A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which read, “I am blind, please help.”
There were only a few coins in the hat – spare change from folks as they hurried past. A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. Then he put the sign back in the boy’s hand so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon, the man who had changed the sign returned to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?” The man said, “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.” I wrote, “Today is a beautiful day, but I cannot see it.” Both signs spoke the truth. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind, while the second sign conveyed to everyone walking by how grateful they should be to see… When your life seems full of troubles, it seems difficult to maintain an attitude of gratitude, doesn’t it? All we see are our problems, like a blackened storm cloud casting a dark shadow over our lives. And the times when everything just seems to be going smoothly? We often take these precious moments for granted too, don’t we? Caught up in the bliss, comfort, and familiarity of it all, we can simply forget to be thankful. So what, then, is gratitude? Simply put, gratitude is a habit. It’s a way of looking at the world and all the good things in it with a feeling of appreciation, regardless of whether or not your current situation is to your liking. Gratitude is a heart-centered approach to being at peace with yourself and with all you have. When you practice this feeling of gratitude, it attracts even MORE things into your life for which to be grateful. Go ahead, try it out right now. What or who do you have in your life to be thankful for?
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Thou Shall Remain Humble
No matter how good you are… No matter how much money you’re making… Quite possibly the single biggest enemy of success is your EGO. And if you’re saying to yourself, "Oh I don’t have an ego!", those are the exact same words every ego-maniac has uttered at some point. I’m known as a pretty humble woman. Those that have worked with me will hopefully attest to that. But I must admit, my ego has gotten the best of me on multiple occasions. Thankfully, I let me ego get out of hand early in my career and I was smart enough to learn from my mistakes. Here’s what I’ve discovered Remember this: The need for recognition is both a powerful weapon and a dangerous killer. Recognition, when given to others is a powerful weapon. Recognition, when you are so starved for it that you subconsciously hog it, it becomes a dangerous killer. just practice this concept which I learned from a former business partner and amazing trainer, Marc Accetta… Think of recognition like a hot potato… As soon as someone edifies you (tossing you the hot potato), toss it back to them or someone else as fast as possible. When my leaders or anyone for that matter edify and recognize me, I do my best to give them the credit. Knowing I am humble receiving the recognition. By staying humble and keeping your ego in check you create loyalty and trust. It may feel good to get recognition, but it should feel WAY better to you giving it away. There is an ever-growing body of knowledge about the nature and causes of happiness.
For one thing, it’s clear that happiness is a feeling, not a circumstance. Happiness is more than just fun or pleasure. It’s a more durable sense of well-being. Our happiness depends not on what happens to us, but what happens in us. In other words, it’s the way we choose to think about our lives. Abe Lincoln said, “People are generally about as happy as they’re willing to be.” A Buddhist proverb tells us that pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional. So, what are the most common attributes of happy people? Well, it’s not money, fame, or good looks. It’s not even intelligence or talent. No, the two most important factors are gratitude and rewarding personal relationships. The formula is simple: count your blessings and enjoy your family and friends. Sadly, simple is not always easy. People whose natural instincts produce a gloomy outlook and pessimism need to re-train their minds. It’s one thing to say happiness is not getting what you want but wanting what you get; it’s quite another to really be satisfied with what we have. For many people, it takes discipline and practice to think positively. Sometimes it’s just a matter of changing one’s perspective, choosing to see and appreciate the silver lining, the half-full glass. In other cases, what’s required is refusing to dwell on pain, disappointment, or envy, and instead force one’s mind toward good thoughts, including all the things we should be grateful for. Interestingly, the ability to maintain a positive attitude is also important in forming and sustaining meaningful relationships – seeing and bringing out the best. In my experience, changing your self-image is the most important thing you can do to change your current reality.
Remember, you are using the same intellectual faculties that everyone else has. Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Bob Proctor … you have all of the advantages that they do. The difference is simply that they have a more powerful image of themselves than you do. But, with some practice, you can change yours to match what YOU want for your life. Visioneering or image-making is nothing new. You’ve done it all of your life. In fact, everything that has ever come into your life has come as a direct result of the image-making process. Just take a look at the results in your life to see if you’re using this powerful mental tool in the right way. Unfortunately, generally speaking, most people don’t use their imagination effectively. Instead of visualizing what they want, they almost always create an image of themselves that keeps them right where they are. You might think you already know all of this. But if you are not witnessing the good you desire in your own life, you simply do not understand the power—and in fact the necessity—of acting on these ideas. So get started today. Make the time right now to become very relaxed. Let creative energy fill your consciousness and then build an image in your mind of yourself living more abundantly. Now write a brief description of your image on a card. Begin your statement with, “I am so happy and grateful now that …” Carry your card in your pocket and read it at least twice a day, until the image fills your consciousness. I urge you to do this every day. Start seeing what is possible for you. I guarantee it will change your life. As you see the changes starting to occur, write to me and let me know the exciting things that are happening in your life. I look forward to hearing from you. To more and better, |
AuthorMy voice has been your voice even before you were born Archives
August 2022
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