Jack Canfield's Success Principle #38
Passion is a spiritual force that comes from within. If we can channel it, we can accomplish amazing things. Enthusiasm is similar to passion: the word enthusiasm means 'to be filled with God.'
Having a purpose fills us with passion and enthusiasm. When we know for sure what our purpose is, we can't wait to get up in the morning. We love what we do and enjoy every minute of it. Jack claims that if we know our purpose and we're having fun fulfilling it, we are already a success.
Each of us was put on earth by God to fulfill a particular purpose. In Exodus 9:16, God told Moses to say to Pharaoh: "But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." God made Pharaoh great in Egypt so that he could carry out his purposes for mankind. Like Pharaoh, God set each of us specifically where we are at the right time so that we could fulfill our purpose for him.
Do you know what your purpose is? I know that mine is to write so that survivors of incest, abuse, and trauma will be encouraged. Monty Roberts, the horse whisperer, knows that he was born to train throughbread horses to consistently win championships. Rafe Esquith, a fifth grade teacher in inner-city Los Angeles, knows that he was put here to teach kids that no one else believes in.
I ask people what their purpose is all the time, and most of them have no clue why God sent them to earth. This always surprises me. I suppose that survivors of abuse and trauma have spent so much of their lives just trying to survive, that they have difficulty dreaming of something better.
If we were going to take a road trip, wouldn't we plan our destination and mark out our route on a map? Life is like a road trip. If we don't know where we're going, how can we possibly feel good about our daily activities? How can we tell that they are meaningful if we have no direction? And if all we do along the way is run around putting out fires, how will we ever get where we're supposed to go?
Jack suggests working from what we feel passionate about to find our purpose. If we pretend that we've won the lottery and have everything we have ever wanted, we can ask ourselves what we would do with our free time. By following these recommendations, we may very well stumble upon the one thing we truly love to do. When we are working within our purpose, time seems to fly by. We are willing to work hard at what we love, even when we're not getting paid for it.
When we finally find the one thing that makes our heart sing, and we apply all of our energies toward that pursuit; Jack says that others will be attracted to us and will do whatever it takes to support our dreams and goals. So what are we waiting for?
Today's Challenge
Take some time to daydream about what you would do with your life if you had millions of dollars in the bank and plenty of free time. If you're stuck, think about what activities make you so energized that you lose all track of time while doing them. Write down the one thing that you would do without pay because you enjoy it so much. When you figure out what that one thing is, you will know your purpose.
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
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Stay Motivated with the Masters
Jack Canfield's Success Principles #37
Achieving success takes a lot of work, and Jack doesn't think that a weekend workshop here and there is enough. He recommends listening to audio programs from motivational speakers daily.
The average person commutes 30 minutes each day to and from work. If that time were used to listen to audio tapes, we could put in 1,250 hours of learning, which is the equivalent of a college education.
Jeff Arch was successfully running a karate school in 1989, but he wanted to be a writer. He ordered Tony Robbins' Personal Power audio tapes and went on to write a screenplay in less than a month. Three months later, he sold that screenplay, Sleepless in Seattle, for a quarter of a million dollars. If an audio program can launch a multi-million dollar screenwriting career, isn't it worth taking advantage of similar resources?
The Bible encourages us to use our minds to focus on thoughts that will improve our lives. It says: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.(Phil 4:8)
I've said this before, but it bears repeating: the Bible is an excellent source of motivation, and it is also available as audio programs. I have listened to the Gopel of John and Matthew so many times, I have nearly memorized portions of them.
One of my short-term goals is to learn Spanish. I checked out a Spanish audio program from the library last week. While I'm working around the house, I'm listening to it and perfecting my accent. It's surprising how quickly I'm picking up the language.
In years past, Joe barely had time for reading. He was lucky if he finished five books in twelve months. After moving far from the city last year, Joe decided that he would listen to audio tapes during his long commute. He turned a lot of wasted time into a wonderful learning tool. He is now finishing one or two books every week.
Jack lists his favorite motivational audio programs on pages 441 through 451 in The Success Principles. We can find that same list at www.thesuccessprinciples.com. Whether we choose motivational programs, languages, or biographies of successful people, we can surely profit from listening to something more beneficial than the same songs we've been hearing daily on the radio or the mindless drivel on the TV.
Today's Challenge
Consider your daily schedule and think about when you could fit in audio programs. Perhaps you can listen while driving, exercising, doing housework, or while waiting to pick up the kids. This week, go to the library to select one audio program that will advance you closer to one of your goals.
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
Achieving success takes a lot of work, and Jack doesn't think that a weekend workshop here and there is enough. He recommends listening to audio programs from motivational speakers daily.
The average person commutes 30 minutes each day to and from work. If that time were used to listen to audio tapes, we could put in 1,250 hours of learning, which is the equivalent of a college education.
Jeff Arch was successfully running a karate school in 1989, but he wanted to be a writer. He ordered Tony Robbins' Personal Power audio tapes and went on to write a screenplay in less than a month. Three months later, he sold that screenplay, Sleepless in Seattle, for a quarter of a million dollars. If an audio program can launch a multi-million dollar screenwriting career, isn't it worth taking advantage of similar resources?
The Bible encourages us to use our minds to focus on thoughts that will improve our lives. It says: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.(Phil 4:8)
I've said this before, but it bears repeating: the Bible is an excellent source of motivation, and it is also available as audio programs. I have listened to the Gopel of John and Matthew so many times, I have nearly memorized portions of them.
One of my short-term goals is to learn Spanish. I checked out a Spanish audio program from the library last week. While I'm working around the house, I'm listening to it and perfecting my accent. It's surprising how quickly I'm picking up the language.
In years past, Joe barely had time for reading. He was lucky if he finished five books in twelve months. After moving far from the city last year, Joe decided that he would listen to audio tapes during his long commute. He turned a lot of wasted time into a wonderful learning tool. He is now finishing one or two books every week.
Jack lists his favorite motivational audio programs on pages 441 through 451 in The Success Principles. We can find that same list at www.thesuccessprinciples.com. Whether we choose motivational programs, languages, or biographies of successful people, we can surely profit from listening to something more beneficial than the same songs we've been hearing daily on the radio or the mindless drivel on the TV.
Today's Challenge
Consider your daily schedule and think about when you could fit in audio programs. Perhaps you can listen while driving, exercising, doing housework, or while waiting to pick up the kids. This week, go to the library to select one audio program that will advance you closer to one of your goals.
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
Monday, December 20, 2010
Learn More to Earn More
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #36
In today's lesson, Jack provides some practical suggestions for acquiring the knowledge we need to achieve our goals. Some simple changes in daily routines can substantially increase our level of success.
Decrease your television time.
The average American watches 6 hours of television every day. If we spend that much time in front of the boob tube, by the time we are 60, we will have wasted 15 years of our lives!
I am definitely not average, because I couldn't stand to watch 6 hours of TV a year. I gave up watching television decades ago, because I simply did not have the time to waste when I was teaching full time, studying for a post-graduate degree, writing a book, and raising babies. I have never regretted this decision, and I'm sure you won't either if you decide to curb your viewing.
Instead of watching TV, we can read a book, take an exercise class, learn to play an instrument, play with our kids, or spend time with our mates. Reading inspirational or informational books really fast-forwards us toward our goals.
The Bible, in my opinion, is the best book we can read. Romans 12:2 tells us, Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Learn to read faster.
If you're a slow reader, Jack recommends a self-study course or workshop from Learning Strategies Corporation. Check them out at www.learningstrategies.com.
Read one book every week.
If we make the commitment to read one book every week, review what we read, and apply at least one thing we have learned from each book; we will arrive at our goals much more quickly than the average person. The Success Principles lists books that Jack recommends on pages 441 to 451.
Read biographies of great people.
Reading about successful people can give us some excellent resources for our own lives. Jack provides a note about Great Life Network, a company that provides print and audio materials about the world's most recognized people. Take a look at www.greatlifenetwork.com.
Attend success seminars, conferences, and retreats.
We can learn a lot and network with important people by attending success seminars, professional conferences, and retreats. Check out the local paper for upcoming events.
Remain teachable.
The most successful people in life are the ones who are always open to learning something. People who think they know everything rarely get ahead in life.
Be prepared when opportunity knocks.
If we have a dream, we must continually prepare ourselves to grab onto that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when it comes our way. For me, this means that I must continually polish my writing skills, keep my manuscripts ready for review on a moment's notice, and network with people who can help me get published. If I'm unprepared when an agent contacts me for a book proposal, I may miss my chance.
Figure out what you need to do to get ready.
If we want something, we must figure out what we need to do to get ready for it. I once met an eighth grader who told me that he had a dream of climbing Pike's Peak. I asked him what he was doing to prepare himself for that challenge. He surprised me by saying that he had spent his spring break hiking in the Pyrenees Mountains along the French-Spanish border! I'll bet he made it to Pike's Peak long ago, because he had a clear goal and was preparing himself for the challenge.
Attend personal therapy and counseling.
Sometimes, life just gets the best of us. When it does, we must take the time to heal from our emotional wounds. For those of us who have suffered from abuse or trauma, therapy is practically a given. We can get referrals to competent psychologists and counselors from friends, trusted doctors, or our religious leaders. It's important to make sure that whoever we see has lots of experience in working with people who have been abused or traumatized.
Today's Challenge
For the next week, keep track of every hour that you spend watching television or movies. Commit to cutting out at least one hour of TV viewing each day. Replace that TV time with reading books that will prepare you for what lies ahead.
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 provides some practical suggestions for acquiring the knowledge we need to achieve our goals. Some simple changes in daily routines can substantially increase our level of success.
Decrease your television time.
The average American watches 6 hours of television every day. If we spend that much time in front of the boob tube, by the time we are 60, we will have wasted 15 years of our lives!
I am definitely not average, because I couldn't stand to watch 6 hours of TV a year. I gave up watching television decades ago, because I simply did not have the time to waste when I was teaching full time, studying for a post-graduate degree, writing a book, and raising babies. I have never regretted this decision, and I'm sure you won't either if you decide to curb your viewing.
Instead of watching TV, we can read a book, take an exercise class, learn to play an instrument, play with our kids, or spend time with our mates. Reading inspirational or informational books really fast-forwards us toward our goals.
The Bible, in my opinion, is the best book we can read. Romans 12:2 tells us, Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Learn to read faster.
If you're a slow reader, Jack recommends a self-study course or workshop from Learning Strategies Corporation. Check them out at www.learningstrategies.com.
Read one book every week.
If we make the commitment to read one book every week, review what we read, and apply at least one thing we have learned from each book; we will arrive at our goals much more quickly than the average person. The Success Principles lists books that Jack recommends on pages 441 to 451.
Read biographies of great people.
Reading about successful people can give us some excellent resources for our own lives. Jack provides a note about Great Life Network, a company that provides print and audio materials about the world's most recognized people. Take a look at www.greatlifenetwork.com.
Attend success seminars, conferences, and retreats.
We can learn a lot and network with important people by attending success seminars, professional conferences, and retreats. Check out the local paper for upcoming events.
Remain teachable.
The most successful people in life are the ones who are always open to learning something. People who think they know everything rarely get ahead in life.
Be prepared when opportunity knocks.
If we have a dream, we must continually prepare ourselves to grab onto that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when it comes our way. For me, this means that I must continually polish my writing skills, keep my manuscripts ready for review on a moment's notice, and network with people who can help me get published. If I'm unprepared when an agent contacts me for a book proposal, I may miss my chance.
Figure out what you need to do to get ready.
If we want something, we must figure out what we need to do to get ready for it. I once met an eighth grader who told me that he had a dream of climbing Pike's Peak. I asked him what he was doing to prepare himself for that challenge. He surprised me by saying that he had spent his spring break hiking in the Pyrenees Mountains along the French-Spanish border! I'll bet he made it to Pike's Peak long ago, because he had a clear goal and was preparing himself for the challenge.
Attend personal therapy and counseling.
Sometimes, life just gets the best of us. When it does, we must take the time to heal from our emotional wounds. For those of us who have suffered from abuse or trauma, therapy is practically a given. We can get referrals to competent psychologists and counselors from friends, trusted doctors, or our religious leaders. It's important to make sure that whoever we see has lots of experience in working with people who have been abused or traumatized.
Today's Challenge
For the next week, keep track of every hour that you spend watching television or movies. Commit to cutting out at least one hour of TV viewing each day. Replace that TV time with reading books that will prepare you for what lies ahead.
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, December 18, 2010
Nothing Less Than 100% Commitment
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #35
Most people wake up every day and struggle to stick with their plans. Successful people, however, do whatever it takes to achieve their goals, because they develop a 'no exceptions' rule. This means that we keep our eye on the end results, and we plow ahead without wavering from our mission. Sticking with our commitments 100% of the time is relatively easy if we follow this principle. If we don't, our lives can become unbearable, as we go through every day arguing with ourselves about what to do next.
When I was diagnosed with gluten and milk sensitivities, the lab report noted the amount of intestinal damage I had suffered from eating these foods. It was shocking, and I decided then and there that I would never again eat anything containing gluten or milk.
Many people ask me how I can stand such a strict diet. For me, it's easy. I made up my mind that I wanted to be healthy, and there's no arguing with myself when I'm offered forbidden foods.
This level of commitment is what we should see when two people get married. They make a decision to remain monogamous. As long as they keep the mindset that marriage is a no-exit highway, they're okay. But if one of them starts considering an affair with a co-worker, a neighbor, or a friend, the marriage becomes nearly unbearable. Commitment begins in our minds and remains easy, as long as we remain disciplined in our thinking.
James, the brother of Jesus, wrote about this back-and-forth type of thinking in our prayer lives: But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
A lack of commitment causes us to be double-minded, which in turn, leads to instability in all areas of our lives. If we meet someone who seems to have iron-clad will-power, realize that they have merely made up their minds to a commitment that is important to them.
If a goal or commitment is not really important to us, we'll never be able to stick with it. Many people say they want to lose weight, but they aren't truly committed to their goal. They diet when it's convenient, but when the holidays and the trays of cookies roll around, they forget all about their goal. Successful people are so committed to achieving a goal that they will accept nothing less than outstanding results.
Today's Challenge
Take a look at your 101 goals, your goals on index cards, or your Goals Book. How committed are you to achieving those goals? Remember, double-minded thinking will make achieving your goals an impossibility. Commit today to choose goals that you can stick with, no matter what.
Note: I have decided that I need to take a rest from writing on Sundays. Check back with me on Monday for our next principle, Learn More to Earn More.
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
Most people wake up every day and struggle to stick with their plans. Successful people, however, do whatever it takes to achieve their goals, because they develop a 'no exceptions' rule. This means that we keep our eye on the end results, and we plow ahead without wavering from our mission. Sticking with our commitments 100% of the time is relatively easy if we follow this principle. If we don't, our lives can become unbearable, as we go through every day arguing with ourselves about what to do next.
When I was diagnosed with gluten and milk sensitivities, the lab report noted the amount of intestinal damage I had suffered from eating these foods. It was shocking, and I decided then and there that I would never again eat anything containing gluten or milk.
Many people ask me how I can stand such a strict diet. For me, it's easy. I made up my mind that I wanted to be healthy, and there's no arguing with myself when I'm offered forbidden foods.
This level of commitment is what we should see when two people get married. They make a decision to remain monogamous. As long as they keep the mindset that marriage is a no-exit highway, they're okay. But if one of them starts considering an affair with a co-worker, a neighbor, or a friend, the marriage becomes nearly unbearable. Commitment begins in our minds and remains easy, as long as we remain disciplined in our thinking.
James, the brother of Jesus, wrote about this back-and-forth type of thinking in our prayer lives: But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
A lack of commitment causes us to be double-minded, which in turn, leads to instability in all areas of our lives. If we meet someone who seems to have iron-clad will-power, realize that they have merely made up their minds to a commitment that is important to them.
If a goal or commitment is not really important to us, we'll never be able to stick with it. Many people say they want to lose weight, but they aren't truly committed to their goal. They diet when it's convenient, but when the holidays and the trays of cookies roll around, they forget all about their goal. Successful people are so committed to achieving a goal that they will accept nothing less than outstanding results.
Today's Challenge
Take a look at your 101 goals, your goals on index cards, or your Goals Book. How committed are you to achieving those goals? Remember, double-minded thinking will make achieving your goals an impossibility. Commit today to choose goals that you can stick with, no matter what.
Note: I have decided that I need to take a rest from writing on Sundays. Check back with me on Monday for our next principle, Learn More to Earn More.
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, December 17, 2010
Develop Four New Success Habits Each Year
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #34
In today's lesson, Jack talks about our daily behavior. Believe it or not, 90% of our behavior is habitual. In other words, we're on auto-pilot most of the time. We don't have to think very hard to brush our teeth, tie our shoes, eat our meals, and so on.
The good news is that these automatic behaviors allow us to do several things at once, such as talking on the phone and washing dishes at the same time. The bad news is that we can get stuck in self-defeating behaviors that limit our growth and potential for success.
Whether we have good habits or bad habits, both will determine our outcomes. Successful people get to the top with focused action, personal discipline, and lots of energy. Unsuccessful people, on the other hand, practice habits that breed negative outcomes.
Look at the list of unsuccessful habits below:
-procrastinating;
-paying bills at the last minute;
-missing deadlines;
-arriving late for meetings;
-forgetting someone's name as soon as they're introduced;
-talking over other people, instead of listening;
-taking phone calls during family time;
-breaking commitments to family members to help people in crisis;
-handling mail more than once;
-working late on a regular basis;
-choosing work over our spouse and children; and
-eating fast food more than twice per week.
We can say that we want to achieve a goal, but we must change our habits to make that goal a reality. For example, if we say we want to lose weight, we must change our habits to acutally shed the unwanted pounds. Exercise is imperative in all weight loss programs. So, in order to get to the gym regularly, we might need to choose to go to bed earlier and set the alarm an hour earlier.
I made the conscious decision when I began writing this blog that I would forego watching movies at night so that I could spend time reading The Success Principles and taking notes. The change in outcomes for me has been amazing. I feel so much more confident and capable than I used to. I'm accomplishing far more each day than I ever believed was possible.
The Bible also provides us with an excellent example of a negative habit being replaced by a positive one. In speaking about young widows, we read in I Timothy 5:13-15: Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to. So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander.
Today's Challenge
If we develop just four new habits each year, in five years, we could have 20 new success habits. Start today by listing four habits that you want to work on in 2011. Commit to working on one habit per quarter next year. Put up signs around the house to remind yourself to change your habits. Partner up with someone, keep score, and hold each other accountable.
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 talks about our daily behavior. Believe it or not, 90% of our behavior is habitual. In other words, we're on auto-pilot most of the time. We don't have to think very hard to brush our teeth, tie our shoes, eat our meals, and so on.
The good news is that these automatic behaviors allow us to do several things at once, such as talking on the phone and washing dishes at the same time. The bad news is that we can get stuck in self-defeating behaviors that limit our growth and potential for success.
Whether we have good habits or bad habits, both will determine our outcomes. Successful people get to the top with focused action, personal discipline, and lots of energy. Unsuccessful people, on the other hand, practice habits that breed negative outcomes.
Look at the list of unsuccessful habits below:
-procrastinating;
-paying bills at the last minute;
-missing deadlines;
-arriving late for meetings;
-forgetting someone's name as soon as they're introduced;
-talking over other people, instead of listening;
-taking phone calls during family time;
-breaking commitments to family members to help people in crisis;
-handling mail more than once;
-working late on a regular basis;
-choosing work over our spouse and children; and
-eating fast food more than twice per week.
We can say that we want to achieve a goal, but we must change our habits to make that goal a reality. For example, if we say we want to lose weight, we must change our habits to acutally shed the unwanted pounds. Exercise is imperative in all weight loss programs. So, in order to get to the gym regularly, we might need to choose to go to bed earlier and set the alarm an hour earlier.
I made the conscious decision when I began writing this blog that I would forego watching movies at night so that I could spend time reading The Success Principles and taking notes. The change in outcomes for me has been amazing. I feel so much more confident and capable than I used to. I'm accomplishing far more each day than I ever believed was possible.
The Bible also provides us with an excellent example of a negative habit being replaced by a positive one. In speaking about young widows, we read in I Timothy 5:13-15: Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to. So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander.
Today's Challenge
If we develop just four new habits each year, in five years, we could have 20 new success habits. Start today by listing four habits that you want to work on in 2011. Commit to working on one habit per quarter next year. Put up signs around the house to remind yourself to change your habits. Partner up with someone, keep score, and hold each other accountable.
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, December 16, 2010
Transcend Your Limiting Beliefs
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #33
We all hold beliefs that limit our success. They are thoughts that stop us from achieving our goals. Look at the following list of limiting beliefs to better understand what they are:
I'm not (smart, attractive, rich, old, or young) enough.
Women don't do that sort of thing.
They'd never choose me for this job.
Even if I don't like my job, I need to keep it for financial security.
Nothing I do is ever successful.
You can't get rich as a (writer, artist, poet, singer).
Understand that limiting beliefs lead to poor self-esteem.
Our lack of confidence begins with two limiting beliefs: 1) we are not capable of handling life's challenges; and 2) we are not worthy of love. If we are going to improve our low self-esteem so that we can achieve success, we must tackle these two limiting beliefs.
To overcome the belief that we can't handle challenges, we can look back to see where we did succeed when things were difficult. Remember the Victory Log? If we've written down our past successes and are reviewing them daily, we can combat limiting beliefs in this area of our minds.
Believing that we are worthy of love comes about by transforming our limiting beliefs into positive affirmations. Jack recommends a four-step process for changing our self-talk to create success.
Overcome any limiting belief with four steps.
Jack reminds us that having clearly identified goals will make it easier for us to alter our limiting beliefs. If we know where we're going, we can re-program our minds to help us get there.
Follow Jack's four steps to replace limiting beliefs with empowering beliefs (also known as positive affirmations). In the example below, I've used one of my limiting beliefs to help you understand this principle.
1) Identify the belief that you want to change.
When I was a child, my father and mother would say before we went into someone else's home, "Children should be seen and not heard." I never realized until I read The Success Principles how this created a limiting belief for me. This thought got programmed into my subconsciuos as, "I need to be quiet if I want to be loved." All of my life, I've been limited by what my son calls a Minnie Mouse voice. I always thought it was rude to be loud, so I spoke very softly.
2) Determine how the belief limits you.
Believing that it was rude for me to speak up has limited my abilities as a teacher, a dinner party conversationalist, a spouse, a friend, and public speaker. For years, people have been complaining that they can't hear me.
(3) Decide how you want to be, act, or feel.
I want to be able to speak up so that I can be heard. I never realized how important this was to me until I began writing. Much of my fiction is about women whose 'voices' have been stifled. Without even realizing it, I was silencing myself with my limiting belief that no one would love me if I spoke up.
(4) Create a turnaround statement.
We must replace each of our limiting beliefs with something Jack calls a turnaround statement. My limiting belief is, 'I need to be quiet if I want to be loved.' A new turnaround statement for me would be, 'I am confident speakig up about things that are important to me and enjoying the respect I earn for what I have to say.'
Our turnaround statements must be formatted as positive affirmations, which we learned about in Success Principle #10. Once we create a turnaround statement, we must repeat it to ourselves several times daily. Eventually, the repeated suggestion overrides the limiting belief.
As with all situations, prayer adds power to whatever we're trying to change. Jesus said, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matt 21:22) Turn your limiting beliefs into positive affirmations backed up with prayer, and watch what God can do!
Today's Challenge
Create a list of beliefs that are limiting you. Choose one and rewrite it on a 3 x 5 card as a turnaround statement (positive affirmation). Read it out loud to yourself throughout the day. Before long, you'll believe whatever you've written.
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
We all hold beliefs that limit our success. They are thoughts that stop us from achieving our goals. Look at the following list of limiting beliefs to better understand what they are:
I'm not (smart, attractive, rich, old, or young) enough.
Women don't do that sort of thing.
They'd never choose me for this job.
Even if I don't like my job, I need to keep it for financial security.
Nothing I do is ever successful.
You can't get rich as a (writer, artist, poet, singer).
Understand that limiting beliefs lead to poor self-esteem.
Our lack of confidence begins with two limiting beliefs: 1) we are not capable of handling life's challenges; and 2) we are not worthy of love. If we are going to improve our low self-esteem so that we can achieve success, we must tackle these two limiting beliefs.
To overcome the belief that we can't handle challenges, we can look back to see where we did succeed when things were difficult. Remember the Victory Log? If we've written down our past successes and are reviewing them daily, we can combat limiting beliefs in this area of our minds.
Believing that we are worthy of love comes about by transforming our limiting beliefs into positive affirmations. Jack recommends a four-step process for changing our self-talk to create success.
Overcome any limiting belief with four steps.
Jack reminds us that having clearly identified goals will make it easier for us to alter our limiting beliefs. If we know where we're going, we can re-program our minds to help us get there.
Follow Jack's four steps to replace limiting beliefs with empowering beliefs (also known as positive affirmations). In the example below, I've used one of my limiting beliefs to help you understand this principle.
1) Identify the belief that you want to change.
When I was a child, my father and mother would say before we went into someone else's home, "Children should be seen and not heard." I never realized until I read The Success Principles how this created a limiting belief for me. This thought got programmed into my subconsciuos as, "I need to be quiet if I want to be loved." All of my life, I've been limited by what my son calls a Minnie Mouse voice. I always thought it was rude to be loud, so I spoke very softly.
2) Determine how the belief limits you.
Believing that it was rude for me to speak up has limited my abilities as a teacher, a dinner party conversationalist, a spouse, a friend, and public speaker. For years, people have been complaining that they can't hear me.
(3) Decide how you want to be, act, or feel.
I want to be able to speak up so that I can be heard. I never realized how important this was to me until I began writing. Much of my fiction is about women whose 'voices' have been stifled. Without even realizing it, I was silencing myself with my limiting belief that no one would love me if I spoke up.
(4) Create a turnaround statement.
We must replace each of our limiting beliefs with something Jack calls a turnaround statement. My limiting belief is, 'I need to be quiet if I want to be loved.' A new turnaround statement for me would be, 'I am confident speakig up about things that are important to me and enjoying the respect I earn for what I have to say.'
Our turnaround statements must be formatted as positive affirmations, which we learned about in Success Principle #10. Once we create a turnaround statement, we must repeat it to ourselves several times daily. Eventually, the repeated suggestion overrides the limiting belief.
As with all situations, prayer adds power to whatever we're trying to change. Jesus said, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matt 21:22) Turn your limiting beliefs into positive affirmations backed up with prayer, and watch what God can do!
Today's Challenge
Create a list of beliefs that are limiting you. Choose one and rewrite it on a 3 x 5 card as a turnaround statement (positive affirmation). Read it out loud to yourself throughout the day. Before long, you'll believe whatever you've written.
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
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Transform Your Inner Critic Into An Inner Coach
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #32
The average person has 50,000 thoughts per day. Most of that talk is about ourselves. And believe it or not, 80% of it is negative. Jack teaches that our self-talk can be so destructive, it can kill us. Even lie detector tests prove that our heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration rate increase when we think anxious thoughts.
ANTs are Automatic Negative Thoughts That We Don't Need.
Dr. Daniel Amen is a psychiatrist and writer who named negative thoughts ANTs: Automatic Negative Thoughts. He has identified seven types of negative thinking and provided methods for getting rid of them. He suggests a three-step approach:
1) Become aware of negative thoughts as soon as they occur;
2) Shake off the ANTs and stomp on them with challenging messages; and
3) Replace ANTs with positive thoughts.
Identify the seven types of ANTs.
1) always or never thinking
When we tell ourselves that we always do the wrong thing, that we'll never get ahead or that we are forever doomed; we're setting ourselves up for failure. We must replace these thoughts with positive ones.
2) focusing on the negative
ANTs cause us to automatically look for the bad in every situation. To combat this, we must start looking for the good. Jack recommends spending 7 minutes every morning writing down a list of things we appreciate.
3) catastrophic predicting
These ANTs make us think the worst about every possible outcome. The sad truth is, we actually attract what we think about. So, if we expect the worst, that's what we get. We must become optimistic about all outcomes if we want to find success.
4) mind-reading
With these ANTs, we imagine people's responses to us and expect them to be negative. I used to do this a lot, but now I know how to stomp on these ANTs. I can simply talk to the person I imagine is disappointed in me and ask them if what I'm imagining is true. I've actually tried this lately, and I've been pleasantly surprised to discover that my imaginings were all wrong.
5) guilt tripping
These ANTs tell us that we should do something. They use guilt to try to shame us into eating less, being neater, excercising more, and so on. The problem is, guilt generally results in our resisting whatever we're thinking about.
6) labeling
These ANTs are based on messages that we received as children and are now re-wording in our self talk. "You're stupid" is now "I'm not smart enough."
7) personalizing
Investing a neutral event with some personal meaning makes these ANTs ever more powerful. They tell us that people are mad at us, because they haven't called us, visited, or responded to our emails. In truth, the people we think are angry may simply be busy with other responsibilities and aren't even thinking of us.
Stomp Out ANTs.
ANTs actually have an important message to tell us, but they only give us part of it. Usually, our negative self-talk only includes anger. We must re-program our thoughts to include anger, fear, specific requests, and love.
For example, when we were kids, our parents may have yelled at us for running into the street. The message we got was: "What's wrong with you? Were you born without a brain? You know better than to run out into the street in front of those cars. You're grounded for the next hour. Go to your room and think about what you just did." This message included only their anger and will later become negative self-talk about how brainless we are.
By contrast, total truth from our parents should have looked like this: "When you ran into the street, it made me angry. I'm afraid you might get hit by a car if you do that. I love you. I don't want you to get hit by a car. I want you to stay around so that I can enjoy watching you grow up into a happy and healthy adult. Look both ways before you cross the street next time." This message includes the anger, our parent's fears, a specific request, and love.
Silence your perfomance critic.
Our performance critic is the voice from within that always tells us about our failures. Remember, it is operating out of love for us, but it's only giving us part of the message.
From now on, we must tell our inner critic that we will only listen to specific recommendations that can help us to do it better next time. So, after completing a task, we can ask our critic to tell us specifically what we might do better. By doing this, we can transform our inner critic into our inner coach. We can stop the voice of judgment and create improvement opportunities. Take note that it's important to write down those specific bits of feedback so that we can later apply them.
Today's Challenge
Make a list of all the negative things you tell yourself you should do. Your list should include thoughts such as, "You don't exercise enough; you're a fat slob; you're lazy; and you're irresponsible."
Practice Jack's four steps--expressing anger, fear, requests, and love--on each of your negative thoughts. For example, we can replace the negative self-talk, "You don't exercise enough," with the following:
(Anger)I am angry at you for not taking better care of your body.
(Fear) If you don't change, I'm afraid you're going to have a heart attack.
(Requests) I want you to cut out one hour of TV and exercise during that time every day.
(Love) I love you. I want you to live a long and successful life.
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
The average person has 50,000 thoughts per day. Most of that talk is about ourselves. And believe it or not, 80% of it is negative. Jack teaches that our self-talk can be so destructive, it can kill us. Even lie detector tests prove that our heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration rate increase when we think anxious thoughts.
ANTs are Automatic Negative Thoughts That We Don't Need.
Dr. Daniel Amen is a psychiatrist and writer who named negative thoughts ANTs: Automatic Negative Thoughts. He has identified seven types of negative thinking and provided methods for getting rid of them. He suggests a three-step approach:
1) Become aware of negative thoughts as soon as they occur;
2) Shake off the ANTs and stomp on them with challenging messages; and
3) Replace ANTs with positive thoughts.
Identify the seven types of ANTs.
1) always or never thinking
When we tell ourselves that we always do the wrong thing, that we'll never get ahead or that we are forever doomed; we're setting ourselves up for failure. We must replace these thoughts with positive ones.
2) focusing on the negative
ANTs cause us to automatically look for the bad in every situation. To combat this, we must start looking for the good. Jack recommends spending 7 minutes every morning writing down a list of things we appreciate.
3) catastrophic predicting
These ANTs make us think the worst about every possible outcome. The sad truth is, we actually attract what we think about. So, if we expect the worst, that's what we get. We must become optimistic about all outcomes if we want to find success.
4) mind-reading
With these ANTs, we imagine people's responses to us and expect them to be negative. I used to do this a lot, but now I know how to stomp on these ANTs. I can simply talk to the person I imagine is disappointed in me and ask them if what I'm imagining is true. I've actually tried this lately, and I've been pleasantly surprised to discover that my imaginings were all wrong.
5) guilt tripping
These ANTs tell us that we should do something. They use guilt to try to shame us into eating less, being neater, excercising more, and so on. The problem is, guilt generally results in our resisting whatever we're thinking about.
6) labeling
These ANTs are based on messages that we received as children and are now re-wording in our self talk. "You're stupid" is now "I'm not smart enough."
7) personalizing
Investing a neutral event with some personal meaning makes these ANTs ever more powerful. They tell us that people are mad at us, because they haven't called us, visited, or responded to our emails. In truth, the people we think are angry may simply be busy with other responsibilities and aren't even thinking of us.
Stomp Out ANTs.
ANTs actually have an important message to tell us, but they only give us part of it. Usually, our negative self-talk only includes anger. We must re-program our thoughts to include anger, fear, specific requests, and love.
For example, when we were kids, our parents may have yelled at us for running into the street. The message we got was: "What's wrong with you? Were you born without a brain? You know better than to run out into the street in front of those cars. You're grounded for the next hour. Go to your room and think about what you just did." This message included only their anger and will later become negative self-talk about how brainless we are.
By contrast, total truth from our parents should have looked like this: "When you ran into the street, it made me angry. I'm afraid you might get hit by a car if you do that. I love you. I don't want you to get hit by a car. I want you to stay around so that I can enjoy watching you grow up into a happy and healthy adult. Look both ways before you cross the street next time." This message includes the anger, our parent's fears, a specific request, and love.
Silence your perfomance critic.
Our performance critic is the voice from within that always tells us about our failures. Remember, it is operating out of love for us, but it's only giving us part of the message.
From now on, we must tell our inner critic that we will only listen to specific recommendations that can help us to do it better next time. So, after completing a task, we can ask our critic to tell us specifically what we might do better. By doing this, we can transform our inner critic into our inner coach. We can stop the voice of judgment and create improvement opportunities. Take note that it's important to write down those specific bits of feedback so that we can later apply them.
Today's Challenge
Make a list of all the negative things you tell yourself you should do. Your list should include thoughts such as, "You don't exercise enough; you're a fat slob; you're lazy; and you're irresponsible."
Practice Jack's four steps--expressing anger, fear, requests, and love--on each of your negative thoughts. For example, we can replace the negative self-talk, "You don't exercise enough," with the following:
(Anger)I am angry at you for not taking better care of your body.
(Fear) If you don't change, I'm afraid you're going to have a heart attack.
(Requests) I want you to cut out one hour of TV and exercise during that time every day.
(Love) I love you. I want you to live a long and successful life.
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
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