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We’ve never failed…

August 30th, 2008 | 2 Comments | Posted in Challenges

“I never failed once. My invention just happened to be a 2,000 step process.” -Thomas Edison

Good morning! I am so glad Thomas Edison kept going, aren’t you? What is something in your life that you have given up on or aren’t pursuing as avidly as you might because it seems too hard or unattainable? What if, like Edison’s, your goal is a 2,000 step process? What if, instead of thinking of your goal as unattainable, you realized how many of those 2,000 steps you have already taken?

Your Turn: Ask yourself where you have given up or been detoured by the idea of failure. Embrace Edison’s quote and restart and rejuvenate your goal.

Today’s Affirmation: Failure does not exist, unless I choose to let it.

Spreading courage…

August 29th, 2008 | No Comments | Posted in Purpose & Priorities

“People must remind each other that it can be done, and it must be done. We must keep up each other’s courage. In that way, we are enormously strong.” -Vincent van Gogh

Good morning! I love “I CAN” people. Much of my business success and personal contentment rests in forming a network of stable and consistent “I CAN” colleagues and friends. When we associate with people who inspire and encourage, we catapult ourselves forward. Likewise, when we associate with people who doubt and discourage us, we quickly stall or move backward. More »

Dance with opportunity

August 28th, 2008 | 1 Comment | Posted in Good Morning Inspirations, Purpose & Priorities, Reading Room

“Opportunity dances with those who are ready on the dance floor.” -H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Good morning! I have always felt that one of the best things I have going for me is my eternal quest to learn more. As we move through life, we keep our minds fresh and our souls young when we strive to continually learn and improve.

The options available today for learning are endless. We can learn online, through videos, books, local colleges, art stores, correspondence courses. . . I can’t think of any group that demonstrates personal growth better than those who go back to school late in life. A young friend of mind recently graduated from college and received her degree, right after an eighty-two-year-old classmate, who had just completed her B.A. At her graduation party, this eighty-two-year-old still hadn’t quite decided what she was going to do with her life.

Personal growth allows us to experience new and exciting parts of this world and also shows our children how to be open to new experiences, more options and a diverse opportunity.

Your Turn: Every year, make a goal for yourself in the area of personal growth. Perhaps it will be to take a new class, learn a new skill, research a home-based business, or read a certain number of books. Whatever goal works for you is fine, as long as it pulls you past old boundaries.

Today’s Affirmation: Every year, I challenge myself to learn something new.

Moving Beyond Mind Games: Tools for Healthy Thinking

August 27th, 2008 | No Comments | Posted in Attitude, Reading Room

You have likely seen this excerpt below before, but I want to share it with you and some insights about what it means beyond being a fun and interesting exercise for the brain. Please read the quote below:

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a ttoal mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Now let me ask you a few questions:

Did you have any problem reading this sentence?
Did you read what it actually says, or what you thought it said?
What does that reveal about the way the mind works?

What became stunningly apparent to me after seeing this paragraph was the natural inclination of the mind to create meaning where none exists. In actuality, this paragraph doesn’t make any sense - if you read the actual words. Yet our mind quickly juxtaposes the words and interprets it in a logical way.

When we communicate with others, how often do we take what they say and interpret it to make sense to us, instead of hearing what they are actually saying? When we think our private thoughts (especially negative thoughts), how often do we distort what is actually happening or being said, and instead interpret something in a way that doesn’t actually have anything to do with the meaning?

Let me give you some examples of how this works in our daily lives. More »

Tags: negative thinking, postive thinking