Tag: success

WHEN TO PLANT A TREE

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What does this phrase mean? It is one of the most powerful mantras you can ponder,  which is your homework for the weekend.
What do I mean by all of this? Let my explain by way of a personal story.  In 2001 i took a course on copywriting from American writers and artists Institute. It was a great course and helped me learn how to write persuasive copy. I took that course because my day job at the post office had become unbearable. Well, a change in location, the job was a bit easier and the copywriting? I never did a thing with it. Why? Two reasons. One, i became more comfortable in my day job and two, I was afraid to start something new and go through the period of looking foolish and being new. Nobody likes that right? Fast forward 14 years. The post office is now claiming i am making up the fact I have asthma and the shoulder I dislocated? Yeah I should be back to work the next day or I would be written up.
So naturally I started kicking myself saying “if only I would have stuck with copywriting and even done it in the side”  then I would have been past the foolish stage and had more control over my situation. If only I would’ve planted that tree 20 years ago, or in this case 14. That is where a lot of people may stop. The may become resigned to their fate.  If you read yesterday’s post i think you will know that’s not me. No, I’m taking charge of me. The second best time to plant a tree? NOW! So I contacted the school and am going through a refresher. I am more determined than last time and will succeed!
So how about you? Is there a tree you should’ve planted 20 years ago? Go out and start digging today! You might not get to see it grow as tall, but it will never start growing until you plant it!

RISE IN LOVE

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Here is a secret from the Neil/Margie relationship file. Lots of people “fall in love” and that is great. It is a beautiful thing. The true beauty is revealed when you “rise in love”
What do I mean by this? Think of your current relationship. What does your partner bring to the table? I hear lots of responses to this that sound something like this “they are always there for me when I’m sad” “they always help me when I’m sick” thats great, but that is what they should do. If you are in a relationship that doesn’t have those basic courtesies then I suggest you take a hard look at your choices. If you want an amazing relationship, ask yourself what does your partner add to your life? How do they help you achieve your goals? How do they help you grow and develop as a person?  How do they help you help others?
Now before you go running off to tell your partner that this post you read on this very insightful website told you they are not living up to the standard of a great relationship, ask yourself are you? What are you doing to make your partners life better? Are you doing anything beyond common courtesy?  Could you be doing more? Perhaps you could even ask them? So do yourself a favor after you have fallen in love, find a way for you and your partner to rise in love

THE POWER OF BELIEF

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Yesterday we discussed ways to improve your inner dialog. If you missed that I highly suggest you go back and review that. The sad truth is often people look to outside sources to determine their worth. When you do that, you set yourself up for disappointment and failure. We must all find a way to believe in ourselves.
Why is this so important? In any worthwhile endeavor, any goal worth chasing there very well be moments you are left on an island. Even our well-meaning friends and family may tell you to give up on your dream. Perhaps they are looking out for what they think is your emotional wellbeing and want to prevent you from taking the hits life delivers. What sets a person apart is how many of those hits he can take and keep moving forward. My blog and history in general is full of great heros who only succeeded because they didn’t give up. People like Walt Disney whose idea for Disney land was turned down by 300 different banks because it would never work. Or Thomas Edison who tried over 10,000 different items to find which worked for an electric light bulb. Not only did these men have great belief in themselves, they brought greatness to the world by doing so. What greatness are you denying the world by not believing in the miracle that is you? Do yourself a favor and belive in yourself, even if you have to put on a white beard and red suit

TALKING TO YOURSELF

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Take a look at the above phrases. Which do you use most often? Try starting at the 0% “i won’t” and say each phrase out loud. Notice how each makes you feel. Does one make you feel like you have no control while another makes you feel strong? Notice if your posture changes as the phrases do.
Now, take this exercise one step further. Say them out loud again, but this time pick a goal you are aspiring to achieve and put it after each phrase. Note how you feel about your goal after each one.
This should show you the power of your inner dialog.
So how can we put this to use for us?  Pick the phrase that makes you feel the most positive and powerful about your goal. Write it down. Now carry it with you and repeat it to yourself as often as you can. Try to do at least some of them out loud. Say it with conviction. It is very difficult to account for the often negative inner conversation we may have, but this goes a long way to counteract it. Try this for a week and notice how much better and in control you feel

FEED YOUR MIND

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I took this picture from a site called “metalmotivation.com” it brings up a very good point. Your mind, no matter how little it may be used, craves input material. Leave what goes in to chance and you are putting yourself at great risk. What do I mean by this? Think of the programing you hear on the radio or TV, a good portion of that is not to positive. Do you have anyone in your life that may be “sunshine challenged”? A coworker or friend perhaps? How about the talk around the office?
What I’m pointing out here is there are a lot of negative influences pouring into our minds every day. What can we do about it? My mantra has always been “the best way to decrease the negative is to increase the positive” so find some motivational material to feed your brain. I listen to some motivational cds on the way to work. When I am feeling a little lazy or unproductive i go to YouTube and search “motivational video” i recommend trying that. Give your brain something positive to chew on the next time the boss is chewing you out.

IT IS WORSE THAN WASTING TIME

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I am a firm believer in the terrible effects of worry. Many things have been said about the practice of worry and I would like to share some with you now. Early on one of my favorite things I heard about worry is that it is like riding an exercise bike, you get really tired but do not go anywhere. Think of the productive aspect of worry, is there any? Another thing I have heard that I thought powerful was worry not only disturbs our present, but steals our future. It is true. If you spend your time in worry, you are taking time away from productive things you could be doing. The final two things I would like to share with you are this. According to Bob Marley, Complaining and worry are prayers to the devil. Also, worry is mentally rehearsing what we don’t want to happen. If you know anything about the law of attraction it is that thoughts become things, and if your thoughts are focused on that which you do not wish to happen you are giving that all of your energy.

Studies have proved that a full 90% of what we worry about are things we should not be. Things in the past that cannot be changed, useless petty worries and things of the like. So do yourself a favor, use worry to take all the action you can to prepare or address a situation and then let it go. You will lose that knot in your stomach. That feeling of dread and weight you carry around on your shoulders. Try to eliminate worry as much as you can this coming week and see how you feel.

HOW TO BE A SUCCESS EVERY DAY!

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I love this quote because it reminds me of something I often forget. A lot of us, myself included, are focused on becoming a success. Personally, I am always focused on reaching more people. This could be how can I have more people attend my seminars, how can I get my book in the hands of more people. Even while I am DJing or bartending I am focused on how to reach more people and inspire them and bring them joy.

This in itself is not a bad thing, but we must remember that true success, like abundance should be felt in every area of our lives. We need to pay as much attention to our personal goals as well as our professional goals. Are you wanting to be the best parent? The best spouse? Perhaps you are looking to become healthier? A better listener? A better communicator? Success takes work in a lot of areas in life.

This may seem like a lot to work on, but that is only half true. What do I mean by this? There are so many opportunities to achieve success. How does that translate to an effective life strategy? Simple, every day you have a chance to be a success. Maybe you were not number one on the bestseller list, but you really made your wife feel loved. You are a success. Maybe you ruined the diet you have been doing good on, but you taught your children a very important lesson.

What this all means is every day there are so many ways to succeed and so many things to feel grateful for. So let us all notice what we can improve on, but let us focus on what we succeed at. It will not only keep us wanting to do more of that, but also make us feel very good about ourselves and what we do for the world.