Motivation Articles, Essays, Tips and Advice

I was in Washington, D.C., enjoying a latte at the world’s favorite coffee spot (Starbucks) and having a fascinating conversation with a friend of mine, Lana Kim, who is a political refugee from Russia. She was telling me about her latest endeavor, writing a book. When I asked her why she hadn’t done it sooner she said, “I lacked confidence. I didn’t believe that I could do it.”

I put my grande chi latte down and listened as she revealed her story. Recognizing brilliance when I hear it, I knew I wanted to share her journey with you. I realized I wouldn’t be able to do her story justice, so I asked Lana Kim to tell you in her own words. Let me introduce you to Lana Kim, a true Brillianaire (a person who has learned to release his or her brilliance and abundantly shares it with others).

I have struggled nearly 35 years to have confidence, a gleam of hope, a belief that I could be somebody and make my life count for something. Do I have confidence today? Do I believe in myself? Sometimes I do. Other times it’s there but MIA (missing in action).

My confidence was under attack from the time I was a child. I was teased by children in class, in school, and in the neighborhood. Kids called me “Chinese.” I used to scream back at them that I was not Chinese; I was Russian like them. I wanted to be like everyone else. I am a third-generation Korean born and raised in Russia. My grandmother’s parents immigrated to the Island of Sakhalin to Czarist Russia between 1890 and 1899. The older I get, the more proud I am of my heritage because it was the foundation for becoming a confident human being who has grown over time.

When I came to America, I was a cleaning girl. I was 23 years old. Ten years later I was inducted into the “Hall of Fame” as a young stockbroker at PaineWebber. I owe this award to my dear friend and mentor, Don Culp. Don was an option trader on the floor of the Pacific Stock Exchange. Don Culp put through the order for my first stock trade, helped me build portfolios, explained how to analyze stocks, and left notes to cheer me up when times were tough. Today I have a number of designations including CFP (Certified Financial Planner) and RFC (Registered Financial Consultant), and I am completing a Master of Science in Financial Services.

What I’ve learned is that confidence grows with you one day at a time, one encounter at a time. I work every day to boost my confidence by reading motivational books, listening to tapes, making new friends, and volunteering.

Thank you, Lana Kim, for Releasing Your Brilliance because you have now given others permission to recapture, reignite and re-enlist their confidence.

According to my dictionary of etymology, the word confidence first appeared around 1400 and is directly related to the Latin word confidentia which means “to fully trust and be bold.”

When you fully trust yourself, you develop thick skin and the ability to bounce back. When you are full of confidence in who you are and what you do, bold action is your personal stamp.

Confidence is needed in abundance but unfortunately often runs in short supply. Antonyms for confidence are insecurity, self-doubt and diffidence (which means hesitancy). Bruce Jett said it best when he said, “You can determine how confident people are by listening to what they don’t say about themselves.”
Confidence is the voice that says, “I can, I shall, I will…live life to the fullest extent.”

Confidence is living out loud. Confidence is the ability to walk in the opposite direction instead of following popular opinion. Confidence is your swagger. Confidence establishes your brand within the corporate mega-brand. Confidence is quiet power. When you know what you know, you don’t have to impress anyone. You understand how to just be.

Why would Microsoft make a bid to buy Yahoo? Confidence. Why would Richard Branson launch an airline called Virgin America? Confidence. Why would Cynthia Good launch Pink Magazine www.pinkmagazine.com), one of the most talked about brand sensations targeting women in corporate America? It’s confidence, my friend. Confidence is what enabled Eli Manning and the New York Giants of the National Football League to rise above the noise and the doubters to win the 2008 Super Bowl.

Here are five actionable steps you can take to increase your confidence:

1. Create a Strategic Life Plan with 90-day milestones that you regularly review with your personal board of directors. Your plan should take into consideration your dreams, hopes and desires.

2. Find mentors who build you up rather than attempting to make you be more like them.

3. Feed your belief and faith in a brilliant future and starve your doubts to death. How? By reading inspiring literature that expands your mind and enlarges your heart.

4. Redesign your job description to reflect how you intend to add value to your team and your organization instead of waiting for management to come to you.

5. Invest in Meditate on Your Brilliance, a two-ebook set that will show you how to combine the proven power of meditation and positive affirmations to reignite your life and brilliantly shine at work. To learn more about it go here.

I love this quote by Joe Paterno, head football coach at Penn State University: “You need to play with supreme confidence or else you’ll lose again, and then losing becomes a habit.” My brilliance corollary to that is, “Live life with bold confidence or else you’ll defeat yourself again, and then self-defeat bcomes a habit.”
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Simon T. Bailey inspires individuals to take charge of change and transform their lives from the inside out. A thought leader and fresh voice in the businesses world, Bailey connects the dots between individual and organizational brilliance. He challenges and teaches businesses and organizations to clear obstacles to brilliance in their cultures, processes, and people, thereby achieving higher levels of engagement, retention, and productivity – and a brilliant bottom line. Visit him at www.SimonTBailey.com

* One thought I would add — remember that we gain confidence each time we experience a sense of achievement on something. Even if it’s just on a small level starting out. The point is you’ve got to be willing to start — even if it is just the tiniest of forward movement to begin with — going forward your confidence will build. Notice how in the story example above how with each accomplishment her list of achievements grew, and grew more impressive… It’s your life, LIVE BIG! Josh Hinds

** Any thoughts you’d like to add to the important topic of confidence?

Have you ever had something taken away from you only to realize how much you appreciated it after it was gone?

I often ask this question when I start one of my talks or seminars on appreciation. As I pause and wait for people to respond, many hands go up.

Most of us have taken someone or something for granted. We only truly realized how much that person or situation meant to us after the fact.

For example, at the age of twenty three my professional baseball career ended abruptly when I blew out my pitching arm.  I was in my third season in the minor leagues with the Kansas City Royals, and just like that my childhood dream was over.

I realized looking back on my eighteen years in competitive baseball that I had only one major regret; I pushed myself so hard that I’d forgotten to enjoy the game. I was so focused on “making it” and on overcoming my weaknesses, I had not taken much time to appreciate what I was doing along the way.

We often waste way too much of our time and energy focusing on what we don’t like, what we’re worried about, or what we think needs to be fixed, changed, or enhanced.  We live in a culture obsessed with “bad stuff.”  Just turn on the news, listen to the conversations and negative attitudes of the people around you, or pay attention to the thoughts in your own head.

The Power of Appreciation in Your Life

What if we stopped this negative obsession and started paying attention to what and whom we appreciate, right now?

Imagine how this simple but profound shift could transform our lives, our families, our relationships, our results, our work groups, our communities, and more.  Our experience is a function of what we focus on.  Each and every moment we have a choice about where we place our attention.

I am not advocating that we deny, avoid, or run from the challenges, issues, or even the pain in our lives or around us.  It’s important that we’re able to confront, face, and deal with these difficulties.  However, we don’t have to obsess about the bad stuff and let it run us.  We each can consciously choose to focus on the good stuff in our lives, with others, and most importantly towards ourselves.

There are great things happening in your life and around you all the time - if you choose to look for them.

Five Principles for Living a Life Filled With Appreciation:

1) Be Grateful – Focus on the many blessings in your life and all that you have to be thankful for.

2) Choose Positive Thoughts and Feelings – Make a conscious decision to transform your negative thoughts and feelings into ones that empower you.

3) Use Positive Words – Pay attention to the words you use with others, about things, and in speaking about yourself.  Speak with the most positive words possible. Our words have the power to create, not just describe.

4) Acknowledge Others – Focus on what you appreciate about the people around you and let them know.  Be genuine and let others know the positive impact they have on you and your life.

5) Appreciate Yourself – Celebrate who you are, what you do, and the many gifts and talents you have.  Self-appreciation is not arrogance; it’s an awareness of your own power and the key to self-confidence, success, and fulfillment.

When we truly focus on this good stuff, our world transforms and we are able to see and experience the great fullness of our lives.

We don’t have to wait until everything is handled. We don’t have to wait until we get it all perfect. And, we don’t have to wait for people to do things exactly as we want them to.  We can start appreciating life, others, and ourselves exactly as we are, right now.

Don’t wait ‘til it’s too late!
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Mike Robbins is a an author, personal growth expert, and sought after keynote speaker who empowers individuals, organizations, and groups of all kinds to appreciate themselves and each other - thus leading to greater success, improved relationships, and increased fulfillment. Experience the positive impact of appreciation on yourself and those around you with this free preview of Mike’s bestselling book, FOCUS ON THE GOOD STUFF: The Power of Appreciation.

* Thoughts or comments? Perhaps you have some ways you’d like to share that you go about keeping a “focus on the good stuff” in your life?

Failure!

Just the word “failure” can send shivers down our spine. If you’re like me and many of my clients, you’re probably not a big fan of failing. However, if you think about some of your biggest failures in life, haven’t they taught you a great deal and been extremely valuable to your growth, your development, and even your happiness in hindsight?

Failure itself isn’t the real issue; it’s our relationship to and our fear of failure that causes us pain and frustration. Think of what your life, your relationships, and your career would be like if you were not afraid to fail? For most of us, this would make things very different.

Failure is essential …

No risk, no reward! Michael Jordan said, “I missed 100% of the shots that I didn’t take.” We rarely regret what we do. We mostly regret the things we don’t do; especially the ones we are scared to do.

On our path of life, growth, and success, we all encounter failure. Some of the most successful people who have ever walked the planet have failed miserably, publicly, and in ways that many of us would not be able to recover from.

What if we actually appreciated failing? Remember, appreciating something doesn’t necessarily mean we like or enjoy it. Appreciation means that we recognize the value of something and are grateful for it.

Things we can appreciate about failing:

- Failure often gives us important feedback about where we are

- Failure gives us contrast and can make success that much more meaningful

- Failure usually involves taking a risk, which is something we can acknowledge ourselves for and be proud of

- Failure is usually a great opportunity for learning, growth, and improvement

- Failure gives us an opportunity to love ourselves, even when we don’t do or get what we want

By learning to appreciate ourselves when we fail and appreciate the failure itself, we take our power back from situations, circumstances, and the opinions of other people in our lives.

Our ability to appreciate failure, learn from it, and use it to our advantage, gives us an important insight into how to create success in a conscious and deliberate way. Appreciating failure is a key to success and fulfillment.

Change your perspective …

Make a list of some of the biggest failures in your life – things from the past or things that are currently happening. What can you appreciate about each of these failures? What did you learn? What feedback did you get? How did failing in this way enhance your life?

If you look for it, you’ll be able to find many things to appreciate about your failures. Appreciating your failures will allow you alter your relationship to failing, let go of some of the fear you have about it, and ultimately create more success in your life!

(c) Mike Robbins – all rights reserved
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Mike Robbins is a an author, personal growth expert, and sought after keynote speaker who empowers individuals, organizations, and groups of all kinds to appreciate themselves and each other - thus leading to greater success, improved relationships, and increased fulfillment. Experience the positive impact of appreciation on yourself and those around you with this free preview of Mike’s bestselling book, FOCUS ON THE GOOD STUFF: The Power of Appreciation.

* if you enjoyed the article you just read, you’ll love our motivational newsletter — Let’s Talk Motivation!

** Do you have any thoughts or experiences you’d like to share that might be helpful when it comes to overcoming and dealing with failure?

In the field of human performance and psychology, there has been a lot of new information surrounding life balance.

With the increasing number of personal and professional commitments, people are struggling to find a proper balance for their life. Unfortunately, too often we put off the important things in deference to the immediate things.

Everyone agrees we should spend more time with our family and loved ones, but this is often the first area in the schedule to suffer if there is a crisis at work.

It is easy to tell ourselves that we will make up for this imbalance later in the week, the month, or the year.

Unfortunately, spending quality time with your friends and family in a two-week vacation next year cannot make up for daily contact.

Experts tell us that we should drink eight glasses of water each day. This means all of us should be consuming 64 ounces, or a half gallon of water, daily.

If we manage our water consumption the way many of us try to manage our lives, we would drink nothing throughout the month and then try to consume a little over 15 gallons of water on the last day.

This is laughable when we contemplate drinking water, but unfortunately it is how many of us manage our family life, our health, our recreation, our exercise, and personal development.

In order to be truly successful, we must achieve a daily balance of the things that are important to us with respect to our life priorities.

Whether it’s exercise, study, diet, or family time, it is much more critical what you do on a daily basis than how you structure your month or your year.

If you and I were to list our life priorities on a single sheet of paper, a stranger observing us should be able to identify our priorities in a matter of a few days.

The only thing we must do to have a successful life is to have a series of successful decades. Successful decades come from consistently having successful years. A successful year is made up of 12 successful months which are each comprised of four successful weeks. But when it’s all said and done, it all boils down to one day at a time.

For almost a decade, I have been endeavoring to write one of these columns each week, submitting some thought or principle I believe to be important.

At the end of each of these columns, including this one, I conclude with the critical phrase, “Today’s the Day!” This is significant because no matter what we are considering, we must make it a part of our daily routine, or it might never become a part of our life.

As you go through your day today, remember: All of your goals and your life itself boil down to how you live today.

Today’s the day!
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Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network, as well as a published author of many books including The Ultimate Gift. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. He may be reached at 5840 South Memorial Drive, Suite 312, Tulsa, OK 74145-9082, or by e-mail at JimStovall@aol.com. Visit www.JimStovall.com

Sponsor Message: WHAT IF YOU HAD THE SAME MINUTE-BY-MINUTE THOUGHTS AS THE SUPER SUCCESSFUL? Mike Brescia has developed the ultimate mental conditioning programs that can help anyone wipe out intense fears and enjoy huge successes in all areas of life. Learn more about these powerful programs here.

The science of physics recognizes two kinds of inertia - both of which can be related to procrastination.

The first law states, “Standing objects tend to remain stationary.” The second law is the inverse: “Moving objects tend to stay in motion.”

Procrastination is stationary inertia. We aren’t moving, and we therefore don’t move!

Procrastination overcome, however, moves us into the arena where the law of motion takes over. We frequently find that once we’ve started a project or process, we stay with it until completion.

One of my favorite sayings from my friend Dr. Robert Schuller is posted on my word processor: “Beginning is Half Done!” (I’ve modified it to say, “Beginning is Half Won!”)

Here are seven techniques to overcome procrastination:

1. Take five minutes to identify what you are putting off…
On a blank sheet of paper, note several important activities that you realize you are delaying or have put on hold.

2. Look at your list of tasks and do one of them right now…
Put the energy you’ve been directing toward excuses into the activity you’ve been avoiding. You’ll discover that action eliminates anxiety.

3. If getting started is the hard part for you, set a designated time slot in the day to work on the list…
Set aside thirty minutes of your lunch hour for work specifically on one job, project, or personal goal that you’ve been avoiding or find difficult to start.

4. Don’t worry about perfection…
What counts is quality of effort, not perfect results. Don’t let yourself get bogged down with a preoccupation for perfectionism.

5. If what you are putting off involves other people, consult with them…
Your reasons for delaying action may be imaginary. Lack of communication often turns molehills into mountains.

6. If you fear the consequences associated with the action you’ve been avoiding, ask yourself, What’s the worst thing that could happen If I did this today?
The worst-case scenario most likely would be a minor inconvenience or a temporary setback.

7. Finally, Vividly picture how you’ll feel once the task is done.
Freedom from anxiety. Freedom from nagging pressures. Freedom from self-doubt. Accomplishing put-off tasks will give you a great boost of confidence and energy!

Ground breaking requires TNT. To blast your way out of apathy and overcoming procrastination. Remember what TNT means: Today! Not Tomorrow!
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Written by Denis Waitley. Visit his web site to receive the Denis Waitley Weekly Ezine.
(c) Denis Waitley International. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Often when we get in touch with our most heartfelt and hopeful dreams what may also surface are some of our doubts. There is an important relationship between (what I refer to as) the Dreamer and the Doubter that live inside of us. It is useful and necessary to develop skills for dealing with our doubt; otherwise your dreams could very well get squelched.

The Dreamer inside of us encourages us with thoughts and comments like, “Yes you can. Go for it. You have what it takes.” By contrast, the internal Doubter voice may challenge and confront with comments such as, “What are you thinking? You’re too old (or too young), you don’t know what you are doing, and you don’t have the money or experience.”

If we turn the voice of the Doubter down it becomes the voice of the Realist, the part of us that wants to know what we intend to do. Most often, the Realist wants to know where you will find the time and money, it wants to know your plan, but be careful. Early on, you may not have all the details figured out so if you go to strategic planning too soon, your need to be realistic may have you compromise on your idea before you fully explore what else is possible.

Consider this. If all parts of us carry wisdom, perhaps even the Doubter can provide insight. If you interviewed this part of yourself, literally asked about its concerns and issues around your dreams, you might get some useful information. For example, my own Doubter often offers thought-provoking questions and prudence.

Your Doubter could inform you of potential obstacles related to your dreams. Obstacles come primarily in two forms. They are either limiting beliefs, something that requires internal reflection or that you hold to be true. Alternatively, obstacles can also be something more external that require a plan, such as borrowing money or taking a class.

For example, if your dream is to write a book but you don’t know how, you might seek assistance or learn how to do it yourself. But if what you are feeling is fear of failure that is usually more of a limiting belief, something going on inside of you that only you can change or affect. Of course, once you identify what you’re afraid of a strategy like working with a coach or a daily practice of writing might get you over it. Some obstacles can be both belief and strategy.

Wherever there is an obstacle, you can manage it. But if you don’t know there are obstacles present you may get blind-sided or sabotage your dream. It is incredibly beneficial to hear from your Doubter. Be interested in what it has to say. Pull out a journal or pad of paper and explore what your real, imagined or potential obstacles may be. Knowledge is a powerful thing.

Most people either ignore or get consumed by their doubt. I assure you, once you become aware that there is a Doubter inside of you that is not the enemy, you are much less likely to be stopped by it. Confusion and procrastination are often signs that the Doubter is present but not being acknowledged. How do you feel when you are trying to express and not being heard? I suggest you watch for signs and stop and listen.

Once you are able to learn from your doubt, other people’s doubts will have less impact on you. How might your life change if other people‘s negative comments only deepened your conviction to your dream? Once you deal with your own doubt you will no longer put the beliefs of others over your own. This is a sign of transformation as you become more inner-referenced. This can lead to deeper self-trust, which in turn will enable you to take greater risks and dream bigger dreams!
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Marcia Wieder is a motivational speaker, specializing in helping people make their dreams real! In addition to her speaking and coaching she is the author of several books, including: Making Your Dreams Come True. Reach her by visiting her website at www.marciaw.com.

* What are some ways you go about keeping your “doubter” at bay so that you can move forward in the pursuit of your goals and dreams? Share in the comments section below… and remember — it’s your life, LIVE BIG! Josh

Sponsor Message: Order your copy of Josh Hinds’ motivational audio program!

A close friend said’ “If I could only figure this out, I think I could find happiness.” I have heard this before and will hear it again I am sure.

Many people believe that finding happiness is based on finding something else they want. In my experience as a personal coach, no one has ever found long term happiness by achieving another goal. Ultimately, to find happiness is to look within.

In other words, happiness is an inside job. The key to finding happiness is to understand that happiness is a choice and not the result. If happiness can be found as the result of an acquisition, meeting a goal, or having anything, then a person’s happiness will always be subject to something else.

Here is something to remember: one definition of happiness is the absence of an opposite emotion whether it is pain, sadness or something else. If these emotions are never experienced how can happiness be experienced? Bad times allow you to appreciate good times. Hunger allows you to appreciate food. Sadness allows you to appreciate and experience happiness.

We can also define happiness as enjoying, showing, or marked by pleasure, satisfaction or joy.

How often do you hear… “I’ll be happy when”? When I get that job, I’ll be happy. I’ll be happy when I find a life partner. I’d be happy if I had more money.

“If I had” scenarios all follow the same flawed reasoning; that is happiness is based on external circumstances.

If you base your happiness on external circumstances, you will continuously fail to find happiness. Will there not always be another external circumstance? Another dollar, another job, another house, or another partner”?

To break this vicious cycle, we must find our happiness somewhere else. That somewhere else is within. We have been given everything we need to be happy.

Allow yourself to choose happiness. If life was perfect would you be happy? Life is perfect because we create it with our choices. Since we can create life, we can create happiness - and how much better can it get?

Go ahead and accept that life is perfect as it is and that our lives are the sum total of everything that has happened to this instant. Then and only then can we accept the joy and happiness we deserve.

I realize that this concept is very difficult for some to accept. However, the alternative to being happy now is to spend the rest of our lives seeking happiness as if happiness was an item to be bought or found.

It’s not. Just remember the famous saying: Don’t worry - be happy!
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Miami Phillips teaches usable tools and methods for creating happiness and success in business and life. Get the self coaching tools you need to help you find happiness at www.MiamiPhillips.com

* Consider taking a moment to share some of the ways you go about experiencing happiness — you can do so by using the comments section below (it might help someone else). And remember… It’s your life, LIVE BIG! Josh Hinds

When I began searching for the secrets of success many years ago, I discovered an interesting principle: success leaves tracks. A wise man who had studied success for more than 50 years concluded that the greatest success principle of all was, “learn from the experts.”

Learn From the Experts…
If you want to be a big success in any area, find out what other successful people in that area are doing, and do the same things, until you get the same results.

When I studied the interviews, speeches, biographies and autobiographies of successful men and women, I found that they all had one quality in common. They were all described as being “extremely well organized.” They used their time very, very well. They were highly productive and they got vastly more done in the same period of time than the average person.

Be Both Effective and Efficient…
High performing men and women were both effective and efficient. They did the right things, and they did them in the right way. They were constantly looking for ways to improve the quality and quantity of their output. As a result, their contribution to their organizations was vastly higher and therefore much better paid, than the contributions of the average person.

Action Exercises:

Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action:

First, develop a study plan today to learn from the experts in your field. This can save you years of hard work.

Second, decide what is the most important thing to do, and then decide how to do it.
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Brian Tracy is one of the world’s leading authorities on personal and business success. His fast-moving talks and seminars are loaded with powerful, proven ideas and strategies that you can apply immediately to get better results in every area. Be sure to visit the Brian Tracy web site and take advantage of the many resources available there.

Sponsor Message: WHAT IF YOU HAD THE SAME MINUTE-BY-MINUTE THOUGHTS AS THE SUPER SUCCESSFUL? Mike Brescia has developed the ultimate mental conditioning programs that can help anyone wipe out intense fears and enjoy huge successes in all areas of life. Learn more about these powerful programs here.

I believe that the great NFL Hall of Fame coach, Vince Lombardi, had it right when he said, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”
Do you agree with coach Lombardi or are you the type of person who has difficulty staying focused and keeping commitments? Do you allow the negative influences of fear,
anxiety, self-doubt and worry to dominate your thinking and sabotage your results?

Sadly, most people fail to achieve their goals, not because they’re lazy or lack self-motivation, but because they were never “fully committed” to succeed! I can’t think of a single great achievement that has ever been attained without first a plan of action and then an unshakable commitment to its accomplishment.

Walt Disney was arguably one of the most creative dreamers and determined men of the twentieth century. Walt understood the power of commitment and would frequently tell those around him, “When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.”

The ancient Greek warriors were both feared and respected by their enemies. In battle, the Greeks established a well-deserved reputation for their unsurpassed bravery and unshakable commitment to victory.

The key to their overwhelming success on the battlefield had far more to do with how the Greek commanders motivated the warriors than it did with issues of tactics or training. The Greeks were master motivators who understood how to use a “dramatic demonstration” to infuse a spirit of commitment into the heart of every warrior.

Once the warriors had been offloaded from their boats onto their enemy’s shore, the Greek commanders would shout out their first order, “burn the boats!” The sight of burning boats removed any notion of retreat from their hearts and any thoughts of surrender from their heads.

Imagine the tremendous psychological impact on the soldiers as they watched their boats being set to the torch. As the boats turned to ash and slipped quietly out of sight into the water, each man understood there was no turning back and the only way home was through victory.

In your sales career your battles are not fought with weapons on foreign shores, but within the confines of your own mind. A truly committed salesperson does not have the luxury or the time for the self-indulgence of negative thinking.

The true underlying motivation for all success is a deep and unwavering commitment to the task at hand. The sales profession is a demanding and challenging career, but it is also personally rewarding and financially lucrative for those who are fully committed to becoming successful.

If you are being pushed around mentally by thoughts of fear, anxiety, self-doubt and worry, it’s time to “burn your boat” and become fully committed to your sales career!

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and sales-oriented keynotes and seminar programs. John is a nationally recognized sales trainer and business motivational speaker with an impeccable track record in the meeting industry. To have John speak at your next event, visit www.johnboe.com or call (877) 725-3750. His Newsletter is available on his website.

* Order your copy of Josh Hinds’ motivational audio program!

At my workshops, I emphasize how critical it is to develop self-trust. When we trust our self, we are more likely to take risks, and this is an essential quality for pursuing your dreams. The converse is also true. If you don’t trust yourself, you won’t act on your big dreams.

We can deepen or increase this quality by putting the proverbial stake in the ground and committing to act on something that matters to us, even when, (perhaps especially when), the outcome is not guaranteed.

Here are a few things I know about beliefs. If you don’t believe in yourself and/or dream, it’s hard for others to. Often there is no evidence that your dream is a good idea. But when you believe in it and act on it, you can make it happen. Our beliefs are never neutral. They either move us forward or hold us back and we choose what we believe.

If you can learn to believe in something simply because it matters to you, even when there are no promises or assurances that it will occur, and then act on what you believe, miracles often show up.

After a life-time of working on myself, I have made a profound discovery. I have become overly self-sufficient.  I trust and believe in myself, but there is something bigger, better and more delicious available and sometimes my need to be overly independent can compromise that. I am suggesting that there is more to life than trusting ourselves.

I have come to realize that life can become easier, more gentle, rewarding and fulfilling when I don’t have to know all the answers or assume I have to do everything myself.

Faith is different than trust and belief and I am newly writing about this as I explore, discover and create a powerful new relationship with this extraordinary ally. Faith is present whether I choose it or not but as I believe in it, miracles occur.  And much like a compassionate parent, faith continues to be present regardless of how I act toward it.

As I open and surrender into a more relaxed state, I sense that I am held and loved by something much bigger and more profound then myself, something ever present. As I get quiet and empty this fact becomes known to me. We are never alone.

That means we don’t have to do it all our self or suffer in silence. It also means we can make significant changes in our life, at any time and at any age. Help is available to those who ask.

The shortcut step to accomplishing any dream is to learn to ask for help. But it’s how you ask that can make all the difference. And this is true whether you are asking someone to make an introduction for you or praying to God for forgiveness.

During a recent visit to the Sistine Chapel in Rome, I was awe struck by the beauty, magnificence and artistic expression that went into creating this masterpiece. But the piece I couldn’t take my eyes off of was the panel of God creating Adam. Both have their arms stretched out, longing for life, awakening and creation.

It is an act of faith when we reach out for what we want. This is why I feel it’s powerful to share your dreams. It’s vulnerable, but as you speak your dream out loud, you are sending a powerful message out about what you desire.

Some say through prayer we ask for what we want and through mediation we can hear the answers to our prayers. As dreamers, no matter what your faith, I invite you to open to a faith practice of asking for what you want.

Whatever form this takes for you, I encourage you to take some time to stop, feel your heart, connect to your longing and use faith as a powerful guide to aid you in taking your important next step.
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Marcia Wieder is a motivational speaker, specializing in helping people make their dreams real! In addition to her speaking and coaching she is the author of several books, including: Making Your Dreams Come True. Reach her by visiting her website at www.marciaw.com.

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