Here is a key to a great life. It doesn’t cost anything, but can save you a bundle.
Don’t simply keep a guard on your words, keep a guard on where those words originate – your thoughts. At any given moment, when you least expect it, those private thoughts can instantly become public words.
If you nip it in your thoughts, you nip it in your words, and as Barney said, you “nip it in the bud.”
We have been programmed to think that for every question there is just one answer. Truth and life play out much differently. Most times there are multiple answers to even the most simple questions – and they are all right. It is not just when there is a clear objective to get to “A”, you can choose either “B”, “C” or “D”. Sometimes it is the ideas that are accepted as absolutes that turn out to have multiple answers. 1 and 1 always equal 2, but 1 and 1 are not necessary to get the answer of 2.
Will Henry wrote, “Fools live to regret their words; wise men to regret their silence”. Just reflect on those words and realize how much patience is involved in being wise. remember, patience does not mean silence or inaction; it is action and speech at the right time.
One of the most important action steps that we can take when improving our lives is to Look at the life we want to improve. It may seem like a simple task, but you would be surprised at how many people do not take time to Look at their own lives. It is an easy thing to talk about how someone else should be living – an entirely different animal when examining our own self.
Self examination is the key to continued success in every arena. In this step there is no short cut and no easy way to proceed. When we chose to honestly evaluate ourself we must do so with as little subjectivity as possible. In other words we have to Look at our lives the way we Look at others. We have to judge our personal progress without the justification and excuses for why we haven’t progressed in certain areas.
If you can succeed in objective self examination and use what you find within yourself as motivation to move further, then you have achieved a milestone in personal growth. You have also taken the greatest step toward personal fulfillment and success. With continued self examination you will progress even further and see your list of goals accomplished one after another.
To make self examination and action based on the results a habit will launch you into the highest percentage of successful people and a future that is bright with great expectations.
This is the last question, and I hope that these past few posts have been helpful to you in your search to become a better more accomplished individual. This answer, like the previous on, should be written down in the present tense. Take a minute and answer this last question about your desires and aspirations:
“What is your definite purpose in life?”
“What one goal, if you accomplished it, would have the greatest positive influence on your life?”
It is said that only 3% of the population write down goals of any kind. So, by writing down your goals you have moved to the top 3% of people in the country. The key in writing is that that act of putting things down on paper moves the items from your conscience to your subconscious and when they move to your subconscious they will begin to happen.
These past few posts have been about one thing: clarifying your goals as a person. This is your greatest aim, some would say secret. When you are clear about your goals, your desires, your future, you will achieve those goals.
This post goes right along with the last one, and I feel it is the most important of all in terms of your personal future success. It isn’t really a question, but it does cause you to ask some questions about yourself and what you want to achieve in life.
“Write down ten things you want to accomplish in the next twelve months.
Write them out with today’s date in the present tense. “
Examples: “I have _____”; “I am doing ______”; “I am ______”
Here is the most amazing part of this post. If all you did was write these things down and put them away and then pulled them out in a year, you would be amazed at how many would have been accomplished. More than likely 8 out of the 10 would be completed.
Your next thought would be the if you accomplished that much with no effort, what could you do will a little more effort. You’d be right because the practice of goal setting is a skill. It takes practice. You do it over and over again, and you get better and better at it.
This question is powerful and can change your life. Take sixty seconds and write out your answer on paper. This is the next question:
“What one great thing would you dare to do if you knew you could not fail?”
There are no limitations to the answer to this question. Write down the biggest goal you would have. When you’ve written it down, think about this fact, you are your own guarantee that your goal is achievable. The reason I asked you to write your goal down was that your act of writing something out means that you can accomplish that one thing.
You may think that I’m taking things too far, but how hard was it to write down those words? Or did you not even bother because you thought it would never happen?
Write it out and see what happens.
This question concerns your work right now, your current occupation or place of employment. Take thirty seconds and answer this next question”
“What part of your work gives you the greatest feeling of importance, pride or satisfaction? What are your peak experiences in your work environment?”
This is a very interesting question. Again, there are no wrong answers, but there is a typical response noted by most. It is almost inevitable that your response to this question has something to do with helping other people. This speaks into who you are and what your desires are for your own life. The moments that you have the greatest satisfaction with your job, are the moments you should seek more of. You should do this because these moments are the most aligned to you life’s purpose and desires.
This next question has to do with what you should do with your life. In the next thirty seconds answer this question:
“What have you always wanted to do but have been too afraid to attempt?”
This is a core question that reaches deep into who you are. Something to remember is that the fact that you have wanted to do this could mean that this is what you are to do. Whatever is your hearts desire could be what you are supposed to do with your life. The real answer here is that your experiences and relationships have been directing you toward something that is one step ahead of you. Fear of failure is the only thing holding you back from doing that thing you have always wanted to do.
You always have the choice to proceed forward or hesitate.
This next question is similar to the last one but involves a different commodity – time. Take a minute to answer this question:
“What would you do, how would you spend your time if you knew you had six months to live?”
I’m not talking about being sick and dying, I’m talking about perfect health for six months then death. This is a question that goes back to your values, the things that are important to you. If you would do something like spend more time with the family, then do it. I would bet that no one will answer that they would spend more time at work. When faced with only six months to live, most would chose to spend more time with their family or more experiences that they have been putting off.
This question answers what you really should be doing now. Take that trip; spend more time with your family. Typically if you planned out the trip you think you can’t take, you can. The next question will peer even deeper into who you are and what you were born to do.
christopherhildreth 