What to Pray For - If You Want to Be Successful

What causes someone at the top of their profession to lose control of it all?

I think one person got it right when he said: “Success will take you further than character can keep you.”

Whether a professional athlete, the CEO of a company, or an employee looking to move up the ladder, character matters.

As you’ve likely realized, success doesn’t alleviate the demands upon us, it only intensifies them. To handle that stress, you need more than talent or intellect.

Character is the strength to do what’s right no matter the cost. Without that crucial trait, we’re tempted to cut corners, lie, cheat, or even steal to get ahead. But life is unsustainable under those conditions — eventually, everything you’ve worked to achieve comes crashing to the ground.

In short, it takes more than talent, skill, and hard work to lead a successful life. You need character as well. That’s why I agree with Bishop Phillips Brooks, who once said, “Don’t pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men … pray for powers equal to your tasks.”