by Raymond on July 20, 2010
‘Those things which are precious are saved only by sacrifice.’ ~ David Kenyon Webster
This isn’t about catchy metaphors that can bring you in a state of ecstasy. It also isn’t about collecting a bunch of fancy words put together and then published as just another post. No! No way!!! This is the real thing babe! This is what has been on my mind for some time. Read on to find out what is my Devilish Dilemma!
Have you ever been in the position where you had to juggle with a situation of conflicting causes. A situation where you had to choose left or right, but it’s totally impossible to choose both…. I bet you have, and you may even recognize what I’m saying here. It’s possible you even remember one or more examples from your own life, right? It seems like this is as certain as death and taxes! Situations or circumstances that all of us will sooner or later get into at some point in our lives. One question that comes to mind is if these kind of situations can be avoided? Well… I guess so, but can I counter a question back? Isn’t life all about learning things and going through new experiences?
Anyway… my dilemma kept me busy for some time. No… wait! Let me put it different, It left me idle and sitting around doing nothing for some time! I never realized before how indecisive I could become. Procrastination became my middle name. I always thought these were ‘traits’ that could be sought after and found in other people. It amazed me how without any physical power I was cornered and forced to sacrifice something in order to maintain something else.
How did I finally resolve this and came to a conclusion? The answer is quiet simple. Life goes on, so at some point after a lot of thinking and considering things I made a choice based on what I thought was common sense. Instead of relying on my ‘underbelly’ feelings. It was these feelings that made my dilemma devilish in the first place! Now that I write this I see that I knew all along what was the right thing for me to do. Maybe this can be compared to things or just about anything that we have too much of. You like it but inside there is a little voice telling you that you should be moderate.
It wasn’t easy, to take a loss and basically admit that it was wrong to get myself in this whole situation in the first place. But as time goes by I am happy with my choice and it doesn’t feel like I sacrificed something anymore. In the end when I place my story in a greater context, I can say that the outcome was not really determined by a choice or desire. It came in an almost natural way, I think the outcome was formed and made by my character. Going into this could be a whole new story, maybe that’s something for the future! Anyway, I think that choosing otherwise wouldn’t have felt good and might have been against my very own nature. I am looking forward to speak to you again.
Photo Credit: Ironmarc
by Raymond on July 15, 2010
Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. ~ Henry David Thoreau
Are you successful? Do you have plans to be successful? Do you have a definition of what success means to you? Do you ever think of how to plan and create your success? These can be some of the questions when you think of success. I was just reading an article written by Dr. Kem Thompson about 10 universal principles of success, and I want to share them with you because these principles are really strong. Here we go:
Success is not something that only a chosen few can achieve. Everyone can be successful in every area of his or her life. You just need to know how to do things in such a way as to make sure you succeed every time. Success comes as a result of forming certain habits, and continuing in them. Consistency is key. To succeed, you need to be a certain type of person. Don’t be discouraged if you are not yet that type of person. With practice, anyone can become a successful person. The successful person thinks in a certain way, talks in a certain way, and acts in a certain way. The list below briefly outlines 10 of those ways (and a bonus tip!). Anyone who consistently applies these principles to any area of their life *will* experience success in that area.
- Vision: Have a clear picture of what exactly it is you want to achieve or become. Keep this picture at the top of your mind at all times. Doing something you want to do, because you want to do it, will motivate you to succeed at it. Start with the end in mind.
- Belief: Believe without a shadow of a doubt that you can do it. Believe that you will succeed. Believe in a Higher Power who is helping you get what you want. Stay away from negative influences (people, books/articles, anything negative), which make you doubt your ability to succeed. Surround yourself with things that remind you that you can, and will, succeed.
- Responsibility: Realize that you alone are responsible for your future. You alone are responsible for the outcome of your efforts. Don’t look for anyone to blame. Feel free to ask for help as you need it, but remember the final decision is up to you. It’s your life, after all.
- Affirm: Make a habit of saying out loud what you hope to achieve. Speak of it in the present tense, e.g., ‘I am fit and trim’, as opposed to ‘I will be fit and trim’. If you feel awkward speaking out loud to yourself, write down the affirmation. Then look at it (or better still, rewrite it) several times each day. This helps your mind stay focused on the goal. It also builds your self-belief and confidence.
- Commitment: Make a firm commitment to action. Decide to take whatever steps you need to take to help you achieve your goals. Then honour the commitment you’ve made. Too often we find it easy to keep our commitments to others while neglecting to keep our commitments to ourselves. This pattern has to change if you’re to succeed in life.
- Set a SMART goal: Now that you know what you want to achieve or become, you need to define it by making it a goal. Your goal has to be Specific, Measurable (you need a standard to help you know when you’ve achieved it) and Motivational (it’s got to inspire you and keep you motivated), Attainable and Attractive, Realistic (no point setting an unrealistic goal such as “I want to be a millionaire this evening”) and Timed (State when you hope to achieve it).
- Plan and Take Action: Work out a plan of action. Break down the plan into baby steps. Take a step or two each day, reminding yourself that each step is bringing you closer to your goal. Perform each act to the best of your ability, filled with faith, determination and purpose to reach your goal. Most importantly, be consistent.
- Persistence: Do not give up until you have achieved what you desire. In the course of things, be willing to change any part of your plan which turns out not to work, and try something else. Thomas Edison did not give up in his quest to invent the light bulb, even though he’d ‘failed’ 10,000 times. Now that’s persistence! See every failure as a stepping-stone to success and as a temporary set back. Learn from it and push on towards your goal.
- Gratitude: Maintain an attitude of gratitude, knowing that your dream is about to become a reality. Refuse to grumble when circumstances look contrary. Refuse to complain. Be grateful for where you are now, and for where you are headed. Look around for things to be grateful for. You’ll be surprised to find quite a few.
- Become a giver. In your relationships, always think in terms of what you can do for the other person. What goes round comes round. After all, whatever dreams you have most likely involve interacting with other people. Be kind and generous to all; you never know where your breakthrough will come from.
Bonus Principle. Be in the know: Find out everything you can about your situation/goal. Read books, listen to tapes, and talk to experts, whatever it takes. This will help you make wise decisions and keep you confident as you go along.
So there you have it. I have given you a summary of principles which, if you apply consistently, WILL guarantee you success in any endeavour. Don’t just take my word for it, though. Prove it yourself by actually applying it to your life situation.
Knowlegde is not powerful until you act on what you know. Think about that. Better yet, act on it! You’ll be glad you did.
These principles may not be new to everybody, but it may have been some time ago if you have read them before. Therefore you might like to be reminded of them and read them again. If you have applied these in the past then now may be a good time to see how much of these principles ( or maybe all) still play a role in your life.
Photo Credit: zaraki.kenpachi
