The Joy of Overcoming Limitations

"The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome."~Helen Keller

What is limiting you now? Why are you letting it limit you? Most of our limitations come from our own mind. Is that what is limiting you today? Why?  Think about the things that Helen Keller had to overcome and notice that I didn't say limitations.  I'm not sure she ever thought that she had any!

Samuel Johnson said "Adversity has ever been considered the state in which a man most easily becomes acquainted with himself." Are you becoming acquainted with yourself? Who are you becoming?

Our lives are based on overcoming our limitations and dealing with adversity. How are you doing? Really? It's important to realize that we are never face with a problem that we can't deal with or overcome...unless we choose to not deal with it or not overcome it. Dig deep, find that limitation and adversity overcoming button within you.  Remember, you are never given a challenge without the tools to deal with that challenge.  It's your choice, no one elses.

Find your overcoming button within you, if you already haven't. When was the last time you needed to use it...you might be needing it now.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome."

Are You Attached To Your Burdens?

"People become attached to their burdens sometimes more than the burdens are attached to them."~George Bernard Shaw

Are you attached to your burdens? Sometimes we grow to accept our burdens and then don't get rid of them, but keep them attached to us. Is that you? Are you keeping that burden attached to you?

"Real difficulties can be overcome, it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable."~Theodore N. Vail

Are you allowing those imaginary difficulties to keep you down? "Real difficulties can be overcome, it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable." Yes, real difficulties CAN be overcome. It's the trash in your head that is unconquerable. Wow, it all comes back to what we think. "No thought lives in your mind rent-free." What are you paying for the thoughts that you have? Is it costing you or are you getting a return on your investment for what you think?

Action:
Realize that the biggest problems that you will face today are the imaginary ones, not the real ones. Lose you attachment to your burdens. It's your choice!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"People become attached to their burdens sometimes more than the burdens are attached to them."

Go In The Opposite Direction

"Swim upstream. Go the other way. Ignore the conventional wisdom. If everyone else is doing it one way, there's a good chance you can find your niche by going in exactly the opposite direction."~Sam Walton

Are you swimming up stream? Ignoring the conventional wisdom? Or are you going with the flow, doing what everyone else is doing? Being a penguin rather than a peacock?? BE YOURSELF, everyone else is taken! Too many people are stuck as penguins in the sea of sameness, not standing out, not being all that they could be. Is that you? I hope not.

If you feel stuck and you aren't getting anywhere "there's a good chance you can find your niche by going in exactly the opposite direction." Can you do that? Can you try? Don't be stuck in "this is the way we've always done things" routine. Look for a way to stand out! Let your beautiful feathers shine, not just the black and white of a penguin.

It's never too late to be who you were meant to be. Challenge your assumptions and beliefs today. See if they really hold up or they were given to you by someone else. BE YOU!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Swim upstream. Go the other way. Ignore the conventional wisdom. If everyone else is doing it one way, there's a good chance you can find your niche by going in exactly the opposite direction."

Will This Matter 5 Years From Now?

"When you find yourself stressed, ask yourself one question: Will this matter five years from now? If yes, then do something about the situation. If no, then let it go." ~Catherine Pulsifer

Will this matter 5 years from now? What a great question to ask about everything that comes into your life! Too often, when we are in the midst of challenges, we think that they will never end. That's just the way our minds work...so ask yourself that question. Will this matter 5 years from now?

"The moment you accept responsibility for EVERYTHING in your life, is the moment you can change ANYTHING in your life."~Hal Elrod

You want to change anything in your life? Take responsibility for everything in your life...everything. Sometimes, we take some responsibility but not for everything. The key is taking responsibility for everything. That is the best way to change anything in your life.

When you find yourself stressed, ask yourself that question, Will this matter 5 years from now? After answering that question, then take responsibility for everything in your life!!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"When you find yourself stressed, ask yourself one question: Will this matter five years from now? If yes, then do something about the situation. If no, then let it go."

Happy Memorial Day! Are You Thankful?

"A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but parent of all other virtues"~Cicero

Memorial Day 2015.  Are you thankful? Why?? or Why not? How often are you thankful?  Who are you thankful for?  Do you express your thankfulness to them?  The service member that gave their lives, parts of their bodies and minds so that you could live in the greatest nation on the earth and have the freedom to do what you want to do, when you want to do it, THEY DESERVE YOUR THANKS!

We forget in our "microwave society" to be thankful because we are so busy. Then the holidays come around and we put our 'thankfulness' mask on and we remember that this is the way we should always be. Or maybe we really are thankful and it's not just a mask, but after the holidays, we slip back into our regular thought patterns...

Cicero, 2200 years ago laid it out for us. Not only "the greatest virtue, but parent of all others!" Do your other virtues grow from thankfulness? They should. He is saying that we can have no other virtues unless we first have thankfulness.

For those of us who live in the United States, we forget how great we have it here. We are in the top 3% for income and possessions. Even those who don't have a lot, or have lost a job, even the homeless are better off than 97% of the rest of the world! If that isn't enough to make you thankful, you need to have your head examined...by a witch doctor in Africa!

Take some time this week and write down all the things that you are thankful for, especially those things that we take for granted...Like running water and indoor plumbing, like a roof over our heads, like transportation (even if its not a BMW or Mercedes).

"A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but parent of all other virtues"

Are You Fulfilling Your Potential?

"A rose only becomes beautiful and blesses others when it opens up and blooms. Its greatest tragedy is to stay in a tight-closed bud, never fulfilling its potential."

Are you a tight-closed bud, never fulfilling your potential? No? Really?? I find that most people never fulfill their potential. Some are even a tight-closed bud. That to me is really sad, when people are just doing what they are doing and not really knowing why, or when they don't know what they want out of life.

That's the main problem for most people, they don't know what they want out of life. Most people never get what they want in life because they are not clear on what it is that they want.  They also don't believe that they could have what they want to have because someone told them that, or they tried once and failed, so they quit trying. Is that you?? I hope not.

Realize that right now, today, that "It's never too late to become what you were meant to be." Choose to be who you were meant to be! Now!!  It's NEVER TOO LATE!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"A rose only becomes beautiful and blesses others when it opens up and blooms. Its greatest tragedy is to stay in a tight-closed bud, never fulfilling its potential."

Does Your Circumstance Affect Your Attitude?

"All the water in the world cannot drown you unless it gets inside of you.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

No matter what the problem, financial situation, history or whatever difficulty is around you --let it be around you. It's a circumstance. It's around you but is not meant to control or determine your attitude. Are you letting it control your attitude?

Our attitude comes from our state of mind, and the state of our heart. Let us keep our mind and our heart focused on gratitude and appreciation. Gratitude is a harmonious vibration with abundance. When you are grateful, you get more things to be grateful about.

All the water in the world can be around us and we can float on top of it, swim in it and play in it. It doesn't have to drown us because we view it only as a circumstance, something that can't control our attitudes...unless we let it.

Realize that circumstances can't control your attitude or actions. It is a choice that you have as to how to deal with each circumstance. Don't let it negatively affect you.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"All the water in the world cannot drown you unless it gets inside of you.”

Your Future Choices Expand

"You create opportunities for yourself. The greatest tragedy in your life is to think you have no choices. Your future choices expand as you choose to be more, do more and live more."~Mark Victor Hansen

Do you realize that? That you create opportunities for yourself? Really or do you need to be constantly reminded of that fact?? How are you going about creating opportunities? Are you trying to find them or are you creating them?

Most people think that they have no choices. Is that you? I hope not. You always have choices...some are good and some are not as good, but you always have choices. "Your future choices expand as you choose to be more, do more and live more." Do you see your choices expanding? If not, then you need to be more, do more and live more. NOW!

Realize that you have choices and then choose the one that works best for you. Don't fall into the trap of believing that you don't have any choices!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"You create opportunities for yourself. The greatest tragedy in your life is to think you have no choices. Your future choices expand as you choose to be more, do more and live more."

Don't Dabble, Direct Your Focus

“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.”~Tony Robbins

Are you dabbling your way through life? Have you never decided to master anything in life? That's why you aren't achieving as much as you want, because you haven't put the power of focus to work for you. It is said that it takes 5000 hours to become competent at something and 10,000 hours to become a master. How are you coming along towards those 5000 hours?

Most people don't have what they want because they don't know what they want out of life. Do you? Really?? If you do, good for you. If not, decide right now what you want and focus on getting it. Be specific about what you want and why. Your why will always be the strongest partner for you because your why will drive you to get what you want.

Decide what you want. Stop dabbling your way through life and start to master something. You can't get to 10,000 hours without putting the first hour of work in!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular."

Change Isn't Once, It's Daily!

“Change is not an event. It’s a tiny decision made over and over again. Change isn’t once. It’s daily.”~Don Kuhl

We often think of change as an event...but it's not. It's a tiny decision made over and over again...until it becomes part of who we are. Think of the last thing that you changed in your business or your life. Examine it closely and you will see that it wasn't an event but a decision that was made over and over again.  You had to keep on doing it before it became a part of you or your business.

To make a positive change requires growth. Gail Sheehy says "Growth demands a temporary surrender of security." Are you willing to make that positive change by temporarily surrendering your security or will you stay safe? Too many people are unwilling or unable to let go of the security to experience positive change and growth. It requires that we get out of our comfort zone and be uncomfortable for a while.  The sad thing is that there is no security other than in your own efforts.  So why stay safe?

See if what you are doing today keeps you safe in your comfort zone or if you are challenging that comfort zone and expanding it. Once it is stretched, it will never return to the smaller zone that it was.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“Change is not an event. It’s a tiny decision made over and over again. Change isn’t once. It’s daily.”

Danger & Opportunity; Two Sides Of The Same Coin

"Wherever there is danger, there lurks opportunity; whenever there is opportunity, there lurks danger. The two are inseparable. They go together." ~Earl Nightingale

Danger/Opportunity. Two side of the same coin. the question is, "Do you concentrate on the danger or the opportunity?" Well, which one rules your mind? Unfortunately, most people allow their fears and the PERCEIVED danger to rule their lives. I hope that's not you, because the opportunity is out there for everyone...not just the "lucky few."

Norman Vincent Peale said that "We tend to get what we expect." Are you expecting danger or opportunity? Really?  Your brain is not your friend.  It was designed to keep you safe, not to make the best decisions.  That's why most people tend to expect danger rather than opportunity.  To expect opportunity, you must retrain your brain to expect opportunity!

Opportunities surround us all the time. The key is to be looking for them and not the danger. When your mind is present, where you are, you will start to see opportunities everywhere. Be present. NOW. Challenge your brain to see the opportunities!

Action:
Don't allow fear and danger to rule your mind. Become an opportunian. I just made that word up but it means that your mind is open and looking for opportunities all around you.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Wherever there is danger, there lurks opportunity; whenever there is opportunity, there lurks danger. The two are inseparable. They go together."

You Create Your Opportunities

"You create opportunities for yourself. The greatest tragedy in your life is to think you have no choices. Your future choices expand as you choose to be more, do more and live more."~Mark Victor Hansen

Do you realize that? That you create opportunities for yourself? Really or do you need to be constantly reminded of that fact?? How are you going about creating opportunities? Are you trying to find them or are you creating them?

Most people think that they have no choices. Is that you? I hope not. You always have choices...some are good and some are not as good, but you always have choices. "Your future choices expand as you choose to be more, do more and live more." Do you see your choices expanding? If not, then you need to be more, do more and live more. NOW!

Action:
Realize that you have choices and then choose the one that works best for you. Don't fall into the trap of believing that you don't have any choices!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"You create opportunities for yourself. The greatest tragedy in your life is to think you have no choices. Your future choices expand as you choose to be more, do more and live more."

Act On What You Learn

"To look is one thing. To see what you look at is another. To understand what you see is a third. To learn from what you understand is still something else. But to ACT on what you learn is all that really matters." ~W Mitchell

Here's a simple 5 step process to success. There are no secrets to success. You can just look around and see many ways that people have been successful and here's 1 more way...5 simple steps.  They are not easy however they are simple!

1. Look. 2. See. 3. Understand. 4. Learn. 5. ACT!

Some people can't even do the first step, they don't even bother to look. Some people look, but they don't see. The some people see but fail to understand what it is that they see. Still others get to the understanding part but never learn about their understanding. And then there are those that get the first 4 but fail to ACT! Which one are you? Why?

What is holding you back? Only you are holding yourself back, no one else. It's not the economy, your job, your friends, family, no. You are the only thing holding yourself back...why? .

Action:
Think about that today and break free from whatever that is holding you back. If you are having trouble sorting it out, look back at the simple 5 steps to success and see where you are getting stuck.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"To look is one thing. To see what you look at is another. To understand what you see is a third. To learn from what you understand is still something else. But to ACT on what you learn is all that really matters."

Make Every Thought Pay You A Profit

"Make every thought, every fact, that comes into your mind pay you a profit. Make it work and produce for you. Think of things not as they are but as they might be. Don't merely dream -- but create!"~Robert Collier

Nothing lives in your mind rent-free.  Too often, we don't even think about what we think about. Think about that for a minute...Do you make every thought pay you a profit? It takes a strong mind to be able to do that. Most of the time, thoughts just filter in and out without any real thought about the thought. (I know, a little to much to think about??)

When a thought flows into your mind, STOP and think about that thought, rather than letting it go. There are reasons that you think what you think and a lot of times, you are getting the answer to a question or a problem you've been working on.

Think of things not as they are but as they might be. Most people are too stuck in the problem that they can't think of a solution. Or they are too stuck in the past. Get out of the problem and live in the solutions. Get out of the past and live in the present. Living in the past never solved anyone's problems.

Action:
Stop and think about what you think about. It's called Metacognition and will help you become better at whatever you are doing. Stay in the present. That's where everything happens!!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Make every thought, every fact, that comes into your mind pay you a profit. Make it work and produce for you. Think of things not as they are but as they might be. Don't merely dream -- but create!"

Waiting On Human Imagination

"The future is simply infinite possibility waiting to happen. What it waits on is human imagination to crystallize its possibility." ~ Leland Kaiser

YES. YOUR future is infinite possibility waiting to happen!!! It really is, you just need to embrace that. What you've embraced so far isn't infinite possibility, but more likely just finite probability. Things that you've just accepted as your future rather than things that you've created for your future.

What are you waiting on? Use your imagination! Remember when you were a kid and the world seemed like  endless possibilities were everywhere? Then people started tearing your dreams and possibilities down. "You can't do that." "Nobody in our family has done that." "Be realistic, you have no chance of doing that."

Are you still listening to those negative voices?  Or maybe you are thinking that you need to "be realistic?"  Well, I've found that realists are usually pessimists in disguise!  Don't listen to them!!

Action:
Stop living out of your past and history and start living out of your imagination! NOW! Seize your infinite possibilities today!  What are you waiting for??

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"The future is simply infinite possibility waiting to happen. What it waits on is human imagination to crystallize its possibility."

Are You Imposing Your Terms On Life?

"If you haven't the strength to impose your own terms upon life, you must accept the terms it offers you." ~T.S. Eliot

Wow...how many people are going through life simply accepting what life offers them??? I know a lot of people that are stuck in that place. It's a real shame, because our life is what WE MAKE OF IT, not what is presented to us.

So, what's a person to do? Gain or create the personal strength to impose your own terms on life! I know, I can hear you now..."But David, the economy, my 401 now 201k, all this stuff that's happening to me." Do you hear the excuses? It's not the stuff that happens to us...it's how we deal with the stuff that happens to us. WE are in control of our responses. Be in control of your responses and forget about reactions.

Action:
Realize TODAY, that you are in control of everything that happens to you. You can react or respond to those things. Work on RESPONDING rather than reacting. And impose your terms on life!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"If you haven't the strength to impose your own terms upon life, you must accept the terms it offers you."

Entrenched Assumptions And Mindsets

“Routinely seek opinions from people who ‘know nothing’ on a subject. These can be the most refreshing sources of new information, since they are not entrenched in assumptions and mindsets.”~Jim Canterucci

Are you dealing with people who are entrenched in assumptions and mindsets? Are you that person? Most of us have our assumptions and mindsets but are yours really working for you? I mean really??  Or are they working against you?

If you are doing what everyone else is doing, how are you different? How do people know that you are different, because you say you are?? Doesn't work, you need to show them you are different. Too many people and businesses try the "me too" style of business. They copy what the leaders are doing and say, "look at us, we do it the same way."

Be authentic. Be who you are, not who you think you have to be!

Action:
Today, when you are doing a regular part of your business, check and see if you can do it differently. See if there is a better way. Don't do it the same way because "we've always done it that way."

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“Routinely seek opinions from people who ‘know nothing’ on a subject. These can be the most refreshing sources of new information, since they are not entrenched in assumptions and mindsets.”

Information You Don't Have

"The secret is…there are no real secrets. Just information you don’t have."

THERE ARE NO SECRETS. THERE ARE NO SECRETS. THERE ARE NO SECRETS. Just information that you don't or didn't have...

Wow, kinda puts everything in perspective, doesn't it.

I have information that you don't have and I'm willing to share it with you so that you will have it for the rest of your life. Are you interested?? It's information about creating marketing strategies and tactics that works for your business.  I know what you are saying, "I already know all about that..." The four most destructive words ever put in a sentence. "I already know that."

When you say that, learning stops and you remain stuck where you are at. No chance for growth, no chance to change your situation...all because you "already know that."

Action:
If you are ready to learn some things that will change your business and life, stop saying and thinking "I already know that" and join us Thursday May 21st at Elevate Coworking in the PV Mall.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"The secret is…there are no real secrets. Just information you don’t have."

Do You Believe In You?

"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

Do you believe in yourself? Really?? Not just the normal "I believe in myself," but the real "I BELIEVE IN MYSELF!!!" Take a look deep inside your mind and heart and ask yourself the question again...Do you believe in yourself?  See, you can believe in yourself in your conscious mind however do you really believe yourself in your subconscious mind?  Remember that your subconscious mind runs about 96% of what you do each day.

Most people pay lip service to believing in themselves, but when you examine them down deep, there is fear and loathing, not belief! If this is you, it's never to late to start over with your beliefs. It's never too late to be who you were meant to be! Start right now, examine your beliefs and work towards the goals that they line up with!

Action:
Challenge your unbelief. Challenge your beliefs to see how strong they are. Build on that strength so that your belief is unassailable!!!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"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."

Personal Development Precedes Business Development

"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." ~Victor Frankl

Wow...have we missed this truth. Too often, we continually try to change the situation, trying different things, different ways, different ideas. All the while neglecting to change ourselves!!  Think about your business, how many times have you tried different things and they didn't work?  That's because Personal Development PRECEDES Business Development!!

Think about the last challenge that you had. Think about all the things that you did to rectify the situation. Sometimes you are able to fix things, but what happens when you don't? Do you ever even think about changing yourself?? I know that most of the time, I didn't. Now, I make sure that I look at myself and see what and if I need to change.

Action:
In dealing with your next challenge today, see if changing yourself will make a difference. I bet it will! Look at yourself from all angles and change what needs to be changed to solve the challenge!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."

Are You Using Your Sacred Gift?

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." ~Albert Einstein

We have created a society that honors the servant (the rational mind) and has forgotten the sacred gift (the intuitive mind). Why is that?  Because the people who set up the education system in this country wanted to provide the factory with workers who could do just enough. The unfortunate part is this system is STILL in place!! 

It makes no sense at all. Einstein also said that "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Because imagination is unlimited while knowledge is limited. Yet how often were you allowed to use your imagination in school...not that often I would bet.

Think about how often you use your sacred gift vs. the time you use your faithful servant. You spend most of your time with the servant, right? Here's a challenge...use your sacred gift for at least 30 minutes each day. Develop that gift and your life and business will become everything you want it to be. It's never too late to become who you were meant to be.

Action:
Work on your sacred gift. Nurture it. Develop it. Master it. Know that you must combine you Sacred Gift with your faithful servant to become all you were meant to become.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift."