Success University 02 (Nov 08 - Jan 09)

[winston]

Successful Goal Selection Avoids Self-Sabotage by David Schaefer

Successful goal selection stems from our inner perceptions and the congruence of our actions. If what we want and how we go about accomplishing our goals is incongruent, then we are likely to experience a degree of self-sabotage.

In order for success to be achieved, one’s intentions and actions must be in alignment when selecting and committing to a goal. It is important to take time to consider if the results you desire will actually be processed effectively by your goal choice.

Ask yourself these 3 questions when contemplating a goal:
Do I truly WANT what I think I want?
Do I earnestly BELIEVE that I can achieve my goal?
Do I deeply feel that I DESERVE to have what I want?

It is certainly better to be clear about your answers to the above questions than to forge ahead and then have nagging doubts. Otherwise, you may become a candidate for self-sabotage. So, how do you explore your true intentions so that ultimately your actions will be in successful alignment?

The answer is to take a close look at your real intentions, your level of belief, and your feelings about deserving the outcome. Let’s take a look at each of these points.

Explore your real intentions. Why are you acting on this particular goal? Is it actually your goal or the idea of another person? Is the goal 100% what you want? Taking the time to consider this fundamental step is very important and can mean the difference between success and disappointment.

Explore your level of belief. In addition to wanting the goal, do you truly believe the goal is achievable? Do you believe down deep this is important enough to you to go after it? Have you thought about the tools and resources you will need for positive action? Can you commit yourself to what is necessary to accomplish the results you want?

Explore your feelings about deserving the outcome. While this may seem strange, if you do not completely feel that you are worthy of a successful outcome, all the time and energy invested simply will not bring the goal to fruition.

If you want the goal and believe in it, but have any doubt whether you are worthy of its success, figure out why you feel this way. Most likely, when honestly addressed, you can resolve this issue and move forward.

It is absolutely wonderful when your intentions and actions are in alignment and you know that you want a goal, believe in it, and deserve it. But, unless you consciously deal with these basic elements, then it is possible to sabotage your well-intended efforts.

In summary, a well-structured goal is essential to establish a clear path to a desired outcome, but carefully selecting the right goal is perhaps even more critical. That also means that the intent of the goal and the actions to implement it must match. Pursuing a poorly conceived goal is paramount to self-sabotage. Learning to make a successful goal selection is fundamental to goal-setting.

[millionairemind]

Don't let this bear mkt get you down. Here is a video to perk you up

http://www.ncfinishstrongmovie.com/2.html

[winston]

Any time you have physical discomfort of any kind, whether you call it emotional, or physical pain within your body, it always, always means the same thing: "I have a desire that is summoning Energy, but I have a belief that is not allowing so I've created resistance in my body." The solution, every single time, to the releasing of discomfort, or pain -- is the relaxation and the reaching for the feeling of relief.

Excerpted from a workshop in Kansas City, MO on Sunday, August 29th, 1999

All Is Well

[winston]

Now's The Time by Mike Brescia

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Today's Empowering Quote
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"Whatever you want to do, do it now. There are only so many tomorrows." -Michael Landon

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Today's Empowering Question
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"What would happen if I put that off until later?"

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Today's Fast Session
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My parents were recently up north visiting from their home in Florida.

On their last night here, they stayed at my uncle's camp. So I drove an hour and a half into the mountains to see them one more time before they left.

Just as I was pulling into the little "one horse town" of Sherburne, I noticed that I was getting very low on gas, but I told myself that I'd be able to get some gas on the way back home.

Well, it was nearly 7 o'clock when I arrived, and we were having such a good time, that it was 1:30 in the morning before we knew it.

When I started the vehicle, the gauge was reading even lower than it did when I pulled in. I felt lucky that the camp was higher in elevation than the town, so I did a lot of coasting in neutral. Boy, was I happy to see the traffic light in town. A quick right and I'd be filling up...

But the gas station was closed.

Oh no.

I was running on fumes, and nothing was open - not even a bar!

Four miles to Earlville!? Uh. I'll never make it.

But with no choice, it was north to Earlville... at forty miles an hour to conserve gas. Man, it seemed all uphill! Where were the downhill areas?

Finally, mercifully I made it to Earlville... only to find that their gas station was closed, too.

I was sunk. What to do? What to do?

I was remembering the time twenty two years ago, when I used my mom's car and didn't put any gas in it before coming home. She ripped me a new one as she told me how she coasted into the gas station after the engine died. I'm not going to be so lucky this time.

Keep going north...

Oh, if I get out of this, I'll never let it get below a quarter tank again. I swear.

Twelve minutes and seven a-g-o-n-i-z-i-n-g miles later, I see Colgate University. Oh, thank God. There is no way that the gas station will be closed, not in a college town like Hamilton. Now if I can just make it to the gas station.

There it is!!

And the lights are on. Hooray!! Yippee!!

Oh. Thank you, God in Heaven. And yes, I coasted in, in neutral, just to make sure I made it all the way.

During the rest of the trip home, I felt lucky to have been given this lesson. Partly because I didn't lose anything in the process of learning... many lessons involve lots of pain. And mostly because it was a lesson that will most certainly serve me well in the weeks, months and years to come.

You don't put off things that should be done now.

I should have assumed that the mini-market would close. I didn't need to put it off. And I should have paid attention to the clock.

As I was praying for an open gas station, I was "shoulding" all over myself, and the good part was, I was listening.

It was my fault.

And the lesson was learned... again.

And in taking complete responsibility instead of cursing the store, I will have once again set a course in motion... to be paying attention to situations where my decisions affect outcomes.

No, you can't always plan for everything. And no, nobody's perfect.

But you can be intelligent. Stupidity is no excuse. Ignorance is definitely not bliss. It's loss. Pain. Possibly death.

Michael Landon was best known for his starring roles inBonanza, Little House on the Prairie, and Highway to Heaven. He lived hard, worked hard, partied hard and put off eating healthy.

I'll never forget his final appearance with Johnny Carson's Tonight Show in 1991. He said that he had pancreatic cancer. For people not in the know, this is one of the most deadly cancers. Most people don't survive longer than a few months after diagnosis.

His wife had been pushing him to adopt a more vegetarian lifestyle for years. But he just put it off. There was always time to start eating right... right?

Not long before his Tonight Show appearance, in constant agony, facing death, he finally gave into her pressure. And he told Johnny that the pain from the cancer was out of this world. Simply terrible.

But, he said, from the day he started exclusively drinking the vegetable juices his wife prepared for him, the pain stopped completely. Just like that. So understandably, he was in good spirits on the show.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

The cancer had progressed too far - his body was too toxic for the pure, cleansing food to save him.

So the message today is this, whatever is pressing, whatever job has to be done or situation needs to be attended to, do it now.

Sounds simple right?

Well, it is.

Pull out your copy of First Things First - get your planner out - look at what is important in your life... and attend to it.

And you'll find that when you finally start paying attention to the big things, the important stuff, the important people, you'll feel... well, it's hard to put into words.

At worst it reduces the frequency of angry fights with others over your "forgetting" things. People WILL notice the difference in you.

And at best, you'll be setting in motion a habit that could transport you to the top of your profession. It can make you admired and respected by everyone you know. It can give you a peace of mind that few enjoy.

Ask constantly, "What COULD happen if I put this off?"

Join the few. It's not lonely there.

[winston]

Say yes to whatever it is. Because if you say yes to it and then you get in the middle of it, and you say, "Uh oh, this isn't really turning out the way I wanted it to," then out of that is born another desire. And as you say yes to that, then it turns out. And you say, "Well, it's still not quite right." So you have another desire... Until eventually you get it exactly right. You cannot get it wrong. No creation is ever complete. Just do it.

Excerpted from a workshop in Tucson, AZ on Tuesday, February 15th, 2000

All Is Well

[winston]

How Negative Thinking Can Stop You Getting What You Want by Paul Alexander Wood

Negative and self limiting beliefs can and very often do hold us back in life. These beliefs can stop us from achieving what we most want and need in our lives.

Our limiting beliefs more often than not have been learned as we have gone through life and very often we have bought them with us from childhood. While they don’t serve us well, they are still very personal to each of us. Many people form strong identities from their beliefs, limiting or not and so any negative beliefs can become a deeply ingrained part of their personality one that they carry around with them for years.

Beliefs are personal; they are important and have the ability to define our entire lives. Our beliefs have governed how we have lived in the past, they govern how we are living now and they
will govern how we will live our life in the future.

Examples of some negative and limiting beliefs:

I’m useless, I always have been
I am an idiot
I’ll never be a success
Everyone hates me at work
I won’t become rich
My Business will fail
I’m not clever enough
I’ll never be able to learn Japanese
I’ll never get promoted at work
I’m too fat

These negative and limiting beliefs ultimately serve no real purpose apart from to stop us from having what we want in our lives. They become so entrenched in our minds that we just accept them as normal, never really believing we can do anything about them.

Just one negative belief about yourself, your situation or anything else related to your life can dictate to you the action you take, the behavior you exhibit and the environment where you find yourself.

A negative belief can really make it difficult if you are looking to make a change in your life or accomplish some goal. It becomes your own personal roadblock that stops you dead in your tracks.

You accept it and it becomes the way your life is.

Of course everyone is entitled to believe what they want. We have a choice, and we can choose to not accept our limiting beliefs any time we wish. Do you really want to continue creating mind made barriers for yourself?

You may want certain things in your life, you may want more for yourself, your family and even for the world around you, but yet your limiting beliefs never seem to go away, they have always been there and they will always be there in the future. They will remain a fundamental part of who you are unless you do something about it.

Remember that beliefs can be changed, and this is great news when we know we have beliefs that limit us. You probably used to believe in Santa Claus but I bet you don’t anymore. Rest assured that if you want to really change a negative belief you have, it can be done.

One useful strategy to use is to step forward into the future and envisage what will transpire (or not) as a result of the belief you hold.

When we do this we can see just exactly where our negative belief will lead us.

Types of question to ask yourself when taking the negative belief into the future include:

What will happen later on in the future if you persist with this belief?
What consequences will occur as a result of this belief?
What results will or could arise from the initial set of results?

For example:

I’ll never be able to learn Portuguese.

With a belief like this, where will you be in 2 years time? Imagine instead if you start learning Portuguese now, how much of it would you be able to speak in 2 years time?

Do you realize the more you believe this the more this will prevent you from actually learning Portuguese. So eventually over time you will not be able to learn any new languages with a belief like this.

So I guess you can forget about conversing with any Brazilians in their own language when you visit Brazil then?

You could carry on asking similar questions based on what you will be able or not be able to do as a result. Try it with your own negative beliefs and see if your perspective changes.

[winston]

The Science of Overcoming Procrastination by Michael Erwin

"Habits are like comfortable beds - Easy to get into, but difficult to get out of."
Dr Denis Waitley, Author of The Psychology of Winning

"Seems to apply to my football team!" I said replying to my friend who was talking about the laws of science. Something changed in the second half of the game this weekend. The team performance was amazing.

So how does this relate to science and procrastination? Well, science recognizes two laws - both of which can be related to procrastination. The first law states, "Standing objects tend to remain stationary." The second law is the opposite: "Moving objects tend to stay in motion."

Procrastination is stationary inertia. You aren't doing, and therefore you don't move!

Overcoming Procrastination is about action and this means you allow the law of motion to take over.

Our clients tell us that once they start a project or process it is easier than thy thought it would be -- and so they are able to complete it.

My team had no momentum in the first half. Somehow the momentum started in the second half on Saturday and they could not be stopped.

Here are seven time management techniques to help you build that momentum and overcome procrastination:

What is really stopping you?

1.Take timeout and identify what you are putting off. On a blank sheet of paper, note 3-5 important activities that you are delaying or have put on hold. Next to each describe what is stopping YOU (not the external factors). For at least one of these write 5 small tasks to get you started.

Action eliminates anxiety

2. From the list you wrote in point one, pick a small task do it right now. Put the energy you've been directing toward excuses into the activity you've been avoiding. You will discover that action eliminates anxiety.

The Best Time is

3. If getting started is the hard part for you, set a designated time slot in the day to work on the list. Set aside thirty minutes of your lunch hour for work specifically on one job, project, or personal goal that you've been avoiding or find difficult to start. Many of my clients find the best time is as soon as they get to work (before anything distracts you!)

80% is good enough

4. Focus on quality of effort, not perfect results. Don't worry about perfection. Don't let yourself get bogged down with a preoccupation for perfectionism. Allow yourself to be OK with 80% quality work. A task done at 80% quality is much more useful than a task that could be perfect, but is not done.

Reveal your assumptions

5. If what you are putting off involves other people, consult with them. Your reasons for delaying action may be assumptions you have developed. Lack of communication can mean you make assumptions which turn molehills into mountains.

Face the fear

6. If you fear the consequences associated with the action you've been avoiding, ask yourself, "What's the worst thing that could happen if I did this today?" The worst-case scenario most likely would be a minor inconvenience or a temporary setback.

[b]Feel the sense of achievement and satisfaction[/b]

7. Finally, vividly picture how you'll feel once the task is done -- feel the sense of achievement you get from completing the task. How good does that feel?

Accomplishing task you have put-off will give you a great boost of confidence and energy! Ground breaking requires TNT. To blast your way out of apathy and overcoming procrastination.

Remember what [b]TNT means: Today! Not Tomorrow.[b]

[millionairemind]

Stop Begging! Start Manifesting
By: Brian Wong

Get on the driver's seat! Take charge of your life and decide where you want to go.

Do you remember that first spark of hope you felt when you watched The Secret? I clearly remember the desire that filled my heart, knowing that... Yes, I can make my dreams come true--FINALLY!

But how many of you soon saw that hope dwindle into frustration? How many of you (and be honest now) started muttering things like:

"It seems to work for other people, but I just can't get it right."

"I'm frustrated that sometimes I can get it to work, but sometimes I can't. What's the trick?"

"Why am I having so much trouble?"

"I think the universe is against me."

"I'm trying very, VERY hard but still nothing is happening!"

Don't worry, you're not alone. About 97% of people also couldn't make the Law of Attraction work for them the first time round. Think about it, just like anything else, you have to practice many times before you see success. A child doesn't learn to walk without falling over a couple of times, right?

But in practice, everything is easier said and done. When you're frustrated, it's hard to stay positive. And it's especially harder to stay positive when the evidence all around you is screams negativity like the unstable economy or senseless acts of violence such as those recently seen in Mumbai.

And do you know what happens when you fail to stay positive? That's right! You start attracting negative things in to your life.

So how can you make the Law of Attraction work for you--without getting frustrated? How do those who successfully implement the Law of Attraction do it with such confidence and finesse?

Well, here's three quick tips so you will never feel frustrated or tired of begging from the universe, because you know how to start manifesting like a pro.

1. Allow yourself to receive.

Just like a lost child who approaches a police officer and asks, "Excuse me Sir, can you tell me how to go to the post office? Can you? Can you? Can you? Can you? Can you?" Well, if the child goes on and on asking, the police officer can't even give an answer, right?

Well, it's the same thing with your mind. If the only thing your mind is doing is transmit, transmit, transmit, the universe--which is trying to respond--can't give you a single thing because you're not allowing yourself to receive!

So, have the confidence in yourself and stop exhausting yourself by running around person to person begging for riches, and then wondering why nobody is dropping a penny in your cup. (Hint: It's because you're running away too fast for them before they can even reach for their wallets).

Just think of your desires and leave it out there, go away, and trust that your cup will be filled with gold coins (or whatever it is you asked for) when the time is right.

2. Be patient with yourself.

Receiving takes time.

Sadly, many people give up just a couple of steps before the finish line because they've decided that if it's not working by now, it's never going to work at all. Worse still are those who throw in more and more energy because they think that with more resources, the results will come faster.

This is like expecting 9 mothers to conceive and deliver a baby in 1 month. You also can't bake cookies in half the time by doubling the temperature. You'll incinerate those cookies to ashes!

In simple terms: Everything in this world has a natural development time, and this fact will not change no matter what resources you throw at it.

So relax and be patient. Remember that you too, as part of the universe, are also governed by the laws of the universe, and you cannot change the natural development time.

If you remember this, you will less likely work yourself up into frustration, or worse, push yourself into a downward spiral of negativity.

3. Support and educate yourself.
Like the child who is learning how to walk, you need support. You also need guidance on how to do it, and the role models to look up to.

Many people give up because they think that "The Secret" is the "be all and end all" solution. Well, it's NOT. "The Secret" is just a small portion. It was never intended, and has never been, the whole answer.

Coming to the conclusion that the Law of Attraction doesn't work when all you ever did to educate yourself was watch "The Secret" 19 times (without looking at changing the habits of other areas of your life) is like coming to the conclusion that exercising is not an effective way to lose weight because all you did is run on the treadmill for 2 hours a day (but you're still stuffing yourself with fried foods and cheesecakes).

So seek and be hungry for new knowledge. Also, make an effort to be amongst people or communities where you can support each other, learn from each other and also share new knowledge that you have found.

While the Law of Attraction is not an overnight delivery service, it will indeed deliver, if you do your part too

[winston]

How Do You Eat An Elephant? by Mike Brescia

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Today's Empowering Quote
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"The greatest things on earth have been done little by little."--Thomas Guthrie

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Today's Empowering Question
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"Is this a big, difficult job or just a bunch of small easy to do tasks rolled into one?"

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Today's Fast Session
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I remember I used to get terribly excited every day when I was selling face to face. I asked myself the question above all day long. Once I started a new activity, I'd ask myself the question.

I'd get the answer, and then guess what?

Right. I kept going, and I had more enthusiasm than the moment before. No moping.

That habit is what allowed me to slaughter international sales records in 3 differe nt industries. And because I made more sales CALLS than anyone else dreamed of making, I got really good at every aspect of my job. Simply a matter of practice making perfect... and of course learning from mistakes. But that's another topic all together.

It's terribly heartbreaking to talk to people and hear them say they just can't stop smoking, for example. They'll say it was a tough week and they needed to smoke or to do whatever their habit is.

But success in anything - from quitting a bad habit to gaining a good one, from obtaining a singular accomplishment or a string of them - requires many decisions and actions.

And they all come one-at-a-time.

You don't have a bad week. You have a weak moment. And then another one. Your life is made up of moments, not weeks. Have you ever noticed how, let's say... a basketball game can change momentum in 30 seconds or less? One team is in control and BOOM... 3 quick baskets by other team and they're in control.

It's all in the mind.

That's why it's SOOOOO important to make sure that your beliefs - your core-level beliefs - about yourself and about life are right. You've GOT to believe in your abilities. You CAN do whatever you want to do. You can. There can't be the slightest doubt. I don't doubt you and
I don't even know you personally.

But I know this...

No matter who you are, where you came from, your physical limitations, your color, your age... it has nothing to do with what you want to do and your GOD-given ability to achieve it. It's true, you may have to work harder than others, but you can do much.

You might not ever pole vault over 19 feet, but within your physical abilities you can achieve a lot.

And I want you to get really clear about one thing. You need to keep your life in compartments of seconds and minutes, not days. Taking things "one day at a time" is one of the biggest causes of failure there is.

Emotions can change from one moment to the next.

One minute your resolve seems firm, and the next, after a particularly stressful meeting - bam! All your resolve is out the window.

When that cigarette, or whatever your habit is, is screaming for you, in that one moment you must do everything you can to block it out. Do something. Do anything...

One thing you can do is pull out your Victory Log and read it.

If you don't have one, make one. Mine has saved me on many occasions and led me to my greatest triumphs.

This is a great topic, so let's pick it up on the next session.
OK? OK.

[winston]

When you find vibrational alignment with You, you personally thrive. You feel good; you look good; you have stamina; you have energy; you have balance; you have clarity; you have wit; you have abundance of all things that you consider to be good. You thrive in all ways when you come into Energy Balance with You. Vibrational Relativity—that's what it's all about.

Excerpted from a workshop in Asheville, NC on Sunday, May 1st, 2005

All Is Well