All too frequently today, people are starved for a little praise. Whether we are willing to acknowledge it to others, or even admit it to ourselves, we all need a little praise in our life.
Leadership Turn » Give Someone a Pat on the Back Because they Need it

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© 2006 T. L. Pakii Pierce
Upgrade Your Mind
"Think Well & Finish Strong!"
Daily Success Motivation and Positive Thinking for Powerful Life Change

Technorati Tags: Leadership Thinking, Self-Improvement, Success motivation, Leadership, Self improvement, Positive thinking

October 20, 2006 in Leadership Thinking, Self-Improvement | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

In Part 1 of this article I talked about the importance of making the choice to change. Since change is constantly with us and is absolutely necessary for success we must embrace change. We must become comfortable with change and we must allow change to occur.

More importantly would should pursue change and remain at the edge of change as often as possible. If real change is to occur then we must exercise personal leadership. In part one I also mentioned that we need to start where we are by leading where we live. That is, we must assess our vision, mission, values and goals and align ourselves with our core beliefs.

It would be difficult to pursue any level of success if we are not clear and specific about what we believe is possible for ourselves. It is extremely important to evaluate our actions, motives and thoughts as we engage our daily lives. We must gain and understanding of where we are, what we are doing right and what we are doing wrong. Then we must be prepared to change as needed.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here. It was William Wiersbe who said:

"If God puts something in my hand without first putting something in my heart, then my character will lag behind my accomplishments and that is surely the way to ruin."

Character is the first order of business if we are to create lasting change. If we want true transformation then we must build strong character. It is character that sustains us and qualifies us for last success. It is character that allows us to endure through the winds of change, through fortune and famine, though the ups and downs. It is by building strong character that we are able to win the day and the end of each day no matter what our situation and circumstances look like!

Standing the Test of Time
If we are to stand the test of time then we must be leaders to ourselves before we can be leaders to the world. We have to follow through on our commitments and remain true to ourselves at all times. No compromises.

We have to decide early on how we are going to define ourselves and then set out to make that a reality to world. The world will receive us only as we receive ourselves. If we want to know how others see us then all we need to do is examine how we see ourselves.

It doesn't matter what we say or set out to do. We will always have to be tested in the arena of life and only the fully persuaded and committed will win the day. Inside each and everyone one us is a leader and champion ready to take charge and contend for the best in life. To make the best of life we have to change. In order t change we have to be leaders to ourselves.

We must take responsibility for where we are today and the results we want tomorrow. It is time to chart your course and get on with getting in your life. Put and end to aimless wandering and drifting. Decide that you will build a more meaningful existence for yourself and your loved ones. You need to open your eyes to new possibilities. You have to see where you want to go, establish why you must get there and choose to become the person it is going to take in order to get there.

What Do You See?

Do you have a vision of your tomorrow? What is your vision? When everything is said and done what does your final destination look like? What is that picture in minds about who you see yourself having become and what do you see yourself having accomplished?

If you haven't given much thought to this then do so now. Do so without consideration for your current level of resources (time, money, education, etc.). If you have at some point dreamed of your ideal life, that vision of where you want to end up then dust of your dream and clarify it and get specific.

Jim Rohn once said that:

"The greatest pull on your life should be the pull of the future because then you won't be pulled by your past or pulled apart by circumstances."

You have to a powerfully compelling picture in mind of future that produces passion in you so great that your personal transformation must occur if you are to obtain it!

What Will You Do and Why?

Get on with your mission in life and drive towards your vision. Your mission is the why? in what you are doing. Why do you wake up the morning and pursue your dream. What will you do and who will you serve? Do you have a vision of become a billionaire with mission to end world hunger?

Do you see and understand what I'm saying here? Define your mission and lead the way! When you are in line with your stated vision and mission you will unleash power and strength you thought you never had. You will find reservoirs of perseverance and persistence that you never knew existed!

Wake to a clear mission and set journey that will challenge you to discover new vistas of possibilities for your life and that will challenge you to change and develop the character necessary for you to go the distance toward your lifes dreams and finish strong.

What Will You Believe In?

Values. What do you really believe in? What values are most important to you?

Health. Faith. Love. Marriage. Family. Money. Service. God. Country. Heritage. What?

I bet if I ask you what your values you held closest to your heart and which you live by you could tell me a handful without even blinking. I know that's true. What I'm talking about here however is taking it one step further.

I asking that your clearly and specifically write down your values so that you can communicate to yourself exactly what you will stand for. Doing so will prevent you from falling for anything and will help you identify those that you won't stand for.

We have to have full alignment of spirit, soul and body. Working on this alignment is a lifetime effort and it starts with be very, very clear on your vision (what you see), your mission (what you do and why) and your values (what your believe in).

Your values are the rudders for your pursuit of your life dream and values are essential to personal leadership. They are the stuff that character is made of. You beliefs determine the actions you will take and your actions determine the character you make. If your are pursuing something that doesn't align with your core values that you will be out of alignment and your efforts will be hindered considerably.

For example. If one of my core values is family yet my pursuit of business creates a situation in which my family is being neglected than I'm not in alignment and cannot sustain my efforts long. Because I value my family greatly, I will grow weary in my business efforts because of my neglect of my family. Or I could continue with the neglect and have a family situation that at worst can end in total breakdown. Ultimately I would be in conflict within myself and would need to resolve the situation or clarify my values once again.

Finishing Strong

The idea to lead ourselves on the inside first. We communicate to ourselves in images and words that are clear, specific and strong will lay the foundation for finishing strong. We in essence provide ourselves with the tools to manage conflict on the outside by not having conflict on the inside.

There is another saying that says "as within, so without". Where there is change there is conflict. Crisis is a fact of life. I challenge you to step up and reach up for more! What you see in your mind will happen in time. If you see yourself as being more than you will become more. If you can see your transformation then your transformation is getting ready to happen!

What do you really want to accomplish with your life? Really...what is it? Whatever it is I want you to know that is right there, just within your reach. You can grab hold of it today....right now....by starting where you are and leading where you live.

© 2006 T. L. Pakii Pierce - Upgrade Your Mind
The Mindset Motivator
"Think Well & Finish Strong!"
Daily Success Motivation and Positive Thinking for Powerful Life Change

January 25, 2006 in Leadership Thinking | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

We are now closing out a year gone by and are preparing for new year. I hope you've had a very successful and well-balanced year gone by! Now is the time to evaluate the areas that we've done well in over the past year as well as evaluate those areas that we've fallen a bit short in.

During this time of year of course goal setting and New Year's Resolutions become all the rage and for good reason. There is no better time to mark change and growth then with the end of the present year and the beginning of a new year. Just the event of a changing year alone is powerful enough in our mind that we "feel" the need for change whether we actually want to change or not.

We should realize however that change is constant and the only event we can really rely on to never change. As the saying goes "the only constant thing is change". So, I'd like to share with you one way you can cooperate with change to create greater positive success in our thinking and motivation so that we can realize good progress and avoid fleeting "emotions" for change.

Start Where You Are

No one succeeds or changes overnight. The first step to create lasting change is to start where you are. However simple this may sound it is still important to realize how powerful this is statement is. Starting where you are means that you should make an honest evaluation of our life's progress.

You can easily do a quick evaluation by asking yourself these four questions:

1. Where are you today?
2. Where do you want to be tomorrow?
3. What actions must I take to get there?
4. What is the best that happen if I act now?

After asking yourself questions 1 through 3 make sure you have a clear answer for question number 4 as it will support your answers to the first 3 questions.

Why?

We are usually ask to consider the "worst case scenerio" by asking ourselves "what's the worst that can happen?". I believe this is indeed useful because sometimes we can image the worst thing possible thus stalling our ability to take action. Considering the worst case is really about confronting our fears and going for it anyway! Our experiences aren't as bad as we imagine once we take action.

Considering the best case scenario puts your focus on your reward and keeps you thinking positive while keeping your energy up. By keeping your mind fixed on your reward you create a compelling future that not just pulls you but drives you to complete your changes and reach your goals.

In keeping your focus on your reward you are reminding yourself of where you are going and why it is important to get there!

The process is no longer the issue or the distraction when you are highly focused on your goal and the reasons (reward) for why you must reach you goal (change). You become positively charged for change and you will push over obstacles and pick up where you left off when you stumble.

Your stumbles become stepping stones and you become more and more powerful in your own life. So my encouragement here for positive life change is to not focus on change itself but focus on your rewards. Spend the the time to visualize and image your achievements. See yourself with the victory. Imagine your journey as powerful and enriching and imagine the new opportunities that will open up for you as your reach your next level of success. See it! Taste it! Feel it!

Change Is Simply Taking The Next Necessary Action

Just focus on the next actions you need to take to get where you want to be instead of thinking about what you are giving up, leaving behind and putting off. That's the wrong focus for change and the wrong idea about the importance of making change in your life.

In others words, just make change a natural progression by deciding to embrace your next action as naturally as you would decide an action to take for anything else.

Focus on your reward and celebrate your progress all along the way. Don't make it an all or nothing event. You won't get is perfect the first time. You won't arrive with the first attempt. All journeys very in time and distance, your task is to go the distance. Reward yourself at each step of the way. Celebrate the small steps and shout the victory on the bigger steps.

Always consider that you are worthy of the success you are seeking and remind yourself that you are valuable and worth working on. You must know on the inside that you are worthy of win! And you you ever, ever quit!

You will fall short along the way (guaranteed!) but know that you are making progress and that is important. Most people quit if they don't get it right the first time and if they can't be perfect. That's the fear of failure and you should avoid that at all costs. It will spoil the fun of enjoying the journey of life change, success and motivation.

To stay positive your thinking must embrace the very best of yourself and the very best that life has to offer you. Your goals should reflect your best expectations and you should empower yourself with the best reasons for why your personal transformation is necessary.

In the part 2 of this article I would like share with you more on exercising personal leadership for postive life change. Best to you!

© 2005 T. L. Pakii Pierce - Upgrade Your Mind
The Mindset Motivator
"Think Well & Finish Strong!"
Daily Success Motivation and Positive Thinking for Powerful Life Change

December 22, 2005 in Leadership Thinking | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack