Believe In YOURSELF...and OTHERS

"Believe in YOURSELF...and OTHERS"

Several years ago, while out on a motorcycle ride, I came across the EXACT same phrase on three different signs over the course of about an hour. There was nothing going on state-wide or nationally that had a specific phrase used that would justify this in the normal sense. But, there it was.

"Believe in Yourself" was the message that kept appearing to me and for me and, after seeing it three times, it got my attention!

Well now, this thought obviously took over my thought process as I began to consider what this message meant for me and WHY this message was coming through so clearly when, coming back through my hometown I glanced over at another sign and read the ending of a message scrolling across it, which read, "...and OTHERS". 

To some extent, this article message relates closely to the last article on taking ACTION with your belief. It is IMPORTANT for you to BELIEVE yourself but, do you believe in yourself to the point of TAKING ACTION based on that belief?

Self-doubt has a way of creeping in and putting a damper on those beliefs and, as a result, it also brings to a stop any action that we had planned to take. 

Take a look in the mirror and say your name and declare the need to believe in yourself... "Hey, Mike - BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!" 

One thing that will help in this process is to DAILY recite my 7 Daily Affirmations that I shared with you in an article a couple of weeks ago. If you missed that article, you can find it here.

Hey, listen, there is more than enough negativity in this world that will work on tearing you down without YOU doing it to yourself! You need to establish a strong base - or foundation - of BELIEF IN YOURSELF so that you can go through your day with more confidence in who you are and what you are able to accomplish. 

Do make sure to understand that there is a difference in being confident and being conceited. When you are confident in yourself and in your abilities, you "walk and stand taller". You carry yourself differently and you begin to take action where, before, you would shy away. Yes, you may confidently say, "I can do that!" but you don't brag. When someone is conceited, they make sure to tell as many people as possible how great they are...and it never stops. They are they best at EVERYTHING and they'll be sure to let you know that. 

People will LISTEN TO and FOLLOW a person that is confident. They will IGNORE and AVOID someone that is conceited.

You will likely find that, as you begin to believe in yourself and increase your confidence that, as a result, you will begin to believe in others easier. Remember? That was the 2nd half of my message on that particular day..."and OTHERS".

Yes, we must be aware of what takes place around us in pretty much all areas of our life. However, I do believe it is possible to be aware and careful without becoming completely untrusting. You see, I think that BELIEF and TRUST go hand in hand.  As a matter of fact, I usually include the following phrase in my daily routine when I say today's phrase out loud..."Believe in yourself and others AND TRUST in others!"

You will also likely find that, as your belief (and trust) in others increases, your relationships (in all areas) will improve. If you are a manager or a "boss" in any way, this is something that you really need to pay attention to and notice the results.

Do you want others to believe in you? Do you want others to trust you? Then friend, it doesn't matter WHAT KIND of relationship we are talking about - in order for that to take place, YOU MUST BELIEVE IN AND TRUST OTHERS! 

Once again, if you haven't done so yet, you need to listen to the podcast on today's topic. Just click one of the links at the bottom of this article to do so. There is SO MUCH MORE information and additional thoughts that I share with you there that is not found in this article. 

If you listen by going to iTunes, please take a moment and leave a review - I thank you in advance! Also, be sure to stop by the FYU fan page on Facebook and let me know that you left that review AND to just say "hello" and let me know that you are benefiting from Future You University. 

As always, THANKS for joining me today and, please, share this with as many as possible and always be sure to keep moving forward, closer to your dream!

And, until next time, whatever you do,  be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

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"B" in BELIEF

- BEYOND -

 

Today I'm starting a new "series" taking each letter of the word, "BELIEF", and applying a word to that letter that applies to the word, BELIEF.

 

As you can see, today, for the letter"B", I will be using the word, "BEYOND".

 

When I think about what it takes to believe (to have belief) or to have faith, one of the first things that comes to mind is the ability to "see beyond" how things are at the moment.

 

Think about that for a bit. Anything - and I mean ANYTHING - that you set out to accomplish is based on BELIEF or FAITH. How can I say that? Why do I say that? Because it's TRUE!

 

When you start on a new job, you believe that it will turn out good and that you will do well with that job and, perhaps (if you choose), even advance through that company with that job. Let me ask you something: Isn't that based on "belief" or "faith" that it WILL happen? You have no proof that it will happen for you yet, you choose to believe that it will turn out that way. Right?

 

When you stood before a minister and a room full of people and you pledged your love "until death do us part", did you not do so based on belief or faith? Sure you did! The odds were actually against you and, it may not have worked out for you as you had planned. Maybe it did. The fact is, on that particular day, you BELIEVED that it would.

 

There is a difference between HOPE and BELIEF. In my mind, HOPE is akin to "wishful thinking". HOPE is something that you do with your fingers crossed. BELIEF, however, is something that you understand requires YOU to do YOUR part in the process. It is believing that, if you do your part, things will work out.

 

Does that mean it always works out the way that you believed that it would? No, it does not. Sometimes it doesn't work out the way you believed that it would and there are even times when it turns out far better than you believed.

 

The key is this: When things do NOT turn out the way we had believed (or maybe even hoped), then we must continue to look BEYOND what IS and look at WHAT WILL BE if we do not give up.

 

We must look BEYOND our current circumstances and look - with BELIEF - at what WILL BE if we continue on doing our best at every endeavor.

 

Do NOT give up, don't you DARE give up!

 

The ability to look beyond...it is the cornerstone of belief.

 

And, as we work on doing our best and being our best, let's always be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

 

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See How 100% Involved MAKE MONEY

You Are Capable!

 

I love that quote in the graphic above. Read it and pay close attention to your immediate response.

 

I'm not sure WHY we do it, but many of us DO it.

 

Do what, exactly? Doubt ourselves. So many of us have a struggle accepting what is said in that graphic. What was YOUR initial and immediate response to what you read? Be honest with yourself...no one else is going to know, but YOU MUST BE HONEST with yourself IF you are planning to move forward in this progression of a more positive mindset.

 

Yet, to some extent, I DO know why so many of us doubt ourselves. It's because we've been "beaten up" over the years. We've experienced temporary set backs and perceived "failures" and it has become difficult to believe that anything good can actually happen to us and for us.

 

We WANT to believe it but we just can't seem to get past the doubt that it CAN actually happen to us. Others? Sure, we don't have much of a problem believing that someone else can have something good in their life...we even often feel that they DESERVE it as opposed to us....who, for whatever reason, DON'T deserve it. Or so we feel.

 

I may have used the following graphic before but it seems to really apply in today's thought. Take a look:



 

For whatever reason, we find it easier to believe in others than ourselves. We have no doubt that THEY can achieve any thing and every thing, but not us.

 

STOP DOUBTING YOUR LIMITS!

 

Belief (that you can) is not based on what you can SEE! It really doesn't take much belief or FAITH to act on something that is clearly seen. Acting on something that is clearly seen removes most - if not all - risk. No risk doesn't require belief or faith, friend.

 

The Bible (in Hebrews 11:1) defines faith as, "...the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

 

HOPE combined with EVIDENCE!

 

Wait a minute, it says "evidence of things not seen"...how is that evidence?

 

There is evidence of things that we cannot see around us each and every day, friend. Electricity and the wind are just two - very simple - examples.

 

Again, FAITH - BELIEF - demands that we "step out" without "seeing" everything fully. Risk is a part of the equation but, what is truly valuable without some level of risk involved?

 

Stop doubting and begin to believe that, indeed, you ARE capable of more than you know.

 

Keep your head up and keep moving forward and, as you do so, always be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

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Believe in Yourself...and Others

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What you see in the picture above is the upper right hand corner of my white board. I'm not really sure how long that's been on there but I'm going to estimate that it's been there for at least two years!

Those of you that follow this blog and my podcasts, etc. (www.FutureYouUniversity.com) may remember when I shared my thoughts about where this phrase came from but, for those of you that are fairly new or need a refresher on it, let me do a quick recap for you.

A couple of years ago as I was out on my motorcycle enjoying a ride I came across three different signs (one in front of a church, one in front of a school and another in front of some other building)  with the following phrase positioned on it: "BELIEVE IN YOURSELF". Now, I don't know about you but when I see something with the EXACT same message on it three times in the matter of maybe an hour - I PAY ATTENTION!

I remember thinking, "Awesome! I need to believe in myself more because I already do!" Then, about two miles from home I saw the ending of a message scrolling across of a sign in front of an insurance company. I have no idea what the first part said but the part I saw simply read, "...and yourself." I remember specifically thinking, "Wow, the missing piece to the puzzle!"

You see, you MUST believe in yourself and act on that belief NO MATTER WHAT others around you may try to do to derail you from your goals and dreams (and you know that they will!). Never, ever stop working on this important piece of the puzzle to your success. "Your greatest education takes place on the campus of your mind." That's not just a cute little phrase I came up with back in 2009. It's a FACT and one that we must ALWAYS work on - our mindset and what we allow INTO our minds and lives! I could write a LOT more about this but I'm going to move on from this part to finish up with the other, important part of this phrase - "...and others".

I am a skeptical person. For one, it is the way I was raised. My dad was one that always questioned anything and everything and, though it taught me to be careful in my dealings with others, I do believe it also instilled in me a lack of trust in others. You know what I mean, right? "They're out to get there's and I had better put my hand on my wallet so that they don't take advantage of me!"

I've had a hard time overcoming this and I wish I could tell you that I was past that - but I'm not. I STILL am a very skeptical person but the fact remains that if you wish to REACH the success that you DESIRE then you WILL have to not only believe in yourself but you will also have to believe in and TRUST other people - especially those that you choose to follow.

So, going back to our last few podcasts and videos that I shared on leadership - do you think it's important WHO you follow and WHO you trust?

YOU BET IT IS!

As I shared in the lesson entitled, "Been There, Done That", it is important to find someone to follow, believe in and TRUST that has a proven track record and then, my friend, we must allow ourselves to actually TRUST those people.

Oh, don't follow blindly, but you have to learn to trust (lesson to myself!) if you plan to move forward in your life.

Make sense?

Let me mention to you that I have another blog that I've shared some of the articles there on this blog but I want to encourage you to check it out here and then let me know what you think. YES, there is an opportunity to check out there and I encourage you to take a look - no obligation. I do believe that the leaders of this particular group are definitely those that have "been there, done that" and there is exciting developments coming out within the next couple of weeks.

Anyway, remember, "Believe in Yourself....and OTHERS."

And, as you do, always be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike



Make Your PRIORITIES a PRIORITY

(be sure to check out the podcast on iTunes or on the RSS feed)

I don't really  have a lot more to say/write about this topic. I do encourage you to be sure to listen to the podcast on this last part of the series and be sure to follow through with the steps lined out to help you focus in on what your priorities really are.

Remember, belief without ACTION gets you nowhere (faith without works is dead). So, stop talking about what you WANT your priorities to be and start doing ...let me emphasize that word DOING...whatever it takes to get YOUR priorities as YOUR priorities.

Here's a thought you won't find in the podcast and one that I believe to be true: "Priorities are like a lot of other things in your life. If YOU don't pick them, someone else will!"

That should be a sobering thought.

So, once again, if you've not done so, go back and AT LEAST listen to and read the series on "PRIORITIES" from this week. However, I suggest you go back to the series on "TIME" the week before to tie all of these things together.

And then...

TAKE ACTION!

Be sure to join me tomorrow for a podcast/blog for a completely unrelated topic! You'll be glad you did! And, until then, be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

The APPLICATION of FAITH

It's "FUN FRIDAY"! Get out there and LIVE life and have FUN doing it!

All week long we have been talking about faith and, for the most part, have used the Biblical definition of faith found in Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen."  I've also been using this definition as an application for us as we strive to reach our goals and dreams that we have set for ourselves. Again, if you've not done so, I encourage you to go back and catch up with the blog AND the podcast (iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mike-spillmans-future-you/id423660739 and the RSS feed: http://mikespillman.hipcast.com/rss/futureyouuniversity.xml ) before reading today's article.

Today I want to make some spiritual observations and discuss the APPLICATION of FAITH. Sure, you can also apply this to reaching your personal goals and dreams because, again, you can believe something all you want, you can have FAITH that something WILL happen but, until you step out and take ACTION - NOTHING will happen! Again, I'd love to get some feedback from you on today's article either here, via e-mail (mike@futureyouuniversity.com) or on our FB fan page (www.facebook.com/futureyouuniversity).

Once, when I was a young boy, I heard a sermon on the topic of faith. And, in that sermon, I heard it said that with faith I could do anything. Anything? Yes, from what I understood, ANYTHING. So, I decided to test this out and, going into my back yard, tried to pull a full grown tree up out of the ground by putting my little arms as far around that tree as I could which, obviously, wasn't very far around. Guess what? Are you ready for this? That tree stayed put and I wore myself out.

In 1 Corinthians 13:11 Paul says the following: "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." Now, at the time of the above-mentioned incident, I was definitely a child and I definitely understood the concept of faith as a child would. And, thankfully, I do believe I've matured spiritually to the point that I have a better understanding of this concept of "faith". Notice that I didn't say that I understood it completely. Big difference and I hope you'll NEVER hear me say ANYTHING along the lines of me having it all figured out.

Repeating what was said earlier in the week, "Faith is NOT careless living!" and, to go along with that, "Faith is NOT a magic wand!" Let's look at a great example of the application of faith found in the Bible in Matthew 14: 22-33. I'm not going to "cut and paste" the scripture for you but I'm going to "sum up" what is being found there. I hope that you'll have the opportunity to take a look at it for yourself to see that what I'm saying does, indeed, go right along with what is written there.

When you read the preceding verses you will find that there has been a LOT going on for Jesus and His followers. And, as He would often do, Jesus told his disciples (followers) to go on ahead of Him and that He would join them a little later so that He could spend some alone time in prayer. While He was doing so a storm came up with a lot of wind and it began to toss the boat that the disciples were in quite violently to the point that they feared for their lives.

Sometime around 3 - 6 a.m. (the fourth watch of the night) these frightened disciples looked out on the water and saw what they believed to be a ghost! Think about that for a moment...you're fighting to keep water out of your boat and, among all the hustle and bustle and panic, you look out and see a ghost! I don't know about WALKING on the water but I'm thinking I may have begun RUNNING on TOP of the water and in the opposite direction!

In one of several humorous understatements that I believe are found in the translations of the Bible, we read that they "cried out for fear". Now, maybe that is not an understatement but, if you're like me and many others, we READ it as an understatement. Seriously, put yourself in that situation as much as you can and consider how YOU would sound as YOU "cried out for fear". I'm thinking they were screaming their heads off like a boat load of school girls! Mike's translation reads, "THEY WERE FREAKING OUT!"

What did Jesus do? Did He play tricks on them by appearing on one side of the boat and then - BAM - switching sides? Did He say, "Boo!"? Nope. The Bible states that IMMEDIATELY - and, friends, I think that is a KEY POINT that we should always remember - He began to try to calm them down by telling them NOT to be afraid because it was Him, not a ghost, but Him.

Now, one of the disciples - PETER - once realizing that it was Jesus (this same Jesus that Peter had seen do many miracles) replied, (and I paraphrase), "O.k., if it's really you, tell me to come out there with you!". I don't think this was a taunt or a "prove it to me" type of thing. Peter KNEW who Jesus was and he KNEW that he would be safe with Jesus but he wanted that "substance of things hoped for" to be based on TRUTH!

Jesus said, "Come on!" and Peter had a decision to make. He could stay in the boat that was in danger of sinking or, not really knowing how it would work, he could step out and go to Jesus who he KNEW could do things that had never been seen or done before.

Peter had to "put his money where his mouth was" (a trait that Peter exhibited quite often) and make a decision. Look again at that definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is the SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR (Peter's hope was that, by getting out of that boat, he would be safe with Jesus) and the EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN" (Peter also knew that, even though he had NEVER seen anyone walk on top of the water like Jesus was doing, there was EVIDENCE in the fact that, indeed, Jesus WAS doing just that and, again, that he - Peter - had seen EVIDENCE of Jesus' mighty miracles).

Look at verse 29 - "....and when Peter came down out of the boat..." Notice it says Peter and not, "Peter and the other disciples". Just Peter. And he did it - he got out of the boat and began to walk - ON TOP OF THE WATER - toward Jesus.

Yes, once he noticed the big waves around him, he became afraid and he DID sink. However, do NOT miss the following points: He was the ONLY one that trusted in Jesus enough to put their FAITH into ACTION and to get out of the boat and, secondly, even though he "failed" (according to some) and began to sink, Jesus still rescued him and walked him back to the boat, safe and sound.

SPIRITUAL APPLICATION: Friend, it's one thing to SAY what we believe. It's one thing to try to convince those around us of our faith in God and His Son, Jesus. But, it's not what we say, it's what we DO - what we SHOW by the lives that we live - that truly demonstrate our FAITH!

Too, for ourselves, we can try to convince OURSELVES that we have a great amount of faith but, without ever putting it into action (getting out of the boat) we're just fooling ourselves. Fact is, we are the only ones being fooled because those around us are likely NOT being fooled when they see our ACTIONS speaking louder than our WORDS.

Hey friend, I'm still working on stepping out of that boat more often than I do and I want to encourage you to keep on growing in YOUR faith in the one we call JESUS.

As we work to walk more in FAITH, I want to encourage you to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Believe in Yourself!

As we continue through our look at the "positive affirmations alphabet" (my own title) we move on to the letter "B" and want to focus on the thought, "Believe in Yourself!".

It would be safe to say, even at this early stage in this series of topics, that each of these are absolute NECESSITIES! For example, in order to move on toward your hopes, dreams and goals one MUST avoid negativity as we discussed yesterday. And so it is with our topic today.

If one does not have BELIEF IN ONE'S SELF, then they will not accomplish much in their life. They will live their life based on what everyone else thinks and the opinions of others as to what direction they should take with their life.

"Oh, I have NO PROBLEM with belief in myself!" Really? When was the last time that you "stepped out" in a new direction that caused those around you to question the sanity of what you were doing? Think about it - this is a pretty good test for us to really see how easily it is for our faith in ourselves to be shaken.

If you have ever announced to those around you, "After much consideration, I am going to quit my job with all of it's benefits and start my own business!" you were likely met with quite a bit of negative comment. It may be disguised in softer ways ("Are you sure you really want to do that?") but it is still comments that are saying to you, "ARE YOU NUTS?" In this situation, how many people have to question what you are thinking about doing before you begin to question it yourself?

Yes, there is value for input and advice from others. However, let's make sure that the input and advice we actually listen to is from those that have "valuable" insight. Most of the time it's just those around us that think we shouldn't do such a thing with no real "qualification" to give such advice.

Do you believe in yourself strongly enough to stand even if no one stands with you?

So, perhaps, we should take the title of today's entry one step further...

"Believe in Yourself (Even When No One Else Does)"

That's when it gets tough! That's when our "foundation" that we have worked on and built over time really begins to be tested. How strong IS your foundation of belief?

Believe me, you WILL be tested in this area MANY TIMES as you move toward your goals and dreams. How do you combat this?

ADD TO YOUR "POSITIVE BANK" EACH AND EVERY DAY!

If you haven't done so - get the book, "Think & Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill (you can get a free copy - just pay S/H at my website, http://www.FutureYouUniversity.com , on the "links" tab) and/or go back and find the podcast that I did on this great book -- and especially read/listen to the section that talks about BELIEF.

You MUST believe in yourself to the point that your subconscious mind kicks in and reaffirms this belief when you begin to doubt in yourself or your ideas, plans, thoughts, goals and dreams.

And, yes, going back to yesterdays message - this is easier to do when we AVOID negativity!

Part of this belief can be found in my closing each and every day....

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Control and CONQUER the Fear!

Sorry folks, I got sidetracked with a lot of stuff today and didn't have the chance to update my blog on today's podcast - so PLEASE be sure to take a listen to it as I finished my discussion on chapter 15 of Napoleon Hill's classic, "Think & Grow Rich".

The title of this chapter, "How to Outwit the Six Ghosts of Fear" left us with the task of discovering HOW to do just that! I would suggest you re-read the chapter again and again until you catch on to what Mr. Hill suggests in this area.

Here's my bottom line - along with the idea of CONTROLLING your thoughts is the thought that when you do that, not only do you CONTROL your thoughts but you also CONTROL your fears! When you CONTROL your fears - you CONQUER those fears!

Yes, YOU have the ABILITY to do just that!


And you can do it!

FACING, ATTACKING and DEFEATING the FEAR of CRITICISM!

Hey friends - my apologies for not getting my blog up yesterday! Yesterday was one of those days that did not go quite as planned! Ever have one of those? (I know you have!).

Anyway, I will combine thoughts on not only the podcast for today but also combine it with some thoughts on yesterday's podcast ("Facing the Fear of Criticism").

I know that Napoleon Hill in this book, "Think & Grow Rich", calls the Fear of Poverty (the first of the 8 Ghosts of Fear) the most damaging and prevailing - and I can see his point because the fear of poverty and the desire for riches is a big reason our crime rate - at least here in America (but my guess is it's the same wherever you live) - is as high as it is. However, I would suggest that the FEAR OF CRITICISM is one that is the most widely shared and felt!

WE ALL DEAL WITH AND STRUGGLE WITH THIS FEAR!

We must all FACE this fear and decide to do something to defeat it! Has it not ruled and ruined our lives long enough? Have we not allowed this fear to rob us of our joy long enough? Have we not allowed this fear to stop us dead in our tracks long enough? Have we not allowed this fear to paralyze us from forward momentum long enough? YES, WE HAVE!

About a week ago I was having lunch with my friends from high school (you've seen their pictures shared on here before) when one of them was talking about visiting with the high school counselor during our Senior year. My friend said the "counselor" (and I use that term VERY loosely) sat him and another guy down together and basically said, "Well boys, about all I can tell you two is that neither of you are going to amount to much of anything!"

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

That criticism COULD HAVE frozen both of these guys - at a very young age - dead in their tracks IF they had chosen to take this criticism to heart and let this fear take root. However, I'm happy to say that neither of them did and they both are doing quite well today, thank you very much!

Here's what Napoleon Hill had to say about this fear of criticism: "This fear of criticism robs man of his initiative, destroys his power of imagination, limits his individuality, takes away his self-reliance, and does him damage in a hundred other ways."

Mr Hill also discusses the fact that "Criticism is the one form of service, of which everyone has too much. Everyone has a stock of it which is handed out, gratis [free], whether called for or not."

Isn't that the truth? As the old saying goes, "EVERYONE is a critic!" and we've all experienced that, haven't we? And, for whatever reason, many of us FEAR this criticism to the point that it prevents us from sharing our thoughts, ideas, plans and talents. What a shame.

I have discussed this very fact earlier in discussion of this book. Have you ever considered the fact that - for the most part - these critics have very little, if any, knowledge about that which they are sharing their criticism? Think about that and you will likely agree. Oh, I know that there are some with a boss that likes to use this fear of criticism to control those under him or her. But even if that situation, think about this - WHY do they find the need to do so? I would suggest to you that it is due to the fact that they, themselves, are AFRAID! Afraid of what? Afraid of you or another worker actually coming up with an idea or suggestion that is better than what they could have thought of themselves. That being so (and I do believe that it is) they, themselves bow down to the fear of criticism from whoever it is that is THEIR boss!

What a vicious cycle!

In the podcast for today (Thursday) I shared with you some thoughts from an article by Donald Trump in which he declares that the opposite of fear is FAITH! We have also discussed this fact before and I have shared this thought several times in my podcasts and blogs. Mr. Trump discusses the need for us to BELIEVE IN OURSELVES to the point of KNOWING that we do, indeed, carry within us the ability to achieve whatever the task may be. The way I have worded it over and over again is realizing that, "YES, YOU (I) CAN!"

This is also what is talked about in the earlier chapters of this great book on FAITH and also AUTO-SUGGESTION. We must all work to develop this deep-rooted FAITH or BELIEF in ourselves and our abilities to the point that our subconscious mind "automatically" kicks in and "reminds" us of this fact every single day and even many times throughout the day.

Here are the "symptoms of the fear of criticism" that Mr. Hill shares in this chapter (notice how many of them are tied together and try to identify these in your life - also go to the book for more descriptions about each one of these):

1. SELF- CONSCIOUSNESS (Why self-conscious? Not enough belief in yourself!)

2. LACK OF POISE (The physical manifestation of self-consciousness!)

3. PERSONALITY (These first two impact even your personality!)

4. INFERIORITY COMPLEX (Trying to appear to be something your not!)

5. EXTRAVAGANCE (Trying to "keep up with the Joneses" - tied in with #4)

6. LACK OF INITIATIVE (The idea of, "Why try? I'll just be criticized anyway.")

7. LACK OF AMBITION (I would suggest that this one is the "full-grown child" of #6)



HERE'S MY THOUGHTS ON DEFEATING THIS FEAR OF CRITICISM...

Yes, although it is good and at times, important to listen and take advice from others, STOP listening to everyone that criticizes you and STOP believing everything that "they" have to say! Who are they anyway? Instead, LISTEN TO YOURSELF and your inner voice telling you, "YES, YOU CAN!"

I know that is easier said than done - but it is a necessity for each of us to develop this and put it into practice!

Before you "blow this off" as just "fluffy talk" ask yourself this question:
- Are you working DAILY to instill this type of talk/inner belief into your life?
- IF NOT - (for one, WHY NOT?) then how can you "know" that it doesn't or won't work?
- If you are trying to instill this in your life, understand that it is a process that does take time! It doesn't happen overnight but that does not mean that it doesn't work or that you should give up!

My friend, criticism (and, as a result, the "fear of criticism") has been around since the beginning of time - it is nothing new.

But you MUST know that you CAN defeat this fear and you DO have within you the ability to do so! Thank you for allowing me to do my part in helping you cultivate that ability!

Do not allow others and their criticisms stop you from moving forward and making progress. FLY IN THE FACE OF CRITICISM! Soar and live the life that you were intended to live!

YES, YOU CAN!

And, along the way, remember...

"Make it an AWESOME Day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Terrific Tuesday podcast: AUTOSUGGESTION

Now, this is not a word we use very often or hear very often (if at all) in our society today. I would guess the easiest way to "explain" it or define it would simply be our ability to FILTER OUT what goes into our subconscious mind.

Napoleon Hill suggests in this fourth chapter (the 3rd step on this journey) that we all have this ability though we don't all exercise it at all times.

Let's just look at the word, itself, and break it down for a better understanding: AUTOSUGGESTION - AUTO and SUGGESTION.
1. auto - short for automatic
2. suggestion - the art of suggesting...so, let's look at the root word, "suggest" - to mention or introduce (an idea, proposition, plan, etc.) for consideration or possible action

So, when you combine those two words what you have is this:
- to AUTOMATICALLY mention or introduce for consideration or possible action

Now then, to me - that helps clear things up a lot as I read this chapter. Mr. Hill discusses the importance of continually reminding ourselves (from the last chapter on FAITH) of our BELIEFS (faith) about things so that we begin to KNOW that they are, indeed true.

So, in other words, repeating our positive beliefs to ourselves to the point that our CONSCIOUS mind allows this access to the SUBCONSCIOUS mind and then - once it is there - it can kick in on "auto-pilot" - it becomes AUTOMATIC and we don't have to continually try to convince ourselves of it's truth and/or value.

Does this make sense? Go back to - chapter 2 it was, I believe - where a list is given of what to do EVERYDAY (2 times a day), step by step in order to achieve what it is you want to achieve. One of those steps was to repeat - out loud - these things again and again and again WITH EMOTION and FEELING and, guess what happens, you will begin to KNOW - beyond a shadow of a doubt - that, they, indeed are true!

It is really amazing how the mind works - if we will let it and if we also will acknowledge it!

We will continue this discussion in tomorrow's podcast as well.

Hey, as always, thanks for being here and being a part of FUTURE YOU UNIVERSITY!

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

FAITH

Hey, celebrate "WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY" but making a list of all of the things/people/places that help make it wonderful for you.

HOWEVER, also make a list of how/why YOU have made it wonderful by your attitude - even if all of the things/people/places on the other list did not exist!

In today's podcast, we move on to chapter 3 in Napoleon Hill's classic, "Think & Grow Rich". This is the 2nd "step" in this process and this chapter is on "FAITH".

I can't remember who said it originally and exactly how they said it, but you have likely heard it said that whether you think you can or can't - you are right!

As I was recording my podcast last night on this chapter I came up with this phrase and thought it was pretty good (if I do say so myself!).

"What you believe will greatly determine what you achieve!"

Which will it be for you? Which belief system will YOU CHOOSE for your life today?

"Oh, I could never accomplish that!" You're right!

"Yes, I WILL accomplish that!" You're right, again!

The Bible defines "faith" as "...the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen."

Think about that and apply it to our discussion. Our future is unknown! We may have our plans and our goals and dreams - but we cannot see into the future. That being said, it is a RISK that we take when we make an attempt to "mold" our future according to our goals and dreams. Many times the old "what ifs" creep in and we abandon our journey out of fear of the unknown.
FAITH, however, helps us to understand that, by it's very definition - there is SUBSTANCE as well as HOPE!
This SUBSTANCE comes from our planning and our burning desire and the EVIDENCE comes from the proof of others that have walked this trail before us and can show us - with PROOF/EVIDENCE that indeed, it is possible for us to do the same!

Just as with anything else (and this idea is also discussed in the beginning of this chapter and on the podcast), the longer we allow ourselves to exposed to something, the more likely it will be for us to adopt and adapt. The example used in the book is one that lives a life of crime. The first time they are exposed to crime they abhor it! Then, over time, they become less offended and more accepting of it until they, themselves, become a participant.

So it is with increasing our faith and our belief in our abilities! That's why it is so important to listen to these podcasts, read these articles as well as other books, etc. that are FILLED WITH POSITIVE THOUGHTS --- so that we, too, may begin to adopt these ideas as our own and adapt to this new way of thinking.

YES YOU CAN! Why not you? Why not now?

Think about it - I'd love to hear your thoughts as well.

And, as always....

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike