Книга - Homework Let’s Learn the Formula Of Success

Homework Let’s Learn the Formula Of Success
Alibala Maharramzadeh


Nabokov Prize Library
«Basket of Selected Fruits»

To pick the juiciest apple, you need to go to the apple orchard. In order to taste the sweetest grapes, you need to go to the vineyard. If you want to pick the most fragrant orange, you need to go to the plantation with citrus plants, right? But everything is easier when they bring you a basket of selected fruits. This book in a sense resembles the very basket of the most valuable thoughts.

There are a lot of motivational books that teach you how to succeed, as well as leadership concepts. What is the difference between the book that we intend to offer you? The fact that you have to get acquainted with the conclusions of the author, who motivated people for many years as a speaker, at the same time instructing his audience as a coach and professor of economics. The conclusions reached by the author after numerous experiments can be useful to hundreds of people. In this book you can also read valuable sayings from the best motivational books on success and leadership.

In a word, we offer you, dear readers, a collection of valuable thoughts!





Alibala Maharramzadeh

Homework Let’s Learn the Formula Of Success





© A. Maharramzadeh, 2020

© International Union of writers, 2020










Alibala Maharramzadeh was born on August 9, 1976 in the city of Quba of the Republic of Azerbaijan. He graduated from the Azerbaijan State University of Economics in Baku and the Faculty of Economics of Istanbul University.



Alibala Maharramzadeh – Doctor of Economics, professor, motivational speaker, coach and writer. Author of a series of books. Winner of Rasul Rza Prize (Azerbaijan), holder of the St. George Order (Ukraine).




01. Not «Impossible», But «Possible»!


Two men looked out from prison bars. One saw the mud, the other saw stars.

    John Mcwell





To some people, all colors appear black.

To some people, all colors appear colorful.

I am a supporter of seeing colors as they are.

Once a middle-aged man who had lost his loved ones in a car accident said that my advice «be optimistic», «don't break in front of grief», «work on yourself», «don't inflate your problems» was inappropriate. During the conversation, my interlocutor told how much literature he read from the Internet, and also noticed, with a sigh, that not a single psychologist, friend or author of a motivational bestseller could help him in his condition.

Similar words were also told by a young man who, for the sake of treating his sick child, sold all his property, and did not have money left to buy the necessary medicine.

Both of them agreed on one thing: «I fell, and my ascent is impossible.»

But why can't the fallen rise? Isn't «stand up» an antonym to the word «fall»? If you can fall, then you can get up. But along with strength, you must have decisiveness and patience to do this. We die not when we fall, but when we stop fighting, and resign to the situation we’re in. It’s when we justify our inaction, saying: «I fell, and my ascent is impossible», as if we are putting on a shroud when we’re still alive.

In this book, I will try to discover the secrets of conquering the peaks to those who are standing, but I will also show the way to those who fell.

Remember, the word «impossible» is not a verdict, but just an opinion. The word «perhaps», on the contrary, can become a verdict due to faith and determination.

This book comes to mobilize you say the word «maybe.»




02. Why I Wrote This Book


I wrote this book for years in my thoughts. The desire to write it, to express my thoughts on its pages never abandoned me. I thought about this both during my studies at the Faculty of Business of the Institute of National Economy Management, and when I received my next higher education at the Economics Department of Istanbul University of the Turkish Republic, and later, when I provided the services of an auditor and consultant, as well as during my entrepreneurial activity and when engaged in scientific and artistic creativity. Finally, the implementation of my long-standing plan came in March 2018. Right now, on this windy and rainy March day, I realized that excuses like «I’ll start tomorrow», «I’ll postpone the next month», «I’ll write exactly next year» no longer pass. Sometimes a saying itself follows from the current situation, and it is impossible to resist.

The large audience of my art and scientific books mostly consists of the people I contact in connection with my professional activities, the youth who often invite me to meetings, as well as ordinary people who can come up on the street, near my house or office, are those whom I rendered all possible assistance on duty, motivated, gave advice, guidance, in a word, did not leave in trouble. There are thousands of them. Still this is a close circle. But what about those who remain outside this circle, people who are unable to solve their personal problems and are suffocated in a whirlpool of cruel laws of life? No need to say there are a lot of people deprived of a sense of self-confidence, as well as those who are unable to overcome the syndrome of helplessness and weakness due to their complexes?

How does it feel like to be prone to depression in the era of the world-wide economic crisis, natural disasters, all kinds of catastrophes and epidemics, the consequences of moral degradation, as well as continuously degrading empirical realities, pressure on metaphysical views? How depressed people can live with a sense of hopelessness, watching the horrors of war and terror?

Don't they need motivation?

This means that in order to ensure scale and a full circle in the contact zone, it is necessary to turn to motivation in the form of a book.

It should be noted here that in addition to being the author of a number of art, political and corporate books, I also develop custom-made business plans for those who wish to succeed in starting their own business. These business plans bring real success, and many entrepreneurs make good money thanks to my ideas. My ideas are based on certain theories and are somewhere a collection of theoretical and practical knowledge. Their sources contain many important points, so it would be nice to share them with readers.

Here is another reason to write a motivational book.

I want to speak with all my voice to all people on Earth: no target is better than our ability to aim with a narrowed eye and a finger bent on the trigger.

Inspired by this slogan, I want to say one more thing: the formula for success is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance. You just need to complete a few homework. And I want to start my conversation by placing this sentence as a subtitle for this book.

Let's start the conversation. And, reading these 250 pages, let’s be extremely frank and try to understand each other.

This is not a textbook on sociology, philosophy, psychology or economics. This is a collection of thoughts with sociological, philosophical, psychological and economic nuances. Sometimes mysterious letters and words, merged, are converted into miraculous sentences. Just listen to them and stay in the zone of attraction.

So, let’s start!




03. What is Luck and Success? What Are Their Symbols?


The concept of «success» is an essential component of our lifestyle. No matter where we go or what we take, we always think about how to succeed. This is undoubtedly true. For whatever we, Azerbaijanis, and many other peoples undertake, we always pronounce the eternal expression: «Good luck!» Our success lies in achieving the cherished goal. That is why all success formulas are determined by the same strategy: desire – goal – building plans – action – result.

If in general «success» has the same meaning for everyone, then for each individual this term gains its own meaning, based on his subjective desires. For some people success means a high position, authority or prestige; for others it’s the uncountable wealth, for some it means two hearts join and create a successful family life; for some of them it’s a triumph in competitions.

In general, the meaning of the word «success» in all world dictionaries is explained approximately like this: completion of certain upcoming processes or circumstances on a positive note, achievement of the goal! And in many languages, this word is also used as a synonym for «luck.» In this case, we mean random, unexpected success (a striking example is winning the lottery). This is what we call «luck.»

A lot of writers and directors gave their artworks the name ‘Success’. It’s Italian film director Dino Risi (1963), Soviet film director Konstantin Khudyakov (in 1964), German writer Lion Feuchtwanger (in 1984), etc.

In short, it is no coincidence that people who are determined to succeed choose all kinds of symbols, as well as talismans, for this purpose. For example, we can recall the traditional Western symbols: clover, ladybug, chimney sweep… The latter is a very funny symbol, isn't it? It is believed that if a person meets a chimney sweep on the way to solve a very important matter, his success is a foregone conclusion. In some countries, such as Germany, Austria and Poland, people present each other objects depicting this artisan. Four-leaf clover is considered the most common symbol of good luck. According to the legends, the one who meets this plant on his way is expected to have great success in life. You should always wear a dried clover leaf with you. It will protect you from all the negative, from the evil eye, and will attract positive and good things like a magnet.

Imagine that the Irish declared four-leaf clover (shamrock) their national symbol!

Finding a ladybug is also considered a very good sign in Western countries. This is mainly due to myths and rituals. Thus, according to mythology, this insect lives in heaven and, in exceptional cases, descends to earth to convey God's will to people. You can’t imagine a happier person than a Dutchman on whom the ladybug sits, or a Czech who has met this insect. The French give their children an amulet with its image, hoping that it can protect them from all adversities.

It is no coincidence that the Russians call this insect ‘God’s cow’. In English-speaking countries, it is called ladybug in honor of the Holy Virgin Mary. For the Germans it’s the «God’s candle», for the Bulgarians it’s «the beauty of God.» Other European nations call it «the butterfly of Mary,» «the bird of St. Mary,» «the animal of God.» According to legends, a mascot with the image of ladybug brings good luck. An insect with seven black spots on its back is considered a special symbol of eternal good luck and happiness.

The next popular symbol of good luck is the horseshoe, not only in the West, but also in the East. It should be noted that you can not buy it. If we are talking about an object that brings good luck and happiness, then it only needs to be found, and it must be metallic. It also matters in which position to hang it. There are two views on this subject. In the East, in Latin America and in Europe, a horseshoe is hung with its ends down. This means that success and happiness will be directed or flow to you. The British and Irish, on the contrary, hang it ends up in the hope that luck will not run away or not flow.

In China, trout fish is considered a symbol of good luck and fertility. In Chinese houses you can quite often see an aquarium with eight golden (or red) and one black fish.

Another symbol of good luck in the Far East is a three-legged frog with a gold coin in its mouth. It is also considered a symbol of wealth. According to a legend, in ancient times, this creature belonged to evil spirits, but Buddha tamed it and forced it to serve people. After that, the frog began to release gold coins from its mouth.

The first earned banknote for an American is considered a symbol of good luck, and for this reason it is stored and not spent. The Japanese symbol of success or good luck is a cat they call Maneki-neko, with a raised paw. For Italians, a key is the symbol of good luck. In other nations, it can also be a chrysanthemum or a bat. In addition to the widespread symbols of good luck, you can also find different signs of good luck and rituals in different nations.

We, Azerbaijanis, also have very interesting and peculiar signs of good luck. When you go on business, it is important who you meet first on your way. If everything went fine, you say this person «has a light foot», so you have confidence in the successful resolution of a problem if you meet this person next time. In addition, we believe that if at the beginning of your journey you come across a person with a full bucket or a full basket in his hands, everything will be fine.

The word «ugur» (which means «luck») is also a proper name in our language. Especially today, at the beginning of the XXI century, parents call their newborn boys Ugur with great aspiration.

In response to the joy and happiness associated with luck, life, unfortunately, cannot do without its antonym – failure, which brings grief and disappointment.

It happens that a person can consider himself or herself unsuccessful, whether it’s due to unemployment, unsuccessful love, financial insecurity or illness (failures will be the topic of a separate conversation).

And it even happens that the concept of good luck and success acquires painfully primitive meaning. I know loafers who consider themselves fortunate because they won in dominoes they played all day as they had nothing to do. I also know snotty creatures happy with the fact they have acquired another property, repaired and furnished for their unborn descendants. In their understanding, this is a success.

But now we are not discussing a far-fetched and distorted concept of success, but absolute, ordinary, and statistical success. The one we strive for, regardless of whether we are rich or poor, old or young, educated or not. How to succeed? How to find the shortest and surest path to success?

In this book we will try to find the answer to this question.

I also wanted to note one thing. I have always been an active and agile person, and have a rather busy schedule, since I am engaged in scientific work, business and audit. Plus, I’m also engaged in social activities. I am often invited to various scientific, social, cultural and media events, and try to participate in all of them. Charity work is also an important part of my life. Quite often, people have to come to help in solving a particular problem. This is material assistance, both legal and moral. For the work that I do, I never wait for reward and gratitude. This is obvious. I’m talking about the fact that as a result of my erudition, my rich and comprehensive activity and the desire to learn from wise people, I developed the ability and skills to motivate people, and these skills improve over time, becoming more effective. This prompted me to collect and present all my knowledge in the form of a book. Success in various industries is proof of how lucky I am. This means that I have the right to share my formula for success, to give advice to young people who have failed or have encountered various difficulties on their life paths, to tell young men what they should do and what they shouldn’t. This is another reason to write this book.

In the meantime, I want to summarize the essence of my formula for success. This somewhere can also be considered a summary of my work: work hard, set goals for yourself and achieve them. In fact, success is a materialistic concept. You should motivate people around with your diligence, determination, knowledge and ability and strive for a goal.




04. Valuable Comments on the Concept of «Success»


Even ancient philosophies, writers and statesmen expressed their opinion about the ways of achieving your goals and success. They passed the test of time, became aphorisms and survived to this day.

It is enough to read these winged expressions once, so that a person confused in doubts acquires peace of mind and can make the right decision in search of the right path to the intended goal and confidently move forward. Some of these sayings can become a guiding light. I decided to bring to your attention a number of selected aphorisms on this subject.



«There are no open doors to the temple of success. Whoever wants to enter it will enter. This new door closes so tightly behind your that even your children will hardly be able to enter.»

    C. Marden



«Fortune is not for those who fear, but for those who fight.»

    J. Kopp



«The greatest victory is to let our rival understand that we will succeed.»

    M. Gandhi



«To achieve good luck, one must either be smart or be able to use the stupidity of others.»

    J. Labruyere



«Better go ahead than expect.»

    M. K. Ataturk



«Those who do not see further, run in place.»

    R. Baker



«The most difficult thing is the ability to manage your desires.»

    Buddha



«Respect and approval are different concepts. Respect is generally expressed to a person, while approval is expressed only to the winner.»

    A. Dumas



«Good luck loves sane people.»

    Euripides



«Luck makes us intolerant of defeat. Defeat makes us intolerant of luck.»

    W. Feder



«When I think about the price of success, I feel disrespect for it.»

    G. Flaubert



«There are more people who surrender than those who fail.»

    H. Ford



«Whoever believes in victory is lucky.»

    C. Goebbel



«The needle is given to someone who knows how to sew.»

    A. Hoffman



«When in the flower garden, do not look for the one who sows thorns around the world.»

    J. Rumi



«Nothing is impossible for someone who does not lose his heart.»

    Khagani



«The greatest success in life is to find happiness.»

    A. Camus



«Courage is the first condition on the path to achieving victory.»

    A. Cambell



«Those who know the secrets of life succeed.»

    J. Collins



«Your mind is the wealth, so rely solely on it.»

    N. Ganjavi



«He who achieved success and hasn’t become conceited will continue to be lucky.»

    H. Laski



«I don’t know who my grandfather was. I am much more concerned to know what his grandson will be.»

    A. Lincoln



«We do our best to succeed, but we do nothing to become happy.»

    Lucian



«What is more important to succeed?» They asked Hugo. «Money, work or reason?» «Imagine that you have a 3-wheel car. Which of the wheels is more important?» He answered with a question.

    Anonymous



«Great patience is required to succeed.»

    Napoleon



«Both fortune and love befriend the bold.»

    P. Ovid



«Success goes to your head, failure goes to your heart.»

    L. Peter



«Every man is the architect of his own fortune.»

    G. Sallust



«To defeat nature, you must surrender first.»

    M. Sksiro



«If you want to climb to the top, you should start from the bottom.»

    J. Simonis



«Man's life is governed by success, not wisdom.»

    Cicero



«Do not be arrogant because of small successes.»

    Socrates



«Fortune you’re not worthy of might be disturbing.»

    G. Spencer



«Great people have achieved their goal through incredible work.»

    J. Taylor



«When a man did everything he could, don’t blame him even if he failed.»

    J. Washington



«You need a little indifference to succeed.»

    German proverb



«Show action to get a reward.»

    Azerbaijan proverb




05. Luck is a Common Concept Inherent to Every Person


When people predict your failure or don’t believe your luck, try to stand firmly on your feet, be strong and don’t let them destroy you. The secret of leadership is self-confidence to the last, even when noone believes you.

    Michael Jordan





Never let yourself think you’re incapable. Parents, never tell your children «they will never amount to anything». The shirt of luck is dimensionless, so everyone can wear it. Having desire is enough for it. I really liked the statement of the world-famous basketball player Michael Jordan, the standard for the winners, and I believe that the words I quoted above can serve as a guide for the young on their way to winning.

At the beginning of his sports career, this man complained of having bad luck. Having mobilized all his strength, determination and, most importantly, self-confidence, he could later become the best defender in basketball history, two-time Olympic champion and six-time NBA champion. He plays a huge role in promoting this sport around the world. Imagine that in 1984, Nike manufactured a custom sports shoe for Michael named Air Jordan. Currently, this company operates as a well-known brand with a large volume of trade. Today, this person is the head of Oakley Inc. and the owner of the Charlotte Hornets basketball club. They even made a movie about him, as well as a monument in the city of Chicago. That's what you can achieve when you have confidence in yourself!

Don’t think successful people are granted with luck. They all passed a thorny path. The road to success is by no means dotted with roses.

Albert Einstein, the famous author of the theory of relativity, could not speak until the age of 4. He could not read until he was 8. When the ingenious Sigmund Freud first began to tell scientists about his theory, he was pushed out of the scene. Winston Churchill, the brilliant political leader of the twentieth century, took up his position when he was 65. Only then did he become prime minister. Davis Cup winner Sten Smith was called clumsy as a child and was not honored to even carry balls at tennis games. Bruno Mars, American pop star, could not declare himself and was considered mediocre. Together with his family, he lived in a house without floor and ceiling. Henry Ford, a giant of the global auto industry, tried to test his strength in farming first. His attempt failed, and he was then known as a loser. Seid Mirbabaev, a famous Baku millionaire, was a singer and lived in poverty for many years. The world famous Russian writer Leo Tolstoy was expelled from the university for poor performance. Franz Kafka and philosopher Vasily Rozanov were not recognized during their lifetime and died in poverty from a serious illness. These people received a worthy rating only after death. Their works went from hand to hand.

All these stories of success are very different, but in all of them there are two components that pass from beginning to end: faith and determination.

No wonder I began this chapter with Michael Jordan’s epigraph. It sounds beautiful: «The secret of leadership is self-confidence to the last, even when no one believes you». I myself started everything from scratch. It was a time when I had no idea about the rules of conduct, nor about conducting business negotiations, nor about how to take the first steps. I started with an empty wallet and the desire to be independent and free and not depend on anyone. Most importantly, I believed in myself and was determined.

You should be decisive too. Then you will succeed, and success will find you!




06. The Formula of Success


We now have a general understanding of what success is. According to a university graduate, luck or success means to find a good job. For an entrepreneur it means to launch a project that will bring good income, success for a writer is a popular bestseller, for lovers it means to connect with each other, for a soldier success means to become a general, for a patient it means to recover. Shoemakers, hatters, firemen, astronauts, in a word, everyone has their own object of success.

Everyone wants to succeed. Having succeeded, people share their secrets about the ways to achieve it. Speakers write books on this topic. Over the years, more and more formulas for success appear. As long as humanity exists, similar formulas will be born.

If, figuratively speaking, we make an extract from all these formulas, we will get something like this:

Formula for success = desire – set a goal – plan – prepare – take action – achieve results.

You simply need to desire and strive for a goal, waiting for life to present a chance. It may not turn up that soon, but it doesn’t mean you should abandon your efforts. Being successful means being happy. It’s a state of mind in which a person can enjoy the harmony of life.

Don’t think that wealth is the measure of happiness. I know a man who owns millions and has a successful career, but is experiencing serious problems and is unhappy in family life. I also know someone who owns kilograms of gold and enormous wealth sufficient for all his descendants, but suffers from an incurable disease and therefore walks like a ghost. Money gives a lot, but cannot solve everything. The happiest person is a person who has his favorite job, normal living conditions, a good family, good health, and who knows how to hit the target and succeed step by step.


1. Desire

«Grasp your desires tightly. Do not let them go». No wonder the famous American psychologist and psychotherapist Marden Orison said that.

All major goals and all achievements are born in the form of desire. If you want to live better, the first thing to do is decide what exactly you want. You must first create that very best life in your dreams. He who thinks daydreaming is a child’s occupation is fundamentally wrong. A person should always be able to dream. Anyone who does not know how to do this should immediately try to restore this lost quality. We should dream about the implementation of our desires and, as we wish, we should know ourselves better and better understand our strengths, be able to hear our inner voice well. The main secret to achieving success is to take full responsibility for your life and be able to manage it. Not everyone is given the chance to be the master of their own destiny; this is a fact. Many people go to work, eat, watch TV, read newspapers, surf the Internet or communicate with their near and dear ones just because it has become their habit. In their monotonous and stereotyped life, everything repeats day by day. Such people lack the ability to dream. In the gray book of life, it is impossible to find either the plot, the denouement, or the climax.

Unleash your dreams so that they can be born, grow and blossom. Wish yourself not only a wonderful life, prosperity or good work, a latest car, a luxury villa and other material values, but also good friends, great success in art, scientific inventions, sports achievements, in short, dream of being on top. Remember: the dream marathon starts.


2. Set a goal

If a person dreams of something in the first stage, he should set himself the goal of achieving this. A dream remains a dream if it is not achieved. There are many people who dream a lot but don’t follow their dreams, nor try to make them come true. An illiterate shepherd grazing sheep in a distant aul can build illusions and have a desire to be president, but his dream cannot come true. Setting this as your goal is absurd. Goals are dreams that match human potential and do not contradict the environment.

A goal is the most important tool we have for selection. There are abstract and specific goals. Always try to set specific goals for yourself. Remember that there are positive and negative goals. Always try to set yourself the goal that you want to get hold of, that is, devote yourself to a positive goal. Never focus on negative goals such as getting rid of something.

And again, do not pursue a goal that would make someone else suffer for your benefit.

All your intentions should be related to each other and have the same focus. Your intentions should not go against your main life credo. Alternate all your goals as they are important and choose the most basic one.

Try to keep within the time and determine the «minimum program» – goals that you think you must implement first, and the «maximum program» – distant goals that you want to achieve. Your main goal will be a strategic goal that requires more time.


3. Plan

Planning is the optimal allocation of resources on the way to achieving the goal. The main argument of this function from a mathematical point of view is the distribution of time. Without planning, it is impossible to achieve the goal and succeed. Since I am elaborating this area separately, I intend to consider it in detail in one of the following parts.


4. Prepare

You dream, you set a goal, you plan. The 4th step is preparation. It is important to enrich knowledge on the target that you want to hit, and to acquire a large amount of information on this matter and the necessary material resources. You should also adapt to the necessary social and administrative conditions, identify partners who can help in this matter, and liken your image to the image of a person striving to achieve his goal.

First, you must learn to manage your state, feelings and emotions. Visualizing the goal and creating images in your imagination are directly related to emotional state. There is a well-known expression: if you want to be rich, pretend to be one. If you want to be healthy, forget about the disease and doctors and imagine yourself healthy. If you want to become happy – so be it! Never be ungrateful; thank the Lord for what you have. Create a good mood, optimism and positive attitude towards everything. Good thoughts will arouse good in you, while bad thoughts will provoke evil.

At the preparatory stage, it is necessary to strengthen a sense of self-confidence. Never doubt your abilities. If a person is not confident, and doubts of his success, he will never be able to achieve it. A person must make his own decision. This is a prerequisite for success. It is also necessary to be decisive. After completing all the preparations, you must create your perfect image, get rid of destructive emotions (fear, anger, hatred, resentment, envy, etc.) and learn to love. The energy of love gives strength and supplies with vital energy.

Self-confidence, love, ecstasy, optimism, faith and self-esteem – together all these qualities create a deep inner energy. On the contrary, feelings like doubt, sadness, fear or anxiety deprive us of energy.

Carlos Castaneda said: «We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.» In this case, why spend your strength on making yourself miserable?

Our physical condition is also associated with our feelings and emotions. Therefore, it is very important to sit and walk with an even posture, and try to smile at people.

Health is another important factor on the way to achieving the goal. Healthy lifestyle and sports, healthy diet, regular medical examinations – all these are necessary measures. Reading motivational books, listening to light and fun music, singing karaoke, dancing, laughing – all this will give you an additional incentive.

Remember: to be successful in life, you must be able to develop inner intuition. You should adjust your ability to think, as well as develop the ability to instant decision making and sharp reaction. Listening to silence plays an effective role in intuition development. A person should stay alone at least half an hour during the day, ending the internal dialogue.

What is intuition? Sometimes psychologists call it the inner voice, sometimes the sixth sense. In any case, intuition should not be considered something mythical. In 1981, American neurophysiologist Robert Sperry received the Nobel Prize just because he was able to prove that intuition is not some kind of super sense, but a normal function of the right hemisphere of the human brain. Thus, he proved that the left brain is responsible for logic and abstract thinking, while the right brain has the ability to receive information in the form of images and to investigate. In short, intuition is an alternative subconscious mind. Basically all people have it, but some have it more developed than the others. Therefore, it can be developed with the help of training. How?

– Make friends with your intuition. First of all, find out what signals your subconscious sends you;

– After you learn how your intuition originated, learn to use it at the right time;

– Unleash your intuition, putting forward unimaginable assumptions throughout the day. The number of correct assumptions will increase over time;

– Try to break beyond logic, more inclined to creative imagination.

The next important factor that can positively influence thinking, analysis and the ability to make decisions instantly is a game of chess. It can be ordinary games, in a state of time pressure, or blitz chess.

I am very grateful to the game of chess for my current ability to think and analyze deeply, as well as for my sharp response.


5. Take action

You can start acting anytime. Even if you are ready to go towards the goal, you will not succeed without the right time and conditions. The Azerbaijani writer Varis Yelchiev has an aphorism: «Save your most powerful blows for the weakest times.»

Therefore, to begin a focused activity, it is necessary to wait for a convenient time and conditions. As soon as perfect or close conditions appear, one can act with might and main to achieve his goal.

It is very important to take at least one step forward, to get closer to the intended goal at least a little.

And most importantly, one should not be afraid of defeat. We must only think about victory.


6. Achieve results

Only after fulfilling all the conditions can you achieve your plans, make your dreams come true and become a successful person due to your formula for success.

I presented to your attention the most common formula for success. When reading the book, you will become acquainted with the six steps to success, as well as with other steps, as well as with various opinions and positions on this subject. In the meantime, I’ll tell you this: beginning is ahead of all things. No need to hesitate, just get started.




07. Formulas for Success Which Are Very Easy to Comprehend


Different people reaching the pinnacle of success have their own special paths leading to this success. However, it is possible to calculate a unified formula by selecting the leading manner of achieving the goal.

Everyone wants to succeed. Who does not want to have a good job, normal well-being, wealth, an exemplary family? At the heart of all these benefits is the ability to accurately hit the target. Let's compare a self-sufficient young man from a superpower, that is, from the United States, who submits his application to a large company, with a young man from impoverished Somalia, where people live half-starving and therefore agree to any overwork to get a piece of bread. It’s the difference between heaven and hell. This difference is caused by various state systems, economic conditions, geopolitical traditions and other factors. However, each of these young people is eager for success, and their desire to achieve the goal somehow unites these two.

What is the formula of success? Let's take a closer look at the question asked earlier.

The first step is to determine the right target for yourself. Finding the best target for success based on your knowledge, skills, social status, current environment, and your prospects is the most important thing in this matter. A right choice, a right plan, and you can confidently move forward!

Until now, I have turned to various scientific sources and addressed a number of success formulas on the way. One of them belongs to Martha Beck, American psychologist and coach. Since this formula is the most primitive, convenient and memorable formula I have come across, I will tell my readers about it.

According to Martha Beck, in order to succeed you need to behave as if you are not in danger of failure. Then you need to complete three steps:


Step one: keep silent

What? To be silent? Yes, yes, keep quiet! Never tell your friends or other people about your personal problems and prospects. Thus, you will be protected from other people's harmful advice, and will not get out of your way after hearing the bitter stories of unfortunate people.


Step two: work tirelessly

Laziness and indecision should be alien to you. To achieve a goal, you must fully mobilize your strength and be decisive, taking small steps day by day.


Step three: play

Play? What kind of game do we talk about when it comes to the formula for success? Monotonous hard work is eventually exhausting, and exhaustion affects both quality and quantity of work. As soon as you feel tired, break away from work, take a break and play. This is not about traditional board games or computer or mobile games that has flooded the world. We are talking about intellectual games designed for the imagination. Describe in your thoughts what you dream about. Imagine a collage of your desires. Imagine achieving your goal, the incentive it gives you, the energy you get… Now when you feel this energy, continue to move on to success.

Martha Beck's formula for success consists of these three steps, and I must note that the famous psychologist developed it based on her personal experiences and a difficult life path.

Since we considered the individual success formula of a person with rich life experience, I want to present a collective success formula taken from thousands of people who have come to their goal in a difficult way. I want you, dear reader, to know that all the instructions on becoming successful leader, as well as general motivational literature, are autobiographical and either based on the life experience of one person, or is the research on the experience of several people.

The second formula for success that I want to bring to your attention is put forward by scientists of the American Gallup Institute. This formula was developed during the study of life positions and characteristic qualities of 1,500 famous people from the Who is Who in America reference book. As a result of the survey, nine common important features among successful people were identified among respondents. The scientists of the Gallup Institute presented the sum of these features as a formula for success:


Healthy thinking

This quality is put forward most often among respondents. 61 % of them said that having a healthy mind to achieve their goal was an important factor. For many people healthy thinking means making an optimal and precise decisions about everyday work. To do this, you need to drop all other thoughts and be able to delve into the root of an event. Is the quality of healthy thinking inborn? According to the respondents, a person must work it out. And in order to develop this inner quality, you need to learn from others, as well as be able to draw conclusions from your own mistakes.


Be an expert in your field

According to the survey, this quality takes second place. In achieving success, nothing can help better than good knowledge of the matter you’re addicted to. This means insuring your knowledge and minimizing all risks. The process of enriching one's knowledge continues even after taking high peaks.

In order to succeed, you must persistently want something, and when you have it, you must be able to protect it and keep it.


Self-confidence

Most successful people generally believe in their strengths and capabilities, in a word, in their own luggage. This faith combined with self-confidence gives determination to act on the path to the intended goal. In addition to knowledge and skills, you also need hard work, patience, confidence, diligence and willpower.


Mastery level

A high level of development also plays an important role in your achievements. Having achieved this level, you can cleverly master complex concepts, as well as learn how to analyze them quickly and accurately.

Respondents identified the following three elements to contribute to a high level of development: rich vocabulary, extensive reading and good writing skills. As it turned out over a year of survey, each respondent read an average of 19 books, 50 percent of which was fiction.


Ability to finish your task

This skill is also considered a necessary factor in the formation of a successful person. Devoting yourself to a fully set goal is one of the main conditions for achieving a positive result.

Many respondents admitted that the ability to complete their work was formed due to three qualities: ability to organize, good business skills and determination. One professor of physics, for example, explains his formula for success as follows: «Hard work + ability to build the rhythm of a given work for yourself.» Professor admits that he works a hundred hours a week. Gallup Institute scientists, in addition to these five main factors, name four auxiliary factors that ensure success.

1. Ability to lead;

2. Creative potential;

3. Relationship with colleagues;

4. Luck.

American scientists wish those ambitious people who studied the success formula they developed, as well as those who will match the conditions presented to enter the «Who is Who in America» book. It’s a wonderful dream.

To conclude, in this part we got acquainted with the main features of success for one person or a group of people, as well as the simplest formulas – the conditions of success.




08. First You Need to Create the Basis for Success


When I was young there was an anecdote: a person in need, having seen enough of the Telelot broadcasts, with enormous sums and astronomical jackpots, wished to be lucky enough to win. This dream haunted him. He was dreaming of getting a lucky ticket and, therefore, paying all his debts, buying a house, an expensive car, sending his children to university, in a word, living a luxurious life with his family. Every morning he prayed to God to win the jackpot.

Month by month, year by year.

Disappointed in his expectations, he began to get angry and complained to Allah: «What kind of Lord are you if you cannot fulfill my sole desire.»

Then he heard a voice from above: «Unfortunate man, you want to win a large amount of money, but you do not want to understand one truth: to win the lottery, you must first buy a lottery ticket. How do you expect to win without a ticket and complaint that your desire is not fulfilled?»

This story is very relevant these days. Today, people want to «gain with no pain.» They don’t study, are not enlightened, they don’t master any profession, in a word, they don’t want to work, at the same time they want to have a comfortable life, live in prosperity and luxury. And when they can’t achieve this, they declare war on all mankind: everyone is to blame except for themselves.

Almost all the people I deal with have this desire for easy money. You see a young man looking for work. You try to help him. You ask some acquaintance to find him a job. The result is not what is expected, and it makes you feel ashamed. You find yourself in an awkward position in front of your acquaintance. A person does not fulfill the tasks assigned to him, does not want to work, counting on my patronage.

Once I had to ask the director of a large company to employ my friend’s son. He was appointed as a shift supervisor. Well, I decided that I had done a good thing, and breathed a sigh of relief. A week later that young man entered the director’s office and said that he had a diploma and didn’t want to work as a shift supervisor. He wanted to be at least a workshop master, so that he had the prospect of working in future leadership positions.

What kind of psychology is this? What a stupid thing! How can one immediately break into management, not having mastered production, not gaining experience, not improving at the initial stages? Is it possible to begin the construction of the fifth floor without the ground floor?

Sometimes it happens that an applicant aspiring to high goals builds illusions about his happy future instead of preparing for the upcoming exams. He doesn’t open his books, does not attend his tutor, does not test his knowledge on test exams. As a result, he does not gain a sufficient score, and then resents his fate, disappointed in his expectations. It doesn’t have to be that way.

In fact, this young man may say that his family is unsecured and therefore he is forced to earn extra money in his free time. However, one should not forget: whoever wants to achieve something will achieve it at all costs.

You cannot become a university student unless you change your usual daily routine and spend sleepless nights on books. If you cannot get motivation from your efforts, then your dream will remain a dream.

Let’s take, for example, an athlete complaining of bad luck. This athlete is engaged in Greco-Roman wrestling. His comrades tirelessly train, monitor their weight, stick to a nutritious diet, take vitamins, carefully monitor the performances of Olympic champions, follow all the instructions of their coach, read specific literature, in a word, devote themselves to sports. But this athlete only dreams about the championship, and makes plans on how to manage his countless prizes. Of course it brings him nothing; the athlete does not succeed. What can he achieve by blaming inattentive coaches and biased judges? Nothing.

The golden rule of life is: to succeed, you must first prepare the background.




09. Let's Get Acquainted


Dear reader, at this stage I want to make a small digression and talk on another topic. Who am I and what am I doing? What is my life credo? Reading the book, you will get the answer to these questions. You must know your teacher so that you can master your homework well.

Since we first met, dear reader, I want to give information about my homeland. I am an Azerbaijani. I live in the Republic of Azerbaijan, in its capital city of Baku. For a long time, that is, from 1920 to 1991, our republic was part of federation called the Soviet Union, and regained its independence only in 1991. Before we lost our independence, that is, until 1920, we were the first democratic republic in the East and had statehood. I must note that the Safavid empire (XV–XVIII), one of the greatest empires in world history, also belonged to us, Azerbaijanis. This historical Azerbaijani state owned a vast territory of 3,500,000 square kilometers and covered the territories of today's Azerbaijan, Iran, Armenia, Afghanistan, Western Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Eastern Turkey, Northeast India and Uzbekistan, as well as the lands of Arab countries (Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman).

In the history of every nation there are wars with triumph or defeats, falls and rises. In 1813 and 1828, according to the Gulistan and Turkmanchay treaties, the territory of Azerbaijan was divided between the Russian Empire and the Shahdom of Iran. Northern Azerbaijan as part of the Russian Empire is today's independent Azerbaijan in which I live. Currently, about 10 million Azerbaijanis live in it. South Azerbaijan (with Tabriz as its capital), which was given to Iran, does not have statehood until now. Currently, about 25 million Azerbaijanis live there. Many people in the world know only North Azerbaijan, since it is an independent state. Azerbaijan is known as a country with significant oil reserves. Its capital, the city of Baku, which is developing and becoming more beautiful, is called the second Dubai. In Eastern countries, our city is also known as a great place for tourism. In the West, Baku is also known as the city where Formula 1 competitions are held.

Each country has its own «most» and «first». Azerbaijan also has something to be proud of. I mentioned that it was the very first democratic Eastern state, and owned the largest empire in the world. Let’s move ahead. The shores of our country are washed by the Caspian Sea, the largest lake in the world. The largest number (over 300) of mud volcanoes on the globe account for our territory. The first and most perfect observatory in the East was created in 1259 by the world famous scientist Nasir al-Din al-Tusi in the Azerbaijani city of Maraga. The first sample of the five «Khamse» poems in world literature was created by the great Azerbaijani poet Nizami Ganjavi (XII century). Oil production from the seabed was first carried out in Azerbaijan in 1846. The first female diplomat in the East was Sarah Khatun, who lived in the Azerbaijani state of Aq Qoyunlu in the 15th century. The first opera in the East was written in 1908 by the famous Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov. The first music academy in the East was created in Azerbaijan in 1920. For the first time, the right of choice to women in the East was granted in Azerbaijan in 1918. The first electric train in the East was launched in Azerbaijan in 1926.

I don’t want to continue this list and put the last point here: Lotf Zadeh, a world-famous scientist, the founder of the theory of fuzzy logic (an attempt to connect mathematics with the intuitive way that people talk, think and interact with the world), a teaching that promotes fundamental changes and breakthroughs in the history of mankind, is also an Azerbaijani!


* * *

I think the fact that the greatest world leaders talk about a small country, which declared its independence recently, and write about it on the pages of the most influential world editions, cannot but cause pride among its citizens. We, the Azerbaijanis, are used to being proud of that.

«Baku cannot be compared to any other city. There is a huge seaside boulevard with interesting exhibitions and attractions, as well as the old city, the so-called Icheri Sheher, with its labyrinth streets, convenient cafes and carpet shops. Peerless beaches with golden sands, flickering lights of Absheron, luxurious restaurants and clubs, sparkling palace of Cristall Hall…

The rest of the country is no less fascinating. It’s hard to believe that nine out of eleven climate types fall on the territory of Azerbaijan. „Ancient cave paintings, ski resorts, half of the world's mud volcanoes, salt lakes, burning mountains – all this causes great interest.“»


The Telegraph (Great Britain)

«You feel comfortable when driving along the wide and beautiful road from the airport to the city. Throughout the way, many beautiful buildings and amazing architectural elements attract your attention. The Heydar Aliyev Center is particularly admirable. Evening Baku is an incomparable experience. The bright lighting of the Seaside National Park, central and nearby buildings, bridges, roads. In different parts of the city you can meet cheerful and carefree young people.

One more detail about Baku: you can play chess with veterans of the Second World War in the Seaside Park if you wish.»

Frankfurter Allgemeine (Germany)


* * *

In the end, dear reader, since the homeland begins with the place where you were born, I want to briefly talk about Quba, the region where I was born. This amazing mountain region with beautiful nature, surrounded by green gardens, has lots of inherent features.

Located 168 km north of Baku, on the slopes of Mount Shahdag of the Greater Caucasus, at an altitude of 600 m above sea level, on the banks of the Gudialchay River, Quba is known for its apples. The white apple that grows here is truly unique.

The Quba region is also known for its carpets. In many famous museums of the world, as well as in personal collections, one can find samples of the Quba school of carpet weaving, such as Chichi, Yerf, Gymyl, distinguished by their original drawings.

Another feature of Quba is its unique villages and towns. Here, at an altitude of 2500 meters above sea level, the village of Khinalug is located. Due to its unique language, the population of this village constitutes a separate ethnographic group. It is no coincidence that the Khinalug phenomenon, having a 5000-year history, is considered the most significant ethnographic value in the history of mankind.

The famous Krasnaya Sloboda, home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the world, is also located in Quba. Caucasian Jews settled in this village (named Caucasian Jerusalem) in 1797 under the rule of Fatali Khan. In the territory of Dagestan where they lived, the Jews were subjected to genocide by the order of the local ruler Surkhay Khan, so they were forced to cross the border. They settled in Azerbaijan. Fatali Khan provided them with one of the most picturesque corners of Guba and took them under his protection.

According to some reports, the history of this ancient city, once part of Caucasian Albania, dates back to the 13th century. The defensive towers of the 11th – 12th centuries, the burial places of Sudab and Agbil (16th – 19th centuries), the Arched bridge, the mosques of Haji Jafar and Juma (Friday mosque), the Alemu Tower, the Temple of Fire Worshipers are considered valuable architectural monuments located on the territory of this district. The local bathhouse Chukhur Hamam is especially famous, as its creation dates back to 17–19 centuries. This monument (considered the pearl of oriental architecture) was glorified in Alexander Dumas travel notes. Having bathed here during his trip to the Caucasus, the writer was apparently pleased.

I also want to talk about the picturesque nature of Guba. This is one of the favorite places for tourists visiting our country. Many places are included in the constant tourist routes. The guests of our region are happy to visit the Qechresh forest, with its wonderful springs, apples, pears, walnuts, hazelnuts, loquats, dogwoods and healing herbs: hawthorn, rosehip, where gazelles, foxes, wild boars, wolves, bears and other animals live. Tourists come to see the powerful river Gudialchay, with tasty bream fish and a 60-meter waterfall that arose from the Jurassic limestone on the slope of the canyon-shaped gorge. I should also note the Tengealti Valley rich in healing, oxygen-saturated air.

The following expression is no accident: «Those who visited Guba once, will certainly come back again.» The great Azerbaijani poet Mammad Araz wrote: «If you haven’t seen Guba, don’t say that you’ve seen Azerbaijan!»




10. 15 Essential Qualities You Must Have to Succeed


The formula for success is at the same time specific and general. That is, the qualities necessary for achieving it may be acceptable for one nation, but not for another. In Azerbaijan, for example (and in the East in general), those who rely on mental values and national principles achieve success. In this case, great importance is given to a strong, full-fledged family, where exemplary education, attachment to one's national roots, and religious affiliation predominate. Only these factors allow achieving success.

Based on my personal experience and observations, I can put forward the following parameters:


Getting exemplary education

Getting an education in an exemplary family with intelligent, progressive-minded parents who are considered role models in society is, in my opinion, the most necessary condition and incentive for life. At the next stage, an important role is given to the education received in kindergarten and high school, or from mentors. The knowledge received from teachers and leaders contribute to the formation of a full-fledged personality with a strong character, which is the main criterion in moving towards the intended goal.

A person eventually becomes a man with exemplary manners and education. This type of people, in turn, undertakes to instill the culture of good manners, and contribute to the upbringing and formation of the future generation.

I will give you one simple example. Being well-mannered does not mean spilling food on the tablecloth. Being well-mannered means to see a person next to you in a similar situation, but pretend that you didn’t notice so as not to put him in an awkward position.


Strong family

Another important condition for young people striving for a goal is a strong healthy family. They should know how to concede in their own house. Families like this has faith and trust in relations between members, they are hassle-free, far from troubles and all kinds of strife. Such a family can mobilize you to direct all your potential to the intended goal and serve as an incentive.

Relations between spouses are also of great importance in this matter. Nothing can be more beautiful than the life of a married couple, whose dreams and aspirations coincide. The basis of a strong family lies in the ability of the head of the family to conduct a thoughtful policy (family is often called a small state). Creating a family, young people must make the right choice. A married couple should be consistent with each other. People say: try to find a wife of the same height. If she is taller than you, you may end up under her heel.


Attachment to national roots and religion

Each individual must be attached to his national roots and respect his religion. Traditions, rules of behavior, proverbs, sayings and other folklore patterns, games and rituals that have survived for thousands of years, combined, form the national character of a person.

Only a person attached to national roots feels at ease. A detached person will never feel himself comfortable.

He who does not have national roots and religion is deprived of a fulcrum. Cosmopolitan or not, he should preserve his national character. Atheist or not, he should respect the religious beliefs of his people.


Opportunity to obtain higher education

Obtaining primary education is, of course, necessary, but I also consider higher education a very important factor in achieving success. You can be educated in life without getting an education. However, higher education gives not only awareness, but also a way of assimilating knowledge, an instruction in the use of knowledge. The academic environment is an important factor in shaping a person's worldview.


Health and fitness

There’s nothing more important in life than health. «Healthy mind in a healthy body». This expression is familiar to everyone.

If a person is weak or sick, he will naturally encounter obstacles on his way to the goal. First, heal yourself, take care of your physical condition, and then think about success.

It seems to me that a person should visit a doctor not in order to recover, but in order not to get sick. Healthy eating, physical activity, giving up bad habits, harmony with nature – all this constitutes a healthy lifestyle. These conditions should be a characteristic feature of a person striving for a goal.


Healthy environment

Who surrounds you, who are your friends and acquaintances, whom your team consists of – all these points are very important and are the main conditions for a person who wants to succeed. What’s interesting, the conditions for becoming a leader in all concepts depend not only on your skills and authoritarianism, but also on support from your followers, environment, subordinates, on their ability to work and on how loyal you are.

The concept of «having a healthy environment» is very broad. Just like you change your apartment, car or your wardrobe from time to time, it’s very important to change your environment at the right time.


The advantage of being well-read and learning best practices

Reading, of course, plays an indispensable role in improving a person, developing his speech and skills, making him knowledgeable, sociable and educated. A book is a teacher of life. You can learn from it, drawing all the good things it offers.

Now at the time of immense development of information and communication technologies, it’s impossible to find a person who will deny the need for a large amount of information. Knowledge and information are two wings, like two hands, necessary for a modern person to achieve a goal.

It is worth considering the dual nature of reading. Obtaining general information to improve his knowledge of world and nature sciences, as well as building relationships between people, a person striving for the goal also receives specific knowledge necessary for chosen profession, which accelerates his path to success.


The unity of the beloved and chosen professions

Do you know in which cases a person building a career is more successful? When his favorite profession coincides with his chosen profession. A person can never succeed if he is busy with an unloved affair. This is absurd, emptiness and disappointment. As if a young man loves one girl, but marries another.

Dear young people, when choosing a profession, you must listen to your inner voice. Don’t let the insistence of parents or someone else’s influence lead you astray. Remember: only doing your favorite work you can build a successful career.


Professional skills

Professionalism and amateurism are two polar poles. According to the brilliant Azerbaijani poet Nizami Ganjavi, «it’s better to be a perfect saddle-maker than a useless hatter». Being a professional in saddle-making is more profitable than being an amateur hatter.

Being a professional means being self-confident and strong, being an expert in your field. It means to have advanced experience, to obtain relevant education, to enjoy the work you are doing.

Amateurism is self-doubt, stress and tension. Amateurs are mostly those who mastered a profession but work in a completely different sphere, or those who didn’t have a chance to receive proper knowledge and experience. Random people, of course, cannot succeed in what they do. This is impossible. The path to success in any case lies through professionalism. It’s an axiom.


Manage your character

A person who wants to succeed must be able to control his ego and direct it in the right direction. You went on a path leading to success, but you are lazy? Try to discard laziness. You can’t make a decision? Try to change yourself. You are shy? Get rid of this quality. You are a coward? Find courage in yourself.

Human character is like a train consisting of different cars (properties). If one of the cars slows you down in this marathon and makes it difficult for you to move forward, you must get rid of it. Otherwise, you may not reach your destination.

Be purposeful

If you want to achieve your goal, you must fight and mustn’t lose heart due to minor difficulties and failures. Nothing comes easy in life. The path to success is full of thorns. It can be overcome only by experiencing sorrows. No obstacles or difficulties in your path should confuse you. Victory can only be achieved through determination designed for the final result.


Be optimistic

Optimism is the ability to pay attention only to good things in life, a worldview associated with confidence in luck and success, a bright future and a cheerful mood. Optimism (from Latin optimus – «best») as a view of life claims that the world is beautiful, that there is a way out of any difficult situation, that everything will be fine. Think for yourself what benefits optimism brings to a person on his path to success. Now let's see what the antonym of this word means, that is, pessimism. How can this view of life bring you luck if it expresses uncertainty and represents everything in black colors?

The confrontation between an optimist and a pessimist can be expressed by a well-known example of half a glass of water. According to the optimist, the glass is always half full. According to the pessimist, the glass is half empty. If we quote the words of the German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz, «We live in the best of the worlds,» it follows that optimism as a philosophical doctrine is useful not only for success, but for human life in general. The results of scientific research prove that optimism is extremely beneficial for human health, namely:

– prevents the emergence of helplessness and hopelessness, helps to increase immunity;

– directs you to a healthy lifestyle, encourages you to visit a doctor if something bothers you;

– helps to build relations with friends and companions, contributing to the formation of social support in people, which is one of the important conditions for protecting health.

Dear readers, be optimistic in life, consider your defeats as a temporary phenomenon, remember that everything goes away, take accidents as a chance and, on the contrary, take pleasant things as regular. You will overcome your path to luck as long as you are optimistic.


Plan your life

One of the aspects in achieving the goal, in my opinion, is the ability to plan an adjusted life. I think when you lead a spontaneous life, designed more for chance than for inevitability, or when everything is derailed, like we say, «come what may,» there is no point in waiting for luck.

Plan your life in the form of a local (everyday) and global (stage you are aiming at) steps, and then just follow the line. It is advisable that the time of waking up, eating, working hours, as well as leisure time, be strictly on schedule. If you are studying, it is advisable to find out for yourself in which area you will work and what level you are aiming at. If you work, it is useful to know which mark you want to leave in this life and which people you want to have on the same level. In a planned life, you will rarely face accidents, artificially created obstacles or lowered barriers. Leading a spontaneous, chaotic life, one has to stumble upon constant surprises and inexplicable situations.

On your way to luck, friends, proceed according to your plan.


Ability to act according to several plans

Having multiple plans is another important factor on the path to success. If you look into the biography of successful leaders, you can clearly trace plans A, B or even C in their activities. Acting according to one plan means to suspend the struggle at the first defeat. Side plans will help you continue the struggle and give an additional chance to win no matter what.


Self-confidence

At the very end, let’s talk about self-confidence, the most important parameter in achieving a goal. Self-confidence is the starting point in all major acquisitions. If a person does not have this property, there is nothing to say about luck. Self-confidence is the belief that you can achieve everything, faith when you find yourself in a difficult situation and encounter a very difficult case.

How to believe in yourself? It seems to be a common question, but at the same time it points to situations with a difficult solution.

– First of all, dear reader, take advantage of auto-training like «there is nothing incomprehensible, I can do everything», «I just need a little time, in the end I will laugh.» This will help get rid of the illusion of insolubility on the path to success. It happens that a person artificially overrates some minor flaws and brings them to the level of insoluble problems. As a result, he panics and goes astray, which is totally unacceptable.

One of the destructive factors of self-confidence is to take a loser as an example. You may panic thinking that if the person who tried earlier didn’t succeed, then it wouldn’t work for me either. Follow the postulate «every situation is unique, all people are different», and don’t try to take an example from someone else. Well, if you still decide to follow someone’s example, then follow the example of a successful person.

– The next way to strengthen your confidence is to remember past victories and look back at your luck. This will give you an additional incentive and add strength.

– The next detail of building self-confidence is to stay in reality and not to hover in the clouds. In what sense? Sometimes we draw plans and build illusions about doing things that exceed our capabilities. Some of us can become millionaires, Olympic champions or presidents, but for many people this is completely impossible. There are billions of people in the world, and only the elite are given to overcome the peaks. Please note: when a person raves about the idea of being elected, having no prerequisites, in the end he condemns himself to failure, and his self-confidence is undermined. Therefore, don’t try to bite more than you can chew. Try to experience confidence on real plans.

– An important factor in strengthening a sense of self-confidence is to have a personal position, a reasonable ordering of priorities, as well as to avoid stressful situations and depression. I intend to give detailed information about these factors in other chapters of my book.

So, in this chapter we talked about 15 basic qualities necessary for success. I think it will not be difficult for you to remember them.




11. Factor of Heredity in Becoming a «Lucky» One


We are the descendants of the Maharramovs. My great-grandfather was called Sattar, my grandfather was Alibal, and my father was called Sattar. My name is Alibala, and my son is Sattar. I will also call my grandson Alibal. I am one of those who believe in the energy of names. It seems to me that every person in a family tree continues the fate of his predecessors.

Remember a relay race in athletics competitions. Passing the wand from hand to hand, team members are approaching the finish line. The existence of a pedigree is also possible only by transferring the genetic code from birth to the very end.

Fr centuries our family tree consisted of scientists and doctors, and all of us had fairly high success rates.

I want to talk about my paternal grandfather who has three sons, each of whom was a Doctor of Science. About Alibal Maharramov. Over his 65 years of life, he received the glorious title of «People’s elder», taught many people medicine, as well as the laws of life, the depth of human relations, and was considered a symbol of a successful person worthy to be emulated, including on my part.

My grandfather was a maximalist. No matter what he did, he achieved the perfect result. He was a dentist and was considered a well-known specialist in our district; patients came from everywhere. Besides the fact that he treated his patients, he taught young people the secrets of healing, educating his followers.

Grandfather was a famous public figure. In addition to the authority of the elder, he treasured his status as well. Each newly appointed head of the district considered his first duty to meet my grandfather and receive approval from him. It has become a sort of tradition. Even in the era of intense communism, when people were oppressed for their religious views, the delegation that arrived in Soviet Azerbaijan from Saudi Arabia, the cradle of the holy monuments of Islam, sent the republic leaders to Guba to meet my grandpa.

My grandfather’s surrounding was composed of academics, public and political figures and noble cultural figures. The famous Azerbaijani and Soviet poet of those years, Samed Vurgun, was also a friend of my grandfather. Each time the poet came to meet with my grandfather, the entire population of Guba came to look at them.

Grandfather was an amazing conversationalist, knew a lot of sayings, parables and legends. Everyone wanted to have a conversation with him and each time they learned something new.

This man had endless energy. He always tried to create something and leave a good mark everywhere after himself. He planted a garden with all kinds of flowers from different parts of the world. People came, one by one, to take a look at his asters, gladiolus, chrysanthemums, gloriosas, callas, irises, crocuses, lavender, lilies, lotuses, magnolias, orchids for the first time in their lives.

Grandfather also created a real zoo, which was inhabited by a gazelle, a falcon, a peacock and different types of partridges.

Pupils often took biology and zoology classes in our zoo corner.

My grandfather died in 1981, when I was five years old. I saw him a little, and my memories of him are indistinct, but later my grandmother told me a lot about him. On every street and in every corner of our district, the people I met remembered him with reverence, and expressed their respect.

I also want to mention Haji Babazade, my maternal grandfather. My mom’s family consisted of the native people of Baku, and was also very noble, coming from the Halvachis, an ancient clan of Icheri Sheher (Inner City, or Fortress). One of the most famous clan members was Meshedi Azizbekov, a famous figure in the Bolshevik revolution, who never reconciled with the dictatorship of the Communists, an ardent enemy of imperialism, a consistent supporter of self-determination in people’s destiny. He was a cousin of mom’s father.

Much should be learned from my mom’s father. Doctor of Sciences, teacher, polyglot, playwright, he was also the first director of the Mingachevir hydroelectric station. His credo in life, like that of my other grandfather, was «perseverance and more perseverance.»

There is a famous street in Baku called Zevin Street (now Aziz Aliyev street). Now it’s full of brand boutiques, but before there were grocers of my mom’s father's. When my grandfather was eight years old, his father passed away. So that the shops continued to trade, his mother put him behind the counter. However, he was eager to get an education, so he refused to trade. Despite this, he was not allowed to study.

At that time, there were Russian-Tatar elementary schools, and in order for the child to study at school, one of the parents had to write an application. Do you know what little Haji did to achieve his dream in such a situation? Sitting at the grocery counter and watching passers-by along Zevin Street, he noticed an intelligent-looking man. He ran out, called him and asked him to write an application on behalf of his father to enroll him in school. As a result, my mom’s father began to study and in a very short time became an exemplary student. His mother retreated, realizing that she could not impede the desire of her son.

I gave you an example from my family to emphasize the importance of heredity in the development of a successful person. In the end, as an evidence in this broad topic, I want to state a few facts.

Never think that all Brazilians are good football players, all Jews are financial oligarchs, all Italians are tenors, all Germans are engineers, all French are cooks and fashion designers, all Swiss are watchmakers, all Russians are gunsmiths, all Turks are builders, because it's senseless. Let’s remember the so-called crime lords – immigrants from Georgia, or Chechens – professional soldiers.

All this is proof that for thousands of years the knowledge and skills absorbed in the memory of the people have been passed down from generation to generation under the name of «tradition».

These are traditions in their general meaning. There are also personal traditions. There are many traditions exemplified by one particular kind: the Rothschild dynasty (bankers and financiers from Germany), the Nehru generation (politicians from India), the Rockefeller clan (oil industrialists from America), the Pritzker dynasty (hotel businessmen from America), etc.

In Azerbaijan, for example, we have the Mamedyarov family. One of its members, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, is a grandmaster, the only 2-time world champion among chess players under 20. He is the 13th chess player in the world exceeding the 2800 Elo-point rating. According to the FIDE rating, Shakhriyar is one of the three strongest chess players in the world. His older sister Zeynab is an international grandmaster, and his younger sister Turkyan is also an international grandmaster. Both sisters are also winners of local and international competitions. The father of these three grandmasters, Hamid Mamedyarov, was also a chess player in the past, and he taught children this sport.

Another example: during the Soviet period there were two famous poets, Rasul Rza and Nigar Rafbeyli. They were husband and wife. Their son Anar also became a famous writer. He is currently chairman of the Azerbaijan Writers Association. Anar’s daughter Gunel Anargyzy is also a talented writer. Thus, on the example of my family and some others, I told you about the role of hereditary traditions in achieving success.

I talked about how talent, features and skills are passed down from generation to generation. Using the example of individual facts, I have conclusively determined that the environment in which a person was born and raised plays an important role in shaping a successful person.

But this does not mean you fail if there were no successful people in your family.

Dear reader, if you were unable to take the baton of success from your family and you cannot become a successor, don’t worry. Be the first lucky one in your family. Let it all start with you, and let others follow.




12. The Prospect of Choosing an Idol and an Icon


Since childhood, we all choose our icons or idols and try to be like them in everything. This is our characteristic. Indeed, by nature, a person is always inclined towards development and perfection. A desire to resemble the person you have chosen as an example in your life path is very strong. This, incidentally, is one of the secrets to success: the choice of an ideal worthy of an example. Look at the children playing football in the yard. Most of them try to look like today’s most powerful players, such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. They watch their games, follow them on social networks, collect their videos and photos. Children is just an example. Those involved in professional football, choose their ideals in their role. If you ask a goalkeeper, you will know that he wants to be like Gianluigi Buffon, David de Gea, Manuel Neuer, the defenders want to be like Sergio Ramos, Thiago Silva or Marcelo, the midfielders want to become a Luca Modric, Toni Cross or Andres Iniesta, while the attackers want to be like Cristiano Ronaldo, Leonel Messi (whom I mentioned recently) or Neymar.

The same is true for other sports and other professions. In my country, for example, various types of martial arts are very popular. If you ask young men involved in martial arts, they will give the names of world champions and Olympic champions, such as Namig Abdullayev, Rafael Aghayev or Ilkam Zakiyev, who are considered their idols.

What artist does not dream of becoming Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Sattar Bahlulzade, or what director doesn’t dream of being Fellini, Spielberg or Scorsese? What actor (actress) doesn’t dream of becoming the new Alain Delon, Marilyn Monroe or Tarantino, what writer does not dream of becoming Dostoevsky, Nizami Ganjavi or Marquez? What singer doesn’t dream of becoming Luciano Pavarotti, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, or what fashion designer doesn’t dream of being Coco Chanel, Pierre Cardin or Giorgio Armani?

I named the first names that came to my mind, though there are many other outstanding people…

Typically, idols or icons are chosen from a local or global circle. Those that we have listed are idols from the local circle. That is, a person engaged in a certain field chooses the most powerful and authoritative person in this field as his idol, tries to imitate him or her and dreams of overcoming the heights that his idol or icon has overcome.

Global idols are great people who have passed away. A person of any profession can choose such an icon. Such people include Jesus Christ, the prophet Muhammad, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Robert Oppenheimer, Alfred Hitchcock, Che Guevara, Winston Churchill, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Bill Gates, Warren Edward Buffett.


Person anticipating 5–6 years in advance

Like every Azerbaijani, I also have an example to follow from the personality of Heydar Aliyev. This great man in my understanding is a global icon. Wisdom, deep thinking, ability to analyze and make the right decision, will and perseverance, ability to stand the most difficult situations – these are the bright characteristic features of this outstanding personality.

Due to his excellent leadership skills in 1982, Aliyev reached the highest administrative body in the former USSR – the Politburo – and took the high post of first deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. Of course, Kremlin wasn’t very happy with this rapid advance of a non-Russian person under Great Russian chauvinism. Groundless attacks on him, especially the dirty condemnation in Pravda, the most popular newspaper of the time, under the heading «Aliyevism and Crying for a New Time», created an extremely critical situation around our leader. As the famous film playwright Ramiz Fataliev said: «The reason that Heydar Aliyev could not be accepted is his ability to look ahead for 5–6 years, which they themselves were deprived of.» Attacks, obstacles on the way finally forced this great person to resign in 1987. In the prime of life, this man with rich experience and huge baggage of knowledge and skills remained out of work. However, his inactivity did not last long. It was right before the collapse of the USSR, so all 15 republics of the Union, including Azerbaijan, gained independence.

Heydar Aliyev, who returned from Moscow to independent Azerbaijan in 1990, had to survive the persecution in his own country as well. He faced the attacks of former party functionaries with a philistine worldview once he first stepped on his native land – the Baku airport. Harassment in parliament, ban on living in the capital had an extremely severe effect on him, and inflicted great moral trauma. But this man with unbending will soon was able to put back those who considered him to be «decommissioned». Thanks to popular love, in 1991 he was elected chairman of the Supreme Council of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, thereby proving that he had not surrendered and could show himself. In 1993, when the leadership of the republic (which had recently expelled him from Baku) brought the country to chaos and civil war, Aliyev came to power to head the state at the request of people. This great man, the architect of independent Azerbaijan, won great authority not only in his homeland, but also in world political arena, obtaining many awards and honorary titles. He is not forgotten even after death. Streets and parks in many parts of the world are named after him. Today, there is a monument to Aliyev in all cities and regions of Azerbaijan, as well as in Belgrade, Istanbul, Kiev, Tbilisi, Qalyubia (Egypt), St. Petersburg and many other places. I think that the path that Heydar Aliyev has taken can serve as an example for anyone who wants to succeed in life. I am a person born in 1976, when Heydar Aliyev headed the Azerbaijan SSR, so all my life I considered myself his student, studied his biography, his articles and speeches. The life of this person is truly a big school. It can serve as an example to anyone who wants to achieve a goal and is looking for motivation.

I am very happy I was able to implement my admiration for this great man. I was a screenwriter to the documentary «Heydar Aliyev. Lesson of Leadership» (directed Georgy Spasokukotsky, editor Mohsun Gadir-oglu).

One of the most interesting moments in the film is the fact that was carefully concealed in Soviet times. During the Chernobyl tragedy (the disaster occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, USSR, in 1986, as a result of which radioactive particles spread around, creating a great danger to people's lives. All life within 30 km zone was destroyed) Heydar Aliyev opposed the political decision of USSR leaders to «not give in to panic» and convinced them to evacuate women and children with a total number of 800 thousand people to a safe zone. Konstantin Masik, the former deputy minister of Ukraine, talked about this in his interview, calling Heydar Aliyev the savior of the Ukrainians.

In order for my book to be comprehensive, it would be appropriate to publish the recollections of an Arab, in which the Heydar Aliyev phenomenon is revealed in various aspects:



«In 1970s, Heydar Aliyev visited Syria as the head of the CPSU delegation. As an employee of Syrian television, I was fortunate enough to interview him about this trip. During the conversation, Mr. Aliyev asked me: „What would you like from Moscow? I am also a Muslim, don’t be shy, tell me what you need“. Shocked by his sincere attitude, I turned to him for a solution to my problem. At that time, I wanted to marry a Syrian citizen living in Moscow. But certain Soviet circles did not allow her to leave Moscow for Syria. So I turned to Aliyev for a solution to this problem. Smiling, he replied: „I thought you would ask me for something impossible. If that’s all, we’ll figure it out!“

Two weeks later, my bride received a message that there were no objections to her departure to Syria. We got married. Thanks to Heydar Aliyev, I gained family happiness. I will be grateful to this outstanding personality all my life with my wife and three children, and we will always remember him.

Muhammad Hayir Wadi

    (Syrian Ambassador to the People's Republic of China)»


The kindest man on the planet

If they ask me about the second icon, I would give one name without hesitation. It’s Warren Edward Buffett. My first icon, Heydar Aliyev, is an outstanding world politician, while the second icon, Warren Edward Buffett, is a world-renowned investor. This person is considered one of the most influential investors, as well as one of the richest people in the world. According to Forbes magazine, this person ranks third among the world's richest people. Born in 1913 in the family of American entrepreneur Howard Buffett, Warren has a very interesting biography. His mother Leila Stahl was Jewish by birth. At the age of 11, he had already tested himself on the stock exchange. Warren asked his father to buy shares in Citits Service Preferred. His father bought three shares at 38 dollars each. When the shares got a little cheaper, Buffett was very upset, but when they went up again and began to cost about $40, he immediately sold them, resulting in five dollars. After some time, he found out that the shares costed over $200. Buffett was very sorry. It was at that moment that he decided he would never «get ahead», that is, he would never rush.

He earned his first capital – 10 thousand dollars – thanks to a successful idea: installing pinball game machines in the hairdresser. At the age of 35, he became the owner of a majority stake in the worsted company Berkshire Hathaway, which now forms the basis of his investment holding.

In addition to idols, in my book I also talk about the significant role of teachers and parents for a person’s building a successful career. An important role in Buffet’s successful career, in addition to his father, was played by Benjamin Graham, his teacher from Columbia University. Here is what Buffett says about this: «The second person after my father who was of great importance in my life was Benjamin Graham. It was he who, with the help of fundamental analysis, influenced me to develop my basic skills in reasonable investment.»





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