How good are you at focusing your time and attention toward things that really matter?  In a world full of constant distractions, how often do you find yourself struggling to maintain your focus on the things that are truly important to you personally?

The connection between what we choose to focus on and our current reality is often misunderstood. Increasingly, productivity is being replaced by busy work and as a result, feelings of frustration are overtaking our sense of accomplishment.  Learning to purposely direct your focus will make it possible to reverse this trend.

Focusing on priorities while avoiding distractions

Understanding how your mind uses focus to direct your attention gives you the ability to create a less frustrating and more targeted life experience. You control your perception of reality by controlling where you focus your attention. This is because focus brings one thing to the center of our consciousness while deemphasizing everything else.

When we focus on our priorities it also helps us to block out distractions. The less focused we are the more susceptible we become to every little distraction that comes along. And let’s face it; winning the battle against distractions is getting more challenging by the day.

Are you in command of your life’s priorities?

Many people have never actually taken the time to discover what is truly important to them. All through life our priorities are influenced by other people’s advice and expectations.  As a result, much of what we do in life is a reflection of those outside influences. And once life becomes a routine, there is a tendency to just keep doing what we have always done without giving it much thought.

Over time your mind and your nervous system gets programmed through repetition. This causes you to continue to focus your attention on the same things you have always focused on. Eventually we can find ourselves in a rut and running on autopilot. The problem with this approach is that life is constantly changing. If we just keep following our old routine, we could easily spend years putting our focus in a direction that does not reflect our true self.

Aligning your priorities with your true self

Before we can establish priorities that truly represent our core self, we need to take the time to discover who we really are. To do this requires that we step outside the programming of those external influences and connect with our deepest values, passions, and motives. But how do we do that?

As important as it is to connect with your true self, it is not something that you are taught through conventional channels. Consequently, it’s a process that you may struggle with. In fact, recognizing this need is what moved me to lay it all out in a step-by-step home study course called Find Your TRUE SELF. Only when you discover who you are on the deepest levels can you succeed in directing your focus toward the truly important things in your life.

Putting it all together

So, just to be clear, let’s look at how you can focus your attention in a way that helps create a more meaningful reality. Whatever we focus on the most will eventually manifest in our life, but that will only be meaningful if it is in harmony with our true self. Because we have been influenced by external feedback all our lives, our concept of true self is skewed toward the strongest or most unrelenting of those external influences. On top of that, the constant barrage of distractions we are exposed to on a daily basis further clouds our perception of who we really are.

Having the right priorities in life is how you buy out the time and energy to focus your attention where it will do the most good. For those priorities to be right for you as an individual, you must take the time to find your true self. Once you do that, you put yourself in a position to align your priorities so you can focus your attention on the thoughts and activities that lead to a more fulfilling life experience.

Unleash the power of focus

Focus is a very powerful tool, especially when it is used in a way that aligns with and supports your authentic self. I encourage you to take the time to discover your unique inner person. Before you can harmonize your life and the amazing power of focus, you need to distinguish the person you truly are from your response to outside influences and expectations. In other words, find your true self.

How do you deal with distractions?
Are you finding it challenging to keep your focus?
Do you feel truly connected to your true self?

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Special event announcement

On June 4th, I will be hosting a free teleseminar with someone very special.
Why is he so special? Because he teaches entrepreneurs like me (and you?)
exactly how to build a truly outstanding income by doing what they love to do.
If you want the truth on precisely how to become a successful entrepreneur,
you will not want to miss this special opportunity to go behind-the-scenes and
see what it really takes to make your entrepreneurial dreams come true.
To be notified of the details in advance, simply enter your email below.

In case you haven’t noticed, turning your passion into profits is the single biggest promise making gurus and marketers rich these days. What a great marketing hook. Think about it, who doesn’t want to turn their passion into profit?

It’s a dream that is shared by millions of aspiring entrepreneurs, to get paid for living on their own terms and to make a living doing something they love doing. That is probably the primary reason why, worldwide, there are approximately 175,000 new blogs started every single day.

It’s a promise that speaks to our very core

The freedom to live by our own schedule, make money while we are sleeping, and earn thousands while we are on vacation with nothing more than a laptop or iphone. How many times have you heard these promises? Too many, right?

So, why do smart people continue to buy into these promises? Why do huge product launches continue to generate millions of dollars inside of a few days? Because the thought of turning your passion into profit is an irresistible offer, that’s why. Be honest, how many books and programs have you bought over the years out of a desire to quit your day job and become independent?

If you own a library of these programs and still haven’t realized your dream, don’t feel bad and please don’t give up. Most of us have been down that road at some point, it’s just part of the learning process.

So, what is missing?

With all of these offers being digested by millions of eager consumers, why are so few people actually experiencing the freedom and independence being promised? Is it all just marketing or is there just something missing?

If no one was actually able to turn their passion into profit then we could assume the worst, but a small percentage do make it, so we know it can be done. Is it a serious lack of motivation or follow-through on the part of those who purchase these products? Certainly that is a factor, but nobody spends $1,997 on a seven module training program without trying to implement it.

So, is there some crucial information being withheld so that we are driven to buy the next product? Is the reality of entrepreneurship just so complicated that it is beyond the reach of most people? Personally, I don’t think it is either of those things.

Maybe we make it harder than it really is

When you combine a burning desire with too much information and too many choices, all you get is confusion. Trying to do everything just guarantees that nothing gets done properly. As a result, the essentials never get the attention they need because your focus is spread too thin.  In other words, we over complicate the process. Successful people follow a strategy that keeps their attention where it needs to be and filters out all the unnecessary distractions.

Any approach that can actually teach you how to turn your passion into profit would need to be relatively easy to follow, step-by-step, totally focused, and proven to work for a widest possible variety of interests, talents, and skill levels. It should also be inspiring, affordable and include some personal guidance every step of the way.

So, the next logical question is: Where can you find something like that? If this is a question that you’ve been struggling with, then please read my special event announcement below. And remember, I am not a marketer; my job is to help you recreate your reality and that is precisely why I am hosting this special event.

How much have you spent in the passion to profit pursuit?
What passion would you like to turn into profit?
The lines are open!

If you enjoyed this article, consider email or RSS updates!

Special event announcement

On June 4th, I will be hosting a free teleseminar with someone very special.
Why is he so special? Because he teaches entrepreneurs like me (and you?)
exactly how to build a truly outstanding income by doing what they love to do.
If you want the truth on precisely how to become a successful entrepreneur,
you will not want to miss this special opportunity to go behind-the-scenes and
see what it really takes to make your entrepreneurial dreams come true.
To be notified of the details in advance, simply enter your email below.

What is your passion? Come on, you can say it out loud, don’t be afraid. Let me help you: “My passion is _______________” There, all you need to do is simply fill in the blank.

Oh, are you thinking that you don’t know what your passion is? Maybe I can help you figure it out.

Try this, write down a few possible contenders, and then ask yourself the following questions with regard to each one:

1) Does doing it, or thinking about it make you feel good about yourself?
2) Is it something you enjoy doing so much that you would do it for free, or even pay money to be able to do it?
3) When you are doing it, do you lose track of time?
4) When you are talking about it do you become more animated and enthusiastic?
5) If circumstances allowed you to spend more time doing it, would you?

If you answered yes to most of these questions for one of your contenders, then you found a winner. This is definitely something you want to do. Now, here’s the tough question: Are you doing it?

Are you pursuing that passion?

You see, almost everyone has a passion they want to pursue. The problem is, we often push those passions aside in the name of being “practical.” Let’s look at the reasoning involved when choosing practical over passion.

If I do this other thing (that I’m not passionate about) first, and make some money, then I can turn my attention toward my passion. This sounds like a totally reasonable approach, doesn’t it? Raise your hand if this is your strategy!

Maybe it looks good on paper, but…

I hate to be a wet blanket here but statistics show that this practical approach rarely leads back to your passionate pursuit. Notice I didn’t say that this approach won’t work, just that most people can’t pull it off. Why not?

Because it’s far too easy to get pulled into the “practical” career and not be able to extract yourself from it later on. It becomes too easy to just keep doing what you’re doing while your passions go into the “maybe someday” file. To succeed at using this approach requires an unusual degree of focus and determination.

On the positive side, I do know people who have what it takes to break out of an established career and successfully go after their dreams. One good example is my friend and colleague Steve Aitchison of Change Your Thoughts. His article The Power of Focus is very encouraging if you are looking to break free from a career that you are not passionate about.

Society is not passion oriented

Where in your growing up experience were you ever encouraged to pursue your passions until your dreams came true? Instead, everything is designed to channel you toward a career choice that will allow you to “make a good living.” In turn, making a good living is supposed to be on a par with “living your passion,” but safer and easier. Don’t get me wrong, we all like the idea of making a good living. But shouldn’t we be able to really enjoy what we do at the same time?

Too often, the pursuit of our passions is described as “not very practical.” In fact, anything that doesn’t fit into the standard curriculum is often viewed as a long shot, or worse. Why do you think that is? Isn’t it true that most famous people became famous by breaking rank and pursuing their passions? Why does society revere them, and yet discourage people from following in their footsteps?

Don’t let fear hold you back!

We spend a huge portion of our lives working. It would be a shame if we didn’t feel a strong sense of satisfaction from that effort. The number one thing that prevents people from pursuing their passions is fear. More specifically, it’s fear of failure. My question is, Does failure really exist or is it more a matter of attitude?

The funny thing is, most highly successful people have experienced failure one or more times on their road to success. Unhindered by setbacks, they continued to pursue their passion until they succeeded. Often, it was the lessons they learned by not succeeding right away that allowed them to finally get it right. So, what’s standing in your way? If it’s fear of failure, maybe you need to shift your focus.

You have a right to pursue your passions

Don’t ever let anyone convince you that pursuing your passion is not practical. Passion is what brings meaning and value to your life. The very quality of your life experience is directly affected by the pursuit of your passions. With so much at stake, it seems impractical to choose any other course.

Please do not allow your passions to end up in the “maybe someday” file. Get yourself focused and motivated. Set some goals in the direction of your passion, and then pursue them relentlessly. Life is too short to settle for anything less than passionate.

Life can’t be passionate if you ignore your passions.
How are you doing in this regard?
The lines are open!

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Special event announcement

On June 4th, I will be hosting a free teleseminar with someone very special.
Why is he so special? Because he teaches entrepreneurs like me (and you?)
exactly how to build a truly outstanding income by doing what they love to do.
If you want the truth on precisely how to become a successful entrepreneur,
you will not want to miss this special opportunity to go behind-the-scenes and
see what it really takes to make your entrepreneurial dreams come true.
To be notified of the details in advance, simply enter your email below.

When looking for ways to improve our lives, what is it we usually focus on? Don’t we tend to focus on things that will move our reality in a more positive direction? Typically, we look for ways to experience greater happiness, create more leisure time, or increase our level of success.

Regardless of the area we focus on, the intent is usually to make some degree of positive improvement, to notch things up to the next level. While this is a very important part of personal development, it is really less than fifty percent of the big picture. Why do I say that? Because in reality, the greater part of personal development comes from learning…

Negative life lessons

I know, it sounds strange and even a bit counter productive. After all, why would we want to focus on the negative side if our goal is personal development? But, what do I mean by “negative life lessons”?

Simply stated, a negative life lesson is when we learn what not to do. Maybe you are wondering: “How does learning what not to do help with my personal development?” To answer that question, let’s consider a few real life situations.

It starts when we are children

Most parents teach their young children not to play in the street. In this case, teaching them what not to do could easily mean the difference between life and death. All the positive things that child learns will be meaningless if he runs out in front of a car.

Later, when the child’s awareness has grown, he will learn not to go into the street without looking both ways. So, even though his perception has grown and changed, learning what not to do is still a vital part of his personal development.

You can’t move forward while losing ground

Essentially, negative life lessons are designed to keep us from losing ground in our personal growth and development. In the illustration above, the value is obvious. It involves life itself. In other situations, the benefits of a negative life lesson may be more subtle.

Sometimes we learn how to avoid physical or emotional pain. Or, we might learn that certain approaches waste time and resources. Successful relationships belong to those who figure out what not to do, and thus avoid needlessly hurting the feeling of the other person.

It doesn’t matter whether we are talking about raising children, building a business, or nurturing a meaningful relationship. Learning what not to do is an important key to success. Making progress in any of these areas means avoiding the things that undermine our positive efforts.

Shortcut the process for quicker results

Just as we can learn valuable new techniques and skills from those with previous experience, we should also learn from the mistakes of others. Look around at the abilities of the people you know. Some of them can probably serve as perfect examples of what not to do.

By analyzing why the efforts of others fail to produce good results, you can save yourself a bunch of time and energy. Whether it’s a dysfunctional family, a failing business, or poor health, there is always something you can learn. They’ve just shown you what not to do, and that is extremely valuable.

All life lessons are positive

I used the term “negative life lessons” only because they are the opposite of those life lessons designed to produce forward momentum. In reality, all life lessons are positive if we apply what we learn. Thomas Edison discovered 10,000 ways not to make a light bulb before he finally figured it out. What can we learn from his example?

Figuring out what works is often a process of elimination. By identifying and eliminating the thoughts, emotions, and actions that are not productive, we move ever closer to our desired outcome. You can apply this to specific goals, or your life in general. Avoiding what doesn’t work is at the foundation of all success.

A positive view of negative life lessons

Realizing the incredible value of learning what not to do should have a profound effect on our attitude. Every time we discover what doesn’t work, we move closer to solving a problem, overcoming an obstacle, or making a personal breakthrough. Every life lesson we learn, negative or positive, is a personal development treasure.

So, the next time your efforts don’t produce the exact result you were hoping for, take a moment to analyze the value of what you have just learned. Think of all the time and effort you will save because of that lesson. Consider how much more effective your future efforts will be. Now, aren’t you grateful for all those wonderful, negative life lessons?

What’s your favorite negative life lesson?
What have you learned from watching others?
The lines are open!

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Everything we do in life is a choice, and I think most of us realize that. But what most people don’t seem to realize is that everything we don’t do in life is also a choice. Every day we choose to do some things and to not do other things.

Sometimes choosing not to do something is the wisest choice. However, there is a huge difference between choosing not to do something and choosing to do nothing.

Most people would like to change their life in one way or another. How about you? Are there areas of your life that you would like to change?

What is stopping you?

Anytime you want to, you can change your life, but just wanting to change is not enough. You must make a choice to change. Doing nothing and wishing things would change is the course most people choose. Consequently, nothing ever changes.

The thought of having a different life, or a different quality of life, is very appealing to most people. It’s easy to imagine being in better physical condition, having a more rewarding career, and enjoying more meaningful relationships. But pretending doesn’t get the job done, does it?

Obviously, more is required

We have all created our present situation by the choices we made in the past. If we chose to do nothing, then our situation reflects that. Recognizing that we live in a world of our own creation means that we are responsible. If we don’t like our life the way it is, then we are the ones responsible for making changes.

Does the thought of change make you feel uncomfortable?

One of the most common reasons why people are uncomfortable with change is because they haven’t yet accepted full responsibility. For some reason, it seems to be a natural tendency to shrink away from responsibility.

This kind of mindset creates helplessness. It means that we are looking for change outside of ourselves. We may look to our mates to make us happy, or we may look to our careers to make us feel fulfilled. In a situation like this, if things don’t turn out the way we want, we tend to blame our mates or our careers.

No one else can make you happy, that’s up to you

No career or other person can bring you satisfaction if you are dissatisfied with yourself.

Here are 10 feelings that we are each responsible for:

1. Happy or unhappy
2. Fulfilled or unfulfilled
3. Satisfied or dissatisfied
4. Encouraged or discouraged
5. Loved or unloved
6. Worthy or unworthy
7. Approved of, or disapproved of
8. Deserving or undeserving
9. Grateful or ungrateful
10. Secure or insecure

Look at this list and ask yourself, “have I personally taken responsibility for these feelings in my life?” If you find that you are still looking to outside sources, then perhaps it’s time to accept personal responsibility.

Liberate yourself

Accepting responsibility is actually a very liberating experience. Once we recognize that we are the ones in control, it makes life much simpler. Granted, we can’t always control what goes on around us, any more than we can control the weather. So what can we control?

We can control our response to everything that happens!

Understanding this concept is a vital key to improving the quality of your life.

Whatever happens, you are in complete control of your response. You decide what value any event has in your life. Once you make an evaluation, you have the freedom to choose what comes next.

If you’re not happy with your physical condition, make a choice to change, starting today. Too much pondering and over analyzing  just allows the current situation to continue. Yes, we want to make wise choices. But we don’t want to endlessly delay making a choice as we continue searching for the best solution.

That’s just a form of avoidance

Any time you want to, you can begin changing your life. You can change your physical, emotional, mental, or financial situation, and you can start today.

It all starts with a choice

If it seems overwhelming, pick one area of your life and start there. You don’t need to dive into the deep end, but you do need to start taking action.

Here are three examples:

1) Imagine that your weight has gotten out of control. At this point you’re so frustrated that you just don’t know where to begin. So, up until now you’ve done nothing. Why not start walking for 20 or 30 minutes every day? You can plan your next weight loss step while you’re walking. If you think you can’t afford to spend 20 or 30 minutes a day improving the quality of your life, think again.

If your life is so busy you really can’t find an extra few minutes, then combine activities. Walk to the store, walk on your lunch break, or park your car as far away from your destination as possible and walk. I’m always amazed to see people who need some exercise sitting in their cars waiting for a parking space close to the entrance to the store. If they parked at the other end of the lot, they could be walking instead of waiting.

2) The quality of your closest relationship is not what you’d like it to be. Could you make a choice today to change your role in that relationship? Whatever it is that you would like to receive more of in your relationship, could you put more of that same quality into your relationship?

If you don’t feel that your mate is paying enough attention to you, could you make time to pay more attention to them? If you don’t feel that they listen to you, could you try to be a better listener yourself?

As you raise the value of your role in the relationship, your mate will likely respond in kind. Whatever it is you want to receive, that’s what you need to give.

3) If you feel that your life is lacking joy and happiness, what can you do? You might start by counting your blessings. What are you truly grateful for, and how does that make you feel? What else?

True happiness comes from being grateful for what we have and from giving. Could you give a smile to everyone who makes eye contact with you? Could you give some encouragement to someone who’s feeling discouraged? When you become a source of happiness for others, you are giving. A very reliable source tells us that there is happiness is giving.

The point is, once you make a choice, there is always a way to follow through. The hardest thing is often just making the choice to get started. You have an enormous amount of power to control the quality of your life. Don’t settle for doing nothing. Make a choice to have the life you want, choose a place to start working on it, and make a choice to get started today.

Are there choices that you need to make?
Do you feel empowered when you make a choice to take action?
The lines are open!

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We all encounter a degree of resistance in life, it’s simply unavoidable. But does it seem to you like life has been getting more difficult lately? Do you find that it takes more effort to accomplish things that used to be simple?

Isn’t technology supposed to make life easier, more affordable, and less complicated? Theoretically, life should be getting easier, not more difficult. Has that been your experience, or is the exact opposite true?

The ability to cope…

There seems to be something about technological advancement that makes certain specific tasks easier, while simultaneously making life as a whole more challenging.

A quick glance at the increase in prescriptions for antidepressant and anti-anxiety meds makes one fact crystal clear. People on average are losing their ability to cope with the challenges of life.

How do you cope with challenges?

Everyone develops their own ways of coping with challenges. Some of them are productive, some are neutral, and some are destructive. How we choose to cope with life’s challenges will eventually define the direction of our personal growth and development.

If we use happy hour, drugs, anger, or depression as a coping mechanism, what will be the long-term effect on our personal development? And yet, for a growing number of people, these are common responses to challenging situations.

The positive side of coping

We all have the ability to turn challenges into motivation and opportunity. If we learn to view each and every challenge as an opportunity for personal growth, we will be much more inclined to choose productive ways to meet those challenges.

The more you learn to embrace the idea of personal growth, the more you will appreciate the life lessons that come from successfully meeting new challenges. Oddly enough, many of the most valuable lessons we will ever learn are the byproduct of challenging situations.

You can run, but you cannot hide!

Life will always present us with challenges, it’s up to us to decide whether that is a good thing, or a bummer. Our perception will determine our response, and ultimately our attitude toward life in general.

Do we see our circumstances as positive, or negative? Do we see insurmountable obstacles, or new and exciting opportunities? Do we welcome the chance to grow, or do we just want to avoid anything that requires effort? Your answers to those questions will form the framework of your life.

The springboard approach

The two most powerful forces for change are moving away from pain, and moving toward pleasure. When some situation in life makes us uncomfortable, why not harness that energy and use it as a springboard for positive action.

Discomfort is a signal that some area of life needs our attention. If we complain about it, or try to hide from it, the discomfort increases. If we analyze the situation, and then take decisive action, the discomfort motivates us to move away from pain, and toward pleasure. Discomfort is a source of energy that we can use in a positive way.

How I use discomfort to create motivation

When I become aware that something in my life is causing discomfort, here’s how I create a springboard. First I agitate the discomfort by looking at the negative ways I am experiencing it. Then I acknowledge the direction I need to go in order to move toward a solution. Finally, I challenge myself, make a commitment, and use the discomfort as rocket fuel to accomplish my new goal.

I especially like to do this with fitness goals. While many people are content to allow their level of fitness to decline after the pass a certain age, the very thought creates adequate discomfort to keep me motivated. As a result, my continued progress has added to my motivation and determination. You see, with the right coping skills, discomfort really does become a source of energy that we can harness and use in a positive way.

Choose positive coping skills

To some degree we can work to simplify our lives and reduce the number of challenges we are exposed to. This can make a significant difference in our quality of life, but we will still face challenges! In the long run, adopting positive and productive methods for meeting those challenges is one of the best gifts you can give yourself.

Are you finding life to be increasingly more challenging?
What are your favorite ways of coping with challenges?
The lines are open!

Tired of searching for answers and wondering what it‘s going to take to get
your life moving in a new direction? Here’s a great way to turn things around.
.
Find Your TRUE SELF Home Study Course
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When you are making decisions, what do you base them on? Do you ever find yourself searching for information but never finding the answers you really need?

Have you ever wondered how the questions you ask affect the decisions you make?

Sometimes it seems like the moment you go looking for meaningful answers to important questions so you can make a wise decision, things begin to get confusing. Either there is not enough information available, or there are so many opinions that you really don’t know who to believe.

Are we asking the right questions?

Making decisions is a big part of life, and learning to ask the right questions is among the top ten life skills we should learn. We base most of our decisions in life on the answers we receive. This is because thinking people like to make informed choices. We like to weigh the information we gather so we can choose the best option.

When we look around, it’s pretty obvious that not everyone bothers with this process. In fact, how many times have you been amazed by other peoples decisions? Have you ever said: “I don’t get it, what were they thinking”? Well, we all have our own criteria, and making wise decisions is a personal responsibility.

The point is, without the right information we simply can’t make wise decisions. And if we are not asking the right questions we won’t have the information we need.

Areas where confusion is the norm

There are certain areas in life where getting truly helpful information can pose a real challenge. As a result, making good decisions in these areas can be extremely difficult. For example, how about finding reliable diet information. How many diets are there? How different are they from each other? How are you supposed to decide which one is best for you? This kind of confusion really impedes the decision making process.

How about exercise? Should you focus on cardiovascular or muscle building exercises? How many times a week? How long should you workout, or how far should you run? Can too much be harmful? Which is better, high-intensity or low intensity? You see what I mean; too many opinions only create more confusion.

These are just two areas where our decision making process can feel challenged. In this age of information overload, we can have a similar experience in almost any endeavor. This only emphasizes the need to hone our decision making skills.

Skillful questions and the decision making process

You might feel that something as important as making wise decisions should have been addressed in school. Well, it wasn’t and questioning that would just be an exercise in futility. Even with all the information on the internet at your finger tips, making wise decisions still comes with knowing where to look for answers. Like so many other important life skills, it’s up to each of us to learn the art of making wise decisions and asking skillful questions.

Because the questions we ask have such a strong influence on the decisions we make, it’s an area that deserves some special attention. Over the years I have discovered several helpful guidelines for cutting through the confusion when asking questions and I’d like to share a few of them with you. Hopefully you will find them useful.

5 keys to finding better answers

1) Don’t ask circular questions. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? That’s a question that will just lead you around in circles. Even if you could answer it, the answer has no relevance. It’s a good example of a worthless question. To find meaningful answers you need to ask meaningful questions that are 100% relevant.

2) Identify your objective. The first thing you need to decide when looking for answers is what your true objective really is. What do you actually want to know? If we don’t know exactly what we’re trying to accomplish, things can get confusing really fast. So spend some time getting a clear idea of what your objective is before you go any further.

3) Scan the field. If you quickly survey all the information available under a broad topic, certain things will stand out. Make a list of the ones that seem to apply to your objective. If you’re into online research, one of the ways to do this is with the public Google search. You can type in a broad topic, and they will usually give you a list of related subtopics.

4) Reevaluate your objective. Now that you know what’s out there try to clarify your objective. This is really just a process of elimination. Narrow your list to things that seem to have specific application to your clearly defined objective. This part of the process will add even more clarity to your objective.

5) Choose reliable sources. When you’re looking for answers to important questions the reliability of your source should be a primary concern. This is especially true when you’re dealing with topics that are partially reliant on someone’s discernment, experience, and opinion. Try to identify sources that you feel you can trust. If you’re looking for marriage advice, don’t ask someone who’s been divorced several times.

Let experience be your guide

There is only so much information gathering you can do, and then it’s time to make a decision. At some point you need to make application of the answers you have formulated. In the long run, only experience will make it clear how good your decisions really are.

Sometimes the answers we get are like shining beacons that guide us to making excellent decisions. Other times they are like guard rails that keep us from running off the road of our intended path. Either way, the value of the answers we find will be in direct proportion to our ability to ask the right questions from the most reliable sources.

The quality of your life today is a reflection of the decisions you have already made. The quality of your life tomorrow will depend on the decisions you make today. That means you have an amazing amount of control over your future. How will you decide to use it?

How do you find the answers you’re seeking?
Who do you look to as a reliable source?
How much thought do you put into making decisions?
The lines are open!

Tired of searching for answers and wondering what it‘s going to take to get
your life moving in a new direction? Here’s a great way to turn things around.
.
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Like it or not, problems, or challenges, are a recurring part of everyday life. Whether you choose to call them challenges, as I do, or problems, certainly doesn’t change the fact that they happen. However, it does change the way we respond to them and that little shift can make a huge difference in our state of mind!

Subconsciously, having a problem means, “There’s something wrong here.” Our mind hears, “This isn’t right, life is not as it should be.” How does this perception affect us? It causes our energy to be funneled toward repairing something that’s gone wrong. Not a very empowering state of mind.

On the other hand, facing a challenge sends no such mental message.  Instead of trying to repair a malfunction, a challenge encourage us to recruit our inner resources and to view the situation as a new opportunity.  This is a very empowering state of mind.

Words send signals to our brain

It’s not uncommon to use the words problems and challenges interchangeably, but the fact is, they send entirely different messages to our brains.  One message represents a struggle just to regain the status quo.  It means that we have somehow lost ground and now we must struggle just to get back to where we were.

The other, more empowering choice, tells our minds that everything is great.  So great in fact, that we are ready to take on something new.  To our subconscious mind, challenges are represented as opportunities.  We see them as a way to move up to the next level.  It’s our chance to demonstrate what we’re made of.

That is why learning to use the word challenge instead of problem has such a positive effect on our outlook.  It’s the difference between our day being plagued with problems or full of opportunities?  Are we struggling just to maintain, or are we ready to accept a challenge and take it to the next level?

Take empowering words for a trial run

Changing the words we use changes our state of mind and our perception of life, but please, don’t take my word for it.  Instead, why not try it out for yourself? Simply replace the word problem in your vocabulary with the word challenge and see what happens?

This is such a simple way to ramp up the quality of your life.  Why not try it for a week and let me know how it works for you? Improving the quality of your life doesn’t need to be complicated.  Many of the most powerful life skills you will ever learn are as simple as exchanging one word for another.

Of course, it doesn’t really matter how simple they are if we don’t use them.  And therein lies the real secret of personal growth.  Nothing happens unless we actually apply what we learn.  The power of any skill or strategy is in the application. If we make it a habit to consistently incorporate the things we learn, even the simplest of life skills will have a profound effect on our life.

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This short video (6 min.) explains why many people feel disappointed and
let down by life, and what it really takes to experience greater satisfaction.