In my book, The Success Principles, I teach 64 lessons that help people achieve what they want out of life. From taking nothing less than 100 percent responsibility for your life to empowering others, these are the fundamentals to success—and to great leadership.

When people ask me for the single most important principle, I share a simple formula. For years I’ve been teaching top leaders and thinkers in our world this formula that helps guide their decision-making and pathway to success. I don’t know any successful leader who doesn’t keep this on the mind daily:

E + R = O
(Events + Responses = Outcome)

The basic idea is that every outcome you experience in life (whether it’s success or failure, wealth or poverty, wellness or illness, intimacy or estrangement, joy or frustration) is the result of how you have responded to an earlier event (or events) in your life. Great leaders don’t just know this instinctively, but they make it a habit to respond in ways that generate the outcomes they want, even during extremely tough experiences or events seemingly beyond their control.

If you don’t like the outcomes you are currently experiencing, there are two basic choices you can make:

Choice 1: You can blame the event (E) for your lack of results (O).

In other words, you can blame the economy, the lack of money, lack of education, racism, gender bias, your wife or husband, your Board’s  attitude, your employees and colleagues, the lack of support, the current administration in Washington, and so on.

No doubt all these factors exist, but if they were the deciding factor, nobody would ever succeed. And we’d have leaders without direction, focus, and solutions.

For every reason it’s not possible, there are hundreds of people who have faced the same circumstances and have succeeded.  Choice #2: You can instead simply change your responses (R) to the events (E) until you get the outcomes (O) you want.

You can change your thinking, change your communication, change the pictures you hold in your head (your images of the world) and you can change your behavior (the things you do.) That’s all you really have any control over anyway.  Unfortunately, most of us are so engrained in our habits that we never change our behavior.

We get stuck in our conditioned responses—to our spouses and children, to our colleagues and employees at work, to our customers and our clients, to our students, and to the world at large.

You have to gain control of your thoughts, your images, your dreams and daydreams, and your behavior. Then you will realize measurable results that you want.

If you don’t like your outcomes, change your responses!

Make It a Habit to Ask for Feedback

Leaders cannot work in a vacuum. They may take on larger, seemingly more important roles in an organization but this does not exclude them from asking for and using feedback. In fact, a leader arguably needs feedback more so than anyone else. It’s what helps a leader respond appropriately to events in pursuit of successful outcomes.

If you want to have a wonderful supportive relationship with your team at work, but they are angry with you for neglecting their needs as loyal employees, what do you do? Get mad at them for being upset? You can either see it as an opportunity to improve yourself and correct your  behavior, or you can see it as the world ganging up on you and insulting you.

Your goal of having a supportive relationship is telling you that you may have gone off course. To get back on course you listen and take the  appropriate action. Open up those communication lines and act like a true leader.

So how can you become successful in dealing with feedback? The answer is to ask for it and to create a safe space for people to tell you what they are seeing. Don’t be vague about what kind of information you want. Ask for it in specific terms. Ask how you are limiting yourself, how you can improve, and what it will take to get back on course.

Trust your gut feeling about things, listen to what others are saying, and look at the results of your actions. Once you know the truth, you can set about taking action to improve. Everyone will be better for it.
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Jack Canfield, is the founder and co-creator of book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your success tips from Jack Canfield now at www.JackCanfield.com.

-what was your biggest takeaway from the ideas above? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Down the street from my office is a very large media complex containing a TV station, several radio stations, and a large conference center.  At one corner of the massive building, there is a large fenced area where several radio and TV broadcast towers soar hundreds of feet into the air. Thousands of people drive by this complex every day and have seen the towers so many times they don’t even notice them any more.  

Several months ago, a troubled young man—for reasons of his own—decided to scale the fence and begin climbing one of the towers. By the time anyone noticed this young man perched on a precarious ladder hundreds of feet in the air, it was too late to stop him. Police, ambulances, and   emergency rescue workers were called to the scene and began efforts to persuade the young man to climb down from the tower.

The young man either ignored them or periodically threatened to jump. As will happen with any large gathering, the media was soon on  the  scene.  TV, radio, and newspaper reporters began around the clock reporting of the ongoing activities of the young man who became known as The Tower Guy.

This went on for days and, somehow, the reporters found things to talk about.  The young man became dehydrated, sunburned, and appeared to be disoriented.  Finally, one heroic rescue worker was able to communicate with the young man and talk him into coming down. The final media reports described how persistent The Tower Guy was in remaining on his perch for many days.  It’s important that we don’t confuse persistence with procrastination.  

It is easy to think that persistence is doing something repeatedly or constantly while procrastination might be thought of as doing nothing at all.  In reality, too many of us are like The Tower Guy in that we persist in doing nothing of importance which, in reality, is procrastination as  it relates to the things in life we know we should be doing. 

Practice does not make perfect, in spite of the old adage.  Practice makes consistent. Only perfect practice will make something perfect. Persistence is only a virtue if we are persisting at doing things that  matter to us and make the world a better place.

Most people perform activities today because they performed the same activities yesterday and will do it all over again tomorrow.  Before you do anything as a regimented part of a routine, make sure you know why you are doing it, what it will accomplish, and when you will be done. As you go through your day today, make sure you’re investing every moment wisely and not just repeating mindless activities because that’s what you’ve always done.

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 by visiting www.JimStovall.com.

-Share your thoughts on the article above in the comments below.

One of the main reasons people fail to reach their full potential is because they are unwilling to risk anything.  They are fearful of losing, failing, or getting hurt and just want to do the things they believe will keep them safe. They simply want to maintain their status quo and avoid anything that might upset the mediocre expectations they have for their lives. Now, I don’t want you to get the idea that I am making fun of people who have mediocre expectations. Most people have mediocre expectations for themselves, and they come by it naturally. Their experience has conditioned them to believe mediocrity is about as good as it gets, so their expectations match their experience.

What I am saying is that experience is a great teacher but we should never let our experience influence what we think about our potential. Did you know that every human being is created with a purpose and that they have a responsibility to not only discover their purpose but also to fulfill it? I don’t mean that it is every person’s destiny to be rich and famous, but it is every person’s  destiny to do something that will make a positive difference in the lives of others. That is one of the reasons I believe you can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want. I love what Joan of Arc said when she stated, “I’m not afraid. I was born to do this.” If you believe as I do that you were born to win, you’re going to have to find your fears and start facing them. Face them over and over again until you have nothing to fear but fear itself.

To discover your purpose and act on it, you will have to take risks. What does it mean to take a risk, and how can you overcome the fear of taking risks? First, let’s consider how you might have become fearful of taking risks in the first place. Most people become fearful because they have been hurt by taking risks in the past. That is why our experience contributes to possibly limiting what we think we can do or are willing to do. The way to correct this thinking is to realize that the mistakes we made in our past are actually assets that we can use for our benefit today. It is not that we should stop taking risks. It is that we should not repeat things we have done in the past that did not work.

There is a big difference between the two!

Think about all the lessons you have learned from past attempts and then find a way to use them in a new endeavor.  By taking risks you open your life up to new and exciting possibilities.  Let others sit around and wait for opportunity—you go out and find it.

* This article is an excerpt from Zig Ziglar’s, Born to Win.
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Zig Ziglar is a teacher and motivator. He offers a newsletter filled with more of his inspiring stories as well as practical ideas to help you in the areas of sales, marketing, customer service, and related topics. You can visit him at www.zigziglar.com.

-Share your thoughts on the above article in the comments below.

We all know that if we lack confidence at our workplace, we’ll find it hard to lock in a good position in the company, and achieving financial freedom will seem a far-fetched dream.

With this in mind, let me ask you something: How would it feel if you could walk in your working place, radiating confidence, like Robert De Niro walks on the red carpet at the Oscars? I bet it would feel great. Have no worries though, because it’s not that hard at all; you just need some good tips and you’ll be the star of your own workplace in no time.

Let’s begin!

Dress yourself in the Confidence suit

If Robert De Niro wears a Prada suit when he’s on the red carpet, why can’t you wear the Confidence suit when you’re at your workplace? Here’s what I mean by this:

a)      Dress well – You don’t need designer apparel, but your clothes should be clean, wrinkle free, and they should fit you well (you don’t want to look like you’re swimming in your clothes);

b)      Be friendly – Don’t listen to anyone who says that at work, serious and professional is the only way to go, corporate people need a warm talk too. Be amiable with all your colleagues, and you might end up with a valuable friend;

c)       Smile with your eyes and keep a good eye contact – Always look into the eyes of the person you are talking to, but in a relaxed manner, you don’t want to come across as staring at them. Also, your eyes reveal your soul, so let them convey the happiness and warmth you hold inside of you.

d)      Have a good posture – Stand up straight, keep your feet at least 12 inches apart so you evenly distribute your weight, and let your shoulders widen, don’t pull them back.

Following the above tips signals to people that you’re confident and in total control. When the rest of the world believes it, you’ll start believing it too. Isn’t that wonderful?

Don’t be a “know it all”

Nobody likes a cocky person who thinks he’s a walking encyclopedia. Regardless of your experience or the stage you’re at in your career, times will always arise when you’ll struggle to find an answer. When these times come, forget about your ego and ask for help. Confident and wise people understand that they don’t hold the answers to everything, and seeking help from peers isn’t a big deal at all. On the other side, the people you ask will notice your ability to let your guard down and show signs of vulnerability, which paradoxically, means high levels of self-confidence.

So whenever you stumble upon a roadblock, reach someone from your workplace and kindly ask them to help you out, rather than see yourself as being the almighty “know it all”.

Make mistakes now before it’s too late

Look, if you want to get massive amounts of confidence, success and climb up on the ladder of your company’s hierarchy, you need to make mistakes. Why? Because mistakes are the most invaluable source of lessons that ever existed. Lessons learned the hard way boost your confidence, so when a similar situation comes up, it will now be a no brainer for you.

Let this quote guide you when you’re at work:

“An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.”- Niels Bohr

A lack of mistakes at your workplace equals a lack of risks, and in this case you should definitely consider undertaking more of them. You might drop a clanger from time to time, but your boss will on cloud nine when he sees you’re taking up challenges, and chances are you’ll win a spot on at  rumored, salary raise requests – Accepted” list.

Learn to say no, or prepare to get abused at work, people often try to get more things done, which in some cases means “outsourcing” a few tasks by asking you to help them out. While sometimes these requests are legit, don’t let your colleagues abuse you by getting accustomed to your help. Offer your assistance, but don’t turn into their valet, learn to say no when they repeatedly ask you to solve some of their problems, which they would deal with themselves.

However, saying no isn’t as easy as it sounds. In order not to come across as rude or impolite, use the following guidelines:
- Smile when you turn them down. Also, use a warm voice and open body language, so they know you’re not offended by their request.

- Make it clear that you’re refusing their request and not rejecting them as a person, by complimenting them before you turn their request down. This way, there won’t arise any hard feelings, so you won’t need to worry about losing your free ride back home.

Saying no when you would have otherwise accepted something you didn’t want to, will make your co-workers look at your different (in a good
way, of course), and your self-confidence levels will rise too.

Handle criticism graciously

You’ll always receive criticisms from time to time. It may be because you’ve taken risks and made a few mistakes, but don’t let them get to you. Instead handle them with grace: before you let any word come out of your mouth, think for a second and ask yourself „is this criticism fair?”.

If they’re totally unsupported and rude, then don’t even bother replying. People will notice you don’t have time to fool around, and you’ll grow in their eyes. However, sometimes somebody having your best interests at heart will make a fair point. Admit your mistake, thank them and learn from it. If necessary, apologies. It takes a good dose of confidence, and high self-esteem to admit you were wrong.

Let it go and be free

The truth is, the lack of self confidence comes from the thoughts we hold about the world, others and ourselves. What we think gives birth to our feelings, and in turn, these feelings drive our actions. If you learn to put behind what you believe about others, and what others believe about you, you’re left with a free and confident mind that will propel you further and further at your workplace. Here are some tips I found useful when trying to let go:

a) Stop judging yourself – This is a two way street. If you judge yourself, you’ll instinctively judge others too. So give yourself a break and focus on your work or projects instead.

b) Don’t let your emotions rule your life – Emotions come and go, but they shouldn’t impact on your confidence. It’s normal to feel pain, frustration, and anxiety from time to time. However, notice when you’re feeling them, observe them as they rush into your body and want to take control of your mind, and gently release them. They do not control you – you control them.

c) Be confident in your actions – Your actions project your personality. Take full responsibility for them and never let a doubtful thought creep into the back of your mind when you’re saying or doing something. Be bold.

All in all, being confident at work and shining like a star takes practice, practice and more practice. It won’t  happen overnight, just like De Niro didn’t win 2 Oscars with his first Hollywood movie, but with ambition, persistence and useful advice, you’ll get there. I can give you more useful advice on my personal website, www.PersonalDevelopmentLand.info, but it’s ultimately up to you to decide if you want to make the change for better.

- What was the most helpful lesson you learned in the advice above?

One day my mentor Mr. Shoaff said, “Jim, if you want to be wealthy and happy, learn this lesson well: Learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job.”

Since that time I’ve been working on my own personal development. And I must admit that this has been the most challenging assignment of all. This business of personal development lasts a lifetime.

You see, what you become is far more important than what you get. The important question to ask on the job is not, “What am I getting?” Instead, you should ask, “What am I becoming?” Getting and becoming are like Siamese twins: What you become directly influences what you get. Think of it this way: Most of what you have today you have attracted by becoming the person you are today.

I’ve also found that income rarely exceeds personal development. Sometimes income takes a lucky jump, but unless you learn to handle the responsibilities that come with it, it will usually shrink back to the amount you can handle.

If someone hands you a million dollars, you’d better hurry up and become a millionaire. A very rich man once said, “If you took all the money in the world and divided it equally among everybody, it would soon be back in the same pockets it was before.”

It is hard to keep that which has not been obtained through personal development.

So here’s the great axiom of life:

To have more than you’ve got, become more than you are.

This is where you should focus most of your attention. Otherwise, you just might have to contend with the axiom of not changing, which is:

Unless you change how you are, you’ll always have what you’ve got.

- Jim Rohn
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Announcing a Very Special Invitation – The Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan! One of the Most Comprehensive Resource and Success Plans Ever Created For You To Reach All Of Your Goals in the Next 12 Months! For details and/or to take advantage of the Special Introductory Offer go here.

-what are your thoughts on the ideas above?

1. I love that my courage allows me to spread my wings and be all I can be. I am driven by an internal courage-fueled energy field that magnifies my spirit’s fulfillment. My courage is my antitoxin that I apply to setbacks, hurts or duties. How did I start this process? I gave myself permission to express my individuality! Did someone clip your wings?

2. I love that my courage supports me to exit bad situations quickly. Knowing my personal courage mindset allows me to embrace the courage opportunities I face on my journey. I am no stranger to my courage. I also know that I may feel unjustly punished when I stand in my courage, but courage provides the inner strength to rise above the “victim” mindset. Are you a stranger to your courage? My actions become consistently balanced with my courage consciousness. I love my courage!

3. I love that my courage sustains me to design a life diminished of regrets. My courage centeredness defines my intentions. Each step (large or small) is an achievement. When my time comes to leave this life, I want to be able to say and feel in my heart, “I have no regrets. I did it my way.” Do you remain deeply consistent with your intentions? If so, reach for the rainbow!

4. I love that my courage requires me to hold myself one hundred percent accountable for my life’s experiences. I knowingly design those happenings each moment. Courage consciousness supports me as I strive to live in the vibration of my true Self. What life mosaic are you designing? With courage, humility and gratitude merge to dissipate all illusions of self-importance.

5. I love that my courage competencies expand as I step up. Stepping up reinforces my reservoir of courage, which sustains me until I am ready to take the next exciting step. That next step may be asking for a tough project or changing my hair color. Is your range of courage expanding? I focus on the ancient Chinese proverb: “He who hesitates before each step spends his life on one leg.” Living in courage is economical—it cuts out a myriad of missteps.

6. I love that my courage self-differentiates me, defining my “brand value.” The driver behind courage is the meaningfulness of my life. These qualities are portrayed through my convictions. My courage allows me to reflect. Choosing some form of reflection, I can learn to be more present to the truth of my personal branding distinction. What is your brand value? Herein lies the courage paradox: stay present, and you will do what is best for you!

7. I love that my courage guides me to focus on best results. Combining intention with action, courage arms me for success. The power of my spirit illuminates the steps that correlate my success quotient with my courage quotient. Are you willing to sacrifice the external world to find your internal world? It takes courage to design your personal blueprint.

8. I love that my courage is a friend during times of uncertainty or difficult transitions. There is no need for me to run from myself. My courage permits me to be innately motivated. In courage, my life expresses my heart’s core, reflecting the root meaning of the word courage: “heart and spirit.” Does your life express your heart, your core, your courage? With courage, you can say an absolute “yes” to whatever happens in your life.

9. I love that my courage develops my success. I develop my success by declaring my intent. My self-esteem supports me during demanding times. I know that hard decisions come alive in the questions, not the answers. Questions inspire actions. I see events as opportunities rather than sources of anxiety. Wisdom often dawns in the midst of pain, providing words of encouragement that should be shared with others. Success is not elusive, and courage is not a barrier to a happy life. Both are venues for your light to shine. What is your definition of success?

10. I love that my courage self-propels me. I am able to reinvent myself as often as needed. I know that conformity is a courage killer. I focus on my accomplishments and maintain a tough measure of accountability. Self-discipline thwarts any mediocrity that might keep me stuck or in anguish. Are you powerfully passionate about who you are? Nothing is more valuable than deepening your sense of who you are. Self-reflection is the key to self-fulfillment.

11. I love that my courage allows me to stand in my dignity. I do not need to manipulate situations. I know storms will enter my life. They offer opportunities for an honest assessment of my vulnerabilities. How frequently do you witness a mea culpa? Courage supports me to delve beyond my ego’s old behavioral scripts to uncover emotional pain and rewrite those scripts. Only I can choose to stop my suffering created by my ego.

12. I love that my courage advances my voice. When I confront an uncomfortable truth, the essence of my authentic courage comes to light, and I claim this energy. In Latin, “virtue” means “energy.” Is courage your unsung hero? Are you willing to fall in love with your courage? Courage is the gift that lifts your spirit.
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Sandra Ford Walston, known as The Courage Expert and innovator of StuckThinking™, is a learning consultant, trainer, speaker and courage coach. Sandra’s expertise allows her to focus recognizing and interpreting courage behaviors, courageous leadership and individual personality and leadership styles. She is the internationally published author of bestseller COURAGE, STUCK and FACE IT! Published in magazines such as Chief Learning Officer, Training & Development and Strategic Finance, Sandra is certified in the MBTI® and Enneagram, and an instructor at the University of Denver. She can be reached at www.sandrawalston.com.

-what are some things you love you about courage? Share your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.

You become what you think about most of the time. And the most important part of each day is what you think about at the beginning of that day.

Start Your Day Right
Take 30 minutes each morning to sit quietly and to reflect on your goals. You’ll find when you read the biographies and autobiographies of successful men and women that almost everyone of them began their upward trajectory to success when they begin getting up early in the morning and spending time with themselves.

Feed Your Mind With Positive Ideas
This is called the Golden Hour. The first hour sets the tone for the day. The things that you do in the first hour prepare your mind and set you up for the entire day. During the first thirty to sixty minutes, take time to think and review your plans for the future.

Use Your Quiet Time Effectively
Here are four things that you can do during that quiet time in the morning. Number one is to review your plans for accomplishing your goals and change your plans if necessary.

Number two is think of better ways to accomplish your goals. As an exercise, assume that the way you’re going about it is totally wrong and imagine going about it totally differently. What would you do different from what you’re doing right now?

Number three, reflect on the valuable lessons that you have learned and are learning as you move toward your goals.

Practice Daily Visualization
Number four, calmly visualize your goal as a reality. Close your eyes, relax, smile, and see your goal as though it were already a reality. Rewrite your major goals everyday in the present tense. Rewrite them as though they already existed. Write “I earn X dollars.” “I have a net worth of X.” “I weigh a certain number of pounds.” This exercise of writing and rewriting your goals everyday is one of the most powerful you will ever learn.

Fasten Your Seatbelt
Your life will start to take off at such a speed that you’ll have to put on your seatbelt. Remember, the starting point for achieving financial success is the development of an attitude of unshakable confidence in yourself and in your ability to reach your goals. Everything we’ve talked about is a way of building up and developing your belief system until you finally reach the point where you are absolutely convinced that nothing can stop you from achieving what you set out to achieve.

Everything Counts
No one starts out with this kind of an attitude, but you can develop it using the law of accumulation. Everything counts. No efforts are ever lost. Every extraordinary accomplishment in the result of thousands of ordinary accomplishments that no one recognizes or appreciates. The greatest challenge of all is for you to concentrate your thinking single-mindedly on your goal and by the law of attraction, you will, you must inevitably draw into your life the people, circumstances and opportunities you need to achieve your goals.

Become A Living Magnet
Once you’ve mastered yourself and your thinking, you will become a living magnet for ideas and opportunities to become wealthy. It’s worked for me and for every successful person I know. It will work for you if you’ll begin today, now, this very minute, to think and talk about your dreams and goals as though they were already a reality. When you change your thinking, you will change your life. You will put yourself firmly on the road to financial independence.

Action Exercises:

Now, here are two things you can do every single day to keep your mind focused on your financial goals:

First, get up every morning a little bit earlier and plan your day in advance. Take some time to think about your goals and how you can best achieve them. This sets the tone for the whole day.

Second, reflect on the valuable lessons you are learning each day as you work toward your goals. Be prepared to correct your course and adjust your actions. Be absolutely convinced that you are moving rapidly toward your goals, no matter what happens temporarily on the outside. Just hang in there!
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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.

-Are you an early riser? How has it made a difference in your life? What things do you do upon first waking up that help you.

In tough economic times, it is easy to feel stuck—stuck in the wrong job, stuck in a failing company or stuck in the unemployment line. But a slow economy does not necessarily mean that you have to remain stuck. In fact, getting stuck at work usually has very little to do with the state of the economy, and many of us may be stuck without realizing it. Let’s look at five main reasons why people get stuck and what you can do to overcome these obstacles.

1. Uncertainty gnaws at us and manipulates us at work, many times without us realizing what is happening. We question issues, we doubt ourselves, and we stay stuck! Uncertainty creates a spiraling of unnecessary suffering. Uncertainly lives in unseen steps until we realize that every day is a day of uncertainty. Only the ego mistakenly believes that you have a schedule set in stone when you walk out the door to go to work. Why is it that way? The ego strives for certainty. Only by holding yourself accountable can you enable yourself to move out of uncertainty. Holding yourself accountable requires taking personal responsibility for your life experiences. In other words, accountability is not for someone else.

Obstacle: uncertainty

Courage-action: hold yourself 100% accountable

2. Do you confess your shortcomings and missteps? Or, for example, if you lack knowledge about a topic, do you respond in a deceptive manner that protects your image? The honest response would be to confess your vulnerability by admitting that you do not know the answer. Confessing is good for the spirit when done in a timely manner and with positive intent. The process helps us face the truth. We take responsibility for what is happening with our spirit and address those missteps that collect unhealthy energy. In other words, we put an end to our manipulative behaviors so that we can reveal our vulnerabilities with a calm dignity. Vulnerability comes in many forms—acknowledging your unhappiness, learning to move beyond past failures and refusing to manipulate others. In Truth vs Falsehood David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D. writes, “When we admit our downside, others cannot attack us there. As a consequence, we feel emotionally less vulnerable, and more safe and secure.”

Obstacle: manipulation

Courage-action: reveal your vulnerability

3. Change can be intimidating. Change takes us out of familiar territory, and the inertia that keeps us stuck in unfulfilling jobs feels safe by comparison. If intimidation is holding you back, look for a tough project to tackle. Before you jump in, stop to reflect. The commitment to reflection will provide a clearer picture of what you need to do to get where you need to be. This reflective opportunity provides discernment to the situation by weighing the advantages and disadvantages.

Obstacle: intimidation

Courage-action: take on the tough project

4. You know you’re stuck when you begin to doubt yourself. In this case, the crucial manifestation of your courage is your ability to establish higher standards. Failing to challenge ourselves to meet high standards keeps us stuck in a place of unrealized potential. In other words, we all have unrealized potential, and if we do not establish personal standards for ourselves, we simply cannot break away from the self-doubt that undermines our efforts to manifest that potential. The obstacle of self-doubt can keep us stuck for a lifetime if we fail to respond to these opportunities in courage.

Obstacle: self-doubt

Courage-action: establish higher standards

5. Do you seek out what is good for you? Or do you follow your desires to the point of suffering adverse consequences? “Suffering is due to dragging one’s spiritual feet and the ego’s insistence on having its own way,” writes David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D. in Transcending the Levels of Consciousness. We all have desires shaped by emotional, spiritual or physical scarring. The key to breaking free of unhealthy desires is to recognize them for what they are instead of slipping into denial. The pilgrimage out of denial requires you to challenge yourself at the deepest levels by developing a meditative practice. The simple reflective process reveals the scripts that keep you stuck, thereby enabling you to rewrite your scripts. Created by the ego, these B-movie scripts define your beliefs about yourself, others and the world. Think of scripts as an undercurrent eroding the fertile soil of your true Self. Many B-movie scripts avoid courage in favor of denial.

Becoming an observer of your scripts requires effort. Slipping into a perpetual state of denial is easier than turning the spotlight on yourself and recognizing your automatic patterns. But by identifying these patterns, you “own” them, and you can pinpoint how they affect others. Moving from denial, you learn to identify how you created your stressful life and eventually learn how to break the patterns that created the stress. How do you start this? You learn how to exit bad situations quickly. Then, and you can focus on unknown possibilities in the present instead of projecting your happiness into some future longing. Are you disinclined to accept unhappiness?

Obstacle: denial

Courage-action: exit bad situations quickly
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Sandra Ford Walston, known as The Courage Expert and innovator of StuckThinking™, is a learning consultant, trainer, speaker and courage coach. Sandra’s expertise allows her to focus recognizing and interpreting courage behaviors, courageous leadership and individual personality and leadership styles. She is the internationally published author of bestseller COURAGE, STUCK and FACE IT! Published in magazines such as Chief Learning Officer, Training & Development and Strategic Finance, Sandra is certified in the MBTI® and Enneagram, and an instructor at the University of Denver. She can be reached at www.sandrawalston.com

-What were some key lessons you learned in the article above?

When my brother Scott was a freshman in high school a friend convinced him to go out for the wrestling team. Scott had never wrestled before, and worse yet, he only weighed 92 pounds. The lowest weight class was 103 pounds, so he was giving up nearly 10% of his body weight every time he wrestled.

His freshman year was a disaster. He would come home bruised and exhausted everyday after practice. It was painful to watch. Even more painful, though, was the fact that he lost every single match the entire year. My Mom hated it so much that she literally offered Scott $500 to quit wrestling, but he decided to persevere.

During the summer he worked out, practiced technique, and had a growth spurt that he so desperately needed. During his sophomore season his confidence grew and he finished the season with a winning record. By the end of his junior year, he won the district tournament, and went into his senior year ranked as one of the best wrestlers in the state.

The whole experience was a process that required a lot of persistence, but it has set the stage for everything else in his life. Wrestling taught Scott to believe in success, and he has now taken that belief to become an extremely successful entrepreneur, husband, and father.

Take account of the successes you have had. The things you have achieved. These achievements could include: Graduating high school, graduating college, doing well on a challenging project, becoming debt free, being happily married, raising wonderful children, running a 5k, 10k or marathon, increasing your income, or learning a new skill. As you recognize this success, use it as a springboard into other parts of your life.
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Ty Bennett is the author of The Power of Influence. Described by Peter Vidmar as “How To Win Friends & Influence People for our day.” To learn more or get a copy of The Power of Influence — click here.

-consider what you just learned. If you are honest with yourself I bet you can recount at least one time (likely, more then one) when some challenge you went through helped to prepare you in some way to overcome whatever lay in your way prior to succeeding at a particular undertaking. This is an important thing to keep in mind as it can be pretty good fuel to move you forward on your future undertakings.

Here are 5 simple tips that you can implement today to help you reach the top 1%:

1) Set your sights on what you want. No one is ever going to reach the top 1% in anything if they don’t first decide that being in the top 1% is what they want.

2) Raise your expectations. Once you determine that reaching the top 1% is what you want, elevate your expectations to match the goal. Expect to get there.

3) Develop an Unstoppable attitude. The ultra-successful will do whatever it takes to reach the top in their field. Breaking into the top 1% is not easy. People, circumstances, events, etc. will always present challenges that you must overcome if you hope to reach the top. Decide that you will not give up on your way to the top and that you will find a way to overcome any and all obstacles.

4) Become a problem solver. You cannot take the next step towards success unless you can solve the problems and challenges that you are faced with at your current level. The faster that you can solve the problems associated with your current position or current level of success, the sooner you will move up the ladder.

5) Become more productive. The ultra-successful have the exact same amount of time in the day as everyone else. If you hope to reach the top 1%, you need to get more done in a shorter period of time. That means maximizing your efforts, streamlining your approach and harnessing the help of others.

You were put here for a purpose, you are greater than you realize and your future will be filled with unlimited opportunities when you decide to become unstoppable.

Be Unstoppable!
Mike
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Mike Mason, author of Unstoppable Success, is the Founder of Unstoppable Business Consulting. For more strategies on reaching the top 1%, visit www.UnstoppableSuccess.com

-what are some steps you might add? Share your thoughts in the comments below.