"The future does not belong to those who are content with today, apathetic toward common problems and their fellow man alike, timid and fearful in the face of bold projects and new ideas. Rather, it will belong to those who can blend passion, reason and courage in a personal commitment to the ideals of American society."
Robert Francis Kennedy
People who are content with today are happy living in the gilded cage of their comfort zone. People who are apathetic towards their fellow man and the problems they share, are not motivated to accomplish anything significant. People who are timid and fearful in the face of bold projects and new ideas are not going to take any risks; they aren't going to try anything new. All those characteristics add up to people who will not change the world. They will live in the past.
A person who is going to change the world must be committed to it. They must be passionate enough to step out of their comfort zone. They must be courageous enough to risk doing something new and different. And they must have the intelligence and wisdom to know that to do, and come up with a plan of how they are going to do it.
These are the people who will change the world. These are the people who the future belongs to. Will you be one of them?
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Forgiveness
"When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free."
Catherine Ponder
How many people do you resent? How often have you resented some situation that happened to you? So many of us do it all the time. When you feel any strong emotion about another person, you have bonded to them. When you feel good about them, then you will want that bondage. But when you feel bad about them, you want to be as far away from them as possible.
When we resent having to do something for someone, for example, we complain about it to whoever will listen long after it's already happened. We keep reminding ourselves of it over and over. We can't forget that person. We can't let go. We can't let bygones be bygones. Our emotions have bound us to them. This happens so often in so many ways that we don't even realize that we are doing it. We don't know that we can just let go. And we do that by forgiving.
In the case of us resenting having to do something for someone, the first person to forgive is ourselves for not excersising our right to say "no". Then we need to forgive the person for making the request of us in the first place. Forgiving is hard. It is just as hard to forgive ourselves as it is to forgive them. But the rewards are enormous.
Start practising foregiveness now. It does not mean that you condone what the person did or that you will tolerate it in the future. It just means letting go. You don't do it for them. You do it for yourself, to be free of the negative emotions that they are invoking in you.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Catherine Ponder
How many people do you resent? How often have you resented some situation that happened to you? So many of us do it all the time. When you feel any strong emotion about another person, you have bonded to them. When you feel good about them, then you will want that bondage. But when you feel bad about them, you want to be as far away from them as possible.
When we resent having to do something for someone, for example, we complain about it to whoever will listen long after it's already happened. We keep reminding ourselves of it over and over. We can't forget that person. We can't let go. We can't let bygones be bygones. Our emotions have bound us to them. This happens so often in so many ways that we don't even realize that we are doing it. We don't know that we can just let go. And we do that by forgiving.
In the case of us resenting having to do something for someone, the first person to forgive is ourselves for not excersising our right to say "no". Then we need to forgive the person for making the request of us in the first place. Forgiving is hard. It is just as hard to forgive ourselves as it is to forgive them. But the rewards are enormous.
Start practising foregiveness now. It does not mean that you condone what the person did or that you will tolerate it in the future. It just means letting go. You don't do it for them. You do it for yourself, to be free of the negative emotions that they are invoking in you.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Goals
"The victory of success is half won when one gains the habit of setting goals and achieving them. Even the most tedious chore will become endurable as you parade through each day convinced that every task, no matter how menial or boring, brings you closer to fulfilling your dreams."
Og Mandino
Do you feel that you are obligated to do things even though they are boring or tedious and you just don't like doing them? Perhaps the most prevalent example of that is going to work. "Thank God it's Friday! Now I can have some fun". How many of us can honestly say we look forward to going to work every morning? Probably not many. But the reason for this is because the work you are doing has little or nothing to do with your own values and your own goals in life, or because you haven't made that connection yet. Perhaps you don't even know what your own values and your own goals in life are.
We all know that the most financially successful people are the ones who have found a way to make money doing the things they enjoy most, the ones that support their values and their goals. If you really can't imagine how to do this, then the next best thing is to figure out how you can use your present job to support at least one of your values or goals. Look at your job differently. Maybe you can do things in a slightly different way, one that is more meaningful for you.
Consider the story of the mentally handicapped person who had a job bagging groceries at a grocery store. He decided to find inspirational quotes and slip them into people's bags. Between that, and his ever-present smile, he soon became by far the most popular bagger there. Even the most menial of jobs can be made better by the way you approach it.
Practise setting goals and acheiving them by making everything you do move you closer to your goal. Life is a lot more fun that way.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Og Mandino
Do you feel that you are obligated to do things even though they are boring or tedious and you just don't like doing them? Perhaps the most prevalent example of that is going to work. "Thank God it's Friday! Now I can have some fun". How many of us can honestly say we look forward to going to work every morning? Probably not many. But the reason for this is because the work you are doing has little or nothing to do with your own values and your own goals in life, or because you haven't made that connection yet. Perhaps you don't even know what your own values and your own goals in life are.
We all know that the most financially successful people are the ones who have found a way to make money doing the things they enjoy most, the ones that support their values and their goals. If you really can't imagine how to do this, then the next best thing is to figure out how you can use your present job to support at least one of your values or goals. Look at your job differently. Maybe you can do things in a slightly different way, one that is more meaningful for you.
Consider the story of the mentally handicapped person who had a job bagging groceries at a grocery store. He decided to find inspirational quotes and slip them into people's bags. Between that, and his ever-present smile, he soon became by far the most popular bagger there. Even the most menial of jobs can be made better by the way you approach it.
Practise setting goals and acheiving them by making everything you do move you closer to your goal. Life is a lot more fun that way.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Continuing
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."
Sir Winston Churchill
This is one reason why it is not satisfying to treat success as the destination we want to finally arrive at. We might say to ourselves I'll be successful when I have a waterfront condo in a resort area". But even if we do get to that point, first of all our success could be taken away (we might lose money in our investments for ex) or more likely we will find something else that we want even more and lose interest in our waterfront condo as we concentrate on acquiring the new thing. Success is a journey, not a destination. You never arrive. You are always moving.
Fortunately for us, failures are not final either. You can always get back up from your failures and try something new. If you have learned from your failures, you will have a better idea of what might work next time. There always is a next time. It just takes motivation, the intense desire to reach your goal, for us to have the courage to continue. We must expect failures and realize that they are not the end of the world. Life goes on. The pursuit of your goal must go on too. Never give up just because you've failed. Learn as much as possible about what went wrong, dust yourself off, get back on your horse and keep riding.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Sir Winston Churchill
This is one reason why it is not satisfying to treat success as the destination we want to finally arrive at. We might say to ourselves I'll be successful when I have a waterfront condo in a resort area". But even if we do get to that point, first of all our success could be taken away (we might lose money in our investments for ex) or more likely we will find something else that we want even more and lose interest in our waterfront condo as we concentrate on acquiring the new thing. Success is a journey, not a destination. You never arrive. You are always moving.
Fortunately for us, failures are not final either. You can always get back up from your failures and try something new. If you have learned from your failures, you will have a better idea of what might work next time. There always is a next time. It just takes motivation, the intense desire to reach your goal, for us to have the courage to continue. We must expect failures and realize that they are not the end of the world. Life goes on. The pursuit of your goal must go on too. Never give up just because you've failed. Learn as much as possible about what went wrong, dust yourself off, get back on your horse and keep riding.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Monday, October 27, 2008
Perfection
Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life. Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism. Confronting your fears and allowing yourself the right to be human can, paradoxically, make yourself a happier and more productive person."
Dr. David M. Burns
Are you a perfectionist? So many people want to get everything right before they even start. Fear does lurk behind perfectionism. People think that if they don't get something perfect the first time, then other people will laugh at them and think they can't do anything properly. They are afraid of making a mistake or falling on their face. They are afraid of public embarrassment.
The truth is that making mistakes is part of being human. Everyone makes mistakes. If they didn't, they would have no way of learning what to do better next time. They would never improve. They would never grow. Mistakes are actually your friend. They are an important and necessary part of success. It is wise to expect them and plan for learning from them. Other people, if they notice your mistakes, will probably be just glad that it wasn't them who made them. They're not thinking about critisising you.
You don't have to get everything perfect. Nobody does. The important thing is to just get started, and learn from your mistakes along the way. The more you learn from your mistakes the better you will do next time. And you will be well on the way towards success.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Dr. David M. Burns
Are you a perfectionist? So many people want to get everything right before they even start. Fear does lurk behind perfectionism. People think that if they don't get something perfect the first time, then other people will laugh at them and think they can't do anything properly. They are afraid of making a mistake or falling on their face. They are afraid of public embarrassment.
The truth is that making mistakes is part of being human. Everyone makes mistakes. If they didn't, they would have no way of learning what to do better next time. They would never improve. They would never grow. Mistakes are actually your friend. They are an important and necessary part of success. It is wise to expect them and plan for learning from them. Other people, if they notice your mistakes, will probably be just glad that it wasn't them who made them. They're not thinking about critisising you.
You don't have to get everything perfect. Nobody does. The important thing is to just get started, and learn from your mistakes along the way. The more you learn from your mistakes the better you will do next time. And you will be well on the way towards success.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Sunday, October 26, 2008
What do We Live For?
"What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other"
George Eliot
What do you live for? I think most of us struggle between our own selfish needs and a real urge to help others. It is a struggle because we can't be really happy unless we look after our own needs and desires, which frequently conflict with what other people want, or expect, of us. We want what we want, not what other people want. We know how unsatisfying it feels to do what someone else wants that goes against what we want. That's the thing. We end up feeling resentful of others who "make" us do things we don't want to do. And chances are, we're not going to do a very good job of it anyway. They aren't going to be happy with it.
Yet we do want to help other people. Perhaps what we need is to find a way to do that without sacrificing our own needs and desires in the process. It turns out that the only time you can help other people is when you can think about the person and feel good at the same time. It is when you can expect the other person to succeed at whatever it is that they want to acheive because you beleive that they can do it. The truth is that helping other people helps ourselves too. We live to make life less difficult for each other. Helping others makes us feel good about ourself. But only when we aren't sacrificing what we want in order to give them what they want.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit
http://www.reachingmypotential.com
George Eliot
What do you live for? I think most of us struggle between our own selfish needs and a real urge to help others. It is a struggle because we can't be really happy unless we look after our own needs and desires, which frequently conflict with what other people want, or expect, of us. We want what we want, not what other people want. We know how unsatisfying it feels to do what someone else wants that goes against what we want. That's the thing. We end up feeling resentful of others who "make" us do things we don't want to do. And chances are, we're not going to do a very good job of it anyway. They aren't going to be happy with it.
Yet we do want to help other people. Perhaps what we need is to find a way to do that without sacrificing our own needs and desires in the process. It turns out that the only time you can help other people is when you can think about the person and feel good at the same time. It is when you can expect the other person to succeed at whatever it is that they want to acheive because you beleive that they can do it. The truth is that helping other people helps ourselves too. We live to make life less difficult for each other. Helping others makes us feel good about ourself. But only when we aren't sacrificing what we want in order to give them what they want.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit
http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Sacrifice
"The important thing is to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become."
Charles Dubois
Do you think that you could sacrifice what you are? Most of us have a lot of difficulty imagining ourselves as different from what we already are. Our ego does everything it can to keep us the same, because it knows that if we sacrifice what we are it means sacrificing the ego. Our ego is terrified of death. That is why we argue with people over stupid little things even if it means that we will be miserable afterwards. We would rather be right than be happy. That is also why we get jealous of people who have more than us. Our ego can't stand the idea of anyone else being better than us.
So what could you become? What would you like to become? If we could sacrifice what we are, that opens the door to change. And there are no restrictions on who we could change into, just as long as we beleive that it is possible. We can be anyone we want, as long as we have faith that we can be that way. Think of the possibilities. What character traits have you always admired in others and wished you could be like that too. You can be like that too; just as long as you beleive that you can change, just as long as you can sacrifice what you are for what you could become.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Charles Dubois
Do you think that you could sacrifice what you are? Most of us have a lot of difficulty imagining ourselves as different from what we already are. Our ego does everything it can to keep us the same, because it knows that if we sacrifice what we are it means sacrificing the ego. Our ego is terrified of death. That is why we argue with people over stupid little things even if it means that we will be miserable afterwards. We would rather be right than be happy. That is also why we get jealous of people who have more than us. Our ego can't stand the idea of anyone else being better than us.
So what could you become? What would you like to become? If we could sacrifice what we are, that opens the door to change. And there are no restrictions on who we could change into, just as long as we beleive that it is possible. We can be anyone we want, as long as we have faith that we can be that way. Think of the possibilities. What character traits have you always admired in others and wished you could be like that too. You can be like that too; just as long as you beleive that you can change, just as long as you can sacrifice what you are for what you could become.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Friday, October 24, 2008
"When I was young, I observed that nine out of 10 things I did were failures, so I did 10 times more work."
George Bernard Shaw
Do you get discouraged and quit when you run into a problem, or especially if you seem to have failed? Most people do. In fact it is easy to do that when what you are working towards isn't more important to you than the problem seems difficult to solve. That is why it is so important to have a goal that really excites you. You have to be motivated enough to get past the problems. Some say that the problems are God's way of testing how serious you are about reaching your goal.
You have to understand that to accomplish any worthwhile goal will require dealing with problems, and even failures. The problems just aren't going to go away. You will fail, probably many times. There's a difference though between failing and being a failure. You're not a failure until you quit. A successful person expects to fail and when it happens they pick themselves up, learn any lessons they can find, make any necessary adjustments in their plans, forgive themselves, and let it go and move forward. They don't get discouraged and quit. They just do 10 times more work so get past all their failures.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
George Bernard Shaw
Do you get discouraged and quit when you run into a problem, or especially if you seem to have failed? Most people do. In fact it is easy to do that when what you are working towards isn't more important to you than the problem seems difficult to solve. That is why it is so important to have a goal that really excites you. You have to be motivated enough to get past the problems. Some say that the problems are God's way of testing how serious you are about reaching your goal.
You have to understand that to accomplish any worthwhile goal will require dealing with problems, and even failures. The problems just aren't going to go away. You will fail, probably many times. There's a difference though between failing and being a failure. You're not a failure until you quit. A successful person expects to fail and when it happens they pick themselves up, learn any lessons they can find, make any necessary adjustments in their plans, forgive themselves, and let it go and move forward. They don't get discouraged and quit. They just do 10 times more work so get past all their failures.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Thursday, October 23, 2008
"Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you."
Henry Ward Beecher
How high are your standards. Most of us like to try to get away with as little as we think we can without upsetting others. We have low expectations of the standards of others and assume that we don't need to be any better than they are. But that just makes everyone's standards lower.
If you really want to stand out from the crowd, if you really want to be successful, you have to do things better than they do. You will impress people and they will want to be around you more, and do business with you more. They will like you more and trust you more. They will see you as successful and hope that your success rubs off on them. You will inspire them to hold higher standards for themselves. If you do good things that other people really didn't expect you to do, they will remember you and do it in a positive way.
Successful people have their own standards for their behavior (which they then rigorously apply) that aren't based on what other people are doing. They stand out because they are a class act, and their success comes because other people gravitate towards a class act.
For ideas about how to become truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Henry Ward Beecher
How high are your standards. Most of us like to try to get away with as little as we think we can without upsetting others. We have low expectations of the standards of others and assume that we don't need to be any better than they are. But that just makes everyone's standards lower.
If you really want to stand out from the crowd, if you really want to be successful, you have to do things better than they do. You will impress people and they will want to be around you more, and do business with you more. They will like you more and trust you more. They will see you as successful and hope that your success rubs off on them. You will inspire them to hold higher standards for themselves. If you do good things that other people really didn't expect you to do, they will remember you and do it in a positive way.
Successful people have their own standards for their behavior (which they then rigorously apply) that aren't based on what other people are doing. They stand out because they are a class act, and their success comes because other people gravitate towards a class act.
For ideas about how to become truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Future
"The future is not some place we are going, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made. And the activity of making them changes both the maker and their destination."
John Schaar
How do you see your future? Do you see it as a fixed destination? In five years, I will be doing...
I always struggled to answer the question they gave me when I was in school "What do you want to be doing in 5 years from now?". I knew that our circumstances can change very quickly and dramatically in unforeseen ways so that seemed to me to be a silly question. To me it seemed best to ask what do I want to be doing tomorrow and then take it from there. Take one step at a time. After all, with the new information that tomorrow will bring me, I might very well want to be doing something completely different 5 years from now.
We are creating our own future as we go along. We take a step, look at where that places us, look at the new information we have about what we want, and then decide where to step next. This activity of deciding each day what our future will be changes both who we are and where we are going. The feedback we get along our journey (which depends on the path we take) changes who we are because it changes what we want, and from that changed perspective, we decide what our new destination will be. Our future is what we decide it will be.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com/
John Schaar
How do you see your future? Do you see it as a fixed destination? In five years, I will be doing...
I always struggled to answer the question they gave me when I was in school "What do you want to be doing in 5 years from now?". I knew that our circumstances can change very quickly and dramatically in unforeseen ways so that seemed to me to be a silly question. To me it seemed best to ask what do I want to be doing tomorrow and then take it from there. Take one step at a time. After all, with the new information that tomorrow will bring me, I might very well want to be doing something completely different 5 years from now.
We are creating our own future as we go along. We take a step, look at where that places us, look at the new information we have about what we want, and then decide where to step next. This activity of deciding each day what our future will be changes both who we are and where we are going. The feedback we get along our journey (which depends on the path we take) changes who we are because it changes what we want, and from that changed perspective, we decide what our new destination will be. Our future is what we decide it will be.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com/
Monday, October 20, 2008
Security
"When you know that you're capable of dealing with whatever comes, you have the only security the world has to offer."
Harry Browne
Do you long for security? Real security is knowing that no matter what happens you will be okay. Many of us would like for bad things to never happen. We figure that the only way to be safe from bad things is if those bad things never happen in the first place. We feel a need to control our lives, to make sure that nothing happens that we don't want to happen. We desperately want to be in control of the things around us. We don't want to take risks. They're, well, too risky. What if something bad happens and then I won't be okay? Does this sound like you.
The truth is that bad things do happen, and they will always happen. Nobody can stop them from happening. But just because something bad happens doesn't mean you have to be hurt. You can always change your attitude about things. A lot of the time we think something is bad just because we are looking at its worst aspects. If we looked hard enough, we could find something good about it, and then we could feel better about it. For example, suppose you were in an accident and were in hospital for a week. You could complain "Why did this have to happen to me" and focus on your pain and the money it will cost to repair everything. Or you could feel glad that the doctors are able to make you better and/or that you now can rest for a week and catch up with those novels you've been wanting to read, and sure enough, you will turn out okay.
If you could really trust that whatever happens, you will turn out okay, not only will you feel more secure when bad situations happen but fewer bad situations will happen to you. If you beleive you will be okay no matter what happens, the Universe will beleive it too. And it will send you situations in which you really will be okay. That's the best security there is.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Harry Browne
Do you long for security? Real security is knowing that no matter what happens you will be okay. Many of us would like for bad things to never happen. We figure that the only way to be safe from bad things is if those bad things never happen in the first place. We feel a need to control our lives, to make sure that nothing happens that we don't want to happen. We desperately want to be in control of the things around us. We don't want to take risks. They're, well, too risky. What if something bad happens and then I won't be okay? Does this sound like you.
The truth is that bad things do happen, and they will always happen. Nobody can stop them from happening. But just because something bad happens doesn't mean you have to be hurt. You can always change your attitude about things. A lot of the time we think something is bad just because we are looking at its worst aspects. If we looked hard enough, we could find something good about it, and then we could feel better about it. For example, suppose you were in an accident and were in hospital for a week. You could complain "Why did this have to happen to me" and focus on your pain and the money it will cost to repair everything. Or you could feel glad that the doctors are able to make you better and/or that you now can rest for a week and catch up with those novels you've been wanting to read, and sure enough, you will turn out okay.
If you could really trust that whatever happens, you will turn out okay, not only will you feel more secure when bad situations happen but fewer bad situations will happen to you. If you beleive you will be okay no matter what happens, the Universe will beleive it too. And it will send you situations in which you really will be okay. That's the best security there is.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Unrest of Spirit
"Unrest of spirit is a mark of life; one problem after another presents itself and in the solving of them we can find our greatest pleasure.
Karl Menninger
We're always saying to ourselves "Wouldn't it be great if there were no problems in our lives; if everything went smoothly? In fact, it would be boring. It would be no fun. We don't often realize that having problems is fun. That's because we are focused on the problems and not on their solutions. It not having the problems that is fun, it is solving them. It is when we dwell on the problem itself, examining it and trying to figure out why it happened, that we get angry and fed up and anxious and frustrated. These draining feelings happen because we are looking at the problem in the wrong way.
If our spirit wasn't restless, we would never be growing or changing. We would never get anywhere or do anything significant. It is our problems that encourage our spirits to grow, to change for the better, to accomplish great things. So often the greatest feats are born out of the biggest problems. We should actually be celebrating our problems. They are what gives us a chance to prove our capabilities and to grow into better people. The solving of them gives us our greatest pleasures.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Karl Menninger
We're always saying to ourselves "Wouldn't it be great if there were no problems in our lives; if everything went smoothly? In fact, it would be boring. It would be no fun. We don't often realize that having problems is fun. That's because we are focused on the problems and not on their solutions. It not having the problems that is fun, it is solving them. It is when we dwell on the problem itself, examining it and trying to figure out why it happened, that we get angry and fed up and anxious and frustrated. These draining feelings happen because we are looking at the problem in the wrong way.
If our spirit wasn't restless, we would never be growing or changing. We would never get anywhere or do anything significant. It is our problems that encourage our spirits to grow, to change for the better, to accomplish great things. So often the greatest feats are born out of the biggest problems. We should actually be celebrating our problems. They are what gives us a chance to prove our capabilities and to grow into better people. The solving of them gives us our greatest pleasures.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Miracles
"There are only two ways to live your life: One is as though nothing is a miracle, The other is as though everything is a miracle. I believe in the latter."
Albert Einstein
Do you beleive that there must be a logical reason for everything that happens in the world. Perhaps you beleive that if nobody knows the reason why something should happen then it doesn't. You might dismiss the paranormal as ridiculous. Of course there are no ghosts, or UFOs or mysterious happenings. There must be a logical explanation for what people have seen or experienced. There's no such thing as miracles. Science can explain everything. If you beleive this, you must be a cynical and skeptical person. You want to see the proof for everything.
There is another way to be. You can see everything as a miracle. You can gaze at what goes on around you with wide-eyed wonder. I think a great description of this kind of person (and how society tries to corrupt him) is in the Supertramp song entitled "The Logical Song". You can find ghosts and UFO's as fascinating as how someone was able to invent the computer or the car. You can marvel at mountaintops, oceans, and at bioluminescence or at bees feeding on delicate flowers. You can be in awe at how well your body works, and how you are able to enjoy art and music so much. If you are like this you are open-minded and searching for beauty. You would rather feel good than be "right."
I would choose the second way to be, just as Einstein would. To be truly successful, you need to accept that there are some things that you just don't know. Science doesn't know everything. That is why we keep on learning and exploring, and getting better.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Albert Einstein
Do you beleive that there must be a logical reason for everything that happens in the world. Perhaps you beleive that if nobody knows the reason why something should happen then it doesn't. You might dismiss the paranormal as ridiculous. Of course there are no ghosts, or UFOs or mysterious happenings. There must be a logical explanation for what people have seen or experienced. There's no such thing as miracles. Science can explain everything. If you beleive this, you must be a cynical and skeptical person. You want to see the proof for everything.
There is another way to be. You can see everything as a miracle. You can gaze at what goes on around you with wide-eyed wonder. I think a great description of this kind of person (and how society tries to corrupt him) is in the Supertramp song entitled "The Logical Song". You can find ghosts and UFO's as fascinating as how someone was able to invent the computer or the car. You can marvel at mountaintops, oceans, and at bioluminescence or at bees feeding on delicate flowers. You can be in awe at how well your body works, and how you are able to enjoy art and music so much. If you are like this you are open-minded and searching for beauty. You would rather feel good than be "right."
I would choose the second way to be, just as Einstein would. To be truly successful, you need to accept that there are some things that you just don't know. Science doesn't know everything. That is why we keep on learning and exploring, and getting better.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Friday, October 17, 2008
Do Not Wait
"Do not wait for ideal circumstances. They never come"
How often have you said something like "I'll be happy when I get that new job" or "I'll be happy when I can afford to buy a new house" or "I'll be happy when the kids have all left home". How often have you made your happiness dependant upon some future event which may or may not ever happen. One problem with this is that you are telling yourself you can't be happy right now. You are always waiting for something to happen.
The truth is that even when that future event happens, you still won't be very happy. You may feel fleeting satisfaction or even outright disappointment. You ignore the feeling that something is missing and you say to yourself "If I could just get this sorted out, I will have made it". You try to control your external circumstances and worry about losing what you already have.
The only time you can ever be truly happy is right now, in this moment. It is true that circumstances will never be ideal. Even if you did lose 20 pounds and got your dream job, there would probably be some other part of your life that was bothering you. You must learn to expect that your life will never be perfect and how to cope with the less-than-perfect parts of it.
You need to find reasons to be happy with your life the imperfect way it is.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
How often have you said something like "I'll be happy when I get that new job" or "I'll be happy when I can afford to buy a new house" or "I'll be happy when the kids have all left home". How often have you made your happiness dependant upon some future event which may or may not ever happen. One problem with this is that you are telling yourself you can't be happy right now. You are always waiting for something to happen.
The truth is that even when that future event happens, you still won't be very happy. You may feel fleeting satisfaction or even outright disappointment. You ignore the feeling that something is missing and you say to yourself "If I could just get this sorted out, I will have made it". You try to control your external circumstances and worry about losing what you already have.
The only time you can ever be truly happy is right now, in this moment. It is true that circumstances will never be ideal. Even if you did lose 20 pounds and got your dream job, there would probably be some other part of your life that was bothering you. You must learn to expect that your life will never be perfect and how to cope with the less-than-perfect parts of it.
You need to find reasons to be happy with your life the imperfect way it is.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Thursday, October 16, 2008
"When we cannot change a situation, resolution comes through the way we choose to handle it within ourselves"
Gerald Coffee
Gerald Coffee would know about this. He was shot down while flying combat missions over North Vietnam, and spent much of his 7 years as a POW in solitary confinement. When faced with a situation like that, the only way to emotionally survive is to choose to see our situation differently. Fortunately most of us won't have to deal with anything like that, but there are always little things in our own lives that we just can't change so we need to learn how to deal with them.
There is always a choice of how to view any situation. You can try to analyze how it happened and feel worse about it. You can hope that somehow things will change soon and feel better about it. You can search for something good about it, or you can dwell on how bad it is.
You can even turn the problem into an exciting challenge. For example, if it is an exceptionally cold winter, you could complain about the cold or you could challenge yourself to find a way to stay warm.
Most of us have a tendency to focus on the negative aspects of whatever situation we find ourselves in. We do an amazing amount of blaming and complaining. Yes, sometimes there is nothing we can actively do to change the situation. But blaming and complaining only makes the situation worse. We must choose how we are going to deal with the situation mentally and emotionally. Resolution comes through the way we choose to handle it within ourselves.
For ideas about how to become truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Gerald Coffee
Gerald Coffee would know about this. He was shot down while flying combat missions over North Vietnam, and spent much of his 7 years as a POW in solitary confinement. When faced with a situation like that, the only way to emotionally survive is to choose to see our situation differently. Fortunately most of us won't have to deal with anything like that, but there are always little things in our own lives that we just can't change so we need to learn how to deal with them.
There is always a choice of how to view any situation. You can try to analyze how it happened and feel worse about it. You can hope that somehow things will change soon and feel better about it. You can search for something good about it, or you can dwell on how bad it is.
You can even turn the problem into an exciting challenge. For example, if it is an exceptionally cold winter, you could complain about the cold or you could challenge yourself to find a way to stay warm.
Most of us have a tendency to focus on the negative aspects of whatever situation we find ourselves in. We do an amazing amount of blaming and complaining. Yes, sometimes there is nothing we can actively do to change the situation. But blaming and complaining only makes the situation worse. We must choose how we are going to deal with the situation mentally and emotionally. Resolution comes through the way we choose to handle it within ourselves.
For ideas about how to become truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Capability
“There isn't a person anywhere that isn't capable of doing more than he thinks he can.”
Henry Ford
How much are you capable of doing? Do you really know? How do you measure such a thing? Perhaps you have listened to other people tell you how smart you are, or how strong you are or how capable you are, back when you were a small child and just assumed that they knew everything about you. You figured that if your mother thought that you weren't smart, then it must be true, and this information became part of your ego. But of course, your mother, or anyone else, doesn't know any more about your capabilities than you do.
The only way you can ever really measure your capabilities is by attempting to do a thing that you think is impossible for you. It is only then that you realize that you are capable of doing a lot more than you think you can. But you may still be capable of doing even more than that.
The problem is, of course, that most people won't attempt to do something that they think that they can't do. They must be forced into doing those things for whatever reason. So most of us really don't know our true capabilities. We would be very surprised at just how capable we actually were.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Henry Ford
How much are you capable of doing? Do you really know? How do you measure such a thing? Perhaps you have listened to other people tell you how smart you are, or how strong you are or how capable you are, back when you were a small child and just assumed that they knew everything about you. You figured that if your mother thought that you weren't smart, then it must be true, and this information became part of your ego. But of course, your mother, or anyone else, doesn't know any more about your capabilities than you do.
The only way you can ever really measure your capabilities is by attempting to do a thing that you think is impossible for you. It is only then that you realize that you are capable of doing a lot more than you think you can. But you may still be capable of doing even more than that.
The problem is, of course, that most people won't attempt to do something that they think that they can't do. They must be forced into doing those things for whatever reason. So most of us really don't know our true capabilities. We would be very surprised at just how capable we actually were.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Stand on the Shoulders of Giants
“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
Isaac Newton
We all like to think that we have accomplished something on our own. We want to take all of the credit for our accomplishments. Our ego loves it when it can now say that you are better than other people because you thought of or did something they didn't. But the ego is full of delusions.
The truth is that we never accomplish something on our own, and we are not better than the people who have gone before us.
When you accomplish something great, then somebody else will use it as a stepping stone to accomplish something even greater. That's the way it works. But that doesn't mean that your accomplishment wasn't valuable, because if your accomplishment wasn't there then the next person couldn't do his greater accomplishment. All successes build upon previous ones.
Wise people appreciate the accomplishments of others because those accomplishments motivate and inspire them to do something even better. They know that the best way to see further is to stand on the shoulders of giants. Whose shoulders are you standing on?
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Isaac Newton
We all like to think that we have accomplished something on our own. We want to take all of the credit for our accomplishments. Our ego loves it when it can now say that you are better than other people because you thought of or did something they didn't. But the ego is full of delusions.
The truth is that we never accomplish something on our own, and we are not better than the people who have gone before us.
When you accomplish something great, then somebody else will use it as a stepping stone to accomplish something even greater. That's the way it works. But that doesn't mean that your accomplishment wasn't valuable, because if your accomplishment wasn't there then the next person couldn't do his greater accomplishment. All successes build upon previous ones.
Wise people appreciate the accomplishments of others because those accomplishments motivate and inspire them to do something even better. They know that the best way to see further is to stand on the shoulders of giants. Whose shoulders are you standing on?
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Monday, October 13, 2008
Forget and Smile
"Better by far you should forget and smile than you should remember and be sad."
Christina Rossetti
Do you remember things that make you sad? Do you have a hard time forgetting them? We are built to remember things better that we felt a lot of emotion about as they happened. And unfortunately we remember things we felt negative emotion about more easily than things we felt positive emotion about. The psychologist and brain researcher Dr Rick Hanson describes our brains as "Velcro for negativity and Teflon for positivity". This can be disasterous for our overall happiness. We have to actively work to overcome it.
We can actively question our thoughts. Remember that just because you beleive something doesn't mean it is the truth. Your mind often gets delusions and makes mistakes about things.
We can let go of our disturbing thoughts. The Sedona method is often very helpful for doing this. It is important to realize that our emotions are not part of us, they can be let go of.
Finally we can really work to pay more attention to the positive things in our lives so that we will remember them more.
If we can just forget our negative experiences by focusing on the more positive ones, we will be much better off. We simply can't be happy if we are aware of the negative all the time. It is much better to forget the negative things in your life, and smile.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Christina Rossetti
Do you remember things that make you sad? Do you have a hard time forgetting them? We are built to remember things better that we felt a lot of emotion about as they happened. And unfortunately we remember things we felt negative emotion about more easily than things we felt positive emotion about. The psychologist and brain researcher Dr Rick Hanson describes our brains as "Velcro for negativity and Teflon for positivity". This can be disasterous for our overall happiness. We have to actively work to overcome it.
We can actively question our thoughts. Remember that just because you beleive something doesn't mean it is the truth. Your mind often gets delusions and makes mistakes about things.
We can let go of our disturbing thoughts. The Sedona method is often very helpful for doing this. It is important to realize that our emotions are not part of us, they can be let go of.
Finally we can really work to pay more attention to the positive things in our lives so that we will remember them more.
If we can just forget our negative experiences by focusing on the more positive ones, we will be much better off. We simply can't be happy if we are aware of the negative all the time. It is much better to forget the negative things in your life, and smile.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Doing Nothing
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"
Edmund Burke
How many times have you sat there and said "Well, I don't like it but there's nothing I can do about it"? We think we have no control over what goes on, so there's no point trying. But our action is the only thing that can influence the world. If other people are doing things that we don't like, they will continue to unless we take action to counteract theirs.
Just as taking action is the only way to stop being fearful, taking action is the only way to show the Universe that you are serious about what you are doing. The Universe wants to see action. It will favor the person taking action over the one who doesn't, regardless of what that action is.
If an evil person takes action, then good men need to take action too, just to get the Universe's attention and support. Never sit around and do nothing. Take action. The only thing necessary for the triumph of what someone else wants that you do not is for you to do nothing to create what you do want.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com/
Edmund Burke
How many times have you sat there and said "Well, I don't like it but there's nothing I can do about it"? We think we have no control over what goes on, so there's no point trying. But our action is the only thing that can influence the world. If other people are doing things that we don't like, they will continue to unless we take action to counteract theirs.
Just as taking action is the only way to stop being fearful, taking action is the only way to show the Universe that you are serious about what you are doing. The Universe wants to see action. It will favor the person taking action over the one who doesn't, regardless of what that action is.
If an evil person takes action, then good men need to take action too, just to get the Universe's attention and support. Never sit around and do nothing. Take action. The only thing necessary for the triumph of what someone else wants that you do not is for you to do nothing to create what you do want.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com/
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Success
“Success, real success, in any endeavor demands more from an individual than most people are willing to offer-not more than they are capable of offering.”
James Roche
How much are you willing to offer in order to acheive real success? Almost everyone will agree that they want more money. Of course they want to be rich. We're jealous of rich people. But are they willing to do what it takes to become rich? That is the big question. We can find plenty of reasons why we aren't willing to do what it takes. We aren't willing to work 16 hours a day. We aren't willing to give up our weekends. We aren't willing to seeing our family and friends. We aren't willing to give up our hobbies and recreations. We aren't willing to risk our time, energy, and start-up capital with no guarantee of returns.
We aren't willing to, but we can. It is within our capability. There are three levels of wanting something. You can want success (which means you'll take it if it's given to you, which it usually isn't). You can choose to be successful (this is better because it means you take responsibility for avoiding other alternatives). You can commit to being successful (this is when you will do whatever it takes for as long as it takes because failure is not an option). People who commit to being successful are the ones who find success.
Everyone is capable of committing to be successful. If you want it enough, you can do it. Success is demanding a great deal from you; but you have it within you to give it all you've got, and when you do, the universe will bend over backward to bring it to you.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
James Roche
How much are you willing to offer in order to acheive real success? Almost everyone will agree that they want more money. Of course they want to be rich. We're jealous of rich people. But are they willing to do what it takes to become rich? That is the big question. We can find plenty of reasons why we aren't willing to do what it takes. We aren't willing to work 16 hours a day. We aren't willing to give up our weekends. We aren't willing to seeing our family and friends. We aren't willing to give up our hobbies and recreations. We aren't willing to risk our time, energy, and start-up capital with no guarantee of returns.
We aren't willing to, but we can. It is within our capability. There are three levels of wanting something. You can want success (which means you'll take it if it's given to you, which it usually isn't). You can choose to be successful (this is better because it means you take responsibility for avoiding other alternatives). You can commit to being successful (this is when you will do whatever it takes for as long as it takes because failure is not an option). People who commit to being successful are the ones who find success.
Everyone is capable of committing to be successful. If you want it enough, you can do it. Success is demanding a great deal from you; but you have it within you to give it all you've got, and when you do, the universe will bend over backward to bring it to you.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Friday, October 10, 2008
Criticism
"To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing"
Elbert Hubbard
None of us like to be criticised. We have the idea that other people should like us. That's our ego talking. That ego that is terrified of its own demise so it will do anything it can to enlarge itself (to make us feel good about ourselves or at least better than our situation or other people). Our ego thrives on adoration. Our ego wants everyone else to like us so that we feel good about ourselves and our ego can grow.
But the truth is, we all do stupid things, no matter how brilliant we are. We make mistakes. We do things we're ashamed of, or embarrassed about. It's just part of being human. And since we all do these things, we can expect critisism. It is unreasonable for everyone to like us all the time. Other people have other viewpoints and experiences; each one of them is going to see the same action indifferent ways (and even the same person will see it differently depending on their mood).
It is impossible to please everyone, especially all the time. If we are to please ourself, then we are going to end up not pleasing someone else at some point. The only way to avoid critisism is to be a nobody and do nothing. We need to learn to expect and accept critisism.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com/
Elbert Hubbard
None of us like to be criticised. We have the idea that other people should like us. That's our ego talking. That ego that is terrified of its own demise so it will do anything it can to enlarge itself (to make us feel good about ourselves or at least better than our situation or other people). Our ego thrives on adoration. Our ego wants everyone else to like us so that we feel good about ourselves and our ego can grow.
But the truth is, we all do stupid things, no matter how brilliant we are. We make mistakes. We do things we're ashamed of, or embarrassed about. It's just part of being human. And since we all do these things, we can expect critisism. It is unreasonable for everyone to like us all the time. Other people have other viewpoints and experiences; each one of them is going to see the same action indifferent ways (and even the same person will see it differently depending on their mood).
It is impossible to please everyone, especially all the time. If we are to please ourself, then we are going to end up not pleasing someone else at some point. The only way to avoid critisism is to be a nobody and do nothing. We need to learn to expect and accept critisism.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com/
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Followers
"If the whole world followed you, would you be pleased with where you took it?"
Neale Donald Walsch
If the whole world followed you, where would you be taking it? Have you ever thought about that question? What would happen if everyone did the things you do? If you intentionally kill some animal, what would happen if everyone went out and intentionally killed animals? (If they did that with mosquitos, that might be a good thing ;0) ) If you impatiently brush off someone who asks a favor, what would happen if everyone impatiently brushed off people who ask favors of them? If you get angry at someone who doesn't do what you want fast enough, what would happen if everyone got angry at anyone who didn't do what they want fast enough?
Where would you want the whole world to go? What do you think that everyone would be doing in a perfect world? Well, that is the way for you to behave. Who knows, when they see you behaving that way, they may all want to copy it. They may start to see you as a leader if you are doing something different from what they are doing. Then you can lead them down the right path. You would be pleased with where you were taking the world.
For more ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com/
Neale Donald Walsch
If the whole world followed you, where would you be taking it? Have you ever thought about that question? What would happen if everyone did the things you do? If you intentionally kill some animal, what would happen if everyone went out and intentionally killed animals? (If they did that with mosquitos, that might be a good thing ;0) ) If you impatiently brush off someone who asks a favor, what would happen if everyone impatiently brushed off people who ask favors of them? If you get angry at someone who doesn't do what you want fast enough, what would happen if everyone got angry at anyone who didn't do what they want fast enough?
Where would you want the whole world to go? What do you think that everyone would be doing in a perfect world? Well, that is the way for you to behave. Who knows, when they see you behaving that way, they may all want to copy it. They may start to see you as a leader if you are doing something different from what they are doing. Then you can lead them down the right path. You would be pleased with where you were taking the world.
For more ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com/
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Gratification
“The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term is the indispensable pre-requisite for success”
Brian Tracy
Are you able to delay gratification for long. We live in a society with very short attention span. We feel we should have whatever we want, and that we should have it now. "Other people have it now, why can't I?". We go to fast food restaurants because we are unwilling to wait for an hour or so for our food to be cooked. Sometimes we only grab a coffee and doughnut from the convenience store because we can't even spend 10 minutes getting breakfast at home. We just aren't willing to wait.
One of the things that we all want to teach our children as soon as possible is that you can't have everything you want right now. Yet, as adults, we find ourselves falling into the same trap.
True success takes time and discipline. If we can just wait a little while, the rewards will definately be worth the wait. Practice self discipline and patience. Don't expect everything to come immediately. If you're willing to wait, you'll get more than you planned for.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Brian Tracy
Are you able to delay gratification for long. We live in a society with very short attention span. We feel we should have whatever we want, and that we should have it now. "Other people have it now, why can't I?". We go to fast food restaurants because we are unwilling to wait for an hour or so for our food to be cooked. Sometimes we only grab a coffee and doughnut from the convenience store because we can't even spend 10 minutes getting breakfast at home. We just aren't willing to wait.
One of the things that we all want to teach our children as soon as possible is that you can't have everything you want right now. Yet, as adults, we find ourselves falling into the same trap.
True success takes time and discipline. If we can just wait a little while, the rewards will definately be worth the wait. Practice self discipline and patience. Don't expect everything to come immediately. If you're willing to wait, you'll get more than you planned for.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Discovery
“One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.”
Andre Gide
Are you afraid to step out into the great unknown? Does the thought of leaving your comfort zone make you nervous? People get used to doing things in certain ways. Perhaps it's the way your friends or family do things. Perhaps it's the way that everyone you know does things. We tend to hang around with people who think the same way we do and do things the same way that we do. They are all in pretty much the same comfort zone that we are. So we just think that is the way life is supposed to be. It's what we know.
But human beings are not meant to be comfortable and satiated. Sometimes we get restless. We want to learn and grow. Our soul yearns to discover new lands. We go and buy a ship. And then the comforts of home call us back. This is an important junction. If we go home now, we will probably stay there. If we are to discover new lands, we have to lose sight of the shore. We have to forget about the comforts back home. We have to look forward and focus on the excitement of finding that which our soul yearns for. It takes courage and dedication. But the rewards are immense.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Andre Gide
Are you afraid to step out into the great unknown? Does the thought of leaving your comfort zone make you nervous? People get used to doing things in certain ways. Perhaps it's the way your friends or family do things. Perhaps it's the way that everyone you know does things. We tend to hang around with people who think the same way we do and do things the same way that we do. They are all in pretty much the same comfort zone that we are. So we just think that is the way life is supposed to be. It's what we know.
But human beings are not meant to be comfortable and satiated. Sometimes we get restless. We want to learn and grow. Our soul yearns to discover new lands. We go and buy a ship. And then the comforts of home call us back. This is an important junction. If we go home now, we will probably stay there. If we are to discover new lands, we have to lose sight of the shore. We have to forget about the comforts back home. We have to look forward and focus on the excitement of finding that which our soul yearns for. It takes courage and dedication. But the rewards are immense.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Monday, October 6, 2008
Make a Difference
“There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: Those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed.”
Ray Goforth
How often have we been told that we are too ambitious. How often have we been told that our great idea just won't work because it is too impractical or nobody will be willing to do that? There are a lot of people who just don't want us to succeed. They don't want to see us make a difference in the world. These people are not as mean spirited as they may sound. They are just afraid.
Some of them are afraid to try to make a difference in the world themselves, and they are jealous of you for wanting to try. They know that if you succeed, they will feel bad about themselves for having given up on their own dream. So it is their own lack of self-worth and self confidence that makes them want to stop you.
Some of them are afraid that you will succeed. They may think that if you succeed, the world will be worse for them than it used to be, because they don't like what you're trying to do. More likely they may think that if you succeed and they don't then they are an inferior person. And nobody likes to be an inferior person.
Don't pay any attention to people who don't want you to succeed. Realize that it is only because they are afraid of being inferior. They are afraid of their lack of self confidence and self-worth showing up. Once you succeed, you can then help them succeed too.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Ray Goforth
How often have we been told that we are too ambitious. How often have we been told that our great idea just won't work because it is too impractical or nobody will be willing to do that? There are a lot of people who just don't want us to succeed. They don't want to see us make a difference in the world. These people are not as mean spirited as they may sound. They are just afraid.
Some of them are afraid to try to make a difference in the world themselves, and they are jealous of you for wanting to try. They know that if you succeed, they will feel bad about themselves for having given up on their own dream. So it is their own lack of self-worth and self confidence that makes them want to stop you.
Some of them are afraid that you will succeed. They may think that if you succeed, the world will be worse for them than it used to be, because they don't like what you're trying to do. More likely they may think that if you succeed and they don't then they are an inferior person. And nobody likes to be an inferior person.
Don't pay any attention to people who don't want you to succeed. Realize that it is only because they are afraid of being inferior. They are afraid of their lack of self confidence and self-worth showing up. Once you succeed, you can then help them succeed too.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Sunday, October 5, 2008
"I am only one; but I am still one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do."
Helen Keller
Did you ever feel like there's no point doing something because you are only one person and can't possibly have an influence in a world of other people who want to do the opposite? Did you ever feel like your voice would be lost in the crowd? On the verge of a historic election, do you ever feel that there's no point in voting for an independant because he's never get in anyway? I think we all feel like that sometimes. But we must still be true to what we beleive in if we are to feel good about ourselves. If you beleive one thing, and do another because everyone else is doing it, then you are living a lie, and that is not worthy of respect.
If everyone felt like their individual voice would never be heard, what would the world be like. The most vocal, the most influential person would get their way every time, even if he had a very bad idea. Change always starts because one person had the courage to speak out. Revolutions always start out small. You would be amazed at what you can do if you insist on speaking your voice. Find some other people who agree with you.
It is true that one person cannot change the world. They can't do everything. But they can do something. And as they do something, other people will realize the value in what they are doing and want to help. And this is how the world is changed, one person at a time.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Helen Keller
Did you ever feel like there's no point doing something because you are only one person and can't possibly have an influence in a world of other people who want to do the opposite? Did you ever feel like your voice would be lost in the crowd? On the verge of a historic election, do you ever feel that there's no point in voting for an independant because he's never get in anyway? I think we all feel like that sometimes. But we must still be true to what we beleive in if we are to feel good about ourselves. If you beleive one thing, and do another because everyone else is doing it, then you are living a lie, and that is not worthy of respect.
If everyone felt like their individual voice would never be heard, what would the world be like. The most vocal, the most influential person would get their way every time, even if he had a very bad idea. Change always starts because one person had the courage to speak out. Revolutions always start out small. You would be amazed at what you can do if you insist on speaking your voice. Find some other people who agree with you.
It is true that one person cannot change the world. They can't do everything. But they can do something. And as they do something, other people will realize the value in what they are doing and want to help. And this is how the world is changed, one person at a time.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Saturday, October 4, 2008
"As one goes through life one learns that if you don't paddle your own canoe, you don't move."
Katherine Hepburn
We would all love to have someone else paddle our canoe. We want life to be easy, we want someone else to do all the work while we get the rewards. That's why there are so many "get rich quick" schemes on the Internet. But life doesn't work that way. You know that the more effort you put into something, the greater the rewards. You appreciate the rewards much more if you know in your heart that you have earned them.
It is only our own effort that takes us where we want to go. If you can get other people to do the work, they are going to do it for their own reasons and with their own priorities. It will ultimately benefit them more than you. If you want your canoe to go where you want it to go, you must take the driver's seat.
Don't ask other people to paddle your canoe. Do it yourself. If you aren't willing to do the work, then you will end up going nowhere. You certainly won't be in a place you want to be. And you won't feel good about it
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com/
Katherine Hepburn
We would all love to have someone else paddle our canoe. We want life to be easy, we want someone else to do all the work while we get the rewards. That's why there are so many "get rich quick" schemes on the Internet. But life doesn't work that way. You know that the more effort you put into something, the greater the rewards. You appreciate the rewards much more if you know in your heart that you have earned them.
It is only our own effort that takes us where we want to go. If you can get other people to do the work, they are going to do it for their own reasons and with their own priorities. It will ultimately benefit them more than you. If you want your canoe to go where you want it to go, you must take the driver's seat.
Don't ask other people to paddle your canoe. Do it yourself. If you aren't willing to do the work, then you will end up going nowhere. You certainly won't be in a place you want to be. And you won't feel good about it
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com/
Friday, October 3, 2008
Problems and Challenges
"When we accept tough jobs as a challenge to our ability and wade into them with joy and enthusiasm, miracles can happen."
Arland Gilbert
Most people tend to see a tough job and think "I don't know that I can handle that. What if I make a mistake? What if I fail?" We have no confidence in our abilities. We think we have to get everything right the first time or we will get a failure. We want something easy. We don't want to work too hard when there is no guarantee that we will succeed.
There are always different ways of looking at any one situation. You can veiw something as a problem and focus on all the things difficult about it. You can also view that same thing as a challenge and focus on how you are going to find a solution for it. Problems are depressing, but challenges are exciting and fun. When you view a tough job as a challenge you will be motivated and inspired to find the solution, and so you will find the solution faster than you ever imagined.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com/
Arland Gilbert
Most people tend to see a tough job and think "I don't know that I can handle that. What if I make a mistake? What if I fail?" We have no confidence in our abilities. We think we have to get everything right the first time or we will get a failure. We want something easy. We don't want to work too hard when there is no guarantee that we will succeed.
There are always different ways of looking at any one situation. You can veiw something as a problem and focus on all the things difficult about it. You can also view that same thing as a challenge and focus on how you are going to find a solution for it. Problems are depressing, but challenges are exciting and fun. When you view a tough job as a challenge you will be motivated and inspired to find the solution, and so you will find the solution faster than you ever imagined.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com/
Thursday, October 2, 2008
A Perfect Day
"You have not lived a perfect day, even though you have earned your money, unless you have done something for someone who will never be able to repay you."
How often have you done something for someone who will never be able to repay you? My guess is that would be very seldom or never. With everything we do, we are always thinking about "What's in it for me?" When we give something to people, we expect to get something in return. One of the most anxiety producing aspects of having an intimate relationship with someone is worrying about whether you are giving as much to the other person as they are giving to you, or giving more than them or less than them.
Most of us don't even put ourselves in situations where other people depend on us. This may be because we are afraid that we won't be able to do what the other person needs us to do. It may be because we feel that we have too many other things to do that are more urgent and seem more important to us (because we'll get more out of them). We don't understand what is required of us, and we don't understand the benefit that we get out of helping someone who can't repay us.
The truth is that sometimes the smallest act of kindness from us can make an enormous difference to another person. It can literally save their life. Altruism doesn't have to involve acts of heroic strength. It just requires an awareness of other people and a habit of offering kindness to everyone even if they are not your "type", and that all your actions have far-reaching consequences that you can't imagine right now. And knowing that you have helped someone so much that they can't return the favor, is one of the best feelings there is. This kind of unconditional love is what your soul was meant for.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
How often have you done something for someone who will never be able to repay you? My guess is that would be very seldom or never. With everything we do, we are always thinking about "What's in it for me?" When we give something to people, we expect to get something in return. One of the most anxiety producing aspects of having an intimate relationship with someone is worrying about whether you are giving as much to the other person as they are giving to you, or giving more than them or less than them.
Most of us don't even put ourselves in situations where other people depend on us. This may be because we are afraid that we won't be able to do what the other person needs us to do. It may be because we feel that we have too many other things to do that are more urgent and seem more important to us (because we'll get more out of them). We don't understand what is required of us, and we don't understand the benefit that we get out of helping someone who can't repay us.
The truth is that sometimes the smallest act of kindness from us can make an enormous difference to another person. It can literally save their life. Altruism doesn't have to involve acts of heroic strength. It just requires an awareness of other people and a habit of offering kindness to everyone even if they are not your "type", and that all your actions have far-reaching consequences that you can't imagine right now. And knowing that you have helped someone so much that they can't return the favor, is one of the best feelings there is. This kind of unconditional love is what your soul was meant for.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Teaching the World
"I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and nonviolence are as old as the hills. All I have done is to try experiments in both on as vast a scale as I could"
Mohandas K. Ghandi
Sometimes people just need to be reminded of what they already know. We all know about truth and nonviolence, and at some level we all value them. But over the course of our lives they get forgotten because they often don't seem to be useful to us for dealing with today's urgent problems. We tend to be focused on dealing with what life gives us today instead of on the broader and more permanent issues that affect everyone.
Probably the best way to remind people of what they value is to take it away from them. As the song says "You don't know what you've got till it's gone". Often that is not ethical or even practical, however. Doing experiments is a better way to get people to sit up and take notice. It helps to show people what can happen when you behave in certain ways, and when large groups of people behave in certain ways. People start to see causes and results. They begin to see what can happen when they change their thinking.
The best way of all to accomplish anything is to get as many people to do it as possible. Get as many people to understand your way of thinking as possible. Show as many people as possible what you beleive in and why. Influencing small numbers of people yeilds small results. Influence as many people as possible for the largest possible results. Experiment on as vast a scale as you can.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Mohandas K. Ghandi
Sometimes people just need to be reminded of what they already know. We all know about truth and nonviolence, and at some level we all value them. But over the course of our lives they get forgotten because they often don't seem to be useful to us for dealing with today's urgent problems. We tend to be focused on dealing with what life gives us today instead of on the broader and more permanent issues that affect everyone.
Probably the best way to remind people of what they value is to take it away from them. As the song says "You don't know what you've got till it's gone". Often that is not ethical or even practical, however. Doing experiments is a better way to get people to sit up and take notice. It helps to show people what can happen when you behave in certain ways, and when large groups of people behave in certain ways. People start to see causes and results. They begin to see what can happen when they change their thinking.
The best way of all to accomplish anything is to get as many people to do it as possible. Get as many people to understand your way of thinking as possible. Show as many people as possible what you beleive in and why. Influencing small numbers of people yeilds small results. Influence as many people as possible for the largest possible results. Experiment on as vast a scale as you can.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
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