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Realize Your GoalsI have been reading a lot of books lately on the subject of Goals Realization. I’ve read books by Lance Armstrong, Jim Fannin, Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy and Jim Collins and I’ve gone to presentations and seminars by Tony Robbins, Les Brown, Jim Fannin and Andy Nulman. I even watched “The Secret” on DVD with my wife. But basically, every book, every person, every philosophy boiled down to the same set of “rules”. The only differences were the ways the ideas were presented. Some of the presenters based the principles strongly on the experiences or their lives, while others transferred some sage knowledge that was passed down to them, while others manipulated the ideas so they would fit some cool and catchy acronym. So what I’ve done here is cut through all the fat and flash to bring you the backbone and basics of what it takes to Realize Your Goals! V.E.A.R. Toward SuccessTM Vision: The first step you must take towards realizing your goal is to know what that goal is. You must first have a VISION of your ideal future and this vision must have clarity. I’m certain that for many of us we want happiness in our future. This is an excellent goal to aspire to, yet I’m certain that goal holds a different picture for each one of us. For some, we believe happiness will come when we finally find our soul mate. For others, we’ll be happy if we can keep our weight below a certain level. While for others still happiness will come when we have lots and lots of cash! Now aren’t those visions clearer than simply the vision of “happiness”? Well yes and no. Although they are certainly more clear, they’re still not clear enough. Let’s use the “lots and lots of cash” vision as an example since it is probably the one most of us can best relate to. Is money what we all really want? What would happen if I gave you a trust fund for one million dollars right now that you’ll be eligible to access the minute you turn 65 years old? Nobody else but you is ever allowed to touch that money. So there you are, you are an instant millionaire. Are you happy now? Probably not… Money isn’t what would make you happy right now. What you want is what you think money will buy: freedom from debt, the ability to purchase what you want, when you want it, the ability to travel at will, and have the freedom to enjoy life. Just take a minute right now and try and envision that reality. Picture yourself living that lifestyle. Can you see it? If you can see this picture, I would bet there isn’t even slightest hint of currency within that frame. More likely you see yourself sitting on beach somewhere, with the sun warming your skin and a cool and relaxing drink in your hand. Now THIS is a vision! And THAT is happiness! Now you have a real goal to aspire to. Energy: I am certainly not about to tell you that realizing this vision is going to be easy. There are no shortcuts and there are going to be roadblocks and setbacks that will get you down and cause you to doubt the feasibility of your mission. This is where ENERGY comes into the picture. In order to succeed and stay motivated you’re going to need to keep your energy levels high. But luckily, there is energy to be had all around us. In fact, when you break it down there is but one thing in the universe and that is energy. Let’s start big and work our way down. First there is the universe, within that universe is a galaxy that holds this planet, there is land on this planet that you are currently standing (or sitting) on. Within you are your organs which are comprised of cells which are made of molecules made up of atoms. And what is at the basis of an atom? Energy! Think back to your high school physics lessons. What did you learn about energy? Energy can change from one form to another but it cannot be created or destroyed. Fortunately we can only see one form of energy known as the visible spectrum. Can you imagine what the world would look like if we could see every form of energy? What if we could see heat radiation, x-rays, gamma rays, radio waves, sound waves, electromagnetic fields…? We wouldn’t be able to see anything at all, because energy is everywhere, encompassing everything. But if energy is capable of changing forms then what is stopping us from harnessing some of this eternal energy and using it for our own purposes? Only you. You are the only limiting factor in this equation. I have friend whose name is Ray Zahab and last year he decided he was going to run across the entirety of the Sahara Desert from coast to coast by running 2 marathons a day (approximately 80km) day after day without a break. When he told me this, I, like most people, thought he was mad. Having run a marathon myself, I know how grueling running 40 kilometers can be with nice new shoes and all the water I can drink after a great night’s sleep. There was just no way a human being could survive the punishment of running 80km a day through the sand for 111 days straight. How do I know it would take 111 days to complete that journey? Because just a couple of weeks ago Ray and his 2 buddies succeeded in that very task! Is Ray a physically super human being? Certainly not. Ray is definitely in terrific shape. I can’t take that away from him. But I don’t know if he is physically the strongest or fittest individual I have ever met. I know a few people who are in the same general range of fitness as Ray. But could any of them have matched Ray’s accomplishment? I don’t think so. Ray’s strength doesn’t come from his legs or his cardiovascular system, it comes from his attitude and his ability to access tremendous amounts of energy from within himself and the world around him. Ray has the ability to tap into an unlimited reserve of energy that he uses to stay positive, optimistic and confident. Did you notice though, that I didn’t just say that Ray has an “unlimited reserve of energy”? No, I said Ray “has the ability to tap into” that reserve. That reserve is there for all of us but most of us don’t maximize its potential like Ray does. Few things are impossible to diligence and skill; great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance. – Samuel Johnson That is only one form of energy though. That is the form we access and keep within us to make us strong. But the more I read, the more I uncover the belief of another form of energy. Brian Tracy and Jack Canfield refer to it as the “Law of Attraction” and Jim Fannin calls it “WYOU, You’re on the Air”. The belief here is that your thoughts create vibrations. These vibrations have been proven through the use of an echoencephalogram. But what Brian, Jack, Jim, and many others believe is that these waveforms have the ability to travel hundreds and even thousands of miles and that these waveforms have the ability to affect the subconscious of other people. They believe that this law of attraction will eventually bring whatever it is that you think about most, directly to you. That is the good news, but it is also the bad news. Apparently the Law of Attraction doesn’t discriminate and also has weak grammar. So if you expect trouble, you may not go looking for it, but it will find you. And I say the Law of Attraction has weak grammar because you may be thinking all of the time that you want to “get out of debt”, but since the only noun in that thought is “debt”, debt is what the Law of Attraction brings. So, when you’re forming your vision, don’t think about what you don’t want (i.e. debt), think about what you do want (i.e. wealth). Attitude: Do you believe you are capable of attaining this goal? It is imperative that you have a positive ATTITUDE, and are extremely optimistic and confident in your success. If you don’t have this you are doomed to fail. My motto is: “If it can be done, it can be done by me”. Blaming your current situation or where you come from is only an excuse. I’m sure you have a better start than this person: She was born to a 13 year old mother and handed over to live with her grandmother in rural poverty in Mississippi. At age six she moved back in with her mother in a Milwaukee inner-city ghetto. At age 9, she began being molested by her cousin, uncle and a family friend. And in her early teens, she ran away from home, lived on the streets, became pregnant but lost the baby after birth. Luckily this girl didn’t use her environment and upbringing as an excuse to limit her and went on to become who some have referred to as the “most influential woman in the world”. Yes, these were the humble beginnings of Oprah Winfrey! Neither the past nor the future exist. There is only right now. Are you making the most of this precise moment? As Mark Twain said: “If you think you can't, or you think you can; you're probably right.” Attitude is everything. Resolve: Achieving your goals is not always easy, and the bigger the goal, the higher the price you must pay. If achieving goals was easy, there would be no more room for my chair on the beach or ice in the freezer for my drink! You'd all already be there! Success only comes to those who have the Vision, Energy, Attitude, and the RESOLVE to stay the course. Along your path, you will definitely be met by hardship and setbacks. The true champion though only sees these as opportunities for growth and a test of her commitment. Along the way there will also be victories. These are positive experiences because they can serve to booster your confidence, but they can also serve as pitfalls if you’re not careful. In Jim Fannin’s “SCORE for Life” book, he talks about a hungry cheetah that has zeroed in on a large impala within the middle of the herd. The cheetah is famished and has decided that it is the largest impala he wants. So the cheetah works his way slinking through the tall grass to gain the most optimal approach. When the time is right, the cheetah springs out of hiding and races through the herd. All around him, the impala scatter. The weak and the young are confused and stumble, easy prey for the cheetah. But the cheetah doesn’t want a weak, tired, diseased meal, he wants the filet mignon and stays focused on his prey, leaping over the inferior beasts to access and ultimately take down and consume his prize. How many times have you had a goal in mind, only to settle for a lesser result or product? If you truly want to succeed you have to be passionate about it. In fact it’s not enough to merely want it, you have to NEED it. It is absolutely something you MUST have. It should be the first thing you think about when you awake and the last thing you think about before you go to sleep. Don’t think about the problems or obstacles along the way, but keep forefront in your mind your original vision. If that original beach scene is your dream, then sure you need to see it. But right now you also need to be able to feel the warm breeze blow across the salt that has encrusted on your skin. You need to feel the heat of the sand as you dig into the beach with your toes. You need to hear the waves crash, the seagulls crow and the ice as it tinkles within your glass. And I guarantee, if you hold onto that vision, truly believe it will happen, overcome your obstacles and refuse to settle for anything less, you’ll be buying sunscreen by the case before you know it!
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