Archive for August, 2009
Courage
Moving forward in life requires many things, and being successful is no exception. I think one thing that gets overlooked is:
Courage
If you plan on moving forward in life, you have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone and do something daring. Roll the dice, and see what happens. You cannot succeed if you don’t try. If you see a chance to succeed in life, don’t be afraid. Step up to the plate and make it happen. You cannot win if you don’t play. The courage it takes to try something, and “go for it” is truly one of the landmarks of successful people. Sure, we all have doubts at times, and we all have fear. The difference is simple – successful people work through that and use it to their advantage. Courage is what it takes.
B
Balance Is Key
I think one thing to remember in your pursuit of success is – balance.
What I mean by the need for balance is simple – if you spend all of your time working on and focusing on the things that need work, you will not get time to enjoy the things that you are good at doing. Remember to spend time perfecting those things that you are already good at, work on the things that need work, and also realize that there are some things you cannot change. If you are all worked up because you want to date a certain person, or pursue a certain career, or become a certain personality type, realize that it may not be possible. There is no reason to spend your whole life pursuing something that isn’t possible. Keeping that balance will be a great way to ensure you invest in the right areas.
Dear Me, Forgive Me
Do you find that the hardest person to forgive is yourself? If you cannot forgive yourself, you will never be able to move forward in life. These 3 steps can help in forgiving yourself.
1. Bless Yourself First
Understand that having a case of the “should have’s” or “could have’s” is just self-judgment, and this can serve no purpose. Instead of thinking those negative thoughts, replace those thoughts with thoughts of Blessing and Happiness.
2. Get Real
Getting a realistic perspective is key to getting ahead in life. If you aren’t realistic, you can really throw yourself for a loop. Keep perspective, and keep in reality.
3. Identify Yourself
Find out who you are, and where you belong in life, and go with that. Not everyone can be a rock star, an athlete, an executive, etc. Keep things in perspective, and quite comparing your life with that of others. Comparing yourself with others can only lead to challenges
I hope this list helps. 
What Do You Love?
Friends, I think one of the most important aspects of success in life comes from one simple thing – do what you love. Do you love doing something? I mean, really LOVE to do something? Do you love working on cars, or building cabinets, or driving a vehicle, or guiding young students? Whatever the case may be, if you love what you do, you will have found fulfillment and success. Even if doing what you love won’t buy you a house in Beverly Hills, if you are content in your work and love what you do, you have found an important aspect of success. If the money is there, yet you cannot stand the thought of Monday morning rolling around, how successful are you, in the grand scheme of things? Not very, in my estimation.
B
Show An Interest
Show An Interest
Have you ever met anyone who could only talk about themselves? This seems to wear on you after a while, doesn’t it?
A truly charismatic and successful person will take interest in what others are saying, and who they are, more so speaking of their own interests. This is a great way to learn about others. I think the old Chinese proverb really drives that point home “You have two ears, yet one mouth – use them in that proportion”.
If you struggle with concentrating on what you will say next, and get anxious that you may forget what you are thinking, you won’t listen to what others are saying. Instead, relax, and forget about all that. Concentrate fully on what the other person is saying, and listen to what they are telling you. If you have something of value to contribute, you will remember it. If you practice this regularly, you will get better at it over time. In the meantime, you will be learning from others, since you will be listening to what they say.
Who Do You Love?
I have really been thinking lately about a friend who is trying to make new friends. In doing so, I think there is one thing that can make all the difference in the World.
Who Do You Love?
The answer should be simple – you must love yourself, before anyone else can love you. If you don’t like yourself, how can you expect others to like you? We are always giving off clues about how we think we should be treated, how well we like ourselves, and how confident we are. You have to learn to appreciate and love yourself, including the flaws that make us each unique. If you don’t, no one else can – or will. Be happy with who you are, and what you are, and others will be more willing to accept you as well.
Self-Confidence
I have been talking lately with a friend who has no self-confidence, and wondering what it is that allows some of us to have it, while others flat out don’t. I was able to compile this quick list – I hope this helps!
Top 10 self-confidence tips
1. Look for a role-model that has self-confidence. Analyze how they act, and try to see what makes them so confident.
2. Learn to focus on the positive, but acknowledge the negative. You cannot just sweep negative or “can’t do” things under the rug, but you should be aware of where your boundaries are. Once you know where you are able to do this, you can then focus on the positive.
3. Feel good about being who you are, and where you are. If you don’t like you, how can you expect anyone else to do so?
4. Act like you are already successful. Be confident in everything you do, and you will learn from your own actions.
5. Focus on why people like you, and build upon that. Don’t focus so much on the negatives.
6. Be prepared. If you had to make a speech in front of dozens of your peers, wouldn’t you be nervous if you had not prepared?
7. Never stop learning. You can never “over-learn”.
8. Set goals. I cannot mention that enough. You can never say you have arrived, if you don’t know where the end goal is.
9. Remember to reward your accomplishments – even if they are small.
10. Don’t compare yourself with others, or wish for their lives. You are what you are, and you have what you have. Make the best of it, rather than wasting it wishing you had something that you don’t.
Cultivate Your Garden?
I think something that a lot of people forget about success is really an old adage – You sow what you reap. What I mean by that is simply that you must be willing to sow before you can reap the benefits. Think of a gardener – they cultivate the soil, plant the seeds, water, fertilize, pull weeds, and do tons of hard work for months. Then, when the season is right, they are greeted with plants that are overflowing with luscious fruits and vegetables.
Success in life is much the same way. If you don’t spend the time cultivating and planting and such, you cannot expect to see success. This is very important to remember during those times when the land is still barren and there are no plants producing fruit yet. Patience is of the ultimate importance. I have seen many people that have walked away from opportunities, when success was just around the corner. In short – don’t give up! Make sure you do all the things necessary to prepare, and then you can be a success at whatever it is you are wanting in life.
Keep this in mind as you proceed through your plan.
B
Suggestion
I just wanted to post a quick and simple suggestion. Tonight, I would like to suggest a book that I feel will change your life. If you get a chance, read this book
Self Confidence
I wanted to share 4 quick tips on how to be more self-confident.
1. Stand Tall
Sit, walk, talk, and stand like a confident person. Slouching and otherwise standing in such a way that does not show your confidence will not help you. Standing tall and straight will certainly boost your own thoughts of yourself, and therefore make you more confident.
2. Forget It
Put your family, friends, and peers expectations of who you are or who you should be out of your mind. Set your own expectations for who you want to be, who you should be, and who you will be. Then, you will only be living up to your own expectations, not everyone else’s.
3. Do It
You have to start sometime – do it now. Not tomorrow, not at the beginning of the month – NOW.
I hope this helps!
B
