COMMITMENT! The Gateway To Happiness (By William Peak)

When I was young, I figured happiness was something you were born with... you either had the gene or you didn't. It seemed that those who were blessed with the gift could somehow find joy in most everything they did, while others, who believed they weren't so lucky, slowly learned to quit looking, thus fulfilling their own self-prophecy.

I believe it was somewhere in my late teens when I finally realized this feeling- sorry-for-myself-attitude was putting me on a fast track to nowhere. I was not only tired of missing out on the good things in life, but I was also blaming circumstances and others for my lack of willingness to face the real problem... the fella in the mirror.

So... I decided to quit brooding and take matters into my own hands. And by the way, this one step, in and of itself, was enough to awaken the sleeping giant within... Good Morning!

This was the first time in my life I sensed joy flowing from the inside out, rather than from the outside in... an epiphany of empowerment!

From that moment on, I redirected my entire way of thinking. I stopped relying on outside circumstances, others, and dumb luck for my rations of joy, and began cultivating my own from within... and believe me, I was COMMITTED!

COMMITMENT! Now there's one powerful word! I found that if used with purpose... I mean only when you're flat out serious... and given the respect and discipline it demands, it delivers every time.

You see, I had finally discovered that metaphorical gene I was lacking... COMMITMENT! And the moment I did, my entire paradigm shifted from just letting things happen to purposefully making things happen.

• Negative / Positive

• Hitting the snooze button / Watching the sun rise

• Crying in my beer / Toasting an accomplishment

• Smooth hands and a dream / Calluses on my fingers tips and a tuned guitar

• A blank page / A rough draft

• Spectating / Participating

• Letting it happen / Making it happen

• A smoke break / A walk in the park

• Head in the sand / Bleeding and swinging

• Fearing the bees / Smelling the roses

• Sad / happy

We live in a world where instant gratification is marketed and sold almost like a narcotic. Though its promise is intoxicating, its deceit is devastating.

For far too many, this lust for a quick fix supersedes the discipline for fulfillment... COMMITMENT.

Discipline... I tried my hardest not to use that word in the above statement... it intimidates so many. Just the thought of it conjures this vision of an endless, hellish maze keeping them from what they want... one which they could never possibly maneuver through.

Okay I admit, it is a bit of a hellish maze... but contrary to popular belief, it's not endless. It's not even that intense once you start negotiating it. Believe me, if it were, I wouldn't be here writing about it.

Though it is true... COMMITMENT cannot exist without discipline. The lasting joy it delivers far outweighs its sting. Just a little faith is all you need.

Think of it this way. When you commit to set sail for something you want, there's a window of time, in the very beginning of your journey, which requires blind faith. This period will last until you start actually feeling the joy from that which you are seeking. Your hardest job is to get to this point.

As you keep moving forward, inspired by your new found joy, a wonderful transformation begins to take place... your joy blossoms as your blind faith withers. If what you were seeking proves to be everything you imagined, it will become your new way of life.

Now, simply replace the phrase blind faith with the word discipline.

Here's an honest to goodness real life example:

When I committed to getting into shape, there was a period of about three months where I had to rely on this blind faith to get me to the gym for a 30 minute workout, three days a week. Believe me, it was difficult, but I actually got through it.

Three months later I began feeling better and getting stronger, which motivated me to keep going. During the next three months that transformation I was talking about gradually took place. It got to the point where leaving the gym after a workout equated to feeling like a new person. I often walked in tired and left full of energy which would last for hours into the evening. Keeping it up at this point was a no brainer. Today, 35 years later, I'm still addicted. Wild horses couldn't drag me away.

Total benefit: 35 years of optimum health and energy, with no end in sight.

Total amount of discipline invested: six measly months.

Now, replace getting into shape with anything else your heart desires. As far as I'm concerned, your imagination is your only limitation.

One more time... I can't overstate this. COMMITMENT cannot exist without discipline.

I've been accused of being way too simplistic and even judgmental at times with my way of thinking. I actually believe everything hinges on personal COMMITMENT... your happiness, your success, your opportunities, and yes... even your luck.

Tell me honestly... If you don't make it happen... who will?

This is where that little voice in my head is whispering... Bill, you may want to back off a little here. I figure if you've read this far, you may want to hear my entire take on the subject. So... little voice... shut the hell up!

Here's the way I see it, and believe me, what I say here is purely out of love. If it's true, that the lack of personal commitment is the only thing keeping you from being happy, well then, that means if you're miserable... it's your own damn fault.

Bill... how can you say that? You're a heartless slob. Maybe life has just been easy for you!

Here's a little gray hair philosophy... in my case, make that a little no hair philosophy:

Living life doesn't necessarily make you wise, but it will most certainly give you many unique opportunities to witness those who are. How you process that information... well, that's up to you.

For me, I have found it fascinating over the years, watching friends and associates from all walks of life, ranging from high school dropouts to CEO's of major corporations, negotiate their way through their personal circumstances.

What has been most eye opening and beneficial to me is observing those who have had the highest mountains to climb, complaining less and enjoying the journey more than many of the ones who have had the greenest meadows to stroll.

I have learned the seeds of happiness are abundant... they lay dormant everywhere we turn. For the ones who have taken the time necessary to learn how to cultivate its fruit, they are driven, merely by the possibility of getting just a taste of its sweet nectar.

While, on the other hand, others who have never taken the time to sow a single seed are left scratching their heads, wondering why there is never a harvest.

Nothing saddens me more than to see someone who is truly unhappy, and hasn't a clue of how to be happy. It's an unbelievably helpless feeling for me because, you see, I'm a fix-it guy, and happiness is the one thing you just can't fix for others, no matter how hard you try... not even for the ones you love. That's the bad news.

The good news is... there is a cure. Personal COMMITMENT.

You see... the $25,000 question never really has ever been... how can I be happy? No, the real question is, and always will be... is it worth the personal COMMITMENT?

You better believe it is.

https://ezinearticles.com/?COMMITMENT!-The-Gateway-To-Happiness&id=9884638

You Will Never Succeed More Than You Fail And That's A Good Thing

We Will Never Succeed More Than We Fail

How do you define success? Think about your answer over the overcoming paragraphs, since our thoughts about success may not be entirely accurate. For example, most people believe success is about winning and fewer failures, where in fact it is the opposite.

I was watching the American television presenter Steve Harvey, recently who said: "I have failed far more times than I have succeeded. You will never succeed more than you fail... That's just not how it works. I've pitched over 200 show ideas in Hollywood, out of those 200 they have picked 5 in 33 years of pitching."

So what Harvey is telling us is that his success rate within the last 33 years of pitching ideas to Hollywood is 2.5%. Yet, he is one of the most successful television presenters and comedians, with a net worth of $200 million USD.

To present a similar example, consider the following quote from the basketball legend Michael Jordan: "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

Are you getting the sense that success is not about repeated wins, but not giving up until we achieve our goals or dreams? How about you? Have you experienced success that changed your life?

I'm not talking about fame or financial windfalls but the success we experience with our health, relationships, career or finances. The one common denominator, as Steve Harvey points out, is that we will never succeed more than we fail; and that's a good thing. We've got to be working away at our goal, to have any chance of achieving success.

Failure Sharpens The Saw Of Our Character

In a recent documentary hosted by David Attenborough, a pride of lions living in Africa were followed by a camera crew over twelve-months. In it, he mentions a lion will fail 9 times out of 10 when hunting prey. A lot can go wrong during a kill, which forces the lion to abandon the hunt.

Therefore, it must try more often in order to feed itself and the pride. Success is the same where it requires commitment and perseverance to achieve our goals. Even then, there are no assurances we will prevail. It takes a strong mindset to achieve success. If we experience repeated failures and setbacks, it can affect our self-esteem.

Have you experienced this with a goal, whether it be personal or professional? It is my experience coaching people over the years; it is rare to meet someone who has the resiliency to keep going in the face of defeat. We need to have a powerful vision for our life, if we want to achieve success. Chances are, the failures and setbacks will stop us in our tracks if we are not committed enough.

To paint another example, the Navy Seal BUD/S program is designed to weed out those unfit to serve on the front line. The attrition rate is 80% and higher, and that is just the selection process to get into the program.

The attrition rate is high because the program aims to select those who are mentally, emotionally and physically skilled at frontline warfare. I appreciate our lives are not as demanding as the Navy Seals program, but success also has a high attrition rate because of the resiliency required to succeed.

According to the American author Stephen Covey, failure sharpens the saw of our character because it boosts our personal growth and resiliency. Covey spoke of the need to establish strong habits, and hence why he called it sharpening the saw.

Success Leaves Clues

Are you getting the sense that success is about who we become, which determines whether we succeed? Zig Ziglar said: "It's your attitude, not your aptitude that will determine your altitude." Those we regard as successful have accumulated a lifetime of personal growth to get to where they are.

When I read their biographies, the common denominator is the setbacks they experienced, such as repeated failures, delays and insurmountable odds to reach the pinnacle of their field.

The thing that stands out the most is their strength of character and the resiliency upon which they create their life. We must fail and fail often, if we wish to achieve any form of success. Moreover, we must examine our failures to see whether we are growing in proportion to them.

However, we mustn't consider ourselves a failure because failing is not indicative of our self-worth. Failure is a signpost we are trying and the more we try, the greater our chances of succeeding. It bears repeating: we've got to be doing the work to have any chance of success. We've got to be in the arena doing the gritty work no one sees or will praise us for.

Knowing this, I invite you to consider an area of your life where you are hoping to succeed. What do you think is holding you back? You might say economic conditions, the Coronavirus pandemic, or something else. May I remind you Jeff Bezos' wealth grew by $90.1 billion during the pandemic. Bill Gates and other notable billionaires' personal fortunes also grew during the pandemic.

The point I wish to make is that even during a global crisis, successful people thrive and we can use that to propel us forward. So, take out your journal and write 3 to 5 recent failures you experienced, whether personal or professional. What have you learnt from them? Write how you can use the growth to succeed in the future?

There's a well-known quote attributed to Tony Robbins who said: "Success leaves clues." So what clues is success leaving you? Could it be that your failures are sharpening the saw of your character? Journal your answers and take an introspective look within yourself, to see where the opportunities exist. After all, you will never succeed more than you fail because life shape us into the person we wish to become, when success finally arrives on our doorstep.

https://ezinearticles.com/?You-Will-Never-Succeed-More-Than-You-Fail-And-Thats-A-Good-Thing&id=10448836

Les Brown - Are you committed ?

Success and Winning Changes Everything

Success is the sum of all our small efforts. Winning isn't fast and easy. Our life is built one brick at a time and one moment at a time. But we can develop a wining attitude so that we can win.

Winning is something that builds us physically and mentally every day. You must be prepared for a roller coaster ride to win though. But that is to be expected, because winning is for the hard worker and for someone who wants it bad enough.

There are moments in life when you arrive at a crossroads. Either you keep doing the same thing with the same results or you change your life and do something completely different. Winners do the latter. Winners make a decision to win.

However, to win you must make quite a few small and some not so small tweaks in your life.

First, you have to choose your friends wisely. If they are putting you down all the time and pulling you off your path, you will never win. There is a chance that those friends are losers and want you to be as well so that they can feel comfortable hanging out with you.

Second, don't spend your time in worthless pursuits such as bar hopping or hanging out until all hours of the night. You are too busy and focused for this. This drains your energy and turns you into a loser.

Third, be focused on your goal-whatever it is. Success is commitment to the process. Successful people just put in the time honing their skills and getting better all the time. They are willing to do the work.

Fourth, winners don't expect to get easy rides. They know that it will be hard work. But they believe that it is worth it, and they are willing to put in the time and energy and make the sacrifices necessary.

Fifth, remember, you won't see results right away so don't expect them. But realize that once you are successful for a while, you will be propelled to continue to work hard until you win.

Sixth, there is no magic pill to be successful. Anyone who is willing to work hard will win. So, therefore, if you work hard, you too will win. You just must believe in yourself and trust the process.

Successful know how to win. They put in the hard work and they are willing to be focused on their goal to such an extent that they won't let anything get in the way of their pursuing it. Are you ready for the challenge? Can you decide to work past small burps in the road to your destination? All it takes is the will to win, and once you develop this will, your life will change forever.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Success-and-Winning-Changes-Everything&id=9910649

Getting Unstuck by Becoming More Psychologically Flexible

Acceptance and Commitment (AC) Coaching identifies six core processes for developing greater psychological flexibility and getting unstuck: (1) defining valued directions, (2) acceptance training, (3) commitment (taking action), (4) being present (developing mindfulness), (5) cognitive defusion, and (6) self-as-context.

In this article I will briefly discuss all of them. I will cover each process in greater detail in future articles.

Defining Valued Directions:

Values are the motivational link for commitment to action. People commit to acting on their goals because they value what they need to do and where they need to go more than they value being stuck in the rut. There are four steps to defining valued directions: (1) exploring values, (2) choosing and ranking values, (3) publicly affirming values, and (4) acting on values. I will go into detail explaining each of those steps in my next article.

Acceptance Training:

Acceptance training revolves around helping people accept the things they can't control and coexist with the pain and suffering that accompanies taking action. Acceptance training reinforces commitment training, because it prepares people to continue moving toward their goals despite the conflicts and roadblocks that make it difficult to do so.

Commitment (taking action):

Taking action starts with setting clear goals. For goal setting to be meaningful it must reflect people's values. Clear values-based goals and measurable objectives reduce ambiguity and provide structure and a framework for taking action. Taking action is easier if it is based on clear goals and measurable objectives. Commitment is the action component of acceptance.

Mindfulness:

Mindfulness can be characterized as moment-by-moment awareness. Mindfulness can be developed through informal and formal training. Informal mindfulness training revolves around developing attention-building skills. Informal training involves using short activities to help people become more aware of internal (thoughts, scripts, etc.) and external environment) stimuli. Formal mindfulness training involves learning and practicing mindful meditation.

Cognitive Defusion:

Cognitive defusion revolves around learning how to defuse from unhelpful aspects of the conceptualized self. Defusion activities help people learn how to separate themselves from their unhelpful thinking that creates stress.

Self-as-Context:

ACT theory proposes an alternative view to the conceptualized-self perspective. A self-as context view, also known as the observer-self view, allows people to step back and appraise their thoughts, personal scripts, mental images, and emotions in a more objective way. Observer-self training allows people to examine internal stimuli in terms of its helpfulness in meeting goals that are consistent with personal values.

This core processes can be used individually or in combination to help you develop greater psychological flexibility, get unstuck, and live a life full of passion and purpose. In the coming six articles I'll show you how to apply these processes to the things that are causing you to be stuck in a rut.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Getting-Unstuck-by-Becoming-More-Psychologically-Flexible&id=9944953

Tips for Better Self Care

Tips For Better Self-Care

It can be difficult to make time for self-care in our busy schedules. We run from one commitment to another, filling every gap in our life with work, study, family and social events. The chaos of modern life makes it even more important that we take the time to care for our individual wellbeing, both physically and mentally.

If you are struggling with your own self-care, consider these five tips to improve your habits.

1. Add self-care to your normal routine

When planning your weekly schedule, make sure that you have time for self-care. Cementing its place in your routine means that you will be more likely to commit to self-care as you will have allocated time specifically reserved for it. The more often you practice self-care, the more it will become a habit and part of your regular life.

2. Do what suits you

Self-care looks for different for everyone. Some people enjoy getting outdoors, others like catching up with friends and some people prefer sitting at home losing themselves in a good book or movie. Identify what makes you feel better and commit to that. Donít feel pressured by what others consider self-care; long walks arenít for everyone.

3. Practice gratitude

Engaging in regular gratitude practice is a valuable habit and a worthwhile way to spend your allocated self-care time. Take some time each day or week to write down three things that you are grateful for. Try to think of unique things that have happened for that week, rather than repeating the same common things each time. It may be difficult at first, but the more you practice gratitude the easier it will become. Regular participation in gratitude exercises trains your brain to be more thankful and positive about the things you have in your life, rather than focusing on the things you donít have or things that arenít going so well.

4. Be brave and try something new

Trying something new is a great way to break the monotony of everyday life. Your mental health will benefit and you will learn new skills, both through the actual activity but also in regard to managing your nerves and being open to new opportunities. Itís a great way to take care of your mental, and depending on the activity, physical health.

It's time for you to make you a priority.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Tips-for-Better-Self-Care&id=10259693

Creativity in Classroom

"Creativity is the process of bringing something new into being. Creativity requires passion and commitment. It brings to our awareness what was previously hidden and points to new life. The experience is one of heightened consciousness: ecstasy. " - Rollo May.

People might differentiate creativity and innovation but creativity is a part of innovation. It is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. Creativity is required in every field of job, be it a multinational company or an advertising company or an educational institute. A classroom itself is a place of creation. It is a place where creativity takes birth. Both teachers and students share ideas and make a classroom a creative hub. Creativity is in our mind. It is central, along with skills like collaboration, critical thinking, and communication and helps in bringing a shift from teacher-directed learning to a more student-oriented learning and bring a change in the approach. We don't want our students' creativity to end with the comments they leave on their friends' Facebook pages.

Every child is borne with the potential of being creative. Creativity is something that needs to be cultivated and classroom is the place one must start cultivating one's creativity. There are various techniques or strategies which guide teachers to promote creativity in classroom. Some techniques are as follows:

• Emotional Connection - Researchers says that creativity can be cultivated through emotional cultivation. For instance if a project related to community problems like domestic violence is given to a student, it can help them to develop the much needed creativity

• Classroom environment - Classroom environment plays a crucial role in cultivating creativity and confidence in students. It is the duty of the teachers to make the classroom more creative by making students participate in each and every activity. Getting involved with the students in the community is the best way to give a push to their creativity. There are three small steps through which a teacher can make their class more effective for their students.

- Permit frequent discussion and interaction amid students in the classroom.

- Make time for informal class opportunity for the students.

- Memorize each student's name meanwhile ensure every student knows each other's name.

• The use of different models - A perfect model can help student in promoting creativity and establishing more contacts, create chances and resolve novel issues.

• Risk taking - Teachers must encourage students to take risks as the ability of taking risk prompts creativity.

• Active Learning - Active learning includes use of creative stuffs like games, concepts, maps and study materials. One can encourage active learning only when the students are interested. Teachers can cultivate creativity by introducing interactive sections that provide an opportunity to students to solve a problem, by asking them to prepare questions for the upcoming exams.

Creativity has always been prized in the American society but has hardly been understood by anyone. Every invention, both practical and whimsical is the product of creativity. "The great engine that drives innovation and invention in society comes from people whose flame of creativity was kept alive in childhood, " says Alice Sterling Honig, PhD, of Syracuse University. The disappearance of creativity in the classroom is worrying teachers. The charm of creativity is fading out and worksheets are taking its place. Teachers should encourage students so that they come out with new ideas and think out of the box.

Teachers can apply different strategies to make the classroom a vibrant and innovative place. Here are some strategies that teachers can apply to add a creative spark in the classroom:

1. Create a classroom that recognizes and encourages creativity. You can design awards or bulletin boards to showcase different ways of solving a problem, or creative solutions to a real world scenario.

2. Always use strategies that are helpful and can become advantageous in the long run.

3. Think of creativity as a skill. Much like resourcefulness and inventiveness it is less a trait and more a proficiency that can be taught.

4. Participate in or create a program to develop creative skills. Programs like Odyssey of the Mind and Think quest bring together students from around the world to design creative solutions and bring them to competition.

In the recent times there has been a shift towards the increased acceptance of valuing creativity. Our traditional education system must take the blame for the absence of creativity in classrooms. Most of the teachers are forced to teach and as a result lack the skills or interest to produce creativity in a classroom. It is the duty of teachers to introduce and nurture creative thought in the classroom. Visual effects can allow students to look at photos or paintings and as a result come up with stories. Music can also encourage students to be creative as they can visualize the scenes that play in their mind while they listen to the music. English teachers really have great opportunities to infuse creativity in the minds of teachers. Creativity should not be limited to the English or arts classes. There should be places for every teacher to add creative elements in their daily curriculum.

Creativity can take us to the moon. So we must make sure that the value of creativity is understood by the students and they are given each and every chance to bring their creative side and add interesting flavours to the daily monotony of classroom teaching. Creativity comes with divergent thinking and divergent thinking must be encouraged that can foster an environment for creative work.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Creativity-in-Classroom&id=9322526

What Do I Do With My Fear?

Self-improvement can start when I set a specific goal for myself, which I wish to achieve within a finite time frame. The first requirements are commitment and continuity. The volume of enthusiasm I show in the initial stages evaporates with time. Once I lose that steam, I slow down. But my expectations of getting quicker results might force me to take shortcuts which eventually fail. Frustration often makes me change goals, hoping to find an easier and softer one. That doesn't happen anyway. Now I become cynic, negative and wither away. What exactly is ailing me?

Present continuous - Key to progress

"I have achieved many things in the past. I have many years of experience in my field. I have been the best player in my field". This negative approach blocks my progress. "I have always failed in the past. I am a failure now. I am sure I will fail in the future". This approach is sure to land me in a state of psychological and emotional paralysis.

Acceptance

Acceptance of my present state with no prejudice is perhaps the first step to self-improvement. I need to make a list of my strengths, limitations, and liabilities. The first parameter could be imagination, innovation, focus, hard work, smart work, etc. My limitations could be related to my grammar, sentence formation, thinking speed, logic, etc. My liabilities could be related to inconsistency, intolerance, procrastination, denial, blaming, etc. Identification of these factors could give me a reality listing.

One Step at a Time

No matter I choose to run, brisk walk or slow walk, I take only one step at a time. My first focus is preferably on my strengths. By focusing on my hardworking, I can reduce inconsistency and procrastination.

Having realistic goals is very important for me. I can know about my achievable goals for "one day" when I analyze my previous performance and take the average. I focus all my efforts to achieve that goal. It takes time and patience. Persistence is not easy. It needs constant effort to stay in the present and work consistently. Today I might achieve only 30% of my target. But as I see, this is better than zero. In my next step, I focus on getting 50% of the expected results. I might end up at 35% or 40%. This process continues until I can reach my goals fully.

In the next step, I try to achieve my goals within the 24 hours span. I may get 30% success. I continue without worrying too much about results. I can realize them with time, without my being conscious of them.

Fear is My Best Friend

Fear has two distinct flavors, realistic and unrealistic. The first type is related to anything that could cause harm to me. If I don't work, I won't get paid. This realistic fear makes me work hard. Unrealistic fear is born out of uncertainty and confusion. "What if I fall sick tomorrow? What if I don't get orders tomorrow? What if my customers don't pay me for my work? What if I lose my consistency? What if my work quality goes down? What if I fail?" are some of the unrealistic fears I might have. I need to make a list of them. I might not be able to categorize them right now. Soon the serenity will dawn on me if I accept these fears.

When I understand my fears, I can learn how to live with them. I have heard of many people talking about freedom from fear. I have not been able to get that sense of freedom, at least not in the long run. My fear-factor is something that keeps coming back in one or the other form. My personal experience is I could not fight them. I couldn't even run away from my fears. So I took them as my friends and started learning from them.

Action is the Key

Whenever I have to face the fear of failure, I get up and start working. Slowly fear takes the backseat. It doesn't go away. But at least it won't dominate my thoughts. If I am afraid to my apartment owner (When I am unable to clear bills), I talk to him and borrow time. Meanwhile, I start working on what is required to earn money and pay the bill.

Psychological factors can affect my thinking ability to the greatest extent. Peer pressure, competition, survival, sustenance, and progress keep haunting my mind consistently. I get bogged down by my own stress factors. I have written this article in the first person so it doesn't sound like an advice. Personally speaking, nobody might like to be advised. By using the first person I hope I could create a better sense of relevance to the readers. What I have written here comes from my personal experience.

https://ezinearticles.com/?What-Do-I-Do-With-My-Fear?&id=9841618

The Extent Of Success

According to an article I read successful individuals are wiling to help others without expecting any return. It doesn't happen by accident or luck. It is founded a day at a time; the reason, why it should be cultivated and shared. Successful people are trying to work out and to confront the fears that hold most people back because our two biggest enemies to succeed are fear and doubt.

We need to make a habit throughout our life of doing the things that threaten us. So, we need to be ruthless and face our fear. Our ability to withstand our fear means that we are a successful person in one way or another. If we are ambitious and we decide to be on top, then, we do the things that hinder us in succeeding.

Commitment is likewise needed in reaching our goals. People who are committed to what they do lead a very meaningful and productive lives because caring and passion about give us a sense of satisfaction. We love what we do. We are willing to make sacrifices that an average person is not willing to do and make.

We work harder than most and make sure things get done. We are proud of our accomplishments especially if we see things getting completed and we take charge when necessary. We are purpose-riven and goal-oriented. We don't easily give up. We take responsibilities of the consequences of our actions.even if we make difficult choices in life and stand by them.

When we want something, we make it happen. The world's greatest achievers are those who have stayed focused on their goals and been consistent in their efforts despite failures and frustrations.

We pretty well know that there is much to achieve and much good in this world. We also know the things that are worth fighting for. Our optimism and resilience help us in making a better and successful future.

In fact, our unwavering confidence is a step closer to success. As long as we believe that we can do it and make it possible, then nothing can stop us from reaching the top. We also need to be courageous, determined, faithful and fearless so that we can easily overcome the setbacks that we encounter along the way.

Our generosity does a great deal for the person who practices it as well. As a matter of fact, truly generous people are often successful in life not just at work but in their personal lives as well. The wonderful thing about being generous is that anyone can do it.

Success comes after a lot of patience and hard work. There is not short cut. It is always coupled with roadblocks. What's important is how we face these challenges to succeed.

https://ezinearticles.com/?The-Extent-Of-Success&id=9774753

Influence Anyone In Seven Small Steps

Influence - What is it?

Influence literally translates to the power to have an effect on people or things. Unknown to us, we constantly influence and are being influenced by a myriad of factors affecting our every decision. Even something as simple as our choice in tooth paste stems from an unbelievable number of influences from the external world. Influence is universal and is not restricted by species or by geography.The list of factors that help in influence may seem infinite, but yet social scientists have shortened the list to just under ten! In this article, we will learn how to influence other members of our own species, to get them to do what we want them to do.

How do we influence people?

We all influence people for some kind of gain, stock brokers, salesmen, managers, employees, bosses, house maids... the list is endless. We do something for our boss, so that a day's leave may be excused. We shower the spouse with love, so that we are loved too. We sweet talk the salesman, hoping for a small discount. We influence everything we interact with and vice versa. So how do we get people to do what we want them to do?

The 7 major shortcuts to influence people in today's world are:

1) Reciprocation and exchange.

2) Unanimity and concord.

3) Friendship and trust.

4) Paucity or scarcity.

5) Authority.

6) Integrity.

7) Commitment and dependability.

Breaking it down!

Identifying and applying these seven principles of influence can get you what you want, when you want it. However, use these with caution, too much and one may begin to look desperate or needy. These principles can be applied to anything ranging from getting your crush to date you to getting a promotion at work.

Let's start with commitment and dependability. Let's say Josh wants to ask Jane out on a date. Before the active process of influence ever begins, Josh needs to be committed to the task at hand and Jane needs to know that Josh isn't going to pull one over her. A lack of commitment or using deceit to influence people can never work in the long term and will possibly lead to more harm than good. So, before you try to influence anybody make sure all the people involved are getting a fair deal!

Reciprocation and exchange - Humans are designed to remember favors and return them. Most people who are at the receiving end of a favor usually feel indebted to the person doing the favor. This principle of exchange means that, you will probably have to do good before you can expect anything good. Thus if Josh were to help Jane out with something, maybe give her a ride home someday, this automatically improves his chances by a slight extent. A salesman who calls you with genuine offers, is likely to get your business more often than not.

Unanimity and concord - More the number of people on your side, more the power of your influence. It is always easy for people to move with the tide than against it. If Josh was an all around great guy, this grossly improves his chances of scoring a date with Jane. People flock to the already crowded restaurants, don't they? In business, a simple way to get people to back you is by obtaining testimonials and reviews. Josh, can utilize social networks in a similar fashion.

Friendship and trust - Would you lend your car to a friend? If yes, why? Would you give a stranger your car keys? if no, why?. Trust is central to influence, and one has no chance of influencing a person who does not trust the influencer. This is where past deceit could be incredibly detrimental. Imagine if Josh has a history of relationships in which he was unfaithful, what chances does he have with Jane?

Paucity or scarcity - When are the stores doing their best business? Why do we feel the need to update to the newest phone instantly? Because for a day or two, we will be the only ones with that "rare" piece of technology. Scarcity always sells, for Josh, being an extra nice guy may make him look like a scarce resource. For a doctor, the extra smile may make him seem like a rarity. For your business, some exclusive information about the products you sell may make you stand out.

Authority - Ever wonder why you don't question your doctor as much as you question a salesman. Why do doctors flaunt their degrees and diplomas in their offices? Why do lawyers fill their offices with books of law, although they read only from their I pads? To flaunt authority, and with increasing authority, compliance also rises. Never miss the opportunity to subtly flex authority to get people to do what you want. Authority may not apply to romantic relationships, like in the movie Hitch. What about Josh? I am not sure if authority is going to help him secure a date!

Integrity - The most important of the seven principles. If at anytime along the way, one notices a loss of integrity, remember that failure could be lurking around the corner. Any kind of deceit or hidden agenda comes at the cost of one's integrity as a human being. The persistence with trying to influence people despite lost integrity would lead to loss of self esteem and a distorted self image and just would just not be worth it in the long run. Now, if Josh was trying to take Jane out on a date by faking the principles of influence, self doubt and guilt could deny him the fruit of love.

Putting it together.

Now that we know the seven principles of influence, we need to be able to put it together. Every situation offers a opportunity for practice. Smile at the ticket conductor and he might not pester you for change, buy your co-worker a coffee and he might not look so disgruntled when you take your vacation.Give your clients exclusive leads and they will keep coming back to you. But for long term benefits, you need the 8th principle.

Patience - It might take years before the principle of reciprocation might help one out. It might take years for one to build authority and years more to build good will. It is of importance that through this timeline one remains dedicated and consistent. The results will come and when they do, you will be content that you put in the hard work.

At the end of it all, you will be seen as a friendly, benevolent, scarce and trusted authority who can influence people for their own good.

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Why The Most Successful NETWORK?

Have you ever wondered why the most successful people, seem to be visible, everywhere you look, seemingly know everyone, and are known to most people? Do you believe it is a coincidence, or does it require a significant amount of effort, energy, and commitment? While we each may define what success means to us, most would agree, there's more involved than merely making lots of money, because we have all witnessed some miserable, sad, unhappy millionaires! In my 4 decades of leadership training, and personal / self - development consultant, and speaker, I have learned, truly successful people are those, who NETWORK!

1) Nuances; needs; necessary: If you want to be successful, you can't proceed, as a secret agent. You must get to know and understand others, and therefore, must meet them! Only when you know and respect needs, can you improve!

2) Educate; empathy: Successful people have a consistent quest to learn and know more, and to educate themselves. When you listen and learn, you gain the necessary empathy, to better connect and relate.

3) Timely: if you desire success, you must be ready, willing and able, to take well - considered, timely action.

4) Which way: How will you be able to succeed, if you don't focus on goals and priorities, and determine which way to proceed?

5) Organize; opportunities; optimize: Begin by becoming a professional planner, and organize your efforts, in a focused way? Often, the difference between success and failure, is recognizing the best opportunities, and optimizing your efforts and chances!

6) Relevant; real: Getting out, helps you better know what's most relevant, and behave in a real way!

7) Knowledge: Knowledge is often golden! The more you know, especially if you transform it to expertise, better judgment, and wisdom, enhances one's possibilities for success!

Will you hide within your comfort zone, or will you expand it, and, thus, your opportunities! NETWORK, so you become a successful, individual, of quality!

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Passion Is the Glue That Stimulates Commitment

Do you commit whole heartedly to a new project or venture. Do you see it through to completion and commit to whatever it takes or abandon your project half way through? To increase your stick-ability increase your passion. If you are only mildly interested you are not going to feel the enthusiasm to continue when the going gets tough, you are likely to flounder at the first hurdle.

So before you start, is the project something you want to do or is it something someone else wants you to tackle? How strong is your desire, why do you want to do it? How will the finished result make you feel? Do you feel the commitment required warrants the effort necessary to complete it. How passionate do you feel about the project, is it a burning desire?

So if you score well on all these points, dwelling on the end result and how much it will mean to you will help you to increase your commitment. Visualise the end result, set a date for its completion and a plan to execute it in the time-scale. The more you dwell on the end result the more excitement you will feel for the tasks required. It will become a labour of love. You will enjoy the hours you commit to your project. The drive and passion will grow and help keep you on track to achieve your dream.

Think of all the people who set out to build their houses and execute it to the end despite set backs and running out of money, they find a way despite challenges. Did you see on the news the group of elderly ladies that 20 years ago set out to build a community housing project so that they could all live in close proximity and help each other. Their dream finally came to fruition, the oldest lady was in her eighties. They are now advising a couple of other groups to do the same. Take heed if they can do something as large as that, you can achieve a simple project.

Believe in yourself and your abilities, each project you complete will help you grow. You will gains stick-ability and belief that will be better than will-power alone. Do something every day to advance your project so that your desire doesn't grow cold. This will enable you to see progress and of course never give up.

So what is your new venture or project? What are you going to see through to the end and enjoy the result of? Could it be you want to work at home like 2,000,000,000 others that are searching Google to find ways to do just that.

Affiliate marketing is a simple way to begin online, and with the guidance of a coach who provides excellent products and good training you can start earning commissions whilst you are learning the necessary skills.

So whatever your new project or venture follow it through to the end and you will feel the satisfaction and achievement. You don't want to leave a trail of half completed projects behind you any more, become dynamic and confident in your ability to achieve. Not only that but you will achieve your dreams.

Have you ever asked yourself why is it that some people seem to have massive success with Internet marketing whilst others don't. Have you ever tried to make money online and failed? Don't worry it's not your fault. Most people are using completely the wrong affiliate marketing strategies.

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The 3 Pillars of Success - The Next Great Advancement in Success Movement (By Derek P Bliedung)

The three pillars are a system that I have developed which comes from years of research & practice from Napoleon Hill's teaching of the theory of success. Zig Zealar on his power to motivation mass group of people and Silver Raven Wolfe on her teachings of the mysticism and metaphysical practices. Each of their teachings is different, but there is a common thread in all of their teachings. I have taken there teaching have analyzed all these masters teachings and found what if we practiced on all three of what I call the 3 pillars of success? Would we take something good and turbocharge it into something great!

I have used these three models on myself and found even those I am working in a role that I don't feel is the best fit for myself. I am becoming better and stronger or gain more success in what I am doing. I have been a practiced many other forms of success building such as Law of Attraction reading books from the above authors. Yes, it helped but was not the magic built that we all looking for.

What are the 3 pillars of success? Making you physically stronger, making you mentally stronger and making spiritually stronger. This is the key to success in anything that you do or want to do in life. Don't forget to follow the teaching of Napoleon Hill one must follow his passion (heart), ones burring desires and have the commitment to your dreams. I will expand on each of these areas.

1. The physical: Do some form of physical activity (experiences) at least 3 times a week for at least 15 minutes. This is just a minimal amount more is better. Eat healthy food and try to avoid junk food. Make sure you get the sleep your body needs. Our society has overstressed the importance of the physical and under stress the importance of the mental and spiritual development.

2. The mental/emotional: If you can have some quiet time to envision what you really want. And envision that person, item, job, career, car or what you really want. You can light some candles, play some meditation music, burn some Incense. Do this for 15 minutes or longer a per day. Do positive affirmations such as "The universe gives me everything I need", "I have the perfect career", "I am worth $100,000.00 per year". Be creative and make your own affirmations or search the internet for some more ideas.

3. The spiritual: For some attending a region ceremonial weekly is enough. For others, they have to experience the higher power and are the witness of this God/Creators/Universe/Spirit. Not all of the population is meant to walk in the path of psychic, healer or mystic. For the ones that are brave enough to experience the higher power, this is what you need to do? One will start with mediation, this is the key to opening yourself to the universe. Why do you think so many westerns are driven to the eastern religious? They seem more mystical in what do they do, they mediate! You will have to find the meditation that is right for you. Don't be scared try one if you don't like it try another one until you find the one that is right for you. The one I find that is very powerful is called the white light meditation. You envision a white light ball of light above you see it going through your crown chakra and continue to go through all your 7 Charkas. You envision golden roots coming from your feet going into the ground and going to the center of the earth. Feel the energy coming from the ground and moving up from the ground and moving into your body and going into your heart Charka. Let it come out as a white mist and form a white ball around your body. Spin it in any direction. Say to yourself or out load I send my excuses healing energy to the universe or to the planet earth to service the higher or greater good. Have this ball of light keep spindling going faster and faster. Then let it explode and fee the energy leaving your body. Wait a few moments. Next, envision a ball of light forming around your (I like to change the colors of the light each day: red, orange, yellow/gold, green, pink, blue, purple, and white) spin it in different directions until you have 3 balls of light spinning around you in different directions. Try to do this daily. This will heal you and open up any blocked charkas. This will ground and protect you all at the same time. You're also improving your Karma by sending out healing energy. When you start walking to the path of metaphysics the cosmic boggy man (Darkness, Evil, Demons, Devil) does not like you and will want to harm you. What if don't know want you out of life? Pray for assistants, meditate on it, ask your spiritual guides or guardian angel for help. It will come to you. But you have to be open to the signs. The God/Creators/Universe/Spirit has a team that can be dispatched to aid you just have to ask.

The law of attraction is a good tool for opening you're self to the universe. The law of attraction aka the Secret is using the positive thoughts, doing to others as you want to do to yourself. Treating others with respect and honor. Bring the energy of love, joy, gratitude, happiness, tolerance etc. Try to remove and eliminate negative thoughts such as hate, anger, jealousy, intolerance etc. Doing daily affectation, and mediation. Doing all this will start awakening you from the dream that we all live in and you will start experiencing spiritual world.

What else can you do to make the experience more powerful? Like I said the basics are already given. Have a place in your home you can start a holy altar. Place symbols that have a meaning to you. The basic candle color is white for God/Creators/Universe/Spirit. The yellow or gold candles will aid you to attract what you want. Green candles for healing and good luck. Pink is for love and Relationships. Red is the colors of fire and is used for acceleration and one seeing lust and sex.

The basic crystals are clear quartz is for improving energy, so you place it with another crystal or a set of crystals will amplify the energy. If you are looking for a good set to manifest this would be my personal recommendations Aventurine, Carnelian, Yellow Citrine and Clear Quartz. If you would be trying to attract love this would be the set I would recommend Moonstone, Prehnite, Quantum Quattro, Yellow Citrine and Rose Quartz. Don't forget you can still use the clear crystal to amplifier these crystals. Everyone has a different opinion about clearing, charging, and programming crystals. One of the easy ways to use Selenite crystals to do the clearing and charging for you. The programming is what do you want the crystal(s) to do for you. It is placing your intentions into the crystal. You can speak to the crystal, you can pray over the crystal. You can envision your intention leaving your 3rd eye going into the crystal in the form of a beam light. You can write what you want on a piece of paper and roll each side of the crystal over the writing.

There is all type of information on candles, crystals, and incense on the web or a local metaphysical store. Reminder it is the not the crystals, candles or incense that do all the work it is you! So, do spend a lot of time or money buying that special candle, crystals or incense. Yes, they help! But some of my most powerful experience was without using the aids. This is discipline you have to train yourself to do this, if it does not work at first keep trying, it will work.

Let me give you little more background on myself. I have been working many years in call centers never like it, feeling drained and worn out. To me, it is the devils' workshop! My solution was to get a better job outside of this call center environment. It seemed hard to find something better. And when I received something better what happened it did not last and I had to go back to the call center. By the way, college-educated graduated from a top 20 university and graduated with honors from another university. This should not be happening to me? I read a number of this book from the above authors and many others to help me fix my problem. It did come to me why I always seem to be gravitating to the call centers? It because you have to learn how to be the master and not the slave of this situation. Once you learn to become the master it, you will move on. This the teaching of Karmic law. I feel my purpose is to teach others these pillars of success and teach others how to heal themselves of the toxic environments that our society has created.

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Start Moving Forward: Take Some Action

Setting goals and developing a plan of action are great methods for starting to move forward. However, writing down action steps is different from actually acting out those steps. As you develop your plan of action with your goals and milestones, you must be honest with yourself about your level of commitment. Your commitment and determination will help drive you to keep pressing until you finally achieve your ideal goals!

There are questions you can ask yourself once you've completed your plan of action document. Once you set the specific goal, specific milestones, and specific deadlines the next step would be to ask some very important questions about your commitment. Here are 3 to consider:

• Are you 100% committed to attaining these goals? If you answer with something greater than 100%, that's great! You have hopefully made it up in your mind that no matter what, you will keep pressing forward towards your goals! However, it's important to say to yourself, and possibly even include it as the last line on your plan of action, that you are 100% committed to attaining your ideal goals. Some may even have a line for their signature to prove and authenticate their level of commitment.

• What has to happen in your life in order for you to be 100% committed? Now, some may not say 100%. Some may get real close, e.g. 90%, 85%, etc. If you work with a coach, or just someone you really trust and admire, you should be able to develop a plan of action that doesn't necessarily scare you but yet challenges you. I believe having detailed milestones and deadlines can help further find what is possible for you. Detailed milestones can help break down the exact action steps you will need to do to accomplish your ideal goal. Make sure these milestones and action steps include everything that involves both your money and time. Knowing your budget (for money and time) will help you to recognize if something will be too overwhelming and also develop a proactive response to challenges. Finally, you don't want to set deadline dates too far off where they'll make you fall into procrastination. But you still want to set deadline dates that will keep you focused and motivated.

• When you get afraid of making new changes, what are some ideas about how you will cope with the fear until it passes? This is a good question to ask when you are making those proactive action steps for potential challenges. Fear is one of the top reasons most people don't embrace change. Change is difficult and challenging. However, recognizing the benefits of the positive change can be one way to help cope with fear of change. For example, if your goal is to change career paths from fixing computers to becoming a registered nurse because that's your passion and you love that nursing environment, then focusing on all the positive ways you will be helping people will help you cope with your fear of making a career change.

I encourage anyone who is ready to start taking action and moving forward towards their ideal life goals! Fear may occur and cause you to feel a little hesitant at first but just stay focused! Allow your burning passion to outweigh that small flame of fear!

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Do You Send Yourself to Timeout?

The notion of time out is generally seen as punishment for children who misbehave. In the context of this article, it has a much more profound meaning. In sports, teams call time out when they are running out of time, overwhelmed or need to thoroughly think through the next play. In life, regardless of how well you manage time, time eventually runs out. Some people are overwhelmed. Or the next move in a deal or your career may require adjustments to reach your desired goal. Therefore, you may need a time out or time to contemplate your next move.

In an age of information overwhelm, it is easy to be bombarded with crises, to-do lists and trivial sound bites that distract you from long-term objectives. You are told the importance of a social media presence as well as the value to know what is happening in the world around you in real time. While this information mayhem has some of you twirling in a frenzy, life goes on. It is as though your life is a train that has left the station. The question is: are you on that train? Or are multitasking with information, personal aspirations and professional ambitions that consume you and cause you to miss your own life. If you miss out on your life, that could lead you down a path of disappointment or depression. With the latest news of Anthony Bourdain, a successful career cannot give you immunity to depression.

With that said, no matter your age or profession, it is valuable to send yourself into timeout. Whether you meditate or sit in silence, a timeout is a personal moment to contemplate where you are in life and what your next move will be.

Even CEOs face the need for contemplation. I have the privilege of spending time with a number of current and former CEOs of Fortune 500s. One of the questions the retired CEOs ask current CEOs is: how often do you take time to contemplate? The retired CEOs believe it is essential for any CEO to set aside time to think about the business of the business. That is a time to develop or enhance an understanding of the company and the people in it, products or services, clients and the career and decision making process the CEO has made up to now. It is also the time to think about the future of the industry and clients. Without time to clear your head, CEOs can find themselves working like a gerbil on a spinning wheel. To avoid that, they carve out time to do nothing. In older movies, you would see a CEO in his office hitting a golf ball into a cup. This scene made many believe the job of a CEO was easy. However, that CEO was working while hitting that golf ball. That was his time to contemplate.

If you think about it, everyone is the CEO of their own life. Therefore, it is your responsibility to ensure that the life you live is aligned with the life you want. Similar questions that CEOs contemplate are relevant to everyone. As you contemplate your life, ask your self: what kind of life do I want to live? What do I stand for? What am I committed to accomplishing? Who are the people in my support system? How do I support, bring value, others? Are my actions a correlate of my stand and commitment? Or am I living for the moment?

Having all the answers in one sitting is not as valuable as asking the questions and aligning your actions. Sometimes the inquiry is more valuable than the answer. It's your life and your journey. Be creative and enjoy it.

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How Do You Know If You Are Living Your Purpose?

As a society, we continuously contemplate the meaning of life. In trying to define the reason for being, we attempt to understand the purpose of our own lives. That said, how do you know your purpose?

Some believe that purpose can be derived from chasing a passion. Oftentimes, people equate passion with activities they enjoy most. However, the most successful people do not limit their life's purpose to activities that only bring pleasure. Their desire to accomplish something great is bigger than any inconvenience life presents. These achievements are made only through a high level of commitment, prevalent in the face of any pain or discomfort.

For example, Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world. When he trains, he pushes himself so hard that he occasionally vomits during his workouts. Though far from pleasurable, the result for him is the ability to break world records in the 100 and 200-meter races. How many are able to say they are willing to endure that extreme in order to become the best at their passion?

Nowadays, many people pursue one aspiration after another. These changes can take place over the course of weeks, months, or years. Consider this: if your passion is your purpose, why would it change?

In other cases, people seek purpose by looking for signs. They wait for events to occur or people to show them the way. However, it would be fair to say that most people go to their grave without ever knowing their life's goal.

Others may have witnessed a sign, but lacked the courage to pursue it. They reassure themselves saying, "it's not the right time" or "I don't have the money to fund my goals". Some wander in circles, needing another sign to prove the first signal was in fact leading them toward their purpose.

Seeking purpose, to say the least, is a complex process. Perhaps it is complicated because we have made it that way. We are conditioned to wait for life's purpose to do something to us. It is no wonder most go to the grave without knowing and experiencing their life's purpose.

To be the best at something requires practice and preparation. In Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers, he said those who mastered their craft did so because they practiced for 10,000 hours. That implies practicing in the face of good and bad days. There is no magic to it.

How do you know what to allocate 10,000 hours of practice to? That question may be key to finding one's purpose. Perhaps feeling good or waiting for a sign can be a dead end street. Perhaps the only way to know one's life purpose is to declare it. Instead of waiting for the right moment, take a stand and decide what your purpose will be.

If you say, your life purpose is to be a criminal lawyer, declare it and take action. Perhaps the only key to finding your purpose is right on the tip of your tongue. If you can stand for your own future to be who you say you want to be, you can announce it and practice and prepare to fulfill all the goals that come with that purpose. This approach would allow you to 'live on purpose', instead of 'looking for a purpose'. What purpose will you declare for your life?

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Life Is So Simple - Why Insist on Making It So Complicated?

SIMPLE is the name of the game so you confuse me when you say it's COMPLICATED. Stop it and tell your mind to shut up and get it right. Always remember there's someone else in a worse situation than you are so be grateful for what you have and stop complaining about what you don't have. Instead of complaining, work towards things you desire. If you're not waking up everyday with a goal in mind than you're still sleeping. It is so easy to blame external factors for the things you don't have but let's really dig deep within and find out what's holding you back from getting what you want. Stop wishing and start doing. There's nothing wrong with being a dreamer but that in itself is only the first step.

You have your first step nailed down, VISUALIZING what you desire.

The second step is to do something about it. Get up and get into ACTION. If one plan doesn't work then try another and keep trying until you get to your destination.

Lastly be able to make a COMMITMENT to your dreams, goals, desires; whatever it is that you call it.

Write your goals down every morning and every night. Put them somewhere you are able to see it throughout the day. And before you know it you'll be on your way to getting the things you want in life.

The problem arises when we human beings like to complicate things by over thinking something as simple as having breakfast. Good Lord, no wonder why people are living in so many unsatisfied relationships, unsatisfied jobs, unsatisfied careers and the list could keep on going. See, your mind is there to protect you from anything that could hurt or harm you hence the fight or flight response. But darn sometimes you need to quiet your mind to stay and fight for what you want because if you allow it to keep running you, you are allowing it to keep flying away from what could be such as your goals. It's really not always about just getting to your goals; it is about whom you become while you reach for your goals.

Make a decision to stay and fight, don't sit there and wish and complain and moan and cry about the things you don't have. Get up and get into action and take the first step that will lead you in the direction of your goals.

Don't over think it and take calculated risks. Make a choice. Make a decision. Make it wisely. Make it powerfully. Make it consciously.

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As We Move Forward

Time waits for no one. It is a classic phrase with immutable truth. Our lives are shaped around our actions. We live as we do. The value of intellect is measured by our perception of life. Intellect offers the ability to think and act on many different levels. When we choose to move forward with our thoughts and actions we keep pace with time. Time only moves forward and our actions and thoughts should reflect the same. Holding on to the past offers a reflection of what life used to be. Time has one mission which is continuous movement forward without prejudice of any kind. Our mission is to make the best of our time. To take the best of your past and apply it to your present life widens your lane. It is the cornerstone of your success. Excellence is achieved by continuous effort with emphasis on perfection until it becomes natural. In order for something to become part of your function or becomes natural to you, requires discipline, focus and commitment. This is the road to excellence. Success equals effort times drive divided by consistency. Just as time is continuous our character, values and perceptions of life should be continuous and forward moving. Leave those things that burden you and grasp on to the things in life that propel you forward. The universal law of cause and effect can be better known as reason. We have no control over reason. With reason you learn from your past by using it as a foundation to your future.

Your struggles can be your strength if applied correctly. Excellence is achieved by consistently doing the right over and over with no exception. The simplicity of this process can't be understated. The greatness that is intended for you is in your future not in your past. With setbacks you gain knowledge to propel you forward. The harder the lesson the bigger the reward. Through grace we are given an opportunity to make the next day better than the last day. Corinthian 2:10 "That is why for Christ sake I delight in weakness, in insults in hardships in persecutions in difficulties. For when I am weak I am strong." In spite of the labors of life you can still make it through. We experience triumph and failure with the same magnitude just on different ends of the spectrum. We must push forward without reservation. Faith and intellect matched with consistency and intensity will guarantee you the victory. Consider the thorn in your side a gift.

It is a constant reminder that you will never be perfect but you can overcome.

The best of you is yet to be seen. There was a plan for your success that has always existed. We all have a past but we are not our past we are not our mistakes. When we hurt we learn to heal. When we fail we learn how to succeed. The foundation of our past allows us to build on a bright future. Our future is bright and waiting on us. When tomorrow comes this day will be gone. Let this day be gain not loss. What we do with is important because you a day of you life for it. Let's move forward.

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Why The Law Of Attraction Takes Commitment

Thoughts are an important part of the Law of Attraction (LOA). But, having one or two occasional thoughts on what you want out of life isn't going to make much of a difference. You may get lucky once in a while. However, you almost always need to think on certain things consistently in the long-term to yield the best results.

It's about committing yourself to the task. You need to learn the steps and then apply them. Although the steps are not too complicated, it requires that you believe they work. Otherwise, there's no point practicing something you don't believe in. Sometimes you need to believe in things before you're able to "see it" working in real life.

There are plenty of naysayers that will knock you down if you tell them you are practicing the LOA. They will give you all kinds of reasons why it can't work and state that there is no scientific evidence to prove it.

In just about anything you do, you are going to find people who put you down for trying so hard to improve yourself. Most of the time, it's because they have failed and wanted to excuse it away or didn't even want to admit that it's their fault when some other people prove them wrong with their actions.

If you decide to commit, how do you go about learning what is required to make the LOA work?

You will find plenty of resources in booksellers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. At first, you may believe that having as many resources as possible is a good thing. However, it could lead to more confusion and information overload. There are many authors who write about the LOA and similar self-help topics without any experiences in such area. This makes the task of finding the right information more challenging.

When you go to implement your LOA program, try to find other people who you know that have completed their own programs and succeeded.

Also, use the ratings and reviews on websites like Amazon. Be aware that although Amazon is cracking down on fake reviews, you still may find several manipulated ones. A good rule of thumb is to read through the 2-, 3-, and 4-star reviews. This smooths out the overly optimistic reviews and the haters.

Another option is to contact an author if their book seems promising. Ask them if you can speak to some of the people who tried their techniques to get a better feel for the program. Also, be aware that some authors use books to hook you into a more expensive coaching program. While it's not necessarily negative when this happens, if you buy a book that promises something, the book should deliver without any further purchase.

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