What Are You Afraid to Do?

"One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do." - Henry Ford

Have you realised that most of the barriers that are challenging us have been put there by us in the first place? Logic would tell us then that if we put them there, then we can take them down.

One of the great discoveries you and I can make is to find that we really can do something we were afraid we couldn't do.

The barrier is something we have put up inside ourselves and we really can take it down.

What barrier will you take down this week? Have a go, what have you got to lose? If you are successful, much is to be gained. If you aren’t successful, you haven’t gone backwards at all.

It’s Time to Kick Some Goals

Think of some things you want to happen in your life. Some amazing, exciting and really imaginative things you want. Write them out now.

Goal 1

Goal 2

Goal 3

Goal 4

Goal 5

Goal 6

Goal 7

Goal 8

Goal 9

Goal 10

You can keep going, of course, if you wish or not even have 10 goals. The number is irrelevant; the goal is what is important.

Now arrange them in order of priority.

Then set a target date.

Now, what is the first step for the first goal?

Great! Now go and do that!

What Are You Doing For Others?

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Every person must decide whether they will walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness.”

This is the judgment. Life's most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?"

Did you know that contribution is one of our six core needs? To feel whole and complete, we are programmed to contribute. There are many ways to contribute and I’m not necessarily talking about volunteering on a regular occasion.

Did you realise that helping others can be as simple as making a decision to smile more than you currently do? This is a decision that I made a couple of years ago. Now, I find that I am automatically smiling just as I walk along the street without realising or thinking about what I am doing. My aim is to share and bring happiness wherever I am.

Another way you can contribute to others is by not judging too quickly - always looking for the best in others. All of us actually do the best we can with the knowledge we have at that point in time. It’s good to remind yourself of that occasionally. It's an odd thing but true, that whatever you see in others you magnify in yourself.

The added benefit is that when you do good for others, you do wonders for yourself as well.

Believe In Yourself

"It is the decisions you make, when you have no time to make them, that define who you are. Believing in yourself is one of the first steps to success.”

It really is important to believe in yourself, isn’t it? Believe in yourself no matter what other people think. We should all decide that we can do, be and have whatever we want in this world and the only person who can get you there is YOU!

It is in your thoughts; it is in your actions that you can make your dreams come true.

Some simple steps that may help include:

1. Set goals. When you set goals you know where you are heading. 
2. Acknowledge when you achieve any small goal. It helps to build your confidence in your own success. 
3. Have realistic expectations of what you can achieve and then aim a little higher. We can always achieve more than we think we can. 
4. Listen to feedback, and remember, some people will try to tear you down while others will provide golden tips to support you on your journey. 
5. Contribute to those around you. When you contribute, you will receive positive feedback and respect from others that helps build yourself belief and self confidence. 
6. Always, always work towards your dreams. 
7. Believe in yourself. It is the key to success in life.

Focus on You

For you to be your best and look after and support others, you need to look after yourself first.

I have a friend who recently was doing everything - working a number of jobs, getting up at 4:30 am to start her day, not eating properly because she was too busy, no time to exercise, no time for a chat with friends and not enough time with her family.

Guess what happened? She ‘hit the wall’. Her body had given her a few warnings to slow down, take some time for herself, but she didn’t listen. She was just trying to do it all for everyone. She became quite unwell and then she couldn’t do anything for anyone for a period of time.

It really doesn’t take a lot to look after your well being, but you do have to look after yourself. Take time to sleep well, eat well and exercise. Take time for you ... you need it. You are the most important person around. To be the very best for everyone around you, it is important to take some time for you. Otherwise, you can get burned out, you can get sick and be forced to take time out.

Listen to your body. It does give you alerts and warning signs.