Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. ~Napoleon Hill
If you have a desire to accomplish anything, you have to genuinely believe it is achievable. You have to be able to imagine it. If you can envision yourself doing whatever it is, that is, making it so realistic in your mind's eye that it feels as though you have already accomplished it, you are halfway there.
On the other hand, if you imagine yourself longing for whatever it is you dream about doing, and you picture one stumbling block after another, you have already lost.
What Napoleon Hill was teaching us was this: If you have an idea, say an invention for example, and you believe that it is not only possible to achieve, but you are the one to make it happen, you CAN do it. You might have to do some research. You might have to experiment a bit. You might even have to backtrack and rethink some elements of the project, but, if you persist and continue to believe it is attainable, you will succeed.
Henry Ford's V8 engine was one such project. His engineers said that it couldn't be done. Henry said it could. He told them to keep trying. A couple years later, they finally had a working model and went into production.
Visualization Is A Powerful Tool
Every great invention began with a single idea. A visionary sees a need. That same individual creates a rough sketch to share the concept with another individual. The design then is used to create a working model. That's how things get made. It worked with Philo Farnsworth (He invented the television).
It all starts with a single idea.
Indeed, if you can picture it in your mind, and believe that it can be done, you just might be the one to do it.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Monday, April 25, 2016
What Ever You Do, Do it with Passion
What e'er you do in this life, do it with passion.
Love without passion is empty. It is reduced to the fulfillment of physical urges and nothing more.
Work without passion is just something you do for a paycheck and results in mediocre performance at best.
Recreation without passion is just going through the motions and often leads to boredom.
You need passion in life. Passion brings out the best in people. It gives you the energy and determination to succeed. It motivates you to be the best that you can be. It gives you joy in what you are doing. Work becomes play when you are doing what you love.
It's alright if you have more than one passion. I have several passions. I am a singer-songwriter. I am an author. I am a photographer. I sketch in charcoal, pencil, pen and ink, and I paint watercolor. I am a poet.
My circle of dear friends includes more than one who would be considered a renaissance man.
There is Will Daskal, painter, sketch artist, author, teacher, fly fishing guru, and all around wonderful guy.
There is Jeremy dePrisco, songwriter, performing artist, writer, who plays more musical instruments than I can recite here. He never ceases to amaze me.
Will and Jeremy have passion and they both pour it into much of what they do.
FIND YOUR PASSION
If you can identify your passions and pursue them, you will love life and make the most of it. Seek and you shall find.
The year is still young. Make it a point to find your passion by a mid-summer night's eve and run in pursuit. Let 2016 be the year of your discovery. Don't let the politics of the day distract you. Brush it aside and look to the road ahead.
As for those politicians, what fools these mortals be...
Thanks Wm Shakespeare. And thank you friends for enriching my life.
Love without passion is empty. It is reduced to the fulfillment of physical urges and nothing more.
Work without passion is just something you do for a paycheck and results in mediocre performance at best.
Recreation without passion is just going through the motions and often leads to boredom.
You need passion in life. Passion brings out the best in people. It gives you the energy and determination to succeed. It motivates you to be the best that you can be. It gives you joy in what you are doing. Work becomes play when you are doing what you love.
It's alright if you have more than one passion. I have several passions. I am a singer-songwriter. I am an author. I am a photographer. I sketch in charcoal, pencil, pen and ink, and I paint watercolor. I am a poet.
My circle of dear friends includes more than one who would be considered a renaissance man.
There is Will Daskal, painter, sketch artist, author, teacher, fly fishing guru, and all around wonderful guy.
There is Jeremy dePrisco, songwriter, performing artist, writer, who plays more musical instruments than I can recite here. He never ceases to amaze me.
Will and Jeremy have passion and they both pour it into much of what they do.
FIND YOUR PASSION
If you can identify your passions and pursue them, you will love life and make the most of it. Seek and you shall find.
The year is still young. Make it a point to find your passion by a mid-summer night's eve and run in pursuit. Let 2016 be the year of your discovery. Don't let the politics of the day distract you. Brush it aside and look to the road ahead.
As for those politicians, what fools these mortals be...
Thanks Wm Shakespeare. And thank you friends for enriching my life.
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Expect Failure and Lose, Expect Success and Win
A person who sets his or her mind on the dark side of life, who lives over and over the misfortunes and disappointments of the past, prays for similar misfortunes and disappointments in the future. If you will see nothing but ill luck in the future, you are praying for such ill luck and will surely get it. ~Prentice Mulford
I have met many people who live with the expectation of failure. No matter what they try to accomplish, their own thoughts betray them.
You cannot go into any new venture with the expectation that it will fail and succeed. You have to anticipate success and believe it is attainable. If not, then why even bother? If you expect failure it is a foregone conclusion.
If you are unsure of yourself, arm yourself with information. Ask yourself this: "What do I need to make this happen?"
A little research can often help you prepare for any new challenges or opportunities that come along. Then, you have to decide that you really want to succeed and prepare yourself mentally.
Visualization is the great secret of success. ~Genevieve Behrend
Most people use visualization without even realizing it. The problem is that they are envisioning failure because the fear of it paints vivid images in their mind. It is as though they will it upon themselves. To avoid this, you must learn to visualize yourself succeeding rather than failing.
Picture a job well done. Picture winning the race. Picture all the joy and happiness, the achievement and the reward for your success.
Now, Go for it!
I have met many people who live with the expectation of failure. No matter what they try to accomplish, their own thoughts betray them.
You cannot go into any new venture with the expectation that it will fail and succeed. You have to anticipate success and believe it is attainable. If not, then why even bother? If you expect failure it is a foregone conclusion.
If you are unsure of yourself, arm yourself with information. Ask yourself this: "What do I need to make this happen?"
A little research can often help you prepare for any new challenges or opportunities that come along. Then, you have to decide that you really want to succeed and prepare yourself mentally.
Visualization is the great secret of success. ~Genevieve Behrend
Most people use visualization without even realizing it. The problem is that they are envisioning failure because the fear of it paints vivid images in their mind. It is as though they will it upon themselves. To avoid this, you must learn to visualize yourself succeeding rather than failing.
Picture a job well done. Picture winning the race. Picture all the joy and happiness, the achievement and the reward for your success.
Now, Go for it!
Friday, April 22, 2016
What You Think, Your Become
The mind is everything; what you think, you become. ~Socrates
You really are the sum total of your thoughts.
Whether you know it or not your personality is a reflection of what is happening between your ears. If you are not satisfied in life, you cannot hide it for long. Happiness starts on the inside and works its way outward from there. When you are not happy it, too, starts on the inside.
I have said many times that happiness is a state of mind, not a state of being. It seems that the average person spends most of his or her time complaining. In fact, I would venture a guess that most people have minds cluttered with negative thoughts.
If you start the work week dreading Mondays, you are starting on the wrong foot. Why not wake up to the idea that it's Monday, the start of a new week and new opportunities. Why not say to yourself that it's a great day. Then, make a list of about twenty things for which you are grateful. If you lose enthusiasm at any point of your day, read the list and picture yourself enjoying those blessings.
If you are not happy in your relationships, write down the things you really love about your spouse and read it every morning and every evening. Then, be grateful for those blessings.
Life is what you make of it and that typically depends on whether or not you pursue your dreams. If you are not satisfied, do you wonder why? Make a list of the things you really want in life. Make those your goals.
Take that list of things for which you are grateful and read them first thing in the morning and again at night-- just before going to bed. Doing this, you are improving your mindset by auto-suggestion. Focusing on your blessings is one of the easiest ways of changing how you see the world.
When you feel grateful for the things you have in life, accomplishing your goals is much easier.
You really are the sum total of your thoughts.
Whether you know it or not your personality is a reflection of what is happening between your ears. If you are not satisfied in life, you cannot hide it for long. Happiness starts on the inside and works its way outward from there. When you are not happy it, too, starts on the inside.
I have said many times that happiness is a state of mind, not a state of being. It seems that the average person spends most of his or her time complaining. In fact, I would venture a guess that most people have minds cluttered with negative thoughts.
If you start the work week dreading Mondays, you are starting on the wrong foot. Why not wake up to the idea that it's Monday, the start of a new week and new opportunities. Why not say to yourself that it's a great day. Then, make a list of about twenty things for which you are grateful. If you lose enthusiasm at any point of your day, read the list and picture yourself enjoying those blessings.
If you are not happy in your relationships, write down the things you really love about your spouse and read it every morning and every evening. Then, be grateful for those blessings.
Life is what you make of it and that typically depends on whether or not you pursue your dreams. If you are not satisfied, do you wonder why? Make a list of the things you really want in life. Make those your goals.
Take that list of things for which you are grateful and read them first thing in the morning and again at night-- just before going to bed. Doing this, you are improving your mindset by auto-suggestion. Focusing on your blessings is one of the easiest ways of changing how you see the world.
When you feel grateful for the things you have in life, accomplishing your goals is much easier.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Success Comes to Those Who DO
The most important thing about setting a goal is taking action. ~Napoleon Hill & W. Clement Stone
Setting goals is important-- but don't stop there.
It is amazing how many people say that they have a goal in life, they want to do this or that, and they are still talking about it years later. I hear it a lot from people who would love to have their own business. They talk about it, but they never do anything to make it happen.
I have written, previously, about the benefits of putting your goals on paper. Writing them down is a kind of commitment to them. It is a great starting point. From there, making an actual plan to get started is the next step. In creating the plan, you might need to do some research. What is required? Do you need a vendor's license? Do you need some sort of certification? Do you need some sort of training? These are all good questions.
Would-be writers are one of the most common examples of people who talk and never take that first step. I attribute it to fear of failure.
Oddly, the people I have known who actually started writing for a living were often laid-off professionals who were pretty good writers and never tried to go into business on their own until circumstances almost required that they do it. Many of those same people are now highly successful as writers.
Sometimes it takes drastic measures, like trying something new because of a job lay-off or some life-changing event forces your hand. If that is the catalyst one needs to stop talking and start actually doing something about those dreams, then it's a good thing.
If you daydream about what you'd really like to do in life, but you have been reluctant to start, write it down and start working on a plan to give it a test drive, while you are still working your regular job. You just might surprise yourself.
Success comes to those who DO, no those who simply talk about it.
Setting goals is important-- but don't stop there.
It is amazing how many people say that they have a goal in life, they want to do this or that, and they are still talking about it years later. I hear it a lot from people who would love to have their own business. They talk about it, but they never do anything to make it happen.
I have written, previously, about the benefits of putting your goals on paper. Writing them down is a kind of commitment to them. It is a great starting point. From there, making an actual plan to get started is the next step. In creating the plan, you might need to do some research. What is required? Do you need a vendor's license? Do you need some sort of certification? Do you need some sort of training? These are all good questions.
Would-be writers are one of the most common examples of people who talk and never take that first step. I attribute it to fear of failure.
Oddly, the people I have known who actually started writing for a living were often laid-off professionals who were pretty good writers and never tried to go into business on their own until circumstances almost required that they do it. Many of those same people are now highly successful as writers.
Sometimes it takes drastic measures, like trying something new because of a job lay-off or some life-changing event forces your hand. If that is the catalyst one needs to stop talking and start actually doing something about those dreams, then it's a good thing.
If you daydream about what you'd really like to do in life, but you have been reluctant to start, write it down and start working on a plan to give it a test drive, while you are still working your regular job. You just might surprise yourself.
Success comes to those who DO, no those who simply talk about it.
Monday, April 18, 2016
Work Hard, Play Hard
As passionate as I am about working, I am even more passionate about playing-- here's why: Work has its ups and downs. If your job is stressful, or you have the kind of job where you are at a desk most of the day, play time can give you a chance to blow-off steam and keep fit.
I have met lots of people in the forty years that I have worked. I worked myself into business management early in my career and I've had to direct a lot of people. I always make it a point to get to know them. I see their strengths and weaknesses and I can work with their strengths and strengthen their weaknesses. They become more productive and feel better about themselves.
It amazes me how many of those people with whom I have worked over the years had no hobbies or interests. The older ones watched sports on television. The younger ones seemed to spend most of their time off work playing video games.
I've witnessed countless times when an employee joined a gym with the idea of working out and getting in shape to look like they did when they played football in college or something similar. After a short time and a few trips to the gym, they are into their old routine and just as out-of-shape as ever. What they need is a good healthy hobby that will get them in shape and keep them that way-- like cycling.
The perfect recreational activity is one that burns off excess weight and entertains you at the same time. Why? Because working out is too much like work. People quit working out as fast as they decided to start.
Of course, the best way to get in shape is eat right-- good, nutritional food in modest portions. Get plenty of exercise, like cycling, hiking, swimming, or other physical activity that serves as recreation and a work out. Get enough sleep for your body. Some people require more sleep than others, but too much is not good.
Protect your heart by cutting sodium intake. As much as possible, eat fresh produce and whole grains and stay away from processed food. Make sure that you take a good multi-vitamin.
Get lots of healthy sunshine, early and late in the day is better than the heat of day. Drink plenty of water. And SMILE.
I have met lots of people in the forty years that I have worked. I worked myself into business management early in my career and I've had to direct a lot of people. I always make it a point to get to know them. I see their strengths and weaknesses and I can work with their strengths and strengthen their weaknesses. They become more productive and feel better about themselves.
It amazes me how many of those people with whom I have worked over the years had no hobbies or interests. The older ones watched sports on television. The younger ones seemed to spend most of their time off work playing video games.
I've witnessed countless times when an employee joined a gym with the idea of working out and getting in shape to look like they did when they played football in college or something similar. After a short time and a few trips to the gym, they are into their old routine and just as out-of-shape as ever. What they need is a good healthy hobby that will get them in shape and keep them that way-- like cycling.
The perfect recreational activity is one that burns off excess weight and entertains you at the same time. Why? Because working out is too much like work. People quit working out as fast as they decided to start.
Of course, the best way to get in shape is eat right-- good, nutritional food in modest portions. Get plenty of exercise, like cycling, hiking, swimming, or other physical activity that serves as recreation and a work out. Get enough sleep for your body. Some people require more sleep than others, but too much is not good.
Protect your heart by cutting sodium intake. As much as possible, eat fresh produce and whole grains and stay away from processed food. Make sure that you take a good multi-vitamin.
Get lots of healthy sunshine, early and late in the day is better than the heat of day. Drink plenty of water. And SMILE.
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Thoughts on Fear or Failure
No matter how hard you work for success, if your thought is saturated with the fear of failure, it will kill your endeavors and make success impossible. ~Robert Collier
If you really want to achieve success in life you have to start by believing in yourself. That means, you must cast fear aside and convince yourself that you have what it takes to accomplish what it is that you are trying to do.
Fear hinders everything you attempt to do. It's like paving your path with speed-bumps and rumble strips. The former slows you down and the latter aggravates you to the point of sheer frustration. What you want is a road to success that rivals the autobahn-- nothing but silky smoothness.
In reality, you cannot expect your road to success to be as smooth as glass. In fact, that would have negative consequences. You need some resistance in order to build resilience and determination-- they make you stronger. You want to prove you have what it takes when faced with adversity. Those are the sorts of challenges that build character and wisdom.
There is an old saying: "Wisdom is what you get from experience. Experience is what you get from a lack of wisdom." I am not sure who first said it, but, it is so true.
As you confront issues and overcome them you become better equipped to deal with the day-to-day problems that business people face. You handle people better. You develop good judgment and insights that you can one-day pass along to others.
Don't fear challenges, they make you better and stronger. So, cast fear aside and get moving. Your success awaits you.
If you really want to achieve success in life you have to start by believing in yourself. That means, you must cast fear aside and convince yourself that you have what it takes to accomplish what it is that you are trying to do.
Fear hinders everything you attempt to do. It's like paving your path with speed-bumps and rumble strips. The former slows you down and the latter aggravates you to the point of sheer frustration. What you want is a road to success that rivals the autobahn-- nothing but silky smoothness.
In reality, you cannot expect your road to success to be as smooth as glass. In fact, that would have negative consequences. You need some resistance in order to build resilience and determination-- they make you stronger. You want to prove you have what it takes when faced with adversity. Those are the sorts of challenges that build character and wisdom.
There is an old saying: "Wisdom is what you get from experience. Experience is what you get from a lack of wisdom." I am not sure who first said it, but, it is so true.
As you confront issues and overcome them you become better equipped to deal with the day-to-day problems that business people face. You handle people better. You develop good judgment and insights that you can one-day pass along to others.
Don't fear challenges, they make you better and stronger. So, cast fear aside and get moving. Your success awaits you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)