Manifesting Success
We made virtually every mistake humanly possible, took every wrong turn, and spent a slew of money that brought us to the brink of bankruptcy. Yet we triumphed!
The hard part is doing the right things consistently until you win the prize you seek. It takes commitment and inner drive. It takes knowledge and the right applications of that knowledge.
Know this: it isn't easy but it is worth it. You will be tried and tested. Your level of resolve and your true passion will see you through all challenges . . . if certain ingredients are there.
For more of Kim and Mark's story of success from the throes of failures, get yourself a copy of The DNA of Success Stories. Their insights and the stories from 20 additional authors are available at my store for HALF PRICE while I am blogging excerpts from the book.
I think Jack Canfield's chapter is worth the $9.97 by itself, but there is one great story after another and I hope you will check it out.
"Embrace Your Journey"
Sharon
Are We Born to Succeed?
Since we're talking about success here, I wanted to recommend this great read. Yes, it takes intellect, talent, perhaps physical prowess to be at the top of any given field, but Gladwell tells one story after another that also makes the case for:
1) when outliers were born
2) where grew up
3) what family they were born to
4) their culture and/or religion
5) and the BIGGIE: how much TIME was spent (i.e. professional musicians = 10,000+ hours)
There are stories about Bill Gates, the Beatles, hockey pros, concert violinists,why Asian students outperform Americans in math (not the reason you think...not that I know what you're thinking!)and many more. I enjoy reading Gladwell because he challenges myths and creates new perspectives to consider.
Although not an "Outlier" (yet!), I saw myself in this book. How did I first experience success ? My father had a connection to a music teacher when I was in fifth grade, which meant I was placed on the correct instrument from the get go, so it felt easy, so I practiced hours and hours longer than any of my peers (talent, yes, but practice - YES!), which improved my odds of getting a spot with the best clarinet teacher in the state, who I had to practice long hours to please . . . which got me a free ride to college . . . (which meant my sons had a huge advantage in the area of music: exposure, access, experiences) . . . for me, it meant I had a chance to experience success at a young age, then follow my path and recreate success along the way.
This is a sister blog post to my education blog: http://maestroeducator.wordpress.com which discusses the implications for educators of Gladwell's book.
What does this mean for those of us in the field of creating and sustaining success? The short answer is to pay attention to what is right around us, right under our nose and when we are passionate enough to spend a ton of hours on something we care about, we have a huge leg up on the thousands upon thousands who do not, will not. Tenacity is a massive tool in the success equation.
Check out more of my success journey in The DNA of Success Stories
"Embrace Your Journey"
The DNA of Success Stories
I've given you some excerpts already and there are many to come. I hope you will go back and check out the posts:
Jack Zufelt - Success Expert, "Mentor to Millions", author of The DNA of Success
Brain Tracy - Speaker and author of 45 books
Jack Canfield - Co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series
and co-authors:
Marilyn Renna - "Wake Up, Open Your Eyes"
Dr. Lori Barr - "Mental Tattoos"
Jeane McMullen - "S-O-A-R-I-N-G: Rise Above and Beyond the Common and Ordinary"
Coming Soon:
Manifesting Passive Income
The Truth Will Make You Free
Create the Dream
I'll be back soon ~
Sharon
Soaring Above Adversity
Here is an excerpt from Jeanne's chapter entitled "S-O-A-R-I-N-G: Rise Above and Beyond the Common and Ordinary":
Sunshine lifts the dark clouds and gives life and light from which comes growth.
Oxygen is the first crucial essential of life and is the most important nutritional requirement for existence.
Attitude is everything. It takes a good attitude to soar emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually.
Rest physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually restores and heals the body.
Inspiration is a life force from God and from others He places in your life.
Nutrition can be the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.
Gratitude is a healthy way to see all that you have and those you love and who love you.
Having dealt with and overcome so many extremely difficult personal challenges, I can honestly say to anyone who faces hard, scary battles, do not despair -
You can create a life where you are soaring high, above and beyond what is painful, sad, hard, common and ordinary. If I can do it, anyone can. J. McMullen
I have experienced the positive influence of the suggestions listed in Jeanne's "SOARING" model. I am currently working on my aversion to sleeping enough and when I care for myself enough to sleep well, I always feel better. I've been a slow learner in this particular area, but I'm still working at it! Spending time each day reflecting on what I am grateful for has been a crucial key to a better attitude - I believe these two go hand in hand.
I am studying materials created by Eben Pagan. Eben suggests that we make the conscious effort to create daily routines that support us on all planes. If we have daily habits that incorporate Jeanne McMullen's SOARING suggestions, we will be well on our way to feeling significantly better. When we feel well it is much easier to focus on what needs to happen for our definition of success. It might just be that having the entire SOARING model in your daily life is your definition of success.
Read Jeanne's full story and the stories of 20 other authors in The DNA of Success Stories. There is inspiration, truth, great advice and many "aha's" packed into a fast 200 page read. You can purchase The DNA of Success Stories for HALF the LIST PRICE at my store while I am blogging excerpts from each chapter. If this is your first visit, check out past posts to read excerpts from Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy and more.
"Embrace Your Journey"
Sharon
Change Your Thoughts to Change Your Results
I'm back with a new excerpt from Jack Zufelt's The DNA of Success Stories. Dr. Lori Barr's chapter is entitled "Mental Tattoos". She has a fascinating chapter about the conscious and subconscious mind in regards to success and the mental tattooing that occurs when we come face to face with news of a serious illness. Dr. Barr is a physician and teacher of human possibility. Here is Dr. Barr's excerpt:
Your thoughts are responsible for your results. The feeling mind, or subconscious mind, does not have the ability to reject an idea. It can only accept whatever the conscious mind allows inside and considers important. It is called the feeling mind because this is where our memories are stored and where we form habits that create our paradigms . . .
Conscious mind is the place where we can exercise six mental muscles to help us improve the performance of our subconscious mind. Through conscious use of all six intellectual faculties, you can banish worry, fear and doubt and reclaim your success attitude. These six intellectual faculties, or mental muscles, are: imagination, intuition, memory, will, perception and reason.
The body is an instrument of your being: it is not who you are, it is something you use and have. The subconscious mind, through feelings, sets up vibration that affects the physical body and the physical body responds with action. The actions lead to results . . . If you are seeking long term change, you must change your thoughts.
Dr. Barr touches on more in her chapter and I hope you will consider purchasing The DNA of Success Stories and visiting Dr. Barr's site to learn more. A book that I highly recommend for a thorough and really interesting explanation of this topic is The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton.
As I mentioned in a former post, Psych-K is an easy process for releasing stuck subconscious thoughts that are blocking your desire to change and experience more success. Although many will be able to release subconscious ("mental tattoos") using the six intellectual processes as described in Dr. Barr's excerpt, others are wired for a kinesthetic and or visual process to release stuck thoughts. That is where Psych-K, or a similar process, can be especially beneficial. Just rest assured that you do not have to go through life stuck with everything that has ever been stored in your subconscious mind - especially the unhealthy, unproductive stuff!
During these days that I am blogging excerpts from The DNA of Success, you can purchase the book for HALF PRICE on my site. I am chapter 21: Embrace Your Journey.
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Tips for Asking Great Questions to Get Results
There's a specific science to asking for and getting what you want or need in life . . . here are a few quick tips to get you started:
1. Ask as if you expect to get it. Ask with a positive expectation. Ask from the place where you already have been given it. It's a done deal. Ask as if you expect a yes.
2. Assume you can. Don't start with the assumption that you can't get it. If you are going to assume, assume you can get an upgrade. Assume you can get a table by the window. Assume you can return it without a sales slip. Assume that you can get a scholarship, that you can get a raise, that you can get tickets at this late date. Don't ever assume against yourself.
3. Ask someone who can give it to you. Qualify the person, "Who would I have to speak to to get . . .? " "Who is authorized to make a decision about . . . ?" "What would have to happen for me to get . . . ?"
4. Be clear and specific . . . Don't say: "I want a raise". Do say: "I want a raise of $500 a month". When it comes to when you want something done, don't say "soon" or whenever it's convenient." Give a specific date and time . . . When it comes to behavior requests, be specific. Say exactly what you want the person to do.
5. Ask repeatedly. One of the most important principles of success is persistence, not giving up. (italics are mine)
Easy to understand, but potentially powerful. Notice if you have blocks to asking questions. These often show up as judgments, assumptions or worries about what someone will think if we ask the question. If you discover a mental or emotional block to asking vital questions, consider hiring a success or life coach to help you remove the barriers. It will be worth the investment if you can "Ask, Ask, Ask" for what you want and need the rest of your life!
I hope you enjoyed the Jack Canfield excerpt and now I am going to ask a question: Will you comment on this post before you leave the site?
If you enjoyed this post and want to read Jack Canfield's full chapter and the success stories of 20 other authors, click this link: HALF PRICE blogging special for The DNA of Success Stories compiled by Jack Zufelt.
Embrace Your Journey ~
Brains Don't Like Change
Here is the fourth chapter from The DNA of Success Stories written by John Halderman and entitled "Why Can't I Get Myself to Change?" John has numerous posts and articles about getting results and self-realization. In this article he focuses on the topic of CHANGE as it relates to success. Here is an excerpt from his chapter:
"You can have great intentions, motivations, goals, a plan and a program to follow and still not see good results because your mind wants to keep everything just as it is has been. That's its job. The known is more comfortable than the unknown, even if the known is shooting up drugs! Your perception of good or bad is not considered. Most people's brains disdain change, helping them avoid it at all costs. This does not mean you can never change - you can. You just need to exert your ultimate power, the power of thought command. Thoughts coming from your unconscious mind do not to take precedence, even though you usually allow them to. You can choose to make adjustments to your unconscious programming so that your thoughts best support the life experiences you want, using your power of thought command.
. . . A key component of what I call the Foundation Factor is the Harmonic Power Triad, which has three key components needed for a supportive foundation: Belief Structure - Self Concept - Purpose
I've studied Psych-K which is a process for releasing unwanted thoughts programmed (often before you can remember) into your subconscious. I'll blog about that at another time, but it is definitely possible to release unconscious thoughts that are sabotaging your current efforts to change and create success for yourself.
Since I'm a former music teacher, the "Harmonic Power Triad" resonated with me. Didn't Earth, Wind and Fire use the Power Triad in most of their hits? . . . but I'm pretty sure it was first heard in Beethoven! Ok, I digress. I hope you will consider checking out the rest of John's chapter and the other 20 chapters in The DNA of Success Stories. Go to my site - I'm selling the book for HALF PRICE while I'm blogging the excerpts.
I am also blogging about education subjects at: http://maestroeducator.wordpress.com
Are You Committing Your Time to Average or Great?
It seems as if there is a default setting on human performance. If you don't decide to become your best, you simply become average. Nobody sets off in life to be average or below. But by failing to dedicate yourself totally, especially in the formative years of your career, to become absolutely excellent at what you do, you default into the bottom 80 percent . . . "
In the twenty-first century, you are a knowledge worker. You do not work with your physical body, making and moving things. You work with your mind, applying your intelligence and personality to your world to make a valuable contribution that others will pay you for. The key to becoming an effective knowledge worker is for you to continually upgrade your knowledge and skills in the work that you have chosen to do."
Brian Tracy has a strong following and has written 45 books. His message in this chapter is centered on achievement and income. I chose the excerpt above because I strongly agree with his statement concerning the need to commit to excellence. Talent alone will not get it done. As a matter of fact, sometimes a very high intellect or talent can be a hurdle because a young man or woman takes their gift for granted. Between the ages of 5 to 15, a child can easily be the best or smartest in their class or activity. However if not carefully nurtured they may not develop the discipline (of the mind) necessary to go on to excellence as an adult. Many bright minds are passed by in their late teens and early twenties by those more committed to growth and excellence. Focus and passion will out achieve a complacent talent.
I welcome your comments on this post.
If you enjoyed the excerpt, please consider purchasing The DNA of Success Stories which includes Brian's full chapter and twenty other authors with a variety of perspectives on the topic of success. You can purchase a copy on my website for HALF PRICE while I am blogging the 21 chapters - 18 to go!
http://shop.sharonwoodard.com
Chapter 21: my chapter called "Embrace Your Journey"
Hope is Not a Plan
A successful person is one who first understands and then passionately acts on what is important to them. This will be different for every individual, so success will have a different face for each of us. Simply hoping things will get better will get you nowhere fast. Hope is not a plan. (bold is SW). Staying where you are will, well, get you nowhere even faster. Toleration is the antithesis of a successful life. Living your own personal truth will make you truly and utterly successful.
...find the essence of what makes you unique.
...ask the provocative questions.
...how do you want to be remembered?
...what do you love to do?
Marilyn is 1 of 21 authors in the new book The DNA of Success Stories. She has also created a self reflection journal for the girl's at Oprah's school in Africa called "Every Moment is an Opportunity".
I hope you will check out Marilyn's site and consider reading more from her chapter from The DNA of Success Stories. I am running a Blogging Excerpts Special and offering the book for HALF PRICE ($9.97) - get yours now . . . only 19 days of excerpts to go.
SUCCESS - It's Easier Than You Think
Jack Zufelt is the author of The DNA of Success and has compiled the stories that are featured in The DNA of Success Stories. Here are some excerpts from Jack's own chapter titled "It's Easier Than You Think".
The ability to achieve success is not out there in some technique or tool or tactic. It is an inside job.
Napoleon Hill stated, "The starting point of all achievement is desire. Weak desires bring weak results just as a small fire brings a small amount of heat. When your desires are strong enough you will appear to have almost super human strength."
You must hit the delete button and get rid of all those ideas, concepts and methodologies on success that have been taught and believed in for so long.
Here are five things you must delete:
1. GOAL SETTING . . .
2. DAILY AFFIRMATIONS . . .
3. VISUALIZATION . . .
4. SELF-HELP BOOKS . . .
5. MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKERS . . .
I have left off Jack's explanations for the "five things you must delete". If you are curious, you can read Jack's full chapter in the book (you know at my store)
You may not agree with Jack's perspective, but perhaps it has tweaked your curiosity about what he does believe makes the difference for achieving success. (btw - I am a believer in you defining success on your own terms and that may mean that "achievement" is not in your definition. Regardless, do you consider yourself successful by your own terms?)
Please stop back again. The next chapter will be "Wake Up. Open Your Eyes" and soon I will post chapter excerpts by Brian Tracy and Jack Canfield.
Peace be with you ~
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