Hey there peeps! I’ve been thinking a lot this past week about what it is that is holding me back from success. I get to a point on that path to success, and end up doing something, or getting into a mood that sabotages whatever it is that I have and drop back down to where I guess I subconsciously think I should be.
So I decided that I would take a different approach to my problem and actually try to find the root cause of it. (DUH!) I started reading a great series of books by Randy Gage. He has what he calls “The Prosperity Series”, which examine prosperity and why a person deserves it. The second book in the series is called “Accept Your Abundance.” In this book Mr. Gage talks about why people feel they don’t deserve prosperity. While reading it, I had an “Ah Ha” moment. I realized what was holding me back….
All of my life, I’ve been in one situation or another, usually, not prosperous situations either, I might add. But every single one of them I figured out how to get out of it. A while back a friend of mine told me that he didn’t know how I did it, but I always managed to get out of a jam, even when it looked like there was no “out.” It was a talent. I felt proud that I could do that. I believe myself to be a pretty smart guy. But even though I’m smart, I’m not very bright obviously. Because I keep putting myself in situations that I have “get out of.”
If I would just focus my energy “getting into” success, I would be much happier.
But here’s the kicker. Everybody says that to succeed in life, you need to get out of your comfort zone. But what I really think they should be saying is you need to get out of your “knowing zone.” You see, we do the things we know, and we keep doing them over and over because we know how to do them. For example when I put myself in a situation that sucks and I find a solution to that situation, I feel good about myself.
I CONQUERED THE BEAST!
Even though I created the beast, I fed the beast, I let the beast loose. I conquered him, so I feel awesome! What kind of crap is that? Pretty screwed up huh? But it’s reality. Lots and lots of people do the exact same thing.
Why?
Because it is what we know how to do. We don’t know how exactly to be successful. At least for those who never have been successful. The beast of Success is totally new to us. We don’t know what it looks like. We don’t know the rules to the game. We’re afraid of it. It’s not a matter of just “manning up” and facing it. That’s like saying, “Face your fear and get in the ring with Mike Tyson and hit him and hope you knock him out!” Uh, I’ll pass thank you. You see, right there is what 99% of sane people think. Even though, if by some miracle, you are able to avoid getting hit long enough to actually hit him with enough force to knock him out, you would become a hero and have fame and success beyond your wildest dreams!” Not worth it, if you ask me.
But… What if you trained? What if you worked out, built up strength, stamina, and really prepared yourself for the match? You would still be afraid, no doubt, but your odds would go up.
Still not buying it? Ok, how’s this, instead of Mike Tyson, you would have to fight say, Betty White. Do you think you could open a can of whoop-ass on Betty White? Sure you could. But then again, she’s pretty feisty; she just might get a few hits in before licking canvas.
So what’s my point? It’s that odds are, for you to be successful you don’t have to fight anything near Mike Tyson. More than likely the beast is Betty White. But you won’t know that until you prepare. Train. Learn how it’s done. Take baby steps.
But most of all, you need to figure out what it is that you really want. I mean be specific. People say they want a Million Dollars a year, but have no idea what that would even be like. What would it take? How would you live? That’s another thing that Randy Gage discusses in his book. Most people don’t even know what it would be like to have a Million Dollars, they’ve never had it. They know they want it, but really don’t know what it would take to get it. They can’t actually see themselves with it.
So that’s the point I’m making. You have to see yourself living your life how you want it to be. What would you do? What would you have? Where would you go? What would your life be like if you had a Million Dollars?
You see, answer those questions, and you’ll now know your success beast. Now you’ll know what it looks like, and at least part of what you’ll have to do to get it.
I hope this helps you, because I know how much it sucks taking 1 step forward and 2 steps back. The frustration of the success-failure yo-yo.
Sit down and design you life. Create the life you want, not the one you have settled for. Know where you’re going. Prepare for the journey. Study Prosperity. Decide you’re worthy of it. And go for it. Beat the crap out of Betty White!!
To Your Success, Because Your Success Matters!
David Haines
(215) 268-6696 Anytime!
Jun
27
2010
What the Heck is a Gravatar and Why do I Need One?
Posted by David Haines | Comments (0)
Category : Blogging, Branding
Tags: Blog Comment, blogging, Branding Strategy, Gravatar, Picture
Well, that little picture is called a Gravatar (Globally Recognized Avatar), and you need one if you leave comments or have a blog of your own. It should be part of your personal branding strategy.
People connect with pictures, and it’s very important that your picture is connected to EVERYTHING you do. Let others know who you are and what you look like. They are more apt to remember you if they can associate what you say with your picture.
So now, on to the good stuff! Setting up a Gravatar is very easy.
My very good friend Sharon Hartman created a great video training on how to set up a Gravatar.
If you would like to bypass the video, you can go to http://www.gravatar.com and follow the instructions there.
So hey, when you’re finished come back here and leave a comment for this article. I’d love to see your picture!
Happy Branding!
To Your Success, Because Your Success Matters!
David Haines
(215) 268-6696 Anytime!
Special Thanks goes out to Sharon Hartman for her great video training and her friendship. Check out her awesome blog at http://sharon-hartman.com