"People who say that life is not worthwhile are really saying that they themselves have no personal goals which are worthwhile. Get yourself a goal worth working for. Better still, get yourself a project. Always have something ahead of you to "look forward to" - to work for and hope for."
Maxwell Maltz
Do you have a goal for 2009? Have you thought about what you want to accomplish next year? What are you going to do differently next year. What different results do you hop to get? Are you excited to get started working on your goal in the new year? I hope so. It will make your life worthwhile.
At the end of the year, my thoughts are always on reveiw and planning for next year. I determine worthwhile goals, and figure out how I will acheive them. We all need projects to be working on and to feel the satisfaction of having completed them. Nothing makes you feel good like knowing that you have reached a goal, especially if it was a difficult goal. Having a goal directs your thoughts and energies towards something tangible. It gives you something tangible to look forward to. It gives you a sense of purpose. It gives you something to hope for. Always have goals that you are working toward, and make all your actions move you closer to your goals.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Being Perfect
"The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself."
Anna Quindlen
Do you wish you were perfect? Perhaps you'd like to have the perfect body: longer legs, fewer wrinkles, smaller hands, or whatever you think would make you look more attractive. Perhaps you'd like to get rid of those annoying personality quirks which we all have that make other people shrug their shoulders and say "Oh well, that's just the way he/she is". You'd love to just get rid of all your faults. But if everyone became perfect, they would all become boring. It is your "faults" that make you unique and interesting to other people.
The truth about faults is that almost any fault can be turned around into a virtue. For example, if you are very verbal and sociable, this could be seen as a fault by a quiet person who thinks you're disturbing the peace and just wants to be left alone. It could be seen as a virtue by a person who is looking for someone else who is easy to talk intimately to or who will start a conversation with him easily. Almost all personality traits are like that. It all depends on who the other person is and what his needs are.
It is very important for you to just accept your personality traits as part of who you are. You can't change them, at least not without a great deal of work, so why not learn to enjoy them. If you talk to enough other people, you'll find others who enjoy them too. Begin the work of becoming yourself. Learn to love yourself, just the way you are.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Anna Quindlen
Do you wish you were perfect? Perhaps you'd like to have the perfect body: longer legs, fewer wrinkles, smaller hands, or whatever you think would make you look more attractive. Perhaps you'd like to get rid of those annoying personality quirks which we all have that make other people shrug their shoulders and say "Oh well, that's just the way he/she is". You'd love to just get rid of all your faults. But if everyone became perfect, they would all become boring. It is your "faults" that make you unique and interesting to other people.
The truth about faults is that almost any fault can be turned around into a virtue. For example, if you are very verbal and sociable, this could be seen as a fault by a quiet person who thinks you're disturbing the peace and just wants to be left alone. It could be seen as a virtue by a person who is looking for someone else who is easy to talk intimately to or who will start a conversation with him easily. Almost all personality traits are like that. It all depends on who the other person is and what his needs are.
It is very important for you to just accept your personality traits as part of who you are. You can't change them, at least not without a great deal of work, so why not learn to enjoy them. If you talk to enough other people, you'll find others who enjoy them too. Begin the work of becoming yourself. Learn to love yourself, just the way you are.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Monday, December 29, 2008
Change
"To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring."
George Santayana
It is not a good idea to be attached to anything, as the only thing we can depend on is change. Everything changes, except death and taxes. We often think of being attached as being very fond of a particular object, but it also can refer to an idea or even a feeling. Whenever we love something so much we can't imagine living without it, we are attached to it too much.
It is much healthier to be interested in how things change, and especially to be always looking for whatever is good in the new things. Many times, like with the seasons, what you loved will come around again.
Enjoy the things you love while you have them, definately, but realize that they aren't going to last forever, and that's actually a good thing. Their passing leaves a space for other things to come along that have their own enjoyable aspects. It would be dull if there was no change in our life, because there would be nothing new to look forward to and explore the joys of.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
George Santayana
It is not a good idea to be attached to anything, as the only thing we can depend on is change. Everything changes, except death and taxes. We often think of being attached as being very fond of a particular object, but it also can refer to an idea or even a feeling. Whenever we love something so much we can't imagine living without it, we are attached to it too much.
It is much healthier to be interested in how things change, and especially to be always looking for whatever is good in the new things. Many times, like with the seasons, what you loved will come around again.
Enjoy the things you love while you have them, definately, but realize that they aren't going to last forever, and that's actually a good thing. Their passing leaves a space for other things to come along that have their own enjoyable aspects. It would be dull if there was no change in our life, because there would be nothing new to look forward to and explore the joys of.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Regret
"When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us."
Alexander Graham Bell
Frustration is not a pleasant feeling. We don't like to be thwarted in our actions. Anything that keeps us from doing what we think we need to do is resented and feared. We get angry. We regret that we could not finish our plans and thus achieve what we wanted to. We are stuck spinning our wheels because we don't know what to do next. Often it seems like there isn't anything that we can do to acheive our goal. We made our plans and pinned our hopes of success onto them, and without them we are lost.
When something unexpected happens that prevents us from following our plans, we get upset because it shows us that we are not in control of our world. We want everything to go the way we want it to, the way we planned it to. But the world doesn't work like that, and that's a good thing because we often have very limited vision and understanding of the best way to acheive something.
God knows better than we do. It tries to nudge us in the right direction. Unfortunately we are so attached to our plans that we don't even notice God's nudges. We are staring so regretfully at our failed plans that we don't notice the new and better opportunity to get what we want. Don't let that happen to you. Focus on your goals; and if your first plan doesn't work out, watch and wait for a better plan to come to you. It will.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Alexander Graham Bell
Frustration is not a pleasant feeling. We don't like to be thwarted in our actions. Anything that keeps us from doing what we think we need to do is resented and feared. We get angry. We regret that we could not finish our plans and thus achieve what we wanted to. We are stuck spinning our wheels because we don't know what to do next. Often it seems like there isn't anything that we can do to acheive our goal. We made our plans and pinned our hopes of success onto them, and without them we are lost.
When something unexpected happens that prevents us from following our plans, we get upset because it shows us that we are not in control of our world. We want everything to go the way we want it to, the way we planned it to. But the world doesn't work like that, and that's a good thing because we often have very limited vision and understanding of the best way to acheive something.
God knows better than we do. It tries to nudge us in the right direction. Unfortunately we are so attached to our plans that we don't even notice God's nudges. We are staring so regretfully at our failed plans that we don't notice the new and better opportunity to get what we want. Don't let that happen to you. Focus on your goals; and if your first plan doesn't work out, watch and wait for a better plan to come to you. It will.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Work
"If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven played music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Each of us is given our own unique set of talents. We are not all destined for glamorous work. The streets need to be swept, so God created some people who do that kind of work better than others, and better than other types of work. Society needs all kinds of workers to do all kinds of jobs.
If you are meant to be a streetsweeper, you can still do an exceptional job of it. You can still prove your talents to the whole world in a way that makes others sit up and notice. No matter what you do, you can always strive for beauty, excellence, and integrity in all your work. You can always do work that you can be proud of.
There are ways to make even the simplest of jobs special. One mentally handicapped bagger at a grocery store decided to make papers with inspirational quotes and put one in each person's grocery bag. Between that and his infectious smile, he was the most popular bagger in the store. All it takes is a love for your work and a little creativity.
What ways can you improve the work that you do? Can you do your work even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven played music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry? Can you do your work so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great ... who did his job well."?
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Each of us is given our own unique set of talents. We are not all destined for glamorous work. The streets need to be swept, so God created some people who do that kind of work better than others, and better than other types of work. Society needs all kinds of workers to do all kinds of jobs.
If you are meant to be a streetsweeper, you can still do an exceptional job of it. You can still prove your talents to the whole world in a way that makes others sit up and notice. No matter what you do, you can always strive for beauty, excellence, and integrity in all your work. You can always do work that you can be proud of.
There are ways to make even the simplest of jobs special. One mentally handicapped bagger at a grocery store decided to make papers with inspirational quotes and put one in each person's grocery bag. Between that and his infectious smile, he was the most popular bagger in the store. All it takes is a love for your work and a little creativity.
What ways can you improve the work that you do? Can you do your work even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven played music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry? Can you do your work so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great ... who did his job well."?
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Friday, December 26, 2008
Love
"Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy
to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning
the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement."
Are you happy to live with yourself all your life? Do you really enjoy being alone with yourself? Do you trust yourself to do the right thing under all circumstances? Most of us don't trust ourselves to behave the way we know we should, nor do we enjoy being alone with ourselves for any length of time. Most of us can think of endless things that they would like to improve about ourselves. We look at other people's best traits and wish we could be like them, typically being unaware of the whole picture of that person's life. We simply see ourselves as not being good enough.
That's an unfortunate way of seeing yourself. We don't appreciate how special we really are. We don't understand our powers to create our life just the way we want. We can indeed become a person that we would enjoy spending time alone with. All we need to do is to love ourself, just the way we are. Why is that so very difficult?
We need to recognize our capability to identify possiblities and turn them into actualities. We need to focus on the excitement of winning instead of on the fear of losing. We need to trust ourselves, and then to take action in order to fan the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement. We need to make the most of ourselves.
For ideas about how to become truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning
the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement."
Are you happy to live with yourself all your life? Do you really enjoy being alone with yourself? Do you trust yourself to do the right thing under all circumstances? Most of us don't trust ourselves to behave the way we know we should, nor do we enjoy being alone with ourselves for any length of time. Most of us can think of endless things that they would like to improve about ourselves. We look at other people's best traits and wish we could be like them, typically being unaware of the whole picture of that person's life. We simply see ourselves as not being good enough.
That's an unfortunate way of seeing yourself. We don't appreciate how special we really are. We don't understand our powers to create our life just the way we want. We can indeed become a person that we would enjoy spending time alone with. All we need to do is to love ourself, just the way we are. Why is that so very difficult?
We need to recognize our capability to identify possiblities and turn them into actualities. We need to focus on the excitement of winning instead of on the fear of losing. We need to trust ourselves, and then to take action in order to fan the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement. We need to make the most of ourselves.
For ideas about how to become truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Christmas
"Christmas--that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance--a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved."
Augusta E. Rundell
Merry Christmas...
Christmas is a very special holiday. We all have such fond memories of the Christmas's we had as children. It was always such a delightful mystery how you could hang up your stocking on Christmas Eve and it would be filled with goodies on Christmas morning. We couldn't wait to see what Santa had brought us. We loved decorating the Christmas tree and then watching the pile of presents under the tree grow bigger and bigger. Christmas really does weave a spell of nostalgia. Just the idea of Christmas makes us feel more loved and connected.
Christmas is a day of remembering all the things we have loved. It is a day of appreciating family and friends. It is even a day of reaching out to those unfortunate people who have neither, or who don't have the money to buy each other gifts or make a nice Christmas dinner.
We all have our own traditions or ways of celebrating Christmas, which helps to bring some continuity to our lives in a changing world. Even people who don't celebrate Christmas celebrate something else at this time. We all need a holiday in the middle of winter. We need this day of remembering all the things we love. We need that magic blanket to wrap around ourselves, and smell the perfume of Christmas love.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Augusta E. Rundell
Merry Christmas...
Christmas is a very special holiday. We all have such fond memories of the Christmas's we had as children. It was always such a delightful mystery how you could hang up your stocking on Christmas Eve and it would be filled with goodies on Christmas morning. We couldn't wait to see what Santa had brought us. We loved decorating the Christmas tree and then watching the pile of presents under the tree grow bigger and bigger. Christmas really does weave a spell of nostalgia. Just the idea of Christmas makes us feel more loved and connected.
Christmas is a day of remembering all the things we have loved. It is a day of appreciating family and friends. It is even a day of reaching out to those unfortunate people who have neither, or who don't have the money to buy each other gifts or make a nice Christmas dinner.
We all have our own traditions or ways of celebrating Christmas, which helps to bring some continuity to our lives in a changing world. Even people who don't celebrate Christmas celebrate something else at this time. We all need a holiday in the middle of winter. We need this day of remembering all the things we love. We need that magic blanket to wrap around ourselves, and smell the perfume of Christmas love.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Religion
"Just a hurried line...to tell a story which puts the contrast between *our* feast of the Nativity and all this ghastly Xmas racket at it's lowest. My brother heard a woman on a 'bus say, as the 'bus passed a church with a Crib outside it, Oh Lor'! They bring religion into everything. Look- they're dragging it even into Christmas now!
C S Lewis
Some people hate religion. They think it's a sin to talk about Christmas when not everyone beleives in Christ. They object to public displays of the manger scene. Personally I think that if you don't beleive in Christ, you don't have to celebrate Christmas. You can celebrate the holiday season in whatever way is more meaningful to you. That is no reason to prevent those who do beleive in Christ from celebrating his birthday.
People have forgotten what Christmas is about. Christmas was originally a celebration of Christ and that means a celebration of the values he stood up for. It is supposed to be a celebration of love and goodwill towards all people, and our planet. We tend to forget that in the rush of the obligations we feel we must perform because our friends and familys expect that of us. Buying a gift for someone becomes just an obligation we have to get done before Christmas instead of something that we really wanted to do because we found just the perfect thing that we know they'll love. We get so busy entertaining others that we forget to have some time for ourselves to enjoy the season.
Take some time to remember the true meaning of Christmas. Although it is indeed a religious holiday, the reason for Christmas, Christ's message, is just as valid whether you believe in religion or not.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
C S Lewis
Some people hate religion. They think it's a sin to talk about Christmas when not everyone beleives in Christ. They object to public displays of the manger scene. Personally I think that if you don't beleive in Christ, you don't have to celebrate Christmas. You can celebrate the holiday season in whatever way is more meaningful to you. That is no reason to prevent those who do beleive in Christ from celebrating his birthday.
People have forgotten what Christmas is about. Christmas was originally a celebration of Christ and that means a celebration of the values he stood up for. It is supposed to be a celebration of love and goodwill towards all people, and our planet. We tend to forget that in the rush of the obligations we feel we must perform because our friends and familys expect that of us. Buying a gift for someone becomes just an obligation we have to get done before Christmas instead of something that we really wanted to do because we found just the perfect thing that we know they'll love. We get so busy entertaining others that we forget to have some time for ourselves to enjoy the season.
Take some time to remember the true meaning of Christmas. Although it is indeed a religious holiday, the reason for Christmas, Christ's message, is just as valid whether you believe in religion or not.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Living
"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today."
Dale Carnegie
Are you putting off living? Are you delaying your happiness? We all have dreams about the perfect life. I will be happier when... I get a new job, or I get the perfect relationship, or the kids have grown up and left home, or I win the lottery. We tend to think that something different has to happen before we can really enjoy our life. We forget that the good things in life happen when we start appreciating what we already have.
It is true that the roses blooming outside our windows today may not be perfect. They have thorns. But even with thorns, they are still beautiful, and that is what we need to focus our attention on. All we really have, all we really can be sure about, is the present. That's why we must be happy in the present. We can't ever be sure that the magical rose garden over the horizon will ever come to us, so it makes sense to just enjoy what we know that we have. Life is too short to spend it wishing that everything was different. We should be savoring our life right now, and there's always good things to savor if we look for them; because tomorrow might never come.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Dale Carnegie
Are you putting off living? Are you delaying your happiness? We all have dreams about the perfect life. I will be happier when... I get a new job, or I get the perfect relationship, or the kids have grown up and left home, or I win the lottery. We tend to think that something different has to happen before we can really enjoy our life. We forget that the good things in life happen when we start appreciating what we already have.
It is true that the roses blooming outside our windows today may not be perfect. They have thorns. But even with thorns, they are still beautiful, and that is what we need to focus our attention on. All we really have, all we really can be sure about, is the present. That's why we must be happy in the present. We can't ever be sure that the magical rose garden over the horizon will ever come to us, so it makes sense to just enjoy what we know that we have. Life is too short to spend it wishing that everything was different. We should be savoring our life right now, and there's always good things to savor if we look for them; because tomorrow might never come.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Monday, December 22, 2008
Work
"Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing."
Thomas Alva Edison
As a society, we are geared towards action. Yes, action is important but only if it is intelligent action. Most of us are running around doing those things we think are urgent and/or that other people want us to do, while the really important things that we want to do for ourselves get neglected and forgotten by the wayside. We climb up the ladder as fast as possible, only to find out that it is leaning against the wrong wall.
In order to accomplish or produce something significant, you need to do some analysis of why you want to do it, planning how you will find the resources necessary to acheive it, and how you will go about doing it, and finally putting real focused effort into producing what you want to. Working without a plan will be very inefficient and probably take much longer than it needs to. It will be tiring and unrewarding. To be successful, think carefully about what you want to do and how you will do it before you get started.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Thomas Alva Edison
As a society, we are geared towards action. Yes, action is important but only if it is intelligent action. Most of us are running around doing those things we think are urgent and/or that other people want us to do, while the really important things that we want to do for ourselves get neglected and forgotten by the wayside. We climb up the ladder as fast as possible, only to find out that it is leaning against the wrong wall.
In order to accomplish or produce something significant, you need to do some analysis of why you want to do it, planning how you will find the resources necessary to acheive it, and how you will go about doing it, and finally putting real focused effort into producing what you want to. Working without a plan will be very inefficient and probably take much longer than it needs to. It will be tiring and unrewarding. To be successful, think carefully about what you want to do and how you will do it before you get started.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Anticipation
"An intense anticipation itself transforms possibility into reality; our desires being often but precursors of the things which we are capable of performing."
Samuel Smiles
What do you anticipate happening next year? If you are like most people, you probably anticipate your life continuing much the same as it did in the past under similar conditions. You probably feel that if we didn't have this great recession, your life would be much the same as it was last year. We tend to assume the future will be similar to the past, even in our legal system. That is why things don't change very much in most of our lives. Even when unanticipated things happen, we typically deal with them in the same ways that we're used to, and get back to our same lives.
What if we actively anticipated things that aren't happening right now? What if we expected to accomplish things that we really want but have never seen before? If we want something badly enough, we will find a way to acheive it. Intense anticipation itself transforms possibilities into reality. If we want it, we are capable of acheiving it. The only thing that ever gets in our way is our beleif that it won't happen, our expectation that we can't change the world. That and our subsequent failure to take action.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Samuel Smiles
What do you anticipate happening next year? If you are like most people, you probably anticipate your life continuing much the same as it did in the past under similar conditions. You probably feel that if we didn't have this great recession, your life would be much the same as it was last year. We tend to assume the future will be similar to the past, even in our legal system. That is why things don't change very much in most of our lives. Even when unanticipated things happen, we typically deal with them in the same ways that we're used to, and get back to our same lives.
What if we actively anticipated things that aren't happening right now? What if we expected to accomplish things that we really want but have never seen before? If we want something badly enough, we will find a way to acheive it. Intense anticipation itself transforms possibilities into reality. If we want it, we are capable of acheiving it. The only thing that ever gets in our way is our beleif that it won't happen, our expectation that we can't change the world. That and our subsequent failure to take action.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Friday, December 19, 2008
Intuition
"Fear is static that prevents me from hearing my intuition."
Hugh Prather
How well are you tuned into your intuition? Your intuition is always talking to you in it's still, small voice, but are you listening? Just as when you don't tune in precisely to the radio channel you are trying to listen to and you get static, you only hear the static of fear when you're not tuned precisely to the intuition channel. We continually think thoughts of fear, more than 45,000 negative fearful thoughts every day. No wonder it is so hard to hear and understand what our intuition is telling us.
Our fears and negativity are loud and insistent. They drown out our intuition, even if we know how to listen to it, which many of us don't. What's worse, they keep repeating themselves. Once you think a fearful thought, it is very difficult to dismiss it; it keeps coming back and saying "It gets even worse. Don't forget about ..." Intuition doesn't do that. If you miss it, it isn't likely to come back very soon, and certainly not in the same way. That's why it's important to be tuned into the intuition channel all the time. You don't want to miss an important message, because the static of your fear drowned it out.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Hugh Prather
How well are you tuned into your intuition? Your intuition is always talking to you in it's still, small voice, but are you listening? Just as when you don't tune in precisely to the radio channel you are trying to listen to and you get static, you only hear the static of fear when you're not tuned precisely to the intuition channel. We continually think thoughts of fear, more than 45,000 negative fearful thoughts every day. No wonder it is so hard to hear and understand what our intuition is telling us.
Our fears and negativity are loud and insistent. They drown out our intuition, even if we know how to listen to it, which many of us don't. What's worse, they keep repeating themselves. Once you think a fearful thought, it is very difficult to dismiss it; it keeps coming back and saying "It gets even worse. Don't forget about ..." Intuition doesn't do that. If you miss it, it isn't likely to come back very soon, and certainly not in the same way. That's why it's important to be tuned into the intuition channel all the time. You don't want to miss an important message, because the static of your fear drowned it out.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Happiness
"Try to make at least one person happy every day. If you cannot do a kind deed, speak a kind word. If you cannot speak a kind word, think a kind thought. Count up, if you can, the treasure of happiness that you would dispense in a week, in a year, in a lifetime!"
Lawrence G. Lovasik
How many people have you made happy today. Since quantum physics says that we are all connected, it stands to reason that when you make another person happy, you are making yourself happier (assuming of course that making them happy does not directly conflict with your own goals). This is aside from the fact that when you make other people happier, they are more inclined to make you happy in return.
There are so many ways to make other people happy which do not require going against your own wishes. Maybe you can give them something that they really want but that you don't value too much yourself. Maybe you can spend some time with them. Maybe you can send a card or give them a phone call if you live a long way from them.
If you can't do a kind deed, then speak a kind word or even think a kind thought. Think positively of the person, and then tell them that. Everyone needs to be told that someone cares about them. That makes the person feel better about themselves, and when they do, they are more likely to spread the love and happiness around.
See yourself as a person who spreads happiness wherever you go. There is nothing any of us need more than happiness. The more we spread happiness, the more of it there will be to spread, and the better the world will be because we were there.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Lawrence G. Lovasik
How many people have you made happy today. Since quantum physics says that we are all connected, it stands to reason that when you make another person happy, you are making yourself happier (assuming of course that making them happy does not directly conflict with your own goals). This is aside from the fact that when you make other people happier, they are more inclined to make you happy in return.
There are so many ways to make other people happy which do not require going against your own wishes. Maybe you can give them something that they really want but that you don't value too much yourself. Maybe you can spend some time with them. Maybe you can send a card or give them a phone call if you live a long way from them.
If you can't do a kind deed, then speak a kind word or even think a kind thought. Think positively of the person, and then tell them that. Everyone needs to be told that someone cares about them. That makes the person feel better about themselves, and when they do, they are more likely to spread the love and happiness around.
See yourself as a person who spreads happiness wherever you go. There is nothing any of us need more than happiness. The more we spread happiness, the more of it there will be to spread, and the better the world will be because we were there.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Happiness
"Happiness is the absence of the striving for happiness."
Chuang-tzu
They say that happiness is like a butterfly; if you go chasing after it, it will elude you, but if you just sit and rest, it will alight gently on your shoulder. Do you yearn for happiness. Perhaps you beleive that if you just had more money, it would make you happy. Perhaps you beleive that if you just had a better relationship, it would make you happy. Perhaps you beleive that if you just had better health, it would make you happy. In all of this, you are saying that you beleive that happiness is something you don't have now, something that you need to do something before you can have it. You are chasing after happiness, and that is why it continues to elude you.
Happiness is the absence of striving for happiness. It is realizing that happiness comes from within. Happiness is something you already have, but you can't see it because you are too busy noticing what you don't have, whether it's more money, better relationships or better health. Once you start appreciating what you already have, focusing on the good things you have now instead of the things you wish you had, then you will find the happiness you seek.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Chuang-tzu
They say that happiness is like a butterfly; if you go chasing after it, it will elude you, but if you just sit and rest, it will alight gently on your shoulder. Do you yearn for happiness. Perhaps you beleive that if you just had more money, it would make you happy. Perhaps you beleive that if you just had a better relationship, it would make you happy. Perhaps you beleive that if you just had better health, it would make you happy. In all of this, you are saying that you beleive that happiness is something you don't have now, something that you need to do something before you can have it. You are chasing after happiness, and that is why it continues to elude you.
Happiness is the absence of striving for happiness. It is realizing that happiness comes from within. Happiness is something you already have, but you can't see it because you are too busy noticing what you don't have, whether it's more money, better relationships or better health. Once you start appreciating what you already have, focusing on the good things you have now instead of the things you wish you had, then you will find the happiness you seek.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Gift
"What you are is God's gift to you. What you make of yourself is your gift back to God."
Kelly Jeppesen
God has given unique strengths and challenges to everyone. This means that everyone is equally valuable, and that everyone needs to find his own way to express God's gift to him. Everyone needs to define his or her own mission or purpose in life, and this requires intimate self-knowledge. Sometimes it takes a long time to identify what your unique gifts are, and then how to use them.
God needs you just as much as you need God. James Ray tells a story about a small town that had an huge ugly rock pile in its town square. One man eventually decided to do something about it and worked and toiled, sweated, hauled, moved and shoveled the rocks until he had turned the town square into a beautiful rock garden. One day a tourist was visiting and happened to see the man working in the rock garden. He stopped and said "Young man, God has blessed you with a beautiful rock garden". The man replied "You're right sir, but you should have seen what it looked like when He had it all by Himself."
What you accomplish in this world, what you make of yourself, is your gift back to God. Utilizing the gifts God gave you is the best gift you could possibly give Him.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Kelly Jeppesen
God has given unique strengths and challenges to everyone. This means that everyone is equally valuable, and that everyone needs to find his own way to express God's gift to him. Everyone needs to define his or her own mission or purpose in life, and this requires intimate self-knowledge. Sometimes it takes a long time to identify what your unique gifts are, and then how to use them.
God needs you just as much as you need God. James Ray tells a story about a small town that had an huge ugly rock pile in its town square. One man eventually decided to do something about it and worked and toiled, sweated, hauled, moved and shoveled the rocks until he had turned the town square into a beautiful rock garden. One day a tourist was visiting and happened to see the man working in the rock garden. He stopped and said "Young man, God has blessed you with a beautiful rock garden". The man replied "You're right sir, but you should have seen what it looked like when He had it all by Himself."
What you accomplish in this world, what you make of yourself, is your gift back to God. Utilizing the gifts God gave you is the best gift you could possibly give Him.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Monday, December 15, 2008
Mistakes
"A life spent in making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing."
George Bernard Shaw
Are you afraid of making mistakes? We are often so afraid of making mistakes that they don't make a decision about what to do. The are afraid that making the wrong decision will deprive us of what we want (whatever the right decision is supposed to bring us) . We have been taught to be careful that we don't make the wrong decision ("What if I make this choice and that happens?"). We feel we need to be perfect, and that we need to control the outcome of events ("What if it doesn't work out the way I plan?"). We feel that to make a mistake is an embarrassing failure. This petrifies us when we think about making a change or attempting a challenge.
We forget that not only are we, as humans, supposed to make mistakes, but that they are actually good for us. They teach us what doesn't work, and that helps us narrow down our list of things to try that might work. Thomas Edison made 10,000 "mistakes" while he was creating the light bulb. He commented "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." He was successful because he wasn't afraid of making mistakes.
Our lives are really like a big experiment where we are finding out what works and what doesn't. The most important thing of all is to get out there and take action. Yes, you may make a mistake, in fact you probably will. But that's okay as long as you learn what you can from it. Then you make any necessary adjustments in your plan, and keep going. There's nothing worse than sitting there, paralyzed by the fear of making mistakes, and letting life pass you by. They say that on your deathbed you will be regretting the things you didn't do, not the things you did (even if they proved to be mistakes).
For ideas about how to be successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com.
George Bernard Shaw
Are you afraid of making mistakes? We are often so afraid of making mistakes that they don't make a decision about what to do. The are afraid that making the wrong decision will deprive us of what we want (whatever the right decision is supposed to bring us) . We have been taught to be careful that we don't make the wrong decision ("What if I make this choice and that happens?"). We feel we need to be perfect, and that we need to control the outcome of events ("What if it doesn't work out the way I plan?"). We feel that to make a mistake is an embarrassing failure. This petrifies us when we think about making a change or attempting a challenge.
We forget that not only are we, as humans, supposed to make mistakes, but that they are actually good for us. They teach us what doesn't work, and that helps us narrow down our list of things to try that might work. Thomas Edison made 10,000 "mistakes" while he was creating the light bulb. He commented "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." He was successful because he wasn't afraid of making mistakes.
Our lives are really like a big experiment where we are finding out what works and what doesn't. The most important thing of all is to get out there and take action. Yes, you may make a mistake, in fact you probably will. But that's okay as long as you learn what you can from it. Then you make any necessary adjustments in your plan, and keep going. There's nothing worse than sitting there, paralyzed by the fear of making mistakes, and letting life pass you by. They say that on your deathbed you will be regretting the things you didn't do, not the things you did (even if they proved to be mistakes).
For ideas about how to be successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Language
"Language exerts hidden power, like a moon on the tides."
Alcaeus (fl. 611-580 BC) Greek poet, satirist
What kind of language do you use when you are talking about yourself? What kind to you use when you are talking about others? Our words have much more power than we realize. We casually make comments that devestate people, or make their day. It's important to make sure our brain is engaged before we put our mouth in gear.
Through your words that you excersise your creative power. It is how you create. The question is are you creating good things or bad things based on what you are saying. The human mind is a fertile ground for the seeds (ideas, feelings etc) that it has been prepared for. If the seeds of fear are planted in your mind, what will grow there, and what will it do to you?
In order to create good results in your life, it is important to pay attention to the words you use. Only say good things, both about yourself and about others. Saying bad things about others is really a sin against yourself for we are all one. Avoid gossip like the plague; never say anything about anyone that you would not say to their face. Your language excerts hidden power; so use it to your best advantage.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Alcaeus (fl. 611-580 BC) Greek poet, satirist
What kind of language do you use when you are talking about yourself? What kind to you use when you are talking about others? Our words have much more power than we realize. We casually make comments that devestate people, or make their day. It's important to make sure our brain is engaged before we put our mouth in gear.
Through your words that you excersise your creative power. It is how you create. The question is are you creating good things or bad things based on what you are saying. The human mind is a fertile ground for the seeds (ideas, feelings etc) that it has been prepared for. If the seeds of fear are planted in your mind, what will grow there, and what will it do to you?
In order to create good results in your life, it is important to pay attention to the words you use. Only say good things, both about yourself and about others. Saying bad things about others is really a sin against yourself for we are all one. Avoid gossip like the plague; never say anything about anyone that you would not say to their face. Your language excerts hidden power; so use it to your best advantage.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Instincts
"Follow your instincts. That's where true wisdom manifests itself."
Oprah Winfrey
Do you follow your instincts, or do you do what logic suggests? People often talk themselves out of success, out of doing what their instincts tell them that they really should. They ask "What if..." They think of all the possible problems that might come up, and whether they would be able to deal with them. They decide they're not capable. They start to wonder if it's worth it. They don't know how they're going to do it. So they don't.
We always are making choices. Sometimes your logic and your instincts tell you to do the same thing. But sometimes they disagree. The problem with doing as logic suggests is that you are limited to the methods, and imagined consequences, that your experience suggests.
Your instincts are Universe's way, with it's infinite experience, of advising you what is best for you. They are the Universe's way of guiding you towards success. They are where true wisdom manifests itself. Follow your instincts, not your logic.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Oprah Winfrey
Do you follow your instincts, or do you do what logic suggests? People often talk themselves out of success, out of doing what their instincts tell them that they really should. They ask "What if..." They think of all the possible problems that might come up, and whether they would be able to deal with them. They decide they're not capable. They start to wonder if it's worth it. They don't know how they're going to do it. So they don't.
We always are making choices. Sometimes your logic and your instincts tell you to do the same thing. But sometimes they disagree. The problem with doing as logic suggests is that you are limited to the methods, and imagined consequences, that your experience suggests.
Your instincts are Universe's way, with it's infinite experience, of advising you what is best for you. They are the Universe's way of guiding you towards success. They are where true wisdom manifests itself. Follow your instincts, not your logic.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Friday, December 12, 2008
In the Mood
“I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that.
Your mind must know it has got to get down to work. ”
Pearl S Buck
Do you wait until you are in the mood to work? Are you ever actually in the mood to work? Usually there are much more interesting diversions just waiting to distract us. It is easier to be in the mood to watch TV than it is to be in the mood to work. This is especially true if your work is not something you enjoy because you are very good at it. Some of us would rather do just about anything other than our work. Some of us prefer to put off doing our work for as long as possible.
If you wait until you feel like getting down to work, chances are you'll be waiting for a very long time. You need to take control and tell your mind that it is time to get working. You must simply decide to start working and commit to it. Just get started. Once you get started, it will be more and more easy to continue and before you know it, your work will be done. You'll feel much better when you have kept your promise to yourself to do what you know you should, and when you get your work finished promptly because you started promptly.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Your mind must know it has got to get down to work. ”
Pearl S Buck
Do you wait until you are in the mood to work? Are you ever actually in the mood to work? Usually there are much more interesting diversions just waiting to distract us. It is easier to be in the mood to watch TV than it is to be in the mood to work. This is especially true if your work is not something you enjoy because you are very good at it. Some of us would rather do just about anything other than our work. Some of us prefer to put off doing our work for as long as possible.
If you wait until you feel like getting down to work, chances are you'll be waiting for a very long time. You need to take control and tell your mind that it is time to get working. You must simply decide to start working and commit to it. Just get started. Once you get started, it will be more and more easy to continue and before you know it, your work will be done. You'll feel much better when you have kept your promise to yourself to do what you know you should, and when you get your work finished promptly because you started promptly.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Escape
"I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they plan their lives. Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change."
Jim Rohn
Are you running away from your life situation? Most of us trudge drearily through our work, thanking God when it's Friday, and longing for it to be vacation time. We are only working so that we can get enough money to do fun things later. Not many people can say that they truly enjoy their work so much that they would do it for free. Not many people enjoy their work so much that they thank God when it's Monday and could skip their vacation time.
It is, of course, those few people who are the really successful ones. When you truly enjoy your work, it shows. You not only do a better job of it, but you persuade other people that you do, so that they will support you in it. Your life will be more meaningful when you take the time to determine what you really want to accomplish in life.
For those of us who don't truly enjoy our work, and probably don't know what kind of work we really would enjoy, we have relatively meaningless lives. We don't like the way we're living but, for whatever reason, aren't willing to work to change it. It could be that we're afraid to "rock the boat" by taking risks. We might think that this kind of life is all we're capable or deserving of.
So we plan our vacation and dream of escape. After all, first of all it's easy to see why we deserve our vacation, and second of all, it's a lot less risky to plan a vacation than to plan a life. Escape is easier than change. It's also a whole lot less rewarding.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Jim Rohn
Are you running away from your life situation? Most of us trudge drearily through our work, thanking God when it's Friday, and longing for it to be vacation time. We are only working so that we can get enough money to do fun things later. Not many people can say that they truly enjoy their work so much that they would do it for free. Not many people enjoy their work so much that they thank God when it's Monday and could skip their vacation time.
It is, of course, those few people who are the really successful ones. When you truly enjoy your work, it shows. You not only do a better job of it, but you persuade other people that you do, so that they will support you in it. Your life will be more meaningful when you take the time to determine what you really want to accomplish in life.
For those of us who don't truly enjoy our work, and probably don't know what kind of work we really would enjoy, we have relatively meaningless lives. We don't like the way we're living but, for whatever reason, aren't willing to work to change it. It could be that we're afraid to "rock the boat" by taking risks. We might think that this kind of life is all we're capable or deserving of.
So we plan our vacation and dream of escape. After all, first of all it's easy to see why we deserve our vacation, and second of all, it's a lot less risky to plan a vacation than to plan a life. Escape is easier than change. It's also a whole lot less rewarding.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Letting Go
"Sometimes you've got to let everything go - purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything - whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self comes out."
Tina Turner
What are you holding onto, that's making you unhappy? Are you holding onto the beleif that you're fat, or not too bright, or not too loveable? My mother tends to be pessimistic and she told me "that's just the way I am". That is really an excuse to hold on to a self-image. Her ego has control of her mind and wants to preserve and enlarge itself in any way possible, even if it means keeping her feeling bad. She would rather be right than be happy. Do you know someone like that? Is that you?
Did you know that your thoughts and emotions are not you. You can actually let them go. You can cast them off forever. The truth is that you are like one of those great big statues of Buddha made of shining gold, that has been covered up with all the dirt and muck of the jungle. Once you get rid of the dirt and muck (all the thoughts and emotions that make you unhappy) the shining gold that is really you will be revealed in all its glory. It is when you are free of the muck that your true self shines through. Then your true creativity becomes accessible to you.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Tina Turner
What are you holding onto, that's making you unhappy? Are you holding onto the beleif that you're fat, or not too bright, or not too loveable? My mother tends to be pessimistic and she told me "that's just the way I am". That is really an excuse to hold on to a self-image. Her ego has control of her mind and wants to preserve and enlarge itself in any way possible, even if it means keeping her feeling bad. She would rather be right than be happy. Do you know someone like that? Is that you?
Did you know that your thoughts and emotions are not you. You can actually let them go. You can cast them off forever. The truth is that you are like one of those great big statues of Buddha made of shining gold, that has been covered up with all the dirt and muck of the jungle. Once you get rid of the dirt and muck (all the thoughts and emotions that make you unhappy) the shining gold that is really you will be revealed in all its glory. It is when you are free of the muck that your true self shines through. Then your true creativity becomes accessible to you.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Monday, December 8, 2008
What You Have
"To be upset over what you don't have is to waste what you do have."
Kim S. Keyes Jr
Do you fret over all the things that you don't have? Do you think it's unfair that your neighbor has a fancy new car and you're stuck driving a cheap used car with air conditioning that doesn't work? Do you wish that you had enough money to go on exotic vacations? Most of us do. Perhaps it starts with when we were little and we were constantly told that we can't have everything we want. Then we see other people who have it and think that it's unfair. What makes them so much better than me? We never learned that nothing makes them better than us except for the quality of their thoughts; and that is something we can always improve too.
The best way to improve our thoughts is to think about all the wonderful things that are already in our lives. Sure you might have a cheap, used car, but it works well enough to get you where you need to go. You don't have to sit waiting for a bus to come by that takes a long time and doesn't go directly to your destination. The truth is that you are lucky to have a car at all, and you know it. You just forget it when you see the fancy cars that some other people drive.
It's very important to appreciate the things that we do have. Everyone has all kinds of blessings in their life. It often helps to forget about other people and what they have. Don't compare yourself to them. Just look at the things in your life and how your life is made better by them. What if you didn't have them? Be grateful for all the good things in your life, and more will show up.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Kim S. Keyes Jr
Do you fret over all the things that you don't have? Do you think it's unfair that your neighbor has a fancy new car and you're stuck driving a cheap used car with air conditioning that doesn't work? Do you wish that you had enough money to go on exotic vacations? Most of us do. Perhaps it starts with when we were little and we were constantly told that we can't have everything we want. Then we see other people who have it and think that it's unfair. What makes them so much better than me? We never learned that nothing makes them better than us except for the quality of their thoughts; and that is something we can always improve too.
The best way to improve our thoughts is to think about all the wonderful things that are already in our lives. Sure you might have a cheap, used car, but it works well enough to get you where you need to go. You don't have to sit waiting for a bus to come by that takes a long time and doesn't go directly to your destination. The truth is that you are lucky to have a car at all, and you know it. You just forget it when you see the fancy cars that some other people drive.
It's very important to appreciate the things that we do have. Everyone has all kinds of blessings in their life. It often helps to forget about other people and what they have. Don't compare yourself to them. Just look at the things in your life and how your life is made better by them. What if you didn't have them? Be grateful for all the good things in your life, and more will show up.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Destinations
"What you get by reaching your destination is not nearly as important as what you will become by reaching your destination."
-Zig Ziglar
We tend to define success by the things that a successful person has. We think "I will be successful when I have...". It could be a waterfront condo. It could be a spouse who picks up after themselves. It could be an Olympic gold medal. Or it could be something else. We think "I will be successful when..." It could be when I have landed on the moon. It could be when I write my novel and it gets published. It could be when I graduate from school. Or it could be something else. Whatever our goals are, we see success as something that we have or we do. We see success as being an end result. When we do this, or have that, then we will know that we have made it.
But we are missing the point. Real success is having the character and talents to do or have whatever it is that we want. Because even if that thing that we succeeded in getting is taken away, which it quite possibly will be, we will still be the kind of person who can get it again. Even if what we have done doesn't give us the results we want, we will still be the kind of person who can do it again and get better results next time. The kind of talent and character that allows us to duplicate our "successes" can only be derived from "succeeding" the first time. It can only be derived from reaching our destination.
It is not the destination that we have reached that is important. The really important thing is the person we have become in the act of reaching it. The better a person we become, the higher the peaks we can climb. Success is a process. It gets better and better.
For ideas about how to become truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
-Zig Ziglar
We tend to define success by the things that a successful person has. We think "I will be successful when I have...". It could be a waterfront condo. It could be a spouse who picks up after themselves. It could be an Olympic gold medal. Or it could be something else. We think "I will be successful when..." It could be when I have landed on the moon. It could be when I write my novel and it gets published. It could be when I graduate from school. Or it could be something else. Whatever our goals are, we see success as something that we have or we do. We see success as being an end result. When we do this, or have that, then we will know that we have made it.
But we are missing the point. Real success is having the character and talents to do or have whatever it is that we want. Because even if that thing that we succeeded in getting is taken away, which it quite possibly will be, we will still be the kind of person who can get it again. Even if what we have done doesn't give us the results we want, we will still be the kind of person who can do it again and get better results next time. The kind of talent and character that allows us to duplicate our "successes" can only be derived from "succeeding" the first time. It can only be derived from reaching our destination.
It is not the destination that we have reached that is important. The really important thing is the person we have become in the act of reaching it. The better a person we become, the higher the peaks we can climb. Success is a process. It gets better and better.
For ideas about how to become truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Joy
"We find greatest joy, not in getting, but in expressing what we are...Men do not really live for honors or for pay; their gladness is not the taking and holding, but in doing, the striving, the building, the living. It is a higher joy to teach than to be taught. It is good to get justice, but better to do it; fun to have things but more to make them. The happy man is he who lives the life of love, not for the honors it may bring, but for the life itself."
R. J. Baughan
We are always talking about how happy we will be when we get..." That is bad, first of all because we are telling ourselves that we can only be happy at some time in the future, never today. But it also misses the point. Happiness is not about what we get. It is about who we are and what we do. If you stop to make a list about what really makes you happy in life, you will realize that most of those things are not material acquisitions, or even ones like the love of another person.
Because most of us only know conditional love, we need the love of another person as a way to validate our own self-worth. Almost all of us judge our worth by how much other people like us. The love of another person does not make us happy as much as it brings us relief. When it comes down to it, it is the act of loving another person that makes us feel happy and worthwhile, not having that other person love us. We only really appreciate this when we perform an altruistic act. Then we know that it's true.
It is the acts of loving, giving, and creating that make us truly happy. We were born to be the givers, not the receivers. We were born to be active, not passive. We were born to grow, to live our lives with enjoyment and enthusiasm. This is what makes us happy.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
R. J. Baughan
We are always talking about how happy we will be when we get..." That is bad, first of all because we are telling ourselves that we can only be happy at some time in the future, never today. But it also misses the point. Happiness is not about what we get. It is about who we are and what we do. If you stop to make a list about what really makes you happy in life, you will realize that most of those things are not material acquisitions, or even ones like the love of another person.
Because most of us only know conditional love, we need the love of another person as a way to validate our own self-worth. Almost all of us judge our worth by how much other people like us. The love of another person does not make us happy as much as it brings us relief. When it comes down to it, it is the act of loving another person that makes us feel happy and worthwhile, not having that other person love us. We only really appreciate this when we perform an altruistic act. Then we know that it's true.
It is the acts of loving, giving, and creating that make us truly happy. We were born to be the givers, not the receivers. We were born to be active, not passive. We were born to grow, to live our lives with enjoyment and enthusiasm. This is what makes us happy.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Friday, December 5, 2008
Goals
"Before you begin a thing remind yourself that difficulties and delays quite impossible to foresee are ahead. You can only see one thing clearly, and that is your goal. Form a mental vision of that and cling to it through thick and thin."
Kathleen Norris
Are you one of those people who, when faced with a decision to act on something, try to imagine all the possible difficulties and delays that could happen with either option and how to deal with them, and get so overwhelmed that they can't get started. This is a very ineffective way of trying to get things done. The truth is that you can't foresee what difficulties and delays are going to happen; if you knew what to expect in the future, life would be very easy but also extremely dull and boring. By focusing on bad things that might happen, you are actually attracting all the things you don't want to happen too.
It is much better to focus on the one thing that you do have control over; clarifying your goal and forming a mental vision of it. Although you don't know what the future will bring, you do know what you want to happen in the end. When you know what you want to happen, you will be better able to find solutions to problems that come up and you will be more aware of the resources for acheiving your goal that were in your environment all along. Never lose sight of your goal. When your eyes are on the sunlight, you don't notice the shadows.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Kathleen Norris
Are you one of those people who, when faced with a decision to act on something, try to imagine all the possible difficulties and delays that could happen with either option and how to deal with them, and get so overwhelmed that they can't get started. This is a very ineffective way of trying to get things done. The truth is that you can't foresee what difficulties and delays are going to happen; if you knew what to expect in the future, life would be very easy but also extremely dull and boring. By focusing on bad things that might happen, you are actually attracting all the things you don't want to happen too.
It is much better to focus on the one thing that you do have control over; clarifying your goal and forming a mental vision of it. Although you don't know what the future will bring, you do know what you want to happen in the end. When you know what you want to happen, you will be better able to find solutions to problems that come up and you will be more aware of the resources for acheiving your goal that were in your environment all along. Never lose sight of your goal. When your eyes are on the sunlight, you don't notice the shadows.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Timing
"I learned that we can do anything, but we can't do everything.. at least not at the same time. So think of your priorities not in terms of what activities you do, but when you do them. Timing is everything."
Dan Millman
Are you good at prioritizing, or do you just feel overwhelmed at all the things you thnk you need to do. How do you make decisions about what activities you need to do now, what activities you need to do later, and what activities you really don't need to do at all? The first thing you need to do is to determine what is important to you. What do you value? What do you value most of all, that you would be really unhappy if it were missing in your life. What is your mission, your purpose in life? What are your goals? Until you can answer all of these questions, prioritizing your activities is going to be very hard because you won't have a benchmark to judge their importance against.
Once you have determined what your priorities are, what actions are most important for you to take, then you need to determine when to take them. After you get rid of the unimportant activities in your life, you'll have much more room to fit in the important ones. Which of those have to be done right now or they will lose their value? Which of them can be done later and still be worthwhile? How worthwhile will they be tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next year? Make sure you do the most important and urgent activities first. Then do things based on how much value they will lose over time. Once you've identified priorities, timing is everything.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Dan Millman
Are you good at prioritizing, or do you just feel overwhelmed at all the things you thnk you need to do. How do you make decisions about what activities you need to do now, what activities you need to do later, and what activities you really don't need to do at all? The first thing you need to do is to determine what is important to you. What do you value? What do you value most of all, that you would be really unhappy if it were missing in your life. What is your mission, your purpose in life? What are your goals? Until you can answer all of these questions, prioritizing your activities is going to be very hard because you won't have a benchmark to judge their importance against.
Once you have determined what your priorities are, what actions are most important for you to take, then you need to determine when to take them. After you get rid of the unimportant activities in your life, you'll have much more room to fit in the important ones. Which of those have to be done right now or they will lose their value? Which of them can be done later and still be worthwhile? How worthwhile will they be tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next year? Make sure you do the most important and urgent activities first. Then do things based on how much value they will lose over time. Once you've identified priorities, timing is everything.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Monday, December 1, 2008
Excuses
"Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what they want to,
when all they need is one reason why they can."
Martha Graham
Are you good at coming up with excuses why something won't work. You probably don't see them as excuses, but as explanations. You think you're just facing reality. "The economy is really bad after all, the reports from the media prove that, so I can't possibly sell enough products to make the amount of money I want to."
Of course, the reports from the media don't give you the whole story. You will never hear from them about the people whose businesses are actually improving this year, or about those people who made their fortune during the Great Depression. And you certainly won't hear on the mainstream media about how they did that. The way they did that is by finding at the one reason why they could succeed. They saw the opportunities that the other people didn't see because they thought the situation was hopeless and that there was nothing to do but pull back and wait for it to pass.
This is, of course, just one example of how people find excuses not to succeed. But it happens in all areas of our life. We find excuses whenever we blame outside circumstances for our lack of success. It's always the fault of something else (the economy in our example). Most of us have a great difficulty admitting that we are responsible for everything that happens to us. But that is the reality. Even when something happens that we don't like, we can improve our situation simply by changing our attitude and perception about it, and thereby our reactions.
All we need is one reason to succeed. All we need is one reason why we can. The one reason why we can succeed when everyone around us is failing is because we know we are responsible for everything that happens to us, and that we always have control over what happens, or at the least over how we react to it. The best reason why we can succeed is that we beleive in our ability to cope with any situation, no matter how bad it seems at first.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
when all they need is one reason why they can."
Martha Graham
Are you good at coming up with excuses why something won't work. You probably don't see them as excuses, but as explanations. You think you're just facing reality. "The economy is really bad after all, the reports from the media prove that, so I can't possibly sell enough products to make the amount of money I want to."
Of course, the reports from the media don't give you the whole story. You will never hear from them about the people whose businesses are actually improving this year, or about those people who made their fortune during the Great Depression. And you certainly won't hear on the mainstream media about how they did that. The way they did that is by finding at the one reason why they could succeed. They saw the opportunities that the other people didn't see because they thought the situation was hopeless and that there was nothing to do but pull back and wait for it to pass.
This is, of course, just one example of how people find excuses not to succeed. But it happens in all areas of our life. We find excuses whenever we blame outside circumstances for our lack of success. It's always the fault of something else (the economy in our example). Most of us have a great difficulty admitting that we are responsible for everything that happens to us. But that is the reality. Even when something happens that we don't like, we can improve our situation simply by changing our attitude and perception about it, and thereby our reactions.
All we need is one reason to succeed. All we need is one reason why we can. The one reason why we can succeed when everyone around us is failing is because we know we are responsible for everything that happens to us, and that we always have control over what happens, or at the least over how we react to it. The best reason why we can succeed is that we beleive in our ability to cope with any situation, no matter how bad it seems at first.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
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