My friend Luis Haza fled Cuba as an 11 year old boy. His father was executed by Fidel’s regime, without trial, for his advocacy of Democracy and as a surviving son of a martyr, his future was uncertain.

God’s hand has been on Luis’ life from the beginning though, and as his movie-worthy life story continued to unfold, his journey brought him to the US. Over the next several years, a child prodigy violin player blossomed into an internationally known and Grammy Award winning musician – I’m skipping many details, but I hope you get a sense of the scope, history and cultural depth his life story carries. (a little more on Luis: HERE)

As we sat in the living room at the Haza’s home, I asked Luis what the key elements are for success. What are the key elements that must come together for someone to attain their goals? Why do some people ‘make it’ and others don’t? Without having to even stop and think about it, he shared with me a short and profound list of factors for success that resonated so true with me and personal experience.

As you think about the future you want to create (because the future is something to be created), there is a balance and chemistry required between a few core elements. This is the chemistry for success: Talent // Passion // Hard Work Ethic // Humility // Providence

I am going to devote the next few posts to unpacking theses ingredients for success to help us think clearly and intentionally about how to build futures where we accomplish our goals and dreams. As we expand on these elements that propel us towards our vision, consider that there are also inverse characteristics that hold us back from success. These limiting factors are: lack of self awareness, apathy, laziness, pride, fear and hopelessness. We must watch out for these limiting factors because they work under the surface to obstruct any positive and forward movement.