License Plate Formula for Success

My car has a vanity license plate that reads: "BDOHAVE."

I get asked about it all the time. And I love to see the look on people's faces when I answer their question. The conversation goes something like this:

Them: You have an interesting license plate. What does it mean?

Me: Be-Do-Have

Them: Mmm-hmm. What is that?

Me: It's my philosophy.

Them: OK, but what does it mean?

(by now, they're practically drooling they want to know so badly!)

Me: Most people think if they could only HAVE this one thing then they could DO what they really want to do then they would BE happy, successful, or whatever they want to be.

Them: ???

Me: Unfortunately, that's not the way it works.

Them: It's not?

Me: Not at all. You must first BE what you want (happy, successful, a good mother, a great husband, generous, whatever). By BEING that, you will naturally DO what that kind of person would do, which will lead you to HAVE what that person has.

Me, still: For example, if you want to HAVE wealth, you must first BE a wealthy person in your mind. By thinking like the rich and successful, you will naturally DO what a rich and successful person would do, which will naturally lead you to HAVE wealth adn sucess.

Me again, with the kicker: Nothing exists in reality which did not first exist in your mind's eye.

Them: Interesting.
(This is the part where the look on their face is priceless, and it tells me how the rest of the conversation is going to go...or not go.)

Most people are perplexed and sort of walk away in a cloud. But I'm sure they grab a latte and forget all about it wihtin a few minutes, chalking it up to esoteric babble or some such thing.

Others think about it a bit but don't quite get it. I mean, they've been taught HAVE-DO-BE all their life, so they can't just go reversing it, can they? And none of their friends or family know about BE-DO-HAVE (of course none of them are wildly successful either) so maybe it's just a bunch of bunk. Most of these people return to their HAVE-DO-BE lives and wonder why they aren't getting what they really want.

Then there's a small percentage of people who are absolutely fascinated. They continue to ask questions and they want to know more about this mysterious formula. "Teach me" they say. And of course, I am happy to oblige.

So my question for you today is:

Who are you BEing?
If you continue to BE what your BEing, what will you ultimately DO and HAVE?
Is this what you really want?

If not, you could always try the BDOHAVE license plate philosophy and see what happens. What have you got to lose?

P.S. No one needs to know your success principle came off a license plate!