Breaking the "NO" Habit!

You've probably seen the following saying: "The best way to break a habit is to drop it!", right? As corny as it sounds - it's TRUE!

Again, I encourage you to check out the article about Phil Keoghan in the February issue of SUCCESS magazine or access it via www.Success.com (on the main page in the left column click on "current issue" and then click on February 2010 and scroll down and find the article) OR just go to our FYU Fan Page on Facebook where I have already posted it for your convenience.

Yesterday we talked about the need to start "Living in the 'YES!'" and today we want to talk about doing so by BREAKING the "no" habit that many of us have gotten too comfortable with.

Again, part of what Phil shares is this: “People become very good at what they practice. If you practice building a ‘wall of no’ up in front of everything you’re trying to do, you’ll be very good at building that wall. The more you practice, the thicker the wall becomes; the more resilient it becomes, the harder it will be to push that wall down.”

So, if this is true - and I do believe it is, don't you? - then we need to make a shift in what it is that we practice! Wouldn't you agree?

Instead of practicing telling ourselves NO all of the time - let's start examining the great potential of getting in the habit of saying YES in our lives!

We - I speak for myself and assume that many of you have experienced the same - have gotten ourselves in the habit of telling ourselves why we CAN'T do something and we need to shift our mindset to start thinking of ways that we CAN!

"Can't" or "No" is easy! It requires no effort and no risk. It's the easiest way out - the path of least resistance. When considering our future or ANYTHING do we really want to take the path of least resistance? Do we REALLY want to take the easy way out?

Likely, if you are reading this blog - you would answer, "NO WAY!" - and that is one time that answering "NO" would be a good thing!

Well, listen, I have to get on with today's business, but I hope you have been stirred up a little to start breaking the "NO" habit and to begin living in the "YES!".

And, as always, as you do so...

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

Mike

Living in the "YES!"

You know, it didn't dawn on me until I was recording the podcast for today (I recorded today's podcast on Monday evening) that I didn't write a blog entry for Monday! YIKES!

My apologies on that - sometimes the day just gets busy and things don't happen while other things DO happen!

So, here is the blog entry that goes along with Monday's podcast on, "Living in the 'YES!' ".


I've shared with you before how I get behind on my reading of SUCCESS magazine. By the way, if you are looking for an EXCELLENT magazine this is one of the best - if not THE best - in my opinion. But, remember, you can also go online to www.Success.com and have access for FREE to a lot of the articles that can be found in the magazine.

Well, anyway (I NEVER get sidetracked, right?) I have gotten behind on my reading again and, given the fact that they send them out a bit early, even though I am currently reading the February issue I still have the March and April issues sitting on my reading table!

But here is what I have found and what I have shared with you before... I don't think this happens by accident!

I'm not sure that ANYTHING happens by accident and I have seen this same thing happen again and again whenever I have gotten behind on my reading.

What is it I'm talking about? Although I'm behind, what I'm reading right now is what I NEED to be reading right now! Do you understand what I mean?

There have been times before that I was in the middle of a series of discussions in my podcast that I decided to try to catch up on some reading and I would read something that was RIGHT IN LINE to the current discussion that I was having on the podcast.

This has happened not only once, but three or four times now and this week has been no exception!

As we are preparing for my FREE 8-week course on "Setting and Reaching Your Goals" there has been a wide range of thoughts, ideas and excited emotions that has been going on in my life. For one, just preparing for the class and the information that I plan to share has me refreshed and excitedly thinking about the great potential that lies within each of us in not only planning or setting our goals but actually moving on to REACHING them!

Then, on top of that, my wife and I have been spending a bit of time talking about some of the goals we have set for ourselves and how exciting it is to realize that we are moving forward with those goals!

ANOTHER SIDE NOTE HERE: Friend, let me encourage you to understand that this is how CONTAGIOUS positive thoughts and people are and how it works! Right now I am more refreshed and excited than I have been in a long time. Now, that doesn't mean I was about to give up or anything like that - but we ALL need a boost and a charge from time to time and I'm getting one from preparing for this class and also sharing thoughts with my wife on these things. GET AROUND POSITIVE AND LIKE MINDED PEOPLE and see what happens in YOUR life!



O.k. back on track now!

But, as I was reading the February issue of SUCCESS magazine I began reading an article about Phil Keoghan, the seven-time Emmy-winning host and producer of "The Amazing Race". Now, I LOVE that show so I was immediately drawn to it and then I was inspired by what I read! (By the way, I have placed this article - which is available on Success.com - on the Future You University fan page on Facebook for your convenience - you can click on that link/banner over toward the bottom of the right column of this blog to become a fan).

He arrived in New York City from New Zealand in the late 80's, he had little money, no job and no friends. As the article asks, "Risky, right?"

But I LOVE what he has to say about such things by saying it's the only way to be - "The successful people I know have taken a lot of risks - risk of failure, financial loss, being judged. Successful people tend to think less about what might go wrong and focus on what might go right." (emphasis mine)

Wow, does that hit YOU between the eyes the way it does me? So many times we focus on what MIGHT go wrong that we forget to even THINK about what MIGHT happen if things go RIGHT!

I heard Tony Robbins say something along the line of, "We are so afraid to make a move - to take a risk that, even if we are miserable where we are, we'd rather stay in THAT situation than take the chance to find out what 'might be'."

I really don't want to live that way, do you?

Another thing I found interesting in this article (well, actually I found the WHOLE article interesting, but you'll have to read it yourself) was when Phil began to discuss how we get so used to saying, "no" in our lives.

"People become very good at what they practice. If you practice building a 'wall of no' up in front of everything you're trying to do, you'll be very good at building that wall. The more you practice, the thicker the wall becomes; the more resilient it becomes, the harder it will be to push that wall down."


Sound familiar?

As we go through this week's discussion, I want to encourage you to start thinking about the possibility of living in the "YES!" and get EXCITED about those possibilities!

Just notice even today, as you go through your day, how often you are tempted - out of habit (that wall) - to say "no" to something that really doesn't have to require a "no" - especially when it comes to what you might be able to accomplish or achieve in your own life!

Remember, you're good at what you practice so why not begin to practice living in the "YES!"?

Try it, see what happens. And, as you do...



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

Mike

Purpose + Passion

Wow! What a POWERFUL equation!

We've already talked about our PURPOSE in life and that each of us needs to understand that, indeed, we were put here on PURPOSE and FOR a purpose - not by accident!

We also have talked about how, generally speaking, we are all here for the same purpose - helping each other along the way. Service - doing for others without expecting something in return.

Yesterday we talked about how EXCITING our lives can be when, understanding this purpose, we begin to live our lives ON purpose! I hope that hasn't confused you with the way I've worded that. I expounded on it quite a bit in the podcast and in yesterday's blog entry so that, hopefully, you would follow what I was saying about that.

Bottom line is this: REGARDLESS of your job, your pay scale, your educational level and any other factors that you may want to throw in there - YOU have the ability TODAY to approach your day/life with the intention (on PURPOSE) of putting your PURPOSE (service) into place NOW!

This breathes new breath into each day, doesn't it? It should!

This can also bring a sense of FUN into our lives as we seek out ways to serve others and especially when we can do so without their knowing who was responsible.

Now, for some of you, the words "excitement" and "fun" seem like foreign words when used in conjunction to your work. But that no longer needs to be true!

Start an epidemic! YOU can be responsible for impacting YOUR workplace in a powerful and positive way and, in so doing, impact YOUR LIFE in the same way.

On PURPOSE and FULL of purpose!

So, what does this mean as far as your "specific" purpose in life.

I can't answer that for you. That's not a "cop out" - it's a fact.

You've read it and heard it many times before, though - follow your PASSION and try to find a way to have that PASSION serve as your life's work and the way to support you and your family financially.

But, again, even RIGHT NOW, you can bring a new passion to your work! You don't have to wait until you discover the ultimate way to make this happen in your life. It can begin - to some extent - in your life RIGHT NOW!

Try it, you'll like it and you'll like it a LOT!

Now, if you're already doing what you love - your passion - then add this ingredient of PURPOSE to the mix and see what happens.

As I mentioned in my podcast, there is nothing wrong with having great wealth for that great wealth can allow you to SERVE in a much larger way and on a larger scale than you could do without that wealth. WILL YOU? ARE YOU?

Yes, there are some that have wealth that focus all of their thoughts on themselves - but there are many out there that understand this "purpose" and are doing great things.

PURPOSE + PASSION is an unstoppable force for good!

Are you getting excited yet? I'm about to jump out of my skin here! I really am!

This quote that I used earlier in the week still rings in my ears. Consider it one more time with me today:

"One needs something to believe in, something for which one can have whole-hearted enthusiasm. One needs to feel that one's life has meaning, that one is needed in this world." - HANNAH SENESH

Friend, once we begin to live our lives KNOWING that our life has meaning and that we are, indeed, NEEDED in this world - we are living a life of our dreams.

Purpose + Passion = Life Worth Living

Think about it. Begin living it and sharing it (your purpose) TODAY and, as you do so...

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

Mike

Living Life ON Purpose!

So far this week we have talked about the fact that EACH of us has a PURPOSE for being here - we are all here for a reason! You are NOT here by accident and you are NOT here to just "take up space"!

We also talked about the need to understand that our general purpose while here on this earth is to serve our fellow man, to be of service to those around us and, overall, to do what we can to lift each other up and lighten each other's load.

In today's podcast we talk about the need to live life ON purpose! What does that mean?

Some people just coast through life with no real direction and no real focus - BUT NOT YOU! You understand that you have a meaning, a PURPOSE in life and you understand the need to be aware of the opportunities that are available to you each and every day to LIVE this life of PURPOSE!

With that in mind, you LIVE EACH DAY WITH PURPOSE! And, you do it ON purpose - it's not by accident. You purposely seek out these opportunities to do good, to share a smile, to say a kind word, etc.

When you do so, you begin to take the focus and attention off of your own problems and they seem to become lighter. Why? Simple. YOUR FOCUS has shifted! Instead of putting all of your focus on your problems (which leads us to the proverbial "making a mountain out of a molehill") you begin to focus your attention on others and how you can make a positive impact on the lives of those around you!

ANYONE can do this! There is no special requirement. You don't have to be of a certain income bracket to do this and it doesn't matter where you live or what your job is - ANYONE can do this!

But the main question is this - ANYONE can...but will YOU take advantage of this great opportunity?

Let's look at the quotes that I shared on today's podcast and consider the importance of what is being said for us today...


"One needs something to believe in, something for which one can have whole-hearted enthusiasm. One needs to feel that one's life has meaning, that one is needed in this world." - HANNAH SENESH

"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee."

"I'm doing what I think I was put on this earth to do. And I'm really grateful to have something that I'm passionate about and that I think is profoundly important." - both by MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN

“We are possessed by what we pursue.” - GERRY NESBITT



The way to LIVE LIFE ON PURPOSE and WITH PURPOSE is to KNOW that our life has meaning and that we are, indeed, NEEDED in this world! And, each and every day, NOT IGNORE the small daily differences that we can make that will add up to BIG differences in the lives of those around us.

So, as is true with everything else we discuss here - this is a CHOICE!

You can simply ENDURE life or you can live a life OF purpose ON purpose!

I think I'll choose to live a life OF purpose ON purpose - won't you?

And, as you do, remember to...

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

Mike

Living a Life of PURPOSE

"Service is the rent we pay to be living. It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time." - Marian Wright Edelman

"The purpose of life is a life of purpose." -Robert Byrne

"We are here on earth to do good for others. What the others are here for, I don't know."
- W. H. Auden

As we continue to talk about "PURPOSE" and, more specifically today, "Living a Life of PURPOSE" it is interesting to notice these quotes that have shed light on this very topic.

In a very general sense we are going to discuss the PURPOSE that each of us has in our lives - this is a common theme for each and every one of us. You likely can pick up on it already just from reading the quotes provided so far.

Regardless of who you are, where you live, what your economic situation is - we are all here for one general purpose: Doing good for others or, said in a different way - SERVICE!

Now, we will try to get a little more specific as far as determining our INDIVIDUAL purpose in life - but this is a MUST for our starting point!

Zig Ziglar said it this way: "If you can dream it, then you can achieve it. You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want."

I emphasized that last part of his quote because it speaks to the topic at hand - notice what he says! You see, living a PURPOSEFUL life of SERVICE TO/FOR OTHERS is not exclusive of being a success - even a financial success - in our world today!

So, you see, it really DOESN'T matter who you are, where you live or how much money you do or don't have! We can ALL look around us and reach out to those around us and do SOMETHING for them to help them in some small (yet, likely bigger than we realize) way!

I really believe that, until we begin to understand this and even PRACTICE this in our own lives, we will NEVER discover our "specific" purpose for our lives. Why? Because, until we start understanding this basic principle we will continue to live a life focused only on ourselves.

Remember, you were put here for a PURPOSE! You were placed on this earth for a REASON! And, for each and every one of us, that general purpose and reason is to help EACH OTHER! Think about how POWERFUL that is when you really look at it closely.

Living a life focused on ourselves is not really living at all. Here's one final quote that emphasizes this truth:

A useless life is an early death. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

None of us wants to feel as if we are living a "useless life". We ALL want to know and feel that we have a PURPOSE and a REASON for being here. Open your eyes, look around you. See and live PURPOSE for your life!

And, as you do so...

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

Mike