Discover the surprising math behind success. Learn why attitude—not hard work or money—adds up to 100% in life’s true equation
A Lesson in a Teacup
During a short visit to Kyoto, Japan, I found myself inside a serene tea house tucked behind a narrow alley filled with bamboo and cherry blossom trees. The owner, an elderly gentleman in his late seventies, welcomed me in. His presence was calm, his gestures deliberate, and every movement seemed to carry a lesson.
As we talked, I asked him a question many people struggle with:
“What makes someone truly successful in life?”
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he smiled, pulled out a worn notebook, and opened to a page where he had carefully written out the English alphabet—A to Z, each with a number from 1 to 26.
Then he began to explain:
“You see, life is like mathematics. Every word we speak, every thought we hold, carries weight. Let me show you something.”
He wrote out the words Hard Work, Knowledge, Love, and Luck, assigning each letter its numeric value. One by one, we added the totals together. None of them equaled 100%. Even Money and Education fell short.
Finally, he wrote one last word: Attitude.
The sum? Exactly 100%.
Then he said something that struck me:
“No matter your background, skills, or wealth—what defines your success is how you respond to challenges, how you treat people, and how you carry yourself. That’s attitude. And it makes the full difference.”
📘 Transition: Let’s Do the Math
Inspired by his lesson, I tried the math myself. Below is a breakdown using the alphabet-to-number formula—A = 1, B = 2, up to Z = 26. Let’s see what really adds up in life...
*THE MATHEMATICS OF LIFE*
Life is full of Mathematics. *I find this to be a Very interesting and meaningful message to share*:-
```
A = 1
B = 2
C = 3
D = 4;
E = 5
F = 6;
G = 7
H = 8;
I = 9
J = 10
K = 11
L = 12
M = 13
N = 14
O = 15
P = 16
Q = 17
R = 18
S = 19
T = 20
U = 21
V = 22
W = 23
X = 24
Y = 25
Z = 26.```
*THEN,*
```H+A+R+D+W+O+R+K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11
= 98%
K+N+O+W+L+E+D+G+E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5
= 96%
L+O+V+E
12+15+22+5
= 54%
L+U+C+K
12+21+3+11
= 47%
None of them makes 100%.
Then what makes 100%?
Is it Money?
NO!
M+O+N+E+Y
13+15+14+5+25```
= *72%*
*E+D+U+C+A+T+I+O+N*
5+4+21+3+1+20+9+15+14
= *92%*
*Leadership?*
*NO!*
*L+E+A+D+E+R+S+H+I+P*
12+5+1+4+5+18+19+8+9+16
= *97%*
*Every problem has a solution, only if we perhaps change our*
*ATTITUDE*...
*A+T+T+I+T+U+D+E* = 1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = *100%*
*It is, therefore, OUR ATTITUDE towards Life and Work that makes OUR Life 100% Successful.' ' '*
_Amazing this mathematics_
Written By Publisher Hub
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*Let's* *change* *our* *Attitude* *of* *doing* *things* *in life*, *& also how we treat people around us. Thank you.
Share it. Save it. Start a conversation in the comment section, you’re not just spreading words—you’re spreading wisdom, hope, and a little bit of that peaceful tea house energy we all need more of. You're reminding someone that success isn’t found in money, luck, or even knowledge alone—but in our attitude, in how we treat others, and how we carry ourselves. So go ahead—pass it on, start a conversation, and help someone else look at life through a more meaningful lens.
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