Change Means Action

"Progress is a nice word. But change is its motivator. And change has its enemies." - Robert Kennedy

Change does have enemies and Robert Kennedy knew that truth and paid for it with his blood. Change can be dangerous. That is why our natural instinct is to stay the course; stay put; avoid trying something new; leaving well enough alone; being safe; and I could mention another twenty or so excuses. If you are the type that wants to stay in your comfort zone, you will never experience the immense joy that comes from living. In order to succeed we must take risks and that means we have to change. Robert Kennedy said this in the context of politics. He referred to making progress as a nation. The only way to make progress as a nation is to change our point of view, to change the way we govern ourselves, to change certain laws that are unfair, and change the way we deal with the bad guys.

But his words can apply to any aspect of life, not just politics. In my career as a trainer I can say that change is the one thing that is needed the most and done the least. I have seen people go way out of their way just to avoid change. I trained adults in job readiness skills. Let me tell you that there were times I couldn't even get an adult to change their seat after 20 minutes of being seated in class. That is how ridiculous we can get about change. We all need to train ourselves to be more open. But it goes further than that.

Change is an action word and that means we need to act if we are going to progress. Change is not a theoretical practice of the mind, it implies real physical movement. For example, we may say that we have changed our attitude towards someone, but unless that is followed up by an action towards that certain person, they are only shallow words. Change means to repent. I instantly scare people away as soon as I say that because of the religious overtones. Well you can apply this to religion if you like. All I am saying is when someone says to you to repent, it simply means to change what you are doing. Change requires 3 things. The first is to recognize the need to change. The second is you actually do the action that is required. The third is you maintain the new course of action. Those happen to be the same three things involved in repentance. They say that recognizing that you need to change is half the battle and that is so true in my experience. The changing part is actually a lot less difficult to do than the first part which again is recognizing that you need to change. The final part is easy. It just requires that you keep on doing the new action over and over again. The second part in the middle means you must turn around and do something different to prove that what you recognized as needed to be done will be done. Change is empowering no matter how small it is as long as it is positive. Today, why not give change a chance and perform an action that you know needs to be done in your life. You will be gratified and empowered when you do it!

Discipline Yourself to Success

When working toward goals or striving for success in any endeavor, self-discipline is one vital quality you need to have. Most of us cringe at the thought because it brings to mind instant visions of sacrifice, difficulty and strain.

However, discipline doesn’t have to be so hard. The problem occurs when you try to go from having no self-discipline to forcing yourself to undertake a heavy load of responsibility. Talk about pressure!

Below are three easy ways to become more disciplined with a minimum of discomfort:

1) First, change your attitude about discipline. One reason you may not be disciplined is because you think the activities or chores you need to do will be unpleasant in some way. The most common reaction to thoughts like that is to put the activities aside or avoid them until you feel ready to handle them.

Instead, pump yourself up and get motivated to get them done as soon as possible! Look forward to the challenge and keep affirming how great you’ll feel when you’re finished. Focus on the sense of personal accomplishment you’ll gain with every task and you’ll be much more likely to stick to your plans.

2) Make self-discipline a gradual process. Rather than trying to force yourself into submission with a big list of tasks or activities, go a little easier on yourself to start.

Identify one small task or activity that you can use for practice. Make it something fairly easy to accomplish each day, and then make sure you do it. If you have to, post notes of encouragement everywhere or wear an elastic band around your wrist as a reminder. If possible, get this one task out of the way first thing in the morning before you do anything else. Make it your highest priority and it will soon become a solid habit.

Then, begin adding more tasks or activities – or increase the size or frequency of the original task so you’re doing more each day. Little by little, keep increasing it like that and eventually you’ll find that you’re doing the things you set out to do without excuses or procrastination.

3) Commitment. If you’re not fully committed to achieving your goals, you’ll probably have a harder time pushing yourself to work on them. Make a solemn vow to yourself that you will do what it takes to work on your goals every single day. Write a list of important action steps and make it your mission to do one or more of them each day. Re-commit yourself as often as necessary to make sure you stick to your plans.

More than anything else, self-discipline is a favorable result of a series of wise decisions that you make each day. Choose to be disciplined, choose to be successful – and you will be!

How Thoughts Create Matter

Did you ever have the feeling right before something good happened, that you knew it was going to happen?

Most people don't understand it, and think it's ESP or something like of that nature.

In the book Think And Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, he says "...thought, backed by strong DESIRE, has the tendency to transmute itself into its physical equivalent."

Very Powerful stuff!

As I like to say, "Matter is Merely Materialized Thought...So What Are You Thinking?"

Many people have asked me what that means, so here's an explanation...

Back in 1937 when Napoleon Hill published his book Think And Grow Rich, he knew something very powerful but, I'm not certain the science behind it was so well understood. Of course, the principle was very well understood and probably by Mr. Hill more than anyone!

Here's the short not too scientific explanation:

Everything we see on any given day is made up of not just cells or atoms but, of PURE ENERGY.

This energy is called Quanta (plural for Quantum). Keep in mind Quanta is the unit measure of pure energy. These Quanta are part of what Quantum Physics is based on.

This energy exists only when observed. (There are a lot of arguments about observation and they all have their validity but lets keep it simple.)

Scientists say that Quanta are not a reality but instead they are a probability that exist in any given point in time. So when a person focuses on (observes) a thing, it exists!

This is because this Quanta, is now formed into the thing whatever it may be.

Many scientist, Einstein included have proved that Quanta are not bound to space and time and can exist anywhere.

These scientists also understand that your mind, body and soul are also made up of these Quanta and Quanta are influenced by other Quanta.

In other words your mind and the minds of others, create and co-create everything through influencing Quanta!

Now here's the practical explanation:

Knowing now what your mind is capable of, if you were to focus your own energy into creating what you desire in your mind with crystal clarity, it will come to you at amazing speed!

Now, this creation process is not just thought. It is both thought and work! These two together seal the deal.

This is why many of the experts out there tell you that you just can't be scattered. You have to focus on your ultimate goal.

Guess what? They are all right! All of these things together solidify what you're thinking.

THIS my friend is the "Secret" behind all of the Goal setting, the Meditation, the Master-Minding, Learning, Persistence, Action, Desire and Faith that we all are told that we must have or do.

Without these, our thoughts are controlled by outside influence and we lose our clarity and focus.

Have you ever heard, a successful person talk about how fast success seemed to come to them and how well they did in no time flat? I've heard many of these. The reason is that they knew exactly what they wanted and worked toward it. Simple as that.

One such example is a man by the name of Matt Bacak - PowerfulPromoter.com who is actually one of the inspirations for this article. I was on a tele-seminar with Matt once and he talked about how everything came to him so fast, once he knew what he wanted and started working toward it. Matt didn't know it but, his thoughts triggered my thoughts and the creation of this article!

Make no mistake, that although there are scientific explanations for the creation of matter through observation; WHO do you think created the matter in the mirror?

After all do you think that science didn't have a master observer?

Finally with that said...

Be cautious of your thoughts, they have the power to create!

Creative Questions

“WHY CAN I PAY MY BILLS?” was the question that made Arne Rantzen realize the power of questions. Arne tells us how he discovered Creative Questions.

“Some years back I was discouraged about my bills and was doing my usual self-abusing and complaining that my success wasn’t where it should be, so I re-focused on how I could actually pay my bills. This time something happened and I noticed that the feeling bad, negative and hopeless was suddenly replaced by feeling good and positive, with plans at hand. Looking closer at the transformation I realized that I had changed from feeling bummed out by the answers to my question “Why do I have so many bills?” to feeling excited by wondering “HOW CAN I PAY MY BILLS?”

After 7 years of investigation Monica Garaycoechea and Arne Rantzén share their findings, of the impact that questions have on our lives. They are committed to teach the new Creative Question Language and have now developed several inspirational tools, such as the elegant Creative Question Cards set, the one-year Online Advanced Coaching program, their international workshops and individual coaching, available on their interactive web www.CreativeQuestions.com

What is a Creative Question and why should you be asking them?
Arne says, “Creative Questions are specific questions. “How shall I deal with my relationship?” and “Should I buy this new Car?” are not creative questions. Creative Questions train your mind, by choosing the questions that will give you the answer that you want. When you ask yourself “How shall I deal with my relationship?” you are not guided in any particular direction. This question can give you a variety of answers. Creative Questions are precise questions that only allow answers that promote the result that you want, like “HOW DOES MY RELATIONSHIP SUPPORT ME?” makes you realize how supportive your relationship is.

The story of these two professionals demonstrates the gradual uncovering of the Power of Creative Questions, because they both wondered “HOW CAN I LIVE UP TO MY POTENTIAL?” Now, their realization has become a breakthrough in consciousness evolution circles.

Affirmations
Monica and Arne have both worked a lot with affirmations over the years, an important tool used in many New Age and self-help circles to create a supportive frame of mind. “I am grateful to this step of evolution and to Louise Hay, Leonard Orr and Sondra Ray, the originators of much of the body of work around the use of affirmations,” Arne said. Now the next step in evolution has arrived as the Creative Questions Approach. Tapping into this level of manifestation, results are accelerated and deepened at the same time. “With affirmations, it’s a little more flat, continued Monica. You can use the affirmation “I am successful”, but when you switch to the Creative Question “WHY AM I SUCCESSFUL?” you notice an immediate switch to being filled with powerful certainty.”

Power Words

Power Words Affirmation - To assert positively Positive affirmations have been considered the panacea within the self improvement industry for a long time. Most of the self improvement guru's teach it. However, if affirmations were as effective as they are made out to be, then why are we all not wealthy? Popular? Harmonious? Creative? Why? Because our conscious mind interacts and interprets information we are receiving, and filters "unrealistic" messages (messages that contradict our more deeply held views) from the subconscious mind. That's its job! How many of us have repeated over and over again, as we've been taught, sometimes for months and even years on end, the simple sentence, "I am wealthy"? All right, I see a lot of hands. Were you wealthy at the time? If not, your subconscious mind was filtering that message as a lie. It says, "Yeah right, you don't have two dimes to rub together pal, get a clue." That message, the lie, is the one the subconscious mind accepts as the truth. That message is the reality the subconscious mind works on. No amount of present tense affirming that "A" is not "A" will ever change "A" to not "A". If you are affirming you're 6' 4" tall when you're 5' 10" tall, this tells your mind that you are crazy, or a liar, or even both! Yes, there is a reason you may have been feeling foolish and futile with your affirmations! The problem lies in using the words "I am". When you use "I am" and you are not, you are opening up yourself for attack from the subconscious mind. Let's get rid of the notion of affirmations and replace it with a concept first introduced in 1929 in John MacDonald's book, "The Message of a Master." And that is the concept of: Power Words

Let's look again at the word wealthy. When using positive affirmations we would say to ourselves, "I am wealthy."

Change the word wealthy into wealth and we now have a Power Word. Now we say to ourselves, "wealth."

In quiet contemplation we think about the concept of wealth and what it means to us. What kind of lifestyle changes would we have if we had wealth. Where would we live, what would we drive, what cause would we donate part of our wealth to.

By just thinking about the concept of wealth you're instructing your conscious mind to tell your subconscious mind to personalize what the word means to you. You create in your subsconscious your reality of the word. You leave no doubt as to what the word encompasses without having to try to fool your subconscious mind into believing you already have it.

I remember when I was first introduced to Power Words. At the time I was running for political office as a Libertarian and a debate against my republican and democrat opponent was on the horizon. For about a week before the event I spent my quiet time just thinking about the Power Word, freedom.

When it came time for the debate I was on fire. Never before had I been able to convey my beliefs, based on freedom, as eloquently and passionately as I did that evening.

As many of you know, I'm also a baseball umpire. After having the success with the Power Word, freedom, I decided to use the Power Word concept in my umpiring. I decided on the word "confidence."

I thought about what it would be like to work a game confidently. I thought about getting into the proper position to make the right call. I thought about knowing all the rule interpretations and what it would be like explaining a rule to a coach. The Power Word concept worked again!

The 2001 baseball season was my best season ever (although there are some people out there who would disagree). As the season progressed I became more confident in my game and I am now considered in the top echelon of umpiring at the youth level.

I experienced these successes not by lying to my conscious mind by telling it something that isn't true, but instead by laying the groundwork in the subconscious through conceptual thinking and creating the atmosphere by which the successes were attainable.

Using affirmations in conjunction with the words, "I am" can be self-sabotaging and lead to frustration, confusion and self-doubt. Unfortunately, this is the concept that many of us have been taught. And even more unfortunately, the use of this concept is what is holding back many of us on our personal development journey, and even leading some into abandoning the journey all together.

Practice the concept of Power Words. Here's what I do. I choose a new Power Wordd each week, and during my quiet time I contemplate what the word means to me. Below is a list of some of the Power Words I consider important to my personal development. You can use the same list or modify it. As long as you get rid of positive affirmations and replace it with POWER WORDS!

Power Up With Power Words

Things do not change; we change.
-Henry David Thoreau

Peace	Poise	Harmony
Honesty	Charity	Freedom
Guidance	Wisdom	Kindness
Inspiration	Intelligence	Memory
Grace	Confidence	Abundance
Health	Strength	Energy
Vitality	Power	Serenity
Love	Creativity	Life
Success	Happiness	Resourcefulness
Persistence	Purpose	Achievement

How to develop will power

How to develop will power

Since starting this blog I have reread some of my own books on self confidence and personal development, and generally researched and followed up links on the topic. Some I have made reference to, or quoted. I have paid particular attention to any source that has given exercises to build self confidence.

My aim is to build a resource that will be useful, not just interesting or entertaining. Reading books on any aspect of personal development I always feel they have a major drawback - when the reader is presented with an exercise to carry out, its so, so easy to turn over the page (promising ourselves to return to it later!).

Personal development involves change, and you won’t change by just passing by. If you do try to follow some of the exercises you come across another problem - changing habits usually involves effort, some discomfort, and will power. Surprisingly, few books even mention will power, suggesting that just once someone has embarked on a new course of action keeping going is simple.

We all know from our own experiences that this is nonsense. The surge in gym usage in January, followed by a decline the rest of the year, and the growth of life coaching are two examples of how we lack will power.

The only book I have that has a chapter on will power is “A Touch of Greatness”, by Frank Tibolt. I list this book on my about page as one of the most influential personal development books I have read. Rereading this chapter, Tibolt starts off with a great quote by Huxley on the trait of will power and self discipline:-

“The most valuable education is that which trains us to do what should be done, when it should be done, whether we feel like it or not.”

Tiblot makes will power second only to goal setting in importance and says himself:-

“Knowing you can depend on yourself to finish whatever you start builds self confidence faster than any other exercise discovered so far.”

So how do you develop will power? The Tibolt method is to make yourself do something useful everyday for no other reason than you don’t feel like doing it. In other words, get tough with yourself. To make it work best, draw up a list of things that fit with your lifestyle and assign one to each day ahead. You could even select one at random each day, so you avoid making things to easy.

What sort of things are we talking about?

Get up 30 minutes early and have a walk/read a book

Watch no TV at all that day

Buy a newspaper/magazine that is the opposite of your normal reading (and read it!)

If you are going out and would normally drink alcohol - abstain.

Smile and say hello to at least 5 people on your commute to work (unless this may get you arrested for being so abnormal!)

Think of compliments/say thank you for 5 colleagues at work - or friends/family members.

You get the idea? You can also add numerous things under “finish doing….” or “volunteer to…”. There is a movement that encourages “Random Acts of Kindness” - doing things for others out of kindness, without being asked. If you read through some of the things that have been done, you may get some more ideas of what you can try. Give it a go.