How well are you preparing yourself for your voyage into major exams? Are you using your time, money, and resources in the best possible way to get great exam results? Or are you rushing through, hoping that on test day youll somehow manage?

There was a very interesting program on the Discovery Channel the other day about the Mongolian attempt to invade Japan in 1274. Do you know the story? According to the program, the Mongols had the best fleet of seafaring vessels in the world using cutting edge 13th century technology. Their ships could survive a hull breach because the ship was divided into waterproof sections, which means that only a small portion of the ship would take on water.

They also had the worlds most powerful bow, with a range of over 300 meters (thats three football fields laid end to end!), and there was also evidence to show that the Mongols had a long range explosive weapon -- basically a bomb -- as well.

So why were they defeated? You probably know the traditional answer, that a Divine Wind saved the Japanese. When it destroys your home or your city, it is a typhoon or a hurricane, but when it repels your invaders, it is a Divine Wind. At this point youre probably wondering what this has to do with your exam results, so hang in there, Im about to tell you.

This attempted invasion of 1274 was actually lost long before the Divine Wind (typhoon). It was lost when Kublai Khan, the leader of the Mongolian army, so powerful that they had a myth of invincibility surrounding them, made a decision to take a short cut. The evidence at the bottom of the ocean shows that he decided to use river boats rather sea worthy vessels. The ocean vessels were great ships with a keel to keep the ship balanced and enable it to weather a strong typhoon and stay afloat. River boats have a flat bottom and no way to balance during an ocean storm, so they are easily capsized.

With one decision, the decision to not prepare properly, Kublai Khan sowed the seeds for the failure of the invasion, and also destroyed the myth of invincibility of the Mongolian Empire thus leading to its ultimate destruction.

Its these little decisions you make, how well you decide to prepare, that will ultimately determine how well you can weather the storm -- and get the great exams results that you know you want and deserve.

How much better could you be preparing than what you are doing right now? How much more wisely could you be using your time? How great will it be going into your exam knowing that you have truly done everything in your power to be successful on your exams, and get those great exam results?

Heres to Your Success! Teresa Bolen

Copyright 2006 by Teresa Bolen. All rights reserved.