11 For 2011

11 Simple Ideas For Making 2011 Your Best Year Ever!

Lao-Tzu, in Tao Te Ching, said this:
“Manifest plainness,
Embrace simplicity,
Reduce selfishness,
Have few desires.”

With a New Year upon us, I can’t think of any advice that resonates health and wellness more than that! So many times, we go into a New Year with a list of New Year’s Resolutions, following some kind of “Goal Paradigm”, “Design It” spreadsheet, or “Master Planning Tool”. These are all designed to improve our life or business for a New Year. However, most of these simply serve to complicate our lives, and end up causing us guilt later on, when we look and see that perhaps we have not yet arrived or checked off all the boxes.

This is not to say that planning and foresight is unnecessary. Quite the contrary. A healthy, successful and fulfilled life does not happen by chance, but through careful thought and maximizing each moment. However, if you’re like me, you tend to complicate things. And, we often don’t reach all our goals because we neglect the simple values that underline the goals, plans and dreams. A healthy value set always leads to healthy results. Desired results are the outcome of deliberate values. In other words, if you dream now about where you would like to be at the end of 2011, the key to that outcome is healthy values underlying your daily beliefs, thoughts, choices and actions. So, here is a refresher for 2011, with 11 Simple Ideas For Making 2011 Your Best Year Ever.


11 Simple Ideas For Making 2011 Your Best Year Ever:

1) Gratitude - Be thankful for 2010. Be thankful for all the experiences you lived, all the things you learned, and all the people you were fortunate to love. Does it get any better than this offering by William A. Ward? “God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" The mindset of Gratitude is so crucial for balance, true abundance, and your happiness! So many times, our level of gratitude flexes and flows based on our circumstances or our happiness in the moment. Be reminded of the words of Kak Sri: “Gratitude is an art of painting an adversity into a lovely picture.”

2) Simplicity – Aim for simplicity in 2011. It is in simplicity that we engage the moment, embrace the creative, and excel at being who we really are. Our joy in life rises and falls exactly with how complicated we make it. When life becomes complex, it is no longer any fun! As Confucius said, “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” Jesus said, “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you?” What a modest and yet elegant way to live: trusting that life will look after itself! Less is more in 2011!

3) Engagement – Be fully engaged in 2011. Being fully engaged speaks of being fully aware, fully involved, and fully alive. It is being present, in the moment, and not letting any part of life just pass you by. Think back to how much time you “killed” in 2010, and remember that in 2011, when you “kill” time, you’ll never get it back. Being fully engaged, alive and passionate about what we do empowers us to not waste any moment, opportunity, or relationship.

4) Thoughtfulness – Be thoughtful in 2011, both for others and yourself. Be thoughtful for others by caring a little more than you have before, showing respect at a deeper level than you have before, and going the extra mile. Thoughtfulness paves the way for the growth, advancement and empowerment of others. Be thoughtful towards yourself as well. Care for yourself and make sure you are nourished, replenished and energized. When we do not care for ourselves and focus solely on caring for others, we soon lose the ability to properly care for them because our own tank runs precariously dry.

5) Spirituality – Wisdom says that it makes sense to give room to your unique expression of spirituality in 2011. One of the things I love about being a Certified Life Coach and Certified Executive Coach is the holistic nature of what we do. Healthy spirituality is a part of our make-up as human beings, and as we respect and flow with that part of ourselves, we will continue our journey into true and complete wholeness. Some people will spend a lot of time arguing over what constitutes “true” spirituality. The wise will simply celebrate qualities such as integrity, compassion, meekness, kindness, selflessness, meditation, contemplation, and stillness. Spirituality is not a building you frequent or religion you ascribe to, but a way of living that validates all components of life. Respect your spirituality in 2011.

6) Authenticity – The art of authenticity, in essence, is all about being true to yourself. So many times, we feel a pressure to be someone we are not, or a stress to not be who we are. Authenticity is about making a conscious choice to resist that pressure, and to succumb to the temptation to simply be you! I love what Judy Garland said about authenticity: “Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of someone else.” Make a commitment to just be you in 2011, because you are amazing!

7) Laughter & Tears – Literally thousands of years ago, before medicine became a science with research and test cases, the ancient proverb of Solomon offered this guidance: “A merry heart does good, like a medicine.” Now, with our test tubes and super computers, we have validated what this man of wisdom shared all along: laughter is healthy, and benefits us at all levels: mentally, emotionally, physically, physiologically, relationally and spiritually. In the same way, tears benefit us as well. We heal through our laughter and our tears. Those who do not give healthy time to both laughter and tears end up bottled up, stressed out, and carrying an invisible label over themselves in life that screams out “Contents Under Pressure!” This is not a healthy way to live. Live healthier in 2011!

8) Purpose & Faith – Live on purpose and with faith in 2011! As the writings of the ancient Hebrew Proverb so eloquently say: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Some are dragging their feet into 2011, wondering how much worse it can get! Myself, I choose a bright, optimistic and sunny disposition! It’s always sunny side up for me! Is there any other way? In reality, your faith-box determines your whole life! So, stuff your faith-box with treasures of hope and confidence and expectation and courage and anticipation! Embrace 2011 with purpose and vision and hope and faith, believing that this year will be better than any other! Please don’t enter 2011 with the negative energy of worry, fear and stress. Be secure and understand that no matter what difficulties you faced in 2010, they were meant to shape and transform you into someone stronger, wiser, and brighter. Be secure and believe that 2011 will be amazing! Because it will, for those who see it that way!

9) Clarity – Enter 2011 with clarity. Don’t give 80% of your time to the things that drain you, those things that really are not at the top of your ability and gifted-ness. Give 80% of your time to those things that fuel your strength, those things that you make you feel alive. As Andy Stanley said: “If you really want to make a lasting impact, then you need to eliminate what you do well for the sake of what you can potentially do best.” If you struggle to define this, please pick up a copy of my recent book, Getting Where You Need To Go, found on Amazon or Chapters online. Once again, the words of the Buddha provide guidance here: “Your work is to discover your work, and then with all your heart, to give yourself to it.”

10) Humility – Humility is a key word for 2011. There are many mis-perceptions of humility. Some think it is about letting people walk on you and mistreat you, but nothing could be further from the truth. It is about a person who knows who they are, and who they are not. It is a man or woman who is comfortable in his or her own skin. As a result, they are very secure. As Gilbert Keith Chesterton said: “It is always the secure who are humble.” We can all resonate with the words of Benjamin Franklin: “A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.”

11) Selflessness – George Bernard Shaw wrote: “This is the true joy of life: being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clot of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.” What more could I add to that? Be selfless in 2011, for in selflessness we find ourselves; in care for others we care for ourselves; in refreshing others we ourselves are refreshed.


Leonardo da Vinci said that, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. I hope that these 11 Simple Ideas will help you as you embrace 2011, with all its challenges and unknowns. Look within, craft the outlook, and then take the steps to make 2011 your best year ever!

Abe The Coach: Who’s In Your Bundle?

Abe The Coach: Who’s In Your Bundle?: "According to legend, on his deathbed, Khan Kubrat commanded his sons to gather sticks and bring them to him, which he then bundled together..."

Who’s In Your Bundle?

According to legend, on his deathbed, Khan Kubrat commanded his sons to gather sticks and bring them to him, which he then bundled together. He commanded his eldest son, Bayan, to break the bundle. Bayan failed against the strength of the combined sticks, and so did the other sons in turn.

Khan Kubrat undid the bundle and broke each stick separately. He then proclaimed to his sons, "unity makes strength", which has become a commonplace Bulgarian folk slogan and now appears on the Bulgarian coat of arms.

Your “bundle” can be defined as that network of caring relationships which wrap you in support, and give you strength which you do not have alone. It is crucial in life that we take time to identify and then cultivate our bundle, to build partners for life. Your bundle replenishes you. Relationships are a crucial key in unlocking your destiny.

So, how do we build our bundle?

First, focus on building the bundle of others. Be others’-first, others’-focused, others’-motivated. Remember that if you are looking for a bundle, so is everyone else! Be a bundle for others and they may return the kindness. Ann Landers said, “Warmth, kindness and friendship are the most yearned for commodities in the world. The person who can provide them will never be lonely.”

Second, don’t pre-judge your bundle. Sometimes, bundles comes from places we would never guess! Several years ago, I went through a difficult personal season. I remember thinking that my support would come from certain acquaintances I had at the time. Not only was I shocked that the help I needed did not come from that particular group, but I was pleasantly surprised when it came from another set of friends I never thought it would come from. As Samuel Johnston said, “True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends, but in their worth and choice." I had pre-judged that some would be in my bundle and others would not. Thankfully, my new-found bundle helped me through!

Third, people skills are crucial. Nobody owes you or me anything. In other words, every friend we have is a precious treasure and a privilege. The moment we take our friends for granted, and lose an attitude of gratitude, is the moment that we make it difficult for people to be in our bundle. Ralph Waldo Emerson said that, "The only way to have a friend is to be one."

There can be no doubt that at some point in our lives, something will attempt to break us. Don’t try to stand alone. Cultivate a bundle. Epicurus, a Greek philosopher said, "It is not so much our friends' help that helps us as the confident knowledge that they will help us." The support of a bundle will enable us to stand far longer than we could on our own. We will be thankful we took the time to build a bundle.

Leaving A Positive Footprint In 2011

It’s hard not to get the “resolution urge” around the dawn of a New Year. There’s a sense of renewal, of rebirth, and just plain guilt over missed opportunities, neglected relationships, un-achieved goals, and personal changes that we might have made, but did not. So, we resolve to do things different; to do things right; to make healthier choices.

New Year’s Resolutions are still popular. Stats tell us that 100 million Americans make New Year’s Resolutions each year. But, only 63% keep them after 2 months, and only 20% after 6 months. But, people are still fascinated with New Year’s Resolutions. I went on Google the other day to do a search and simply typed in, “New Year’s Resolutions”, and 8.65 million hits came up in 0.10 seconds! There were thousands and thousands of sites devoted to New Year’s Resolutions, or articles about them.

But here I want to go a little deeper than a New Year’s Resolution that 100 million make, but only 20% keep. It is often at the Sunset of an Old Year, and the Sunrise of a New Year that we receive new insights and shifts in thinking. This positions us for even greater success going forward. It is normal that we self-evaluate and analyze more at the pivotal moments of the end of an old year and the beginning of a New Year. For me, a New Year is an amazing opportunity to step back and look within. This helps me to look forward. I spend quality time in analysis, introspection, re-calibration, and re-focusing for a New Year. As we stand upon the Sunset of 2010, and head into the Sunrise of 2011, I want to share one insight for this New Year…

What’s The Big Idea?

My only suggestion for you in this New Year, is not to make a huge list of resolutions and changes to implement. My suggestion is one focal point; one big idea. Simply resolve this year to find a place to create and leave a positive footprint. Rather than spend your time solely focused on goals and resolutions that may or may not come to pass, simply have a singular focal point. From this focal point, many other things will flow.

This focal point revolves around creating a leaving a positive footprint in 2011. Determine now that whatever positive energy and imprint you left in 2010, that 2011 will be greater. Choose now to expand, broaden and deepen your positive and life-giving legacy in the lives of others.

See, people often spend their time building tents when they could be building temples. In other words, so many spend their time on the temporary when they could be spending their time building a legacy.

Some things that we do in this life are temporary; they are perishable. They have a “best before” date, and only last short periods of time, and benefit mainly ourselves. This is “building the tent”, so to speak. Other things we spend our time on are legacy items, things which last for significant periods of time and benefit others: “building the temple”, so to speak. The difference is mainly in the focus around temporary and personal benefit versus those things which last and benefit others. Let’s examine our focus…

Building A Tent...
Temporary Items
Short Lasting
“Best Before Date”
Short-Term Pleasures
“Today” Oriented
For The Now
Getting Through Today
Benefit To Mainly Ourselves

Building A Temple…
Legacy Items
Long Lasting
“No Expiry Date”
Long-Term Gains
“Tomorrow” Oriented
For The Future
Planning For Tomorrow
Benefits Ourselves & Others

I spent 12 years as a full-time ordained minister. In that time, I offered pastoral care to thousands of people. I remember vividly every funeral and wake I was part of, but one I remember more clearly than the others. I was used to conducting funeral services packed full of people, often with hundreds in attendance. These funerals became celebrations of the life and contributions of the one who had passed. Though there was sadness, there was also gratitude for the life lived and its contributions.

One funeral in particular stands out. It was in the town of Truro, Nova Scotia. This is a smaller community, with decent, kind, and caring people. I was called by one of our local funeral homes to conduct a service for an older gentleman who had passed away. He had requested a minister preside at his funeral. Because I did not know him, I was unsure what to expect, but as I arrived, I was shocked to see an open casket, with one mourner in attendance. I checked my watch and made sure I wasn’t early. Actually, I was five minutes late. I decided to wait another 10 minutes to see if anyone else would arrive. At 11:15am, 15 minutes after the funeral was supposed to begin, there was one mourner, an open casket, and myself present to celebrate and remember a life of more than 70 years.

I went through the motions of the funeral service, but was forever shaken by that experience. I couldn’t imagine living 70 years, and connecting with so few people and touching so few lives that there would be only one attendee at my funeral, along with a paid minister. That event shook me to my core and I resolved that I wanted to build a Temple and not a Tent with my life. I have not lived a perfect life by anyone’s estimation, but my heart and my aim has been to build a Temple-based life, benefiting others, not just living for today and for myself, but for tomorrow and for others. There can be no doubt that I will manage my time and my goals more effectively in 2011 if I spend my time building a Temple, as opposed to a Tent.


Leaving A Positive Footprint…

Who Will You Engage? Imagine now who you will engage in 2011 and impact in a positive way. Who will be the object of your life-giving energy? What family members, friends, co-workers, business associates or other people will you pour yourself into. The truth, as Anthony Robbins said, is that, “Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life's deepest joy: true fulfillment.” This means that as we give, we receive. As we offer ourselves, we gain. As we pour out, others pour in. Settle now who you will engage.

Why Will You Engage? The most spiritual of all values, no matter your personal religion or faith, is the value of leaving a positive footprint in the lives of others. As a person who did spend 12 years of my life in full-time, professional ministry, I was often surrounded by church-goers who felt that their attendance to church or mass or parish events was evidence of their spirituality. Somehow, they were confused into thinking that showing up at organized religious events was synonymous with the values of loving, cherishing, and pouring your life into others. My challenge to you is to re-evaluate all of your spirituality in 2011 through the prism of the impact you will have on the lives of others. If we believe we are spiritual, and yet are not selfless, compassionate, gentle and patient, perhaps our spirituality needs an overhaul. In the words of Thomas Jefferson: “I have ever judged of the religion of others by their lives. For it is in our lives, and not from our works, that our religion must be read.”

How Will You Engage? In 2011, it will be difficult for us to leave a positive footprint on the lives of others without the sowing of our Time, Talent, and Treasure. The amazing thing about giving our Time, Talent, and Treasure, is that as we do, we ourselves benefit in so many ways. It isn’t always obvious, but one of the most brilliant surprises of life is that when we replenish others, we ourselves are replenished. When we refresh others, we are refreshed. Hen we sow, we reap. As Sri Guru Granth Sahib said: “Through selfless service, eternal peace is obtained.”


So, throw our the goal setting charts and graphs for 2011! You do not need a list of resolutions or targets or plans or goals! Simply this, an overwhelming, deep urge springing forth from your inside to leave a positive footprint on the lives of others. This will make 2011 your best and most productive year ever!

Growing Through Pain

I was doing my daily 10k run the other day, when I glanced over at a local playground area. My glance became a gaze, as I saw a thick black foam lining the “floor” of the playground area. Fortunately, I am not the fastest runner on the planet and thus, I got a nice long look as I ran by. Under the monkey bars, swings and slides, was a protective padding that looked like it was about two or three inches thick.

Apparently, this is the latest fad in playground design and builds. To protect our children from nasty falls and unexpected drops, and the accompanying bumps, bruises and lacerations, we have padded and protected the ground. When they fall, rather than hitting the ground or sand or gravel, they gently bounce off the foam. It is pain free. They can play, but without worrying about pain.

In no way do I mean to pass judgment on this remarkable innovation. I am not a medical doctor, nor am I am paediatrician. Perhaps this “playground protection” is precisely what the doctor ordered. As a parent myself, I can bear witness to the over-riding passion we all have to keep our children safe and protected from harm, and the harm we feel when they experience any form of pain.

However, moving into the realm of adults, there can be no doubt in our current culture, that we make great efforts to create a life without pain. It is clear that pain is to be avoided at all costs. Almost every ad and marketing piece speaks about a utopian concept of the “good life” where we can navigate the difficulties of staying in shape and losing weight and planning for retirement and raising our children without pain. In the world of slick marketing and airbrushed images, life, career, relationships, and success all flow with effortless waves of bliss, when you buy this product or that service. All we need to do is sign up for whatever product or service is being sold, offer our credit card number, and we will have all we want in life, but without any pain.

The truth is that growth, personal development, and maturity are almost never without pain. The moments when we experience our greatest adversity can often become our season of greatest triumph. When the pain elevates, our development accelerates. When hardship increases, growth steps up. Aristotle said it like this: “We cannot learn without pain”.

A few years ago, I went through the greatest period of darkness and pain in my life. I lost much of what I had worked so hard for. I made poor choices and as a result, ended up in a moment of pain and heartbreak that I honestly did not think would ever end. But it did end. And not only did it end, but I stand today stronger and more secure than I have ever been. My perspective has been shaped, my attitudes adjusted, my choices re-aligned, my grace renewed. I am a deeper and fuller person than I was before. And pain was the process.

I learned that pain is inevitable. But misery is optional. Pain is an inevitable part of life, and is an integral component of the growth process. I learned things in the place of pain I could never learn in the place of pleasure.


How Do We Grow Through Pain?

1) Pain Brings Clarity Of Focus

Pain has the interesting benefit of sharpening our focus. I discovered this one day when I was building a fence with a nail gun, and was so comfortable with it that I took my eyes off what I was doing and began to use the nail gun on auto-pilot. Not a good idea! The pain I experienced when I grazed my hand with the 2 inch nail brought me back to a place of focus and clarity. What was most important became clear, and I was able to finish building the fence without distraction.
See in life, sometimes pain is crucial to help us focus again. John Maxwell said it like this: “Everything you now do is something you have chosen to do. Some people don't want to believe that. But if you're over age twenty-one, your life is what you're making of it. To change your life, you need to change your priorities.”

2) Pain Puts Things Into Perspective

Pain has the important quality if helping us put everything into perspective. We all tend to get a little whiny and to feel sorry for ourselves. Pain helps us to put things in perspective, so we don’t confuse an inconvenience with a legitimate problem. Robert Fulghum said it a little more clearly: “If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you got a problem. Everything else is inconvenience.”
See, our culture has conditioned us to actually believe that we can go through life without any struggles, hardships or difficulties. Some of us really believe this, and therefore we are surprised when they occur. Let me be clear. The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting we will not have problems, and then thinking that having problems is a problem. And, being surprised when they occur. Pain helps us understand this.

3) Pain Forces Us To Make A Choice

When faced with pain, we are always faced with choices. The choice pain offers is not only the choice between pain and misery, but also between mediocrity and magnificence, average and amazing, apathetic living or passionate living. Pain causes us to recalibrate, look in the mirror, and ask: What’s most important to me? Pain forces us to make a choice. And choices are crucial to growth and maturity.
Jim Rohn described what I am sharing like this: “We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment." When faced with pain, we either rise up and become all we can be, or we shrink back and live far less than our full potential. Pain often comes to help us to close the gap between our full potential and our current performance. But it’s all about our choices.
There is one thing that we all have in common. That is... at some point in our lives, we will face adversity. It's not a matter of if but... when. I have come to realize that the difference in our success and failure is not chance, but choice. Because when adversity strikes, it's not what happens that will determine our destiny; it's how we react to what happens.

4) Pain Attracts Support & Partners

One of the most amazing and sweet things about pain is the support, partnership and help it attracts. In no way am I talking about moping around, crying the blues, and being a drain on everyone else. But, what I discovered, when I embraced my pain, and engaged the process of life-change the pain was producing, people were attracted to the process and attracted to supporting and partnering with me. At a crazy time in my life in the past, I would try to carry hardship alone, even hiding it from others. Now, it simply is what it is. And, some people, who are designed to help and care and support, come alongside me and help me to get through it. Thanks! The healthy and strong individual is the one who asks for help when he needs it.
David Joseph Schwartz said this: “Here is the basic rule for winning success. Let's mark it in the mind and remember it. The rule is: Success depends on the support of other people. The only hurdle between you and what you want to be is the support of other people.” This is so true, and when we honestly embrace the process of pain, people come alongside to support us. Truthfully, a friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you, just the way you are. Pain brings these friends to the surface.

5) Pain Is Our Greatest Place Of Gain

There is no doubt that for most of us, pain is our greatest place of gain. Just like staying in shape is difficult with sweat and effort, so personal growth and maturity is slow when everything in our lives is perfect. Lance Armstrong, one of the greatest athletes of all time, said this: “Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.”
The single difference between pain that grows us, and pain that simply hurts us, is our attitude. We need to consciously choose, in a place of pain, to not blame others. To not feel sorry for ourselves. To embrace the pain and the lessons our pain is trying to teach us. As Oprah Winfrey said, “Turn your wounds into wisdom.”
The reality is, at some point, we all leave the padded mat of the playground and have to face the rough and tumble and pain of life without protection and at times, without support. Let’s do so, knowing our pain can be our greatest place of gain. And don’t be surprised when life throws pain your way, because when pain elevates, our development accelerates.

Personal Mastery

Swamiananda and his disciple Ranga were strolling on the beach by the ocean. It was a cold day and the wind was blowing strongly over the ocean, raising very high waves. After walking for some time, Swamiananda stopped, looked at his disciple and asked: "What does the choppy ocean remind you of?"
"It reminds me of my mind. Of my rushing and restless thoughts", answered Ranga.
"Yes, the stormy ocean is like the mind, and the waves are the thoughts. The mind is neutral like the water. It is neither good, nor bad. The wind is causing the waves, as desires and fears produce thoughts", said Swamiananda.
"I wouldn't want to be on a boat, in the middle of the ocean, in a storm like this", said Ranga.
"You are there all the time", responded Swamiananda. He continued, "Most people are on a rudderless boat in the middle of a choppy ocean, even if they do not realize it. The mind of most people is very restless. Thoughts of all kinds come and go incessantly, agitating the mind like the ocean's waves."
"Yes", Ranga interrupted him, "You don't have to tell me. This is the reason I am with you. I want to calm down the waves of my mind."
Swamiananda looked at Ranga for a while, smiled and said: "You don't calm the ocean by holding the water and not letting it move. What is necessary is to stop the wind. The wind is made of your thoughts, desires and fears. Don't let them rule your life. Learn to control them by controlling your attention, and then the ocean of your mind grows calm."
"And how do I do that?"
"Suppose it is possible for the ocean to disregard the wind, what would happen then?" asked Swamiananda.
"The waves would cease. But no one can stop the wind."
Swamiananda looked at him with a mysterious smile and said: "Why not? The wind, the ocean, and thoughts are all within the mind. When you can control the mind, you can control everything within it. But first you have to control your mind, which means you have to control your attention."
"Yes master", said Ranga, "this is what I am trying to do. You say whoever controls his mind can also control the wind. Can you do that?"
"First learn to calm down the ocean of your mind, and then find out if you can calm down the ocean. It is better to learn to control the mind, than enjoying mental tricks. When you calm your mind, you can calm down everything."

I came across this story while I was surfing the Net (http://www.successconsciousness.com/index_000053.htm) one day, and it really spoke to me about the concept of Mastery. There are far more things in this that we cannot master, than things that we can master. We can’t master or control the government, taxes, the economy, or the people around us. We cannot control nature, the stars, relationships, or many of the conditions around us. However, as the story shows, we can master and control our minds. And, we can always learn the art of mastering ourselves. Leonard da Vinci said, "One can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery of oneself." Rather than using all the things we can’t master as an excuse to do nothing, let’s use all we can’t master as motivation to master the things we can! We can always master and control our minds and ourselves!

Keys To Personal Mastery…

1) Believe You Can Do It – To develop mastery, we need to believe that we CAN! Many have tried and failed, and so we’re discouraged and don’t really believe we can develop mastery. Never allow the failures of the past to hinder you from moving forward in the future. You are “more” today than you ever have been before. You can do anything you set your mind and yourself to do, because the power is within!

2) Take Personal Responsibility - We need to “train ourselves” in the area of Mastery. When I was young, I realized what I was passionate about and what I wanted to be seen as “good at”. This knowledge propelled me to strive to take personal responsibility and live a life of mastery. We must do it, and not expect others to. It’s our responsibility. And, we must not blame others if we have a hard time, or blame circumstances. There is an ancient proverb that speaks to this…
“Go to the ant… Consider her ways and be wise,
Which, having no captain, overseer or ruler,
Provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.”

3) Have The Right Priorities - I’ve found that the greatest problem that hinders many from a lack of mastery is wrong priorities. We need to learn the fine art of planning to neglect everything that is not connected to our personal priorities. We cannot allow the distractions of a moment or the priorities of others to derail us. Take regular time to find your centre and realize what is most important to you, and build your life around that. Stay focused. Michelangelo said, “If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.”

4) Aim High But Start Small - When we start to learn mastery in a certain area, we need to aim high, but start low. We need to have a high goal of where we want to end up, and yet we need to start small! This makes it easier to reach instead of trying to hit so high! Rome wasn’t built in a day. By perseverance, the snail reached the ark!

5) Create A Daily Plan - Until something becomes part of your daily routine, it won’t be part of your life. Look at your daily life and your daily schedule, and create a daily plan that works for you. Master the moments and eventually, you will master your life! Mastery grows when something we treasure becomes part of our daily plan.

6) Just Do It, And See The Value In What You’re Doing - When we have created a plan, we need to simply do it. And, to be continually motivated, we need to continually remind ourselves of the value proposition. Remind yourself that though you are “paying” now, you will get to “play” later! Remind yourself that the benefits of mastery exceed the cost of the discipline involved in gaining it. When the journey of self-discipline begins, we often ask ourselves why we are doing this. It seems to be a waste. When you remember the value of what you are doing, it sure helps!

7) When You Fail:
* Get Back Up – Keep on keepin’ on!
* Don’t Make Excuses - Simply accept responsibility.
* Don’t Be Too Hard On Yourself – What’s the point? No one gets better when they just beat themselves up a little more!

If we want to attain Mastery in anything, we desperately need to fight and win the battle with ourselves. Mastery is not our goal, so much as a means to our other goals. Our goal isn’t just Mastery, but to grow and develop through Mastery. Mastery is a tool and a pathway to help us grow. Mastery is always worth developing!

The Comeback Of Optimism

A couple weeks ago, I was struck by a headline I read in the Calgary Herald. It simply said this: “Positive blog focuses on life’s simple pleasures.”

The article went on to tell the story of Neil Pasricha, who was depressed by reading constant bad news daily, the breakup of his own marriage, and one of his closest friends’ suicide. Neil decided to try to focus on the positive, and so he came up with 1000 simple, free awesome things, posting one each day on a blog, called www.1000awesomethings.com. Little did he realize that his blog would strike a nerve and attract 40,000 people daily, and a major book deal. His book, The Book Of Awesome, was released in mid-April of this year.

“I turned the worst year of my life into my best year by focusing on the positive… I think it is a sign that people want optimism to come back”, Pasricha told Reuters in a phone interview.

I love that statement by Pasricha. It contains a wealth of wisdom, and expresses three Guideposts we can all live our lives by daily.

The first Guidepost is CONTROL - You Are In Control. Pasricha said that, “I turned the worst year of my life into my best year…” This is not about being a control freak, or about allowing our potential “O.C.D. Tendencies“ (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) to drive us to a place of losing our sanity, but about recognizing that ultimately, we are in control of our world and especially our internal environment. Though he was in the midst of the worst year of his life, internally and externally, he took CONTROL and transformed it into his best year, both internally, and eventually, externally. This is one of the most liberating and empowering principles to internalize, because it removes us from being a victim of circumstance and happenstance, and puts us firmly in the drivers’ seat! We are in CONTROL!

The second Guidepost we can live our lives by is CHOICE - You Exercise Control By Making A Choice. Pasricha said that, “I turned the worst year of my life into my best year by focusing on the positive…" The pathway given us for exercising CONTROL is simply that we need to exercise the power of CHOICE. Dr Wayne Dyer said it so simply, when he said that, “Our lives are a sum total of the choices we have made.” Many people will be shocked to come to the end of their lives and realize that they were given the same 24 hours in each day as Abraham Lincoln, the same 7 days a week as Gandhi, the same 52 weeks a year as Helen Keller, and the same 12 months a year as Martin Luther King, Jr. Yet did we make the same choices they made, with the same allotments of time? Some exercised their CONTROL and made positive, healthy, and consistent CHOICES and produced results which still beneficially impact our world today. Some do not. Will you exercise the CONTROL you have already been given by making positive, healthy, and consistent CHOICES?

The final Guidepost we can live our lives by, which we see here, is COMEBACK - Optimism Makes A Comeback When We Exercise The Right Choices! Pasricha said that, “I think it is a sign that people want optimism to come back”. See, people want Optimism in their lives and in their world. People are longing for and craving the positive, the hopeful, the sunny, promising and bright.

Optimism is defined as the tendency to believe or expect or hope that things will turn out well. It is the attitude of someone who feels positive or confident. And it makes a COMEBACK in our lives when we exercise the CONTROL we have been given and make positive and healthy and consistent CHOICES. It reminds me of the quote from Viktor Frankl, who spent years in a Nazi death camp, but also said this: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.” We all want freedom and growth! It is easy to answer negative stimulus with negative response; the challenge is in responding to negative with positive. This is Optimism. When we respond with Optimism, we allow Optimism to make a COMEBACK in our lives and in those around us. Here are a few Principles About Optimism…

- Optimism Is Always About What You Choose To Focus On - Life is full of good and bad, healthy and unhealthy, rich and poor, ying and yang. There will always be good and bad, healthy and unhealthy, positive and negative, north and south, sunshine and rain, ying and yang. It is what it is. So why focus on the negative? Optimism is about us taking our power of choice and using it to focus on what will empower us: the positive. This does not mean denying the negative, but maximizing the positive!

- Optimism Doesn’t Always Change The Result, But It Always Changes Our Experience - There is not necessarily a power in Optimism itself to change the circumstance or the result…but being Optimistic in the midst of life and difficulties certainly changes our experience in the midst of it! Years ago, I realized that if I was going to go through pain anyway, often through no action on my part, then perhaps I should so through it with a positive, vibrant perspective, this improving my experience.

- Optimism Is The Key To Progress & Advancement - Without Optimism, progress is almost non-existent. Martin Luther King Jr. said to, “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step. ” Optimistic people have the capacity to do this. Negative people do not.

- Optimism Is A Seed That Blossoms Into Greater Opportunity, Healthier Relationships, and Deeper Abundance - Nietzsche said that, “Everyone thinks that the principal thing to the tree if the fruit, but in point of fact the principal thing to it is the seed.” Optimism is the seed, life is the fruit. Here is the reality: Optimism is attractive. We like to be around people who are bright, sunny and generally joyful. It is not a lot of work to be around people like that! On the other hand, pessimism is relationally unattractive! Though the results we seek aren’t always caused when we are Optimistic, there is no doubt that Optimism in and of itself often attracts Greater Opportunity, Healthier Relationships, and Deeper Abundance.

- Optimism Is Nature’s Stress Relief Valve - There can be no doubt that where the mind goes, the man follows. Hans Seyle, which was a pioneer in the understanding of human stress, was asked the following question: “What is the most stressful condition a person can face?” His unexpected response: “Not having something to believe in.” When we lack something to believe in, it creates a deficit of hope within us. This deficit of hope leads to an abundance of stress. Here is a simple equation for managing through life…
> Abundance Of Hope = Deficit Of Stress
> Deficit Of Hope = Abundance Of Stress

- Optimism Takes Work, Effort and Humour - Lastly, it takes hard work, effort, and humour to maintain an Optimistic and sunny disposition, but it is well worth it! It takes intentionality, focus, and the ability to laugh at yourself and life around you. Make Gratitude Lists and Gratitude Journals. Document the life-giving and the inspiring. Create a list of life’s simple pleasures and blessings. Cultivate the attitude of gratitude.
Surround yourself with positive people and positive messages. These are crucial keys in developing consistent Optimism.


I challenge you to give Optimism a chance in you again! Embrace the Comeback of Optimism! The Upanishads, which are ancient Hindu Scriptures, simply say this: “Out of abundance He took abundance and still abundance remained.” The universe is still expanding, and so are you! Abundance is in you and flows through you and is all around you! There many many reasons to be optimistic…and the best is that there still abundance in you! Optimism is a simple perspective that life is good, and it leads to a good life! Embrace this perspective, and life will be good! And your experience of life will be even better!

7 Controllables That Boost My Personal Energy Level

A short time ago, someone asked me about Energy and their personal Energy levels, and how they could boost their Energy level. They didn’t feel they had “enough in the tank” to get everything done that was important to get done. The demand on their personal Energy was greater than the supply of Energy.
This seems to be a common issue today. Every store you walk into has supplements and energy drinks and herbal remedies and protein drinks and protein foods you can consume, all with the goal of helping us to increase our personal Energy level. There are many reasons why people feel a lack of Energy today. It could be the incredible stress people feel, issues at their place of work, financial pressure, sleeplessness and insomnia, or having children and the challenges associated with raising them. Or a painful combination of all of the above. But whatever the reason, many feel a general lack of Energy and enthusiasm. And this is tragic because, as Tom Peters said: “Nothing good or great can be done in the absence of enthusiasm.” Nothing good or great can be done in the absence of Energy and enthusiasm. The fact is that Energy is Crucial.

Energy:
- Dictates Daily Operations - Energy fuels our daily operations…
- Develops Dreams And Visions - Energy empowers us to fulfill our dreams and visions…
- Decides What Gets Done & What Does Not - It is not often time management that is the real problem, but having the Energy to do what we have planned to do. The greatest planning and goal-setting, devoid of having the appropriate Energy, still means nothing is accomplished.
- Delivers Incredible Productivity - B.C. Forbes said that, “Enthusiasm is the electric current that keeps the engine of life going at top speed. Enthusiasm is the very propeller of progress.” Energy and enthusiasm act as a catalyst of effort, output, and work, making us incredibly productive.
- Displays & Fosters Creativity - Creativity is crucial when it comes to our work and tapping into the fullness of our potential. When we have Energy, it is amazing the kind of creative juices that flow and enrich our work. It reminds me of Walter Chrysler, who said that, “The real secret of success is enthusiasm.” Enthusiasm and Energy are amazing mechanisms for inspiring creativity and imagination in us. If you doubt this, try being creative or imaginative without Energy.
- Dampens Anxiety & Worry - Without Energy, we tend to have more head space to spend on our anxieties and worries, simply because we are not moving very fast. When we have energy, we often simply don’t have a lot of time to spend on our anxieties and worries. Energy has the power to dampen our anxiety and our worry.
- Disables & Dispels Fear - Lacking Energy, the things we fear become a lot bigger than they really are. But when we have Energy, the things we fear are cut down to their proper size.
- Defeats Discouragement - We all get discouraged. It is amazing the impact that our Energy level can have upon discouragement. When we have a healthy amount of Energy, we tend to “bounce back” much quicker from discouragements and defeats.
- De-Rails Depression - Feelings of depression happen to us all at times. Actually, in so many ways, feeling depressed actually feels like a total and complete lack of Energy. But a wealth of Energy gives us a sense of confidence and joy, and de-rails depression.
- Delays Aging - Charles Lamb said this: “Our spirits grow gray before our hair.” An abundance of Energy has the effect of empowering us and even delaying the aging process! People with healthy Energy levels feel younger, look younger, and even act younger!

So we can see the crucial importance of Energy and maintaining a healthy Energy level in our lives.

We cannot always control the people, circumstances, and events that sap our Energy, however, there are some things we can do continually which, properly practiced, will boost your personal Energy level. What are they?

7 Controllables That Boost My Personal Energy Level…

1) Eating & Sleeping Right - Right Fuel = Right Results. We cannot overstate the importance of proper sleep and diet. There can be no doubt that without taking the time to get proper rest and to eat properly, we will lack Energy within our lives. Think of personal Energy levels as a measure of INPUTS and OUTPUTS. Of course, the OUTPUTS are things like meetings, working, various stresses, financial pressures, fears, worries, problems we face, etc. If our OUTPUT exceeds our INPUTS then we feel a lack of Energy. The only way to correct this is to raise our level of INPUTS. The INPUTS primarily are our diet and our sleep…
a) Diet - Foods that fuel include copious amounts of fruits and vegetables, fish, poultry, etc.
b) Sleep - Everyone needs a different amount of sleep to be properly replenished. Find out what you need and respect it.

2) Exercise - Regular maintenance for your “vehicle” – your body! When you feel a lack of Energy, the best thing you can do is expend energy in a healthy way: exercise. There can be no doubt that exercise replenishes our Energy levels, and that it helps us maintain and properly care for our own bodies. Just do it! Start small and work your way up gradually.

3) Effort - Give what you need to get what you need! One of the strange anomalies of this whole Energy conversation is that when you have low levels of Energy, you feel you need to conserve and ration out your Energy. In actuality, when our Energy levels feel low, we need to increase our efforts and put out a little extra. Often, when we engage in that, we will find that we will go to the next level in term of Energy levels.
Give what you need, and you will get what you need!

4) Expectations - People who expect the worst generally feel the worst! One of the most effective keys to boosting our Energy level is to make sure that our expectations are positive. When we expect the worst we will feel low in energy, motivation, and enthusiasm. When our expectations are positive, it is a different story completely! Our Energy is vibrant and abundant! I love this quote by Arnold Toynbee: “Apathy can be overcome by enthusiasm and enthusiasm can be aroused by two things: first, an idea which takes the imagination by storm; and second, a definite, intelligible plan for carrying that idea into action.”

5) Enthusiasm - Energy flows to the area of your enthusiasm! There are some tasks which drain us, and other tasks which fuel us. Often we lack Energy because we are forced to perform in an area that we have no passion for. When we have passion and enthusiasm for something, we have productivity and Energy. Now, realistically cannot simply do what we are passionate and enthusiastic about only all the time. So, we need to make sure we spend only about 1/3 or so of our time on areas outside of our passion. This will keep our Energy level higher.

6) End Negative Thinking - Nothing drains energy like negativity. Part of this process of ending negative thinking is taking time to evaluate and weed out all the negative thinking influences within your life. There is a Chinese proverb that says that, “A single conversation across the table with a wise man is worth a month’s study of books.” Having conversations that are positive, and keeping our own thoughts positive will keep our Energy level high.

7) Eliminate Worry & Stress About Non-Controllables! Cut out “energy sappers”! Why waste valuable mental and emotional Energy, and valuable time, on what you cannot control? Marcus Aurelius said that, “Such as are your habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of your mind; for the soul is dyed by the thoughts.” If our habitual thoughts are filled with worry and stress, especially about the things we cannot control, this will drain what Energy we do have. Consciously choose to only worry about what you can control! This will preserve valuable Energy for those things we can actually have influence upon!


As we conclude, maintaining high Energy levels is crucial. Edward B. Butler said this: “Every man is enthusiastic at times. One man has enthusiasm for 30 minutes – another has it for 30 days, but it is the person who has it for 30 years who makes a success in life.” When our Energy and enthusiasm level is high, there is no limit on what we can accomplish. These easy keys will help boost our Energy level to a place where we can achieve, and still have something left “in the tank”.

Consistent Kindness

In a generally selfish, “ME”-Oriented culture, does consistent Kindness still make sense?

This is a question that I am asked regularly by clients and people who are a little frustrated with the way the world has gone lately. There can be no doubt that there is a trend in our culture towards a bit of a selfish, “ME”-Oriented focus. Today we have “I”-Tunes, we use the “I”-Phone and the “I”-Touch, and everyone is pretty excited about the “I”-Pad coming out shortly. It seems that our world has gradually moved to a model where it is all, or at least mostly, about “ME”, and less and less about others and consistent Kindness. This is tragic because Confucius said, passing down to us wisdom from the ages, that we should, “Forget injuries, but never forget kindnesses.” Kindness, compassion and selflessness are qualities which we desperately need to see more of.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkley, are challenging long-held beliefs that human beings are wired to be selfish. In a wide range of studies, social scientists are amassing a growing body of evidence to show that we are successful as a species precisely because of our nurturing, altruistic and compassionate traits. The most successful and the most fulfilled are generally those who care and show empathy towards others. They call it, “the survival of the kindest”. Even Albert Einstein said that, "Only a life lived for others is worth living."

So, does it make sense to show consistent Kindness, or should we fall for the mantra that “it’s all about me?” Personally, I am big on Karma. Karma speaks a lot about the energy we emanate and the life we project. What we emanate and project tends to come back to us. I like to think of Karma as similar to the law of sowing and reaping. The things we do come back to us; what we speak gets said back to us; what we sow we reap. So, why not live, speak, and show consistent Kindness? Mark Twain said that, “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and blind can read." Wow!

Kindness is Caring & Compassion. Care and compassion are fundamental spiritual values and sacred human rights. People always have a right to care and compassion. The beauty about showing care and compassion is that it makes us happy, and the one we are giving it to happy as well. As the Dalai Lama said, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” The truth is that you can never give enough Kindness. At times we feel like we have exhausted our capacity to pour out Kindness and generosity and nurture; but I guarantee this, if we dig a little deeper we will find more to give!

Kindness is Comforting & Completing. There are times when we feel that those around us need direction and correction and instruction. We want to be the ones who teach, instruct, direct, and even correct. Though it may be true that a person needs those things, make sure that before you offer them, you offer comfort. Authentic comfort and soothing calm work wonders in dealing with people! When people we love or care about are struggling, first offer a hug; then offer a roadmap. Kindness will put them in a much better place to receive. I love what Henry Ward Beecher said: "Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation." This is the essence of Kindness.

Kindness is Creating… Hope… Vision… Dreams… A future. It is amazing the singular difference that true Kindness can make in the life of another human being. So many people wrestle to believe in themselves, and so of course, they live their lives at about 25-50% of their true potential. Kindness and acceptance creates a sense in people of true worth and value… which in essence act as fuel for their hopes, visions, and dreams. It is amazing to realize that we have power to activate the hopes, vision and dreams of another! As Albert Pike said: “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal."

Kindness is Clarifying & Coaching. We do people no favor by just patting them on the back if they are on the way to walking off a cliff. Part of true Kindness is working through issues and difficulties and even errors in judgment with people; but proactively working toward a solution! Asking questions in the right time, helping people to discern between one choice and another, and helping people grow in their capacity to know healthy vs. unhealthy are all traits of consistent Kindness. Clarifying and coaching people towards healthy positive choices for themselves and those they care about is authentic and rich Kindness!

Kindness is Contagious. The end result of kindness is that it draws people to you. No one likes to be around a person who is judgmental, impatient, and intolerant. Remember well the words of William Wordsworth as you continue your journey: “The best portion of a good man's life; his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.”

As we close this little piece, a question I have often asked is why are some people seeming to be naturally Kind and compassionate and caring, and others are not? Some folks seem to resonate Kindness in every interaction, and others will, only when “forced”.

Why are some not kind? The simplest answer, as far as I can tell, is that we live what we learn, and what we are taught. In other words, some of us came from environments where Kindness and compassion was demonstrated to us, where tenderness was normal, where gentleness was customary. Others simply did not. Perhaps we all need to take some time and evaluate what we were taught, and thus how we are living. If we did not receive Kindness, we may have to consciously choose to work a little harder at it than others. But with persistence, and patience and gentleness with ourselves, we will surely get there.

Remember the words of Helen Keller: "Happiness cannot come from without. It must come from within. It is not what we see and touch or that which others do for us which makes us happy; it is that which we think and feel and do, first for the other fellow and then for ourselves."

Breaking Free Of Fear

In life, one of the keys to actualizing and realizing your potential is to see yourself correctly. People who have their eyes opened to see themselves clearly end up going far and doing a lot of great things in life! The world is full of people who have not yet come to a place where they are utilizing their full capacity. Most
do not come close to exhausting all the potential in them. People who do not see themselves clearly; who do not see themselves through a positive and expansive lens, end up living far below their capacity!!
 “You may have read positive Words, studied positive Words, and taught others positive Words, but do you believe the positive Words for YOU? You are living today what you believe about yourself! You will be changed as you change your thinking and beliefs. Where the heart and mind goes, the man follows…”
 “Your faith-box and self-mirror determine your whole life: what you think, feel, experience and do; what you create, grow, build and dream. You are thinking, feeling, experiencing and doing what your faith-box contains and what your self-mirror shows. You are creating, growing, building and dreaming what your faith-box allows and what your self-mirror permits…”
 “Your perception of yourself is so important. How you view yourself determines & affects so much. You’ll never behave consistently in a way that contradicts your view of yourself. Until you start seeing yourself and speaking over yourself positive Words, and stop thinking of yourself as rejected, inadequate, or unable to do anything of value, you will never behave in a healthy way or achieve all you can achieve…”

Many of us do not believe or live positive Words about ourselves because we are held back by fear. Let’s look at some definitions of fear to help us understand it. One of my favorite is the acronym, “F.E.A.R.” - “False Evidence Appearing Real”!! So many times, fear is exactly that: false evidence that is appearing real to us!
Webster defines “fear” as, “an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger; anxious concern; painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger; implies a loss of courage.” Aristotle said, “fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.”
These definitions bring us to one of the keys to understanding fear. See, there is legitimate fear, and there is illegitimate fear! There is fear that IS okay, and there is fear that IS NOT okay!
“Two Types Of Fear”:
1) Healthy / Rational Fear - Fear of falling over a cliff, fear of being hit by a car, fear of a heart attack without proper diet and exercise, etc. There are all healthy, rational fears which are logical and serve as a sort of warning or defense mechanism.
2) Un-Healthy / Irrational Fear - These are the fears that harm us the most. Fear of insects, fear of the dark, fear of public speaking, fear of people. These are irrational, often illogical fears that we need to learn to overcome, or we will be paralyzed by them! It is these kinds of fears that Franklin D. Roosevelt said in his 1933 inaugural address: “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself – nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” So, how do we overcome fear?? How can we BREAK FREE OF FEAR??

BREAKING FREE OF FEAR…

1) Face It!! Face Fear Head-On!!

Life is a journey of overcoming and even conquering the things which hold us back. You gotta face your fear head on to BREAK FREE OF FEAR! YOU CANNOT BE CALLED A “CONQUEROR” WITHOUT “CONQUERING”; YOU CANNOT BE AN “OVERCOMER” WITHOUT HAVING SOMETHING TO “OVERCOME”!
Eleanor Roosevelt said that, “Fear is the most devastating emotion on earth. I fought it and conquered it by helping people who were worse off than I was. I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do, provided he keeps doing them until he gets a record of successful experience behind him.” So, to BREAK FREE OF FEAR, you have to face it by looking at the roots of your specific fears…
 Are They A Result Of Family / Generational Fears?
 Are They A Result Of Upbringing?
 Are They A Result Of Society?
 Are They A Result Of Insecurity / Mindset?

2) Fight It!! Fear Doesn’t Just “Go Away”; Fight Thru It!!

To BREAK FREE OF FEAR, we have to simply fight!! See, in essence, BREAKING FREE OF FEAR is a contest or competition of wills. Who is going to win? Your fear, or you? People often ask me how I overcome fear. I do it by simply overcoming it. Fighting it. Literally, I am afraid almost in everything I do, but for some reason, early in life, I conditioned myself to fight through it.
I remember when I was in Grade 12, I somehow knew I was “called” to be a public speaker and there was a chance to speak to my high school. Actually, it was a Snow King/Snow Queen pageant where you entered the contest with a “talent”. Everyone else had an actual talent, i.e. singing, dance, art, inventing, etc. Mine was simply that I felt I could speak. But out of dozens of contestants, I made the finalists and almost became the Snow King of Millwood High School! Haha… funny example, but I beat my fear by simply fighting through it!

3) Faith It!! Literally Replace Fear With Faith!!

What is the opposite of fear? Faith! See, fear is anticipation of evil or harm or bad, while faith is anticipation or expectancy of good and joy and happy times! And see, faith looks like courage when it is lived out!
See, faith is an abstract concept. It is something that is difficult to get a handle on and really define. But, I can tell you this: If you were to ask what faith looks when it is in action; what it looks like when it is lived out, here is the answer. Faith in action looks like courage! And courage has always been key for people to fulfill their destiny. To BREAK FREE OF FEAR, replace fear with faith & courage!!

4) Fill It!! Fresh Regular In-Filling Of Positive Words!!

It seems like a simple concept, but over and over again life reveals that people become what they think about. Where the mind goes, the man follows. If this is the case, perhaps we should all make a concerted effort to embrace positive thoughts; to meditate on affirmative, optimistic, encouraging, and constructive thoughts which motivate and inspire us, as opposed to negative, pessimistic, destructive thoughts that de-motivate and un-inspire! Today you may encounter some who will not see you...your potential, gifts, talents, passion, heart, and abilities. Its all good...because the universe will send those who do...they see you...and those are the ones you are meant to partner with.


5) Follow It!! Your Life Call, Regardless Of Fear!!

Ultimately, overcoming fear is about a choice. The choice is simple: will you do it or not? Will you do what you know you were born to do; your dream and vision, or not? Overcoming and BREAKING FREE OF FEAR happens as we follow our personal calling with all of our hearts!

Reasons & Excuses Which Are Not Be “Good Enough” For Why We Did Not Live Our Dream…
 “I was too busy…”
 “I was too ignorant…”
 “I was too distracted…”
 “I was too career-oriented…”
 “Money…”
 “I was too passion-less…”
 “I was too afraid…”
 ANY EXCUSE

6) Forsake It!! Leave Fear Behind As You Step Out!!

At some point, you have to step out!! History is full of the example of those who only conquered their fear and saw result when they made a choice to step out and forsake their fears and leave their timidity behind…
 Abraham Lincoln and freeing the slaves…
 Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights…
 Nelson Mandela and breaking apartheid…
 Etc., etc.
BREAKING FREE OF FEAR is about actively using your inner strength to break fear & stepping out in courage!


7) Fear It!! Fear Living In Fear More Than Fear Itself!!

In essence, to BREAK FREE OF FEAR, we need to fear fear itself!! Like Roosevelt said in 1933: “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself – nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” We need to fear the nameless, unreasoning, unjustified fears! They paralyze us from making the efforts we need to make to convert retreat into advance!


Top 10 Reasons Why I Should Fear Living In Fear…

 Fear Saps Your Potential
 Fear Sucks Your Energy
 Fear Saddens Your Heart
 Fear Shrinks Your Mindset
 Fear Scraps Your Dreams
 Fear Surrenders Your Dignity
 Fear Sabotages Your Destiny
 Fear Sedates Your Motivation
 Fear Shakes Your Beliefs
 Fear Shrouds Your Beauty

The Four “F’s” For Starting A New Year

I want to take a few moments and share a few thoughts with you as we gaze upon the Sunset of an Old Year, and into the Sunrise of a New Year. It is often at the Sunset of an Old Year, and at the Sunrise of a New Year that clarity speaks. “January” got its name from the Roman god Janus, who was a man with two faces. One looked backward, while the other looked forward. A New Year provides a valuable opportunity to ponder the past Year while anticipating the future Year. So, I want to look at, “The Four “F’s” For A New Year”. I hope this will help us bring closure to what’s behind so that we can run with enthusiasm for what’s ahead…

1. Extend Forgiveness… The Principle Of “Closing Accounts”

 Make A List Of Those Who Hurt You In 2009,
 Identify How They Hurt You,
 Understand That By Forgiving Others, You Release Yourself,
 Simply Forgive

Without Forgiving, You Experience “The Bitterness Principle”…

2. Forget What You Need To… The Principle Of “Closure”

Leave Behind In 2009 What Needs To Be Left Behind…
 Personal Failures
 Personal Disappointments & Loss
 Personal Wounds (Extend Forgiveness)

Without Forgetting, You Experience “The Bondage Principle”…

3. Focus On What You Need To… The Principle Of “Clear Vision”

 A Clear Vision Harnesses Your Potential
 A Clear Vision Helps You Tap Into The Laser Power Of Focus
 What Is Your “Vision Statement” For 2010? Don’t Just “Head Into 2010”; Head Into 2010 With A Vision!

Without Focus, You Experience “The Blurry Principle”…


4. Go Forward Where You Need To… The Principle Of “Consistent Personal Growth”

W. Edwards Deming is the statistician who established Total Quality Movement,
first in Japan and then in the rest of the world. Deming’s contribution is historically so important that U.S. New & World Report called him one of the “nine hidden turning points in history” (along with the birth control pill and the Apostle Paul). After over 50 years of statistical study, Deming pointed out that in every process there is a beginning and an end. When you focus on the first 15% of that process and get it correct (its initial conditions), you insure at least 85% of your desired outcome. By focusing on the first 15% of anything, the remaining 85% will effortlessly flow.

“Getting the process correct” when it comes to you and I is all about ongoing training, education, personal growth, and personal development. Michelangelo said that, “If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.”

See, when we stop growing, in essence, we start dying. Will Rogers: “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” Thus, going forward is all about making choices and developing habits so that we consistently continue to grow and move forward as people. It is all about daily choices and daily habits which flow from an overall life focus of growth and personal development. Aristotle said this: “We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” Perhaps Joe Girard summed it up best when he said, “The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs… one step at a time.”

This is also about having a coach and/or mentor. A Chinese Proverb tells us that a single conversation across the table with a wise man is worth a month’s study of books. We Need To Be Ever Growing & Increasing…
 Where Do You Need To Improve?
o Personally?
o Relationally?
o Financially?
o Educationally?
o Mentally?
o Emotionally?
o Spiritually?
o Physically?

Without Going Forward, You Experience “The Boredom Principle”…



The Four “F’s” For Starting A New Year…

1) Extend Forgiveness… The Principle Of “Closing Accounts”… Without it, you experience “The Bitterness Principle”…
2) Forget What You Need To… The Principle Of “Condemnation Prevention”… Without it, you experience “The Bondage Principle”…
3) Focus On What You Need To… The Principle Of “Clear Vision”… Without it, you experience “The Blurry Principle”…
4) Go Forward Where You Need To… The Principe Of “Consistent Personal Growth” Without it, you experience “The Boredom Principle”…