Blog for Self Improvement

It seems we all hear so often how important it is to become successful. It is what drives many people through their life journey. How do you define success? Does it relate to becoming wealthy? Gaining prestige? Building a business from nothing into something of great value? Feeling important? Creating a respectable image?

These are certainly noble aspirations. It's normal to desire prosperity and recognition, but is that what is really important for life to be successful? There are several ways to view the journey of life so let's examine these three ways: being motivated, being inspired, or being stagnant.

Motivation is an ego-driven process of making things happen in your life. We've been taught the principle of an indelible determination that makes you climb right over the obstacles, never giving up. With this drive, nothing gets in the way of your goal! We've been taught this is the road to success and it is vital that we envision what we want and go after it with all our gusto. There are thousands of motivational seminars, books, audios, and videos that share the secrets to getting motivated and accomplishing your dreams. With motivation a person grabs an idea and works and perseveres until they achieve their goal. Many individuals have been incredibly successful from this approach. It does take a lot of extra work to accomplish, but the end result is what counts in this approach.

An inspired journey is quite different. In this journey the individual is grabbed with an idea so that it takes hold of them and leads to an inspired end result. Inspiration is the reality of Spirit working through you. In other words, you are being led in the direction that Spirit knows is good for you and the benefit of others.

Inspiration always flows from the universal energy of love. It is not something that is forced or pushed in any way; it simply flows effortlessly. Most of the time, when moving from inspiration, the ultimate goal or outcome is unknown. It is a guidance that comes from within, spirit-driven, and simply asks for faith in the move into unknown territory. It always involves surrendering your will - something very difficult for most people to do.

All of my books come in this way. My second book, The Realness of a Woman, was not even in my thoughts, but one morning while I was showering I heard a voice that said I was to write that book. I simply said "okay" without having any idea what would be in the book. Every word on the 340 pages came through Divine guidance and it would often surprise me what I had written. This is inspiration. It also means simply agreeing, or surrendering, and waiting for the next step to unfold. Yes, it takes a lot of faith and trust, but every time I allow inspiration to flow, the end result is better than I could have ever imagined. It allows you to live in a state of total bliss and inner happiness, and it always requires that you get out of the way so Spirit can work!

Stagnation is another way people live their lives. Webster says that a stagnant life is one that is lacking in activity and interest, that it is sluggish and dull. This is the life many people live when they allow their job to control their life. There are bills to pay and commitments to others, so they work day after day in a job that doesn't fill them up. So this person drifts along, existing in their life similar to a robot, doing what they know to do.

A life of stagnation is not a happy life. You may find external things that make you feel happy for a while, but the novelty soon wears off and you're on to another pleasure, or at least wishing for one. In a stagnant life there is often a feeling that something is missing, or perhaps the feeling of not enough. The reason is that this person hasn't found their passion in life and therefore cannot feel fulfilled no matter what they do. This lifestyle is where most people live and eventually die. It is as if they are coasting through with life happening to them. This life is one of smallness.

Everything in life is about choice. If you don't consciously make a choice, a choice will be made for you. Many times an individual doesn't even realize they actually can make a choice, and so often I've heard the comment as someone is offering a defensive explanation, "I had no choice." My friends, you ALWAYS have a choice!

So I ask you to review the three ways you can live your life - through motivation, through inspiration, or through stagnation. The choice is yours and yours alone. Your greatest power is the power of choice. Which direction is the path you want to travel? One of these lifestyle choices is how you are living your life right at this moment. Maybe you like your life and maybe you don't, but if you want it to be lived differently, you have to make the choice to do it.

Right now, without doing another thing, think about these three ways to live. Which one do you think will bring you the greatest rewards, give you peace, and the most happiness as you show up for it?

I live my life through inspiration. I tried stagnation for many years but was miserable, restless, unfulfilled, and disenchanted with life. I made a choice to become motivated, and I did that too. I reaffirmed with positive affirmations every day and both read and listened to motivational information. I even worked with a motivated person, and I can tell you from my personal experience that it was a lot of hard work with little compensation during that time. In recent years I chose the inspired lifestyle, and my life became extraordinary. Things flowed into my consciousness that sometimes elated me and other times scared me, but I listened and followed the guidance that came. The end result? I am happier than I've ever been. I've written three books and more are on the way. I overcame my fear of speaking in public. Money has showed up in just the right timing to pay for whatever I was guided to do. I am at peace every day and know everything is working in Divine order. Amazing things keep showing up in my life that I could never have orchestrated. I work hard when I know I've been guided to do something, but there is always balance in my life now that didn't exist before. I have found that by focusing my thoughts on what flows to me with ease, I have time to complete everything that is important. My life has become extraordinary and every day is a joyous experience. I wish this for you!

Take a moment and decide what you want your life to be like: motivated, inspired, or stagnant. It's your choice!

Carolyn Porter, D.Div.

Empower Productions, Inc.

www.drcarolynporter.com
info@drcarolynporter.com

Carolyn Porter, D. Div., is an Inspirational Speaker, Author of multiple books, ebooks and audios, Spiritual Wholeness Coach, Energy Facilitator, Health Store Co-owner, whose passion is to help individuals move beyond their self-imposed limitations and become all they are meant to be. In this place they can create an extraordinary life with endless possibilities.

If you do what you're expected to do, don't expect an outstanding result, my friend.

Study successful people and you'll sure to discover one thing that many of them would have in common... they live by that words of "always do more than what is expected of you."

I don't care. It could be sleeping an hour less everyday to have more time to build your wealth or whatsoever.

Whether you are mowing people's lawn or someone is mowing your lawn, when you are teaching a seminar or being a participant, or when sharing your knowledge or giving advice to your people, always do or give more than what people expect. Then they will flock around you, they will line up to meet you and be happy to support you in whatever thing that you want to do next.

If you're training to be a champion, don't just train like an average player. Train more than you're expected to train.

If you're building a multi-level marketing business, increase the numbers of prospects you would like to meet everyday. If it used to be 10, now you would have at least 12. By just increasing your effort 20%, you'll end up with 60 new prospects a month. Now, that's what I called exponential.

Trying to win a girl's heart? I'm not surprise that you could be "competing" with three other guys for the same girl. And you can only win if you're giving more than all of them if everyone's equal. I'm not saying giving more money or buying stuff' give love, time or whatever that counts to her.

Whenever you are interacting with people or in a relationship, treat the other party extremely well.

Whatever is expected of you in that relationship, be it with your girlfriend or business partner or client, your spouse or your friend, always do or give more than what is expected of you in that relationship for that is the secret of making it a success.

It is not that you have to do or give a whole lot more; you have to do just a little bit more than the rest. That's it. The 10mm-difference is what Anthony Robbins calls it for you to become outstanding... in any undertaking.

To do this, it's not difficult. But most people are just too lazy to put in the effort. I'm one of them but I'll always keep reminding myself this' winner takes all. There is no second place, my friend. I would rather strive with the extra effort to get #1 because the pay off is many times greater.

Do you remember who the second best basketball player is? Nope. You can remember Michael Jordan because he's #1. In fact, as far as I know, there's no such place as 'the second best basketball player'.

Who's the second fastest runner in the world? Who knows. I just know the #1.

Others have called this 'more than expected attitude' as 'going for the extra mile'. Notice that they don't say the extra 10 miles.

How come?

Because the average persons don't bother to do more than what is expected of them. I know it's sad but that's the truth.

To most people, "always do more than what is expected of you" are mere words and they don"t put substance to it because people are greedy and they just want to do the bare minimum to make money, to make a profit or whatever.

And guess what... successful people are never your average persons.

To be generous and to treat others extremely well, you must come from the perspective of abundance thinking. Then only "always doing more than what is expected of you" will come easy and naturally.

So the next time you are with somebody, or in a business negotiation, or just interacting with another person, ask how can I help you... without even expecting any return.

As the other saying goes-- you have to give, in order to get. In fact, if you want to gather riches you have to be as generous as you can. Touch people's lives profoundly, in ways that they would never forget. Give it forward... help another and that person will help another. Always do more than what is expected of you. Do this and the reward will come to you 10 folds or 100 folds when you are least expecting it.

Do you think you can do more than what you're doing today? Of course you can. The question is... DO YOU WANT OR NOT? You'll have to decide for your own future on that.

Copyright © 2008 Patric Chan

Get Patric's latest, original tips and ideas how to become wealthier at http://www.patricchan.name . You'll also access the free video course that reveals how a 30-minute system leads him to make more money each time he NEEDS it.

Would you benefit from identifying some “not-to’dos” to propel you to success more quickly and with less energy and less effort? When we strategize for success, we typically focus on the things we will do and the steps we will take to reach success. Without a doubt, that is an excellent strategy. However, there may be things getting in the way of your success that are holding you back from achieving the results you most want. Perhaps it would be helpful to make a "not-to-do" list to help you change some of your old worn out habits that no longer serve you.

When I began my coaching career, I studied great coaches to learn how they worked with their clients. My first role model was Cheryl Richardson, best-selling author and Life Makeover Coach who was featured on Oprah. I would listen to recordings of her programs, read her books and do my best to pattern my coaching after her style. Invariably, I would fall short of being able to coach in the seemingly "perfect" way that Cheryl did. After presenting a program or working with a client, I would compare the worst aspects of my performance to the best of Cheryl's which always left me feeling less than adequate and frustrated with myself.

In my comparison, I neglected to include important information such as the fact that I was new to coaching and Cheryl had been at it for several years, and that she had once been a new coach who had not started out as polished as she had become after years of experience. I only saw my shortcomings in comparison to her brilliance. Once I decided to stop the self sabotage and quit comparing myself to Cheryl, I was able to relax and coach with confidence. Without the pressure that I had created to "be like Cheryl," I was able to be my best which was more than enough.

What needs to go on your "not-to-do" list in order to reach your goals for 2007? Maybe you are like I was and need to stop comparing yourself to someone else? Or, do you need to stop scheduling too many activities? Stop trying to do everything on your own without asking for help? Stop trying to be perfect? What will you put on your "not-to-do" list so that you can achieve success this year?

Ideas for your "not-to-do" list

1. Stop comparing your worst to someone else's best. Comparing yourself to someone else is a recipe for disappointment. It is especially frustrating when you try to size up your performance, or your appearance, or some other quality to a super model, an Olympic athlete or your brother or sister who always outshined you. Give yourself a break and appreciate that you are more than enough just as you are. It is better to be the best version of yourself than to torture yourself with unrealistic comparisons to others.

2. Stop waiting for someone else to make you happy. Happiness is an inside job. You are in charge of your life and of your happiness. Abraham Lincoln said, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Decide that you will create your own happiness rather than expect it from someone or something else. Take responsibility for doing things that bring you joy.

3. Stop focusing on what you don't have. Rather than focus on not having enough time, enough money, enough energy or enough help, etc. focus on what you do have and be grateful that you have it. Watch your world begin to change in a positive way as you let go of limiting thoughts of what you don't have and express gratitude for what you do have.

"Self-sabotage is the worst deterrent to your best performance." Coach Pat Morgan

By: Coach Pat Morgan

Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Pat Morgan, MBA and Executive Coach, helps clients maximize their potential in today’s fast-paced environment. Her unique coaching programs inspire clients to achieve goals they may never have thought possible. Her focus draws from the inside out – helping clients become the best version of themselves they can be. Get your free copy of my special report, GET RESULTS NOW! when you subscribe to my newsletter, Smooth Sailing Success. Visit www.SmoothSailingSuccess.com

Everyone, at some point of his or her life, has dreamed of being somebody special, somebody big. Who hasn’t fantasized about being the one who hits the game-winning homer? Who hasn’t dreamed of being the homecoming queen? And how many times have we dreamed of being rich, or successful, or happy with our relationships?

Often, we dream big dreams and have great aspirations. Unfortunately, our dreams remain just that – dreams. And our aspirations easily collect dust in our attic.

This is a sad turn of events in our life. Instead of experiencing exciting adventures in self actualization, we get caught up in the humdrum of living from day-to-day just barely existing.

But you know what? Life could be so much better, if only we learned to aim higher

.The most common problem to setting goals is the word impossible. Most people get hung up thinking I can’t do this. It’s too hard. It’s too impossible. No one can do this.

However, if everyone thought that, there would be no inventions, no innovations, and no breakthroughs in human accomplishment.

Remember that scientists were baffled when they took a look at the humble bumblebee. Theoretically, they said, it was impossible for the bumblebee to fly. Unfortunately for the bumble, bee no one has told it so. So fly it does.

On the other hand, some people suffer from dreaming totally outrageous dreams and not acting on them. The result? Broken dreams, and tattered aspirations.

If you limit yourself with self-doubt, and self-limiting assumptions, you will never be able to break past what you deem impossible. If you reach too far out into the sky without working towards your goal, you will find yourself clinging on to the impossible dream.

Try this exercise. Take a piece of paper and write down some goals in your life. Under one header, list down things ‘you know you can do’. Under another header, write the things ‘you might be able to do.’ And under one more, list the things that that are ‘impossible for you to do.’

Now look at all the headers strive every day to accomplish the goals that are under things ‘you know you can do’. Check them when you are able to accomplish them. As you slowly are able to check all of your goals under that heading, try accomplishing the goals under the other header-the one that reads ‘you might be able to do.’

As of the items you wrote under things I could do are accomplished, you can move the goals that are under things that are ‘impossible for you to do’ to the list of things ‘you might be able to do.’

As you iterate through this process, you will find out that the goals you thought were impossible become easier to accomplish. And the impossible begin to seem possible after all.

You see, the technique here is not to limit your imagination. It is to aim high, and start working towards that goal little by little. However, it also is unwise to set a goal that is truly unrealistic.

Those who just dream towards a goal without working hard end up disappointed and disillusioned.

On the other hand, if you told someone a hundred years ago that it was possible for man to be on the moon, they would laugh at you. If you had told them that you could send mail from here to the other side of the world in a few seconds, they would say you were out of your mind. But, through sheer desire and perseverance, these impossible dreams are now realities.

Thomas Edison once said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Nothing could be truer. For one to accomplish his or her dreams, there has to be had work and discipline. But take note that that 1% has to be a think-big dream, and not some easily accomplished one.

Ask any gym rat and he or she will tell you that there can be no gains unless you are put out of your comfort zone. Remember the saying, “No pain, no gain”? That is as true as it can be.

So dream on, friend! Don’t get caught up with your perceived limitations. Think big and work hard to attain those dreams. As you step up the ladder of progress, you will just about find out that the impossible has just become a little bit more possible.

By: Deanna Mascle

Article Directory:http://www.articledashboard.com

If you are looking for more inspirational messages and quick inspirations then try bestinspirationline.com

Having a goal enables you to focus your energies on devising ways to achieve it. When someone makes a decision and begins focusing on achieving a specific goal (and even better in a specific period of time), the powerful subconscious mind goes to work and begins playing with ideas and developing strategies of various ways to bring about the successful completion of the goal.

When you set yourself a goal both your conscious and subconscious start working on it and begin to develop an action plan. You will find you begin asking yourself questions about what needs to be done to enable you to reach your goal. You may find yourselves coming up with amazing ideas and solutions to problems or obstacles that have been in the way of achieving your goal. Solutions and ideas that you are surprised you ever thought of may start popping into your mind.

Our subconscious is an extremely powerful tool. The more often you remind yourself of your goal, the more your mind will work on ways for you to achieve it. Some people find answers come to them when they are asleep and dreaming.

Have you ever noticed that there is no correlation between being wealthy and having a high IQ or a university degree? If there were, every doctor and university graduate would be wealthy, and as statistics show, most of them end up in the same situation as 95% of the population.

The main thing that the majority of independently wealthy people have in common is that they have set goals for themselves and achieved them. They invest time in reading and learning about wealth creation and are happy to learn from other people’s mistakes and experiences, as well as their own. They set goals, and realise that they will be far better able to achieve them if they familiarise themselves with the ways in which other people acted and the things that others have done to succeed. Wealthy people create wealth by carefully utilising the income that they have available to them to their best advantage. They know that working harder and longer hours is not the way to achieve financial freedom, instead they have to utilise what they have, and make it grow.

Setting Goals.
When you begin to work out your goals you need to make them as specific as possible. A vague idea or generalization like “I want to buy investment properties and become wealthy” is not enough. You need to be much more detailed. “I want to own my first investment property within six months. I will save for the legal and bank fees, and borrow 100% of the value of the property. I will find an extremely well priced, three bedroom brick veneer house that is close to schools and shopping centres. It will be either brand new or less than ten years old. It will be structurally sound, and require a minimal amount of maintenance. I will find a good agent to manage it, who has a lot of experience and will find me a good tenant.”

This is a specific goal, and you could add a lot more to it. Because your goal is specific your mind immediately begins to ask questions such as “How much money will I need for the fees and charges? How much does that relate to if I break it down on a weekly basis? Will I have to look at my current expenses to see where I need to cut back so as to make up the difference for the amount I need to save?” Specific goals help you to create specific, realistic action plans and as the old saying goes, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.

You will find that if you write down your goals on a piece of paper, and put it in a prominent position, so that you will read it often, your subconscious as well as your conscious mind will start asking questions and coming up with answers, and you will find that you have already begun to take the necessary steps to achieving your goal.
It is helpful to have a series of goals, ranging from daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, ten yearly and thirty to forty yearly. You can always refine and change your goals as time goes on and situations change.

You may find that it is easier to start at the 40-year mark, and then work backwards. Try to work out what steps would be needed to achieve your 40-year goal, and spread them out over the different time spans, to what you would need to achieve to end up with the final result.

Try to make your goals realistic and achievable. Do not set a goal that is too hard. Set lots of small, easily achievable goals and work step by step to achieve your road to success. Stay positive. Believe in yourself and your abilities to succeed, even if other people patronise you or try to put you off, or tell you there is no point.

Setting and achieving goals help you to create a stronger character. It is always helpful to remember that our brain cannot entertain both positive and negative thoughts at the same time. If you stay positive you will dispel negative thought patterns. Even if you come across little obstacles that get in the way of your goals, don’t give up. Focus on finding a solution, rather than focussing on the problem – utilise a positive response. Focussing on finding solutions enables you to put your brain to work, to find ways around things. If you just see an obstacle as a problem and just accept that life has dealt you a blow, and let it stop you in your tracks, then you will never learn and grow. Remember that children learn to walk by falling over. Focus on the long-term achievements that you want to fulfil, and it will be easier to overcome your problems.

Source: www.easyarticles.com

By: Mario Churchill

Creativity, in its general sense is truly a vague idea that requires compartmentalization of ideas before one can actually arrive to a more concrete concept.

In its primary sense, creativity is one facility that man has. This helps him to create or to reproduce something out from his own interpretation or from the ideas that were copied from another person's concepts.

The possibility of using creativity is endless. We can use this factor on virtually everything that we can think of. Persuasion is one type of creativity. One must use his proper faculties in creating a desired response from a person. Art is full of creativity. As we know it, without the drive to produce something, art would be turned into mere nothing. Music is creativity. Literature is one form of creativity along with others.

However, even if one seems to be creative for very long periods, there are times when he can't help but sit with blank stare. In such moments, creativity is sapped. What could be the reasons? Are there things that we must consider so as to determine what truly affects one's person's ability to create something out from his innate capacities?

These are some of the common ideas that hamper the materialization of creativity in us.

Fatigue and Lack of Inspiration- This actually does not deal on the physical fatigue but on the mental and emotional aspects. This normally roots from the lack of satisfaction in things that we do. When one no longer find sense on what he is doing, the capacity to create suffers. Or say, when the inspiration is redirected towards obligation.

Artists are not meant to be obliged to produce something the inspiration must come from natural environments which were crafted from a necessity within the scope of inner drives and not from outside motivations such as profit, fame and etc.

Stoppage of an activity- Start is never good enough unless it is pushed through to its end. For one reason or another, a person may either stop right after the idea pops out of his mind or stop right before he finishes his project. It may be stranger but there seems to be a common denominator to all those people who practice doing this- they all loose interest eventually after accumulating unfinished stuffs. Thus, as a philosopher once said- all things that were started must be finished, no matter what the consequences may be.

Cluttered thoughts- Especially in writing, it is crucial that thoughts are organized in such a way that they are presented systematically towards the readers. Often, if this is the problem, the artists may either find himself at loss with his thoughts while trying to reorganize stuffs and ideas or it may also be that the onlookers would find his work confusing.

It is observed that cluttered working space is also a great contributor to the gradual gnawing of your creativity. While it is an artist's nature to be disorganized, he must still secure to it that things are put into proper order as this evidently affects the mind.

The inner wisdom- It is the ultimate source for inspiration, some people would even call this as the Divine Guidance. Whichever name you prefer, this seems to be the pipe from which we draw our inspiration to be creative. Most people find this inner self on accident. This does not negate the fact though that it can be outsourced through guidance; say a saying from a book or a teaching from a guru. Nonetheless, this must be nourished and should be well regarded so you would have a continuous supply of creativity in you.

The last thing is to never say no to your calling, you must always be alert that you entertain your thoughts and drives. Say for a poet, when one line of thought passes your mind, you must be eager to write this right away before the moment passes.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on business ideas or brainstorming checkout his recommended websites.

By: Esther Andrews

In my opinion, creativity is the real genius. Intelligent children learn fast, and apply their knowledge in everyday life situations. But - inventing something new, creating something original, that is real genius. I always admire originality, whether it is original artwork, an original story, or an invention that can make life easier for many people.

How can we teach our children creative thinking? How can we teach them the habit of thinking "outside the box"? Here are a few easy and fun suggestions for activities that will go a long way toward developing this very valuable skill of creative thinking in your child. Slight adjustments may be needed for your child's age and skill.

1. Play the following game: one person starts telling a story. He stops after a few sentences, and the next player continues his story. There is no limit to the number of players. It is a great idea to record the story, so that it can be distributed to the participants later, for the enjoyment of everyone. This is a very fun activity that trains your child (and you too, if you are participating) to think creatively.

2. Prepare a series of pictures. The pictures can be taken from a book, from several books, from newspapers - or even downloaded from the Internet and printed on a home printer. Put the pictures next to each other, and let your child tell a story, using those pictures. You can take turns, your child and you, developing the story based on the pictures. This game can have several variations: put the pictures face down on the table, then turn them over one by one, to continue the story. Gradually increase the speed of turning the pictures over, so that the story teller has to come up with the story continuation faster and faster. When you are done with a set of pictures, just change the order, and see if your child can come up with a different story, based on the new order.

3. Prepare a series of words written on cards. Play the same game - tell a story using these words. You can use the same variations as above.

4. Play a piece of classical music, and let your child tell you what kind of mood does this music create, what kind of story does this music tell?

5. Play a piece of music, and have your child paint a picture that shows the mood this music creates, or tells the story this music is telling.

6. When your child comes up with a story in one of the previous activities, ask your child to change the story in order to change the mood. For example, if the story is sad - can he change the story to be happy? Can he change it to be a mystery? Can he change it to be a comedy, or a funny story?

7. When reading a book with your child, always ask open ended and thought provoking questions like: How would you handle this situation? What could the character do differently? How do you think did the character feel?

8. Print several pictures on paper. (You can use cardboard if you'd like to make the pieces more durable). Cut each picture into 9 parts (or more, if you want to make this game more complex). Now let your child put the pictures back together. After putting all pieces back together into the original pictures, you can mix the pieces, so that your child can create new pictures, combining pieces from different pictures. Start with two pictures mixed together,and advance to more and more pictures. Start with bigger pieces, cutting the picture into 4 parts only, and advance to smaller and smaller pieces, cutting the picture into more and more pieces. Also, use more and more complicated pictures, that include more details.

9. Play "pretend" games with your child often, or use "role playing" with your child. When you read a story, ask your child to play the role of his favorite character.

10. When your child has friends visiting, have them come up with a short play and perform it for the parents. This is always a fun activity for the children, and it also keeps them very busy.

11. Encourage your child to paint a picture of an object. Then have him paint it in different colors. For example, ask your child to paint or draw a bunch of fruit. Then have him change the colors of all the fruit. Have a red banana, yellow apple and so forth.

12. Choose a day a week, and have all family members do their routine activities in a different way. For example, brush their teeth in a different way than usual. Take a different way to school. Sing instead of talking. Get up earlier, and play a new game. Walk backwards... Be creative, and encourage your child to be creative too.

13. Don't ever discourage your child from using his imagination. If your child tells an imaginary story, always praise him and acknowledge the creativity. If your child comes up with an original answer to a question, even if the answer is incorrect, acknowledge creative thinking.

14. Keep your eyes open for any signs of creativity and originality. Always praise and encourage these traits.

Have fun, and enjoy! To your child's creativity!

Article Source: http://www.articlecube.com
www.all-gifted-children.com. For the last 27 years Esther Andrews has specialized in gifted education and grew 2 profoundly gifted children herself. In her "The Manual Your Child Should Have Come With - How to Develop Your Child's Genius" she is teaching parents how to grow gifted children. www.all-gifted-children.com/package.htm

By: Max Ng
There is this Chinese Saying that literally translates to "Failure Is The Mother Of Success!". Basically, it means that failure is like a mother who will give birth to success. A more proper way to phrase it will be failure precedes success. Usually, it is use to encourage someone who have just encountered a failure or setback in life. It helps to remind the person that one will definitely need to go through the experience of failures before one can succeed.

Though I heard of this saying numerous times during my upbringing, I never really realized the full meaning of the saying. Actually, there is another way to interpret the saying. If I want to succeed quickly, I need to experience as many failures as possible in the shortest possible time.

Why? Each failure is due to a mistake or a combination of mistakes. If I can learn from my mistakes, I will improve in whatever I am trying doing. When I experience failure faster, it simply means that I have made mistakes quicker. This gives me the opportunity to learn from my mistakes earlier. And I will improve faster. At this fast rate of learning from mistakes, my success will be nearer.

This reminds me of my experience on trying to learn to ride a bicycle while I was a teenager. Of course, I did not manage to balance myself on the very first attempt. In fact, I had lost my balance numerous times and injured myself. But I did not give up because I knew that I was improving with each failed attempt. This is because I was learning from my mistakes.

Somewhere along my life, I have forgotten about this simple principle that in order to success, I need to go through failures and learn from my mistakes. Like everyone else, I have my dreams. But I am afraid to pursue my dreams because I am afraid of failure. This fear of failure causes me to procrastinate on pursuing my dreams. If I had recalled that principle early, I would have taken actions to pursue my dreams sooner. How did I manage to remember this principle again? Well, the Rich Dad series reminded me of such a principle.

Why does understanding that principle help me to overcome the fear of failure? Basically, there is a shift in perception on the value of failure. I used to associate failure with no value or negative value.
If I fail in whatever I am trying to do, people will look down on me. That is how I perceive failure. With the paradigm shift that failure benefit me positively so that I can succeed faster, the fear of failure is reduced.

Other than the paradigm shift, I have adopted additional steps to enhance my chance of success in whatever I am trying to achieve. Firstly, I will focus on my goal instead of my fears. If my goal is to learn ice-skating, I do not focus on the dangers of falling and injuring myself. That is I do not imagine the fears of falling and the pains from the injuries before they have really happened. Instead, I focus on mastering the skill properly so that I do not fall and injure myself.

Secondly, I leverage on my past success experience. If I can successful perform a fire walking, then I definitely can master ice-skating since fire walking is a much difficult task. Well, if you do not have such a special experience like fire walking, what can you leverage on? The answer is the mastery of walking. It is a common success experience that everyone can leverage on except the handicap.

Have you ever wonder how you had mastered walking as a child? Can you recall that? Walking is a difficult skill to master as a child. But we have done it through trials and errors with the encouragement of our parents and loved ones. Since we can learn to walk, we definitely can learn other skills or do other difficult tasks if we put our heart and mind into doing so.

Thirdly, I will leverage on the experience of people who had already mastered it or done it before. The best way is to get a coach to guide and teach me. But if I cannot find a coach, then the next best alternative is learned from books, videos and audio courses.

Lastly, I will come out with an actionable plan with quantified milestones to measure my progress. By constantly checking my progress against my plan, I will be forced to reflect on my actions. What have I done incorrectly that causes the delay in my progress? What can I do to correct the situation?

With all the above steps in place, my fear of failure is greatly reduced. My chance of success is greatly enhanced.

* DISCLAIMER *
The author, publisher and distributors particularly disclaim any liability, loss, or risk taken by individuals who directly or indirectly act on the information contained herein. All readers must accept full responsibility for their use of this material.

Article Source: http://blogticles.com

Information about the Author: Max Ng shares about his struggle for financial freedom at www.richdadsecrets4me.com
Get a free sample of his book "Your Greatest Gift! Why Waste It?" at www.yourgreatestgift.com