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Author’s note: The great Jim Rohn passed away recently. Millions of people had the honor of watching one of his live presentations. I was fortunate to have been one of them. Tens of millions more own, or have listened to, his recordings and have read his books. I am fortunate to be one of them. Please enjoy this column I wrote after attending my 10th live Jim Rohn event. And please visit www.jimrohn.com.

The root of your success lies in your philosophy. How did you develop yours? Mine came from a combination of home environment, books, education, mentors, personal development programs, personal experience and observations.

You establish and revise the basic principles of your philosophies by exposure to information, your experiences and listening to the beliefs of others — especially those you respect. You try to accept only “the good stuff” and then adapt it to (or change) your way of life.

Though you may believe that you determine your philosophy, much of it is predetermined or influenced by your home environment during childhood. After that, it’s up to you to seek influencers and mentors, people who affect the way you think and create the motivation that drives your actions.

One of my most respected influencers is Jim Rohn. He is considered by many (me included) to be America’s foremost business philosopher. Last week, I was reviewing my seminar notes I’ve taken at his events over the last five years. I was craving a little inspiration, and WOW, look what I found.

I rediscovered hundreds of “morsels of wisdom” and reconfirmed why I can’t WAIT to see him again.

Here are some philosophical quotes and concepts that drive Jim Rohn and may put gas in your sales engine:

Balance. Life is a combination of “want to” and “how to,” and we need to give equal attention to both.

Activity. The few who do are the envy of the many who watch.

Career growth. The most important question to ask on the job is not “What am I getting?” but rather “What am I becoming?”

Goals. Set the kind of goals that will make something good of you.

Reality. You must get good at one of two things: planting in the spring or begging in the fall.

Motive to educate. Motivation alone is not enough. If you have an idiot and you motivate him, all you have is a motivated idiot.

Personal development. Formal education will make you a living. Self-education will make you a fortune.

Hypocrisy. What we demand from our children, we must demand of ourselves.

Motivation the wrong way. If someone is going down the wrong road, he doesn’t need motivation to speed him up. What he needs is education to turn him around.

The nose on your face. Success is the study of the obvious.

Work vs. pay. If you work at your job, you will make a living. If you work on yourself, you will earn a fortune. Work harder on yourself than you do at your job.

Wealth. I found it easier to get rich than to make excuses.

Time. We can no more afford to spend major time on minor things than we can to spend minor time on major things.

Pay. You don’t get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.

Paid. My father taught me always to do more than you’re paid for as an investment in your future.

Customers. One good customer well taken care of could be as valuable as $10,000 worth of advertising.

Happiness. Learn to be happy with what you have while you pursue what you really want.

Plans. If you don’t make plans of your own, you will probably fit into someone else’s.

Jeffrey Gitomer can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com. © 2009 Jeffrey H. Gitomer