Jack Canfield's Success Principle #18
Today, Jack Canfield reminds us that rejection is a part of life. It happens at all ages, from the time we get snubbed by little friends on the playground to being fired from a job just as retirement nears. We can't let it get to us, though. He offers the following encouragement to help us get past rejection.
(1) Understand that rejection is a myth.
When you try to do something and you fail, you're no worse off afterward than you were before you began. Rejection is a myth that only exists in our heads.
In my former church, I kept offering to help with various ministries, but I was repeatedly turned down. Eventually, I moved on to another church, where they embraced my eagerness to serve. I felt rejected in the first church, but now I understand that it was only in my head. God had better plans for me, and the rejection I experienced nudged me onward to where I could better serve others.
(2) SWSWSWSW
This is code for "Some will, some won't; so what--someone's waiting."
When we ask someone to help us, some people will say yes, and some will say no. We must shrug off thoughts of rejection with the understanding that someone out there needs us. If we keep trying, eventually, we'll find our YES!
(3) Just say "Next!"
When someone turns down a request that we make, we just turn to the next person and say, "Next!" Colonel Sanders was rejected by 300 companies when he tried to market his recipe for fried chicken. He kept saying, "Next!" until he succeeded. Today, there are 11,000 KFC restaurants in 80 countries.
(4) Learn from other rejects.
Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen were turned down 130 times by publishers who told them that their book would never sell. They kept trying, and they eventually sold over 8 million copies of their original manuscript, wrote 80 other related books, and saw them translated into 39 languages.
A young man named Rick Little wanted to help kids. His idea got rejected by 155 foundations. Eventually, the Kellogg Foundation gave him $130,000 to start Quest, an organization designed to help kids succeed.
Chiropractor Ignatius Piazza knocked on 12,500 doors in Monterey Bay, California to inquire of the residents how he could best establish a new office in their community. Many people had told him they didn't need another chiropractor, but he didn't give up. After months of talking to over 6,500 people, he opened his office and did $72,000 worth of business in the first month.
(5) Think about these famous rejections.
Alexander Graham Bell was turned down by Western Union when he proposed selling the telephone to them for $100,000. They didn't think people would pay good money to play with an electric toy.
Stephen King threw his manuscript for Carrie into the trash, because he was tired of receiving so many rejections. His wife dug it out and urged him to keep trying. He eventually sold more than 4 million copies of the book, and the story was made into a feature film.
Google's original founders approached Yahoo! and suggested a merger. Yahoo! told them to go home with their little scool project and come back when they had grown up. Within 5 years, Google had an estimated market capitalization of $20 billion.
If there is something God has called us to do, and we feel passionate about carrying out his dream for our lives, we must not let rejection stop us. If we keep trying, we can succeed at whatever we want to do, because Scripture tells us, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Phil. 4:13)
Today's Challenge
Choose one of your goals and break it down into small steps that will eventually make that goal a reality. Take the first step and decide to ask people to help you. Don't stop until you've accomplished that first step. Let me know what you discover about rejection in the process.
Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Ask, Ask, Ask!
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #17
In today's lesson, Jack directs us to ask for the information, assistance, support, money, and time that we need to fulfill our purposes.
(1) Understand why people are afraid to ask others for help.
Most people are reluctant to ask for help, because they fear looking needy, foolish, or stupid. Their biggest fear is that of rejection.
If we need something, we must not assume that someone will automatically tell us no. Remember that if we do ask, and they say no, we will be no worse off than before we asked. If they say yes to our request, we will be better off.
I've been practicing this habit of asking lately, and it's been working beautifully. In the past, when I was seated at a restaurant, I would just accept whatever table I was given. I didn't want the hostesses to think I was demanding and selfish.
Recently, I've been requesting tables in quieter areas, with more comfortable seats, away from noisy children, and so on. Every time, my request has been answered with a better table, because I pushed aside my fear that hostesses would think I was rude.
(2) Learn how to ask for what you want.
a) Ask as if you expect to get it.
b) Assume that you can get what you want.
c) Ask someone who has the authority to give it to you.
d) Be clear and specific. Vague requests yield vague results.
e) Ask repeatedly, expecting to get lots of no's before you get a yes.
Over the weekend, Joe realized that he needed to make a copy of an important document to give to his father. We were eating breakfast in a restaurant near his home town, and he asked the hostess to make him a copy. She denied his request, and he came back to the table to say he'd have to mail the copy later.
His dad took the document and said, "I can get you a copy." He came back within minutes with four copies. When I asked him how he had succeeded, he said that he knew the woman who manages the restuarant. He went directly to her. He succeeded, because he expected to get what he wanted, and he assumed a positive outcome. He was very specific when he asked for four copies, not just one, so he was pleased with the results. He also had the sense to ask the person with the authority to grant his request.
(3) Learn something from sales statistics.
Jack provides some numbers about the odds of selling something. Basically, a sales person must ask at least five times before giving up. Why? Most buyers will assent to a sale after the fourth sales call. We must remember that the odds are against us if we ask only once. We must ask repeatedly, because something almost always changes to bring about a positive response.
(4) Ask, and it shall be given to you.
In another example, Jack tells about a woman who risked looking foolish by asking her boss to send the sales team to an island for a vacation. Everyone in the room stared at her in silence. The boss surprised everyone by saying that if they met a sales quota, he would do it. They were all thrilled a few months later when he sent them to a tropical island. We don't know what we can get until we ask.
(5) Realize that you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by asking.
This chapter includes a story about a man who desperately wanted a job as a head football coach. He approached several schools and landed a job within a week.
In the late 80s when jobs were scarce, I applied to over 90 school districts for a teaching position. Every day, I got on the phone and called each one to ask if something had opened up. The secretary in one of those districts became very annoyed with me, because they hadn't hired a new teacher in over 30 years. She told me I was wasting my time by calling.
And then suddenly, the teachers in that district went on strike, and a few days later, the administrators were forced to hire three new teachers. I was one of those three people who were hired. Because I took the approach that I had nothing to lose and everything to gain by asking, I got the job.
(6) Be bold, even in asking for money.
Chad Pregracke was 21 years old when he decided that he wanted to clean up the trash along the banks of the Mississippi River. He opened the phone book to the A's and began asking everyone he called if they wanted to give him some money for this task. At first, people were shocked by his bold request, but over the years, he has raised more than $2.5 million. He has removed over one million pounds of garbage with the help of over 4,000 people.
When Joe was in seminary and I had been paralyzed, we were in dire straits financially. It was very humbling, especially to Joe, to ask for help. But other Christians were incredibly generous, and they donated the funds we needed to stay afloat until Joe found a chaplaincy position.
This entire lesson reminds me that Jesus said, For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matt 7:8) God loves us and wants to bless us. If we apply these principles together with prayer, we'll be pleasantly surprised by the results.
Today's Challenge
Make a list of things you want, but haven't yet asked for. Write down the fears related to asking for those things. List what it's costing you not to ask. Then, list the benefits you would receive if you did. Remember to include all areas of your goals: finances, career, recreation, health, relationships, personal growth, and charity. Choose one thing from your list, ask God to help you get it, and start asking for it today. Send me your success story so that I can post it for others to read.
Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
In today's lesson, Jack directs us to ask for the information, assistance, support, money, and time that we need to fulfill our purposes.
(1) Understand why people are afraid to ask others for help.
Most people are reluctant to ask for help, because they fear looking needy, foolish, or stupid. Their biggest fear is that of rejection.
If we need something, we must not assume that someone will automatically tell us no. Remember that if we do ask, and they say no, we will be no worse off than before we asked. If they say yes to our request, we will be better off.
I've been practicing this habit of asking lately, and it's been working beautifully. In the past, when I was seated at a restaurant, I would just accept whatever table I was given. I didn't want the hostesses to think I was demanding and selfish.
Recently, I've been requesting tables in quieter areas, with more comfortable seats, away from noisy children, and so on. Every time, my request has been answered with a better table, because I pushed aside my fear that hostesses would think I was rude.
(2) Learn how to ask for what you want.
a) Ask as if you expect to get it.
b) Assume that you can get what you want.
c) Ask someone who has the authority to give it to you.
d) Be clear and specific. Vague requests yield vague results.
e) Ask repeatedly, expecting to get lots of no's before you get a yes.
Over the weekend, Joe realized that he needed to make a copy of an important document to give to his father. We were eating breakfast in a restaurant near his home town, and he asked the hostess to make him a copy. She denied his request, and he came back to the table to say he'd have to mail the copy later.
His dad took the document and said, "I can get you a copy." He came back within minutes with four copies. When I asked him how he had succeeded, he said that he knew the woman who manages the restuarant. He went directly to her. He succeeded, because he expected to get what he wanted, and he assumed a positive outcome. He was very specific when he asked for four copies, not just one, so he was pleased with the results. He also had the sense to ask the person with the authority to grant his request.
(3) Learn something from sales statistics.
Jack provides some numbers about the odds of selling something. Basically, a sales person must ask at least five times before giving up. Why? Most buyers will assent to a sale after the fourth sales call. We must remember that the odds are against us if we ask only once. We must ask repeatedly, because something almost always changes to bring about a positive response.
(4) Ask, and it shall be given to you.
In another example, Jack tells about a woman who risked looking foolish by asking her boss to send the sales team to an island for a vacation. Everyone in the room stared at her in silence. The boss surprised everyone by saying that if they met a sales quota, he would do it. They were all thrilled a few months later when he sent them to a tropical island. We don't know what we can get until we ask.
(5) Realize that you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by asking.
This chapter includes a story about a man who desperately wanted a job as a head football coach. He approached several schools and landed a job within a week.
In the late 80s when jobs were scarce, I applied to over 90 school districts for a teaching position. Every day, I got on the phone and called each one to ask if something had opened up. The secretary in one of those districts became very annoyed with me, because they hadn't hired a new teacher in over 30 years. She told me I was wasting my time by calling.
And then suddenly, the teachers in that district went on strike, and a few days later, the administrators were forced to hire three new teachers. I was one of those three people who were hired. Because I took the approach that I had nothing to lose and everything to gain by asking, I got the job.
(6) Be bold, even in asking for money.
Chad Pregracke was 21 years old when he decided that he wanted to clean up the trash along the banks of the Mississippi River. He opened the phone book to the A's and began asking everyone he called if they wanted to give him some money for this task. At first, people were shocked by his bold request, but over the years, he has raised more than $2.5 million. He has removed over one million pounds of garbage with the help of over 4,000 people.
When Joe was in seminary and I had been paralyzed, we were in dire straits financially. It was very humbling, especially to Joe, to ask for help. But other Christians were incredibly generous, and they donated the funds we needed to stay afloat until Joe found a chaplaincy position.
This entire lesson reminds me that Jesus said, For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matt 7:8) God loves us and wants to bless us. If we apply these principles together with prayer, we'll be pleasantly surprised by the results.
Today's Challenge
Make a list of things you want, but haven't yet asked for. Write down the fears related to asking for those things. List what it's costing you not to ask. Then, list the benefits you would receive if you did. Remember to include all areas of your goals: finances, career, recreation, health, relationships, personal growth, and charity. Choose one thing from your list, ask God to help you get it, and start asking for it today. Send me your success story so that I can post it for others to read.
Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Be Willing to Pay the Price
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #16
If we are willing to face overwhelming challenges, setbacks, and pain, we can achieve highly successful outcomes. In today's lesson, Jack Canfield provides us with a number of stories about people who have been willing to pay the price to get what they want.
(1) Remember that pain is temporary; benefits last forever.
In 1976, Shun Fujimoto won the 1976 gold medal in gymnastics, in spite of the fact that he had broken his knee. He endured searing pain, because he knew that it was temporary, and the gold medal would last forever.
(2) Pratice, practice, practice.
Winners are willing to put in more time than the average person to get where they want to be. Basketball player Bill Bradley stayed late afer every practice to put in extra time on the court. He practiced four hours every day. If we want to excel, we must set aside extra time to hone our craft.
(3) Pay the price.
To win, we must put in disciplined effort until we excel at our chosen trade, craft, or profession. Our friend, Bob Russell, started a church in the basement of someone's home with just 25 people. Throughout his career, he insisted that everyone on his team work to a point of excellence, because he strongly believes that God deserves our best. By the time he retired after four decades with Southeast Christian Church of Louisville, Kentucky, he was leading 20,000 people in worship every weekend.
(4) Do it ten times perfectly.
Jack tells a story about clarinetist Tom Boyer, whose teacher demanded that he play an extremely difficult piece 10 times perfectly each day before ending practice. In time, this procedure landed Tom a spot with the Cleveland Orchestra.
I used this same method when I taught my oldest son, Lance, how to drive. He was not allowed to leave our neighborhood until he could shift smoothly all the way around the block ten times without stalling. When he first started, he thought this was ridiculous. But years later, he told me that my demands pushed him to a point of confidence when it was time to drive out of the neighborhood and onto the expressways surrounding Cincinnati.
(5) Determine to achieve your dream at any cost.
The painter, Wyland, decided in high school that he wanted to be famous. He sold paintings around Detroit for $35 when he first started, and it took him 26 years to finally find his niche with his own gallery in Hawaii. Today, his paintings sell for $200,000. Along the way he suffered rejection, poverty, and mistreatment. But he decided that his dream was worth pursuing, and he never gave up.
(6) Do whatever it takes.
ReMax real estate founder John Assaraf pitched his franchise idea to 5 realtors every single day for 5 years. In the beginning, most people thought he was crazy. But in just a few short years, he created the most successful real estate franchise business in the world.
(7) Put in the time.
Author M. Scott Peck sold his book, The Road Less Traveled, for just $5,000. It didn't sell well at first, so he decided to put in as much time as it took to make it take off. In the first year, he participated in 1,000 radio interviews. For the next 12 years, he did at least one radio interview each day. Eventually, he broke a record for the longest time on the New York Times Bestseller list: 540 weeks.
(8) Build momentum.
The NASA space shuttles use up almost all of their fuel during takeoff. Once they break free of earth's atmosphere, however, they barely use any fuel as they float through space. Our efforts in achieving success must be similar. We need to build momentum at the beginning with extra time and energy so that we can later coast along on our early achievements.
(9) Be willing to go through the awkward stage.
Children know that if they are trying to learn something new, they're going to make mistakes. Adults, unfortunately, often expect themselves to be proficient from the very beginning. This is a ridiculous notion that keeps many people from trying to achieve a new goal. We must be willing to accept that we will be awkward at first, and we'll make some silly mistakes. That's okay. In time, we'll gain the proficiency we need.
(10) Find out the price you have to pay.
When you decide that you want to go after something, it's important to research how much it's going to cost you. If you've got a spouse and children, are you going to sacrifice all of your time with them just to achieve your dream? This is the first time in The Success Principles that Jack asks the reader to consider the costs. Be sure that pursuing your dream will not throw your life so far off balance that you lose your family and friends in the process.
Today's Challenge
Choose one of your goals and list the costs of pursuing it. Will it be worth it in the long run? Or will it cost you too dearly? Is there some way to achieve it at a slower pace or to a lesser degree, while still maintaining your most important relationships? If you determine that the price is too dear, reconsider how important the goal is to you.
Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
If we are willing to face overwhelming challenges, setbacks, and pain, we can achieve highly successful outcomes. In today's lesson, Jack Canfield provides us with a number of stories about people who have been willing to pay the price to get what they want.
(1) Remember that pain is temporary; benefits last forever.
In 1976, Shun Fujimoto won the 1976 gold medal in gymnastics, in spite of the fact that he had broken his knee. He endured searing pain, because he knew that it was temporary, and the gold medal would last forever.
(2) Pratice, practice, practice.
Winners are willing to put in more time than the average person to get where they want to be. Basketball player Bill Bradley stayed late afer every practice to put in extra time on the court. He practiced four hours every day. If we want to excel, we must set aside extra time to hone our craft.
(3) Pay the price.
To win, we must put in disciplined effort until we excel at our chosen trade, craft, or profession. Our friend, Bob Russell, started a church in the basement of someone's home with just 25 people. Throughout his career, he insisted that everyone on his team work to a point of excellence, because he strongly believes that God deserves our best. By the time he retired after four decades with Southeast Christian Church of Louisville, Kentucky, he was leading 20,000 people in worship every weekend.
(4) Do it ten times perfectly.
Jack tells a story about clarinetist Tom Boyer, whose teacher demanded that he play an extremely difficult piece 10 times perfectly each day before ending practice. In time, this procedure landed Tom a spot with the Cleveland Orchestra.
I used this same method when I taught my oldest son, Lance, how to drive. He was not allowed to leave our neighborhood until he could shift smoothly all the way around the block ten times without stalling. When he first started, he thought this was ridiculous. But years later, he told me that my demands pushed him to a point of confidence when it was time to drive out of the neighborhood and onto the expressways surrounding Cincinnati.
(5) Determine to achieve your dream at any cost.
The painter, Wyland, decided in high school that he wanted to be famous. He sold paintings around Detroit for $35 when he first started, and it took him 26 years to finally find his niche with his own gallery in Hawaii. Today, his paintings sell for $200,000. Along the way he suffered rejection, poverty, and mistreatment. But he decided that his dream was worth pursuing, and he never gave up.
(6) Do whatever it takes.
ReMax real estate founder John Assaraf pitched his franchise idea to 5 realtors every single day for 5 years. In the beginning, most people thought he was crazy. But in just a few short years, he created the most successful real estate franchise business in the world.
(7) Put in the time.
Author M. Scott Peck sold his book, The Road Less Traveled, for just $5,000. It didn't sell well at first, so he decided to put in as much time as it took to make it take off. In the first year, he participated in 1,000 radio interviews. For the next 12 years, he did at least one radio interview each day. Eventually, he broke a record for the longest time on the New York Times Bestseller list: 540 weeks.
(8) Build momentum.
The NASA space shuttles use up almost all of their fuel during takeoff. Once they break free of earth's atmosphere, however, they barely use any fuel as they float through space. Our efforts in achieving success must be similar. We need to build momentum at the beginning with extra time and energy so that we can later coast along on our early achievements.
(9) Be willing to go through the awkward stage.
Children know that if they are trying to learn something new, they're going to make mistakes. Adults, unfortunately, often expect themselves to be proficient from the very beginning. This is a ridiculous notion that keeps many people from trying to achieve a new goal. We must be willing to accept that we will be awkward at first, and we'll make some silly mistakes. That's okay. In time, we'll gain the proficiency we need.
(10) Find out the price you have to pay.
When you decide that you want to go after something, it's important to research how much it's going to cost you. If you've got a spouse and children, are you going to sacrifice all of your time with them just to achieve your dream? This is the first time in The Success Principles that Jack asks the reader to consider the costs. Be sure that pursuing your dream will not throw your life so far off balance that you lose your family and friends in the process.
Today's Challenge
Choose one of your goals and list the costs of pursuing it. Will it be worth it in the long run? Or will it cost you too dearly? Is there some way to achieve it at a slower pace or to a lesser degree, while still maintaining your most important relationships? If you determine that the price is too dear, reconsider how important the goal is to you.
Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Develop a Team
Sometimes, we have to table new things that we're reading about and simply throw ourselves out into the world to see what happens. We left yesterday morning for Nashville, and we just got back.
In the span of 36 hours, I traveled 600 miles, had significant conversations with several people about their life's purpose, visited an exhibition of Impressionist painters, learned about the life of glass artist Dale Chihuly, and slept an amazing 11 hours straight.
The thing that struck me the most about my jaunt was the importance of developing a team of supporters. Dale Chihuly began as a glass blower in the 1970s. Over the years, he invited a variety of people to work with him. Today, he is the one of the world's most highly recognized glass artists.
Even though Dale has lost the sight in one eye and cannot lift anything heavy with his right arm, he is still creating magnificent glass objects. He draws a very swift sketch of his idea, and members of his team lift the heavy poles and shove the glass into the furnace. With their two good eyes and strong arms, they execute what he imagines.
I think about where Dale Chihuly would be today if he had insisted on working solo. When he lost his sight and strength, it would have been the end of his production. The world would not be enjoying the jaw-dropping glass objects that his team is still producing. I'm glad that he had the foresight to realize that two heads are always better than one.
We were not put on the planet to carry out our purposes all by ourselves. We need other people to fill in the gaps where we are weak. They need our strengths to help them fulfill their dreams, too.
The apostle Paul compared believers to body parts. He pointed out that each part of our bodies has a special function, just as each person has a special task to perform while he is here on Earth. He wrote, If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? (I Cor 12:17) In other words, each of us is indispensible on God's team.
Who is on your team? If you find yourself walking alone toward your goal, ask someone to help you. You'll discover, as Dale Chihuly did, that two heads are better than one. Who knows? They may one day serve as your eyes or your hands.
Tomorrow, we will resume our study of Jack Canfield's Success Principle #16.
Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
In the span of 36 hours, I traveled 600 miles, had significant conversations with several people about their life's purpose, visited an exhibition of Impressionist painters, learned about the life of glass artist Dale Chihuly, and slept an amazing 11 hours straight.
The thing that struck me the most about my jaunt was the importance of developing a team of supporters. Dale Chihuly began as a glass blower in the 1970s. Over the years, he invited a variety of people to work with him. Today, he is the one of the world's most highly recognized glass artists.
Even though Dale has lost the sight in one eye and cannot lift anything heavy with his right arm, he is still creating magnificent glass objects. He draws a very swift sketch of his idea, and members of his team lift the heavy poles and shove the glass into the furnace. With their two good eyes and strong arms, they execute what he imagines.
I think about where Dale Chihuly would be today if he had insisted on working solo. When he lost his sight and strength, it would have been the end of his production. The world would not be enjoying the jaw-dropping glass objects that his team is still producing. I'm glad that he had the foresight to realize that two heads are always better than one.
We were not put on the planet to carry out our purposes all by ourselves. We need other people to fill in the gaps where we are weak. They need our strengths to help them fulfill their dreams, too.
The apostle Paul compared believers to body parts. He pointed out that each part of our bodies has a special function, just as each person has a special task to perform while he is here on Earth. He wrote, If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? (I Cor 12:17) In other words, each of us is indispensible on God's team.
Who is on your team? If you find yourself walking alone toward your goal, ask someone to help you. You'll discover, as Dale Chihuly did, that two heads are better than one. Who knows? They may one day serve as your eyes or your hands.
Tomorrow, we will resume our study of Jack Canfield's Success Principle #16.
Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
Friday, November 26, 2010
Dealing with Life's Obstacles
In previous lessons, Jack Canfield wrote about obstacles. He said that we should expect them, deal with them, and move on.
A lovely obstacle walked through my front door last night and caught me by surprise. My son, Ian, showed up unexpectedly for Thanksgiving dinner. This is the kind of obstacle I can easily live with.
We ate too much, talked too much, stayed up too late, and woke up too late. We're scheduled to meet family in another state in four hours, and there's no way I can achieve my goal today of writing about Jack's next lesson.
So, dear reader, enjoy this crazy day of wild shopping. Keep working on your 101 goals, and I'll be back late tomorrow evening.
Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
A lovely obstacle walked through my front door last night and caught me by surprise. My son, Ian, showed up unexpectedly for Thanksgiving dinner. This is the kind of obstacle I can easily live with.
We ate too much, talked too much, stayed up too late, and woke up too late. We're scheduled to meet family in another state in four hours, and there's no way I can achieve my goal today of writing about Jack's next lesson.
So, dear reader, enjoy this crazy day of wild shopping. Keep working on your 101 goals, and I'll be back late tomorrow evening.
Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #15
Many people never achieve their dreams, because they allow fear to get it in the way. Jack provides some helpful methods for overcoming our anxieties that are holding us back.
(1) Understand why we are all fearful.
God built into us an automatic response system that helps us to react to fear. If we are threatened, adrenalin rushes through our system to give us the strength to either fight or flee. This response system can become highly over-reactive in people who have experienced abuse or trauma.
We can regain control over this imbalance if we simply understand that our reaction to fear is natural. Everyone experiences it. We can learn to control it so that nothing stops us from achieving our goals.
(2)Be willing to feel the fear.
If we aren't willing to ever feel some fear, we'll never achieve our dreams. Everyone gets butterflies in their stomachs before speaking before a large audience. But we can learn how to use that fear to our advantage to push onward.
Psalm 118:6-7 reads, The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? If we realize that most of our fears are unfounded and that God protects us along the way, we can develop greater courage to face scary ventures.
(3) Fear is Fantasized Experiences Appearing Real.
Almost all of our fears are self-created. It stands to reason, therefore, that if we create the fantasies of fear in our minds, we can get rid of them.
Jack recommends the following exercise for getting rid of fears:
-Create a list of things we're afraid to do;
-Restate each fear in the following format:
I want to __________________, and I scare myself by imgaining that ____________________________________.
I recognize that I am fearful about jumping back into the workforce after being on disability for many years. In the past, I have been politely asked to give up positions because my health interfered with my performance. Here is what my fear statement would look like:
I want to become independent of disability by writing and publishing books, and I scare myself by imagining that we'll be in trouble financially if I earn enough to end my disability payments and then get sick again.
(4) Get rid of fear.
We can make our fears disappear by asking ourselves what is scary. Then, we can replace that image with its opposite. We can create a new statement that looks like this:
I want to become independent of disability by writing and publishing books, and I imagine that we'll be financially free when I earn so much money that it won't matter if I don't have disability, even if I do get sick again.
(5) Replace the physical sensations that accompany fear.
Jack provides an excellent way to learn how to sense what happens to us physically when we think about our fears. First, we can focus on the feelings that go with fear: tense muscles, headache, uneasy stomach, etc.
Next, we can think about the feelings we'd rather have: joy, calm, confidence, etc.
We can shift back and forth between two of these feelings for 15 seconds each. In other words, think of that uneasiness in your stomach for 15 seconds, and then shift over to the calm that you feel when things go well for you for 15 seconds.
Keep making this shift between fear and calm for 1 to 2 minutes. By the time you're finished with this exercise, you will know that you can control the fear.
(6) Remember back to times when you triumphed in the face of fear.
Think of a time when you were scared, but you mustered up the courage and just did whatever it was that made you fearful. When we face a fear and act anyway, we develop confidence in ourselves. The next time a similar situation occurs, we can remember our courage so that fear doesn't stop us.
This past Sunday, I knew that I needed to go forward at the end of the church service to tell everyone that God had answered their prayers regarding my health. Speaking in front of large crowds has always terrified me, and I didn't want to do it. But I knew that God needed to be honored for his mercy, so I made myself walk up there.
When the pastor handed me the microphone, and I looked out at that sea of faces, I took a deep breath and tried to sound intelligent. My knees were shaking so hard, I thought my legs would give out. But when everyone burst into applause and smiled broadly at me, I realized that I wouldn't have missed that moment for anything. If I can triumph in the face of fear, so can you.
(7) Scale down the risk.
Jack suggests starting with smaller challenges and working our way up to the more difficult ones. By following this excellent advice, we can develop our courage and our confidence.
Talking to small groups of people that I know used to terrify me as much as speaking before a large audience. Now, the small group stuff is a breeze. Someday, the large audiences will be, too.
(8) Figure out if your fear is really a phobia.
If we've got a fear that's preventing us from functioning normally, we've got to deal with it. It's not necessary to be terrified of walking up a set of stairs, flying on an airplane, getting into a car, and so on.
Jack recommends Dr. Roger Callahan's Five-Minute Phobia cure. You can find it at www.ftfrx.com.
Today's Challenge
Today, take a leap and transform your life. Make a list of 10 things that you're afraid to do. Write them out in the format suggested above, and then re-write them with the opposite outcome.
Many people never achieve their dreams, because they allow fear to get it in the way. Jack provides some helpful methods for overcoming our anxieties that are holding us back.
(1) Understand why we are all fearful.
God built into us an automatic response system that helps us to react to fear. If we are threatened, adrenalin rushes through our system to give us the strength to either fight or flee. This response system can become highly over-reactive in people who have experienced abuse or trauma.
We can regain control over this imbalance if we simply understand that our reaction to fear is natural. Everyone experiences it. We can learn to control it so that nothing stops us from achieving our goals.
(2)Be willing to feel the fear.
If we aren't willing to ever feel some fear, we'll never achieve our dreams. Everyone gets butterflies in their stomachs before speaking before a large audience. But we can learn how to use that fear to our advantage to push onward.
Psalm 118:6-7 reads, The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? If we realize that most of our fears are unfounded and that God protects us along the way, we can develop greater courage to face scary ventures.
(3) Fear is Fantasized Experiences Appearing Real.
Almost all of our fears are self-created. It stands to reason, therefore, that if we create the fantasies of fear in our minds, we can get rid of them.
Jack recommends the following exercise for getting rid of fears:
-Create a list of things we're afraid to do;
-Restate each fear in the following format:
I want to __________________, and I scare myself by imgaining that ____________________________________.
I recognize that I am fearful about jumping back into the workforce after being on disability for many years. In the past, I have been politely asked to give up positions because my health interfered with my performance. Here is what my fear statement would look like:
I want to become independent of disability by writing and publishing books, and I scare myself by imagining that we'll be in trouble financially if I earn enough to end my disability payments and then get sick again.
(4) Get rid of fear.
We can make our fears disappear by asking ourselves what is scary. Then, we can replace that image with its opposite. We can create a new statement that looks like this:
I want to become independent of disability by writing and publishing books, and I imagine that we'll be financially free when I earn so much money that it won't matter if I don't have disability, even if I do get sick again.
(5) Replace the physical sensations that accompany fear.
Jack provides an excellent way to learn how to sense what happens to us physically when we think about our fears. First, we can focus on the feelings that go with fear: tense muscles, headache, uneasy stomach, etc.
Next, we can think about the feelings we'd rather have: joy, calm, confidence, etc.
We can shift back and forth between two of these feelings for 15 seconds each. In other words, think of that uneasiness in your stomach for 15 seconds, and then shift over to the calm that you feel when things go well for you for 15 seconds.
Keep making this shift between fear and calm for 1 to 2 minutes. By the time you're finished with this exercise, you will know that you can control the fear.
(6) Remember back to times when you triumphed in the face of fear.
Think of a time when you were scared, but you mustered up the courage and just did whatever it was that made you fearful. When we face a fear and act anyway, we develop confidence in ourselves. The next time a similar situation occurs, we can remember our courage so that fear doesn't stop us.
This past Sunday, I knew that I needed to go forward at the end of the church service to tell everyone that God had answered their prayers regarding my health. Speaking in front of large crowds has always terrified me, and I didn't want to do it. But I knew that God needed to be honored for his mercy, so I made myself walk up there.
When the pastor handed me the microphone, and I looked out at that sea of faces, I took a deep breath and tried to sound intelligent. My knees were shaking so hard, I thought my legs would give out. But when everyone burst into applause and smiled broadly at me, I realized that I wouldn't have missed that moment for anything. If I can triumph in the face of fear, so can you.
(7) Scale down the risk.
Jack suggests starting with smaller challenges and working our way up to the more difficult ones. By following this excellent advice, we can develop our courage and our confidence.
Talking to small groups of people that I know used to terrify me as much as speaking before a large audience. Now, the small group stuff is a breeze. Someday, the large audiences will be, too.
(8) Figure out if your fear is really a phobia.
If we've got a fear that's preventing us from functioning normally, we've got to deal with it. It's not necessary to be terrified of walking up a set of stairs, flying on an airplane, getting into a car, and so on.
Jack recommends Dr. Roger Callahan's Five-Minute Phobia cure. You can find it at www.ftfrx.com.
Today's Challenge
Today, take a leap and transform your life. Make a list of 10 things that you're afraid to do. Write them out in the format suggested above, and then re-write them with the opposite outcome.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Just Lean Into It
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #14
Instead of sitting on the sidelines, deliberating, reflecting, and contemplating, winners make themselves open to opportunities without any guarantees.
(1) Lean into it to create momentum.
When we set a goal, if we lean into it, we will set unseen energy forces in motion. When the universe begins working on our behalf, we begin to meet people and discover opportunities that surprise us.
Today, I want to write about what is happening with a goal that Joe and I chose to pursue. I would like to write books to encourage people to thrive, in spite of their life's circumstances. Joe has always dreamed of sharing his love of God with as many people as possible. We have known for years that this is our purpose, but we have never been able to figure out how to meld the two dreams.
Recently, I leaned into this idea by picking up the phone to call a Small Business Development Center advisor. I had no idea what I was doing, but I was pleasantly surpised by the confidence he exuded about the task. He offered to meet with me one-on-one, and I jumped at the opportunity. Just by leaning into the idea, God set energy and people in motion to help us.
(2) Be willing to start without seeing the whole path.
Jack calls us to be willing to explore what lies ahead of us, even if it is unclear where we may end up. So many people hang back, because of the uncertainty of where life may take them. His advice is to simply start. And once we're on the path, we should just keep taking logical steps in the direction of our dreams.
I had no idea when I met with the business advisor yesterday where this journey would take me. Our objectives are very vague at this point. After talking to this man for an hour, however, the fog began to clear. He laid out a simple plan for incorporating, financing, marketing, and insuring our business. He even gave me an outline for creating a business plan and offered to review it when it was finished. Again, I leaped on the chance for some expert advice, even though we're not entirely sure where all of this will lead.
(3) Roadblocks may be God's way of redirecting us.
Jack warns that we will all encounter obstacles along the way. We must not see them as insurmountable walls that turn us back from achieving our dreams. They are simply problems that we must solve.
At one point, Joe thought that becoming a military chaplain was the way to achieve his dream. But then he met me, and after we married, we decided that moving my three kids around every few years would not be in their best interest. They were struggling with PTSD, and we knew that they needed stability, not uncertainty.
Joe was very distressed by what he thought was the death of his dream. But God had other opportunities in mind for him. Just three years into our marriage, I was sudddenly paralyzed. While in the hospital, Joe looked around and realized that there was an unmet need for spiritual care among the patients and staff. Within months, God opened many doors that led him into hospital chaplaincy. What initally appeared to be a roadblock turned out to be a blessing.
(4) Look for your underlying motivation.
When roadblocks occur that seem to be stopping our forward momentum, we must stop and ask ourselves if we're headed the right way. If we have a goal, but we're beating our heads against a wall over and over, we may need to adjust the way we're trying to achieve it.
I knew before we got married that God was calling us to work together as a team. At one time, we owned a drapery workroom, and I believed that was how we would always work. Boy, was I wrong! Joe hated the tedious attention to detail and the back-breaking installations. He felt completely out of his element, with me trying to teach him what I had known for years. After I got sick, we had to dismantle our business and admit defeat. This left both of us feeling demoralized and confused about working together at anything.
It has taken nearly seven years to get back on track. The Success Principles has helped us to see that our workroom was a roadblock that God used to redirect us. We have set aside our fear of failure and reconsidered our original dreams to help people thrive by sharing the love of Christ with as many as we can.
(5) Keep leaning into it until a clear path appears.
By leaning into our dream to create momentum, we have set ourselves on a path that has not always been clear. There have been many obstacles, but seeing them for what they truly are has cleared away some of the confusion. Meeting with the business advisor has brought us to a point of understanding two things: we will begin with books, seminars, and workshops; and we will eventually open up a retreat center for people who are worn out by the demands of life.
(6) Keep your eyes open for the turning point.
Eventually, something will happen to let us know that we've taken the right path. It may come on the day that we earn more than we ever have, when we are recognized as leaders in our field, or maybe when we send our first retreat center client back out into the world, refreshed and confident that he can thrive because we have shared the love of Christ with him. All of us know what our turning point is. If we keep looking for it, it will eventually occur.
The apostle Paul thought that he was on the right path when he persecuted Christians and had them put to death. Then, God put obstacles in his way: blindness, imprisonment, a shipwreck, and persecution at every turn. Eventually, Paul came to see clearly that he was called to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles, and then he must die for Christ. When he reached a turning point in his ministry, he praised God, saying, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!" (Rom 11:33-34)
Today's Challenge
You've given thought to your dreams. It's time to stop deliberating, contemplating, and reflecting now. Lean into your dream and set the unseen energy force in motion today. Make a phone call, sign up for a class, ask questions, volunteer. Do one thing today and keep leaning into it every day until you reach your goal.
Instead of sitting on the sidelines, deliberating, reflecting, and contemplating, winners make themselves open to opportunities without any guarantees.
(1) Lean into it to create momentum.
When we set a goal, if we lean into it, we will set unseen energy forces in motion. When the universe begins working on our behalf, we begin to meet people and discover opportunities that surprise us.
Today, I want to write about what is happening with a goal that Joe and I chose to pursue. I would like to write books to encourage people to thrive, in spite of their life's circumstances. Joe has always dreamed of sharing his love of God with as many people as possible. We have known for years that this is our purpose, but we have never been able to figure out how to meld the two dreams.
Recently, I leaned into this idea by picking up the phone to call a Small Business Development Center advisor. I had no idea what I was doing, but I was pleasantly surpised by the confidence he exuded about the task. He offered to meet with me one-on-one, and I jumped at the opportunity. Just by leaning into the idea, God set energy and people in motion to help us.
(2) Be willing to start without seeing the whole path.
Jack calls us to be willing to explore what lies ahead of us, even if it is unclear where we may end up. So many people hang back, because of the uncertainty of where life may take them. His advice is to simply start. And once we're on the path, we should just keep taking logical steps in the direction of our dreams.
I had no idea when I met with the business advisor yesterday where this journey would take me. Our objectives are very vague at this point. After talking to this man for an hour, however, the fog began to clear. He laid out a simple plan for incorporating, financing, marketing, and insuring our business. He even gave me an outline for creating a business plan and offered to review it when it was finished. Again, I leaped on the chance for some expert advice, even though we're not entirely sure where all of this will lead.
(3) Roadblocks may be God's way of redirecting us.
Jack warns that we will all encounter obstacles along the way. We must not see them as insurmountable walls that turn us back from achieving our dreams. They are simply problems that we must solve.
At one point, Joe thought that becoming a military chaplain was the way to achieve his dream. But then he met me, and after we married, we decided that moving my three kids around every few years would not be in their best interest. They were struggling with PTSD, and we knew that they needed stability, not uncertainty.
Joe was very distressed by what he thought was the death of his dream. But God had other opportunities in mind for him. Just three years into our marriage, I was sudddenly paralyzed. While in the hospital, Joe looked around and realized that there was an unmet need for spiritual care among the patients and staff. Within months, God opened many doors that led him into hospital chaplaincy. What initally appeared to be a roadblock turned out to be a blessing.
(4) Look for your underlying motivation.
When roadblocks occur that seem to be stopping our forward momentum, we must stop and ask ourselves if we're headed the right way. If we have a goal, but we're beating our heads against a wall over and over, we may need to adjust the way we're trying to achieve it.
I knew before we got married that God was calling us to work together as a team. At one time, we owned a drapery workroom, and I believed that was how we would always work. Boy, was I wrong! Joe hated the tedious attention to detail and the back-breaking installations. He felt completely out of his element, with me trying to teach him what I had known for years. After I got sick, we had to dismantle our business and admit defeat. This left both of us feeling demoralized and confused about working together at anything.
It has taken nearly seven years to get back on track. The Success Principles has helped us to see that our workroom was a roadblock that God used to redirect us. We have set aside our fear of failure and reconsidered our original dreams to help people thrive by sharing the love of Christ with as many as we can.
(5) Keep leaning into it until a clear path appears.
By leaning into our dream to create momentum, we have set ourselves on a path that has not always been clear. There have been many obstacles, but seeing them for what they truly are has cleared away some of the confusion. Meeting with the business advisor has brought us to a point of understanding two things: we will begin with books, seminars, and workshops; and we will eventually open up a retreat center for people who are worn out by the demands of life.
(6) Keep your eyes open for the turning point.
Eventually, something will happen to let us know that we've taken the right path. It may come on the day that we earn more than we ever have, when we are recognized as leaders in our field, or maybe when we send our first retreat center client back out into the world, refreshed and confident that he can thrive because we have shared the love of Christ with him. All of us know what our turning point is. If we keep looking for it, it will eventually occur.
The apostle Paul thought that he was on the right path when he persecuted Christians and had them put to death. Then, God put obstacles in his way: blindness, imprisonment, a shipwreck, and persecution at every turn. Eventually, Paul came to see clearly that he was called to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles, and then he must die for Christ. When he reached a turning point in his ministry, he praised God, saying, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!" (Rom 11:33-34)
Today's Challenge
You've given thought to your dreams. It's time to stop deliberating, contemplating, and reflecting now. Lean into your dream and set the unseen energy force in motion today. Make a phone call, sign up for a class, ask questions, volunteer. Do one thing today and keep leaning into it every day until you reach your goal.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Take Action
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #13
Jack points out in today's lesson that good things begin to flow our way as soon as we take action.
(1) Remember that talk is cheap.
Most people talk about the things they want to do in life, but they never get around to starting. Winners, on the other hand, take action. Once again, Jack hammers home the points from previous chapters:
-Create a vision;
-Set goals;
-Break your goals into small, measurable steps;
-Deal with obstacles that will inevitably come along;
-Visualize your success with positive affirmations; and
-Believe in yourself
(2) Realize that nothing happens until you take action.
Jack held up a $100 bill at a conference and asked the audience who would like to have it. People raised their hands, shouted, and jumped up and down. Jack just stood there, holding the bill. Finally, a woman raced from her seat and snatched it out of his hand. He made the point that you've got to get up and take action if you want to see results.
(3) Pursue your dream like an Olympian.
Ruben Gonzalez was a young man who wanted to compete in the Olympics, but he had never been trained in any sport. He did know that he had one thing going for him: he enjoyed persevering when the going got tough. In spite of his age, lack of training, and limited connections, he picked up the phone one day to get the ball rolling. The training was grueling. He broke bones, and every other man on the team quit during the first year. But not Ruben. He went on to win the Olympics three times in the luge.
We must make up our minds to be like Ruben Gonzalez if we want to achieve our goals. Success takes perseverence and the willingness to fail repeatedly along the way.
(4) Develop a bias for action.
Jack asserts that winners have a bias for action. They can't stand to sit still if they can do something.
If two people are given a task, and one of them sits down to write lengthy action plans while the one biased for action gets on the phone; he will inevitably make it to his goal more quickly. It takes action to make our dreams a reality.
(5) Ready, fire, aim!
Most people are familiar with the phrase, Ready, Aim, Fire! Jack advocates getting ready, firing off a round, and then correcting our aim if we miss the target.
I found myself following this advice a few years ago when I was asked to write a biography. The deadline was only 42 days away, I had to interview the evangelist I was writing about, and I had to incorporate old material from a previous book. It was a daunting task, but I figured God would help me pull it off.
I had never interviewed anyone in my life, but I acted as if I knew what I was doing. I wrote 12-14 hours a day, and on day 42, I delivered the manuscript to the printer. Joe and I drove 300 copies of the book to a seminar two weeks later, where this evangelist was speaking. I was amazed what God was able to do through me, just because I was willing to get ready, fire, and aim.
(6) Do it now!
Putting off what we need to do will never bring about results. Jack calls us to take action today.
Sylvester Stallone watched the heavyweight boxing championship on TV and was inspired to write Rocky. He turned off the TV, grabbed a pencil, and completed the entire script in three days.
When inspiration strikes us, we must take action. If we set aside our excuses and our fears, God will provide us with far more opportunities than if we put off for tomorrow what we should have done today.
(7) Give me a break!
A man was desperate for money, so he prayed, "Oh, Lord, give me a break! Let me win the lottery." Nothing happened, so he knelt beside his bed to pray, "Give me a break! I'm desperate. Let me win the lottery." Still, nothing happened. Finally, he went to the church and knelt before the altar. He cried out, "Give me a break! Let me win the lottery." A bright light shone all around him, and a voice from heaven boomed out, "Give me a break! Buy a lottery ticket."
The point of this joke is to show us that God often waits for us take action before he answers our prayers. Proverbs 3:5 tells us, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
We don't have to understand God's plans completely in order to take action. All we have to do is trust that he has great things in store for us. If he gives us a dream, he'll make it come true if we boldly step out in faith to do our part.
(8) Fail forward.
Most people do nothing, because they are afraid of failure. We are all going to make mistakes as we go along, so Jack encourages us to look at our failures as opportunities to learn something new.
Joe and I were talking about this concept yesterday. Both of our first marriages ended in divorce, and we'd like to help others in the same situation to feel better afterward. I pointed out that we can't look at our first marriages as failures; they provided us with opportunities to grow so that we could be better spouses the second time around.
Regarding our goals, Jack encourages us to:
-Get started;
-Make mistakes;
-Listen to feedback; and
-Correct our mistakes as we go along.
Today's Challenge
Choose to take action on one of your goals today. Pick up the phone, arrange a meeting, ask for help, send out a letter, write an email. Do something to set the universe in motion as you press on toward your goal.
Jack points out in today's lesson that good things begin to flow our way as soon as we take action.
(1) Remember that talk is cheap.
Most people talk about the things they want to do in life, but they never get around to starting. Winners, on the other hand, take action. Once again, Jack hammers home the points from previous chapters:
-Create a vision;
-Set goals;
-Break your goals into small, measurable steps;
-Deal with obstacles that will inevitably come along;
-Visualize your success with positive affirmations; and
-Believe in yourself
(2) Realize that nothing happens until you take action.
Jack held up a $100 bill at a conference and asked the audience who would like to have it. People raised their hands, shouted, and jumped up and down. Jack just stood there, holding the bill. Finally, a woman raced from her seat and snatched it out of his hand. He made the point that you've got to get up and take action if you want to see results.
(3) Pursue your dream like an Olympian.
Ruben Gonzalez was a young man who wanted to compete in the Olympics, but he had never been trained in any sport. He did know that he had one thing going for him: he enjoyed persevering when the going got tough. In spite of his age, lack of training, and limited connections, he picked up the phone one day to get the ball rolling. The training was grueling. He broke bones, and every other man on the team quit during the first year. But not Ruben. He went on to win the Olympics three times in the luge.
We must make up our minds to be like Ruben Gonzalez if we want to achieve our goals. Success takes perseverence and the willingness to fail repeatedly along the way.
(4) Develop a bias for action.
Jack asserts that winners have a bias for action. They can't stand to sit still if they can do something.
If two people are given a task, and one of them sits down to write lengthy action plans while the one biased for action gets on the phone; he will inevitably make it to his goal more quickly. It takes action to make our dreams a reality.
(5) Ready, fire, aim!
Most people are familiar with the phrase, Ready, Aim, Fire! Jack advocates getting ready, firing off a round, and then correcting our aim if we miss the target.
I found myself following this advice a few years ago when I was asked to write a biography. The deadline was only 42 days away, I had to interview the evangelist I was writing about, and I had to incorporate old material from a previous book. It was a daunting task, but I figured God would help me pull it off.
I had never interviewed anyone in my life, but I acted as if I knew what I was doing. I wrote 12-14 hours a day, and on day 42, I delivered the manuscript to the printer. Joe and I drove 300 copies of the book to a seminar two weeks later, where this evangelist was speaking. I was amazed what God was able to do through me, just because I was willing to get ready, fire, and aim.
(6) Do it now!
Putting off what we need to do will never bring about results. Jack calls us to take action today.
Sylvester Stallone watched the heavyweight boxing championship on TV and was inspired to write Rocky. He turned off the TV, grabbed a pencil, and completed the entire script in three days.
When inspiration strikes us, we must take action. If we set aside our excuses and our fears, God will provide us with far more opportunities than if we put off for tomorrow what we should have done today.
(7) Give me a break!
A man was desperate for money, so he prayed, "Oh, Lord, give me a break! Let me win the lottery." Nothing happened, so he knelt beside his bed to pray, "Give me a break! I'm desperate. Let me win the lottery." Still, nothing happened. Finally, he went to the church and knelt before the altar. He cried out, "Give me a break! Let me win the lottery." A bright light shone all around him, and a voice from heaven boomed out, "Give me a break! Buy a lottery ticket."
The point of this joke is to show us that God often waits for us take action before he answers our prayers. Proverbs 3:5 tells us, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
We don't have to understand God's plans completely in order to take action. All we have to do is trust that he has great things in store for us. If he gives us a dream, he'll make it come true if we boldly step out in faith to do our part.
(8) Fail forward.
Most people do nothing, because they are afraid of failure. We are all going to make mistakes as we go along, so Jack encourages us to look at our failures as opportunities to learn something new.
Joe and I were talking about this concept yesterday. Both of our first marriages ended in divorce, and we'd like to help others in the same situation to feel better afterward. I pointed out that we can't look at our first marriages as failures; they provided us with opportunities to grow so that we could be better spouses the second time around.
Regarding our goals, Jack encourages us to:
-Get started;
-Make mistakes;
-Listen to feedback; and
-Correct our mistakes as we go along.
Today's Challenge
Choose to take action on one of your goals today. Pick up the phone, arrange a meeting, ask for help, send out a letter, write an email. Do something to set the universe in motion as you press on toward your goal.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Act As If
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #12
Today, Jack asserts that if we begin to act as if we have already achieved our goals, we will fast-forward ourselves into a new lifestyle. Joe and I are discovering that this entire process is making us feel unsettled, just as Jack said it would in a previous lesson.
We have experienced this uneasiness in the past, and we both recognize now that we quickly tipped the balance back in the favor of whatever was familiar. Resuming our routine was always easier than pushing ourselves into something that made us squirm.
We are determined to stay the course and plot out something better for ourselves this time. We believe that our new life is part of God's design, and fear has no place in it. Hebrews 13:6 reads, So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
(1) Start acting as if you are already where you want to be.
Jack tells about a bank teller who always wore a suit, even though the rest of the tellers wore a shirt and tie. In no time at all, the young man got promoted to branch manager. When Jack asked him how he advanced so quickly, the former teller told him that he decided early on that he would dress like the managers did. He saw himself as a manager, even though he was beginning as a teller.
The bank teller's clothes didn't make him a manager; his positive affirmations did. However, by putting on the manager-type attire, he was acting as if he already had the job. It worked!
We can act as if we have already reached our goals, provided we actually have goals. Have you finished writing your 101 goals, your index cards, and your Goals Book? Are you saying them aloud two to three times daily?
This is not easy work. I brought home magazines yesterday so that we could cut out new pictures for our Goals Book. Joe and I made our first Goals Book a year ago, and I realized yesterday that I have achieved almost every one in mine. I need to create much bigger dreams for the coming year.
(2) Learn that like attracts like.
If we want to attract people and opportunities to help us move closer to our goals, we must act as if we have already achieved them. By doing so, we create a vibration of energy--both mentally and emotionally--that quickly propels us along our dream path.
Jack decided that he wanted to be an international consultant. He ordered a passport, bought a clock with all time zones on it, paid to have business cards made up with the title, International Consultant, under his name, and acquired travel posters from the country he wanted to visit. Within the year, he was invited to speak at a seminar in that country.
As you can see, like attracts like. Are we attracting successful people with a positive attitude? Or are we attracting energy vampires who are draining us of all hope? If we find ourselves surrounded by dysfunctional people who are sucking the life out of us, remember that like attracts like.
(3) You can progress rapidly at a Millionaire's Cocktail Party.
Jack tells about a method he uses at his workshops to help people act as if they have already achieved their goals. He asks them to pretend that they are at a party, surrounded by the most successful people in the world. For a brief time, participants mingle and talk about their successes, as if they have already achieved them. He claims that this increases everyone's confidence and fast-forwards them to take action.
Joe was recently asked to speak at a black tie dinner (a millionaire's cocktail party). In the past, I would have declined going with him, but I decided to push aside my fears and act as if I belonged there. I put on an outfit that was at least ten years old, along with a fur that my grandmother gave me three decades ago. It was the best I could come up with.
Joe had been asked to wear his church uniform (which he has never owned), so we stopped to buy a clerical collar on the way to the gig. He felt as awkward as I did.
The invitation slung us into a completely new social circle, where beautifully dressed women were dripping with diamonds, and highly successful men discussed business. I immediately ran for the ladies' room, where fears threated to make me head straight back home. But I looked in the mirror and decided that there was no reason why I couldn't play a part for one evening.
We acted as if we belonged among these highly successful people. Throughout the evening, men and women stopped us to thank Joe for his prayers and his service to God. I was pleasantly surprised when the young man seated next to me admired my coat and asked what kind of fur it was.
At the end of the evening, Joe won a very low bid on a year of life coaching. We were stunned! He had been dreaming of hiring a life coach, but we couldn't afford it. This proved to us that if we simply start acting as if we belong in a better life, God sets the wheels in motion to make it happen. In other words, like attracts like.
(4) Start now.
Jack asks us to consider how we would think, act, talk, dress, manage money, eat, and travel if we had already achieved our goals. This is difficult if we don't have goals.
It's taking a lot of time and energy for Joe and me to come up with great goals, but I know it will be worth the effort in the long run. We truly believe that these principles work. God's spirit (which Jack calls vibrational energy) will spur us into action if we just pretend that we have already achieved our goals.
(5) Attend a Come As You Will Be party.
Jack once attended a Come As You Will Be party. Everyone was instructed to act how they would be five years down the road. For the entire evening, guests were asked to talk about their awards and accomplishments. Some people brought props, such as mock Oscar awards, magazine covers featuring their successes, large paychecks, and books they hoped to write. Within five years, every single person actually became what they had pretended to be that night.
When we begin to imagine our success, the subconscious mind plays that role until the dream is achieved. What are you imagining for your future?
Today's Challenge
Think about who you want to be in five years. Start today to act as if you have already become that successful person.
Today, Jack asserts that if we begin to act as if we have already achieved our goals, we will fast-forward ourselves into a new lifestyle. Joe and I are discovering that this entire process is making us feel unsettled, just as Jack said it would in a previous lesson.
We have experienced this uneasiness in the past, and we both recognize now that we quickly tipped the balance back in the favor of whatever was familiar. Resuming our routine was always easier than pushing ourselves into something that made us squirm.
We are determined to stay the course and plot out something better for ourselves this time. We believe that our new life is part of God's design, and fear has no place in it. Hebrews 13:6 reads, So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
(1) Start acting as if you are already where you want to be.
Jack tells about a bank teller who always wore a suit, even though the rest of the tellers wore a shirt and tie. In no time at all, the young man got promoted to branch manager. When Jack asked him how he advanced so quickly, the former teller told him that he decided early on that he would dress like the managers did. He saw himself as a manager, even though he was beginning as a teller.
The bank teller's clothes didn't make him a manager; his positive affirmations did. However, by putting on the manager-type attire, he was acting as if he already had the job. It worked!
We can act as if we have already reached our goals, provided we actually have goals. Have you finished writing your 101 goals, your index cards, and your Goals Book? Are you saying them aloud two to three times daily?
This is not easy work. I brought home magazines yesterday so that we could cut out new pictures for our Goals Book. Joe and I made our first Goals Book a year ago, and I realized yesterday that I have achieved almost every one in mine. I need to create much bigger dreams for the coming year.
(2) Learn that like attracts like.
If we want to attract people and opportunities to help us move closer to our goals, we must act as if we have already achieved them. By doing so, we create a vibration of energy--both mentally and emotionally--that quickly propels us along our dream path.
Jack decided that he wanted to be an international consultant. He ordered a passport, bought a clock with all time zones on it, paid to have business cards made up with the title, International Consultant, under his name, and acquired travel posters from the country he wanted to visit. Within the year, he was invited to speak at a seminar in that country.
As you can see, like attracts like. Are we attracting successful people with a positive attitude? Or are we attracting energy vampires who are draining us of all hope? If we find ourselves surrounded by dysfunctional people who are sucking the life out of us, remember that like attracts like.
(3) You can progress rapidly at a Millionaire's Cocktail Party.
Jack tells about a method he uses at his workshops to help people act as if they have already achieved their goals. He asks them to pretend that they are at a party, surrounded by the most successful people in the world. For a brief time, participants mingle and talk about their successes, as if they have already achieved them. He claims that this increases everyone's confidence and fast-forwards them to take action.
Joe was recently asked to speak at a black tie dinner (a millionaire's cocktail party). In the past, I would have declined going with him, but I decided to push aside my fears and act as if I belonged there. I put on an outfit that was at least ten years old, along with a fur that my grandmother gave me three decades ago. It was the best I could come up with.
Joe had been asked to wear his church uniform (which he has never owned), so we stopped to buy a clerical collar on the way to the gig. He felt as awkward as I did.
The invitation slung us into a completely new social circle, where beautifully dressed women were dripping with diamonds, and highly successful men discussed business. I immediately ran for the ladies' room, where fears threated to make me head straight back home. But I looked in the mirror and decided that there was no reason why I couldn't play a part for one evening.
We acted as if we belonged among these highly successful people. Throughout the evening, men and women stopped us to thank Joe for his prayers and his service to God. I was pleasantly surprised when the young man seated next to me admired my coat and asked what kind of fur it was.
At the end of the evening, Joe won a very low bid on a year of life coaching. We were stunned! He had been dreaming of hiring a life coach, but we couldn't afford it. This proved to us that if we simply start acting as if we belong in a better life, God sets the wheels in motion to make it happen. In other words, like attracts like.
(4) Start now.
Jack asks us to consider how we would think, act, talk, dress, manage money, eat, and travel if we had already achieved our goals. This is difficult if we don't have goals.
It's taking a lot of time and energy for Joe and me to come up with great goals, but I know it will be worth the effort in the long run. We truly believe that these principles work. God's spirit (which Jack calls vibrational energy) will spur us into action if we just pretend that we have already achieved our goals.
(5) Attend a Come As You Will Be party.
Jack once attended a Come As You Will Be party. Everyone was instructed to act how they would be five years down the road. For the entire evening, guests were asked to talk about their awards and accomplishments. Some people brought props, such as mock Oscar awards, magazine covers featuring their successes, large paychecks, and books they hoped to write. Within five years, every single person actually became what they had pretended to be that night.
When we begin to imagine our success, the subconscious mind plays that role until the dream is achieved. What are you imagining for your future?
Today's Challenge
Think about who you want to be in five years. Start today to act as if you have already become that successful person.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
See What You Want, Get What You See
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #11
The brain can only search for ways to achieve the pictures that we put in it, just as a computer can only analyze information that the programmer has given it. In today's lesson, Jack teaches us how to input the right images so that our brains can get to work achieving our goals.
(1) Understand how visualization works.
When we provide our brains with images and affirmations (positive statements), our brain becomes more aware of things that will help us achieve our goals. Have you ever noticed when you're thinking of buying a new car that you suddenly see more people driving that model than ever before? The number of cars hasn't changed, but your awareness of them has.
When we tell our brains to think about the images we give it, we will suddenly find that we have lots of new ideas. We will wake up with answers to problems, ideas will just pop into our heads, and we'll surprise ourselves and others with fresh ideas that we didn't even know we had.
With all of these seemingly new opportunties and fresh ideas, we find ourselves motivated to take action. All this occurs, simply because we gave our brains something to work on. I think the brain is like an eager dog, dying to perform some new tricks for us. All we have to do is train it, and the brain will work to do whatever it takes to please us.
(2) Follow Jack's process for visualizing your future.
We must see our goals as if they are already complete. Remember, they must be written down and reviewed two to three times daily. If we work through our visualization exercises immediately after meditating, Jack tells us that we'll achieve our goals even faster.
In Jeremiah 29:11, the Lord says, For I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future. If God knows the plan for our lives, and we meditate on his ability to make it happen; it stands to reason that speaking our affirmations aloud immediately after meditating will bring about quicker results. We can hope and dream for all kinds of things in our lives without God, but I am certain that our odds of achieving success are much better with God.
(3) Fuel your images with emotion.
As survivors of abuse, we can all probably say that there are certain events that we will never forget. The ugly scenes of our lives play repeatedly in our heads, as vividly as if they occurred an hour ago. This is because whenever an image or a scene is accompanied by an intense emotion, the event can be locked into our memory forever.
The challenge for us is to set aside the ugly scenes and replace them with beautiful ones. To lock new memories into our brains, we should add to our affirmations:
-inspiring music,
-pleasant smells,
-deeply felt passion, and
-spoken affirmations exaggerated with positive emotions.
Adding these emotional components to our affirmations causes the brain to work even harder to help us achieve our goals. So, if I envision myself walking onto the set of Good Morning America to be interviewed about my New York Times Bestseller, I'd better be fueling my affirmation with emotion.
I can imagine lively music playing as I enter. The scene can be enhanced with the sound of the audience clapping, the scent of hairspray that the stylist has just blasted over my head, and the thrill of finally arriving at my dream destination. If I repeat this affirmation loudly and with strong emotions, I will probably achieve this dream more quickly than I can imagine.
(4) Understand that visualization works.
Jack gives several examples of successful people who have used visualization and achieved outstanding results. I think it works far more quickly than most people believe. I once achieved results after visualizing a goal for just a few hours.
I decided one day that I wanted to attract a green canoe to give to Joe. I didn't want to pay anything for it. I picked up the mail just before we got into the car to take a drive in the country to pick strawberries.
Along the way, I kept expecting to see a green canoe. Nothing materialized on the way to the strawberry patch. On the way back, I opened the mail and discovered a $250 stimulus check, which I tucked into my wallet.
We drove on, and I stopped thinking about that green canoe. Then, out of nowhere, I spied a green canoe sitting on the side of the road with a FOR SALE sign on it. I couldn't believe it! It was exactly as I had imagined it. And guess how much the seller was asking for it? You guessed it: $250.
(5) Don't worry if you don't see anything when you visualize.
Some people see their affirmations as clearly as a photograph or a video. Others claim that they can't see a thing. Either experience is perfectly okay. If you can't see anything, just think about what you want. Your brain can still do the work.
(6) Use printed pictures to help you visualize.
Magazine pictures, photographs, or drawings can all enhance our affirmations. We can ask someone to take our picture while we sit behind the wheel of the new car that we want or stand in front of the house we hope to buy. If that's not possible, we can cut out pictures from magazines and super-impose our photographed head or image into the scene. For example, we can't exactly stop by the Eiffel Tower to get a photograph. But we can cut out a picture of the Eiffel Tower and then cut out a photograph of ourselves to paste to that picture. I'm going to get an actual New York Times Bestseller list and add my name to the #1 position.
(7) A vision board or a Goals Book can work well for you.
We talked earlier about creating a Goals Book with images and affirmations in it. If you prefer, you can create a vision board on the front of your fridge or on a bulletin board. We tried this initially last year, but we didn't feel comfortable with house guests looking at our boards and asking questions. It's not that we had anything to hide; it's just that it felt like an invasion of privacy to allow others into our innermost thoughts.
Jack gives more examples of people succeeding as a result of vision boards and Goals Books. I love it when a dream from my Goals Book finally becomes reality. It's an exciting moment when you realize that the process works.
Last year, I had cut out a picture of two women, sitting on a dock with their feet in the water. I imagined my friend and I doing that. Shortly after we bought our house at the lake, that friend came to visit, and we dangled our feet in the water. The next day, I saw that image in my Goals Book and realized what had happened. By visualizing something, I had made it become a reality. That was powerful for me.
If I can visualize small things, such as a free green canoe or dangling my feet in the water at the lake; how much more can I achieve if I expand my goals?
(8) Start today.
If you haven't gotten started on your affirmations, index cards, and Goals Book, don't put it off. Psychologists estimate that one hour of visualization is equivalent to seven hours of physical effort. We can make our lives easier by simply visualizing what we want.
Jack writes about Azim Jamal, an inspirational speaker in Canada, who uses what he calls his "Hour of Power." He spends 20 minutes every morning visualizing his goals, 20 minutes exercising, and then 20 minutes reading inspirational books. This sounds like an excellent formula for success.
Today's Challenge
Sit down with a stack of old magazines and cut out pictures of things that you would like to have or do. Cut up photos of yourself and add them to the magazine scenes. Add these to your Goals Book. Write down effective affirmations for each goal in your book. Repeat them aloud with strong emotion two or three times throughout the day. Expect results!
The brain can only search for ways to achieve the pictures that we put in it, just as a computer can only analyze information that the programmer has given it. In today's lesson, Jack teaches us how to input the right images so that our brains can get to work achieving our goals.
(1) Understand how visualization works.
When we provide our brains with images and affirmations (positive statements), our brain becomes more aware of things that will help us achieve our goals. Have you ever noticed when you're thinking of buying a new car that you suddenly see more people driving that model than ever before? The number of cars hasn't changed, but your awareness of them has.
When we tell our brains to think about the images we give it, we will suddenly find that we have lots of new ideas. We will wake up with answers to problems, ideas will just pop into our heads, and we'll surprise ourselves and others with fresh ideas that we didn't even know we had.
With all of these seemingly new opportunties and fresh ideas, we find ourselves motivated to take action. All this occurs, simply because we gave our brains something to work on. I think the brain is like an eager dog, dying to perform some new tricks for us. All we have to do is train it, and the brain will work to do whatever it takes to please us.
(2) Follow Jack's process for visualizing your future.
We must see our goals as if they are already complete. Remember, they must be written down and reviewed two to three times daily. If we work through our visualization exercises immediately after meditating, Jack tells us that we'll achieve our goals even faster.
In Jeremiah 29:11, the Lord says, For I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future. If God knows the plan for our lives, and we meditate on his ability to make it happen; it stands to reason that speaking our affirmations aloud immediately after meditating will bring about quicker results. We can hope and dream for all kinds of things in our lives without God, but I am certain that our odds of achieving success are much better with God.
(3) Fuel your images with emotion.
As survivors of abuse, we can all probably say that there are certain events that we will never forget. The ugly scenes of our lives play repeatedly in our heads, as vividly as if they occurred an hour ago. This is because whenever an image or a scene is accompanied by an intense emotion, the event can be locked into our memory forever.
The challenge for us is to set aside the ugly scenes and replace them with beautiful ones. To lock new memories into our brains, we should add to our affirmations:
-inspiring music,
-pleasant smells,
-deeply felt passion, and
-spoken affirmations exaggerated with positive emotions.
Adding these emotional components to our affirmations causes the brain to work even harder to help us achieve our goals. So, if I envision myself walking onto the set of Good Morning America to be interviewed about my New York Times Bestseller, I'd better be fueling my affirmation with emotion.
I can imagine lively music playing as I enter. The scene can be enhanced with the sound of the audience clapping, the scent of hairspray that the stylist has just blasted over my head, and the thrill of finally arriving at my dream destination. If I repeat this affirmation loudly and with strong emotions, I will probably achieve this dream more quickly than I can imagine.
(4) Understand that visualization works.
Jack gives several examples of successful people who have used visualization and achieved outstanding results. I think it works far more quickly than most people believe. I once achieved results after visualizing a goal for just a few hours.
I decided one day that I wanted to attract a green canoe to give to Joe. I didn't want to pay anything for it. I picked up the mail just before we got into the car to take a drive in the country to pick strawberries.
Along the way, I kept expecting to see a green canoe. Nothing materialized on the way to the strawberry patch. On the way back, I opened the mail and discovered a $250 stimulus check, which I tucked into my wallet.
We drove on, and I stopped thinking about that green canoe. Then, out of nowhere, I spied a green canoe sitting on the side of the road with a FOR SALE sign on it. I couldn't believe it! It was exactly as I had imagined it. And guess how much the seller was asking for it? You guessed it: $250.
(5) Don't worry if you don't see anything when you visualize.
Some people see their affirmations as clearly as a photograph or a video. Others claim that they can't see a thing. Either experience is perfectly okay. If you can't see anything, just think about what you want. Your brain can still do the work.
(6) Use printed pictures to help you visualize.
Magazine pictures, photographs, or drawings can all enhance our affirmations. We can ask someone to take our picture while we sit behind the wheel of the new car that we want or stand in front of the house we hope to buy. If that's not possible, we can cut out pictures from magazines and super-impose our photographed head or image into the scene. For example, we can't exactly stop by the Eiffel Tower to get a photograph. But we can cut out a picture of the Eiffel Tower and then cut out a photograph of ourselves to paste to that picture. I'm going to get an actual New York Times Bestseller list and add my name to the #1 position.
(7) A vision board or a Goals Book can work well for you.
We talked earlier about creating a Goals Book with images and affirmations in it. If you prefer, you can create a vision board on the front of your fridge or on a bulletin board. We tried this initially last year, but we didn't feel comfortable with house guests looking at our boards and asking questions. It's not that we had anything to hide; it's just that it felt like an invasion of privacy to allow others into our innermost thoughts.
Jack gives more examples of people succeeding as a result of vision boards and Goals Books. I love it when a dream from my Goals Book finally becomes reality. It's an exciting moment when you realize that the process works.
Last year, I had cut out a picture of two women, sitting on a dock with their feet in the water. I imagined my friend and I doing that. Shortly after we bought our house at the lake, that friend came to visit, and we dangled our feet in the water. The next day, I saw that image in my Goals Book and realized what had happened. By visualizing something, I had made it become a reality. That was powerful for me.
If I can visualize small things, such as a free green canoe or dangling my feet in the water at the lake; how much more can I achieve if I expand my goals?
(8) Start today.
If you haven't gotten started on your affirmations, index cards, and Goals Book, don't put it off. Psychologists estimate that one hour of visualization is equivalent to seven hours of physical effort. We can make our lives easier by simply visualizing what we want.
Jack writes about Azim Jamal, an inspirational speaker in Canada, who uses what he calls his "Hour of Power." He spends 20 minutes every morning visualizing his goals, 20 minutes exercising, and then 20 minutes reading inspirational books. This sounds like an excellent formula for success.
Today's Challenge
Sit down with a stack of old magazines and cut out pictures of things that you would like to have or do. Cut up photos of yourself and add them to the magazine scenes. Add these to your Goals Book. Write down effective affirmations for each goal in your book. Repeat them aloud with strong emotion two or three times throughout the day. Expect results!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Release the Brakes, Part II
Jack Canfield's Success Principles #10
Today, we continue the second part of this lesson about changing our thought lives. If you missed reading Part I, please go back and read it before continuing.
As survivors of abuse, we may be living with our abuser's negative comments in our memories. If we have survived a traumatic event, our minds may be repeating a negative affirmation that keeps us trapped in chaotic emotions.
The mind is a powerful tool, and we can use it to do almost anything we want. This lesson provides an opportunity to change the way we think so that we can regain control of our lives.
(1) Use Jack's nine guidelines for creating effective affirmations.
An affirmation, if you recall, is a positive statement that we can use to change our behavior. By using new thoughts and images, we can achieve goals that once seemed impossible. The guidelines are:
a. Start with I am.
The brain hears these two small words as a command and gets busy making the statement come true. Interestingly, I am is also one of the names for God.
b. Use the present tense, not the future tense in your affirmations.
For example, I am thrilled to see my name on the New York Times Bestseller list, is a better statement than this one: I will be thrilled to see my name on the New York Times Bestseller list.
c. State it in the positive.
I realized yesterday that I have an affirmation in my Goals Book that is stated in the negative. It reads, I avoid doctors and prescription drugs. It should read, I am feeling terrific by implementing alternative medicine to maintain my health.
d. Keep it brief.
Like an advertising jingle, a catchy affirmation that includes rhymes will help us to internalize our goals. An example of this is, I am feeling fit and alive weighing 135.
e. Make it specific.
The affirmation, I am happy driving a new red car, is not as powerful as I am happy driving my new red Porsche. Putting in clear details will help our minds achieve our goals.
f. Use at least one dynamic emotion.
I was having trouble thinking of emotion words, so I looked in my thesaurus yesterday. I came up with hundreds of words for happy. Our language is so rich with specific words, such as merry, content, mirthful, and gleeful. Just reading these words made me feel happy. So, we could plug in an emotion to the statement about the red car so that it now reads, I am gleeful driving my new red Porsche.
g. Include an action word ending in -ing.
The Porsche statement includes the word driving. We could make this affirmation more specific by saying, I am gleeful tearing up the highway in my new Porsche.
h. Make affirmations for yourself, not others.
The affirmation, I am happy watching my son clean his room, will not work. It is not your behavior that you're trying to change, it's your son's. Instead, this should read, I am confident about shaping my son's behavior with clear directions and consequences.
i. Add or something better to the end of every affirmation.
The affirmation, I am happy to read my name on the New York Times Bestseller list, or something better, gives the mind room to imagine even greater possibilities. Perhaps mine will use this statement as a jumping-off point to create opportunities to speak on the radio, appear on television, or meet influential people.
(2) Create memorable affirmations.
In order for our affirmations to really sink in, there are several key points to remember:
-Visualize everything from your perspective within the affirmation.
In other words, if you're gleeful in that Porsche, put yourself behind the wheel, not standing beside it.
-Hear the sounds around you as you visualize yourself doing this.
Imagine the gurgle of the engine, the screech of the tires, the roar of the wind.
-Feel the emotions.
Think about the pounding of your heart as you shift gears and stomp on the accelerator. Feel the rush of adrenalin as you whip your Porsche around curves.
-Describe what you are experiencing as you write your affirmation.
Get into the moment and make your affirmation come alive with clear writing.
-Edit your affirmations, as needed.
Check your affirmations before committing to them to make sure that they include all of the above elements.
(3) Put your affirmations to work.
Review your affirmations when you wake up, mid-day, and again before falling asleep. If possible, read them aloud. Close your eyes and experience fully what you have written, including sounds and emotions. Repeat each affirmation twice.
(4) Make your affirmations work overtime to reach your goals faster.
If you really want to make your brain work harder, post your affirmations on index cards all around the house. Cut out magazine pictures of what you want (the red Porsche) and stick a cut-out photo of yourself in it. Repeat your affirmations when you're doing mindless things, such as waiting in line or sitting in traffic. Record your affirmations and listen to them as you are falling asleep. Put them on your screensaver. In other words, do whatever you can to bring them to the forefront of your brain as often as possible.
(5) Believe that affirmations really work.
Jack Canfield writes that he went from earning $25,000 to $100,000 in just one year's time. Ten years ago, I began visualizing and praying for God to send me a gentle husband. Joe showed up 21 days later.
Jesus said in Mark 11:24, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." That's a powerful promise that we can believe in.
Today's Challenge
Write your top 10 goals as positive affirmations. Copy them onto
3 x 5 cards, and write them down in your Goals Book. Over the next couple of months, keep reviewing and editing your list of 101 goals until they are all stated as positive affirmations.
Today, we continue the second part of this lesson about changing our thought lives. If you missed reading Part I, please go back and read it before continuing.
As survivors of abuse, we may be living with our abuser's negative comments in our memories. If we have survived a traumatic event, our minds may be repeating a negative affirmation that keeps us trapped in chaotic emotions.
The mind is a powerful tool, and we can use it to do almost anything we want. This lesson provides an opportunity to change the way we think so that we can regain control of our lives.
(1) Use Jack's nine guidelines for creating effective affirmations.
An affirmation, if you recall, is a positive statement that we can use to change our behavior. By using new thoughts and images, we can achieve goals that once seemed impossible. The guidelines are:
a. Start with I am.
The brain hears these two small words as a command and gets busy making the statement come true. Interestingly, I am is also one of the names for God.
b. Use the present tense, not the future tense in your affirmations.
For example, I am thrilled to see my name on the New York Times Bestseller list, is a better statement than this one: I will be thrilled to see my name on the New York Times Bestseller list.
c. State it in the positive.
I realized yesterday that I have an affirmation in my Goals Book that is stated in the negative. It reads, I avoid doctors and prescription drugs. It should read, I am feeling terrific by implementing alternative medicine to maintain my health.
d. Keep it brief.
Like an advertising jingle, a catchy affirmation that includes rhymes will help us to internalize our goals. An example of this is, I am feeling fit and alive weighing 135.
e. Make it specific.
The affirmation, I am happy driving a new red car, is not as powerful as I am happy driving my new red Porsche. Putting in clear details will help our minds achieve our goals.
f. Use at least one dynamic emotion.
I was having trouble thinking of emotion words, so I looked in my thesaurus yesterday. I came up with hundreds of words for happy. Our language is so rich with specific words, such as merry, content, mirthful, and gleeful. Just reading these words made me feel happy. So, we could plug in an emotion to the statement about the red car so that it now reads, I am gleeful driving my new red Porsche.
g. Include an action word ending in -ing.
The Porsche statement includes the word driving. We could make this affirmation more specific by saying, I am gleeful tearing up the highway in my new Porsche.
h. Make affirmations for yourself, not others.
The affirmation, I am happy watching my son clean his room, will not work. It is not your behavior that you're trying to change, it's your son's. Instead, this should read, I am confident about shaping my son's behavior with clear directions and consequences.
i. Add or something better to the end of every affirmation.
The affirmation, I am happy to read my name on the New York Times Bestseller list, or something better, gives the mind room to imagine even greater possibilities. Perhaps mine will use this statement as a jumping-off point to create opportunities to speak on the radio, appear on television, or meet influential people.
(2) Create memorable affirmations.
In order for our affirmations to really sink in, there are several key points to remember:
-Visualize everything from your perspective within the affirmation.
In other words, if you're gleeful in that Porsche, put yourself behind the wheel, not standing beside it.
-Hear the sounds around you as you visualize yourself doing this.
Imagine the gurgle of the engine, the screech of the tires, the roar of the wind.
-Feel the emotions.
Think about the pounding of your heart as you shift gears and stomp on the accelerator. Feel the rush of adrenalin as you whip your Porsche around curves.
-Describe what you are experiencing as you write your affirmation.
Get into the moment and make your affirmation come alive with clear writing.
-Edit your affirmations, as needed.
Check your affirmations before committing to them to make sure that they include all of the above elements.
(3) Put your affirmations to work.
Review your affirmations when you wake up, mid-day, and again before falling asleep. If possible, read them aloud. Close your eyes and experience fully what you have written, including sounds and emotions. Repeat each affirmation twice.
(4) Make your affirmations work overtime to reach your goals faster.
If you really want to make your brain work harder, post your affirmations on index cards all around the house. Cut out magazine pictures of what you want (the red Porsche) and stick a cut-out photo of yourself in it. Repeat your affirmations when you're doing mindless things, such as waiting in line or sitting in traffic. Record your affirmations and listen to them as you are falling asleep. Put them on your screensaver. In other words, do whatever you can to bring them to the forefront of your brain as often as possible.
(5) Believe that affirmations really work.
Jack Canfield writes that he went from earning $25,000 to $100,000 in just one year's time. Ten years ago, I began visualizing and praying for God to send me a gentle husband. Joe showed up 21 days later.
Jesus said in Mark 11:24, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." That's a powerful promise that we can believe in.
Today's Challenge
Write your top 10 goals as positive affirmations. Copy them onto
3 x 5 cards, and write them down in your Goals Book. Over the next couple of months, keep reviewing and editing your list of 101 goals until they are all stated as positive affirmations.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Release the Brakes, Part I
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #10
We will spend two days covering this principle, which addresses the issue of limiting ourselves with our thinking.
Jack begins with an explanation about what happens when we drive with the emergency brake on. Even if we give the car more gas, we don't go very fast. Many people drive through life with a psychological brake on. They may pour on the steam, striving ever harder to get ahead; but their negative thoughts hold them back.
(1) Get out of your comfort zone.
What, exactly, is our comfort zone? Jack defines it as a self-imposed prison, formed by our negative thoughts.
For example, if I constantly tell myself that I can't play the piano in front of an audience without getting nervous, I will keep myself in that place. Because the minute I get on a stage, that message will begin playing in my head, and I'll choke.
If we want to get out of our comfort zone, which you can see is really not where God wants us, then we have to change our thoughts.
(2) Don't be as dumb as an elephant.
When elephants are young, their trainers tie a thick rope around one of their hind legs and drive a sturdy stake into the ground. The elephant repeatedly tries to get away, but he soon learns that he is limited to a small area. When the elephant grows into a 5-ton adult, the trainer only needs to tie a light rope around his leg to keep him in that same amount of space. The elephant could easily charge away, but he believes that he can't.
We can shift out of our comfort zones by:
-using positive self-talk to affirm that we already have what we want;
-creating powerful new images of what we want; and
-simply changing our behavior.
In the case of the elephant, if he could say, "I am thrilled to be running free wherever I want to go," he would be able to escape his self-imposed prison. By envisioning the joys of roaming the jungle and tasting delicious plants, he would escape even more quickly. If he simply changed his behavior and gave that rope a yank, he would be surprised how easily the change would come.
We are surely smarter than elephants, so why do we remain stuck in undesirable situations?
(3) Stop re-creating the same experience over and over.
Jack points out that, like the elephant, we are never really stuck. We only think we are. Our thoughts and words keep us where we don't want to be.
Let's say that we find ourselves in an abusive marriage. The pain of our relationship is the same as the elephant's rope. Our abuser, like the elephant trainer, has taught us not to move outside of his circle of influence.
Our thoughts, based on memories of pain, cause us to see images in our heads of what we think will happen if we try to escape. We imagine ourselves alone, broke, and frightened in a place that is unknown to us. We think of eviction notices and overdue bills coming in the mail. We envision our children being ripped from our arms, screaming for us as our abuser drags them away.
These negative thoughts keep us from moving out of our abuser's circle and into a place of safety. And the more we repeat our behavior of cowering under our abuser's power, the more these thoughts are reinforced.
Then, he hurts us again and tells us we're incapable of managing our own lives. As a result, we tell ourselves, "Look, he is always right. I am a mess. I have to stay with him, because if I left, I'd be..." This leads to a downward spiral, keeping us trapped in a hopeless situation.
If we want to get out of situations like this, we must stop re-creating it with our thoughts and actions.
(4) Take your temperature.
Jack writes that no matter how much money we have, we will re-create whatever we see ourselves earning. For instance, if we earn $30,000 a year, and we win the lottery, we will spend all of our winnings so that we can get back into our comfort zone of only having $30,000 a year in income.
If we feel comfortable with $1,000 in the bank, we will make sure that we save and work extra to maintain that amount. If, however, we believe that we must have $50,000 in savings, we will work equally hard to make sure we maintain that balance.
I think we could check our psychological temperature in the same way that Jack checked his financial temp. Are we socially bankrupt, or are we rich in our relationships? Are we overdrawn emotionally or bubbling over with joy? Do our friendships bring us satisfaction, or are they draining us?
(5) Change your behavior.
Jack tells about going with his wealthy boss to go shopping. He had never spent more than $35 on a department store shirt. But on that day, he bought a $95 shirt imported from Italy. He sweated, and he felt miserably uncomfortable spending that much; but he forced himself to do it.
Jack did not want to see himself as a mediocre earner. He wore the $95 shirt often and felt so good about himself that he earned more money. Then he bought more of those Italian shirts until he felt comfortable in his new lifestyle, earning more than ever before.
If we see ourselves as trapped in an endless cycle of abuse, it's the same concept as Jack wearing only $35 shirts. God wants us to have an abundant life, and not just in the area of our finances.
Through Jeremiah, the prophet, God promised: Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise, and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.(Jer 33:9)
(6) Change your self-talk with affirmations.
Jack teaches us how to stretch our comfort zone with affirmations. We can bombard our minds with new thoughts and images of things such as a big bank account, a trim body, exciting work, interesting friends, memorable vacations, and the like. We must create positive statements that describe our goals as if they have already come true.
A positive affirmation for me would be, "I am celebrating the joy of seeing my name on the New York Times Bestsellers list."
Today's Challenge
Take a look at your self-imposed comfort zone. Are you dumb as an elephant? Are you re-creating the same chaotic or meaningless life over and over? Take your financial or psychological temperature. Are you sick because of the life you're leading? Start thinking about what you would like to change. Imagine your life in a new way. You have the power to change everything by what you think about and envision for yourself. Prepare your mind and heart for tomorrow's lesson, when we will discover how to create affirmations and apply them to our lives.
We will spend two days covering this principle, which addresses the issue of limiting ourselves with our thinking.
Jack begins with an explanation about what happens when we drive with the emergency brake on. Even if we give the car more gas, we don't go very fast. Many people drive through life with a psychological brake on. They may pour on the steam, striving ever harder to get ahead; but their negative thoughts hold them back.
(1) Get out of your comfort zone.
What, exactly, is our comfort zone? Jack defines it as a self-imposed prison, formed by our negative thoughts.
For example, if I constantly tell myself that I can't play the piano in front of an audience without getting nervous, I will keep myself in that place. Because the minute I get on a stage, that message will begin playing in my head, and I'll choke.
If we want to get out of our comfort zone, which you can see is really not where God wants us, then we have to change our thoughts.
(2) Don't be as dumb as an elephant.
When elephants are young, their trainers tie a thick rope around one of their hind legs and drive a sturdy stake into the ground. The elephant repeatedly tries to get away, but he soon learns that he is limited to a small area. When the elephant grows into a 5-ton adult, the trainer only needs to tie a light rope around his leg to keep him in that same amount of space. The elephant could easily charge away, but he believes that he can't.
We can shift out of our comfort zones by:
-using positive self-talk to affirm that we already have what we want;
-creating powerful new images of what we want; and
-simply changing our behavior.
In the case of the elephant, if he could say, "I am thrilled to be running free wherever I want to go," he would be able to escape his self-imposed prison. By envisioning the joys of roaming the jungle and tasting delicious plants, he would escape even more quickly. If he simply changed his behavior and gave that rope a yank, he would be surprised how easily the change would come.
We are surely smarter than elephants, so why do we remain stuck in undesirable situations?
(3) Stop re-creating the same experience over and over.
Jack points out that, like the elephant, we are never really stuck. We only think we are. Our thoughts and words keep us where we don't want to be.
Let's say that we find ourselves in an abusive marriage. The pain of our relationship is the same as the elephant's rope. Our abuser, like the elephant trainer, has taught us not to move outside of his circle of influence.
Our thoughts, based on memories of pain, cause us to see images in our heads of what we think will happen if we try to escape. We imagine ourselves alone, broke, and frightened in a place that is unknown to us. We think of eviction notices and overdue bills coming in the mail. We envision our children being ripped from our arms, screaming for us as our abuser drags them away.
These negative thoughts keep us from moving out of our abuser's circle and into a place of safety. And the more we repeat our behavior of cowering under our abuser's power, the more these thoughts are reinforced.
Then, he hurts us again and tells us we're incapable of managing our own lives. As a result, we tell ourselves, "Look, he is always right. I am a mess. I have to stay with him, because if I left, I'd be..." This leads to a downward spiral, keeping us trapped in a hopeless situation.
If we want to get out of situations like this, we must stop re-creating it with our thoughts and actions.
(4) Take your temperature.
Jack writes that no matter how much money we have, we will re-create whatever we see ourselves earning. For instance, if we earn $30,000 a year, and we win the lottery, we will spend all of our winnings so that we can get back into our comfort zone of only having $30,000 a year in income.
If we feel comfortable with $1,000 in the bank, we will make sure that we save and work extra to maintain that amount. If, however, we believe that we must have $50,000 in savings, we will work equally hard to make sure we maintain that balance.
I think we could check our psychological temperature in the same way that Jack checked his financial temp. Are we socially bankrupt, or are we rich in our relationships? Are we overdrawn emotionally or bubbling over with joy? Do our friendships bring us satisfaction, or are they draining us?
(5) Change your behavior.
Jack tells about going with his wealthy boss to go shopping. He had never spent more than $35 on a department store shirt. But on that day, he bought a $95 shirt imported from Italy. He sweated, and he felt miserably uncomfortable spending that much; but he forced himself to do it.
Jack did not want to see himself as a mediocre earner. He wore the $95 shirt often and felt so good about himself that he earned more money. Then he bought more of those Italian shirts until he felt comfortable in his new lifestyle, earning more than ever before.
If we see ourselves as trapped in an endless cycle of abuse, it's the same concept as Jack wearing only $35 shirts. God wants us to have an abundant life, and not just in the area of our finances.
Through Jeremiah, the prophet, God promised: Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise, and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.(Jer 33:9)
(6) Change your self-talk with affirmations.
Jack teaches us how to stretch our comfort zone with affirmations. We can bombard our minds with new thoughts and images of things such as a big bank account, a trim body, exciting work, interesting friends, memorable vacations, and the like. We must create positive statements that describe our goals as if they have already come true.
A positive affirmation for me would be, "I am celebrating the joy of seeing my name on the New York Times Bestsellers list."
Today's Challenge
Take a look at your self-imposed comfort zone. Are you dumb as an elephant? Are you re-creating the same chaotic or meaningless life over and over? Take your financial or psychological temperature. Are you sick because of the life you're leading? Start thinking about what you would like to change. Imagine your life in a new way. You have the power to change everything by what you think about and envision for yourself. Prepare your mind and heart for tomorrow's lesson, when we will discover how to create affirmations and apply them to our lives.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Success Leaves Clues
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #9
Today's lesson from Jack Canfield's book, Success Principles, teaches us to look for the clues around us that someone else has already done what we're hoping to achieve.
(1) Figure out who has already accomplished what you want to do.
If we pay attention, we can model ourselves after others who have already achieved what we want. They are:
-teachers
-facilitators
-advisors
-coaches
-consultants
One of the most effective ways to learn from successful people is to simply ask them for advice. This summer, I met with a well-known author and former college instructor to ask her for guidance in getting my book published. It took a little nerve to do this, but I was pleasantly surprised. She was very happy to share her thoughts with me about how to improve my novel for publication.
Most successful people leave clues about their work in the form of:
-books
-manuals
-audio programs
-online classes
Jesus is the greatest teacher of all time. If we want to grow in our faith, all we have to do is ask him for advice. He has also left us with an exhaustive manual that is filled with wisdom. Through Scripture, we can discover some of the greatest secrets of the universe.
Reading the Bible can help us to grow spiritually, and so can other Christians who have been traveling along the same path for longer than we have. Proverbs 13:10 reads, Wisdom is found in those who take advice.
(2) Think about why you haven't been seeking out clues.
-It never occurs to us.
-It's inconvenient.
-We're afraid of rejection.
-Change is uncomfortable.
-It's hard work.
I think that I've fizzled out on achieving some dreams, because I get sidetracked by other dreams. While some people never dream of doing anything, I dream of doing too much. I get so many irons in the fire that I eventually feel so overwhelmed that I give up.
Writing down my 101 life goals, putting the most pressing ones on 3 x 5 cards, and narrowing the focus of my Goals Book really helps me to keep my eye on the one or two prizes I'm working toward at the moment.
Right now, I've got three major projects going: writing, quilting, and healing touch training. Keeping all of these balls in the air is a challenge, but Jack's success principles are helping me to remain balanced.
Today's Challenge
Seek out a teacher, mentor, coach, manual, or book to help you learn more about one of your goals. Set up a 30- to 60-minute meeting with someone successful and ask them what they did to achieve their dream. If possible, make arrangements to shadow someone, volunteer, or intern in a position that moves you closer to your goal.
Today's lesson from Jack Canfield's book, Success Principles, teaches us to look for the clues around us that someone else has already done what we're hoping to achieve.
(1) Figure out who has already accomplished what you want to do.
If we pay attention, we can model ourselves after others who have already achieved what we want. They are:
-teachers
-facilitators
-advisors
-coaches
-consultants
One of the most effective ways to learn from successful people is to simply ask them for advice. This summer, I met with a well-known author and former college instructor to ask her for guidance in getting my book published. It took a little nerve to do this, but I was pleasantly surprised. She was very happy to share her thoughts with me about how to improve my novel for publication.
Most successful people leave clues about their work in the form of:
-books
-manuals
-audio programs
-online classes
Jesus is the greatest teacher of all time. If we want to grow in our faith, all we have to do is ask him for advice. He has also left us with an exhaustive manual that is filled with wisdom. Through Scripture, we can discover some of the greatest secrets of the universe.
Reading the Bible can help us to grow spiritually, and so can other Christians who have been traveling along the same path for longer than we have. Proverbs 13:10 reads, Wisdom is found in those who take advice.
(2) Think about why you haven't been seeking out clues.
-It never occurs to us.
-It's inconvenient.
-We're afraid of rejection.
-Change is uncomfortable.
-It's hard work.
I think that I've fizzled out on achieving some dreams, because I get sidetracked by other dreams. While some people never dream of doing anything, I dream of doing too much. I get so many irons in the fire that I eventually feel so overwhelmed that I give up.
Writing down my 101 life goals, putting the most pressing ones on 3 x 5 cards, and narrowing the focus of my Goals Book really helps me to keep my eye on the one or two prizes I'm working toward at the moment.
Right now, I've got three major projects going: writing, quilting, and healing touch training. Keeping all of these balls in the air is a challenge, but Jack's success principles are helping me to remain balanced.
Today's Challenge
Seek out a teacher, mentor, coach, manual, or book to help you learn more about one of your goals. Set up a 30- to 60-minute meeting with someone successful and ask them what they did to achieve their dream. If possible, make arrangements to shadow someone, volunteer, or intern in a position that moves you closer to your goal.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Chunk It Down
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #8
Breaking our big goals down into smaller, achievable tasks is something that Jack calls chunking it down. We certainly need this, after the overwhelming process of writing down those 101 goals from #7!
(1) Take the action steps to chunk it down.
Jack gives us three pieces of advice for chunking down our goals into smaller steps. They include:
-Consult successful people who have already done what you want to do and ask what steps they took.
-Read a book or manual that outlines the process.
-Start from the end and look backward. Think of the last thing you would need to do, then the step before that, and so on.
(2) Use mind mapping to break down your goals into achievable steps.
A mind map is a diagram that illustrates how we can get from an idea to the measurable outcome we're looking for. You really need to look at page 64 of Success Principles to fully understand it.
Basically, you start by drawing a circle on a paper and writing your goal inside. For me, this would read as, Publish Among the Ashes, the novel that I finished earlier this year.
Next, we draw lines from the center circle to smaller circles around the page. Each circle breaks down the big project into smaller tasks. For me, this would include Editing, Proposal, Query Letters, Contacts, Contract, Publicity.
The final step involves drawing spokes that project out from each of the smaller circles. Each spoke represents a step in the process. For my project, my Editing spoke would include Improve Pacing, Insert Comparisons, Eliminate Unnessary Characters, Delete Common Adjectives, Strengthen Verbs, Check Spelling.
(3) Make a daily to-do list.
From the results of the mind mapping exercise, the next step involves making a daily to-do list. Each item must include a completion date, otherwise we just let time slip by, and the project never gets finished. Do whatever it takes to stay on schedule.
(4) Do first things first.
We put things off, because we perceive that they're doing to be unpleasant or difficult. If we have a list of five things to do, we usually put off the hardest thing for last. Inevitably, it doesn't get done.
Brian Tracy wrote a book titled, Eat That Frog! I love his method for helping us to visualize how to quit procrastinating. He asks us to think of our most ardous task as a frog that we must eat. Yuk! If that hung over our heads all day, we'd be miserable, anticipating what was to come. But if we could just gulp down that slippery little critter, the rest of the day would be a breeze. After all, if we can swallow a frog, we can do anything!
(5) Plan your day the night before.
Scientists tell us that if we make a list of tasks to accomplish the night before, our minds will work out how we're going to do things while we're sleeping. If we plan our day's work before we sleep, we can start the day off running, chomping down that ugly frog before anyone else has rubbed the sleep from their eyes.
(6) Use the achievers focusing system.
You can find a helpful worksheet at www.thesuccessprinciples.com. It was designed by Les Heweitt of the Achievers Coaching Program and can be used to help you plan and hold yourself accountable as you accomplish the steps needed for 13 weeks of goals.
Today's Challenge
My frog is a pile of bookkeeping that I keep putting off. It's now on my list of things to do first thing tomorrow morning. I'd much rather get it off my desk than to continue listening to that ugly frog croaking from the corner of my desk. What's your frog? How are you going to eat him?
Breaking our big goals down into smaller, achievable tasks is something that Jack calls chunking it down. We certainly need this, after the overwhelming process of writing down those 101 goals from #7!
(1) Take the action steps to chunk it down.
Jack gives us three pieces of advice for chunking down our goals into smaller steps. They include:
-Consult successful people who have already done what you want to do and ask what steps they took.
-Read a book or manual that outlines the process.
-Start from the end and look backward. Think of the last thing you would need to do, then the step before that, and so on.
(2) Use mind mapping to break down your goals into achievable steps.
A mind map is a diagram that illustrates how we can get from an idea to the measurable outcome we're looking for. You really need to look at page 64 of Success Principles to fully understand it.
Basically, you start by drawing a circle on a paper and writing your goal inside. For me, this would read as, Publish Among the Ashes, the novel that I finished earlier this year.
Next, we draw lines from the center circle to smaller circles around the page. Each circle breaks down the big project into smaller tasks. For me, this would include Editing, Proposal, Query Letters, Contacts, Contract, Publicity.
The final step involves drawing spokes that project out from each of the smaller circles. Each spoke represents a step in the process. For my project, my Editing spoke would include Improve Pacing, Insert Comparisons, Eliminate Unnessary Characters, Delete Common Adjectives, Strengthen Verbs, Check Spelling.
(3) Make a daily to-do list.
From the results of the mind mapping exercise, the next step involves making a daily to-do list. Each item must include a completion date, otherwise we just let time slip by, and the project never gets finished. Do whatever it takes to stay on schedule.
(4) Do first things first.
We put things off, because we perceive that they're doing to be unpleasant or difficult. If we have a list of five things to do, we usually put off the hardest thing for last. Inevitably, it doesn't get done.
Brian Tracy wrote a book titled, Eat That Frog! I love his method for helping us to visualize how to quit procrastinating. He asks us to think of our most ardous task as a frog that we must eat. Yuk! If that hung over our heads all day, we'd be miserable, anticipating what was to come. But if we could just gulp down that slippery little critter, the rest of the day would be a breeze. After all, if we can swallow a frog, we can do anything!
(5) Plan your day the night before.
Scientists tell us that if we make a list of tasks to accomplish the night before, our minds will work out how we're going to do things while we're sleeping. If we plan our day's work before we sleep, we can start the day off running, chomping down that ugly frog before anyone else has rubbed the sleep from their eyes.
(6) Use the achievers focusing system.
You can find a helpful worksheet at www.thesuccessprinciples.com. It was designed by Les Heweitt of the Achievers Coaching Program and can be used to help you plan and hold yourself accountable as you accomplish the steps needed for 13 weeks of goals.
Today's Challenge
My frog is a pile of bookkeeping that I keep putting off. It's now on my list of things to do first thing tomorrow morning. I'd much rather get it off my desk than to continue listening to that ugly frog croaking from the corner of my desk. What's your frog? How are you going to eat him?
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Unleash the Power of Goal Setting, Day 3
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #3
Joe and I spent the last two days taking a trip to Michigan. We talked for nearly eight hours during our journey about this lesson. The trip was a lot of fun, and we hashed over lots of great ideas. We arrived home late, worn out from the brainstorming, but satisfied with the results.
As I suspected when this principle was introduced on Sunday, it was far too much information to digest in a short time span. I tried to come up with my 101 goals, and I began to feel completely overwhelmed. I would need to live to be about 500 years old to finish everything on my list.
Two problems became apparent. First, I set too many goals that were extremely difficult. Whenever I do something, I want to master it. I'm not satisfied to just try out a new interest and then move on. So, the more goals I set, the more burdened I felt. One of my goals is to be less perfectionistic.
Second, I don't think that anyone can work on 101 goals at one time. Interestingly, we were listening to Jack Canfield's book, Self-Esteem and Peak Performance on the way home. He suggested focusing on no more than 10 goals at a time. Ideally, he felt that 3 goals would be manageable for most people.
So why did Jack tell us to write 101 goals in this lesson? I think the method behind this madness was to force us to think bigger and to think long-term. All too often, we can't see the forest for the trees. We're focused on goals, such as getting all the laundry done or paying off a car loan. Jack wants to push us to think of bigger dreams, such as visiting the Eiffel Tower or publishing a book.
I didn't get my goals onto 3 x 5 cards, because I was so confused by my 101-item list. However, the process did spawn some really great conversations for both Joe and me about our goals. I narrowed down my top three pursuits for 2011, and I'll be writing them on my cards tomorrow.
I already had my Goals Book finished from working on this last year, but in many places, I found that it is missing measurable outcomes and deadlines. I'm going to add those and continue to use the book to keep myself focused on my purpose.
Today's Challenge
I would recommend writing out 3 x 5 cards for your most pressing 10 goals. Then, I would focus on one to three of those goals at a time. Keep your list of 101 goals in your Goals Book, and alter it as you have time. As life moves on, you may find that some goals need to be altered, and others become less important to you.
Joe and I spent the last two days taking a trip to Michigan. We talked for nearly eight hours during our journey about this lesson. The trip was a lot of fun, and we hashed over lots of great ideas. We arrived home late, worn out from the brainstorming, but satisfied with the results.
As I suspected when this principle was introduced on Sunday, it was far too much information to digest in a short time span. I tried to come up with my 101 goals, and I began to feel completely overwhelmed. I would need to live to be about 500 years old to finish everything on my list.
Two problems became apparent. First, I set too many goals that were extremely difficult. Whenever I do something, I want to master it. I'm not satisfied to just try out a new interest and then move on. So, the more goals I set, the more burdened I felt. One of my goals is to be less perfectionistic.
Second, I don't think that anyone can work on 101 goals at one time. Interestingly, we were listening to Jack Canfield's book, Self-Esteem and Peak Performance on the way home. He suggested focusing on no more than 10 goals at a time. Ideally, he felt that 3 goals would be manageable for most people.
So why did Jack tell us to write 101 goals in this lesson? I think the method behind this madness was to force us to think bigger and to think long-term. All too often, we can't see the forest for the trees. We're focused on goals, such as getting all the laundry done or paying off a car loan. Jack wants to push us to think of bigger dreams, such as visiting the Eiffel Tower or publishing a book.
I didn't get my goals onto 3 x 5 cards, because I was so confused by my 101-item list. However, the process did spawn some really great conversations for both Joe and me about our goals. I narrowed down my top three pursuits for 2011, and I'll be writing them on my cards tomorrow.
I already had my Goals Book finished from working on this last year, but in many places, I found that it is missing measurable outcomes and deadlines. I'm going to add those and continue to use the book to keep myself focused on my purpose.
Today's Challenge
I would recommend writing out 3 x 5 cards for your most pressing 10 goals. Then, I would focus on one to three of those goals at a time. Keep your list of 101 goals in your Goals Book, and alter it as you have time. As life moves on, you may find that some goals need to be altered, and others become less important to you.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Unleash the Power of Goal Setting, Day 2
Today, we are continuing Jack Canfield's study of Success Principle #7. Due to the lengthy content of the lesson, we are taking three days to complete the tasks that he has suggested. Please go back and re-read my November 14 blog to refresh your memory about the concepts that were introduced.
I realize that this lesson contains a large volume of work, and it is going to take you some time to do it thoughtfully. Joe and I are taking a trip for a couple of days. During our travel time, we'll be working on these tasks. We've packed plenty of paper, 3 x 5 cards, and a stack of magazines to cut up.
I want to stress the importance of writing goals that are measurable and contain an accountability date. It is equally important to dream big dreams that will challenge you to grow. Remember, mastery of life skills is your greatest goal, not just the accumulation of material things.
A good leader never asks her followers to do something that she is not willing or capable of doing herself. I'll be praying for your success as you work through this.
Today's Challenge
Sunday's homework directed you to write down 101 goals for your life. If you haven't finished those yet, now is the time to get them on paper.
When your 101-item list is finished, copy each goal onto a 3 x 5 card. If you hand-write your goals in capital letters, your brain will remember them with greater ease. You will be carrying these with you wherever you go and reviewing them three times daily.
Your original list will go into your Goals Book, which you will be creating on Tuesday. If you type your list and print it out, this step will further cement the ideas into your head.
The Tuesday, November 16 post will not appear until the evening, due to my trip. On Tuesday morning, review the Sunday, November 14 post again so that you can spend some time during the day on your Goals Book. Don't try to finish it all in one day. This is a project that we'll have to keep working on over the next several weeks. Just buy your binder, fill it with sheet protectors, and start looking for magazine images that depict your dreams.
I realize that this lesson contains a large volume of work, and it is going to take you some time to do it thoughtfully. Joe and I are taking a trip for a couple of days. During our travel time, we'll be working on these tasks. We've packed plenty of paper, 3 x 5 cards, and a stack of magazines to cut up.
I want to stress the importance of writing goals that are measurable and contain an accountability date. It is equally important to dream big dreams that will challenge you to grow. Remember, mastery of life skills is your greatest goal, not just the accumulation of material things.
A good leader never asks her followers to do something that she is not willing or capable of doing herself. I'll be praying for your success as you work through this.
Today's Challenge
Sunday's homework directed you to write down 101 goals for your life. If you haven't finished those yet, now is the time to get them on paper.
When your 101-item list is finished, copy each goal onto a 3 x 5 card. If you hand-write your goals in capital letters, your brain will remember them with greater ease. You will be carrying these with you wherever you go and reviewing them three times daily.
Your original list will go into your Goals Book, which you will be creating on Tuesday. If you type your list and print it out, this step will further cement the ideas into your head.
The Tuesday, November 16 post will not appear until the evening, due to my trip. On Tuesday morning, review the Sunday, November 14 post again so that you can spend some time during the day on your Goals Book. Don't try to finish it all in one day. This is a project that we'll have to keep working on over the next several weeks. Just buy your binder, fill it with sheet protectors, and start looking for magazine images that depict your dreams.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Unleash the Power of Goal Setting
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #7
This principle contains so much homework, I'm going to give readers and myself three days to complete it. On Wednesday, November 17, we'll continue with Success Principle #8.
Today, Jack tells us that whatever goal we give to our subconscious mind, it will work night and day to achieve it. I never realized until this past week how true this is. I've never accomplished so much in so little time.
(1) Figure out how much and by when.
Jack teaches a fundamental concept in this lesson about two criteria that all goals must meet:
*they must be measurable; and
*they must include a specific date and time for completion
If I say that my goal is to lose 10 pounds, no one can prove that by weighing me. I've given no deadline for my goal, so no one can hold me accountable to it.
It is far better to say that I want to weigh 137 pounds by December 15, 2010 at 8:00 am. That way, anyone can meet me on that day and time, stand me on a scale, and prove whether or not I have met my goal.
This type of goal-setting in very familiar to me. As a teacher, I learned it through lesson planning and beginning teacher programs. We were taught to write lesson plans that include specific, measurable goals. That way, if a substitute teacher or a parent questioned the content of a lesson, the goal was always clear. Most importantly, it kept me focused on what I was teaching.
(2) Write your goals, not just vague ideas.
When we write down a goal, we need to be very specific about all aspects of it. If we write vague goals, we will produce vague results.
Here's an example of this. A vague goal says, Someday, I'd like to have a new car. A more specific goal would be, I will enjoy driving my new Chevrolet Camaro with yellow exterior high luster paint, black racing stripe, black leather seats, and manual transmission by January 31, 2011. Now, we can actually visualize the outcome. It's measurable and very specific.
(3) Write it out in detail.
Think of writing down your goals as if you were writing work orders with specifications. Or consider it a clear request that you'd like God to fulfill. Goals that we keep in our heads are far less likely to become reality. When we write them down, we must include exacting details. If we can get a photograph, a magazine picture, or a drawing of what we want; we'll reach our goal even more quickly.
(4) We need goals that stretch us.
The point of making goals is to help us become a master at life. By working to achieve our goals, we should also:
-learn new skills;
-expand our vision;
-build new relationships; and
-overcome fears.
Writing down goals that don't force us to build up our skill set is just a waste of time. For example, if I have already mastered the habit of brushing my teeth every night before bed, it is not worthwhile to include nightly toothbrushing as one of my goals. If routine flossing is a challenge to me, however, I might write that out as a goal.
(5) Create a breakthrough goal.
We can write hundreds of goals for things we would like to achieve before we die. Some, like tooth flossing, may be important to us. However, they are not monumental successes. A breakthrough goal should be one that presents a quantum leap for us. When we achieve it, everything in our lives will shift in a new direction.
For me, publishing a book that becomes a New York Times bestseller would be a breakthrough. That success would catapult me into an entirely new place. I'd have more money to give away, my lifestyle would change, the people I met would be different, and the places I traveled would be exciting to me.
(6) Re-read your goals three times every day.
When we write down our goals and remind ourselves about them every single day, we increase something known as structural tension in our brains. The brain cannot take in a message and do nothing about it. It becomes tensed, like a crouching lion, preparing to pounce on an antelope. Our brain will not rest until it achieves the goal we have set out for it.
Jack instructs readers to write down our goals on 3 x 5 cards. We must read them as soon as we wake up, during a break in the day, and just before falling asleep.
Years ago, I developed the habit of writing what I called prayer cards. I asked each person in the family to write down as many goals as they wanted on a 3 x 5 card. We did this on New Year's Eve, instead of making New Year's resolutions. Every morning at breakfast and again at dinner, I prayed aloud for those goals with my children.
Interestingly, the year that I wrote down that I wanted a godly man to come into my life who would be a gentle husband for me and a loving father for my kids, Joe appeared exactly 21 days later. The mind is far more powerful than we can imagine. And the power of God goes beyond our imaginations.
(7) Create a Goals Book.
I've already described this to you in a previous post, but I labeled it a dream book. It's a three-ring binder with sheet protectors in it. On each page, I have typed out my goals. I've included pictures from magazines or photos of everything I want to have. Jack instructs us to look at this book at least once a day.
One example of this is the statement that I weigh 137 pounds by December 31, 2010. It includes a picture of me at that weight, taken nearly 30 years ago. I've lost almost 15 pounds this year, with only 5 to go.
(8) Carry your most important goal in your wallet.
This should read: I am happy to be _________________ by _______________.
The first blank includes your goal, and the second one includes the date and time. Which goal is my most important one? Not losing 5 pounds. As stated above, my most life-altering goal would be to hit the New York Times Bestseller list. My goal would read like this:
I am happy to be reading my name in the newspaper on the New York Times Bestseller list by December 31, 2011.
(9) One goal is not enough.
Here, Jack really pushes us hard. He directs us to make a list of 101 goals to add to our Goals Book. Every day, we must re-read our list of goals. Whenever we achieve one, we put a check mark in front of it and write Victory! beside it.
I have made the mistake of ripping goal pages out of my book as I have achieved them. It would be far better if I kept track of my victories. This is what builds our self-esteem and keeps us motivated to succeed more.
(10) Write yourself a check.
If we write ourselves a check with the amount of money we want to earn by a certain date, the universe will eventually make that happen. Jack calls us to keep this check in our wallet and look at it daily.
Jim Carrey did this before he was ever discovered as an actor. He wrote himself a check for $10 million and tucked it into his wallet. Before the date on the check, he was paid twice that amount for his first year in movies.
You can find a blank check for this exercise at www.thesecret.com.
(11) Face your considerations, fears, and roadblocks.
There are three obstacles to success, and if we know what they are, we can handle them and keep moving foward on our journey. They are:
-Considerations: reasons why our goal is impossible
-Fears: thoughts of rejection, failure, foolishness
-Roadblocks: mere external circumstances that we must overcome
Jack asks us to welcome these three obstacles, because they represent the things that have been holding us back all along.
For me, the fear of failure is strong. Joe and I have been so broke in the past, I don't ever want to go there again. Sticking out my neck and risking my reputation by writing something that flops really scares me. But I know that if I don't try, I'll never find out that I can achieve my big goal.
External circumstances that have affected my writing are the poor economy and skittishness of agents to take on new writers at this point in time. While these are setbacks to me, I know that they are only temporary. Everyone experiences them. If I realize that and push on, I will make it to my goal of becoming a bestselling author.
(12) Mastery is the goal.
If we think that true success lies in achieving material things, we've completely missed the point. God sets us on earth for a reason, and that is to become a master at life. Christ mastered every skill possible, from changing water into wine to raising the dead to life. We are his hands, and it is up to us to finish his work here.
Isaiah 52:7 reads, How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Our God reigns!" When we work to achieve goals based on dreams that God has put in our hearts, we are most beautiful to our maker and to those around us.
(13) Do it now!
Jack provides some startling statistics in this last section:
-3% of the world's super achievers have a purpose statement, keep a vision of their best self in mind, and write out their goals
-1% of top achievers write daily to-do lists based on their goals
Wow! I didn't know that I represented such a small percentage of people in the world. I've been doing some version of this most of my life. Even as a kid, I was writing daily to-do lists. But Jack has helped me to see that I need to stretch myself even more. I've been limiting my brain's abilities, and it's time for new challenges.
Today's Challenge
As I stated at the beginning, this is enough work for the next three days. Start by writing out your list of 101 goals today. On Monday, we'll revisit the creation of your 3 x 5 cards; and on Tuesday, I'll help you get started on your Goals Book.
This principle contains so much homework, I'm going to give readers and myself three days to complete it. On Wednesday, November 17, we'll continue with Success Principle #8.
Today, Jack tells us that whatever goal we give to our subconscious mind, it will work night and day to achieve it. I never realized until this past week how true this is. I've never accomplished so much in so little time.
(1) Figure out how much and by when.
Jack teaches a fundamental concept in this lesson about two criteria that all goals must meet:
*they must be measurable; and
*they must include a specific date and time for completion
If I say that my goal is to lose 10 pounds, no one can prove that by weighing me. I've given no deadline for my goal, so no one can hold me accountable to it.
It is far better to say that I want to weigh 137 pounds by December 15, 2010 at 8:00 am. That way, anyone can meet me on that day and time, stand me on a scale, and prove whether or not I have met my goal.
This type of goal-setting in very familiar to me. As a teacher, I learned it through lesson planning and beginning teacher programs. We were taught to write lesson plans that include specific, measurable goals. That way, if a substitute teacher or a parent questioned the content of a lesson, the goal was always clear. Most importantly, it kept me focused on what I was teaching.
(2) Write your goals, not just vague ideas.
When we write down a goal, we need to be very specific about all aspects of it. If we write vague goals, we will produce vague results.
Here's an example of this. A vague goal says, Someday, I'd like to have a new car. A more specific goal would be, I will enjoy driving my new Chevrolet Camaro with yellow exterior high luster paint, black racing stripe, black leather seats, and manual transmission by January 31, 2011. Now, we can actually visualize the outcome. It's measurable and very specific.
(3) Write it out in detail.
Think of writing down your goals as if you were writing work orders with specifications. Or consider it a clear request that you'd like God to fulfill. Goals that we keep in our heads are far less likely to become reality. When we write them down, we must include exacting details. If we can get a photograph, a magazine picture, or a drawing of what we want; we'll reach our goal even more quickly.
(4) We need goals that stretch us.
The point of making goals is to help us become a master at life. By working to achieve our goals, we should also:
-learn new skills;
-expand our vision;
-build new relationships; and
-overcome fears.
Writing down goals that don't force us to build up our skill set is just a waste of time. For example, if I have already mastered the habit of brushing my teeth every night before bed, it is not worthwhile to include nightly toothbrushing as one of my goals. If routine flossing is a challenge to me, however, I might write that out as a goal.
(5) Create a breakthrough goal.
We can write hundreds of goals for things we would like to achieve before we die. Some, like tooth flossing, may be important to us. However, they are not monumental successes. A breakthrough goal should be one that presents a quantum leap for us. When we achieve it, everything in our lives will shift in a new direction.
For me, publishing a book that becomes a New York Times bestseller would be a breakthrough. That success would catapult me into an entirely new place. I'd have more money to give away, my lifestyle would change, the people I met would be different, and the places I traveled would be exciting to me.
(6) Re-read your goals three times every day.
When we write down our goals and remind ourselves about them every single day, we increase something known as structural tension in our brains. The brain cannot take in a message and do nothing about it. It becomes tensed, like a crouching lion, preparing to pounce on an antelope. Our brain will not rest until it achieves the goal we have set out for it.
Jack instructs readers to write down our goals on 3 x 5 cards. We must read them as soon as we wake up, during a break in the day, and just before falling asleep.
Years ago, I developed the habit of writing what I called prayer cards. I asked each person in the family to write down as many goals as they wanted on a 3 x 5 card. We did this on New Year's Eve, instead of making New Year's resolutions. Every morning at breakfast and again at dinner, I prayed aloud for those goals with my children.
Interestingly, the year that I wrote down that I wanted a godly man to come into my life who would be a gentle husband for me and a loving father for my kids, Joe appeared exactly 21 days later. The mind is far more powerful than we can imagine. And the power of God goes beyond our imaginations.
(7) Create a Goals Book.
I've already described this to you in a previous post, but I labeled it a dream book. It's a three-ring binder with sheet protectors in it. On each page, I have typed out my goals. I've included pictures from magazines or photos of everything I want to have. Jack instructs us to look at this book at least once a day.
One example of this is the statement that I weigh 137 pounds by December 31, 2010. It includes a picture of me at that weight, taken nearly 30 years ago. I've lost almost 15 pounds this year, with only 5 to go.
(8) Carry your most important goal in your wallet.
This should read: I am happy to be _________________ by _______________.
The first blank includes your goal, and the second one includes the date and time. Which goal is my most important one? Not losing 5 pounds. As stated above, my most life-altering goal would be to hit the New York Times Bestseller list. My goal would read like this:
I am happy to be reading my name in the newspaper on the New York Times Bestseller list by December 31, 2011.
(9) One goal is not enough.
Here, Jack really pushes us hard. He directs us to make a list of 101 goals to add to our Goals Book. Every day, we must re-read our list of goals. Whenever we achieve one, we put a check mark in front of it and write Victory! beside it.
I have made the mistake of ripping goal pages out of my book as I have achieved them. It would be far better if I kept track of my victories. This is what builds our self-esteem and keeps us motivated to succeed more.
(10) Write yourself a check.
If we write ourselves a check with the amount of money we want to earn by a certain date, the universe will eventually make that happen. Jack calls us to keep this check in our wallet and look at it daily.
Jim Carrey did this before he was ever discovered as an actor. He wrote himself a check for $10 million and tucked it into his wallet. Before the date on the check, he was paid twice that amount for his first year in movies.
You can find a blank check for this exercise at www.thesecret.com.
(11) Face your considerations, fears, and roadblocks.
There are three obstacles to success, and if we know what they are, we can handle them and keep moving foward on our journey. They are:
-Considerations: reasons why our goal is impossible
-Fears: thoughts of rejection, failure, foolishness
-Roadblocks: mere external circumstances that we must overcome
Jack asks us to welcome these three obstacles, because they represent the things that have been holding us back all along.
For me, the fear of failure is strong. Joe and I have been so broke in the past, I don't ever want to go there again. Sticking out my neck and risking my reputation by writing something that flops really scares me. But I know that if I don't try, I'll never find out that I can achieve my big goal.
External circumstances that have affected my writing are the poor economy and skittishness of agents to take on new writers at this point in time. While these are setbacks to me, I know that they are only temporary. Everyone experiences them. If I realize that and push on, I will make it to my goal of becoming a bestselling author.
(12) Mastery is the goal.
If we think that true success lies in achieving material things, we've completely missed the point. God sets us on earth for a reason, and that is to become a master at life. Christ mastered every skill possible, from changing water into wine to raising the dead to life. We are his hands, and it is up to us to finish his work here.
Isaiah 52:7 reads, How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Our God reigns!" When we work to achieve goals based on dreams that God has put in our hearts, we are most beautiful to our maker and to those around us.
(13) Do it now!
Jack provides some startling statistics in this last section:
-3% of the world's super achievers have a purpose statement, keep a vision of their best self in mind, and write out their goals
-1% of top achievers write daily to-do lists based on their goals
Wow! I didn't know that I represented such a small percentage of people in the world. I've been doing some version of this most of my life. Even as a kid, I was writing daily to-do lists. But Jack has helped me to see that I need to stretch myself even more. I've been limiting my brain's abilities, and it's time for new challenges.
Today's Challenge
As I stated at the beginning, this is enough work for the next three days. Start by writing out your list of 101 goals today. On Monday, we'll revisit the creation of your 3 x 5 cards; and on Tuesday, I'll help you get started on your Goals Book.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Become an Inverse Paranoid
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #6
(1) Believe that the world is plotting to do you good.
A paranoid person believes that everyone is plotting to do him harm. To become an inverse paranoid, we must begin to believe that everyone is plotting to do us good.
In today's lesson, Jack provides a quote from Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich: "Every negative event contains within it the seed of an equal or greater benefit."
Sometimes, events which seem like a terrible nightmare actually turn out to be blessings in disguise. One day, I was riding to work with Joe. As he pulled into our design shop's parking lot, I suddenly realized that my left arm felt like a dead weight. I assumed that I was having a stroke, so we headed to the hospital. By the time we got there, I had lost the feeling in my left leg.
At the time, this seemed like a terrible turn of events. I lost my ability to sew, and we had to close down our drapery workroom. Joe nearly dropped out of seminary, because the pressure of studying, working, and taking care of me felt so overwhelming. But in the midst of the turmoil, in the quiet of long days spent at home alone, I discovered the beauty of Scripture and the joy of a close relationship with Jesus. I also discovered that my purpose involved more writing than sewing.
When we lose everything we believe to be important, we either give up, or we look for the good in it. Romans 8:28 reads, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. If we cling to this promise when things take a turn for the worse, we can sustain the joy of living, no matter what.
(2) Figure out how to use every setback to your advantage.
Every time something sets us back, we must look at the situation and ask how we can turn a negative into a positive. For instance, getting hit by a drunk driver this summer wasn't high on my list of must-do activities for the year. But I can tell you that a lot of good has resulted from it.
In searching for relief from my pain, I met a woman who practices healing touch. Her interventions have provided pain relief, as well as deeper insight into my spirit. Today, I will attend a healing touch workshop to consider learning more about this modality.
(3) Look for the opportunity in every event.
After we've experienced a number of setbacks, looking for opportunities just becomes second-nature. If you haven't yet achieved this habit, make a small card or poster with the question, What's the opportunity that this presents? Place it on your desk or near your computer so that you will constantly be reminded to look for the good in things.
Begin each day by repeating, "I believe the world is plotting to do me good today. I can't wait to see what it is!"
(4) Look for opportunities in every encounter.
Mark Victor Hansen approached Jack and told him that he wanted to help with the book Jack was writing. At first, Jack declined, because half of the work was already done. But Mark persuaded Jack to let him help. It was an excellent decision, because they estimate that it increased their profits and influence ten-fold.
We must not be afraid to let other people help us on our way to our dreams. Two heads are always better than one. And we must not be greedy about our work, either, keeping to ourselves so that we can get all of the rewards in the end.
For years, I have been struggling with the idea of putting together a seminar business. I want to teach women new life skills so that they can learn how to thrive. Pulling together all of the paper work for starting a new business felt so overwhelming, that I realized after reading this principle that I needed help.
I called the Small Business Administration and told the expert in small business start-up that I couldn't figure out how to marry my ideas for writing, seminars, and quilting classes.
"It all feels so difficult," I said.
"It's actually pretty easy." he said.
Easy? I was amazed that someone might look at my dilemma as a simple problem. When he offered to meet with me one-on-one, I jumped at the opportunity. I can't wait to see how God uses this meeting to further his purposes for my life.
(5) Remember that God must have something better in store for us.
Whether things are going well or falling apart, we must remember that God is always leading us into the right experiences to fulfill our purpose. When we lose our jobs, flunk a class, get divorced, lose a loved one, or experience failing health; we must focus on the thought that the experience is part of a bigger picture that God has designed.
Exodus 23:20 from the Message Bible reads, Now get yourselves ready. I'm sending my Angel ahead of you to guard you in your travels, to lead you to the place that I've prepared. Knowing that God promises to provide protection should give us courage to boldly move forward with our plans. Understanding that he knows where he's taking us helps us stay on the right track, provided we're listening to him.
Today's Challenge
Make a list with two columns. Title the left column, Setbacks. Title the right one, Opportunities. Write out on the left side 10 terrible events that seem to have set you back. Then, record in the right column 10 ways that God used those tragedies to provide you with greater opportunities to achieve your dreams.
(1) Believe that the world is plotting to do you good.
A paranoid person believes that everyone is plotting to do him harm. To become an inverse paranoid, we must begin to believe that everyone is plotting to do us good.
In today's lesson, Jack provides a quote from Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich: "Every negative event contains within it the seed of an equal or greater benefit."
Sometimes, events which seem like a terrible nightmare actually turn out to be blessings in disguise. One day, I was riding to work with Joe. As he pulled into our design shop's parking lot, I suddenly realized that my left arm felt like a dead weight. I assumed that I was having a stroke, so we headed to the hospital. By the time we got there, I had lost the feeling in my left leg.
At the time, this seemed like a terrible turn of events. I lost my ability to sew, and we had to close down our drapery workroom. Joe nearly dropped out of seminary, because the pressure of studying, working, and taking care of me felt so overwhelming. But in the midst of the turmoil, in the quiet of long days spent at home alone, I discovered the beauty of Scripture and the joy of a close relationship with Jesus. I also discovered that my purpose involved more writing than sewing.
When we lose everything we believe to be important, we either give up, or we look for the good in it. Romans 8:28 reads, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. If we cling to this promise when things take a turn for the worse, we can sustain the joy of living, no matter what.
(2) Figure out how to use every setback to your advantage.
Every time something sets us back, we must look at the situation and ask how we can turn a negative into a positive. For instance, getting hit by a drunk driver this summer wasn't high on my list of must-do activities for the year. But I can tell you that a lot of good has resulted from it.
In searching for relief from my pain, I met a woman who practices healing touch. Her interventions have provided pain relief, as well as deeper insight into my spirit. Today, I will attend a healing touch workshop to consider learning more about this modality.
(3) Look for the opportunity in every event.
After we've experienced a number of setbacks, looking for opportunities just becomes second-nature. If you haven't yet achieved this habit, make a small card or poster with the question, What's the opportunity that this presents? Place it on your desk or near your computer so that you will constantly be reminded to look for the good in things.
Begin each day by repeating, "I believe the world is plotting to do me good today. I can't wait to see what it is!"
(4) Look for opportunities in every encounter.
Mark Victor Hansen approached Jack and told him that he wanted to help with the book Jack was writing. At first, Jack declined, because half of the work was already done. But Mark persuaded Jack to let him help. It was an excellent decision, because they estimate that it increased their profits and influence ten-fold.
We must not be afraid to let other people help us on our way to our dreams. Two heads are always better than one. And we must not be greedy about our work, either, keeping to ourselves so that we can get all of the rewards in the end.
For years, I have been struggling with the idea of putting together a seminar business. I want to teach women new life skills so that they can learn how to thrive. Pulling together all of the paper work for starting a new business felt so overwhelming, that I realized after reading this principle that I needed help.
I called the Small Business Administration and told the expert in small business start-up that I couldn't figure out how to marry my ideas for writing, seminars, and quilting classes.
"It all feels so difficult," I said.
"It's actually pretty easy." he said.
Easy? I was amazed that someone might look at my dilemma as a simple problem. When he offered to meet with me one-on-one, I jumped at the opportunity. I can't wait to see how God uses this meeting to further his purposes for my life.
(5) Remember that God must have something better in store for us.
Whether things are going well or falling apart, we must remember that God is always leading us into the right experiences to fulfill our purpose. When we lose our jobs, flunk a class, get divorced, lose a loved one, or experience failing health; we must focus on the thought that the experience is part of a bigger picture that God has designed.
Exodus 23:20 from the Message Bible reads, Now get yourselves ready. I'm sending my Angel ahead of you to guard you in your travels, to lead you to the place that I've prepared. Knowing that God promises to provide protection should give us courage to boldly move forward with our plans. Understanding that he knows where he's taking us helps us stay on the right track, provided we're listening to him.
Today's Challenge
Make a list with two columns. Title the left column, Setbacks. Title the right one, Opportunities. Write out on the left side 10 terrible events that seem to have set you back. Then, record in the right column 10 ways that God used those tragedies to provide you with greater opportunities to achieve your dreams.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Believe in Yourself
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #5
(1) Believing in yourself is an attitude.
Jack Canfield asks us again today to believe that we have what it takes to create our desired results. He teaches us that research proves that anyone can do almost anything. The human brain is capable of learning new skills at any age; and with proper training and practice, people can achieve impossible dreams. He points out that we must begin acting as if we have already achieved our dreams.
I am imagining that I am walking onto the set of a national news broadcast, such as Good Morning America. The audience is applauding, and the TV journalists are smiling with approval at me. Hope Among the Ashes has become one of the most sought-after life success programs, and I have been invited to speak about my latest book and speaking tour. I know that if I can pretend this is happening, it will eventually become reality. I don't have to know how to get from here to there; my brain will fill in the blanks as I go along.
2) The choice of what to believe is up to you.
When we continually hit brick walls, we can do one of two things. Either we can give up, and tell ourselves it's impossible to achieve what we're after; or we can search for another way to make our dreams come true.
Sometimes, we're trying to achieve something, because someone else has wired us to believe it's our destiny. For example, when I was a young girl, my mother enrolled both my sister and me in dancing lessons. My sister could tap dance like Ginger Rogers, never missing a beat. I constantly found myself stumbling around a few beats behind, watching other dancers who seemed to remember the steps far better than I did.
I wish I had figured out way back then that I preferred playing the piano to tap dancing. I would have given up the dance lessons and opted for more time at the piano. Remember, we get to choose what we become.
(3) You have to give up "I Can't."
Several years ago, I learned about the energy field that surrounds each of our bodies. An herbalist showed me a way to tear down someone else's energy field with my hands, until that person could no longer hold out his left arm.
Interestingly, Jack Canfield has shown me another way to look at this. If we ask someone to hold out their left arm to the side and resist us, we generally cannot push their arm downward. If we ask them to just think about something that they can't do, they have a little trouble holding up that arm. If we take it one step further and ask them to speak aloud, "I can't _____________," that arm becomes so weak, we can push it to their side without resistance.
As survivors of verbal abuse, you can begin to see how huge an impact our critics' words had on us. Every time our abusers shouted at us, told us we were incompetent, or said unkind words to us, our energy field got damaged.
I have been visiting a healing touch practitioner, and she observed that my energy field had great dents in it. She explained that this is a common occurrence among people who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). With her help, and with my belief in the dream of getting well, we have seen huge improvements in my energy field.
We can all reclaim our personal power and heal our energy fields. It begins with the belief that we can. The Bible tells us, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phil 4:13)
(4) Don't waste your life believing you can't.
What if someone told you today that you have only a few months to live? Would you feel that you'd wasted your life, never taking the risks to become what you wanted to be?
In 1992, I was diagnosed with melanoma, one of the deadliest forms of cancer. Within days, I was whisked through a large group orientation for people facing this disease. I was told to get my affairs in order and to make sure that I had life insurance before I continued with my treatment. The prognosis for someone with stage four cancer was extremely poor.
Suddenly, the prospect of living only a few months made me realize that I had wasted a great deal of time on pursuits that were really not important to me. I decided to quit my teaching job and give up my doctorate degree work. The only thing that seemed important to me was time spent with my children. I did not want to leave them without a mother.
I believed that God could heal me, so I called a minister who had a gift for healing people. I asked him to pray for me, which he did. When the doctors performed my surgery a few days later, they were dumb-founded. They could not locate a single cancer cell in the tissue they removed! Never believe that God can't do the impossible. And quit wasting your life, believing that you can't achieve your dreams.
(5) It's all about attitude.
Your attitude about challenges, remember, will dictate your outcomes in life. (E + R = O) I adopted the attitude that I refused to die before my children were grown, and I got a far better outcome than most other patients in that melanoma clinic 18 years ago. I am living proof that attitude is everything.
(6) Don't assume you need a college degree.
Jack points out that lifelong learning is essential to our success; but a college degree is not. He cites many examples of people who have become millionaires without ever attending college.
I have a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, and most of a doctorate degree in education. I also worked on a degree in interior design. I can honestly say that I have learned far more about how to navigate my way through life by reading the Bible and learning from wiser Christians than I ever learned in college.
However, I don't think that I would have the discipline that I do today if I hadn't attended the University of Michigan. Surrounded by people of high intellect, I was challenged daily to push myself beyond my comfortable limits. I think that surrounding ourselves with highly successful people can be one of the most helpful things we can do to make our dreams come true. Whether we find these guides in college or somewhere else is up to each one of us to decide.
(7) What others think about you is none of YOUR business.
I had to read this several times before I got the point. We all spend far too much time worrying about what people think of us. Believe it or not, most people are too busy thinking of themselves to even notice what you're doing or saying.
My favorite quote comes from Dr. Seuss: Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.
Today's Challenge
Keep working on your purpose statement and your dreams. Imagine yourself at the pinnacle of success, and act out what you will be doing. Walk onto that imaginary stage and wave to the cheering audience. Or step onto that pitcher's mound and wind up to throw the winning pitch. Believe it, and you can become whatever you dream.
(1) Believing in yourself is an attitude.
Jack Canfield asks us again today to believe that we have what it takes to create our desired results. He teaches us that research proves that anyone can do almost anything. The human brain is capable of learning new skills at any age; and with proper training and practice, people can achieve impossible dreams. He points out that we must begin acting as if we have already achieved our dreams.
I am imagining that I am walking onto the set of a national news broadcast, such as Good Morning America. The audience is applauding, and the TV journalists are smiling with approval at me. Hope Among the Ashes has become one of the most sought-after life success programs, and I have been invited to speak about my latest book and speaking tour. I know that if I can pretend this is happening, it will eventually become reality. I don't have to know how to get from here to there; my brain will fill in the blanks as I go along.
2) The choice of what to believe is up to you.
When we continually hit brick walls, we can do one of two things. Either we can give up, and tell ourselves it's impossible to achieve what we're after; or we can search for another way to make our dreams come true.
Sometimes, we're trying to achieve something, because someone else has wired us to believe it's our destiny. For example, when I was a young girl, my mother enrolled both my sister and me in dancing lessons. My sister could tap dance like Ginger Rogers, never missing a beat. I constantly found myself stumbling around a few beats behind, watching other dancers who seemed to remember the steps far better than I did.
I wish I had figured out way back then that I preferred playing the piano to tap dancing. I would have given up the dance lessons and opted for more time at the piano. Remember, we get to choose what we become.
(3) You have to give up "I Can't."
Several years ago, I learned about the energy field that surrounds each of our bodies. An herbalist showed me a way to tear down someone else's energy field with my hands, until that person could no longer hold out his left arm.
Interestingly, Jack Canfield has shown me another way to look at this. If we ask someone to hold out their left arm to the side and resist us, we generally cannot push their arm downward. If we ask them to just think about something that they can't do, they have a little trouble holding up that arm. If we take it one step further and ask them to speak aloud, "I can't _____________," that arm becomes so weak, we can push it to their side without resistance.
As survivors of verbal abuse, you can begin to see how huge an impact our critics' words had on us. Every time our abusers shouted at us, told us we were incompetent, or said unkind words to us, our energy field got damaged.
I have been visiting a healing touch practitioner, and she observed that my energy field had great dents in it. She explained that this is a common occurrence among people who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). With her help, and with my belief in the dream of getting well, we have seen huge improvements in my energy field.
We can all reclaim our personal power and heal our energy fields. It begins with the belief that we can. The Bible tells us, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phil 4:13)
(4) Don't waste your life believing you can't.
What if someone told you today that you have only a few months to live? Would you feel that you'd wasted your life, never taking the risks to become what you wanted to be?
In 1992, I was diagnosed with melanoma, one of the deadliest forms of cancer. Within days, I was whisked through a large group orientation for people facing this disease. I was told to get my affairs in order and to make sure that I had life insurance before I continued with my treatment. The prognosis for someone with stage four cancer was extremely poor.
Suddenly, the prospect of living only a few months made me realize that I had wasted a great deal of time on pursuits that were really not important to me. I decided to quit my teaching job and give up my doctorate degree work. The only thing that seemed important to me was time spent with my children. I did not want to leave them without a mother.
I believed that God could heal me, so I called a minister who had a gift for healing people. I asked him to pray for me, which he did. When the doctors performed my surgery a few days later, they were dumb-founded. They could not locate a single cancer cell in the tissue they removed! Never believe that God can't do the impossible. And quit wasting your life, believing that you can't achieve your dreams.
(5) It's all about attitude.
Your attitude about challenges, remember, will dictate your outcomes in life. (E + R = O) I adopted the attitude that I refused to die before my children were grown, and I got a far better outcome than most other patients in that melanoma clinic 18 years ago. I am living proof that attitude is everything.
(6) Don't assume you need a college degree.
Jack points out that lifelong learning is essential to our success; but a college degree is not. He cites many examples of people who have become millionaires without ever attending college.
I have a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, and most of a doctorate degree in education. I also worked on a degree in interior design. I can honestly say that I have learned far more about how to navigate my way through life by reading the Bible and learning from wiser Christians than I ever learned in college.
However, I don't think that I would have the discipline that I do today if I hadn't attended the University of Michigan. Surrounded by people of high intellect, I was challenged daily to push myself beyond my comfortable limits. I think that surrounding ourselves with highly successful people can be one of the most helpful things we can do to make our dreams come true. Whether we find these guides in college or somewhere else is up to each one of us to decide.
(7) What others think about you is none of YOUR business.
I had to read this several times before I got the point. We all spend far too much time worrying about what people think of us. Believe it or not, most people are too busy thinking of themselves to even notice what you're doing or saying.
My favorite quote comes from Dr. Seuss: Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.
Today's Challenge
Keep working on your purpose statement and your dreams. Imagine yourself at the pinnacle of success, and act out what you will be doing. Walk onto that imaginary stage and wave to the cheering audience. Or step onto that pitcher's mound and wind up to throw the winning pitch. Believe it, and you can become whatever you dream.
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