Describe what makes you successful?

[Vince Beusan]

Napoleon Hill, "Think And Grow Rich" was a profound book that help change the set of my sail.   Just as a ship can change course with the wind, you can change the direction of your life by the setting of your sail.

In it, he has analyzed and carefully interviewed over (500) financially successful people over many years to compile information for the secret to their success.   

If you have read it great, if you have not, no problem there are many other great books having been written on the subject that has helped 'change the set of your sail'.  I am curious as to the variety of answers that will be written and collected when one describes:  

What was the book that "changed the set of your sail?"

& "What makes you successful?"

[Brie Schmidt]

A book did not "change the set of my sail" but a person did.  That person was my Father.  I watched my Dad from a very young age work himself to the bone to provide for his family.  He gave my brother and I great lives and we became self sufficient adults.  Once we were adults, he focused on himself and built a life and longed of retirement and constantly talked of all the things he was going to do once he "made it"  

Unfortunately he passed away the day before he retied and it taught me life is not a given.  I needed to stop talking about what I would do and do it.  Every day it motivates me to have the life my father dreamed of.  

I do not mean this to be a downer but it was such a life changer for me.  When he died 2.5 years ago I had 1 house and now I am about to have 13.  It has influenced everything I have done

What makes me successful?  I do not want some huge real estate empire.  I do not want employees and hundreds of millions of dollars.  I want to enough to live my life how I want to live it and how my Dad couldn't.  Success is being able to wake up every morning and do what makes you happy