Lesson 1: Course Introduction
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Will Durant (The Story of Philosophy, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1926)
What Is This Course About?
This course is designed to help you achieve success–however you choose to define it.
One of your first assignments will be to set a long-term goal. We at the Enoch Initiative want you to create a compelling vision for you and those you care about.
Completing this course will help you succeed whatever your specific goal. You will learn universal, proven principles of success and happiness.
One of the secrets to long-term success and happiness lies in developing good habits and positive character attributes. Simply reading a book about money won’t make you rich unless you do something about it. A high IQ score alone isn’t enough to push you ahead. Knowing the address of the gym won’t shape and tone your muscles. This course has proven techniques to help you develop the habits you need to succeed.
Principles to Maximize Your Happiness
Not only will you reach your goals in this course, but you will be happier. Many people believe they will be happy once they achieve an arbitrary amount of wealth, fame, power, or knowledge. Their happiness depends solely on reaching their goals at some future point.
Although achieving a goal brings a momentary sense of achievement and happiness, that feeling usually doesn’t last. Like a roller coaster, life is full of ups and downs. Even good things, such as moments of peace in our relationships or enjoying the beauty of nature, do not last indefinitely. Storms will come.
One of the purposes of this course is to help you learn how to find happiness in every moment, through life’s ups and downs, even if you’re far from achieving your goals.
True happiness comes from striving towards a higher purpose for your life. It comes from continually striving to achieve that purpose in spite of failures along the way. We can find joy while still recognizing our need to constantly progress.
Ancient Wisdom and Higher Power
We have based this course, in part, on universal values and principles that are found in religions throughout the world. We freely quote from various religious texts as well as other inspiring sources when they apply to the lessons. We at the Enoch Initiative believe in an intelligent design of the universe and the existence of a higher power.
However, we are not trying to convert you to a specific religion. Regardless of what you believe, we want to provide you with these incredible resources.
For many who do not believe in a higher power, believing in something bigger than themselves is important. For example, believe in your ability to accomplish your plan for your life, and believe in a moral code of ethics to live by. You are welcome to replace the words about God in your mind with “my ultimate plan for my life” or “my moral compass.” However, from this point forward we will refer to a higher power and reference examples from various belief systems in various contexts.
Here are scriptures from various religions about success:
- The Bible says, “Observe to do according to all that is written [in the book of the law]: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8).
- The Quran says, “Indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself” (Quran 91:9).
- Buddha said, “A man should promptly embark on doing what he knows is beneficial to his own life.”
- The Guru Granth Sahib says, “Listening: even the blind find the Path. Listening: the Unreachable comes within your grasp” (Japji Sahib 11).
Habit Building
Like we said earlier, we don’t just provide you with good information. Part of what makes this program powerful is a built-in accountability system we’ll discuss later on. If you choose to move forward, this program will change your life.
Provide Feedback