will you handle your excuses?

Will you wait for permission? Or will you create your reality distortion field and pull others into your vision?

You already have everything you need. As Wallace Wattles said: "All you need is to know what you want, and to want it badly enough so that it will stay in your thoughts."

So here's your challenge:

Know what you want. Want it badly enough. Do things in a certain way. Go to failure repeatedly. Practice perfectly. Give generously. Create your reality. Feel good while you're uncomfortable.

And never, ever stop trying.

Because you don't need more riches. You need more wisdom.

And wisdom comes from doing the work, failing forward, and signing your name to everything you create—even the parts no one else will ever see.

Real artists sign their work.

All the way through.

Now get up off your seat and take the action to go get what you want. The world is waiting for what only you can create.

Always go for your dreams.