Self-confidence

In my opinion, self-confidence is just an expectation of a positive outcome. When you have self-confidence and expect the outcome to be positive, then you are more willing to stay in the fight until you have reached your objective. You will become more willing to do whatever it takes to prepare yourself because you believe the efforts will pay off. It’s not having confidence by itself that produces success.
Many people walk around full of confidence, but never have the expectation of a positive outcome. Work backwards. First, see the lifestyle you desire. See success first in your mind. This will then give you the self-confidence to start the project.
Self-confidence is like the game of baseball. If you want to score, you must first get to first base. You can’t score from first base so you must do whatever it takes to get to second base. There are different ways to get to second base, or at least to move to third base. Here are the ways to score from third base. A hit will bring you in; a fly ball to outfield, and an error will bring you in as well. Even walking while the bases are loaded will bring you in. A wild pitch or a pass ball will do. A catcher’s interference will do it and a ground out that does not result in the third out will do it. You see, just having the confidence, you will score. The chances increase dramatically as you put forth the effort to increase your odds of scoring. Life is the same way.
People cannot envision success because the distance from first base to home looks too far, so they really never try. Self-confidence without an expectation of a positive outcome, is just wishing and you and I both know that wishing alone will not accomplish anything. So grab a bat and see yourself scoring in the game of life. Expect to score and prepare yourself to do whatever it takes. Look at the faces of the winning team when they score the winning run. Then, look at the faces of the losing team and you decide which face is yours.

Today’s Exercise: Start seeing things from the end.
Today’s Affirmation: I am enthusiastic and confident.
Points to Ponder: Self-confidence is just an expectation of a positive outcome.

Relaxation

To manage tomorrow’s stress, you must begin today. Some experts agree that techniques like learning the “Relaxation Response,” meditating and doing aerobic exercise will benefit in managing stress. A simple way is don’t get hung up on yourself.
I was in Home Depot the other day and there was a lady dressed as if she was going to a tea party. She had on tons of makeup and jewelry, and was all over the place complaining and making a fuss. She was literally making everyone in the area nervous and uncomfortable.
We met in a busy intersecting aisle. There was at least ten people standing there, and she was carrying on about how Home Depot was a lousy store and she would never shop there again. I don’t know exactly why I did it, but I looked her straight in the eye and I said, “Lady get over yourself.”
She made a funny noise and said, “Well, I never!”
I replied, “I guess you never will.” She stood there with her mouth hanging open while I got a standing ovation from the people in the aisle. The results were one frustrated loud mouth and ten happy shoppers.
Don’t get hung up on yourself. No one cares.

Today’s Exercise: Say this everyday: I am a calm, peaceful, and patient person.
Today’s Affirmation: I am a calm, peaceful and patient person.
Points to Ponder: To manage tomorrow’s stress, you must begin today.

Imagination

True imagination is a belief in the impossible? It is your launching pad for creativity. Somerset Maugham once said, “Man consists of body, mind, and imagination. His body is faulty, his mind untrustworthy, but his imagination has made him remarkable.” Think of the imagination of Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Newton, Brahms, Bach, etc. What a poorer world this would be without their imagination! Were these people extraordinary? No, they were ordinary people with extraordinary imagination.
Don’t stifle your dreams because they sound impossible or too far-fetched. Dream on. Let your imagination loose; let it trigger your creativity. There is one simple rule: Never suppress your curiosity.
Do not stifle your children’s imagination; don’t yell at them if they crayon outside the lines. Look at it as a blessing if your child daydreams a lot. Encourage your children to ask a million questions and if they have this imaginary friend that only they can see, don’t tell them the imaginary friend doesn’t exist. The world needs dreamers; your children are the Edison’s or Einstein’s of tomorrow.
If you want to accomplish something of value, see it from the end. Visualize in your mind what it will look like when it’s completed and then work backwards to see what you have to do each step of the way. When you get to the beginning, you will know exactly what you have to do to take the first step. Then take it. Don’t look for problems. Look for solutions. There are many ways to accomplish your goal. Keep trying until you find one that works. Please do not try to go it alone. Tune in your Subconscious Mind to the Universal Superconscious Mind of God. God already knows the answer and God has been giving you hints through your imagination. God does not give you a dream without the ability to accomplish the dream.
“I would rather fail attempting something great than succeed in doing nothing at all.” I probably said this several times in these messages and it bears repeating. From Think and Grow Rich, “Whatsoever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

Today’s Exercise: Take a half of an hour, find a quiet place and let your imagination out of its cell.
Today’s Affirmation: The kingdom of God is within me.
Points to Ponder: Don’t stifle your dreams because they sound impossible or too far fetched. If you want to accomplish something of value, see it from the end.

Preparing the Mind

To prepare your mind to be successful and happy, it begins with identifying, studying, understanding, and the clearing out of the three enemies: indecision, doubt, and fear. Your sixth sense will never function properly while any one or all three remain in your mind. The members of this destructive trinity are closely related. Where one may be found, the other two are lurking close by. Indecision spawns doubt and when the two blend, they become fear. This is usually a slow process that may grow without your awareness. There are six basic fears that will prevent you from attaining your goals:
1. Fear of poverty – This fear forces many people to take no end jobs or stay where they have no hope of advancement.
2. Fear of criticism – This fear keeps people from trying new things or taking any kind of risk, whatsoever.
3. Fear of ill health – Believe it or not this fear keeps us sick and creates illness where there was no cause.
4. Fear of loss of love. This fear forces loneliness, depression, and anxiety.
5. Fear of old age – This fear is debilitating, causes illness, and lack of productivity.
6. The fear of death – This fear is lack of understanding who we really are.

Fears are nothing more than states of mind. Once we control our state of mind, we will eliminate fear. Fear is an illusion; it is False Education Appearing Real. Just as simply turning on a light can eliminate fear of the dark, turning on your mind to the truth eliminates these fears. This whole exercise is designed to turn on the light in your mind.

Today’s Exercise: Go into a totally dark room and stay there for ten minutes. Note the feelings you are going through. Now turn on the light.
Today’s Affirmation: My Subconscious Mind will make into reality whatever I ask of it.
Points to Ponder: Fears are nothing more that states of mind. Fear is an illusion; it is False Education Appearing Real.

Lead by Example

It’s funny how often the problem is you. Whenever you don’t get the results you want, you need to swallow your pride and look inward to see if you were part of the problem. Ask yourself these three questions:
1. Did I clearly articulate the goal?
2. Did I give myself enough time and resources to accomplish the goal?
3. Did I really believe I could do it?
Leaders need to understand how profoundly they affect those around them. Optimism and pessimism are equally infectious. You directly set the tone of everyone around you.
Successful people make time for those who answer to them. Unsuccessful or poor leaders treat their subordinates as necessary Evils. Mediocre leaders don’t even take the trouble to know their people. As a successful person you know that you don’t do it alone; you need to send a signal to people you work with that they are important. As a matter of fact, nothing else should be more important to you.
No matter what your current status is, start thinking of yourself as a leader. Leaders are not born; they are made. Lead by example. A leader is a person who continually looks for solutions to problems. Leaders know how to be held accountable. Leaders must acknowledge mistakes and take responsibility. It is far more important to correct the mistakes than to worry about making them.
Show me a person who doesn’t make mistakes and I’ll show you a person who doesn’t do anything. Mistakes are blessings in disguise. Mistakes account for many of the great discoveries of our time. Think of vulcanized rubber, Post-It notes, etc. Don’t ever stop trying.

Today’s Exercise: Make up your mind today that you are a leader.
Today’s Affirmations: I attract success and happiness into my life every day.
Points to Ponder: Mistakes are blessings in disguise. It is far more important to correct the mistakes than to worry about making them.