I love to sail and once had the pleasure of spending a month on a beautiful 42 ft. sailboat in the Sea of Cortez between the east coast of Baja and the west coast of Mexico. Reflecting on that experience got me thinking about some of the similarities between literal sailing and the experience of sailing on the sea of life.

In the process of living, the winds of circumstance have an unending and ever-changing influence on us. Sometimes our circumstances are like a favorable breeze that make it easier to move in our desired direction. At other times, they require that we make constant adjustment in an effort to stay on course. And much like the wind, circumstances are often beyond our control.

Coping with ever-changing circumstances

A sailor knows that he can’t control the wind. He knows that staying on course as the winds change is only possible if he develops the necessary sailing skills. The higher his skill level, the more comfortable he is when the wind and sea become more challenging. This is especially evident when unexpected storms arise and his very survival is on the line.

We have all been through life storms and we have all experienced the blowing winds of disappointment, despair and heartbreak. Why is it that some people seem to come through these stormy experiences stronger and more empowered, while others suffer varying degrees of damage? How can we better equip ourselves to deal with these challenging situations?

3 Keys to smoother sailing on the sea of life

1. Skill and adaptability. When the winds of life change, we need the skill and adaptability to change with them. And we need to be able to do this while maintaining our balance and presence of mind. Like a sailor on a stormy sea, our mastery of advanced life skills will determine how well we fare during times of adversity. The higher our skill level, the more comfortable and confident we will be when circumstances become more challenging.

A slight difference in heading and sail set can make a huge difference when it comes to successfully navigating through stormy conditions. Even a small storm can cause a lot of damage if you have too much sail up. In life, small changes in sail set and direction can either make thing a lot smoother or a lot rougher. Skill and adaptability are what will make the difference.

2. Awareness and foresight. A skilled sailor doesn’t just benefit from his experience and proficiency when conditions change unexpectedly. He also develops a greater sense of awareness that allows him to read conditions and recognize the potential for danger. When he senses that conditions are becoming less favorable, he exercises his foresight to seek the shelter of a safe harbor.

If we are paying attention, our life experiences will allow us to develop a similar sense of awareness and foresight. We will learn to read circumstances and conditions that have the potential to blow us off course or complicate our lives unnecessarily. How much better it is to use our skills to sidestep a problem when possible, rather than having to deal with adversity that that could have been avoided.

3. An adventurer’s spirit. Every sailor I have ever met has a spirit of adventure. They like to feel the force of the wind (within reason) and they like to pit their skills against changing conditions. Sailing is an exciting activity and that is one of the reasons so many people love doing it. It’s exhilarating to harness the power of the wind.

When we view life with a spirit of adventure and look for the excitement that comes with change, it predisposes us to love life with its endless variety of thrills and challenges. Life is fluid like the sea and the skill with which we set our sails will have an enormous influence on the quality of our experience.

Facing the storm

The first day of my month long sailing adventure was one I will never forget. We left mainland Mexico at daybreak so we would have plenty of time for the crossing to Baja. Later in the morning, the skipper went below and I took the wheel. I found out just how fast the weather can change once you are beyond the point where you can see land.

The sky grew dark and funnel clouds began to spring up everywhere. These mini cyclones where actually sucking sea water up into the clouds. The wind was getting gusty and the swells where growing. When I woke the skipper up and asked if he had ever seen anything like it before, he took a moment and then said “yeah, but only in books.”

Needless to say, things got very crazy for several hours, and at times we even had waves covering the entire length of our deck. But he was a skilled and experienced sailor and we had a successful crossing with an extremely high level of excitement. After the storm cleared, the rest of my month long sailing adventure was marked by warm days, calm seas, and gentle breezes.

Storms are a fact of life

We all deal with disappointments and challenges. We all have reversals and times when, in spite of our best plans and efforts, things just seem to fall apart. Challenging circumstances are not reserved for any particular group, nor is anyone immune. The rich and the poor have marital problems. The rich and the poor have the same challenges that can lead to financial ruin and personal despair.

In the final analysis, it is not the changing circumstances that will determine the quality of our lives, but rather how skillfully we meet those challenges. If we develop the life skills needed to navigate through life’s storms, we will be in the best possible place to enjoy all the beauty, joy, and excitement that comes with those warm days, calm seas and gentle breezes that life has to offer.

What kind of seas are you sailing on?
What helps keep you on course?
The lines are open!

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My book TRUE SELF is the fastest inexpensive way (coaching is the fastest) to make positive life changes very quickly. From discovering and dismantling your limiting beliefs, to aligning with and realizing your most cherished goals – and everything in between. TRUE SELF will guide you through the process.

Through no fault of our own, most of us lack a certain degree of awareness about who we really are. I’m not talking about the person we are on the surface. Rather, I am referring to who we are on a core level once you strip away the social programming, ego, and learned defenses.

Being the adaptable creatures that we are, we learn to play peekaboo with our true self from a very young age. We adapt our behavior for various reasons as we are exposed to a variety of circumstances and situations.

This is good because adaptability is an important and vital life skill. In fact, on many different levels our survival depends on it. Businesses that don’t adapt to changing conditions go broke. The same could be said of relationships. Even the simple act of putting on a coat when the weather turns cold is a form of adaptation. Clearly, being adaptable serves us in many ways.

But here’s the challenge!

As we adapt, we risk losing our connection with who we really are on a core level. It becomes extremely easy to compromise our deepest values and passions for the sake of fitting in. When this happens, we create internal conflict between our true self and our new, adapted self.

We may have every intention of preserving our true identity, but the influence of our environment should not be underestimated. I first learned this lesson when I was only 19 years old. I went to work for a large construction company and everybody on the crew cussed (a lot). I was totally repulsed by their language and vowed that I would never allow myself to sound like them. Profanity violates my personal code of ethics and I was absolutely determined not to go there.

Well, guess what! Within a short time, I started to adapt my language to fit in with this new environment. That’s right, despite my determination to the contrary, I ended up sounding just like everyone else. It pained me to hear myself talk because of the internal conflict that now existed between my values and my actions. On a deep emotional level, I was at cross purposes with my true self.

I got out of there which resolved my conflict

Had I remained, however, I would have probably lost touch with the part of me that was uncomfortable in that situation. The continued influence of that environment would have caused me to bury my values in an attempt to end the discomfort.

In reality though, that would not have resolved my internal conflict. It would have just buried it so deep that I would no longer be aware of it. That means that instead of internal peace and harmony, there would be undetected, but extremely damaging disharmony. Emotionally speaking, this is like having a virus quietly corrupting you computer programs without being noticed. Sooner or later, there will be problems.

Internal conflict always finds its way to the surface

Have you ever known someone who continually self-sabotages their own success? It could be in any area of their life, business, relationships, health or anything else. As soon as things start looking good, wham, they let the air out of their own tires.

Often times this kind of behavior is a response to buried internal conflict. On some level they feel that they don’t deserve success. Their disharmony has negatively affected their self-esteem, and they aren’t even aware of it.

Another way that internal conflict can find expression is a chronic lack of joy. This might range anywhere from being moody to recurring bouts of depression. Energy levels can also be affected. It takes a lot of energy to fight an emotional battle around deeply rooted internal discord.

We’ve all been there to some degree!

Like I said earlier, we are adaptable creatures and that makes it almost impossible to stay true to our authentic self without some kind internal compass. Basic desires such as wanting approval, security and control have a huge influence on our direction in life. And even our core values evolve and change over time.

All of these factors combined make it very difficult to stay in harmony with who we truly are on the deepest levels. So how can we adapt and grow, while simultaneously avoiding the trap of internal conflict?

Self-discovery and awareness are the key

The first step is to rediscover our true self. We need to get in touch with our deepest values, standards and passions. This is the only way to bring about internal peace and harmony. We need to go beyond the trappings of our lifestyle and environment, so we can figure out who we really are.

Any attempt to structure a meaningful life course must include this knowledge of true self. Without it, we will inadvertently compromise the very values that give us our personal identity.

How do we rediscover our true self?

Over the years I have developed a series of extremely effective questions and exercises designed to put you in touch with your true self. I incorporated these exercises into the very first section of my book TRUE SELF. Following the program outlined in this book makes it possible for anyone to discover their true self, and to achieve and maintain internal peace and harmony while pursuing the life of their dreams.

Of course, this is only one aspect of the life transformation process, but it is the only way to build a solid foundation for a life of exceptional quality. If you are curious about what True Self can do for you, I encourage you to read the reviews on Amazon to see what others are saying are about this life changing book.

Getting to the heart of disharmony

Resolving internal conflict is the only way to experience inner peace. Life has a way of disconnecting us from who we truly are, and we feel the effects of this in everything we do. We all buy anti-virus software to protect it integrity of our computers and keep them operating efficiently. Doesn’t it make sense to take the necessary steps to restore our inner harmony so that we can truly enjoy this wonderful journey called life?

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Here’s a fact: We all go through the process of setting goals and achieving them repeatedly during the course of a normal day. And we often do so without even thinking about it. For example, when you got up this morning, did you have something you wanted to accomplish, or did you just get up and wander around aimlessly? You had a goal, right?

Maybe it didn’t seem like a goal because it was something that you do almost every day. Even if it was just your normal routine, chances are you had a goal, or a whole bunch of goals to accomplish today. Did you go to work, get the kids off to school, or go grocery shopping? Did you do all three, and more?

How were you able to accomplish those things?

Likely, you planned them out ahead of time, and decided how they would fit into your schedule for the day. You probably made some preparations the night before and determined what time you needed to be up and going. As the day went on, you kept an eye on the clock and made whatever adjustments were needed.

Realize it or not, you were setting and achieving goals all day long. That’s what productive people do, and that makes you a successful goal-setter. True, this is goal setting on a very basic level, but what would your life be like without it? How many of the things that you do every day would not happen without your ability to follow through on your goals?

Could you take it to the next level?

Of course you could! Once you acknowledge that it is something you already know how to do, how hard is it to bump things up a notch or two? You have already proven that you are capable, so start by giving yourself some well-deserved approval. Don’t take your abilities for granted. Your ability to set and achieve your goals is part of what already defines your life.

Now is a perfect time to start thinking about ways to become more goal oriented. Many people are abandoning their hopes and dreams because of what they see as a challenging economic situation. What about You? Are you ready to throw in the towel on your long-term goals because things have gotten a little more challenging?

Did you know that even during the Great Depression, 75% of the workforce was still employed? Three fourths of the people still had jobs, homes, and cars. The kids still went to school in the morning, and came home to dinner every night. Not only that, but thousands actually found ways to prosper during those challenging times.

Break away from the mass mentality

When we set a goal we are actually claiming our independence from the crowd by accepting responsibility for the outcome we create. Many successful people even take it a step further by making themselves accountable to someone else.

Creating a sense of accountability can be as simple as announcing your goal to a friend, or group of friends. Granted, the thought of other people knowing your intention may make you feel somewhat vulnerable. In some cases, it might even increase the fear of failure. So…

Why in the world would you do that?

Because accountability is a very powerful motivator. When you tell others what you intend to accomplish, several things happen. You might think that it’s the simple fact that they know that creates the changes, it ‘s not. In reality, the fact that you know that they know is what immediately changes how seriously you view your own goals. When we make something public, we are much more compelled to follow through.

In an amazing way, accountability magnifies our own level of commitment. When our name and reputation are on the line, it becomes very personal. With greater commitment comes razor sharp focus and greater adaptability. What happens to the odds of your being successful under these conditions?

Your chances of success will skyrocket!

Why do people feel compelled to show up at work on time and ready to go? What is the driving force behind productivity and achievement worldwide? Why will we do almost anything within or power to keep from disappointing those we love and care about? The answer is the same to all three questions – accountability.

I am not talking about having to answer to others because, in reality we only answer to ourselves. I am talking about the motivation that is created when we stand up and announce to the world, “This is what you can expect from me.” It’s very powerful!

What do you see in the near future?

This is the time of year when people start struggling with resolutions they recently made. Have you ever thought about the word resolution? It is defined as a statement of intent, a vow, or a determination.

So, making a resolution at any time of year implies a commitment to facilitating some kind of positive change by establishing and achieving a goal. It means being determined to do it within a certain time frame.

Making resolutions is all about setting and achieving goals

Let me ask you a few questions:

1. Do you have some goals that you want
. . to achieve in the near future?
2. What would you be willing to do to achieve
. . unprecedented progress?
3. Are you ready to pull out all the stops and
. . make big things happen?

If you said yes to all three questions, then now is the time to start putting your goals down on paper and designing an action plan. If you said no to even one of those questions then ask yourself, “What would it take for me to be able to say yes?”

Keep asking yourself that question until you know the answer. Are limiting beliefs standing in your way? Have the talking heads convinced you that there are only dark days ahead? Have you failed in the past and don’t want to risk it again? Don’t be afraid of the answers you discover. All of these obstacles can be overcome once they have been identified. The important thing is to identify whatever is holding you back so it can be addressed.

Don’t forget about your abilities

Remember, we have already established that you are a capable goal-setter, and that you demonstrate this ability every single day. All it takes to make your bigger goals a reality is to ramp things up a bit. One of the most powerful ways that I have found to do this, is to join the 100 day challenge. It is absolutely amazing what you can accomplish in a relatively short period of time with the right focus, guidance, and support.

Personally, I am determine to radically ramp up the quality of my life and my business this year, and I would love to have you join me. Here’s a very cool free tool to help you get started, it’s called the Goal Setting Toolkit. So, how about it, are you going to let another year slip by or are you going to make something impressive happen?

Why not start right now by declaring your goals to the world and creating some accountability? All you need to do is write them in your comment below. Please, don’t put your dreams on the back burner. This can be the year you accomplish something amazing if you are truly willing to ramp up the way you think about setting goals.

What important goal do you want to accomplish?
How determined are you to make things happen?
The lines are open!

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Exactly what do I mean by insanity? I’m referring to the now widely accepted definition of insane; doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result.

No doubt, most of us have heard that definition and laughed.  And yet, is it possible that we are actually doing that to some degree ourselves? I recently looked back on a situation in my own life and realized that this was the problem.

But first a little background

When I was a teenager, I developed the habit of working out with weights three or four times a week.  That’s a habit that has stuck with me all these years. Okay, I admit there have been periods of time when I’ve slacked off.  But for the most part I’ve stuck with it.

I’m sure you realize that there are a lot of different approaches to lifting weights, and I’ve tried most of them over the years.  I don’t want to bore you with a lot of details, but without some details the story doesn’t make any sense.  So, I’ll try to keep it as uncluttered as possible.

When something quits working

My standard approach has always been to lift fairly heavy weights in the 7-10 rep range. This approach worked extremely well when I was younger.  But that was then and this is now.

Back in May of 2008 I herniated a disk in my neck.  On its own, a herniated disc is bad enough, but there was a complication.  A main trunk nerve that runs across my upper back and down my left arm was damaged.  Part of the nerve died, and all of the muscles fed by that nerve atrophied.

Now what?

As a result of this injury I lost about 90% of my strength in certain exercises.  Determined not to let this stand in my way, I designed a new approach.  I started to use lighter weights, and much higher rep ranges.  I reasoned that higher repetitions help to build neural pathways, so it seemed like a reasonable approach.

After much trial and error, I discovered that in my new situation the sweet spot was 25 to 30 reps. Using this new approach allowed me to make consistent progress with each and every workout.  Now here’s the surprise!  I actually started to build muscle and burn fat at a rate I hadn’t experienced for over a decade.

Why?  Because I was forced to try something new.  As a result, I began to produce a different outcome. Since then I have continued to change my approach as my condition improved or my body adapted. As a result, I have been able to facilitate a full recovery.

So what’s the moral of the story?

If what you are currently doing isn’t working, try something else.  Don’t be afraid of change.

I made a change because I was forced to.  But as I look back, I realize that it’s a change I should have made long before I did.  What I had always done was not producing the desired result.  So, exactly why did I stay with it?  Obviously, I must have been suffering from a mild case of insanity.

Resisting change is counterproductive

When something isn’t working, there is no need to wait until change is forced upon you.  It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about relationships, business decisions, food choices, or any other dimension of your life. Remember, staying with something that no longer works is a form of  insanity.

When your standard approach quits producing the desired results, try something new.  If that doesn’t work, try something else. Keep making adjustments until you start producing the result you are after.

Keep learning to keep progressing

One of the greatest life skills any of us can learn is to pay close attention to the result we get every time  we change our approach to something. When we find something that works well, keep doing it.  But if it doesn’t work, or it quits working, make adjustments. Life is a learning experience.  True learning requires that we take action according to what we learn.  As we learn from those new actions we can make further adjustments.

It would be nice if we could always get it right the first time, but that’s not reality. Even an ocean liner is slightly off course about 90% of the time. Changing currents and wind direction mean that constant adjustments are necessary to stay on course.

There are a lot of things that can affect the results we produce. Some of them are predictable, others will be a surprise.  But they all have one thing in common.  They all require that we make constant adjustments so that we can stay on course. Every successful person does this.  It’s a simple formula that will allow us to continue producing our desired outcomes while avoiding insanity.

Why not take a careful look at your own life, and ask yourself the following questions:

1. What areas of my life no longer seem to be working?
2. What goals have I been unable to reach?
3. How long has this been going on?
4. What adjustments seem reasonable?
5. What’s preventing me from trying a new approach?
6. What price have I paid for not making adjustments?
7. When am I going to try something new?

Now write down three possible approaches for each area that needs some adjustment.  Choose one approach, and take action.  Notice how things changed.  Were your new results better, the same, or worse?  If they were better, look for ways to fine tune your new approach, and take more action.  If they were the same or worse, try the next approach on your list.

Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to change everything in your life all at once.  Take on one challenge at a time, improve your results, then move to the next challenge.

Improving the quality of your life is not always about making huge changes all at once.  Even small changes, made consistently can transform your life in a very short time.  If you keep moving in the right direction, sooner or later you will wind up exactly where you want to be.  Life is a marvelous journey of learning and growing. Why would we want it any other way?

Have you had a similar experience?
Has changing your approach ever made a big difference?
I would love to hear about your thoughts!

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My book TRUE SELF is the fastest inexpensive way (coaching is the fastest) to make positive life changes very quickly. From discovering and dismantling your limiting beliefs, to aligning with and realizing your most cherished goals – and everything in between. TRUE SELF will guide you through the process.

We have all heard the expression, “hindsight is 20-20,” but is that really the case? Well, it certainly can be, but only if we are paying attention to where we have been and what we have learned.

Experience has the potential to be our very best teacher, and hindsight plays a vital role. Unfortunately, many people go through life just repeating the same old mistakes over and over again. They somehow miss the connection between hindsight and insight.

Granted, we all make mistakes, but there are two important question for each of us to ask ourselves with regard to our mistakes.

1. “Do I really learn from my mistakes?” And, if so, then
2. “Do I make it a point to adjust my life accordingly?”

You see, the truth of the matter is, if we can’t say yes to both of those questions, then the answer to both is really no.

Hindsight lets us reflect and grow wise!

Wisdom and insight come to those who learn from their experiences, adjust their course, and continue in the direction of their goals and aspirations. Experience can teach us so many valuable lessons, but only if we are willing to adjust our lives accordingly.

That’s why it is so important that we continuously measure the results of our actions. If we don’t take the time to analyze our past performance, how can we expect to gain the insight to produce better results? If we don’t have the hindsight to see where we’ve been, how could we possibly have the insight to see where we are going?

Our performance is like a compass that keeps us moving in the direction we want to go. When we get a little off course, things don’t work out so well. If we are paying attention, we will analyze what we just did, and how we might have done it differently. Then we can try something a little different, and compare the results.

Hindsight benefits us in all areas!

You can apply this approach to every area of your life. Yes it works in business, but it also works in relationships of all kinds. If we accidentally do something that offends someone we care about, we need to take note, and try to avoid doing it again.

What this means is that we need to be fully involved in our own life. We need to pay attention, careful attention, to how our thoughts, actions, and words affect the quality of our life. We also need to pay attention to how our actions affect the lives of those around us.

When we contribute to the quality of other people’s lives, we reap personal benefits. The quality of our life is in direct proportion to the quality of our contribution. If we are not giving, then we are not living, we’re just going through the motions and missing the real essence of life.

The only way that hindsight can be 20-20 then, is if we take the time to notice what we did, how it turned out, and whether or not we need to make changes. This is how we develop insight.

Hindsight allows us to learn and adjust

There is a famous saying by George Santayana: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” I think more than remembering is called for.  Insight requires more than just remembering. I would say that those who don’t learn from the past are condemned to repeat it. And while this saying is often applied on a grand scale to nations and governments, I think it has it greatest application for us as individuals.

It’s always amazing to meet somebody that has no clue why their life is the way it is. They go through life doing the same things over and over again, and thinking that one of these days they are bound to produce a better result. Albert Einstein nailed this kind of thinking when he defined insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” It really boils down to a complete lack of hindsight.

Personal change doesn’t need to be complicated

If we’re not happy with our life, we need to take some time to analyze the actions and decisions that got us where we are. What adjustments could we make to break our current cycle and produce a different result? As you look back on your past thinking and actions, can you identify things that could have been done differently? That’s hindsight.

Could you benefit from sharpening that hindsight a bit? Of course you could, just use what you have learned to help you make a few simple adjustments. You probably don’t need to turn your life upside down. Start out by making small adjustments, and pay careful attention to what happens.

Did things get better, or did they get worse? Either way, you can still use that information to make further adjustments. Before you know it, you will have turned your hindsight into insight.

How important do you think hindsight is?
How have the lessons from your past benefited you?
The lines are open and your thoughts really do matter!

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My book TRUE SELF is the fastest inexpensive way (coaching is the fastest) to make positive life changes very quickly. Do you want to discover your core passions, dismantle your hidden, limiting beliefs, and realize your most desired goals? TRUE SELF will guide you smoothly through the process.

Let’s talk about the internal aspect of making positive changes to your current reality. I believe that the foundation of a successful life has a lot more to do with attitude than it does with aptitude, but I’m not the only one.

Surveys, studies and research consistently indicate that 85% of success in almost any endeavor will depend on attitude and only about 15% on aptitude. Yet, in most educational settings the emphasis is exactly the opposite. In fact, attitude is rarely discussed.

Adding attitude to your knowledge and skill

Regardless of what you do for a career, technical knowledge and skills usually play an important role. But is knowledge and skill all it takes to succeed? In this highly competitive world there are lots of people with knowledge and skill. Obviously, success requires that you know what you are doing and that you can deliver what you promise.

In addition to knowledge and skill, what else is required for success? We have already established that attitude plays a huge role, but what does that really mean in practical terms? More specifically, how does changing our attitude translate into success?

Mastering your dominant mental disposition

Admittedly, this concept that changing your attitude changes your reality can seem a bit abstract. At least until we understand that our dominant mental disposition  is the element that brings together “who you are” with “what you do.”  So, even though attitude may seem less tangible than other aspects of building a successful life or career, it’s still one of the most powerful.

For clarity, let’s start by breaking attitude down into its four major components:

1. Expectations
2. Adaptability
3. Confidence
4. Appreciation

Whether you recognize it or not, these four components of attitude form the foundation for your personal and professional success. Trying to make positive changes in your reality without giving attention to these areas will only serve to provide you with a lot of frustration and very limited results. So, let’s take a closer look!

Expectations

Do you expect to succeed or to fail? Do you expect to find love and happiness or something less? Your expectations have a lot to do with what you think you do or do not deserve because they are a reflection of your feelings of self worth. As such, expectations influence how you interact with the people around you as well as their perception of you. In response, your world will find a way to provide evidence that your assessment of your own worth is accurate.

If you think that you are unworthy of love it will lower you expectations. In response, you will attract, and be attracted to, partners who are incapable of showing you love. If you feel like you are not deserving of success you will expect only mediocre results. Because of your low expectations you will make choices that limit your ability to succeed.

Of course, if you have a high sense of self worth, your expectations and your results will likely be much higher. In both of these cases, your results will serve to reinforce your expectations and your beliefs about what you think you deserve.

Adaptability

The ability to adapt to changing circumstances while maintaining a positive, optimistic outlook is a huge part of the formula. Fact: sooner or later everything in life changes! If we struggle with or constantly resist change, we will always be behind the curve trying to regain something that doesn’t exist anymore.

Perspective has a lot to do with our ability to adapt. If your perception is that you like your life just the way it is and you don’t want anything to change, then change represents pain and you will try to avoid it. On the other hand, if you view your life as an exciting, ever-changing adventure, you’ll not only expect change, you will actually look forward to it.

Confidence

A reasonable degree of self-confidence gives you a distinct edge in every area of life. If you lack confidence in yourself, it becomes difficult for others to put confidence in you. This applies equally to business and personal relationships. Confidence, or the lack of it, is something that others can easily sense because it will manifest in everything you do and say.

Your outlook is heavily influenced by your degree of self-confidence and mastering the inner game of attitude is impossible unless this essential quality is developed. As long as it is tempered by reasonableness, a “can do” attitude is what opens the doors of opportunity and gives you the courage to walk through them.

Appreciation

Like confidence, appreciation is a magnetic quality. In fact, no other quality touches people in the same way because everyone wants to feel appreciated. If your attitude communicates appreciation and gratitude you will be able to build rapport with almost anyone.

It’s important that your appreciation be sincere if you want it to permeate your disposition in a meaningful way. Appreciation is not about flattery, it is a reflection of where you are coming from. Cultivating an appreciative point of view is a vital step in using attitude to make positive changes in your reality. Never underestimate the power of appreciation!

Attitude is everything

For most of us, taking in new knowledge and learning new skills is an ongoing part of life. Now we see that a truly successful life requires that we pay special attention to the areas that can have the greatest positive impact on our quality of life and degree of overall success.

Attitude is one of the most important elements for bringing together “who you are” with “what you do.” It may not be everything, but it’s important enough that nothing else compares to it. Once you see firsthand how changing your attitude changes your reality, your life will be forever transformed.

How important do think attitude really is?
Do you agree that it has a strong relationship with your reality?
The lines are open!

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There’s an old story about a man who walks by a construction site and sees three workers, each pushing a wheelbarrow holding one enormous stone.

Out of curiosity, he asks one of the workers what they are doing. “What does it look like?” he says with a sneer.  ”I’m just hauling rocks.”

Unsatisfied with that answer, the man asks the second worker with a wheelbarrow the same question. Without even bothering to look up, this man says “We’re putting up walls.”

Frustrated, the man tries one last time. “I say there,” he asks the third worker, “can you please tell me what you men are doing here?” Unlike the other two, this man stops, puts down his wheelbarrow, wipes the sweat from his forehead and says with a big smile, “We are building a castle and it’s going to be magnificent .”

Perception makes all the difference

Here are three different men; all doing the same work, but one says he is hauling rocks, one says he is putting up walls, and one says he is building a castle. This story says a lot about the attitude that each of us bring to our lives, or could bring to our lives if we were willing to change our perspective.

For example, I help people create positive change through writing and coaching. One of the reasons I do these things is to meet my financial overhead and to put food on the table. So, viewed strictly from that perspective, you might conclude that I’m just hauling rocks.

At the next level, my objective is to build up my coaching practice, increase the traffic to my blog, and sell more books. The more successfully I  do those things, the more readers and clients I attract. This, in turn, increases the performance of the various aspects of my business. When viewed from this perspective, you could say that I am putting up walls.

But the real motive and objective of my writing and coaching is to help people from all over the world to achieve and maintain a very high level of personal excellence. When I stay focused on that, I feel like I am building a magnificent castle while also meeting my lesser goals at the same time.

Don’t settle for mediocrity

Idealists might say that achieving and maintaining high levels of personal excellence has nothing to do with building a castle. They are mistaken. Oh sure, you can improve yourself, express your opinions, or rally around a cause without a commitment to excellence. But you won’t affect much meaningful change in the world or create a life that’s comparable to a magnificent castle.

That’s because personal excellence is not about showing off or beating the competition. Excellence is about having high standards and a healthy sense of self-esteem.  It’s a personal commitment to become the best you can possibly be. It liberates you from the crowded field of mediocrity allowing you to stand out, rise to the top, and shine!

You simply can’t reach your potential or live your life to the fullest if you spend your days making excuses, living by low standards, and doing just enough to get by. No one ever achieved excellence by exhibiting mediocre behavior or by accepting it from the people they surround themselves with.

Choose excellence and create your magnificent castle

A commitment to personal excellence in every area of your life is a great equalizer. It doesn’t matter if you are a man or woman, black or white, young or old, handsome or homely, educated or not. If you focus on excellence, and never make an exception, you will rise to the top.

Personal performance excellence creates a sense of freedom, security, and peace of mind. It allows you to inspire and help others, to do and be what you want. It enables you to follow your dreams, to use your life the way you choose, and to live and work on your own terms.

A commitment to excellence gives you dignity and fills you with immense personal satisfaction. That’s why every man and woman has the right, and I believe the responsibility, to pursue excellence and to become the best possible version of themselves.

When my work empowers people, when it gives them direction, comfort, hope or peace of mind, I feel a great sense of satisfaction. It makes me feel like I’m building my castle.

Apply this same line of thinking to everything you do!

Here is a very special opportunity to make some real progress on your own magnificent castle. Grab your Goal Setting Toolkit and let’s make something wonderful happen!

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At first glance, lack of motivation can often seem to be caused by laziness or procrastination , but looks can be deceiving!  If you’re struggling to stay motivated while working on your goals or any other endeavor, a little introspection can be just the thing to provide clarity and insight about what’s really happening beneath the surface.

When working with coaching clients who are struggling to stay motivated, it’s my job to find out why and help them get past it. Granted, sometimes the problem is exhaustion or burnout and then the prescription might be a vacation. But when that’s not the case I like to use a series of simple questions to reveal the underlying cause. If you are finding it difficult to stay motivated, try this…

Write down the answers to these 5 questions

1) Am I afraid of failing? Fear of failure is an all-too-common reason why people lose motivation.  If this is one of the reasons you’re holding back, you’ll likely be able to come up with clear ideas why you feel so afraid.  For example, you may write, “I’m afraid of embarrassing myself in front of my family and friends,” or “I’m afraid I’ll be really disappointed in myself if I don’t make this happen.”  Whatever comes to mind, write it down and then really think about whether it would be so terrible to experience – or if it would be much worse to not try at all.

2) Do I really believe in my own ability to persevere until I make it? Likewise, you may be feeling uncertain about your ability to overcome obstacles and challenges, which is slightly different than a fear of failure.  For example, you may have a certain measure of confidence in your skills and abilities but doubt that you have the determination and fortitude to achieve the full outcome you desire.

3) Have I grown bored with the goals that once meant so much to me? This is an excellent question to ask because sometimes you’re not aware that your priorities and preferences have changed, and you can gain a lot of clarity by understanding what you REALLY want.  If you do find that you’ve lost interest in your initial goals, you simply need to come up with some new and exciting goals that will spark your eagerness to move forward again.

4) Am I afraid of what it might mean if I succeed? Another common fear is the fear of success.  A fear of success is more about fearing the baggage that often comes along with success.  You may feel nervous about taking on extra responsibility, feel overwhelmed by the increased attention your success would bring, or you might even be worried that you’ll never be able to “top” this level of success in the future.  The only way to work through these fears is to discredit them.  When you break them down and really examine them, you usually find that they’re groundless or irrational, which helps you to move past them.

5) What would make me feel more motivated about this goal or activity? Sometimes you can’t find any clear reason for feeling unmotivated, but asking this question can often help you feel more in control of your own willingness to take action.  Not only do you realize that you’re not powerless against a lack of motivation, you may come up with creative ideas that could inspire your sense of enthusiasm again.

Motivations is empowering

When we feel motivated we are energized and want to make things happen. When we lack motivation everything seems like drudgery and we have to flog ourselves to get anything done. If this has been your experience lately, it’s worth a little effort to get to the bottom of it so you can regain your enthusiasm and get excited about making thing happen.

What gets you motivated?
How do you maintain your motivation and enthusiasm?
The lines are open!

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My book TRUE SELF is the fastest inexpensive way (coaching is the fastest) to make positive life changes very quickly. Do you want to discover your core passions, dismantle your hidden, limiting beliefs, and realize your most desired goals? TRUE SELF will guide you smoothly through the process.