The Geography of Success

by Ron White

I will suggest to you that success has a lot to do with geography, although, perhaps not in the way you might think. I am not implying that success is a result of being in the right place at the right time. Rather, it is about the geography of who you surround yourself with. To illustrate my point, take a moment to reflect on the history of the United States of America. While I believe that it is not up for debate that today the United States is the world’s only superpower, but how it achieved that status is obvious and yet often over looked.

Geography has played a large part in the success of the United States. To the east and west are large oceans of protection. This cannot be overlooked as a major factor in the success of my country. What did the British have to do in order to fight the colonists for control of the New World? They had to sail from England across the Atlantic! What did the Japanese have to do in order to attack Pearl Harbor? They had to bridge the distance of the Pacific. But if our fleet was docked on the West Coast of the mainland, would the attack even have been possible?

There is no doubt about it – two mighty oceans of protection have served as barriers to forces hostile to the United States and acted as a buffer for the nation to grow and prosper unimpeded. To our north is Canada and to the south is Mexico. When the United States was in its infancy, Mexico was not considered an ally – yet today it definitely is. Therefore, the United States of America has walls of protection to its east and west in the form of massive bodies of water, and friendly neighbors to its north and south.

What do our neighbors to the north and south want for the United States? They want us to be militarily strong, economically prosperous and a symbol of strength in the world. Why do our neighbors want this for us? Make no mistake, it is not simply to see a friend prosper – these nations are very aware that the stronger we are, because of their proximity to us, the stronger they will be. In turn, it is in the national interests of the United States that Mexico and Canada are strong countries. Therefore, we will go out of our way to see that they are prosperous and safe from foreign attack.

Now, you see a couple of the reasons why the United States has prospered. We are surrounded by friendly neighbors and vast oceans. After you have examined the success of the United States, the next step is to look at the lives of those you know who are personally successful. I believe you will find the same marks of geography in their success.

What kind of people do you find around successful people? What kinds of people are surrounding you? Do they desire for you to succeed or fail?

Where do you spend your free time? This is a geography question again. The geography of oceans has helped enabled success for the United States. The geography of where you place yourself in your free time will also enable or disable your success. You must ensure that at least a portion of your geography is in an environment that enables learning. This can be done in a place to read or study.

You must ensure that at least a portion of your geography is in an environment that enables rest. This is any quiet and calm place where you can relax with your thoughts and recover for the work yet to come. A massage or a trip out into the country are great examples of this type of geographical resting.

You must ensure that at least a portion of your geography is in an environment that enables health, strength and physical stamina. This could be accomplished at the gym, local track or by simply jogging around your block. For your body to hold up to the test of success it must be in top shape.

Make no mistake, a nation that is surrounded by hostile neighbors constantly attacking or plotting its harm is going to be a nation that is constantly on the defensive and fighting simply to maintain the status quo. The nation that is surrounded by friendly geography has the potential to prosper beyond the wildest imagination of its founders. You are no different than that nation. To ensure your success, constantly monitor your personal geography.

—Ron White