Aristotle was a Greek philosopher, a student of Plato, and a teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including: physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, music, logic, government, ethics, biology, and zoology.

He is one of the most critical founding figures in Western philosophy. Aristotle’s writings were the first to create a comprehensive system of Western philosophy, encompassing morality and aesthetics, logic and science, politics, and metaphysics.

Today we will join the ranks of Alexander the Great as we benefit from Aristotle’s wisdom.

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1. SOLITUDE IS PRICELESS

“Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god.”

Everything I write is the product of solitude.

Solitude is the secret of geniuses, and the master key to your personal success. The ideas you need to succeed are only birthed when you are still and quiet.

I love solitude. The doorway to solitude opens when you have nothing to do and nowhere to go without, so you’re forced to travel within. In solitude, in stillness, and in quiet are the times when the mind is free to ponder what has been keeping you from making significant progress.

In solitude, the steps required to move you forward are revealed. Everything significant in my life has been conceived in stillness and in contemplative silence. Learn to love solitude, even if you’re not a wild beast.

2. FRIENDS ARE PRECIOUS

“Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods.”

When you’re finished contemplating the expanse of the universe and how you fit within the context of providence, it then becomes necessary for you to remember that without family and friends, neither the wealth of a king nor the wisdom of a thousand men will satisfy. Let these words serve as a reminder to appreciate the real riches of life.

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3. COURAGE EQUALS POTENTIAL

“There is no great genius without a mixture of madness.”

I’ve said this before, and it’s still true, so I’ll say it again: You have to be “a little crazy” to succeed. Genius and crazy are two sides of the same coin.

Aristotle put it another way. He said, “You will never do anything in this world without courage.”

It has been said that courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to act in spite of fear – in the face of fear. I would reword that to say that courage is being crazy enough to think that you will be the one person to emerge victorious in the face of insurmountable obstacles.

Show me your courage, and I will tell you of your potential. It is the courageous person that eventually succeeds.

4. ACTION IS PERTINENT

“We become just by performing just action, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave action.”

Plato said, “To do, is to be.” Your daily actions determine your ultimate outcome. Are you taking courageous actions daily? Are you committed to be the best?

To be the best you have to discover what action steps “the best” are currently taking, and then you have to outmaneuver them. While they’re sleeping, you need to be in action.

When you act courageously and consistently, you will become courageous, so begin today. Your future depends on it.

5. EXCELLENCE IS POWERFUL

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

Habitual excellence will beget innumerable opportunities. The person or company that consistently strives for excellence in every area is extremely rare. This rarity creates value, this value creates customers, and those customers create success.

So strive for excellence in everything you do. In doing this, you will reach your highest potential; in doing this, you will succeed.

View the original article at MrSelfDevelopment.com

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