“You are what you think all day long” — Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Let’s explore how Weldon Long, the author of the book ‘Master the Game, Change Your Life,’ became one of the most successful salespeople in the United States. Through his personal story, the author shows readers the power of consistent thinking and actions that can help a person overcome challenges and adversities to create wealth and success
Weldon Long, who ruined his life at the age of 32 when he was sentenced to 13 years in Colorado state prison. Dropping out of junior high, living a life of poverty and addiction, Weldon Long describes himself as ‘the biggest loser among losers and with the least chance of success among those trying their luck.’ After completing his sentence in 2003, he started rebuilding his life from scratch with nothing but a 13-year criminal record behind bars
“I started looking for a job. Every day, I walked into various offices around town with the introduction, ‘Hello, my name is Weldon Long. I just need a chance. Just one chance. Give me a chance, and I will sell any of your products more than anyone has ever sold. I will never lie or deceive anyone. I will never complain about the economy or business conditions. I just need a chance.'”
Weldon shared that his success comes from consistency. When he was rejected over and over again during four months of job searching, he continued to ask himself every day, ‘How badly do I want a job?’ Giving up was never an option for him, and he was not discouraged by hearing ‘No’ hundreds of times.
So how do you achieve consistency in both thought and action? Throughout the book, the author introduces the concept of the ‘thinking box’ and the daily actions that must be consistent with what you put into the thinking box. During his years in prison, every day he filled his thinking box with ‘wealth and success.’ He cleared away toxic beliefs and replaced them with thoughts and beliefs that could create an extraordinary life. Once you plant strong beliefs into your subconscious, day by day, through quiet time, the subconscious will create an emotion and guide you to act in order to plan for what you desire
Inside his thinking box, he added things that no one (including himself) thought could become true.
- I want to be a great father to my son.
- I want to be wealthy and successful.
- I want to be a good person.
“But he had nothing but dreams, and those dreams were deeply engraved in his subconscious every day. He realized that he needed to take action even while being incarcerated. Thus, consistent actions were planned.
For seven years, I wrote hundreds of letters to my son. Seven years after entering prison, the three-year-old boy had turned ten, and the relationship between the father and son had improved significantly thanks to those consistent letters. Before leaving the prison, I earned a bachelor’s degree in law and a master’s degree in business. I also spent many years studying and mastering the sales process.” I think about what he recounted in the book, and I find it truly great. It shows us that nothing is impossible as long as you are persistent.
Think about your thinking box, what is inside it? Throughout your upbringing, those around you have placed limiting beliefs and their thoughts into your box, deeply ingrained into your subconscious, infiltrating your box and controlling our behavior for many years. The process of creating dreams in your thinking box is the starting point, and you certainly do not want them to stay there. You want to see that creativity emerge in your life, guiding and directing your daily actions, ensuring that what you need to do is consistent with what you want. When your thoughts, emotions, and actions align, the results will be certain
“Success is never easy, but Weldon told his inspiring story that will give you the belief that efforts and persistence in taking consistent actions towards your dreams, even when they seem impossible, can lead anyone to success.
‘We are what we repeatedly do. Therefore, excellence is not an act, but a habit.’ – Aristotle
