Posts Tagged ‘Fear’

By Sidney Gaskins

I had planned to go to Panera Bread to get a bagel, to check email, and to work on some plans for next year. My son woke up coughing, wanted breakfast, and I was concerned. After I made him breakfast, I made him and allowed him to watch television for a while. While watching television, I noticed that the time had “gotten away” from me and that there was a no way that I would be able to get us out and go to Panera Bread without there being lot of people there so, I did not go. I chose to wait until tomorrow.

That story happens to many people everyday, with different results. Some people have reasons and excuses while others are unreasonable with themselves and others. How is it that some people succeed when others are left behind figuring it out?

Those people who are left behind lack the ability to move past their own fears and excuses. In every situation there are choices that can be made to further what you are up to in any area of Life. When you are focused and have a plan there are no excuses or reasons that will keep you from achieving what you have set out to achieve. A person who has no focus or plan is prone to excusing themselves and others for what has or has not happened. No focus and plan equals excuses and reasons.

If you are reading this article you are looking for ways to build an Unreasonable Life. Any person living an Unreasonable Life finds ways to make things happen regardless of the circumstances. The excuses that they would have used not to complete something no longer work and they have fear yet act in the face of it. The most successful people in your company, neighborhood, City, State, Country, and in the World are unreasonable with themselves and others. That is how they have become successful. Here are 5 keys for you to begin building a Life of being Unreasonable.

Recognize when Fear is present: Without recognition the fear continues to keep you complacent and paralyzed. Recognition is the first action to take in building success.

Distinguish what you are afraid of: When fear is present it is a response to something we are resisting. Are you resisting being embarrassed, made fun of, looking like you are not smart, or something else?

Affirm Yourself: Create a statement that represents who you see yourself being in the situation or what you want from it. “I am prepared, smart, and confident”, “They are accepting, honest, and loving”.

Act in the Face of the Fear: Now that you have created an affirming statement for yourself, proceed to take action. Soldiers learn to have fear and act anyhow. Take that same mindset and apply it to whatever task you are facing. You can have fear and still accomplish your goal. The miracle is that once you accomplish it you have grown past that fear and are building confidence in your abilities.

Expand Your Thoughts: Expanded thought is a result of taking the actions consistent with what you want to have happen. When you take the action in the face of fear you expand your thoughts about yourself and your abilities, others and how they perceive you, and what is possible in your Life. Expansion is growth.

Begin applying these keys and see your life become extraordinary in all areas. It takes being consistent with a touch of patience. Nothing happens overnight, however, create the habits and success will come.

Sidney Y. Gaskins is the founder and President of Enterprising Life, LLC., located in Atlanta, Georgia. Enterprising Life, LLC. is a professional coaching and consulting enterprise that helps individuals, families, and businesses create fulfillment in life and the workplace, while achieving prosperity and productivity.

Article Source:  Successful Life Strategies – 5 Keys to Build an Extraordinary Life

Malcolm Gladwell describes thin-slicing as the main topic of his bestselling book “Blink”.  Thin-slicing is an interesting concept and the term is most frequently used in philosophical and psychological areas.  What is thin-slicing?  Well basically it is the capacity of people to unconsciously identify patterns in experience based on very brief times when it occurred.  In other words, brief slices of experience unconsciously reveal a pattern of behavior to the observer.

Why is this important when we discuss life growth strategies?  One of the concepts covered here is the idea of intuitive knowing and thin-slicing would seem to indicate that some of what we call intuition is based upon experience – even if we do not realize it.

Although it is a valuable concept thin-slicing does not fully explain intuition.  Many Christians dismiss the concept of intuition as something relegated to psychics and unredeemed man.  I personally think this is a simplistic response born more of fear than the leading of the Lord.  Proverbs 14:12 in the Bible states: There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.  Closer examination will reveal that this is talking about reasoning and the rational aspects of the mind and not intuition.

Intuition is a capacity that God has given to mankind for a purpose related to His plan for us.  This verse from Job 38:36, “Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart”? is translated, “Who gives intuition to the heart and instinct to the mind”? in the New Living Translation.  This latter translation seems to more fully reveal the gist of what is being said.

Someone once asked, “how do you know God is real?” and my response was something like, “I don’t know I just know”.  In my opinion faith is intuitive.  If you will open yourself to the possibility you will find that God is real.

Russell Conwell

When going down the Tigris and Euphrates rivers many years ago with a party of English travelers I found myself under the direction of an old Arab guide whom we hired up at Baghdad, and I have often thought how that guide resembled our barbers in certain mental characteristics. He thought that it was not only his duty to guide us down those rivers, and do what he was paid for doing, but to entertain us with stories curious and weird, ancient and modern strange, and familiar. Many of them I have forgotten, and I am glad I have, but there is one I shall never forget.

The old guide was leading my camel by its halter along the banks of those ancient rivers, and he told me story after story until I grew weary of his story-telling and ceased to listen. I have never been irritated with that guide when he lost his temper as I ceased listening. But I remember that he took off his Turkish cap and swung it in a circle to get my attention. I could see it through the corner of my eye, but I determined not to look straight at him for fear he would tell another story. But although I am not a woman, I did finally look, and as soon as I did he went right into another story. Said he, “I will tell you a story now which I reserve for my particular friends.” When he emphasized the words “particular friends,” I listened and I have ever been glad I did. I really feel devoutly thankful, that there are 1,674 young men who have been carried through college by this lecture who are also glad that I did listen.

For an audio of “Acres of Diamonds” and a Pdf copy click here

Dreaming is a good thing but never forget that you must work towards your goals.

How to Be Successful – And Get What You Want!
By Wesley Andrews

Whenever you want something, simply focus on getting it. Keep your mind on what you want. Negative thinking stops most of us ever fully achieving all the things we set our hearts on. Let me give you some examples. Take a golfer who wants to hole a 3 foot putt. All they simply have to do, is focus on the job at hand and keep a clear picture in their MIND of how they would like the outcome/result to be. In this case it’s the ball dropping into the bottom of the hole. Now anyone who plays golf will be aware that little negative voices can easily creep into your head. Fear of failing alters our focus and redirects it to the opposite of what we wish to achieve. The golfer worries that he or she will miss the putt. They create pictures of missing the putt before it has actually happened. So when they step up to make a putt they will lose focus and concentration. Their mind will now be thinking of missing and not on actually focusing on the job of what they want; which is holing the putt!

How many times are you “missing the putts” on the things that you want in life?

We could all have so much more in our lives if we simply learn to focus better on what we want. It is no coincidence that the most successful people in their vocations all share the same common denominator: FOCUS. They all have learnt to concentrate with a single minded intensity, without being distracted or distracting themselves. They have the ability to keep their minds on what that they want and have to do in order to get the result they are looking for. In short if you want to be successful you have to be able to CONCENTRATE. Get ready for this as I am about to divulge the most important principle in this book on success. “The single most important factor to being successful is FOCUS”

This is such an important statement that i want you to absorb it and never forget as this one idea WILL change your life! Here it is again:

“The single most important factor to being successful is FOCUS”

Everything that you do you should do with focus. If you want to have a better relationship with your spouse then FOCUS on your relationship and FOCUS on what and how you would like your relationship to be.NEVER consider or EVER think about what you fear what you do not want your relationship to be or is!

If you want to be more successful in your professional life then FOCUS on it and FOCUS on what and how you would like your professional life to be. NEVER consider or EVER think about what you fear you do not want your professional life to be or is!

If you want to be healthy then FOCUS on your health see yourself as this leaner fitter more attractive person. Get the idea?

Focus on whatever you want, and only ever allow yourself to picture that of what you want. All of our desires are based on future outcomes, you will need to practise visualisation seeing yourself achieving the goal. You also need to cement your focus by reinforcing your desire with positive self affirmations. Keep telling yourself with positive self talk that you can and will achieve your goal. So if your desire is to have say a better relationship with your partner. Then focus on it, visualise having a good relationship, and then tell yourself that you will have a great relationship. Tell yourself your relationship is strong – Ii can turn this relationship round- etc..

Many people have a hard time with this notion, and see it as some psycho babble they see it as stupid and a waste of time. Well if that is the case then how comes few people would disagree that if you tell yourself you are going to fail at something invariably you will? Most of us talk negatively to ourselves so why do we have such a hard time believing that if we talk positively to ourselves its silly? Instead of FOCUSING on what they want, in this case a better relationship, they focus on what they do not want i.e. a bad relationship. They also confirm this bad relationship by affirming it to themselves with negative self talk, like my relationship is so bad-owe are always fighting- my relationship is making me unhappy- owe are not getting on-! If we think like this then what do you expect your relationship to be like?

I think most people can accept and understand that negative thinking brings negative results, yet strangely for the exact opposite behaviour people have a hard time believing that positive thinking and positive self talk is nonsense and makes no difference! Most people do not realise that they are talking to themselves all day long on a multitude of subjects, and a lot of this self talk is negative. You need to readdress this balance and learn to talk to yourself only in super exaggerated positive self talk, focus on your desired outcomes and watch your world change!

Wesley Andrews Author of My Best Friend RALFH

Wesley Andrews
Success Author and Speaker
Author of My Best Friend RALFH
http://www.wesleyandrews.com

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