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Thoughts on Success

Every time I am asked about “secrets of success” I notice there is an underlying theme. Each formula I have shared has contained, in essence, intent-action-belief - faith-and then letting life happen. Reread today’s quote several times and really absorb what the words mean. Remove “success” and try “peace” or “happiness” or “contentment” or “joy” in its place.

When I seek success in something, I first focus on what I want and why I want it. When I know that it matches my mission of helping women create more positive lives, I then make an action plan. After all that homework is done, I believe with my heart and soul that nothing will stand in my way from realizing the vision. And then I do something else that many people forget to do when chasing a dream: I let it go.

It might seem odd to let a dream or vision go, especially right after we take our first action steps. And, I don’t mean that I literally let it go and never think of it again. It means that I have faith and trust in the mystery of miracles and life. When we hold onto what we want very tightly, we don’t give it room to grow into what it might be. Instead, we mold it and twist it to match only what we can see and believe. Yet life often has wonderful things in store for us that we may not yet be able to envision or believe. We have to let go of our limited scope of seeing a result in order to let life meet us halfway-to transform a goal into a vision.

Your Turn: Where in your life is letting go the next step to moving forward?

Tags: success

Good Morning!

Did you know the Levi Strauss was originally a tentmaker in the 1850’s?

He used a heavy-duty denim fabric he had invented to make tents.

He failed at his tent-endeavor.

I wonder what we would all be wearing if he would have succeeded?

Good morning! I have always found “hidden success” stories interesting and representative of how many successes are journeys including obstacles, “failures,” detours, roadblocks, and road bumps. I believe obstacles, “failures,” detours, roadblocks and road bumps are ingredients of success. Challenges teach us to stretch our thinking, reframe a situation, expand and explore possibilities.

If I could redefine success, I would make the definition read: A series of mistakes, small steps, accomplishments, detours, road blocks, dreams, and persistence eventually leading to a desired or discovered goal.

With this definition, perhaps we might expect these “side-steps” and take them in stride versus seeing them as reasons to abandon a goal. These are not steps backward, but required steps toward a desired end result.

Your Turn:
Post this new definition of success somewhere you will see it regularly. How could reframing your thinking in this way help you move forward versus step backward?

Your affirmation:

(Write this in your Catch-All Notebook) and say it aloud at least several times today:

 

 There is no such thing as a setback.

Every step, whether desired or undesired, planned or unexpected, is a step toward success.

Tags: Challenges, goals and dreams, Levi Strauss, obstacles, setbacks, success

Good Morning!

To be successful you must accept all challenges that come your way. You can’t just accept the ones you like. Mike Gafka 

Good morning! The first time I read this quote, I smiled knowingly. When I started my first business at age 22, I still believed in a very black-and-white concept of fairness. I believed that if I worked hard enough, good results would come my way in work endea-vors. I believed that if I lived in a loving, caring and compassionate way, my personal life would be full of loving, caring and compassion.

In my early thirties, I have realized that life is fair in the long-term, even when it doesn’t feel fair in the short-term. Often what we “think is fair,” is actually one-sided, and we can’t see fairness until we have grown, stretched and visited other perspectives and places.

I do know the quickest way to make life unfair and stay “stuck” is to not accept every-thing life brings. When we become picky or choosy about what we accept — trying just to extract the good and leave the bad — we shutdown to the balance and fairness of life. Often “the bad” comes for a reason. It comes to make us grow; it comes to make us see something new; it comes to challenge our spirit and build our soul. When we refuse to welcome this “bad,” we refuse to welcome that growth.

Some of my experiences that looked so awful at face-value, ended up being my best teachers. They carried me to places I never could have reached without them. Had I not gathered the courage to accept these challenges, I wouldn’t be writing this email this morning.

Your Turn:
Where in your life have you been trying to just “take the good and leave the bad?” What challenge does life have for you, that you have been avoiding because it doesn’t seem “fair?” As February comes to a close, I challenge you to accept all that life offers–the good and the bad. During the month of March, I encourage you to meet a challenge eye-to-eye, welcome it, and see where it might carry you.

Your Affirmation:
I understand that each of life’s challenges is vital to reaching my full potential. I embrace and welcome these challenges with open arms.

Tags: Challenges, success