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The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.
~~ Oprah Winfrey ~~

Actually I think there are secrets to life but nobody knows those secrets - the nature is keeping those secrets to itself. But it is true that our best chance at life is to have our goal(s) and work towards it with resolute determination and a positive attitude. That way there is a good possibility that we will get where we want to go but there are no guarantees in life. History is filled with examples of people who attained spectacular success yet ended up failing miserably.

A classic example is the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 - 1821) who rose from chaos to be the Emperor of France, built a powerful empire, then failed miserably causing the destruction of his empire and he himself died in captivity. So what happened? Why Napoleon, who is variously described as a genius, a master tactician etc. and who was so successful, failed so miserably?

Well, we can explain it away by saying that he failed because he made terrible decisions. But I am sure he didn’t wake up one morning and thought that from now on he is going to make terrible decisions that will lead to his destruction. No, my thinking is that there are times - call it chance or luck or secret of nature - when your actions or decisions will produce bitter results, no matter how smart you may be. On the other hand, if you don’t diligently work towards your goal, it’s virtually guaranteed that you’ll never attain your goal.

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