"The core problem is not that we are too passionate about bad things, but that we are not passionate enough about good things."
Larry Crabb
What are you passionate about? Chances are you are much more passionate about what you don't want (war, hunger, poverty, pollution etc) than about what you do want (peace, food for everyone, wealth, clean air/water). We seem to have this unconscious idea that if we focus on what we don't want, this will somehow make it go away. That the things that are already in our life that we enjoy, well we don't want to change them so we don't need to pay attention to them. We tend to "Let good enough alone".
But the truth is that whatever you pay the most attention to and feel strongest about is what you get the most of. You can't get rid of war by telling everyone how awful it is and focusing on what you don't like about it. The problem with this approach is that you are sending the message that you expect war to happen and that you have no control over that. And if you expect war to happen it will. Imagine telling everyone how wonderful peace would be and focusing on what would be so great about that. Now you are sending the message that you expect peace to happen. And so it will.
But we are not passionate enough about peace. We never discuss it with others. The government certainly doesn't have a department of peace, the way it has one of war; and it definately has no budget for peace initiatives that is anywhere near the one it has for fighting wars. Why is this? We all say that we want peace, but how serious are we about it? All our thoughts and actions are focused on war. And it is the same with just about any problem that we want to solve. As long as we are not passionate enough about what we say we want, then we will never get what we want.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Undone
To comprehend a man's life, it is necessary to know not merely what he does but also what he purposely leaves undone. There is a limit to the work that can be got out of a human body or a human brain, and he is a wise man who wastes no energy on pursuits for which he is not fitted; and he is still wiser who, from among the things that he can do well, chooses and resolutely follows the best.
John Hall Gladstone
What are you leaving undone in your life? If you're like most people, your answer will be "As little as possible". We have fantasies of being able to accomplish everything. We learn to value people based on the number of things they've accomplished. We also feel pressured to deal with everything that life throws into our lives, because we haven't distinquished between what's important to us and what isn't.
But we can not do everything. And we certainly can't do everything better than other people. We need to first of all learn to identify what we are good at, and what we aren't. Then, a wise person, will find someone else to do those things that he needs done but knows that he can't do a good job of. We need to find people and whose play is our work and get them to do those things that we can't. Every moment we spend trying to do things that we do poorly is one taken away from the time we could be spending doing what we do best. It's doubly expensive.
We also need to find out what we are the best at, and devote ourselves to this one pursuit. It really doesn't pay to be a "Jack of all trades, and master of none". In order to be truly successful, you must be the best at what you do; and you can't be that if you are doing something that is not even the best thing that you can do. A wise man not only wastes no energy in trying to do things he doesn't do well, but he instead chooses what he is best at and persistently does that until he finds success.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
John Hall Gladstone
What are you leaving undone in your life? If you're like most people, your answer will be "As little as possible". We have fantasies of being able to accomplish everything. We learn to value people based on the number of things they've accomplished. We also feel pressured to deal with everything that life throws into our lives, because we haven't distinquished between what's important to us and what isn't.
But we can not do everything. And we certainly can't do everything better than other people. We need to first of all learn to identify what we are good at, and what we aren't. Then, a wise person, will find someone else to do those things that he needs done but knows that he can't do a good job of. We need to find people and whose play is our work and get them to do those things that we can't. Every moment we spend trying to do things that we do poorly is one taken away from the time we could be spending doing what we do best. It's doubly expensive.
We also need to find out what we are the best at, and devote ourselves to this one pursuit. It really doesn't pay to be a "Jack of all trades, and master of none". In order to be truly successful, you must be the best at what you do; and you can't be that if you are doing something that is not even the best thing that you can do. A wise man not only wastes no energy in trying to do things he doesn't do well, but he instead chooses what he is best at and persistently does that until he finds success.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Paid
"Ask yourself what you would do even if you were never paid. That's a clue to what you should be doing and of course finding a way to be paid for it. You can attract more money from love."
Dr. Joe Vitale
Have you ever thought about what you would do all day long even if you never were paid for it? Most of us do what we do all day long because we ARE paid for it. Usually the pay is more important to us that whatever it is that we are doing. After all, we need to pay the bills; that's the most urgent thing in our lives. There never seems to be enough money, no matter how much money we have. Money is like a god; we constantly crave it because we have equated it with happiness and freedom.
But money creates neither happiness or freedom after a certain point (apparently after about 15,000$ yearly income). The world is full of rich people who are miserable; and they are not really free either because they have to look after and worry about the theft or destruction of all the things they have accumulated.
So if money doesn't create the happiness we all long for then what does. Certainly a large part of happiness comes from doing the things we enjoy doing most. Another large part of it comes from doing things for other people. So why not combine the two? Why not do for other people the things you enjoy doing most? That is what you should be doing all day, because it benefits everyone. And you can attract more money from love.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit
http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Dr. Joe Vitale
Have you ever thought about what you would do all day long even if you never were paid for it? Most of us do what we do all day long because we ARE paid for it. Usually the pay is more important to us that whatever it is that we are doing. After all, we need to pay the bills; that's the most urgent thing in our lives. There never seems to be enough money, no matter how much money we have. Money is like a god; we constantly crave it because we have equated it with happiness and freedom.
But money creates neither happiness or freedom after a certain point (apparently after about 15,000$ yearly income). The world is full of rich people who are miserable; and they are not really free either because they have to look after and worry about the theft or destruction of all the things they have accumulated.
So if money doesn't create the happiness we all long for then what does. Certainly a large part of happiness comes from doing the things we enjoy doing most. Another large part of it comes from doing things for other people. So why not combine the two? Why not do for other people the things you enjoy doing most? That is what you should be doing all day, because it benefits everyone. And you can attract more money from love.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit
http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Friday, August 28, 2009
Vocabulary
"I found that when you start thinking and saying what you really want, then your mind automatically shifts and pulls you in that direction. And sometimes it can be that simple, just a little twist in vocabulary that illustrates your attitude and philosophy."
Jim Rohn
Your vocabulary is extremely powerful. It not only deeply affects other people, but it affects you most of all. So often we carelessly say something that deeply hurts someone else and then regret it later. We don't think about what we're saying until it's too late. You can never take words back. But those words hurt you just as much as they hurt the other person. We are all connected and whenever someone is hurt, you are hurt too.
Your subconscious mind is made to resist change. That's why you continue to think and act according to old scripts which are usually imprinted in childhood and don't serve you today. And our parents, teachers, and the rest of society, among other negativities, have taught us that we can't have everything we want because something outside of us prevents that. We learn to think about the things we don't want instead of the things that we do want. And if we think about what we want, it is accompanied by negative feelings of envy and anger and hopelessness.
When we think and talk about what we don't want, that is what comes into our lives. But if we can train ourselves to think and talk about what we do want, then that simple little twist in our vocabulary will lead to us enjoying more of what we do want. Our brain will be trained to beleive in our new attitude and philosophy that what we want is indeed possible, and then we will act in such a way that we do indeed acheive everything we wanted.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Jim Rohn
Your vocabulary is extremely powerful. It not only deeply affects other people, but it affects you most of all. So often we carelessly say something that deeply hurts someone else and then regret it later. We don't think about what we're saying until it's too late. You can never take words back. But those words hurt you just as much as they hurt the other person. We are all connected and whenever someone is hurt, you are hurt too.
Your subconscious mind is made to resist change. That's why you continue to think and act according to old scripts which are usually imprinted in childhood and don't serve you today. And our parents, teachers, and the rest of society, among other negativities, have taught us that we can't have everything we want because something outside of us prevents that. We learn to think about the things we don't want instead of the things that we do want. And if we think about what we want, it is accompanied by negative feelings of envy and anger and hopelessness.
When we think and talk about what we don't want, that is what comes into our lives. But if we can train ourselves to think and talk about what we do want, then that simple little twist in our vocabulary will lead to us enjoying more of what we do want. Our brain will be trained to beleive in our new attitude and philosophy that what we want is indeed possible, and then we will act in such a way that we do indeed acheive everything we wanted.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Love
"I have an everyday religion that works for me. Love yourself first, and everything else falls into line."
Lucille Ball
Do you love yourself first. Chances are you've been told that to love yourself first is just being selfish. We are told that we must always give to others first. We are told that giving is better than receiving. But the idea that giving is better than receiving is ridiculous because whenever someone gives, someone else has to receive. They are two sides of the same coin. And if you don't want to receive, you deprive someone else of the pleasure of giving.
When you love yourself first, you automatically love others because deep down we know that we are all connected. Those people who are always complaining about the faults of others really don't like themselves either. The more you love and appreciate yourself, the more you will love and appreciate others. And this will lead to them wanting to give to you.
It's not always about you loving others and giving to them. You must love yourself first. If you don't, what are you going to give to others? You will feel like you have nothing valuable to offer them so you won't be motivated to offer yourself. And when that happens everyone loses. You never get to feel good about contributing to the world, and others never get to feel good about receiving those contributions. Everyone has something to offer. But unless they love and value themselves, they won't know that.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Lucille Ball
Do you love yourself first. Chances are you've been told that to love yourself first is just being selfish. We are told that we must always give to others first. We are told that giving is better than receiving. But the idea that giving is better than receiving is ridiculous because whenever someone gives, someone else has to receive. They are two sides of the same coin. And if you don't want to receive, you deprive someone else of the pleasure of giving.
When you love yourself first, you automatically love others because deep down we know that we are all connected. Those people who are always complaining about the faults of others really don't like themselves either. The more you love and appreciate yourself, the more you will love and appreciate others. And this will lead to them wanting to give to you.
It's not always about you loving others and giving to them. You must love yourself first. If you don't, what are you going to give to others? You will feel like you have nothing valuable to offer them so you won't be motivated to offer yourself. And when that happens everyone loses. You never get to feel good about contributing to the world, and others never get to feel good about receiving those contributions. Everyone has something to offer. But unless they love and value themselves, they won't know that.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Monday, August 24, 2009
Wishes
It is not good for all our wishes to be filled; through sickness we recognize the value of health; through evil, the value of good; through hunger, the value of food; through exertion, the value of rest.
- Greek Proverb
We all want all our wishes to be filled. We all want a "perfect" life in which there is no hardship and everything happens just as we would want it to. We all want more money because we beleive that having plenty of money will eliminate all the hardships from our lives. We are most jealous of people who seem to go through life having everything going their way.
Yet it is not good for all our wishes to be filled. A life in which everything is provided for us and everything happens just the way we wanted, quickly becomes a dull, boring, meaningless life. Nothing has any value because we know nothing will ever be taken away from us. The things we value most are the things that we don't have yet or that we may not have in the future. The things we value most are the ones we have to work for, and the more effort we have to put forth in order to get them the greater the value we put upon them.
It is the lack of something that makes us realize the value of it. Without the experience of lack, there can be no real appreciation of something, or gratitude for it. It is only the people who have been sick that understand and appreciate the value of being healthy. If we are never hungry then eating food becomes just another ritual we go through. The happiest people are those who have gone without and thus truly appreciate the value of what they have. And happiness leads to success.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
- Greek Proverb
We all want all our wishes to be filled. We all want a "perfect" life in which there is no hardship and everything happens just as we would want it to. We all want more money because we beleive that having plenty of money will eliminate all the hardships from our lives. We are most jealous of people who seem to go through life having everything going their way.
Yet it is not good for all our wishes to be filled. A life in which everything is provided for us and everything happens just the way we wanted, quickly becomes a dull, boring, meaningless life. Nothing has any value because we know nothing will ever be taken away from us. The things we value most are the things that we don't have yet or that we may not have in the future. The things we value most are the ones we have to work for, and the more effort we have to put forth in order to get them the greater the value we put upon them.
It is the lack of something that makes us realize the value of it. Without the experience of lack, there can be no real appreciation of something, or gratitude for it. It is only the people who have been sick that understand and appreciate the value of being healthy. If we are never hungry then eating food becomes just another ritual we go through. The happiest people are those who have gone without and thus truly appreciate the value of what they have. And happiness leads to success.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Empathy
How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these.
- George Washington Carver
How do you treat the people around you? One of the most important components of success at anything is to nurture your relationships; with people, with nature, and with God. If you think back to all the times you felt most happy and fulfilled, learned the most, acheived the most, chances are that all or most of them involved relationships. One can't have a meaningful life without good relationships.
Probably the single most important factor in developing relationships is empathy. It is the ability to see and appreciate the needs of others, so that we can help them get what they really need or, if we can't, at least show them that we understand and care about what they really need. Sometimes all other people need is the knowledge that we really care about their needs.
The way to develop empathy with someone is to remember (or visualize) a time when you were like them and what you really needed (or would need) from others at the time. When you were young, you needed tenderness, when you are aged you will need compassion, when you were striving for something you needed sympathy. When you are different from another person in any way, you need tolerance from them. So these are the things that you must remember to give others who need them.
You become successful by giving others what they need and want. So you must first understand what that is by being able to empathize with them. Your ability to do that will determine how successful you are, how far you get in acheiving your own goals.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
- George Washington Carver
How do you treat the people around you? One of the most important components of success at anything is to nurture your relationships; with people, with nature, and with God. If you think back to all the times you felt most happy and fulfilled, learned the most, acheived the most, chances are that all or most of them involved relationships. One can't have a meaningful life without good relationships.
Probably the single most important factor in developing relationships is empathy. It is the ability to see and appreciate the needs of others, so that we can help them get what they really need or, if we can't, at least show them that we understand and care about what they really need. Sometimes all other people need is the knowledge that we really care about their needs.
The way to develop empathy with someone is to remember (or visualize) a time when you were like them and what you really needed (or would need) from others at the time. When you were young, you needed tenderness, when you are aged you will need compassion, when you were striving for something you needed sympathy. When you are different from another person in any way, you need tolerance from them. So these are the things that you must remember to give others who need them.
You become successful by giving others what they need and want. So you must first understand what that is by being able to empathize with them. Your ability to do that will determine how successful you are, how far you get in acheiving your own goals.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Change
"You will never change your life until you change something you do daily."
Mike Murdock
Do you wish you could change your life? Maybe you even have a clear specific idea of what you want your life to change into. If so, you have got further than most people ever do. You've established a goal. But unfortunately establishing a goal is not sufficient to really change your life. You must also take action towards your goal.
Very few people have thought out an action plan for themselves to take to move towards their goal. Yet even this, though necessary, is still not enough. Where almost everyone fails is in the inability to consistently follow through on their action plan. They get too busy with other things that seem more urgent, or they run into an obstacle and then quit. They tell themselves that it will only be for a little while, but it soon becomes permanent. And so they fail.
In order to change your life, you must change your habits. You must take action towards your goals every single day, maybe many times a day. There are two ways that you can accomplish this.
First of all, you need to have some support system in place. If your goal is to get up early and go to the gym, perhaps you could have your gym clothes all ready in clear view when you get up, and buy an alarm to make sure you get up in time. The second thing is that you need some kind of accountability. A coach or mentor is ideal, but if that's impossible, at least study some person you admire and see how they coped with their problems. When you have a clear goal, an action plan, a support system, and accountability, you can really change your life.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Mike Murdock
Do you wish you could change your life? Maybe you even have a clear specific idea of what you want your life to change into. If so, you have got further than most people ever do. You've established a goal. But unfortunately establishing a goal is not sufficient to really change your life. You must also take action towards your goal.
Very few people have thought out an action plan for themselves to take to move towards their goal. Yet even this, though necessary, is still not enough. Where almost everyone fails is in the inability to consistently follow through on their action plan. They get too busy with other things that seem more urgent, or they run into an obstacle and then quit. They tell themselves that it will only be for a little while, but it soon becomes permanent. And so they fail.
In order to change your life, you must change your habits. You must take action towards your goals every single day, maybe many times a day. There are two ways that you can accomplish this.
First of all, you need to have some support system in place. If your goal is to get up early and go to the gym, perhaps you could have your gym clothes all ready in clear view when you get up, and buy an alarm to make sure you get up in time. The second thing is that you need some kind of accountability. A coach or mentor is ideal, but if that's impossible, at least study some person you admire and see how they coped with their problems. When you have a clear goal, an action plan, a support system, and accountability, you can really change your life.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Friday, August 21, 2009
Nature
The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.
- Anne Frank
If Anne Frank could feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature, than we surely can. The appeal of nature is very powerful. It makes us feel like there is something out there that is much bigger and wiser than we are and that is taking care of us.
Everything natural is provided for, and has a singular purpose in adding to the value of the world. All is as it should be. It may seem unfair to us that one animal eats another, but then we remember that the predator actually helps the prey by seeing to it that unhealthy animals are eliminated from the population. All is as it should be. It may seem unfair that great forest fires happen that kill off everything for hundreds of miles, but then we remember that these fires help encourage new life to grow. Everything is as it should be.
The big secret to going outside where you can be alone with nature, the heavens, and God, is that at that time you can just be. There is nothing you must do and nobody to demand things of you or disapprove of you. You can afford to relax and be yourself. You can appreciate what is around you right now, and how it is all as it should be.
It is impossible to just be still in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, with all its demands upon you. But out in nature, you can be quiet and still. And in the quiet and stillness, is where you will find peace and joy.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
- Anne Frank
If Anne Frank could feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature, than we surely can. The appeal of nature is very powerful. It makes us feel like there is something out there that is much bigger and wiser than we are and that is taking care of us.
Everything natural is provided for, and has a singular purpose in adding to the value of the world. All is as it should be. It may seem unfair to us that one animal eats another, but then we remember that the predator actually helps the prey by seeing to it that unhealthy animals are eliminated from the population. All is as it should be. It may seem unfair that great forest fires happen that kill off everything for hundreds of miles, but then we remember that these fires help encourage new life to grow. Everything is as it should be.
The big secret to going outside where you can be alone with nature, the heavens, and God, is that at that time you can just be. There is nothing you must do and nobody to demand things of you or disapprove of you. You can afford to relax and be yourself. You can appreciate what is around you right now, and how it is all as it should be.
It is impossible to just be still in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, with all its demands upon you. But out in nature, you can be quiet and still. And in the quiet and stillness, is where you will find peace and joy.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Discouraged
"One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself."
Lucille Ball
Are you discouraged? Most of us have felt at one time or another that nothing we do seems to make much of a difference to anything. We feel powerless to change the world. Perhaps we have come up against a roadblock and we can't see a way around it. Perhaps we have seen other people fail at something similar to what we want to do. Perhaps we feel that we don't have the resources we need to accomplish what we want to do. But, when we get discouraged we quit, and then we are guaranteed to not change anything.
The decision to take action is essential if we are ever going to get the results we want. We can't change anything if we don't do anything. Taking action, too, is the only way that we can ever gain the confidence we need to get rid of our fears. It is not enough to just get started however. We must continue to take action doing what we planned on until either we have succeeded or until we decide that we have gone down the wrong path and that we will now take action on some other path.
It is also very important to make optimism a way of life. You can't succeed unless you beleive that you can succeed, and expect good results. You have to beleive that God is on your side, and that everything will turn out well. If you focus on failure, either yours or that of other people, then you'll just get more failures. You must focus on a vision of everything turning out just the way you want it too. You must be optimistic.
Nobody can be successful without faith in themselves. They must beleive that they are capable of being successful before they can take the consistent action they need to take in order to get the job done. Being discouraged is the same as admitting failure. It prevents you from even getting started, or from taking all the action you need to take to succeed.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Lucille Ball
Are you discouraged? Most of us have felt at one time or another that nothing we do seems to make much of a difference to anything. We feel powerless to change the world. Perhaps we have come up against a roadblock and we can't see a way around it. Perhaps we have seen other people fail at something similar to what we want to do. Perhaps we feel that we don't have the resources we need to accomplish what we want to do. But, when we get discouraged we quit, and then we are guaranteed to not change anything.
The decision to take action is essential if we are ever going to get the results we want. We can't change anything if we don't do anything. Taking action, too, is the only way that we can ever gain the confidence we need to get rid of our fears. It is not enough to just get started however. We must continue to take action doing what we planned on until either we have succeeded or until we decide that we have gone down the wrong path and that we will now take action on some other path.
It is also very important to make optimism a way of life. You can't succeed unless you beleive that you can succeed, and expect good results. You have to beleive that God is on your side, and that everything will turn out well. If you focus on failure, either yours or that of other people, then you'll just get more failures. You must focus on a vision of everything turning out just the way you want it too. You must be optimistic.
Nobody can be successful without faith in themselves. They must beleive that they are capable of being successful before they can take the consistent action they need to take in order to get the job done. Being discouraged is the same as admitting failure. It prevents you from even getting started, or from taking all the action you need to take to succeed.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Yesterday
"Never let yesterday use up today."
Richard H. Nelson
How many times a day do you reflect on the past? Perhaps you have a great memory that you love to relive time and time again. Perhaps you have a nasty memory that just won't go away. Perhaps you are remembering all the stupid things you have done and beating yourself up over them. Perhaps you are remembering past victories and wishing you could replicate them. The past, all the memories good and bad, is in a sense who you are. It is what your Ego is made up of. No wonder you relive it so much. You are remembering who you think you are.
But the past is over. You can't change it. The past isn't even real. It is simply an idea, that has no real use unless you are using it to solve a problem that you have right now. Whenever you are thinking about the past, you are doing it now. Now is all that really matters. As they say "There's no use crying over spilt milk". Yet we all have done that many times. We beat ourselves up with stupid things we have done in the past, but in reality nothing is more stupid than getting mad at someone who, if he had known what to do, would have done it.
Start with where you are. Don't let yesterday use up today. Don't waste today thinking or worrying about what happened yesterday. You can't do anything about it anyway. Right now is the only time we have to actually do something to improve our world, and if we let it slide by because we were dwelling on yesterday, then things will never improve. Start with where you are today and ask yourself what is the best way to move forward, given that conditions are the way they are. Use today wisely. The present is a gift.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Richard H. Nelson
How many times a day do you reflect on the past? Perhaps you have a great memory that you love to relive time and time again. Perhaps you have a nasty memory that just won't go away. Perhaps you are remembering all the stupid things you have done and beating yourself up over them. Perhaps you are remembering past victories and wishing you could replicate them. The past, all the memories good and bad, is in a sense who you are. It is what your Ego is made up of. No wonder you relive it so much. You are remembering who you think you are.
But the past is over. You can't change it. The past isn't even real. It is simply an idea, that has no real use unless you are using it to solve a problem that you have right now. Whenever you are thinking about the past, you are doing it now. Now is all that really matters. As they say "There's no use crying over spilt milk". Yet we all have done that many times. We beat ourselves up with stupid things we have done in the past, but in reality nothing is more stupid than getting mad at someone who, if he had known what to do, would have done it.
Start with where you are. Don't let yesterday use up today. Don't waste today thinking or worrying about what happened yesterday. You can't do anything about it anyway. Right now is the only time we have to actually do something to improve our world, and if we let it slide by because we were dwelling on yesterday, then things will never improve. Start with where you are today and ask yourself what is the best way to move forward, given that conditions are the way they are. Use today wisely. The present is a gift.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Monday, August 17, 2009
Specialize
"You don't have to specialize - do everything that you love and then, at some time, the future will come together for you in some form."
Francis Ford Coppola
How often have you heard "A Jack of all trades is the master of none". We've been brought up to beleive that the more you specialize in something, the better. It is true that he more you focus in on one thing, the better you get at it. But, the larger question is whether being very good at one thing and terrible at everything else is best for you in the long run.
We also know in our hearts the importance of being "well-rounded". A liberal education is highly prized, at least by some people. The truth is that life cannot be narrowed down into one specialty. A person who truly lives life is interested in many subjects and does many different things. They may not do any one of them particularly well, but that is not the point. They are always trying new things, experiencing things that they haven't experienced before; they are learning and growing.
We value a specialist only for what he can teach us about his subject. The truth is that people who have "dabbled" in many different things are happier and more interesting. It is a good thing that you don't have to specialize in order to be successful. The important thing is to find out what you love to do, and then do as many different things that you really enjoy as possible. If you do that, then, at some time, the future will come together for you in some form. Success will appear.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Francis Ford Coppola
How often have you heard "A Jack of all trades is the master of none". We've been brought up to beleive that the more you specialize in something, the better. It is true that he more you focus in on one thing, the better you get at it. But, the larger question is whether being very good at one thing and terrible at everything else is best for you in the long run.
We also know in our hearts the importance of being "well-rounded". A liberal education is highly prized, at least by some people. The truth is that life cannot be narrowed down into one specialty. A person who truly lives life is interested in many subjects and does many different things. They may not do any one of them particularly well, but that is not the point. They are always trying new things, experiencing things that they haven't experienced before; they are learning and growing.
We value a specialist only for what he can teach us about his subject. The truth is that people who have "dabbled" in many different things are happier and more interesting. It is a good thing that you don't have to specialize in order to be successful. The important thing is to find out what you love to do, and then do as many different things that you really enjoy as possible. If you do that, then, at some time, the future will come together for you in some form. Success will appear.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Impossible
"The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking."
Robert H. Schuller
We beleive what we see. We get about 75% of our information from our eyes and we trust it completely. Anyone who has had a hallucination knows just how true this is. As we say "Seeing is beleiving". Yet in truth our vision is not foolproof. There are plenty of optical illusions, things that look like something they are not. There are plenty of ways that we can be tricked into seeing something that just is not what's really out there. We can even be easily tricked into seeing colors that aren't there.
And lawyers know that it is very easy to make you beleive that you saw something you didn't see. Just by changing the way they ask you questions about what you saw, they can actually get you to beleive that you saw just about anything they want you to think you saw. You really can't trust what you think you saw. So what can you trust?
Several years ago now, scientists discovered that you can change what is really out there by changing your beleif about what is really out there. The truth is not that "Seeing is beleiving" but is that "Beleiving is seeing". If you beleive that something is out there, then it is out there. If you beleive that something you want is out there, then it really will be out there. But if you beleive that something you don't want is out there, then it too will really be out there. The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking. Anything is possible just as long as you beleive that it is possible, that is will be out there for you.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit
http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Robert H. Schuller
We beleive what we see. We get about 75% of our information from our eyes and we trust it completely. Anyone who has had a hallucination knows just how true this is. As we say "Seeing is beleiving". Yet in truth our vision is not foolproof. There are plenty of optical illusions, things that look like something they are not. There are plenty of ways that we can be tricked into seeing something that just is not what's really out there. We can even be easily tricked into seeing colors that aren't there.
And lawyers know that it is very easy to make you beleive that you saw something you didn't see. Just by changing the way they ask you questions about what you saw, they can actually get you to beleive that you saw just about anything they want you to think you saw. You really can't trust what you think you saw. So what can you trust?
Several years ago now, scientists discovered that you can change what is really out there by changing your beleif about what is really out there. The truth is not that "Seeing is beleiving" but is that "Beleiving is seeing". If you beleive that something is out there, then it is out there. If you beleive that something you want is out there, then it really will be out there. But if you beleive that something you don't want is out there, then it too will really be out there. The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking. Anything is possible just as long as you beleive that it is possible, that is will be out there for you.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit
http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Friday, August 14, 2009
Fear
“Fear is static that prevents me from hearing myself.”
Samuel Butler
We are all familiar with the way that we feel when we are afraid. Our mind seems to go completely blank and we have no idea what to do with ourselves. All we can think about is what we are afraid will happen to us. Our mind is flooded with anxiety and fear. It seems to take on a life of it's own. And, of course, because we don't know what to do about the situation, we end up having what we were afraid of really happening to us.
There must be a better way. We need to stop the fear before it gets started. We must realize that the only thing we need to be afraid of is the fear itself. God doesn't send us any situations that we can't deal with, if only we were not afraid of them. God has provided us with the wisdom and intuition to know how to cope with any situation. It is actually our fear that prevents us from successfully coping with whatever is happening to us. This is because it is our fear that prevents us from hearing the small voice of wisdom and intuition in ourselves.
Intuition is a quiet voice compared to the fear that screams its message to you. We can only hear it if our mind is calm and quiet. And our intuition is our connection to the wisdom of the Universe; and of our Creator. When we are afraid, we lose that connection so of course we don't know what to do with ourselves except to run away. And running away usually doesn't really solve the problem. The only way that we can successfully cope with the world around us is to listen to our intuition and do it's bidding. And the only way we can really do that is to eliminate fear from our minds.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Samuel Butler
We are all familiar with the way that we feel when we are afraid. Our mind seems to go completely blank and we have no idea what to do with ourselves. All we can think about is what we are afraid will happen to us. Our mind is flooded with anxiety and fear. It seems to take on a life of it's own. And, of course, because we don't know what to do about the situation, we end up having what we were afraid of really happening to us.
There must be a better way. We need to stop the fear before it gets started. We must realize that the only thing we need to be afraid of is the fear itself. God doesn't send us any situations that we can't deal with, if only we were not afraid of them. God has provided us with the wisdom and intuition to know how to cope with any situation. It is actually our fear that prevents us from successfully coping with whatever is happening to us. This is because it is our fear that prevents us from hearing the small voice of wisdom and intuition in ourselves.
Intuition is a quiet voice compared to the fear that screams its message to you. We can only hear it if our mind is calm and quiet. And our intuition is our connection to the wisdom of the Universe; and of our Creator. When we are afraid, we lose that connection so of course we don't know what to do with ourselves except to run away. And running away usually doesn't really solve the problem. The only way that we can successfully cope with the world around us is to listen to our intuition and do it's bidding. And the only way we can really do that is to eliminate fear from our minds.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Teach
"You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him to find it within himself."
Galileo
We are already everything we need to be, we already have the knowledge within ourselves of everything we need to know. It's just that we are unaware of this fact. We think that we need something outside ourselves to make us complete. We spend our whole lives trying to figure out what that thing is and how to get it. We race around wanting first this thing and then that thing, thinking that we've finally figured out what will make us happy. And then when we get it, we realize that that wasn't the right thing after all and maybe this other thing will be the answer. But it never is.
One of the things that seperates man from the apes and "lower animals" is that he loves to teach others. We want to show other people, especially the ones we love, how to be successful. We even try to teach them what they should want. And we are good learners too, especially when we are young. We learn early that if we want to be successful, we just need to copy others, especially our parents and teachers; to do what they tell us to do. But we are being taught the wrong lesson because our teachers are ignorant of it. We don't learn that we already have all that we need to be successful.
You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him to find it within himself. This is the one and only lesson we all need to learn. It is only when we learn about our true powers and strengths that we can really be successful. Each of us is like a statue of a golden Buddha that is covered by layers of dirt (negative things we have learned about ourselves). The kindest thing we can do for anyone is brush away the dirt so that the gold shines through.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Galileo
We are already everything we need to be, we already have the knowledge within ourselves of everything we need to know. It's just that we are unaware of this fact. We think that we need something outside ourselves to make us complete. We spend our whole lives trying to figure out what that thing is and how to get it. We race around wanting first this thing and then that thing, thinking that we've finally figured out what will make us happy. And then when we get it, we realize that that wasn't the right thing after all and maybe this other thing will be the answer. But it never is.
One of the things that seperates man from the apes and "lower animals" is that he loves to teach others. We want to show other people, especially the ones we love, how to be successful. We even try to teach them what they should want. And we are good learners too, especially when we are young. We learn early that if we want to be successful, we just need to copy others, especially our parents and teachers; to do what they tell us to do. But we are being taught the wrong lesson because our teachers are ignorant of it. We don't learn that we already have all that we need to be successful.
You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him to find it within himself. This is the one and only lesson we all need to learn. It is only when we learn about our true powers and strengths that we can really be successful. Each of us is like a statue of a golden Buddha that is covered by layers of dirt (negative things we have learned about ourselves). The kindest thing we can do for anyone is brush away the dirt so that the gold shines through.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Living
"Start living now. Stop saving the good china for that special occasion. Stop withholding your love until that special person materializes. Every day you are alive is a special occasion. Every minute, every breath, is a gift from God."
Mary Manin Morrissey
How often do we postpone life? We save the good china for that special occasion. I think that we often do this because we are afraid that if we use the good china every day it will get broken and we won't be able to find more good china for when that special occasion comes. We are coming from a mindset of worry and lack. Perhaps we think that if we use the good china every day, what is there to make that special occasion seem so special. But we don't celebrate special occasions because we have good china, it is the reason why we want to celebrate that makes the occasion important.
We withhold our love untill that special person materializes. But how do you know whether that special person will materialize at all. If you don't practise giving your love to others how will you know how to give it to him or her if and when he or she does show up. Most importantly, if you withhold your love from others, you will miss a valuable opportunity to get them to help you find the person you're looking for.
In truth, every day is a special occasion to be celebrated. You are so lucky to be alive to see yet another day. Each day you have on earth is a gift to be opened with joy and gratitude. What if you celebrated every day of your life the same way you celebrate every year of your life with a birthday party. What if you gratefully celebrated every minute, every breath. You would certainly enjoy life a lot more! You would be showing God how much you value being alive and how much you appreciate God for giving you such a gift, and chances are that God would react by giving you many, many more days of being alive.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Mary Manin Morrissey
How often do we postpone life? We save the good china for that special occasion. I think that we often do this because we are afraid that if we use the good china every day it will get broken and we won't be able to find more good china for when that special occasion comes. We are coming from a mindset of worry and lack. Perhaps we think that if we use the good china every day, what is there to make that special occasion seem so special. But we don't celebrate special occasions because we have good china, it is the reason why we want to celebrate that makes the occasion important.
We withhold our love untill that special person materializes. But how do you know whether that special person will materialize at all. If you don't practise giving your love to others how will you know how to give it to him or her if and when he or she does show up. Most importantly, if you withhold your love from others, you will miss a valuable opportunity to get them to help you find the person you're looking for.
In truth, every day is a special occasion to be celebrated. You are so lucky to be alive to see yet another day. Each day you have on earth is a gift to be opened with joy and gratitude. What if you celebrated every day of your life the same way you celebrate every year of your life with a birthday party. What if you gratefully celebrated every minute, every breath. You would certainly enjoy life a lot more! You would be showing God how much you value being alive and how much you appreciate God for giving you such a gift, and chances are that God would react by giving you many, many more days of being alive.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Differently
Love knows no bounds, because God has no limits. Love knows no threat, because perfect love casts out every fear. In every circumstance in which we perceive a boundary or threat, ask God, 'How can I see this differently?' And Love will open itself to you.
Mary Manin Morrissey
What would your life be like if you had no fear? What would you do if you had no fear? For most of us, fear is so omnipresent in our lives that we would have no idea how to answer this question. It is very difficult to imagine a life without fear. But we all know that it would be heaven on earth. There is really nothing that anyone wants more than to live free of fear.
We usually think that the opposite of love is hate, but it is really fear. In the absence of love everything is scary, and in the presence of love nothing is scary. We are afraid of that which we hate. But there is no real reason to be afraid of anything. All we have to do is welcome real "perfect" unconditional love into our life. Yet we are even afraid of love because we only know conditional love and we know that it inevitably brings pain eventually. But real unconditional love never brings anything but joy.
So how can we rid ourselves of fear. Whenever we perceive a boundary or threat, we need to understand that there is always more than one way of seeing things. Fear is just a "Fantasized Experience Appearing Real". So we must ask God "How can I see this differently? How can I see this through the eyes of Love?". And the answer will come to you as Love will reveal itself to you. Your fear will dissolve.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Mary Manin Morrissey
What would your life be like if you had no fear? What would you do if you had no fear? For most of us, fear is so omnipresent in our lives that we would have no idea how to answer this question. It is very difficult to imagine a life without fear. But we all know that it would be heaven on earth. There is really nothing that anyone wants more than to live free of fear.
We usually think that the opposite of love is hate, but it is really fear. In the absence of love everything is scary, and in the presence of love nothing is scary. We are afraid of that which we hate. But there is no real reason to be afraid of anything. All we have to do is welcome real "perfect" unconditional love into our life. Yet we are even afraid of love because we only know conditional love and we know that it inevitably brings pain eventually. But real unconditional love never brings anything but joy.
So how can we rid ourselves of fear. Whenever we perceive a boundary or threat, we need to understand that there is always more than one way of seeing things. Fear is just a "Fantasized Experience Appearing Real". So we must ask God "How can I see this differently? How can I see this through the eyes of Love?". And the answer will come to you as Love will reveal itself to you. Your fear will dissolve.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Price
"The world never puts a price on you higher than the one you put on yourself"
Sonje Henie
How much do you value yourself? You've probably never asked yourself that question. Perhaps you assume the answer is obvious. Of course you value yourself. The big question here is compared to what. Are you as valuable as Joe down the street who has a very prestigous job? Are you more valuable than Wanda next door who can't get a job because she is disabled? Are you as valuable to your boss as your co-workers are?
Most of us, if our truth be known, greatly under-value ourselves. We are apt to assume that whatever we can do, someone else can do better. Why would somebody want what I have to offer, when they can probably get it better or cheaper somewhere else? The whole idea of us selling anything, especially ourselves, strikes fear into our hearts. We are convinced that other people will reject us in favor of someone, or something, better, and we are terrified of their rejection.
But it doesn't have to be that way. We can sell ourselves to other people without being an egotistical bore. We can persuade people to buy what we have to sell (or take what we have to give). There are established methods of selling that have been shown to work, if we will but study them. It will be well worth it. Selling is the single most important skill you can learn on your way to acheiving success. But in order to sell, you have to value yourself and what you are offering. The world never puts a price on you higher than the one you put on yourself. If you are going to convince anyone you are valuable, you must beleive that yourself.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Sonje Henie
How much do you value yourself? You've probably never asked yourself that question. Perhaps you assume the answer is obvious. Of course you value yourself. The big question here is compared to what. Are you as valuable as Joe down the street who has a very prestigous job? Are you more valuable than Wanda next door who can't get a job because she is disabled? Are you as valuable to your boss as your co-workers are?
Most of us, if our truth be known, greatly under-value ourselves. We are apt to assume that whatever we can do, someone else can do better. Why would somebody want what I have to offer, when they can probably get it better or cheaper somewhere else? The whole idea of us selling anything, especially ourselves, strikes fear into our hearts. We are convinced that other people will reject us in favor of someone, or something, better, and we are terrified of their rejection.
But it doesn't have to be that way. We can sell ourselves to other people without being an egotistical bore. We can persuade people to buy what we have to sell (or take what we have to give). There are established methods of selling that have been shown to work, if we will but study them. It will be well worth it. Selling is the single most important skill you can learn on your way to acheiving success. But in order to sell, you have to value yourself and what you are offering. The world never puts a price on you higher than the one you put on yourself. If you are going to convince anyone you are valuable, you must beleive that yourself.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Appreciation
"The more one does and sees and feels, the more one is able to do, and the more genuine may be one's appreciation of fundamental things like home, and love, and understanding companionship
Amelia Earhart
Imagine what it would be like if you spent all your time at home doing chores and trying to keep everyone happy. Some of us actually spend our time like this, especially if we have a really demanding (or needy) family. We are not doing anything new so we are not seeing anything different. Every day is pretty much the same. Life is dull, repetitive and boring. And we don't appreciate anything or anyone.
Now imagine if you were given a respite of a month to do whatever you wanted (assuming you had the money). You would probably travel far and wide and experience things you had never seen before. You would do things you never thought you could do. Your level of ambition would skyrocket. You'd get excited and want to try out more and more things. You'd get a taste of what life was meant to be like, and you'd want more of it. You'd feel wonderful.
The interesting thing that happens in a scenario such as this one is that we learn to appreciate more the home and family we just left. When we come back home refreshed, it is much easier to do the chores etc that we need to do. We do develop a greater appreciation of home and love and understanding companionship. But it is crucial for all of us to allow ourselves periods of time to do and see and feel as much as possible. When we do that, then we can appreciate life itself, and the things that make life worth living. And we will be much happier.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Amelia Earhart
Imagine what it would be like if you spent all your time at home doing chores and trying to keep everyone happy. Some of us actually spend our time like this, especially if we have a really demanding (or needy) family. We are not doing anything new so we are not seeing anything different. Every day is pretty much the same. Life is dull, repetitive and boring. And we don't appreciate anything or anyone.
Now imagine if you were given a respite of a month to do whatever you wanted (assuming you had the money). You would probably travel far and wide and experience things you had never seen before. You would do things you never thought you could do. Your level of ambition would skyrocket. You'd get excited and want to try out more and more things. You'd get a taste of what life was meant to be like, and you'd want more of it. You'd feel wonderful.
The interesting thing that happens in a scenario such as this one is that we learn to appreciate more the home and family we just left. When we come back home refreshed, it is much easier to do the chores etc that we need to do. We do develop a greater appreciation of home and love and understanding companionship. But it is crucial for all of us to allow ourselves periods of time to do and see and feel as much as possible. When we do that, then we can appreciate life itself, and the things that make life worth living. And we will be much happier.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Friday, August 7, 2009
Do Something Else
"Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works.
You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it.
Then you do something else. The trick is to do something else."
Leonardo da Vinci
This is an interesting idea. He is saying that most of what you do will fail. Often people will think that they are a failure just because some of what they do doesn't work out; but that is doing themselves an enormous disservice. We are supposed to make mistakes and have failures; that helps us to learn and improve. It doesn't mean there is something wrong with us, even if most of what we do doesn't have the results we want to get from it.
But not everything you do will fail. Eventually something will work. What is supposed to happen is that when you finally find something that works you forget about all the failures and only do that successful thing. What works for you may or may not be super successful. But even if it is only a little successful, you can build upon those successes by doing it better. If it is very successful, others will inevitably copy you. They want to see that level of success for themselves. That's flattering, it means you've "arrived".
But it is important to then find something else to do. You want to stay ahead of the curve. You want to be doing something your competitors are not doing. When everyone else starts copying one thing you did, it isn't going to be as successful for you because now you're fighting for a small peice of the pie. The trick is to do something else. It is worth the time and effort to go and find something new to be successful at because then you have the whole pie to yourself again. For a little while. And then the whole process repeats itself.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it.
Then you do something else. The trick is to do something else."
Leonardo da Vinci
This is an interesting idea. He is saying that most of what you do will fail. Often people will think that they are a failure just because some of what they do doesn't work out; but that is doing themselves an enormous disservice. We are supposed to make mistakes and have failures; that helps us to learn and improve. It doesn't mean there is something wrong with us, even if most of what we do doesn't have the results we want to get from it.
But not everything you do will fail. Eventually something will work. What is supposed to happen is that when you finally find something that works you forget about all the failures and only do that successful thing. What works for you may or may not be super successful. But even if it is only a little successful, you can build upon those successes by doing it better. If it is very successful, others will inevitably copy you. They want to see that level of success for themselves. That's flattering, it means you've "arrived".
But it is important to then find something else to do. You want to stay ahead of the curve. You want to be doing something your competitors are not doing. When everyone else starts copying one thing you did, it isn't going to be as successful for you because now you're fighting for a small peice of the pie. The trick is to do something else. It is worth the time and effort to go and find something new to be successful at because then you have the whole pie to yourself again. For a little while. And then the whole process repeats itself.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Thankful
"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful."
Buddha
It is so important to be grateful for all your blessings. Everyone likes it when you tell them what you appreciate about them, and the Universe is no exception. When you are grateful, you are focused on what you love about your surroundings too, which attracts more of what you love to you.
We all know, deep down, that there is always someone worse off than we are. There is always a way that we could be worse off than we are. We tend to forget that in many parts of the world, a quarter cup of rice is a full day's food. We tend to forget that in many parts of the world it is not safe to attend the church of your choice, or to say what you want to say, or to wear "indecent" dress (which can include wearing trousers if you are female). We tend to forget that even in America, many people are homeless.
But we all tend to compare ourselves with those who have more than we do, and complain that it's not fair that they have so much that we don't have. We see someone who has what we want, and feel bad because they have it but we don't. But this, of course, just pushes away the thing that we want because deep inside we feel that there is some reason why we can't have it (because we aren't as good as they are).
Always be thankful for where you are. Think of all the things that you have that you would miss if they disappeared tomorrow. Think about the people who have even less than you do, instead of the ones who have more. At the very worst, you should be thankful that another day has been given to you; many people will not live through the day. And be thankful for the success you will have in the future.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Buddha
It is so important to be grateful for all your blessings. Everyone likes it when you tell them what you appreciate about them, and the Universe is no exception. When you are grateful, you are focused on what you love about your surroundings too, which attracts more of what you love to you.
We all know, deep down, that there is always someone worse off than we are. There is always a way that we could be worse off than we are. We tend to forget that in many parts of the world, a quarter cup of rice is a full day's food. We tend to forget that in many parts of the world it is not safe to attend the church of your choice, or to say what you want to say, or to wear "indecent" dress (which can include wearing trousers if you are female). We tend to forget that even in America, many people are homeless.
But we all tend to compare ourselves with those who have more than we do, and complain that it's not fair that they have so much that we don't have. We see someone who has what we want, and feel bad because they have it but we don't. But this, of course, just pushes away the thing that we want because deep inside we feel that there is some reason why we can't have it (because we aren't as good as they are).
Always be thankful for where you are. Think of all the things that you have that you would miss if they disappeared tomorrow. Think about the people who have even less than you do, instead of the ones who have more. At the very worst, you should be thankful that another day has been given to you; many people will not live through the day. And be thankful for the success you will have in the future.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Monday, August 3, 2009
Inverse Paranoid
"I've always been the opposite of a paranoid. I operate as if everyone is part of a plot to enhance my well-being"
Stan Dale
We all know what being a paranoid is. That's when we are constantly afraid that someone is "out to get us", that they will hurt us in whatever way they can. I think all of us can identify with that at some level. We are mistrustful of the people around us. We don't think that they have our best interests at heart, even when they are supposed to love us.
What would it feel like to operate as if everyone in the world had your best interests at heart, as if everyone wanted to help you achieve whatever you wanted. Think about this situation. Suppose you get stuck late at night on a lonely stretch of road, with your car broken down. An inverse paranoid would be confident that the guy who pulls over will not be a serial rapist or murderer, but instead will be the man who will fix their car quickly and then she will fall in love with and marry him. An inverse paranoid would also see losing their job as a chance to get their dream job, and getting cancer as a chance to create a healthier balance in their life and discover what's most important to them.
If we think about it, we can probably find a time in our life when something terrible happened which later turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Remembering those times helps us understand that whatever we are going through now is going to turn out better in the future too.
The more you look for the good in life, and in whatever is happening to you right now, the more you will find the good. Even the worst of experiences have opportunities in them. You just need to look for it, to expect that it is there somewhere and that you will find it eventually.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Stan Dale
We all know what being a paranoid is. That's when we are constantly afraid that someone is "out to get us", that they will hurt us in whatever way they can. I think all of us can identify with that at some level. We are mistrustful of the people around us. We don't think that they have our best interests at heart, even when they are supposed to love us.
What would it feel like to operate as if everyone in the world had your best interests at heart, as if everyone wanted to help you achieve whatever you wanted. Think about this situation. Suppose you get stuck late at night on a lonely stretch of road, with your car broken down. An inverse paranoid would be confident that the guy who pulls over will not be a serial rapist or murderer, but instead will be the man who will fix their car quickly and then she will fall in love with and marry him. An inverse paranoid would also see losing their job as a chance to get their dream job, and getting cancer as a chance to create a healthier balance in their life and discover what's most important to them.
If we think about it, we can probably find a time in our life when something terrible happened which later turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Remembering those times helps us understand that whatever we are going through now is going to turn out better in the future too.
The more you look for the good in life, and in whatever is happening to you right now, the more you will find the good. Even the worst of experiences have opportunities in them. You just need to look for it, to expect that it is there somewhere and that you will find it eventually.
For ideas about how to be truly successful, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Boredom
"Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours."
Dale Carnegie
Many of us go through the same old routine every day. We wear the same clothes, eat the same foods, talk to the same people. We do the same work, not because we love it but because it pays the bills. Day in and day out, it's as though we are sleepwalking through life. We are on automatic pilot, not thinking about what we are doing and whether it is the best thing for us to be doing. And we find that nothing that we do satisfies the longing within us.
Many of us have not thought deeply about what it is that we value and how we can best support the things that we value. We deal with what seems urgent and very often the things we value get put off, until one day we find that we don't have them any more. Relationships are like a garden, if you don't continually tend them with loving care, then they will get choked by weeds and die.
If you are unhappy with your life, you need to look around you and decide whether you are doing the things that you really should be doing, the ones that support your values and the things you beleive deeply in. Throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart. Dedicate your life to what you really love. Throw your heart and soul into it. Get passionately enthusiastic about it. That is the way to find true happiness in life.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
Dale Carnegie
Many of us go through the same old routine every day. We wear the same clothes, eat the same foods, talk to the same people. We do the same work, not because we love it but because it pays the bills. Day in and day out, it's as though we are sleepwalking through life. We are on automatic pilot, not thinking about what we are doing and whether it is the best thing for us to be doing. And we find that nothing that we do satisfies the longing within us.
Many of us have not thought deeply about what it is that we value and how we can best support the things that we value. We deal with what seems urgent and very often the things we value get put off, until one day we find that we don't have them any more. Relationships are like a garden, if you don't continually tend them with loving care, then they will get choked by weeds and die.
If you are unhappy with your life, you need to look around you and decide whether you are doing the things that you really should be doing, the ones that support your values and the things you beleive deeply in. Throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart. Dedicate your life to what you really love. Throw your heart and soul into it. Get passionately enthusiastic about it. That is the way to find true happiness in life.
For ideas about how to acheive true success, visit http://www.reachingmypotential.com
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