Positive Thinking

What does it take to be successful?  What does it even mean to be successful?  What would life be like if we had no fear of any possible challenge that came down the road?  How great would it feel to know deep down in your gut that whatever came down the river, whatever threw itself at you tomorrow, you would be able to overcome and prevail.

I know, that when it comes to doing something different, getting a better job, opening that business, losing the weight, running the race, winning the girl (or guy) and being the hero of the day.  The answer is so simple, and yet soooo difficult.  when it comes to the mechanics of the universe, the way the world chooses who to reward and who to penalize, it is based more on the will and resolve of the individual than any of the circumstances of that persons life.  Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Dale Carnegie, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and a hundred other self made men and women had one thing in common, and this was there desire to accomplish the goal they had in mind NO MATTER WHAT!  They didn't come from rich families, or have special schooling.  They didn't have access to some greater power or coaching from a divine force that set them apart.  What they did have, was a goal, and that goal did not change from month to month, or year to year.  they stayed definite in there direction.  What's more, when things did not go exactly there way, they spent very little time brooding over there woes, or cursing others for there part in the matter.  No, they conquered the negative side of human nature, rather than becoming marred in it for weeks or months, they bounced back from a positive mindset and found a solution.

"The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat.”
- Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich.

The truth is, when you are stuck thinking negatively, or in a defeatist mindset, you will never find a solution to your problem.  you'll just sit there spinning your wheels and wondering why you keep sinking deeper and deeper into the muck.  you
cannot solve a problem while still in the mindset which created it.




“No problem can be solved from the same level of conciousness that created it." - Einstein

The truth is, that when we decide not to be taken out by a thing, then and only then can we think clearly enough to find a solution which can turn the negative circumstance into a positive outcome.  And believe me when I tell you, every negative problem comes with it the seed for an equivalent benefit.  The trick is simply to become obsessed with accomplishing that goal, and then settle for NOTHING other than success.  Stay positive and the answers and the solutions will come to you.

Everything starts with choice.  Free will, and the decision to do something.  If the decision is strong enough, and the individual unyielding in there resolve, then all challenges will fold and all obstacles will fall in the face of this resolve.  Nothing can stand against the man who has definiteness of purpose and an unyielding heart to accomplish something.  Just try it, I dare you.

Tri, Tri again.

Sometimes I think about the mentality behind a triathlete, the thoughts that go through the mind of someone who can push themselves past boundaries and through walls.  It's really fundamentally quite different from the way some people react to issues.  At the end of the day, the truth is we are all going to hit a wall, encounter an obstacle, run into problems.  There is no controlling that, it is the way the world works, the only thing we can control is how we react to the issue.

I see two extremes  one is that we throw our hands in the air, throw a little tantrum, whine to everybody around us hoping they will tear down the wall for us, and when they don't, we scream and pound our fists till we eventually get too tired and fall asleep.  Just like a toddler.  Once this show is all over, we go in another direction, deeming that the first was impossible and a failure.  We stop running, stop biking, stop trying to swim, because it was too hard, because "I can't swim" because "it is too far" whatever.  Then the reasons and excuses come out and we rationalize our way out of the truth, which is that we quit.


The other extreme is that we instantly evaluate the failure, realizing that it is simply a stepping stone to be overcome, talk with our advisers about what went wrong, talk about what went well and hatch a wiser smarter plan.  Then we get back on the horse / bike / road and try again.

The truth is that success and failure are not two possible outcomes of our efforts in life, but they are one and the same.  The truth is that failure is on the road to success, and we must break through failure to get to success.  We are all of us somewhere between these two extremes   Some closer to the second, some closer to the first!

Honestly it's not about the mind of a triathlete at all, it's about the mind of a well adjusted butt kicker!  I call the people who are most adept at this barrier breakers!  Sometimes, just the fact that there is a barrier is enough motivation to go break through it!  It's really not even about athletics, this is as true for the issues you've been having with your spouse or child, to the hesitation you feel about finally starting your own business or opening your own shop!  Today is the day we must take a stand against the todler mindset.  Let's evaluate our past failures and tear down some walls!

Thoughts on freedom, and awesomeness...

Every once in a while, a moment comes in life, where we are presented with a choice.  Sometimes we aren't even aware that it's there, that a choice has to be made.  Now, we make choices every day, but sometimes the magnitude of some choices are bigger than others.  and other times, rare times, the choice feels small but the impact it will have on our lives is profound.  These choices usually are surrounded with feelings of uncertainty and these choices are always opposed.  Take for example five years ago my decision to go to an after hours business meeting that i really wasn't looking forward to.  The profound impact that choice has had on my life cannot possibly be measured.  Our entire future sometimes swings on these little minute decisions that we can so easily miss if we are not ever vigilant.

The reason for this fact of life, is that although we don't always see it, and we are not always aware of it, there is an amazing incredible life that is ours to take if we just have the courage to step into it.  The thing that holds us  back is fear.  It doesn't matter if it's a huge decision, like whether or not to have kids, or a little decision, like whether or not to pursue a new relationship. What we are afraid of is that we have to put down the baggage of the past first, in order to pick up the treasure of the future.

Sometimes, this is even harder because we've been living with the baggage for so long it's hard to imagine life without it.  We've been fearful, or oppressed, or out of shape for so long, that our mind has turned against us and we find it difficult to imagine being healthy, or hard to imagine life without fear... ironic that we can actually be afraid of living without fear, but i have seen it before.  it's just that we've been beat up for so long we don't even realize what is good and what is bad for us anymore, it's incredibly difficult to see clearly when we are stuck in the middle of the pain of life.

The truth is, you must be willing to leave behind what feels safe, secure, and familiar in order to move your life forward!  Your life starts at the end of your comfort zone!  You must stop making excuses in order to reach the next level.  I know you have what it takes, and if you don't think you do then find someone who can see you the way you want to be, the true you, and CLING TO THEM WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH because those people are RARE!  Run away from those who try to change you for the worse, and cling to those who see you truly  and are willing to love you anyway and help you see yourself as the BEST you you can be.

If you've already made a decision to change, but are just beginning the journey, I have good news and bad news.  The good news is that the hardest part is behind you.  Making the choice is the toughest part... but it's not the part that FEELS the hardest.  The truth is every day will feel the hardest for a short season while your emotions and thoughts and instincts will try to pull you back to your old way of existing!  This is why people in abusive relationships keep going back over and over.  it's our own minds working against us!  just hold on to this truth.  You already know the past, it's written down and over.  But your future doesn't have to be another chapter just like the last, just resist going back to the old ways and stand firm!  there is awesomeness right around the corner!

Your future is waiting, waiting for you to go through the pain of leaving your past behind.  And you can't have the future til you lose the past.  It's just how the world works.  You will either suffer the pain of discipline  and choosing your own destiny, or you will suffer the pain of regret.  It's your choice.

My last thought is this... the main thing you are faced with each day that hold us back from our goals, ALL our goals... Family, finance, fitness, business, and personal goals... the thing holding us back is between our own ears..  Fear,  doubt, and worry.  How do you think you're life will turn out if you make all your decisions based on fear doubt and worry.

But don't be afraid, and don't be sad.  It feels big right now because your in the moment, but soon, you won't believe you waited as long as you have to become who you were meant to be.  Take ground, leave no fear left alive!  You CAN go for it and WIN!  I'll see you on the other side!