So are you amazed like me? I am amazed that even after graduating top of my class from college, holding two national merit leadership awards, writing down all of my life goals and setting out to accomplish them; my goals for my career and my family are no closer now than when I was at the top of the academic world. Does that feel like you? Then what I am about to share may help you re chart your life course for self improvement like my redirection has done for me.
Since the goals were not coming together then something had to have changed. I learned that these points had changed: Attitude had tanked since getting into business world, Belief in myself and my core values had eroded some, my Commitment to excellence had lost its shine, and my Desire to overcome had lost its burn. Seeing how far I had drifted from my success habits was a life changing experience all of its own. If you have walked this path too, then you know how it felt. So now it is time to lock into the mindset that will help get the goals back on track.
Attitude Is everything
Attitude truly IS everything. In your own quest for self improvement, how you perceive the world around you is what molds the character within you. It benefits you to be the “glass half full” person. By seeing life in a hopeful optimistic attitude, you also get to see the solutions with each challenge that is set before you. Seeing the world anywhere close to negative will close off the ability to see solutions and options toward your success. Having a positive attitude draws people to you like a magnet. When you also have a purpose in your actions then the people that do draw near are people of resources that help your goals. And the person you become by embracing a positive attitude will also help them reach their goals. It becomes as if you develop a win-win network. This is something that most effective leaders call mastermind alliances. An attitude of positive expectation is a choice, one that will serve you well.
Believe in the goals you set before yourself…. truly believe.
It has been said that to be successful then choose to do work that you are deeply passionate about doing well. The journey of your self improvement has a greater probability of true fortune when you passionately believe in the goals that you set for yourself. The goals should be big enough for you to take pause in their magnitude but not so very expansive that they are never attainable. There are many examples of people who rose from huddled masses to attain great heights of success: Oprah, Donald, Martha, Tony, Rush. Other are recognized by last names: Gates, Buffett, Disney, Spielberg. Spend time studying any or all of them and you will learn that their life work is something that they live,eat, sleep, walk, talk, and dream about. It does take that level of belief in order to have their level of success. In each of their stories are also paths of self improvement that made them the quality of person they become. That is possible for you too.
Commit to making this happen no matter what.
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.. The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never have otherwise occurred… Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.” Goethe
Making the decision to totally commit does not happen during your first step of your journey of self improvement perhaps not even on the tenth or the one hundred thirty-second step. Commitment becomes a part of you when you face yet another challenge that tests you if you really do want the goal you set forth. You decide, deep inside, that nothing and no one will stop you from reaching the goal. And you will know that level of commitment is there; because it will suddenly feel as if certainly a large door has been opened to you. Suddenly you see new solutions and options to problems that have held you back for so very long. Move with that inspiration and follow it. The call to action from Goethe does not say to have knowledge of every part of your journey before you begin; but simply to begin.
Desire with your whole being for the completion of the goals.
The student came to the Master after having studied several seasons under the Master’s wise direction. On coming to the Master the student implored Master to tell him what is needed to be successful in his life’s work. “Walk with me” said the Master. The two walked to the nearby shore. Master walked on into the sea not saying a word. Student followed believing this to be a ritual before Master imparted to student the highest wisdom from the Master. Master turned to student, grabbed him by the throat and violently forced student under the waters of the sea.
Student tried and tried to recover and to catch a breath. For a time he was not able to overpower the strength of the Master. Finally, student realized he would soon die and he found in himself the deeper power to overcome the strength of Master and to rise and catch a new breath of life giving air.
“Master why would you try to kill me? I only wanted to learn how to be successful when I leave from here”
The wise Master chose his words carefully “When your desire to be as much of a success is as intense as your desire was just then for that one breath of air; then the wisdom you need to be that success will rise up from inside you. It has always been inside, waiting to be called to duty.”
This is the level of desire that must be possessed to achieve the goals you have for your life. Understand that for small goals easy attained, then the desire may not need to be so intense. For those goals that require more involvement then certainly your desire will need to be higher as well.
With renewed focus toward Attitude, Belief, Commitment, and Desire, then your journey of self improvement will take on a stronger sense of purpose. And your goals will also be more worthwhile to strive toward. It may be that the renewed focus only need to be one degree more intense to open the door for you. That difference is the same as the one degree difference of a lens curve that makes light not only bright but intensely focused to produce a laser focus of immense power To begin to harness such power, go and learn more about self improvement. The information is free. It is the open door of personal work that holds a cost for you … some good, some bad.
For all that I have overcome, I see myself as one of many light bearers. With so much information available it is difficult to see what to focus on to achieve personal goals that lead to lifetime fulfillment. This blog is a great starting place for you to find the beginning place to start your own mastery program.
