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Welcome to Your Achievement Ezine
Issue 350 - February 13, 2008
YourSuccessStore.com - Your very best source for Inspiration, Sales, Leadership and Personal Development Resources and home of Your Achievement Ezine featuring the very best personal development articles, quotes and success tools from Your Masters of Success.
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"So great has been the endurance, so incredible
the achievement, that, as long as the sun keeps a set course in heaven, it would
be foolish to despair of the human race." Ernest L. Woodward
Today's issue includes:
1. Your Achievement Article - Spring Clean Your Mind of Stinking Thinking by Colette Carlson
2. Your Achievement Quotes - Self-Concept/Self-Confidence, Self-Esteem and
Self-Limiting Beliefs
3. Your Achievement Tips - Winning: Defining It! Achieving It! by Chris
Widener
4. Speak Your Truth
5. More Information
1. Your Achievement Article
Spring Clean Your Mind of Stinking Thinking by Colette Carlson
Isn't it interesting how much time and energy people will spend organizing closets, washing windows and throwing out surplus items from their garage when Spring fever hits, yet never stop to take the time to clear out negative thoughts or limiting thinking? Those self-sabotaging subtleties that prevent them from living a life filled with clarity, purpose and joy. As the seasons change and the birds begin to sing, the weather warms and the trees bloom, it's the perfect time for you to purge your mind of stinking thinking.
Where to begin? The first step in the quest for a mental un-cluttering is Awareness. Recognizing and realizing when your inner critic shows up, invites himself in and starts chirping about your abilities. "You can't do that!" "You're too old to change careers." "You're not smart enough to start your own business." All LIES (Limiting Ideas Eliminate Success) to strip your confidence and cause you to take a step back, do nothing, and play it safe. Lies that get you to quit before you begin. Lies covertly protecting you from harm when in truth they are causing you continuing unnecessary pain.
Play a game with yourself and notice how many times the liar pops up on a daily basis to make you feel guilty ("I yelled at my kids, I'm a horrible parent"), to make you doubt yourself ("I better not ask for a raise, it's not a good time"), or to make you play small ("Even though my company pays for university classes, I can't handle the homework"). Pay careful attention to the distinction between the fact and the falsity. The truth is you raised your voice at your children, but it doesn't necessarily make you a bad parent – that's the lie. The truth is you may have to adjust your schedule, ask for help, or be tutored to manage college homework, but that you can't handle it – there's the lie. The truth is you've managed everything that has shown up in your life thus far. Why couldn't you deal with this one too?
Becoming aware of how these LIES control your decisions is critical to making positive change. However, awareness is not enough to silence those destructive, derailing thoughts. Cleaning your mind to reflect the real you also requires Asking. Ask yourself where you're "at", between the "a" of being afraid and the "t" of trusting. The only way you are going to squelch the lies is to honestly answer the question "What are you afraid of?" or "Why don't you trust yourself on this one?"
Chances are you will come up with two or three of the same reasons every time. And typically, they are related to approval (somebody else's) or appearances (what will people think), accuracy (what if you're wrong), or alienation (it's lonely at the top).
Ask yourself, "Why don't I give myself the kudos I seek from others?" What makes you think others notice anyway? What´s worse? Being wrong or not trying? News flash: You're not alone. Everybody has doubts and fears. Everybody has stuff they need to clean up and work through despite how outwardly organized they appear. Most people keep shoving their true feelings back into their psychological closet instead of acknowledging the reality of their circumstance. Discarding the limiting thinking opens up and releases space for clear and positive reasoning. It's this release that allows you to breathe life and energy back into your spirit.
There's no time like the present to get real. Dust off your Authenticity and genuinely acknowledge your fears – "face the truth, embrace the excuse". Allow your humanness. The process is similar to getting rid of old clothes that no longer fit, no longer represent your style or never really felt comfortable. Once you've tackled the task of separating the actual from the sentimental, you're already feeling better about your potential. Letting go of thoughts that never appropriately served you frees up space and energy to go after what you now know you want.
But hold on! Just because you've come clean doesn't mean you're done. Like garages needing constant maintenance to stay orderly and neat, your mind requires continuing Accountability to discern and decipher your LIES. Consider making daily deposits into your emotional bank account. Why? If you're like most people, you're probably emotionally bankrupt when it comes to giving yourself the approval and support you deserve. Every time your inner critic starts chirping a restrictive or negative comment, stop the withdrawal and start the rationale.
For example, your supervisor sends an email asking you to deliver a short presentation to the entire team on the new computer software. Your inner critic immediately goes into overdraft: "You are a horrible speaker. You don't know the new system that well; you're going to look like a loser in front of everyone!" Immediately cancel that transaction and speak your truth: "I am capable and responsible." "I have delivered effective presentations before." Remind yourself of the time you taught a couple of colleagues how to work the new phone system. "I am knowledgeable." You do know more about the computer software than others in your office. Why make three deposits? One to balance the withdrawal you just made, and two more to account for the years of withdrawals and debits.
To stop going through the motions and the e-motions of stinking thinking, you're going to have to develop a new LIAR (Let's Inspire Another Response) approach. Anchor your intentions and attract your desired results with positive language. Affirmation is attitude expressed. Rather than say "I should exercise" or "I'll try to be more assertive at work," substitute choose, will or want. "I will exercise." "I choose to speak up at work." "I want to make this change." These deliberative, action-oriented words state a positive intention that unfreezes the emotional bank account and creates movement in the direction of accomplishing your goals.
The next time you are overlooked for an assignment you desired, rather than say, "There's nothing I can do about it," invoke the LIAR approach. Rephrase your self-talk to "I have choices and I accept that things happen for the best." Repeat. "I have choices and I accept that things happen for the best." These words empower rather than disable. Will you choose to have a professional conversation with your supervisor? Will you choose to enroll in a class to update your skills and increase your opportunities?
Remember, our minds can only hold one thought at a time. You have the Authority to select any thought at any given moment and the ability to control where it leads. You decide what to keep and what to toss, whether it will focus on your gifts and incredible talents. Grab the Windex, wipe off the mirrors of your mind and see clearly how bright and brilliant you are meant to be.
-- Colette Carlson
Colette Carlson specializes in sales training & behavioral change and has over 15 years experience in the sales training industry. Colette is passionate about providing individuals with the tools necessary for positive, long lasting change in their professional and personal lives. Colette has an "action speaks louder than words" philosophy which motivates audiences to make behavioral changes necessary to ensure their success.
Here are some of the things you'll discover in this DVD/CD set:
Are you pretending to be someone you're not just to make others happy? Or do you find yourself saying "yes" when you actually want to say "no"? Find out how you can be more assertive and let others know your true self and your true desires... without worrying about offending others in the process.
How the media affects virtually everyone negatively, and how you can overcome its powerful influence.
How to defeat self-doubt.
Why most women play the "sweet and kind" game and create a false sense of authenticity.
Why it's not a good idea to compare yourself with those who are at the top of their game, and what to do instead.
How to say "no" when you really want to (and not feel bad about it).
To learn more go to http://mfs.yoursuccessstore.com today or call 877-929-0439.
"Somehow I can't believe that there are any
heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams
come true. This special secret - curiosity, confidence, courage, and
constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in
a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable." Walt Disney
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"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of
that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We
must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be
attained." Marie Curie
2. Your Achievement Quotes
SELF-CONCEPT/SELF-CONFIDENCE
"Trust your hunches. They're usually based on facts filed away just below the conscious level." -- Dr. Joyce Brothers
"If you want to be respected by others, the great thing is to respect yourself. Only by that, only by self-respect will you compel others to respect your." -- Fyodor Dostoyevsky
"There are powers inside of you, which, if you could discover and use, would make of you everything you ever dreamed or imagined you could become." -- Orison Swett Marden
"Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit." -- E.E. Cummings
SELF-ESTEEM
"The relationships we have with the world are largely determined by the relationships we have with ourselves." -- Greg Anderson
"Self-esteem means that no opinion and no judgment are so vitally critical to your own growth and development as that which you hold of yourself." -- Denis Waitley
"People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success." -- Norman Vincent Peale
"The most influential person who will talk to you all day is you, so you should be very careful about what you say to you!" -- Zig Ziglar
SELF-LIMITING BELIEFS
"Nobody will believe in you unless you believe in yourself. " -- Liberace
"Man is made or unmade by himself. In the armory of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself. He also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace." -- James Allen
"Yes, you can be a dreamer and a doer too, if you will remove one word from your vocabulary: impossible." -- Robert Schuller
"To grow, you must be willing to let your present and future be totally unlike your past. Your history is not your destiny." -- Alan Cohen
"If you believe you can, you probably can.
If you believe you won't, you most assuredly won't. Belief is the ignition
switch that gets you off the launching pad." Denis Waitley
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"It is not so much what you believe in that
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belief into action." Lin Yutang
3. Your Achievement Tips
Winning: Defining It! Achieving It! by Chris Widener
If you ask most people whether they would like to be considered a winner or a loser in life, they would most assuredly reply that they would like to be a winner. But this begs the question, "What does it mean to win at life?" In some things it's easy to define a clear winner. In a basketball game, whoever has the most points at the end of the game is the winner. In a game of hearts, my favorite card game, whoever has the least amount of points when one of the players reaches 100 points is the winner.
But it isn't quite as easy to decide what it means to win in the game of life, is it? And that is because people define winning in different ways. For many, winning is through the accumulation of money or material possessions. "He's a success, a real winner," they say. Others think winning means living the longest. Still others say that it is to have their body in tip-top shape. Some say it is to have a happy family. Some say it is to regularly enjoy their hobbies.
All of these are fine, in and of themselves. But...
I would like to encourage us to think about winning or success in a different way. Generally, people think of winning as the over-achievement in a particular, chosen area. I like to believe, however, that to truly win at life is not to overachieve in one area but to succeed in maintaining balanced achievement in numerous areas.
Let me repeat that: To truly win; to be a success, is not to overachieve in one area, but to maintain balanced achievement in all areas of our lives.
For instance, is a person of success if they earn millions of dollars but lose their family? Is a person a success if they garner national fame but have no friends? Of course not. In fact, they may live the most pitiful of all lives.
First, Define
So the first thing we must do is define what we will consider "winning in life." As you ponder this for yourself, I would like to recommend that you focus in on three overarching areas: Body, Soul, and Spirit.
The body is that which has actual connection with the physical world and would encompass physical health, financial health, family, work, and relationships.
How is your health? How are your finances? Are your relationships, both with your family and others all that they could be? Is work fulfilling? How would you define winning in these areas?
The next area, the soul, is that which deals with the emotions, will, and intellect. It is our thoughts, ideas, and attitudes.
How are you emotionally? Are you able to exercise your will? Are you growing intellectually? Have you done an attitude check lately? How would you define winning in these areas?
And the spirit is the part of us that transcends this life, the part of us that communes with God. Zig Ziglar said, "Money will buy me a house, but not a home, a bed, but not a good night's sleep." So true. Inner peace comes from something much deeper.
Have you thought about going back to your spiritual roots? Are you able to spend time in quiet, solitude, and prayer from time to time? This is an extremely important area and all too often neglected. What would you like to achieve in this area? How would you define winning in these areas?
As we experience balance in these areas, we will find ourselves much more at peace with ourselves than if we were to experience tremendous success in one area but loss or failure in the other areas. We were designed to work as congruent, balanced people. This is how we get to the end of our lives and say, "I won."
Second, Prioritize
Once you have defined what it is that you would like to achieve in each of these areas, you have to prioritize them, and let other, non-important areas drop off the chart. Commit to developing a plan to succeed in a balance of areas. Exercise your will. Choose. Dwight D. Eisenhower said that "The history of free men is written not by chance, but by choice - their choice."
When we manage our time and schedule, we are simply making choices in regard to our priorities. For most, their priority is to take action on whatever is screaming the loudest at the moment. For those who become winners, they reflect on what they desire to achieve, make a plan and decide to eliminate the rest.
Last, Do it
Okay, you have defined winning. You have prioritized your life. Now, the hard part: Doing it. This is where we are all alone. We all make this step on our own, but having a written plan is as good a preparation as you can get. Rather than saying that you are going to do this for the rest of your life, take the next week to implement your new balance of winning. If a week sounds too long, just focus on today. Spend some time, be it ever so small, enhancing your life in these areas. Exercise a little. Read for a while to challenge your mind. Deal with your emotions. Spend time in silent contemplation to renew your spirit. Give some time to your spouse and children. Will Rogers said, "Even if you're on the right track, you won't get anywhere if you're standing still." There has got to be action.
As we do this over time, and balance our lives out, we will begin to finally feel like we are winning at life. That will be exciting, as will the process!
Chris Widener recently interviewed Colette Carlson (see Colette's article above) and 22 other successful achievers to find out what they did to achieve success. He's sharing it with you on DVD and CD. To learn more go to
http://mfs.yoursuccessstore.com today or call 877-929-0439.
"To be known and loved is a transforming
experience. It calls us from skepticism to belief, from caution to action,
from despair to hope." Larry J.Peacock
4. Speak Your Truth
Are you pretending to be someone you're not just to make others happy?
Or do you find yourself saying "yes" when you actually want to say "no"?
Find out how you can be more assertive and let others know your true self and your true desires, without worrying about offending others in the process.
Colette is principal of Colette Carlson Communications, a professional speaking firm that specializes in sales training & personal development programs. She has over 15 years experience in the sales training industry. Colette is passionate about providing individuals with the tools necessary for positive, long lasting change in their professional and personal lives. Colette has an "action speaks louder than words" philosophy which motivates audiences to make behavioral changes necessary to ensure their success.
Here are some of the things you'll discover in her DVD/CD interview set:
How the media affects virtually everyone negatively, and how you can overcome its powerful influence.
How to defeat self-doubt.
Why most women play the "sweet and kind" game and create a false sense of authenticity.
Why it's not a good idea to compare yourself with those who are at the top of their game, and what to do instead.
How to say "no" when you really want to (and not feel bad about it).
To learn more go to http://mfs.yoursuccessstore.com today or call 877-929-0439.
"Success is not what you think it is... it
is what you believe it is... and most never believe..."
Doug Firebaugh
5. More Information
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"Within you right now is the power to do things
you never dreamed possible. This power becomes available to you just as soon
as you can change your beliefs." Dr. Maxwell Maltz
Make it a Great Week!
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