Playing The “Inner” Game Of Success

Your outside reality is created by your inner beliefs.

If what you’re doing right now is not creating the level of success you want, then you MUST change what you are doing. Until you learn how to master the “inner” game of success, all of the other business building and personal development techniques in the world will not help you reach your goals.

So what do you do?  Where do you turn?

How do you begin the process of mastering the rules to the “inner” game of success?

Here are three suggested resources:

  • Building Self Confidence by Hani Al-Qasem
  • Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
  • Personal Journal Journal about your journey of development

As you begin the journey of enlightening your inner perspective, one key to being successful is to make a personal commitment to your dreams and goals. Once you have a clear vision of where you want to go with your journey – then you must make a personal commitment to that vision. Commit in the same way you would make a promise to someone else you love.

Use the resources above and get started immediately. Don’t delay!

The world awaits your greatness!

Until next time…

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Ego vs Spirit – You Decide…

Do you live a spirit-focused life? Are your decisions grounded in ego or spirit?

If you had no television, no radio, no other people, AND if you never read newspapers, books, magazines, newsletters, email, etc., then all you would have left to guide you would either be your spirit or your self-made ego. They both inspire conversations in your head, better known as self talk. There is one question that looms regarding the ego and the spirit. It is: “Which one guides your life – ego or spirit?”

To answer that question, one must first discern how to tell the difference between the internal voice of the spirit and that of the ego.

I love the following poem. It was e-mailed to me in 1999. Even though the author is unknown, it hits the nail on the head when it comes to our listening and distinguishing between the ego and the spirit.

I whispered, “God, speak to me.”
And a meadowlark sang.
But I did not hear.

So I yelled, “God, speak to me!”
And the thunder rolled across the sky.
But I did not listen.

I looked around and said, “God, let me see you.”
And a star shone brightly.
But I did not notice.

So I shouted, “God, show me a miracle!”
And a life was born.
But I did not know.

So I cried out in despair,
“Touch me, God, and let me know you are there!”
Whereupon God reached down and touched me.

But I brushed the butterfly away,
And walked away unknowingly.

There are basically two core emotions – love and fear.  All other emotions are spun from these two.

Your spirit is the essence of the energy that you are born into, and it constantly speaks to you. Sometimes you do not recognize it when it speaks. When you overlook the spirit, and tune more into your ego, a struggle ensues —not with the spirit, but between you and your ego. Since the ego is driven by and thrives on fear, there is sense of loss and lack of acceptance that you might feel, as the ego looses control to the spirit over your thoughts and decisions.

The universe gave us a spirit to provide internal guidance. Yet, we have created another version of that spirit to deal with society and all of the various forms of information we encounter every minute. That other version of the spirit is the ego; a mere facsimile of the universal spirit.

The spirit’s focus is love. The ego’s focus is fear, and both exist inside each of us.

The question is: How to we balance the two in our lives?  The answer comes in two words – WITH LOVE.

Love is the foundation from which your decisions about your life should be made. How different would this world be if more of us began every day by asking this question,
“Who and what can I love today?”

Living a “spirit focused” life will change your entire outlook on the world around you.

Try it and you will see.

Forgive, Let Go, and Pay Yourself First

payyouselffirst1Some time ago I read a book that offered steps for becoming financially independent. The book is titled, “The Richest Man In Bablylon” by George S. Clason.

One of the steps in Clason’s book is to “pay your self first,” above and beyond any entity or person. That simple step was easy to write, easy to say, and easy to ponder, but the true application of that simple step can be challenging for many people; in part because it is not totally understood.

Today, I have been able to apply that concept in other ways, aside from financial independence, or the pursuit thereof. The notion of paying yourself first can also be applied to loving and forgiving. Sometimes to love and forgive ones self is a payment of a different kind, and the value is priceless.

I have learned, as I strive to perfect the art of letting go of stuff, that to let go of a habit, internal program, or to change your attitude toward someoneforgive 2 or something is challenging. The place to begin is with the person in the mirror. Please note that the art of letting go of stuff is a never-ending process of learning that will last a lifetime, and forgiving ones self is a huge part of that process.

Paying yourself first, when it comes to forgiveness means – starting with you. Forgiving your self is the only way that you will be able to forgive any one else. Seriously. It is true.

Letting go of stuff includes forgiveness. Walt Kelly, in a 1970 Pogo comic strip wrote, “we have met the enemy, and he is us.” I interpret that to mean that we must first point fingers at us, before pointing them at anyone else.

Constantly ask, what was my role in this situation?
-What was my role in the failure of this relationship?
-What was my role in the altercation with that person?
-What was my role as I argued with that person?

Begin with you. Forgive yourself first. Love yourself the most. By doing these things, you will in effect, pay yourself first.

How do you forgive yourself?Forgive1It is just as simple as financially paying yourself first. You must love yourself enough to do so. You must make a sacrifice. You must change your thought patterns. I will give you some steps for forgiving your self. But first let me talk a little more about this whole forgiveness thing, ‘cause it is important.

Forgiving yourself is crucial to forgiving others. According to Harvey Mackay, if you want to get even with someone, then forgive them. That will really get them back. Forgiveness allows you to move from a place of pain and suffering to a place of peace and harmony. For many, holding on to pain, anger, frustration, resentment, and the like is slowly eating away at your mental and spiritual being, and eventually will destroy your physical being. let go 1
So forgive, and begin with you.

Steps that will put you on the path for self-forgiveness are:

  1. Make a list of those you need to forgive (be honest and include your self)
  2. Give yourself permission to forgive by making a claim that it is okay for you to forgive those on your list.
  3. Forgive your self by literally looking in the mirror, at you, and saying, “I forgive you for…”
  4. Contact each person on your list and genuinely forgive them by saying to them, “I forgive you for…” (be specific).
  5. Now, when you forgive those on your list, you must accept their response, no matter what it may be. They may not accept your forgiveness. If they do not accept, you must still accept that and let it go. You can’t force them to accept your forgiveness. Remember you are doing this for you, not for them.

This process of forgiving may not always be easy, but it is definitely worth it. You may find that you forgivenesswill be spiritually fed if you allow yourself to experience the above or some other process of self-forgiving. Forgiving allows you to become better at the art of letting go of stuff, which then allows you to move forward in your life. So pay yourself first and forgive the one who matters the most – YOU.

Until next time..