Issue No. 1On what really leads us to success.

read on aceapolonio.com | April 2, 2023

Hey friend,

Thanks for signing up for our newsletter! I mentioned it’s “our” newsletter for you will have a chance to contribute to it and share your stories to the world. I'm so excited that we're on this journey together to intentionally change and improve our lives. In life, in order to achieve something, you have to be intentional.

Every Sunday, I'll be sharing some nuggets of wisdom that I've picked up from my own experiences, books, and other people. Each issue will have a theme, so you can try applying it in your daily life.

Our ultimate goal is to develop a strong and antifragile mindset that benefits from both the positive and negative experiences. This will help us handle any challenges that come our way. Let's dive in!

Sunday Contemplation

I have given a lot of thought to the concept of success and failure. If doing nothing can guarantee failure, then surely the opposite must be true: taking action should lead to success. But why do so many hardworking people still struggle and remain unsuccessful even in retirement?

As some of you may know, I received a full undergraduate scholarship to Yonsei University, the most prestigious university in South Korea. But before that, I was a simple boy from a public high school in the Philippines. I applied for the scholarship twice because my English was terrible the first time. One memory that sticks with me is when our entire class laughed at me for saying "according to me" instead of "in my opinion." From then on, I made a promise to be better at English. I read several books written in English, changed the language settings on my phone, and made an effort to converse in it online whenever possible. I faced my insecurity head-on, ate it like a burning blade, and persisted for a year, even though my English was still terrible when I applied for the scholarship for the first time. I learned and practiced relentlessly, every day without fail. Not only did I improve my English skills, but I also honed my other abilities. I participated in several competitions, both locally and internationally. When I applied for the scholarship for the second time, my profile had improved tenfold from the previous year. The interviewers remembered me and noticed how much I had changed in just one year. A week later, I received a call that I had been awarded a scholarship to study in South Korea for five years, tuition-free. That day changed my life forever.

Did I receive the scholarship by simply taking action? No, my competitors also took action. But what made me stand out was not just hard work but consistent action. I kept improving every single part of my profile. Hard work is intense action without considering time. There's nothing wrong with it, but I believe something is missing: consistency. Hard work is most useful when you have to perform an action or activity that happens once in a while or is irrelevant to your main goals in life. For example, you may need to work hard to prepare for your school or company presentation, or when you are working in a restaurant as a part-timer. This type of activities do not require consistency. Consistency is the marriage of action and time. You use this for actions that are moving you directly towards your purpose or main goals. For example, if you want to be an actor/actress, you will have to be consistent with training your acting and people skills. If you want to have a healthy, muscular body, you need to work out and eat proper food consistently. When we combine both hard work and consistency, we get consistent hard work that inevitably leads to success.

I want you to think about this carefully. When you were learning to read, what were you doing every day? Reading. That’s what you did. You read, read, and read. Either purely by your choice or because Mrs. Hernandez gave you that homework. What did you think would happen after 10 years of doing that? From reading 30 words per minute, you can now read 250-300 words per minute. You naturally became good at it. You don’t even think it’s because of hard work. You think of it now as something natural, something that just occurred. But if you looked back, you hated a lot of times reading the same story about the ugly duckling. It was consistent action that made you good at it.

I do not understand why, then, when it comes to bigger goals, we often don’t realize that the only way to accomplish them is by being consistent with the requirements of that goal. We are stuck with looking up to heroes and role models instead of becoming heroes and role models ourselves. If 10 years ago, you consistently learned chess, you could be a national-level or even international-level player by now. If I eat only greasy pizza and coke every day consistently for the next 5 years, guess what I'll achieve: Type II Diabetes. Your actions dictate your future, not your aspirations or goals. If your goal is to become an astronaut but every day you just dance in front of your phone to get followers on Tiktok, do you really think you will become an astronaut? If you really want to become a successful person, you have to be intentional about it. No one has become successful by accident. If you acted on the requirements of your goal, consistently, the inevitable result of that is being closer to it. Now, how close you are to it is debatable and often, undetectable. This uncertainty, this inability to know when you will reach your goal, is the point where most people give up. It's an uncomfortable position, especially when combined with consistent failure. However, what is certain is you only get closer to your goal the more you act on it.

This concept brings us to an aspiring writer who faced numerous rejections and financial struggles while raising her child alone. As a single mother, she grappled with poverty, at times living on government assistance and struggling to put food on the table for her and her child. She often wrote in cafes, trying to keep warm during the cold Edinburgh winters.

Her manuscript, written on a manual typewriter, was rejected by 12 publishers before finally being accepted. Even then, she was advised to find a day job because she would never make money writing children's books. Undeterred by the setbacks and the bleak reality of her circumstances, she persisted.

Her unwavering determination and consistent action eventually led her works to sell millions of copies, becoming a source of inspiration to millions around the world. Her journey demonstrates that even in the face of adversity and seemingly insurmountable challenges, it is possible to achieve greatness. The writer behind this incredible story of perseverance and success is none other than J.K. Rowling, the author of the famous Harry Potter series, whose journey serves as a shining example of what consistent action can do. How did she know that on her 13th attempt, her dreams would become a reality? She didn't. She simply believed it would happen. She consistently met the requirements of her goals because that's who she is: a persistent individual.

How did I know I would pass the Korean scholarship on my second attempt? I didn't. In fact, during the interview, they asked me, "What if you don't pass this time again?" I simply replied, "If I don't pass this time, that means someone else deserves it more than I do. I will identify what's lacking in my application and apply for your scholarship once again until I succeed."Hard work alone is not sufficient for success. If it were, most of us would have already achieved it. While it's true that unforeseen circumstances beyond your control can hinder your progress, you shouldn't let them discourage you. They do not matter to you. Where you’re born, your sex, your upbringing, your environment, your genetics, other people’s perception of you. These things do not matter. Remove them from your head because they take up unnecessary space. Don’t make space on your closet for clothes you do not have. Instead, make space for what you can control and what is needed—your work ethic, your dedication, and your focus on your goals. Crave the process, not the result. Be persistent. Be present. What makes success inevitable is consistent action.

Quote of the Week

“What makes success inevitable is consistent action.”—Ace ApolonioShare the image below on Instagram, tag me @aceapolonio, and I will choose one lucky person at random to receive a physical copy of the 3rd edition of my book 'Silent Contemplations'.

Mindful Reminder

First, you should decide on your goal. Then, research the requirements needed to achieve that goal. Finally, execute your plan with unwavering determination and treat it as if your life depended on it. If you’re not obsessed with it, you don’t deserve it.

2 Lessons from Others

Jim Rohn, an influential American entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and author on how success becomes a natural occurrence:

"Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals.”

Robert Collier, American author, and self-help expert emphasizing the importance of consistent effort in achieving success:

"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out."

Song of the Week

If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out by Cat Stevens is a song that encourages listeners to follow their dreams and be true to themselves. The lyrics suggest that there are endless possibilities in life, and that we should not limit ourselves or be afraid to take risks.

The song is a testament to the power of consistent action towards our goals, as it emphasizes the importance of taking action to achieve what we want in life. The lyrics suggest that success and happiness come from being true to oneself and taking steps towards one's goals, no matter how big or small. By taking consistent action towards our dreams, we can make them a reality.

Meme of the Week

Let your friends join us in this journey by telling them to sign up for Sunday Stillness newsletter here: aceapolonio.comWant to sponsor an issue of Sunday Stillness? Contact me via email .Read the previous issues here: LinkTell me how you applied or what you realized about this concept. I will feature your story next week if you’re chosen. Leave a message here.Until next week,

Ace ApolonioAuthor of Silent Contemplationsp.s. I have to eat five chicken breasts every day now because it is required by my trainer. Feeling a little food-fatigued but protein is life.

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