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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.