Change, what about change?

Let me share some of my thoughts with you.

If it's going to be, then it"s up to me!

AWESOME!

Attitude: Practical Guidelines

Alright then, this is the last posting on Attitude. We really summarized some key thoughts in the Attitude: Part 3 section. Now for some guidelines. Note to you, these are guidelines and are not meant to be cast in blood and concrete. The guidelines are broad and universal and can be expanded on. Please write then down.

The six stages of attitude change include:

1. Identify problem feelings
2. Identify problem behaviour
3. Identify problem thinking
4. Identify right thinking
5. Make a public commitment to right thinking
6. Develop a plan for right thinking

(Courtesy: Clarity Business Coaching ~ Anneke de Beer)

OK, you will notice that we have addressed all of the above in this whole series on Attitude. If you have missed it, or some of the points are still not clear to you; write me a note on the Comments section.

On your plan for right thinking, what are the things the plan should include?

• A written definition of your desired thinking
• A way to measure progress
• A daily measuring of progress
• A person to whom you are accountable
• A daily diet of self-help materials
• Associating yourself with right thinking people

What am I saying, what is being asked form you?

Develop some more good habits, improve on the good habits you already have, discard the old way of thinking and doing. Take charge, be disciplined!

Look at this: ACTION (1 hour/day); HABIT (everyday); ATTITUDE (I am a champion); THOUGHT (I can do it); MEDITATED THOUGHT (In your quiet place); DECISION (Implement)

Looking at the sequence or cycle above, it can be either negatively or positively applied. In this instance, with the right attitude (i.e. a POSITIVE MINDSET), the application will yield a good attitude which will inevitably produce SUCCESS!

BREAKTHROUGH!

HAPPINESS!

FAVOUR!

A NEW YOU!

Attitude: Part 3

Wonderful, here we are again! As usual are you alone and are you using your time for YOU?

Lets continue where we left off in Attitude: Part 2. Cue cards, they might seem small and insignificant, but repetition is important as it will foster a positive mindset. Rotate your cue cards between the different locations so that you do not become bored with them, even add one or two extras, soon you will find they 'pop-up' in your thoughts during the day.

Remember, your action speaks much louder than your words...people will notice the change your are making and know this: it is a misconception that only rich people or famous people or top athlete's or public figures are 'role models' or examples to others. YOU are already a positive example and role model for people around you, especially those close to you (your kids, parents, spouse, co-workers); believe me! NO, ask them?

Your attitude dictates your actions. Think of something you desire. What will your attitude be to get it or achieve it? Our attitude at the beginning of a task will almost always affect its outcome; more than anything else. We live in uncertain times, this is not a perfect world. Count on one thing though, and that is: YOU are the one thing YOU can depend and count on!

Are you pro-active or re-active in your approach of achieving your goals? Attack or let me rather say, achieve your goals with your eyes on the benefits, not on the barriers. Can you see how a small adjustment in focus can make a huge difference?

All this attitude stuff and changing our thinking from negative to a positive affirmation thinking will feel awkward to you at first; but really, know this, you have an opportunity to experience significant growth. Evolve ~ Improve! Do not for one moment think that the changes you desire are going to happen accidentally. NOPE, you are going to need enthusiasm, optimism and a positive energy. You need to intentionally feed your mind with positive uplifting thoughts, ideas and images. Does the use of the cue cards make sense to you now?

Know this, if you don't already, people have selective memory and some even selective thinking. We see what we are prepared to see...We hear what we want to hear...don't let other people see and hear for you. You are the master of your own destiny. I challenge you to be creative, think creative, see creative, hear creative, ACT creative!

When you are creative, you are happy! I have never come across a person being absolutely creative and sad at the same time. To me happiness is not what happens to me; but what happens in me. True or False? We cannot choose what we go through BUT we can choose how we go through it.

And your answer is?

My answer is True! My attitude towards the situation, my positive mindset, my creativity with which I address the situation and my genuine desire to succeed will help me come out on the other side as a HAPPY person.

I truly hope you take to heart what I'm sharing with you here. I know that life is not all Black and White. I know there are shades of Gray; but if you continue to work on that attitude of yours, colour will soon start to fill your life.

In our next session I will finish off with Attitude by looking at some practical guidelines.

DO NOT MISS THIS!

C u soon!

Attitude: Part 2

All right then...hope all is well and that you are ready and hungry for more of my thoughts on attitude. Are you still keeping to your scheduled ALONE time? If so, well done! I am proud of you!

Can you answer this? What word best describes what will determine our happiness, acceptance, peace and/or success?.......yes, that's right; our ATTITUDE!

Who's attitude? Mine, your friends, your bosses, your colleague's, the person that have just upset you? NO ~ YOUR ATTITUDE.

Did it ever occur to you how much unhappiness you have endured due to your attitude; or the lack there-of. In hind site, which is perfect 20-20 vision, one realises the mistakes of your attitude and you realize that it is to late to fix it. Don't wait until it is to late, make that attitude adjustment, NOW!

I have written about this in the previous post. Do you think that your attitude determines the relationship you have with other people? If your answer is YES, why then is it so; that for some people there is more difficulty in their attitude adjustment when presented with opportunity; than the other way around. If you are tuned in on the right frequency ~ i.e. positive attitude ~ you will quickly realize opportunity in every difficulty. Ask any successful business person in today's economic recession, they will tell you that the reason why they are still in business and are actually prospering is because they CHOSE to find the opportunity in the difficult times.

Go do some homework for yourself. Go the people or businesses you think to be successful and ask them why they are successful; almost all of them will tell you that they had to change there attitude. So, if you think you are defeated, then you probably are defeated.

I want you to do YOU a favour. Go and find yourself a song, obviously one that you like, that best describes your attitude in life right now or what you want your life to be like. Something like: "I did it my way" or "It's my life" or "I get knocked down; but I get up again" or "Money Money Money" or "Shoop Shoop song". Play this song over-and-over so that you are familiar with it. Soon you will find that this song will channel your thinking and if you chose the right song, you will find that it acts as an 'attitude adjuster'.

Attitude adjustment can be made through positive affirmations. Instead of wondering how you can tackle the problem; say to yourself: I can tackle this problem; head on. Make small little cue cards which you can stick against the fridge or on the mirror in the bathroom or in your clothing cupboard or in your car or in your school bag....anywhere you will see it regularly during the day. Write down keywords, like: Transform, I'm Happy, Be Strong, Success, I'm Confident, I feel good about myself, Help Others, Be Helpful. Even write your own affirmations, but keep them short and most importantly positive.

I want to end today's session by reminding you that your attitude is the only difference between success and failure!

See you tomorrow for Part 3 on Attitude.

ATTITUDE!

Let me start of by asking: Are you in your quiet place and are you using the time that you have made for YOURSELF! Remember, no distractions; I want you to FOCUS on YOU! GREAT!

Lets begin. What is attitude? Why is it so important? Can attitude make or break us? Will it influence the way I see things?

All of the above are very relevant questions. Just relax your mind for a bit and ask yourself if you have heard the following statement before: ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!

Well, I most certainly have. Is it true?

Let me answer you this way then you can decide. When one is faced with a challenge, difficult or not, life threatening or not, important or not...undoubtedly a decision needs to be made and most probably will be made by you. Life is about choices. Choices you make and those choices sometimes have happy endings or sad endings. Inevitably...your attitude towards the issue at hand will dictate the choice you make.

What do I mean by that? If you approach the issue with a negative outlook, then almost always will you get a result that your are not happy with. HOWEVER, approaching that same issue with a positive attitude, the result will undoubtedly be different. Even if the outcome was not favourable, there will always be the HOPE factor built into that positive attitude. All is not lost!

Your attitude is not just the sum of all the choices you make or don't make a day; it is also about your behavior, the way in which you express yourself. Attitude is often also expressed by our body language and our faces.

Has it not happen to you before or have you not once upon a time said, when you saw somebody you knew very well, arriving at work or at home and without one single word being said, you immediately identify that the person is either in a very good mood, sad or even upset.

That is called attitude through body language and facial expression.

Can you now see why people say: ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING! A positive attitude is contagious. People will want to be around you, they want to get what you've got. Sniff it. You will influence the conversation if you have a positive attitude. Your contributions in a meeting will be listened to with anticipation. You will even be able to influence your circle of influence. The good stuff will rub off on other people. A positive attitude will bring about change and change isn't always bad. People will even approach you for answers and solutions.

There is still a lot I want to and can write and will write about attitude. For now....digest this first.

So, have you checked your attitude lately?

How to join my BLOG and how to leave comments!

For those of you that are not so sure how to join my BLOG, let me help you.

1. On the left hand side you will see the G from Google inside a tab that reads: FOLLOW. CLICK on it.
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OK...that taken care of; how can you leave me a comment or ask a question or make a statement?

1. Below each topic is the word: COMMENTS. If you move your cursor over it, it will change to a hand.
2. CLICK on the Comments button below the topic of your choice.
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4. When you have finished typing what you wanted to say, you can now either Preview what you have written to see what it would look like if published OR you can go ahead and publish your comment by CLICKING on the: Post Comment button.
5. There, done!
6. Now everybody can see what you had on your mind.

See, that wasn't at all hard nor did it take up a lot of time. Feel free to use the gadgets I have placed on the left hand side of the BLOG. They are perfectly safe, they are free and are loads of fun.

See ya around!

How do I clarify my thinking? Part 2

OK, let me continue with Part 2 on How do I clarify my thinking? I sincerely hope you have made some time to review the literature I have written and that you have taken ACTION!

Right, continue to keep that writing pad handy as you will most certainly going to need it as the thoughts come up in your mind. Hopefully you are now in or at your quiet place using the 1 hour space you have created for yourself to clear your head and getting your thoughts organized.

So, what happens next after you have jotted down all these random thoughts?

1. Take three separate blank pieces of paper. Write the word NEEDS at the top of the one page, the word WANTS at the top of another page and the word DREAMS at the top on the 3 rd page.
2. Now, take the piece of paper that you randomly wrote YOUR ideas on and start to transfer each idea; one-by-one; over to the three blank pages under the correct headings. Make sure to cross out the idea once you have allocated it under the correct heading so that you do not duplicate it.
3. GREAT. Now that you have finished, read through each page, starting with the NEEDS, then the WANTS, then the DREAMS.
4. Your NEEDS are your first goals, then WANTS, then DREAMS.
5. Sit and think for a while and add a goal post to each thought. In other words, set a date and time for achieving that specific goal. Be truthful and realistic with yourself.
6. Remember: it is what you can do, for you, achieved by you! Not SOMEBODY else.
7. All you need to do now, is FOCUS on the goals at hand and try to achieve those goals.
8. PLEASE do not try and achieve all your goals at once, tackle each goal with determination and a positive attitude. FINISH them off; one at a time. COMPLETED!
9. Draw a nice line through each goal achieved with the date. This will help you stay focused.
10. Getting into the right attitude; is KEY.

In the next issue, we will speak about ATTITUDE. Do not miss this!!!!

REMEMBER: BE ALL THE UNSTOPPABLE YOU, YOU CAN BE!

How do I clarify my thinking?

Right, I have given you my thoughts on Why don't some people believe in themselves and I gave you some points to ponder in 10 Promises for You.

Having said all that; how do I actually clarify my thinking?

• Is it scientific by nature?
• Must I go see a doctor?
• Do I need money for some fancy treatment?
• Do I have to have a high IQ?
• Do I have to be spiritual?
• Do I need to be in a group?
• Must I attend some form of class or lecture?

The answer to all of the above; is NO! Every single person reading this write up is capable of clarifying their own thinking. It matters not what kind of work you do, whether you are old or young, how much money you earn or even to which political party you belong too. You can do it.

What then does it mean to clarify my thinking? To clarify means, as Googled on the web: free from obscurity and easy to understand; the comprehensibility of clear expression. In other words it means your thoughts (mind) are clear and directed. Now, that's where I want you to be.

What can I do to get my thoughts directed?

Let me emphasize this, there are many "guru's and experts" out there that will have other methods and ideas, they might be better than my way and even simpler, but I am sharing with you what works for me and people I know.

1. Become disciplined. Plan to make 1 hour per day available to yourself. Absolutely NO INTERRUPTIONS.
2. This time can be early in the morning whilst everybody else is still sleeping or late afternoon when everybody has gone to bed already. Personally I choose early in the morning because my mind is still fresh.
3. Go somewhere that you can relax. No cellphone, No kids, No partners, No pets, No internet, No nothing. Just you!
4. You can have a favourite chair in your study or a patch of grass outside in the garden, it does not matter. What matters is: that you must be comfortable and relaxed.
5. Take a pencil or pen and a writing pad with you. Have your favourite cup of coffee or tea or hot chocolate or cold drink. Please, NO ALCOHOL, it will cloud your judgement.
6. Make yourself comfortable. Close your eyes. Just let your mind wonder for 5 - 10 min. Try not to think about anything in particular. Be blank.
7. After the 5 - 10 min, start to think about: your needs, wants and dreams. GO BIG! Dream ~ Think: No Boundaries.
8. Start by writing the thoughts, words, sentences down in random order as they 'appear' in your mind. Draw pictures! Worry not about trying to sort them. Just write. Be positive.
9. Block negative thoughts, remember your are being creative! Negativity stifles creativity.
10. Continue until your mind is 'empty'. Don't continue past an hour. Set an alarm or something to remind you.
11. Just a note, your mind can never be empty and it will happen that during the course of the day you might think of something, so take your writing pad with you to jot down that thought before you forget it again.

I think we got enough information for now to keep them minds in overtime mode. We will continue the discussion tomorrow.

Remember, BE UNSHAKABLE YOU!

10 Promises to YOURSELF!

1. Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
2. Promise yourself to talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
3. Promise yourself to make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
4. Promise yourself to look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
5. Promise yourself to think only of the best, to work only for the best and expect only the best.
6. Promise yourself to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
7. Promise yourself to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
8. Promise yourself to wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every creature you meet a smile.
9. Promise yourself to give so much time to the total improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticise others.
10. Promise yourself to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

I challenge you to give this a try; TODAY; you will be amazed at the differrence it makes in your life!

Why don't some people believe in themselves?

Most people have never been taught that the strongest person to overcome adversity; is YOU!



ME ~ MYSELF and I...



So, why don't some people believe in themselves?

1. They were never taught from childhood, that they are good enough.

YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH!

2. By nature we are inclined to think negatively. It's the world we live in.

THINK POSITIVE THOUGHTS!

3. Comparing yourself with something and then idolizing that.

YOU ARE A UNIQUE BEING!

4. You want to live somebody else's life.

STOP! IT'S YOUR LIFE!

5. Not receiving recognition for achievements.

YOU DO IT FOR YOURSELF!

6. Loosing focus of their goals.

FOCUS, WRITE YOUR GOALS DOWN!

7. Some people fail to adapt to change. Don't be afraid.

EMBRACE THE CHANGE!

8. Some people are afraid to make mistakes.

IT'S OK, LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES!

9. Stop living in the past!

THE FUTURE IS WHERE THE ACTION IS!

10. Not finishing what they have started.

DREAM MORE ~VISUALIZE YOU SUCCESS!

BE ALL THE UNSTOPPABLE YOU, YOU CAN BE!