"It's good to have money and the things money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things money can't buy."
George Horace Lormier
We all want more money. We want more of the things that money can buy. We want the beautiful house, the fancy car, the fine clothes, the best toys, the exotic vacations. We want more stuff sometimes because we think it will impress the neighbors that we are better people. Some of us associate having more things with being a better person. But that just doesn't hold water.
There is a reason for us to want more money. It allows us to be more of what we are. Depending on our personality and attitudes, that could be a good thing or a bad thing. Money does give us more choices about what we can do or have. But it does not give us anything. As the song goes "the best things in life are free". Our greatest blessings are freely available to all of us. But only if we notice them. There's a good reason why we need to "stop and smell the roses".
Often in our blind pursuit of money and things, we ignore the blessings that we already have. We ignore our relationships with others. We ignore the simple pleasures of a beautiful sunset or a soft breeze or warm sunshine. We just take them for granted. And in doing that we devalue them. We only realize just how valuable they are when they go away.
A truly successful person has lots of money and lots of things. But they never lose sight of all those wonderful things all around them that money can't buy and so are literally priceless.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Decision
"A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided."
Tony Robbins
There are a variety of ways that people go about making a decision. Some of us make a quick decision and take action on a new situation right away. Some of us think we need more information. Some of us make a decision; but hesitate because we aren't quite sure it is indeed the best one. Some of us don't have faith in our ability to make wise choices. Some of us leave the decision up to somebody else; waiting for someone to tell us what to do. Some of us avoid the question by just continuing to do the same thing as they did before.
We are continually making choices and decisions. We are continually deciding what to do next. If we don't decide, or if we leave the decision up to someone else, that too is a choice we have made. If we decide to do nothing at all, that is a choice. But those choices are not good, productive choices. A real decision is followed by a real action. An unsure decision is followed by a tentative action. And a non-decision is follwed by no action.
Only a real decision leads to eventual success. Success requires you to take a new action, to do something differently. You may know what you need to do in order to succeed, and so think you have decided what you will do. But untill you actually do it, you haven't really decided. You haven't committed yourself to change. To know what to do isn't enough. In order to succeed, you must actually take a new action so that the Universe knows that you have decided that you want to be successful and this is how you might go about it. Once you have done your part by making a decision and taking action towards what you want, the Universe will do it's part and give you your success.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Tony Robbins
There are a variety of ways that people go about making a decision. Some of us make a quick decision and take action on a new situation right away. Some of us think we need more information. Some of us make a decision; but hesitate because we aren't quite sure it is indeed the best one. Some of us don't have faith in our ability to make wise choices. Some of us leave the decision up to somebody else; waiting for someone to tell us what to do. Some of us avoid the question by just continuing to do the same thing as they did before.
We are continually making choices and decisions. We are continually deciding what to do next. If we don't decide, or if we leave the decision up to someone else, that too is a choice we have made. If we decide to do nothing at all, that is a choice. But those choices are not good, productive choices. A real decision is followed by a real action. An unsure decision is followed by a tentative action. And a non-decision is follwed by no action.
Only a real decision leads to eventual success. Success requires you to take a new action, to do something differently. You may know what you need to do in order to succeed, and so think you have decided what you will do. But untill you actually do it, you haven't really decided. You haven't committed yourself to change. To know what to do isn't enough. In order to succeed, you must actually take a new action so that the Universe knows that you have decided that you want to be successful and this is how you might go about it. Once you have done your part by making a decision and taking action towards what you want, the Universe will do it's part and give you your success.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Fun
" There is no way around it. You absolutely must have fun. Without fun, there is no enthusiasm. Without enthusiasm, there is no energy. Without energy, there are only shades of gray."
Doug Hall
Are we having fun yet? Do you even know how to have fun? Some of us are so removed from fun that we don't even know how to have fun any more. We are so concerned about doing our work and fulfilling the expectations of the people around us. We are concerned with being "good". Our life has become a daily grind of doing what other people want us to do in the way that they want it done. We complain about not getting to do what we want, and we feel like victims.
But it doesn't have to be that way. The Oxford dictionary defines fun as something that is not serious. To me, this is what makes fun so important. It means that you can relax and experiment with different things safely. Fun is the act of discovering your capabilities, of learning that you have capabilities you didn't know you had. It is the significant part of play because the purpose of playing is to learn a lot about yourself in a situation where making a mistake is not a matter of life-and-death. Play is not just for children, and neither should having fun be.
We all need to find time to play and to have fun. We were put on earth to learn and grow and playing allows us to do that safely and without risk. Life is not worth living if we never get to find out that we can do more than we thought we could and how to do things even better. It is just existing, without enthusiasm, excitement, and energy. Without fun, there is no energy, and without energy, life has no color but only shades of grey.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Doug Hall
Are we having fun yet? Do you even know how to have fun? Some of us are so removed from fun that we don't even know how to have fun any more. We are so concerned about doing our work and fulfilling the expectations of the people around us. We are concerned with being "good". Our life has become a daily grind of doing what other people want us to do in the way that they want it done. We complain about not getting to do what we want, and we feel like victims.
But it doesn't have to be that way. The Oxford dictionary defines fun as something that is not serious. To me, this is what makes fun so important. It means that you can relax and experiment with different things safely. Fun is the act of discovering your capabilities, of learning that you have capabilities you didn't know you had. It is the significant part of play because the purpose of playing is to learn a lot about yourself in a situation where making a mistake is not a matter of life-and-death. Play is not just for children, and neither should having fun be.
We all need to find time to play and to have fun. We were put on earth to learn and grow and playing allows us to do that safely and without risk. Life is not worth living if we never get to find out that we can do more than we thought we could and how to do things even better. It is just existing, without enthusiasm, excitement, and energy. Without fun, there is no energy, and without energy, life has no color but only shades of grey.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Life
"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."
Neale Donald Walsch
We are so afraid of stepping outside our comfort zone. Indeed our brain trys to make sure we don't by sending us warning signals in feelings of fear or anxiety, or a "nervous stomach". Of course, it is just trying to protect us from doing something dangerous by asking us to think carefully about what we are doing first. But we almost always treat those warning signals as a reason not do anything differently from what we are used to.
We want to be comfortable, secure in our knowledge that things will work out because they always have worked out. Of course the only time this happens is when you are doing the same things you always did, and even then it only happens if the circumstances are the same as the last time you did it. That's not very often. The truth is that we can never guarantee for very long that things will work out.
In real life circumstances are always changing, and if we are to keep on being successful our actions need to change as they do. If we insist on staying in our comfort zone and doing the things that always used to work, we will soon be swept up by the tides of change, unable to adapt. All kinds of businesses have failed because they didn't adapt to new markets and new technologies. They stayed in their comfort zone and they paid the price.
It is essential to get over our fear of the unknown. The only way to do this is to actually face our fears and take action anyway. Your comfort zone is a prison with gilded walls. You are stuck, not being able to do anything about your fears because you are afraid to do something new and different. We must get used to being uncomfortable if we are to truly live. To stay comfortable is not only to never learn and grow, it is to fail and die.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Neale Donald Walsch
We are so afraid of stepping outside our comfort zone. Indeed our brain trys to make sure we don't by sending us warning signals in feelings of fear or anxiety, or a "nervous stomach". Of course, it is just trying to protect us from doing something dangerous by asking us to think carefully about what we are doing first. But we almost always treat those warning signals as a reason not do anything differently from what we are used to.
We want to be comfortable, secure in our knowledge that things will work out because they always have worked out. Of course the only time this happens is when you are doing the same things you always did, and even then it only happens if the circumstances are the same as the last time you did it. That's not very often. The truth is that we can never guarantee for very long that things will work out.
In real life circumstances are always changing, and if we are to keep on being successful our actions need to change as they do. If we insist on staying in our comfort zone and doing the things that always used to work, we will soon be swept up by the tides of change, unable to adapt. All kinds of businesses have failed because they didn't adapt to new markets and new technologies. They stayed in their comfort zone and they paid the price.
It is essential to get over our fear of the unknown. The only way to do this is to actually face our fears and take action anyway. Your comfort zone is a prison with gilded walls. You are stuck, not being able to do anything about your fears because you are afraid to do something new and different. We must get used to being uncomfortable if we are to truly live. To stay comfortable is not only to never learn and grow, it is to fail and die.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Friday, June 26, 2009
Delegate
"Focus your messages on the results you expect, not on the methods for doing the job."
Marty Brounstein
We are often not very good at delegating. We think that our way of doing the job is the only way, so we make sure that the person doing the job is told to do it our way. We try to micromanage them. And we learn the hard way, that this does not end up producing the best job possible. People don't like to be told what to do. They feel that their intelligence is insulted, that you think that they are too stupid to figure out how to do the job themselves. They feel that you can't trust them to do a good job. And they resent that you have decided that your way of doing things is (automatically) better than theirs.
We learn that the best thing to do is to tell people what result we want and let them figure out the best way to do it. After all, your way might be too difficult or inefficient for them whereas they could figure out a way to do it that works much better for them. We also find that if we let them come up with their own way of obtaining the results they want, they will be much more committed to the process. They will be challenged to come up with the best method for doing it that they can, and thus they will do the best job they can.
There is a parallel here with the Universe working to do the job that you want it to. We aren't good at delegating this either. We are constantly trying to figure out how the Universe is supposed to do it's job. We have forgotten the value of just telling the Universe what result we want and letting it figure out how to do the job best. When we learn to delegate properly the job we want done, it will be done in the best possible way; probably much better than any way you could have thought of.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Marty Brounstein
We are often not very good at delegating. We think that our way of doing the job is the only way, so we make sure that the person doing the job is told to do it our way. We try to micromanage them. And we learn the hard way, that this does not end up producing the best job possible. People don't like to be told what to do. They feel that their intelligence is insulted, that you think that they are too stupid to figure out how to do the job themselves. They feel that you can't trust them to do a good job. And they resent that you have decided that your way of doing things is (automatically) better than theirs.
We learn that the best thing to do is to tell people what result we want and let them figure out the best way to do it. After all, your way might be too difficult or inefficient for them whereas they could figure out a way to do it that works much better for them. We also find that if we let them come up with their own way of obtaining the results they want, they will be much more committed to the process. They will be challenged to come up with the best method for doing it that they can, and thus they will do the best job they can.
There is a parallel here with the Universe working to do the job that you want it to. We aren't good at delegating this either. We are constantly trying to figure out how the Universe is supposed to do it's job. We have forgotten the value of just telling the Universe what result we want and letting it figure out how to do the job best. When we learn to delegate properly the job we want done, it will be done in the best possible way; probably much better than any way you could have thought of.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Team Work
"The important thing to recognize is that it takes a team, and the team ought to get credit for the wins and the losses. Successes have many fathers, failures have none."
Philip Caldwell
We often assume that we should be able to be successful all by ourselves. Independance is valued very much in our society. Americans should be able to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps". We should not rely on handouts from the government. Well, this isn't entirely true. One person just can't be everything to everyone. Too many different personality traits are needed. Really successful people always have a team of people behind them, helping them.
If someone wants to run a business for example, in order to do that they would need both to be able to come up with lots of great ideas all the time and also be able to make solid practical plans about how to implement them. Few people have both those skills, so most successful companies are actually partnerships. Each partner covers the weaknesses of the other. There are many ways of course for the strength of one partner to compensate for the weakness of the other.
The other problem with trying to do everything by yourself is that you simply can't know everything. It is enormously beneficial to have a group of people with different experience and areas of expertise to advise you when you aren't quite sure about how to proceed. This is what a mastermind group is.
Sometimes you can even just think about one or more great person and ask what they would have done in your situation. A classic example of this is "What would Jesus do?"
The truth is that we all depend on other people for all the successes in our life, much as we would like to beleive that we did it all by ourselves. The man who makes a successful parachute jump must thank the man who packed the parachute in the plane. We don't do anything completely by ourselves so whenever possible we must acknowledge the people who helped us. And if we want to be really successful, we must purposely gather a team of people around us who can really help us get the job done.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Philip Caldwell
We often assume that we should be able to be successful all by ourselves. Independance is valued very much in our society. Americans should be able to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps". We should not rely on handouts from the government. Well, this isn't entirely true. One person just can't be everything to everyone. Too many different personality traits are needed. Really successful people always have a team of people behind them, helping them.
If someone wants to run a business for example, in order to do that they would need both to be able to come up with lots of great ideas all the time and also be able to make solid practical plans about how to implement them. Few people have both those skills, so most successful companies are actually partnerships. Each partner covers the weaknesses of the other. There are many ways of course for the strength of one partner to compensate for the weakness of the other.
The other problem with trying to do everything by yourself is that you simply can't know everything. It is enormously beneficial to have a group of people with different experience and areas of expertise to advise you when you aren't quite sure about how to proceed. This is what a mastermind group is.
Sometimes you can even just think about one or more great person and ask what they would have done in your situation. A classic example of this is "What would Jesus do?"
The truth is that we all depend on other people for all the successes in our life, much as we would like to beleive that we did it all by ourselves. The man who makes a successful parachute jump must thank the man who packed the parachute in the plane. We don't do anything completely by ourselves so whenever possible we must acknowledge the people who helped us. And if we want to be really successful, we must purposely gather a team of people around us who can really help us get the job done.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Change
"If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it."
Mary Engelbreit
As Eckhart Tolle says, there are really only three sane choices you have when you run across something you don't want. You can run away from it; leave the situation if that is possible. That is how some people deal with unwanted things by habit. They escape either physically or mentally (by distracting themselves with drugs, food, TV, or whatever else they can find). But physical escape is sometimes impossible, and mental escape is undesirable because it often leads to addictions, often to unhealthy substances.
The second choice is to change something by either taking action, or by speaking out. This is usually the best option if it is possible, but often it is not possible for you to change what is there. Sometimes you have no say in the matter, and nothing you can do will make a difference to it. And if you can't change whatever it is that you don't like, and can't run away from it, there is only one other option.
The only other sane choice you have is to accept the situation. Of course most of us at typically choose to complain and blame, but that is not a sane choice because it just makes you into a victim. You must change the way you think about a situation. Ask yourself what you can learn from it. Realize that it is there to teach you something about yourself. Find the hidden opportunity. Turn lemons into lemonade. That's the best way to deal with things you don't like and can't do anything about.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Mary Engelbreit
As Eckhart Tolle says, there are really only three sane choices you have when you run across something you don't want. You can run away from it; leave the situation if that is possible. That is how some people deal with unwanted things by habit. They escape either physically or mentally (by distracting themselves with drugs, food, TV, or whatever else they can find). But physical escape is sometimes impossible, and mental escape is undesirable because it often leads to addictions, often to unhealthy substances.
The second choice is to change something by either taking action, or by speaking out. This is usually the best option if it is possible, but often it is not possible for you to change what is there. Sometimes you have no say in the matter, and nothing you can do will make a difference to it. And if you can't change whatever it is that you don't like, and can't run away from it, there is only one other option.
The only other sane choice you have is to accept the situation. Of course most of us at typically choose to complain and blame, but that is not a sane choice because it just makes you into a victim. You must change the way you think about a situation. Ask yourself what you can learn from it. Realize that it is there to teach you something about yourself. Find the hidden opportunity. Turn lemons into lemonade. That's the best way to deal with things you don't like and can't do anything about.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Prosperity
"Prosperity is not just having things. It is the consciousness that attracts the things. Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just having money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things."
Eric Butterworth
People always have defined prosperity as having things. This is probably because our egos are doing the talking. The ego can never have enough things, because those things that we identify with (we call our own) strengthen it. We tend to go so far as to define ourself as a person who has ... But that is, of course, not who we are. Our real self doesn't change whether we live in a mansion or in a shack. Our real self never passes judgment on what we should or shouldn't have, or what we do have.
Prosperity is not just having things. Many people have had plenty of everything, yet they were still miserable, perhaps even enough to commit suicide. That's not wealth. Many other people have struggled to find food and shelter, yet were happy. That's not poverty. Wealth and poverty depend on how you see the world around you. If you see all the blessings around you, you'll be prosperous, even if those blessings just include sunlight, rain, and plants you can dig up and eat. If you see all the things that you don't have yet, then you are living in a state of poverty, no matter how many things you have in real life.
Wealth and poverty are a state of mind. They depend on how much you think you have, not on how much you actually do have. Choose to focus on all the things you do have instead of on all those things that you don't have yet. Choose to be prosperous, no matter what your circumstances are.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Eric Butterworth
People always have defined prosperity as having things. This is probably because our egos are doing the talking. The ego can never have enough things, because those things that we identify with (we call our own) strengthen it. We tend to go so far as to define ourself as a person who has ... But that is, of course, not who we are. Our real self doesn't change whether we live in a mansion or in a shack. Our real self never passes judgment on what we should or shouldn't have, or what we do have.
Prosperity is not just having things. Many people have had plenty of everything, yet they were still miserable, perhaps even enough to commit suicide. That's not wealth. Many other people have struggled to find food and shelter, yet were happy. That's not poverty. Wealth and poverty depend on how you see the world around you. If you see all the blessings around you, you'll be prosperous, even if those blessings just include sunlight, rain, and plants you can dig up and eat. If you see all the things that you don't have yet, then you are living in a state of poverty, no matter how many things you have in real life.
Wealth and poverty are a state of mind. They depend on how much you think you have, not on how much you actually do have. Choose to focus on all the things you do have instead of on all those things that you don't have yet. Choose to be prosperous, no matter what your circumstances are.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Monday, June 22, 2009
Time
"Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both
useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the
worth of time by employing it well."
Louisa May Alcott
We've all heard the quote "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", but I suspect few of us have really listened to it. Many of us are workaholics and never leave time for play, except perhaps when we go on vacation. We feel guilty whenever we aren't working. We have always been taught that in order to have a good life, we must work as hard as we can. We have always associated success with hard work.
On the other hand, we sometimes think that life is just a big game. "Girls just want to have fun". For us, it's all about self-gratification and pleasures that are quick and easy. We are sometimes lazy and don't want to struggle with anything. Sometimes we wonder whether all that hard work will really bring us the things we want in life, or bring them soon enough.
In order to have true meaningful success in life, we must make time for both work and play, regularily every day or every week. We must play in our play time, and work in our work time, not diffusing them by trying to do both at once. They are both equally important. Each day must be both useful (otherwise you have wasted your time), and pleasant (so that you enjoy life and are motivated to do more and learn more). That is the most productive way to spend your time.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the
worth of time by employing it well."
Louisa May Alcott
We've all heard the quote "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", but I suspect few of us have really listened to it. Many of us are workaholics and never leave time for play, except perhaps when we go on vacation. We feel guilty whenever we aren't working. We have always been taught that in order to have a good life, we must work as hard as we can. We have always associated success with hard work.
On the other hand, we sometimes think that life is just a big game. "Girls just want to have fun". For us, it's all about self-gratification and pleasures that are quick and easy. We are sometimes lazy and don't want to struggle with anything. Sometimes we wonder whether all that hard work will really bring us the things we want in life, or bring them soon enough.
In order to have true meaningful success in life, we must make time for both work and play, regularily every day or every week. We must play in our play time, and work in our work time, not diffusing them by trying to do both at once. They are both equally important. Each day must be both useful (otherwise you have wasted your time), and pleasant (so that you enjoy life and are motivated to do more and learn more). That is the most productive way to spend your time.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Money
Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of acheivement, in the thrill of creative effort"
Franklin D Roosevelt
Do you think that you would be really happy if someone gave you a million dollars? Lots of people play the lottery, hoping to be that one in many thousands of people who wins it. The reality is though, that the people who win the lottery usually are not much happier. They spend their money and often end up close to bankrupt after just a few years. Money can't be enjoyed when we have not earned it, when we have not proved to ourselves that we deserve it.
Money is just the icing on the cake, so to speak. What we humans really crave is growth and achievement. We want to accomplish something really great, something that will outlast us. Preferably something that many future generations will remember us for. Admittedly we also really want to be admired, and perhaps envied, today for our efforts.
We want to create something wonderful, and to watch the results of our efforts take shape. We want to inspire others to do great things too. Without the thrill of creative effort and acheivement of great things, our lives lose their purpose and meaning. We don't really live our lives. We simply aren't satisfied with our lives. We feel like we've sold ourselves short. They say that people on their deathbed typically regret the things they didn't do much more than anything they did do. We're not doing enough. We're not growing enough, acheiving enough, and creating enough. We're not enjoying the fruits of our creative efforts. That's why we aren't very happy. Depression is epidemic these days.
Don't wish merely to possess money. Wish to have grown enough, acheived enough, and created enough to prove that you really deserve the money. The happiness lies in the growing, acheiving, and creating. This is what you really want anyway.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Franklin D Roosevelt
Do you think that you would be really happy if someone gave you a million dollars? Lots of people play the lottery, hoping to be that one in many thousands of people who wins it. The reality is though, that the people who win the lottery usually are not much happier. They spend their money and often end up close to bankrupt after just a few years. Money can't be enjoyed when we have not earned it, when we have not proved to ourselves that we deserve it.
Money is just the icing on the cake, so to speak. What we humans really crave is growth and achievement. We want to accomplish something really great, something that will outlast us. Preferably something that many future generations will remember us for. Admittedly we also really want to be admired, and perhaps envied, today for our efforts.
We want to create something wonderful, and to watch the results of our efforts take shape. We want to inspire others to do great things too. Without the thrill of creative effort and acheivement of great things, our lives lose their purpose and meaning. We don't really live our lives. We simply aren't satisfied with our lives. We feel like we've sold ourselves short. They say that people on their deathbed typically regret the things they didn't do much more than anything they did do. We're not doing enough. We're not growing enough, acheiving enough, and creating enough. We're not enjoying the fruits of our creative efforts. That's why we aren't very happy. Depression is epidemic these days.
Don't wish merely to possess money. Wish to have grown enough, acheived enough, and created enough to prove that you really deserve the money. The happiness lies in the growing, acheiving, and creating. This is what you really want anyway.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Plant
Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant."
Robert Louis Stevenson
We are always eager to get something. We judge our success by the things we can acquire for ourselves. We see success as having the fancy car, the great mansion, the exotic vacations, the prestigious job. But this is our ego speaking. Our ego strives to have more than the next person, to stand out from the next person, to be better than the next person. All of that requires being seperate from the next person. It requires being in competition with him.
What if we defined success differently. What if we defined success as being connected to the next person. What if success involved working cooperatively with him. This would allow us to ultimately acheive something that neither of us could have acheived by ourselves. What if success was defined as giving to others or to the world. We could see it as a measure of what we gave instead of what we got.
When you define success as a measure of what you got, you run into problems because anything you get is under the control of other people, not you. But anything you give is completely under your own control. You can only be successful through getting things if other people decide you are worthy. But you can be successful through giving things any time you want. When you define success as giving then there is no limits to your success.
Choose to judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant. It is the seeds you plant, by giving to others, that determine the size of your ultimate harvest, the things you get.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Robert Louis Stevenson
We are always eager to get something. We judge our success by the things we can acquire for ourselves. We see success as having the fancy car, the great mansion, the exotic vacations, the prestigious job. But this is our ego speaking. Our ego strives to have more than the next person, to stand out from the next person, to be better than the next person. All of that requires being seperate from the next person. It requires being in competition with him.
What if we defined success differently. What if we defined success as being connected to the next person. What if success involved working cooperatively with him. This would allow us to ultimately acheive something that neither of us could have acheived by ourselves. What if success was defined as giving to others or to the world. We could see it as a measure of what we gave instead of what we got.
When you define success as a measure of what you got, you run into problems because anything you get is under the control of other people, not you. But anything you give is completely under your own control. You can only be successful through getting things if other people decide you are worthy. But you can be successful through giving things any time you want. When you define success as giving then there is no limits to your success.
Choose to judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant. It is the seeds you plant, by giving to others, that determine the size of your ultimate harvest, the things you get.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Clean
"Let everyone sweep in front of his own door, and the whole world will be clean."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Have you ever wanted to make a big difference in the world but felt that the problem was just too overwhelming and one person couldn't possibly make a dent in it. How much can just one person do anyway? We seem to have it in our mind that we are the only person who desires to make that particular difference, whatever it may be. We figure that we are alone in the world. So we frequently give up and don't even do those things that we can do.
What if you enlisted the help of other people? What if you were able to find just one other person who shared your vision and also wanted to make that difference. Now your efforts are twice as effective. You can accomplish double what you could do before. And now both of you are motivating each other, so you will put forth that much more action. Imagine if each of you could find another person to help.
If you keep doing this, and the people you enlist keep doing this, your efforts will grow exponentially. Pretty soon, you will have so many people helping that you can be successful, no matter how big the change you desired was. If everyone swept in front of his own door, the whole world would be clean." Any problem is solvable if you get enough people to help. You don't have to do it alone. All it takes to change the world is to find someone else who shares your vision.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Have you ever wanted to make a big difference in the world but felt that the problem was just too overwhelming and one person couldn't possibly make a dent in it. How much can just one person do anyway? We seem to have it in our mind that we are the only person who desires to make that particular difference, whatever it may be. We figure that we are alone in the world. So we frequently give up and don't even do those things that we can do.
What if you enlisted the help of other people? What if you were able to find just one other person who shared your vision and also wanted to make that difference. Now your efforts are twice as effective. You can accomplish double what you could do before. And now both of you are motivating each other, so you will put forth that much more action. Imagine if each of you could find another person to help.
If you keep doing this, and the people you enlist keep doing this, your efforts will grow exponentially. Pretty soon, you will have so many people helping that you can be successful, no matter how big the change you desired was. If everyone swept in front of his own door, the whole world would be clean." Any problem is solvable if you get enough people to help. You don't have to do it alone. All it takes to change the world is to find someone else who shares your vision.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Problems
"The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem."
Theodore Rubin
We always have this wild idea that we should be able to get whatever we want quickly and easily. We are always looking for a way that we can get a free lunch. But there is no such thing. Everything comes at a price, and you just can't get something for nothing. Success comes with a price too. The price is problems, obstacles, and challenges to overcome.
You might say that success is our reward for dealing with problems. In order to grow, we must deal with problems and obstacles. We must find out something about ourselves and our capabilities that we didn't know before, and the only way to find out this is to do something you have never done before. And, we might even define a problem, obstacle, or challenge as simply something that we have never done before so we don't know how to do it correctly. The amount that you are afraid of something is dependant on how unfamiliar it is to you.
As we journey through life, we must learn to expect problems. Problems are not bad things. They are in fact put there for your own benefit, so that you can learn and grow from them, moving ever closer to success. Problems only trip up the person who isn't expecting them to be there and so is not prepared for them. Problems are not a problem unless you make them into one. They are actually put there to help you succeed. Welcome them with open arms.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Theodore Rubin
We always have this wild idea that we should be able to get whatever we want quickly and easily. We are always looking for a way that we can get a free lunch. But there is no such thing. Everything comes at a price, and you just can't get something for nothing. Success comes with a price too. The price is problems, obstacles, and challenges to overcome.
You might say that success is our reward for dealing with problems. In order to grow, we must deal with problems and obstacles. We must find out something about ourselves and our capabilities that we didn't know before, and the only way to find out this is to do something you have never done before. And, we might even define a problem, obstacle, or challenge as simply something that we have never done before so we don't know how to do it correctly. The amount that you are afraid of something is dependant on how unfamiliar it is to you.
As we journey through life, we must learn to expect problems. Problems are not bad things. They are in fact put there for your own benefit, so that you can learn and grow from them, moving ever closer to success. Problems only trip up the person who isn't expecting them to be there and so is not prepared for them. Problems are not a problem unless you make them into one. They are actually put there to help you succeed. Welcome them with open arms.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Surrendered
"One's dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but it cannot be taken away unless it is surrendered."
Michael J. Fox
Do you let other people tell you who you are? There are always going to be people who disapprove of you and who are very happy to tell you a long list of things that are wrong with you (especially teenager children). Your parents may have told you that you weren't as smart as your sibling or that you were too fat. They probably meant it to mean that you could study harder or watch your diet more. But when you're small you just accept it as a fact. You beleive that they know more about you than you do, so whatever they say must be right. But it often isn't.
But it's not just parents who tell us that we aren't good enough (or teenage children). We may have heard it from our teachers, our pastor or priest, or some other person we looked up to. But almost all of us have had our dignity assaulted, vandalized, or cruelly mocked at some point in our life.
The big question is how are you going to deal with it. When you were little, you just learned things, and surrendered your dignity because you didn't know any better. But now you do. No matter what someone says to us as adults, we can make a conscious choice about whether we will give away our dignity by beleiving and agreeing with what they say or not. The truth is that only we can decide whether we choose to surrender our dignity. Other people can't take it by force, we have to give it away to them. Resolve never to let anyone else from now on ever take your dignity from you.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Michael J. Fox
Do you let other people tell you who you are? There are always going to be people who disapprove of you and who are very happy to tell you a long list of things that are wrong with you (especially teenager children). Your parents may have told you that you weren't as smart as your sibling or that you were too fat. They probably meant it to mean that you could study harder or watch your diet more. But when you're small you just accept it as a fact. You beleive that they know more about you than you do, so whatever they say must be right. But it often isn't.
But it's not just parents who tell us that we aren't good enough (or teenage children). We may have heard it from our teachers, our pastor or priest, or some other person we looked up to. But almost all of us have had our dignity assaulted, vandalized, or cruelly mocked at some point in our life.
The big question is how are you going to deal with it. When you were little, you just learned things, and surrendered your dignity because you didn't know any better. But now you do. No matter what someone says to us as adults, we can make a conscious choice about whether we will give away our dignity by beleiving and agreeing with what they say or not. The truth is that only we can decide whether we choose to surrender our dignity. Other people can't take it by force, we have to give it away to them. Resolve never to let anyone else from now on ever take your dignity from you.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Monday, June 15, 2009
Trees
"We can learn a lot from trees: they're always grounded but never stop reaching heavenward."
Everett Mamor
It's always fascinating to watch a movie of a plant's growth that is speeded up. Plants are always opening up and reaching for the sun. That reminds me of those daisys that you can see actually following the sun as it moves across the sky too. Their face is always turned towards the sun. But trees are the most impressive plants of all. They grow so tall, and never stop reaching heavenwards.
But plants are always grounded too. The root systems of trees are often as big or bigger than their branches. They can stretch out for miles. For a tree, what's under the ground is just as important to their survival as the sun is. They know that the earth is where all their nutrients come from, and they take advantage of that as much as possible.
What lessons can we learn from this. We can always reach for the heavens too; searching for a higher meaning (God) in our life. It is where our spiritual body gets what it needs for life. At the same time, we must remain grounded because the earth is where our physical body gets what it needs to survive. We must never lose sight of the fact that we operate in a physical world and our physical body has real practical needs that are very different from the needs of our mind and spirit. Like the tree, we must stay grounded in the physical world, even while striving to reach towards the higher meaning in life that nourishes our mind and spirit. We must learn to live in both worlds at the same time.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Everett Mamor
It's always fascinating to watch a movie of a plant's growth that is speeded up. Plants are always opening up and reaching for the sun. That reminds me of those daisys that you can see actually following the sun as it moves across the sky too. Their face is always turned towards the sun. But trees are the most impressive plants of all. They grow so tall, and never stop reaching heavenwards.
But plants are always grounded too. The root systems of trees are often as big or bigger than their branches. They can stretch out for miles. For a tree, what's under the ground is just as important to their survival as the sun is. They know that the earth is where all their nutrients come from, and they take advantage of that as much as possible.
What lessons can we learn from this. We can always reach for the heavens too; searching for a higher meaning (God) in our life. It is where our spiritual body gets what it needs for life. At the same time, we must remain grounded because the earth is where our physical body gets what it needs to survive. We must never lose sight of the fact that we operate in a physical world and our physical body has real practical needs that are very different from the needs of our mind and spirit. Like the tree, we must stay grounded in the physical world, even while striving to reach towards the higher meaning in life that nourishes our mind and spirit. We must learn to live in both worlds at the same time.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Money
"Money is in some respects life's fire: it is a very excellent servant, but a terrible master."
P(hineas) T(aylor) Barnum
Is money your master? It is when you think of nothing else (which is what happens when you don't have enough). You know money is your master when you beleive that having it justifies the means of getting it, when you are determined to get it no matter how many other people your actions hurt. We all know of people who steal, or commit fraud or scam other people, just to get money. This kind of behavior is rampant in our society.
People think that if they had lots of money they would be better people, but that's not the way it works. Money just makes you more of who you already are. It amplifies your character, and this often gets people whose character isn't good enough, in a lot of trouble. People like that don't enjoy their money and typically lose it soon enough. Fortunately that most of the time it takes sufficient work to get large amounts of money in the first place that a person is forced to grow their character in order to keep up.
Money is an excellent servant. It can do whatever you want it to do, once you have to character to use it wisely. It gives you the freedom to do and have the things that express your personality. It allows you to do the things that help other people grow too.
Don't make money your master: make it your servant instead. Don't think obsessively about having lots of money; instead consider what you plan to do with the money. Thinking about that will help you to determine your level of character right now (to what degree will you use the money to better the lives of others and in what way), and what you really want, which is useful. Money is just a tool. It makes it easier to do what you want to do. It's not an end in itself.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
P(hineas) T(aylor) Barnum
Is money your master? It is when you think of nothing else (which is what happens when you don't have enough). You know money is your master when you beleive that having it justifies the means of getting it, when you are determined to get it no matter how many other people your actions hurt. We all know of people who steal, or commit fraud or scam other people, just to get money. This kind of behavior is rampant in our society.
People think that if they had lots of money they would be better people, but that's not the way it works. Money just makes you more of who you already are. It amplifies your character, and this often gets people whose character isn't good enough, in a lot of trouble. People like that don't enjoy their money and typically lose it soon enough. Fortunately that most of the time it takes sufficient work to get large amounts of money in the first place that a person is forced to grow their character in order to keep up.
Money is an excellent servant. It can do whatever you want it to do, once you have to character to use it wisely. It gives you the freedom to do and have the things that express your personality. It allows you to do the things that help other people grow too.
Don't make money your master: make it your servant instead. Don't think obsessively about having lots of money; instead consider what you plan to do with the money. Thinking about that will help you to determine your level of character right now (to what degree will you use the money to better the lives of others and in what way), and what you really want, which is useful. Money is just a tool. It makes it easier to do what you want to do. It's not an end in itself.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Courageous
"In every success story, you find someone who has made a courageous decision."
Peter F. Drucker
What this quote really says is that in order to be successful, you have to conquer a fear. Of course one of the biggest fears we have is the fear of success itself. We are afraid that if we are successful we won't be able to cope with the new responsbilities it brings, and with the higher expectations of the people around us. You won't be successful until you make a courageous decision that you will handle whatever success brings.
We may also have the fear of failure. This prevents us from doing the things we know we need to do in order to be successful. We are afraid of finding out that we can't be successful, so we don't try. We think that if we try and fail, that that's the end of it. But every successful person has failed at least once. You simply don't get success right away. That's not how it works. If it did, you'd never appreciate your success.
"In every success story, you find someone who has made a courageous decision. They decided to ignore their fear of success, and their fear of failure. They decided that fear, or anything else, was not going to stop them. It's not easy facing your fears and plowing ahead anyway. But that's what it takes.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Peter F. Drucker
What this quote really says is that in order to be successful, you have to conquer a fear. Of course one of the biggest fears we have is the fear of success itself. We are afraid that if we are successful we won't be able to cope with the new responsbilities it brings, and with the higher expectations of the people around us. You won't be successful until you make a courageous decision that you will handle whatever success brings.
We may also have the fear of failure. This prevents us from doing the things we know we need to do in order to be successful. We are afraid of finding out that we can't be successful, so we don't try. We think that if we try and fail, that that's the end of it. But every successful person has failed at least once. You simply don't get success right away. That's not how it works. If it did, you'd never appreciate your success.
"In every success story, you find someone who has made a courageous decision. They decided to ignore their fear of success, and their fear of failure. They decided that fear, or anything else, was not going to stop them. It's not easy facing your fears and plowing ahead anyway. But that's what it takes.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Friday, June 12, 2009
Problem
"The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it's the same problem you had last year."
John Foster Dulles
People often think that success means that you have no more problems to deal with. But the truth is that as long as you are really living life, you will always have problems to deal with. We are meant to deal with problems, it is the way that we continue to learn and grow. And if we are not learning and growing, then we are not really living. That is one reason to welcome problems, instead of trying to avoid them.
If we have a big goal, we are naturally going to run into big problems. If we have a small goal, we only have small problems to overcome. So, in a way, the more successful you are, the bigger problems you have had, and will continue to have. Those people with ambitious goals are by definition the most successful, but to have got there they had to deal with bigger problems than the rest of us. They solved those problems, acheived their goal, and are now ready to move on and attempt something else.
The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it's the same problem you had last year. If you have the same problems now as you did last year, then you haven't really gone anywhere. You haven't learned and grown enough to cope with those problems. And so you can't have acheived anything significantly different. If you have new problems this year, then you are successful because you conquered last year's problem and are now ready to work on this years. Because you have grown from last year's problem, you will find this one much easier than you would have otherwise.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
John Foster Dulles
People often think that success means that you have no more problems to deal with. But the truth is that as long as you are really living life, you will always have problems to deal with. We are meant to deal with problems, it is the way that we continue to learn and grow. And if we are not learning and growing, then we are not really living. That is one reason to welcome problems, instead of trying to avoid them.
If we have a big goal, we are naturally going to run into big problems. If we have a small goal, we only have small problems to overcome. So, in a way, the more successful you are, the bigger problems you have had, and will continue to have. Those people with ambitious goals are by definition the most successful, but to have got there they had to deal with bigger problems than the rest of us. They solved those problems, acheived their goal, and are now ready to move on and attempt something else.
The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it's the same problem you had last year. If you have the same problems now as you did last year, then you haven't really gone anywhere. You haven't learned and grown enough to cope with those problems. And so you can't have acheived anything significantly different. If you have new problems this year, then you are successful because you conquered last year's problem and are now ready to work on this years. Because you have grown from last year's problem, you will find this one much easier than you would have otherwise.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Habits
"Habits...the only reason they persist is that they are offering some satisfaction...You allow them to persist by not seeking any other, better form of satisfying the same needs. Every habit, good or bad, is acquired and learned in the same way - by finding that it is a means of satisfaction."
Juliene Berk
Have you ever stopped to think about why you do the things you do. Habits have a very useful purpose. They allow you to do things without having to think about doing them, which frees up your mind to concentrate on other things. The trouble is that if you stopped to think about why you had a particular habit, you would realize that there is no good reason for it. The original reason might have disappeared or there might be a better way of doing the same thing. Sometimes a habit is just plain bad for you, such as a habit of using drugs (including cigarettes or alcohol) to avoid problems would be.
It is time to shed some light on your habits. Ask yourself "Why am I doing this? What satisfaction do I get out of it?" Everything you do is for a reason; you do it because it allows you to get something you want, or escape from something you don't want (at least for a little while). The most important question to ask yourself is "Is there a better way to satisfy this need?"
The reasons for some habits are difficult to ferret out. For example, you may be a hypochondriac and complain to people about how ill you are all the time. This would prevent you from doing a lot of things you might want to do. What could be the advantage of this? The reason you do it might be in order to get a lot of attention and sympathy from others, and/ or that it keeps you from taking the risks that are inevitable when you engage with the outside world. Once you know this you can find better ways of getting attention from others and with dealing with taking risks. You can develop new and more productive habits.
Get rid of your old habits by determining what need they satisfy and finding another way of satisfying that same need that serves you better. Don't allow bad habits to persist by not seeking a better way to satisfy your needs. Good habits are essential to success.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Juliene Berk
Have you ever stopped to think about why you do the things you do. Habits have a very useful purpose. They allow you to do things without having to think about doing them, which frees up your mind to concentrate on other things. The trouble is that if you stopped to think about why you had a particular habit, you would realize that there is no good reason for it. The original reason might have disappeared or there might be a better way of doing the same thing. Sometimes a habit is just plain bad for you, such as a habit of using drugs (including cigarettes or alcohol) to avoid problems would be.
It is time to shed some light on your habits. Ask yourself "Why am I doing this? What satisfaction do I get out of it?" Everything you do is for a reason; you do it because it allows you to get something you want, or escape from something you don't want (at least for a little while). The most important question to ask yourself is "Is there a better way to satisfy this need?"
The reasons for some habits are difficult to ferret out. For example, you may be a hypochondriac and complain to people about how ill you are all the time. This would prevent you from doing a lot of things you might want to do. What could be the advantage of this? The reason you do it might be in order to get a lot of attention and sympathy from others, and/ or that it keeps you from taking the risks that are inevitable when you engage with the outside world. Once you know this you can find better ways of getting attention from others and with dealing with taking risks. You can develop new and more productive habits.
Get rid of your old habits by determining what need they satisfy and finding another way of satisfying that same need that serves you better. Don't allow bad habits to persist by not seeking a better way to satisfy your needs. Good habits are essential to success.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Fantasies
"Don't discard your fantasies as merely wishful thinking. Honor them as messages from the deepest part of your being about what you can do and directions you can choose."
Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer
We learn early on that daydreaming is a waste of time. We are told that we need to be practical. If we don't see how we are going to accomplish something, it is not worth thinking about. We need to focus on solving our problems and planning for an expected future. There's too much to do to waste our time just imagining.
But daydreaming isn't just for small children. We are never given the desire for something without the means to fulfill it. Just because we don't know right now how to accomplish something doesn't mean that we can never accomplish it. We are always learning and growing, at least if we are really living. And things change all the time. What was impossible yesterday may be very possible tomorrow.
Don't discard your fantasies as merely wishful thinking. If you really want something, and can determine how to take even the smallest step to move towards it, then your fantasies become goals and if you continue to keep and treasure them, eventually realities. They are messages from the deepest part of your being about what you can do and directions you can choose. They are what gives your life meaning, direction, and hope.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer
We learn early on that daydreaming is a waste of time. We are told that we need to be practical. If we don't see how we are going to accomplish something, it is not worth thinking about. We need to focus on solving our problems and planning for an expected future. There's too much to do to waste our time just imagining.
But daydreaming isn't just for small children. We are never given the desire for something without the means to fulfill it. Just because we don't know right now how to accomplish something doesn't mean that we can never accomplish it. We are always learning and growing, at least if we are really living. And things change all the time. What was impossible yesterday may be very possible tomorrow.
Don't discard your fantasies as merely wishful thinking. If you really want something, and can determine how to take even the smallest step to move towards it, then your fantasies become goals and if you continue to keep and treasure them, eventually realities. They are messages from the deepest part of your being about what you can do and directions you can choose. They are what gives your life meaning, direction, and hope.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Forgive
"As long as you don't forgive, who and whatever it is will occupy rent-free space in your mind."
Isabelle Holland
How often do we dwell on what other people did or didn't do to us? We keep coming back to it and reminding ourselves of it. How often do we assume that they did it on purpose? We think we know what their intentions were but nobody can read someone else's mind. They might have done it not realizing that it would bother you, or because that's what they're used to doing, or for some other reason that has nothing to do with you. The worst thing of all is when we refuse to talk to the person again. We never give ourselves a chance to find out what they were really thinking and to forgive them.
When we forgive someone, we are doing ourselves a favor. The other person has already forgotten the incident and gone on their merry way. Unless they are very close to you and may have to deal with your angry moods, it doesn't make any difference to them whether you forgive them or not. The only person who really suffers when you fail to forgive someone is you yourself.
As long as you don't forgive, who and whatever it is will occupy rent-free space in your mind. Every time you remember the incident, it will bring you pain. Over and over. And every time you remember the incident, it prevents you from being happy. It keeps you in the past, and prevents you from concentrating on what you are going to do in the present. And the space it takes up in your mind is that much less space for loving, happy, constructive thoughts. The more you don't forgive, the less you will be able to happily move on and succeed in reaching your goals.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Isabelle Holland
How often do we dwell on what other people did or didn't do to us? We keep coming back to it and reminding ourselves of it. How often do we assume that they did it on purpose? We think we know what their intentions were but nobody can read someone else's mind. They might have done it not realizing that it would bother you, or because that's what they're used to doing, or for some other reason that has nothing to do with you. The worst thing of all is when we refuse to talk to the person again. We never give ourselves a chance to find out what they were really thinking and to forgive them.
When we forgive someone, we are doing ourselves a favor. The other person has already forgotten the incident and gone on their merry way. Unless they are very close to you and may have to deal with your angry moods, it doesn't make any difference to them whether you forgive them or not. The only person who really suffers when you fail to forgive someone is you yourself.
As long as you don't forgive, who and whatever it is will occupy rent-free space in your mind. Every time you remember the incident, it will bring you pain. Over and over. And every time you remember the incident, it prevents you from being happy. It keeps you in the past, and prevents you from concentrating on what you are going to do in the present. And the space it takes up in your mind is that much less space for loving, happy, constructive thoughts. The more you don't forgive, the less you will be able to happily move on and succeed in reaching your goals.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Monday, June 8, 2009
Roses
Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns. I am thankful that thorns have roses.
Alphonse Karr
Do you grumble because roses have thorns? Do you grumble because you have to take your child to the doctor, or your dog to the vet? Do you grumble because traffic is slow? Do you grumble because you can't find a parking spot right where you want to be? Do you grumble because you don't like some aspect of your job? Do you grumble because your spouse hasn't picked up after himself? So many of us go around grumbling all day long.
We have some idea that our life should work perfectly, that roses should be without thorns, nobody should have to go to the doctor, traffic should be quick and there should be a parking spot right where we want it, our spouse should do what we want them to, and our work should be perfectly enjoyable. We resent the fact that this isn't true in our lives.
But we are looking at the wrong things. We are focusing on what we don't want, and that's why we get more of it. Complaining about everything that's going wrong prevents us from seeing all the things that are going right. We are not grateful for the blessings we have received in our life. We aren't grateful that thorns have roses. We aren't grateful that there is a doctor who can heal our child when they do get sick. We aren't grateful that we have a car that we can drive wherever we want when other people have to take the bus. We aren't grateful that there are places to park near wherever we're going. We're not grateful that we have a job, and a spouse, when other people have neither. And when we aren't grateful for the good things we already have in our life, we aren't likely to get much more of them.
Focus on the roses in your life, instead of on the thorns. Be grateful for the good things, so that you'll keep getting more of them, and stop grumbling because everything isn't perfect. The more you grumble and complain, the worse it will get. The more you are thankful, the better things will get.
For ideas about how to become truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Alphonse Karr
Do you grumble because roses have thorns? Do you grumble because you have to take your child to the doctor, or your dog to the vet? Do you grumble because traffic is slow? Do you grumble because you can't find a parking spot right where you want to be? Do you grumble because you don't like some aspect of your job? Do you grumble because your spouse hasn't picked up after himself? So many of us go around grumbling all day long.
We have some idea that our life should work perfectly, that roses should be without thorns, nobody should have to go to the doctor, traffic should be quick and there should be a parking spot right where we want it, our spouse should do what we want them to, and our work should be perfectly enjoyable. We resent the fact that this isn't true in our lives.
But we are looking at the wrong things. We are focusing on what we don't want, and that's why we get more of it. Complaining about everything that's going wrong prevents us from seeing all the things that are going right. We are not grateful for the blessings we have received in our life. We aren't grateful that thorns have roses. We aren't grateful that there is a doctor who can heal our child when they do get sick. We aren't grateful that we have a car that we can drive wherever we want when other people have to take the bus. We aren't grateful that there are places to park near wherever we're going. We're not grateful that we have a job, and a spouse, when other people have neither. And when we aren't grateful for the good things we already have in our life, we aren't likely to get much more of them.
Focus on the roses in your life, instead of on the thorns. Be grateful for the good things, so that you'll keep getting more of them, and stop grumbling because everything isn't perfect. The more you grumble and complain, the worse it will get. The more you are thankful, the better things will get.
For ideas about how to become truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Child
"A three-year-old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm."
Bill Vaughn
Small children are fascinating to watch, as any parent knows. They are much closer to their true nature than we are, because they have not yet been corrupted by society's influences. We have a lot we can learn from them. Parents often find, much to their dismay, that they buy their child some expensive toy, that they loved when they were kids, only to find that their child ignores the toy completely while he takes the box it came in and starts playing with that. Children have their own ideas about what they want to play with. They know what's interesting to them, and it has nothing to do with a price tag.
How do we apply this lesson to our own lives. First of all, we must forget about comparing ourselves to others. A small child has no interest in who has the fanciest swingset, because that small green worm is much more fascinating in the moment. Then we must let go of the idea that the worth of something is determined by how much money it cost. The worth of something is actually determined by how interesting and enjoyable it is to you, and that has nothing to do with money. A breeze on a hot day is worth a great deal to you, but it is free; it can't be bought. In fact it is the case that the most valuable things in the world are not for sale at any price, but freely available to anyone who goes looking for them.
To be truly successful, we must reach for what we want most at this moment, not what is more expensive. We must stop comparing ourselves with others, especially with others who have more expensive things than we do. What really counts is that we have what we want, which might very well be priceless, because it is free.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Bill Vaughn
Small children are fascinating to watch, as any parent knows. They are much closer to their true nature than we are, because they have not yet been corrupted by society's influences. We have a lot we can learn from them. Parents often find, much to their dismay, that they buy their child some expensive toy, that they loved when they were kids, only to find that their child ignores the toy completely while he takes the box it came in and starts playing with that. Children have their own ideas about what they want to play with. They know what's interesting to them, and it has nothing to do with a price tag.
How do we apply this lesson to our own lives. First of all, we must forget about comparing ourselves to others. A small child has no interest in who has the fanciest swingset, because that small green worm is much more fascinating in the moment. Then we must let go of the idea that the worth of something is determined by how much money it cost. The worth of something is actually determined by how interesting and enjoyable it is to you, and that has nothing to do with money. A breeze on a hot day is worth a great deal to you, but it is free; it can't be bought. In fact it is the case that the most valuable things in the world are not for sale at any price, but freely available to anyone who goes looking for them.
To be truly successful, we must reach for what we want most at this moment, not what is more expensive. We must stop comparing ourselves with others, especially with others who have more expensive things than we do. What really counts is that we have what we want, which might very well be priceless, because it is free.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Goals
"The universe doesn't recognize the difference between small goals and big ones, it responds to your emotion and intent."
Peggy McColl
Sometimes we are more comfortable with setting small goals than big ones. The small ones seem more beleivable to us, more likely to be fulfilled. It's easier for us to imagine winning the local competition than winning the Olympic gold medal. It's easier for us to picture having our own home, if we rent, than having a million dollar mansion by the sea. But that is only our own view of things. The universe sees things differently.
The universe responds to your emotions. It judges the validity of your goals by how much you want them. If you are as excited about getting an Olympic gold medal as you are about winning the local competition, then you will acheive both those goals. If you are not excited about acheiving your goals, it will assume that you are just wishing and not taking your goal seriously.
The universe responds to your intent. It judges the importance of your goals by whether you intend to acheive them or not. If you don't intend to acheive your goals then you are not taking them seriously so the universe can't either. If you intend to get that Olympic gold medal you will. But if you don't intend to do everything you can to win that local competition, you won't.
The universe doesn't recognize the difference between small goals and big ones, it responds to your emotion and intent. You can acheive a big goal just as easily as a small one as long as you really want it, are excited about getting it, and intend to do everything you can to get it. Dream big.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Peggy McColl
Sometimes we are more comfortable with setting small goals than big ones. The small ones seem more beleivable to us, more likely to be fulfilled. It's easier for us to imagine winning the local competition than winning the Olympic gold medal. It's easier for us to picture having our own home, if we rent, than having a million dollar mansion by the sea. But that is only our own view of things. The universe sees things differently.
The universe responds to your emotions. It judges the validity of your goals by how much you want them. If you are as excited about getting an Olympic gold medal as you are about winning the local competition, then you will acheive both those goals. If you are not excited about acheiving your goals, it will assume that you are just wishing and not taking your goal seriously.
The universe responds to your intent. It judges the importance of your goals by whether you intend to acheive them or not. If you don't intend to acheive your goals then you are not taking them seriously so the universe can't either. If you intend to get that Olympic gold medal you will. But if you don't intend to do everything you can to win that local competition, you won't.
The universe doesn't recognize the difference between small goals and big ones, it responds to your emotion and intent. You can acheive a big goal just as easily as a small one as long as you really want it, are excited about getting it, and intend to do everything you can to get it. Dream big.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Rewarding
"The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done."
Arnold Palmer
It is true that the greater the risk, the greater the reward; but it is also true that the more effort you put into acheiving something, the more highly you, and often others, value it. When we get something for free, we don't value it much. If we have to pay for it with our own hard-earned money, then we appreciate it much more. Things that are expensive are generally accepted to be of better quality than things that are cheap. Because they have required more work on the part of the manufacturer, we are willing to pay more money for them. We are always willing to pay more for the extra work that somebody put into something.
The more work you put into acheiving something the higher you value it. Of course, you could also argue that the more you value something, the more work you will put into acheiving it. It works both ways. But if you value something that you think you can't do, and you then actually succeed in doing it; that is when you come to value it most of all. It has, after all, shown you what you are capable of, and that is an extremely valuable thing to know. It has shown you that all your hard work and your faith really does pay off, which is an extremely useful thing to know. It is the knowledge that you gain about yourself that is so valuable, more than the acheivement. It is knowing that you can be successful despite the odds, that is so rewarding.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Arnold Palmer
It is true that the greater the risk, the greater the reward; but it is also true that the more effort you put into acheiving something, the more highly you, and often others, value it. When we get something for free, we don't value it much. If we have to pay for it with our own hard-earned money, then we appreciate it much more. Things that are expensive are generally accepted to be of better quality than things that are cheap. Because they have required more work on the part of the manufacturer, we are willing to pay more money for them. We are always willing to pay more for the extra work that somebody put into something.
The more work you put into acheiving something the higher you value it. Of course, you could also argue that the more you value something, the more work you will put into acheiving it. It works both ways. But if you value something that you think you can't do, and you then actually succeed in doing it; that is when you come to value it most of all. It has, after all, shown you what you are capable of, and that is an extremely valuable thing to know. It has shown you that all your hard work and your faith really does pay off, which is an extremely useful thing to know. It is the knowledge that you gain about yourself that is so valuable, more than the acheivement. It is knowing that you can be successful despite the odds, that is so rewarding.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Help
"Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day."
Sally Koch
Are you waiting for a great opportunity to help someone? Often we look for a great opportunity to help someone because we are looking for the rewards that come from doing that. Perhaps we want the social recognition. Perhaps we want to feel good about ourselves for making a significant improvement in someone's life. But this is all about us, not about the other person. And so often, as soon as someone stops making us feel good, perhaps by asking something of us that we don't want to deliver, we just abandon them, perhaps even in their hour of need. True altruism is as rare as that opportunity to make a significant difference in someone's life.
Small opportunities to help others are all around us every day. Often we don't even recognize them as opportunities to help others because we are looking for that big one. We don't realize that helping others is often as easy as looking them in the eye and smiling at them. We forget that ours may have been the only smile they've got all day. We don't realize that helping others is often as easy as just listening to them. We forget that we may have been the only person willing to listen to them all day. We often don't realize that a few minutes of our time and genuine attention might be enough to make their day. We can all do that. And it can be one of our biggest successes in life.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Sally Koch
Are you waiting for a great opportunity to help someone? Often we look for a great opportunity to help someone because we are looking for the rewards that come from doing that. Perhaps we want the social recognition. Perhaps we want to feel good about ourselves for making a significant improvement in someone's life. But this is all about us, not about the other person. And so often, as soon as someone stops making us feel good, perhaps by asking something of us that we don't want to deliver, we just abandon them, perhaps even in their hour of need. True altruism is as rare as that opportunity to make a significant difference in someone's life.
Small opportunities to help others are all around us every day. Often we don't even recognize them as opportunities to help others because we are looking for that big one. We don't realize that helping others is often as easy as looking them in the eye and smiling at them. We forget that ours may have been the only smile they've got all day. We don't realize that helping others is often as easy as just listening to them. We forget that we may have been the only person willing to listen to them all day. We often don't realize that a few minutes of our time and genuine attention might be enough to make their day. We can all do that. And it can be one of our biggest successes in life.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Monday, June 1, 2009
Learn
"We've all heard that we have to learn from our mistakes, but I think it's more important to learn from successes. If you learn only from your mistakes, you are inclined to learn only errors."
Norman Vincent Peale
We've all heard about the dangers of not learning from our mistakes. We should all learn what doesn't work so that we don't do it again next time. Many of us still go through life without learning from our mistakes, however. We don't want to admit to them, and how can we learn from something we are pretending we didn't do? We tend to see a mistake as a disaster. And we all know about "stupid" mistakes, when you regret that you didn't do something better (but if you could have, at the time, you would have done it better). How can we learn from something we are ashamed of or even mortified by? How can we learn from something we choose to ignore? So the first thing is to learn what doesn't work from observing your mistakes.
But you must also learn from your successes. Many people just see their successes as the stepping stones for the next success. Other people don't even realize their successes as such. It may not have quite led to the result that they anticipated. There is always something to be learned from the results of any action you take towards a goal. You need to learn what does work, what you must do in order to get a certain result. You also need to learn how your results fit into your roadmap for success. Maybe you didn't get exactly the result you wanted, but the result you got pointed you to another way to get to the same goal. The action was not wasted because you are still moving forward, just on a different route to the end result.
Even if your actions worked the way you wanted, learn why they worked. If you learn only from your mistakes, you are inclined to learn only errors.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Norman Vincent Peale
We've all heard about the dangers of not learning from our mistakes. We should all learn what doesn't work so that we don't do it again next time. Many of us still go through life without learning from our mistakes, however. We don't want to admit to them, and how can we learn from something we are pretending we didn't do? We tend to see a mistake as a disaster. And we all know about "stupid" mistakes, when you regret that you didn't do something better (but if you could have, at the time, you would have done it better). How can we learn from something we are ashamed of or even mortified by? How can we learn from something we choose to ignore? So the first thing is to learn what doesn't work from observing your mistakes.
But you must also learn from your successes. Many people just see their successes as the stepping stones for the next success. Other people don't even realize their successes as such. It may not have quite led to the result that they anticipated. There is always something to be learned from the results of any action you take towards a goal. You need to learn what does work, what you must do in order to get a certain result. You also need to learn how your results fit into your roadmap for success. Maybe you didn't get exactly the result you wanted, but the result you got pointed you to another way to get to the same goal. The action was not wasted because you are still moving forward, just on a different route to the end result.
Even if your actions worked the way you wanted, learn why they worked. If you learn only from your mistakes, you are inclined to learn only errors.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
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