Enjoy Your Journey, Be Grateful, Choose Success

By Mary Pawlus and courtesy of Bob Proctor’s, ‘Insight of the Day’

WE hear about ‘Gratitude’ all the time. We’re supposed to be ‘Grateful’ no matter what’s going on in our lives.

You may be thinking, “Are you kidding me? I have nothing to be grateful for. My life is in shambles.” 

Have you learned the 'lesson of Gratitude'?

 Well, I’m here to tell you that thought is absolutely OK. However, read on and you will know that Gratitude is key.

There were times when I felt that I simply could not face the day.

But in retrospect, those days were some of the most important days on my journey, because that’s when I realized my strength, my ability to overcome adversity, to change the world – my world, that is.

And I learned the lesson of Gratitude – no matter what the circumstances.

Not so long ago I was a happily married woman, living in a beautiful part of the world, enjoying success in my business, had great relationships with family and friends, and felt that all was right in my world.

Then, within three short years, that perfect world crumbled. Both my parents died, my marriage ended, I became estranged from siblings, and was isolated in that beautiful part of the world.

Not only that, soon after my business contracts ended, and there wasn’t anything on the horizon. I had to take on three jobs just to keep afloat.

I thought, what the heck just happened in my life?

I didn’t realize at the time what a blessing I had been given. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Have you experienced anything similar?

I’ll bet some of you answered, ‘Yes’ to those questions because we have all faced challenges in our lives. Those challenges are actually opportunities.

I like to call them “course corrections”. We just may not realize what they are at the time. Often, we can’t see the forest for the trees.

So, as I sat there wondering, ‘What next?’ I realized that my life is my responsibility.

What an epiphany!

That experience was truly freeing, and I was so grateful. What would I choose? I could choose anything. I was in control of my life. I decided at that moment to choose Success.

As my mentor, Bob Proctor says, “Don’t worry about the ‘How’. When you set ‘Your Big Goal’, just take action and the Universe will provide absolutely everything you need.

“But taking action is the Key!”

Now, having chosen success, I did take action. I sold my house, moved back to the city, and have started my own business in a completely new field.

Had those things not happened to me, I may not have learned the lesson of Gratitude. I may not have chosen Success. I may not have seen all the opportunities that were just waiting for me.

Talk about being Grateful!

Things happen in this journey called life, and how you react to them is a choice... your choice.

We are all here to do great things. We all have our unique gifts to share. Sometimes it takes something unexpected to bring us to Awareness.

Now whenever something ‘appears’ to be negative, I say, ‘Thank You!’ It’s simply a course correction – an opportunity to see things in a different way.

Everything is a choice. Why not choose Success and Gratitude?

Mary Pawlus

Mary Pawlus has been studying personal development, and mind/body/spirit health for over 25 years.

She has a passion for helping people live a healthy lifestyle by making better choices.

Mary’s personal journey has led her to develop personal development techniques that anyone can easily incorporate immediately into their lives

She is committed to living, and helping others live, their best lives physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Go here now to get your free copy of ‘Are You Destined For Success? Yes! You Are!’

Pounding In and Pulling Out Nails – with Michael Josephson

Courtesy of Bob Proctor’s ‘Insight of the Day’

WHEN my daughter was confronted with the fact that she had really hurt another child with a mean comment, she cried and immediately wanted to apologize.

That was a good thing, but I wanted her to know an apology can’t always make things better. So I told her the parable of Will, a nine-year-old whose father abandoned his mom two years earlier.  

Are you pounding in nails? (Pic by freedigitalphotos.net)

 Will was angry, and he often would lash out at others with hurtful words. He once told his mom, “I see why Dad left you!”

Unable to cope with his outbursts of cruelty, she sent Will to spend the summer with his grandparents.

His grandfather’s strategy to help Will learn self-control was to make him go into the garage and pound a two-inch-long nail into a four-by-four board every time he said a mean and nasty thing.

For a small boy, this was a major task, but he couldn’t return until the nail was all the way in. After about ten trips to the garage, Will began to be more cautious about his words.

Eventually, he even apologized for all the bad things he’d said.

That’s when his grandmother came in. She made him bring in the board filled with nails and told him to pull them all out. This was even harder than pounding them in, but after a huge struggle, he did it.

His grandmother hugged him and said, “I appreciate your apology and, of course, I forgive you because I love you, but I want you to know an apology is like pulling out one of those nails.

“Look at the board. The holes are still there. The board will never be the same. I know your dad put a hole in you, but please don’t put holes in other people; you are better than that.”

A fourth-grade teacher recently told me how she tells this story to her class in the beginning of the semester and uses it throughout the year.

When she comes upon a child saying or doing a mean or unkind thing, she will say, “Did you put a nail in someone?” Then she’ll ask, “Did you take it out?”

She says her students always know what she’s talking about and recognize what they did was wrong, which isn’t always the case if she simply asks the child what happened.

(That usually results in a string of blaming everyone else).

She urges her students not to use the automatic, “That’s all right” after an apology, because usually what was done was not all right and the person saying it, rightfully, doesn’t feel it was all right.

She tells her class to say, “I accept your apology” or, “I forgive you” instead.

The teacher also uses the story to help her kids understand difficult family matters outside of the classroom.

She tells them some people will never take out the nails they’ve pounded into the children, but everyone has the power to pull them out themselves and get on with their life rather than let others rule them.

She told me, “The story is simple, but the message is powerful – especially when reinforced with: “You’re better than that!”

Remember, character counts.

Michael Josephson
www.whatwillmatter.com

Keep Pressing On

Guest post by business and life coach, Linda McLean

A FAMOUS mountain climbing resort in the Swiss Alps caters to businesses that encourage their employees to hike up the mountain trails together. The goal is to build camaraderie and to teach teamwork.

Although it is about an eight hour trek to the summit, anyone in reasonably good shape can ascend to the top. In the morning, the hikers gather at the base of the mountain for a pep talk before starting the climb.

Usually, the group is so excited, they can hardly wait to head up the slopes, have a group picture taken, and celebrate the excitement of the journey they are embarking upon.

They hike for several hours before taking a break. Approximately halfway up the mountain stands a quaint alpine restaurant.

About noon, the weary hikers trudge into the restaurant, peel off their hiking gear, and plop down by the fireplace to have a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and eat their lunch.

With the mountain as their backdrop, the hikers savor the warm, cozy, picturesque setting.

Interestingly, after they are full and comfortable, fewer than half the hikers choose to continue climbing to the top of the mountain. It isn’t because they aren’t able; it isn’t because the climb suddenly appears too difficult.

Their reluctance to continue is simply because they are satisfied with where they are. They’ve lost their drive to excel, to explore a new horizon, and to experience vistas they’d never previously imagined possible.

They have tasted a bit of success, and they think it is good enough.

Many times, we approach life a lot like those full and comfortable hikers sitting in the restaurant enjoying the view. We have a goal to break a bad habit, to lose some weight, or to pay off our credit cards.

At first, we’re so excited. We’re fired up and we go after it! The first leg of the climb up the mountain is powered by enthusiasm for our new goal.

But over time, we get lazy and complacent. Maybe we see a little improvement, but then we get comfortable right where we are. This might not be a bad place, but we know it’s not where we’re supposed to be.

Like those hikers sitting in that quaint restaurant, we are still perfectly capable of craning our necks and looking up the mountain. We’re not stretching our faith or our potential and we know it.

Maybe you own a business, and you’ve experienced a bit of success. Lately, however, you’ve been coasting.

Or maybe you set out to lose 20 pounds, you lose 10, and feel like all is good and you get complacent.

Don’t stop halfway just because it’s easy! Instead, remember what it is that you really, really want.

Put out the effort and go the whole way… to the top of the mountain.

Step out of your comfort zone today!

Keep pursuing and keep believing. It doesn’t take any more effort to believe and stay filled with hope and faith than it does to develop a negative and defeated attitude.

Get up every day and say, "This is going to be a great day! I believe my dreams are coming to pass. There are great things in store for me and everyone around me."

When you have that kind of attitude you are releasing God’s goodness. But it doesn’t come easily.

People who see their dreams come to pass are people who have resolve and backbone.

They are the ones who refuse to settle for the little victories along the way and see themselves at the finish line, instead continuing on, pushing on toward the ultimate goal.

No one wants to be mediocre. You are made for so much more.

Realize that what your mind focuses on, it can achieve. It is up to you. Pay attention only to those silent whispers within that say "You can do it!"

Linda McLean is an internationally respected business and life coach.

Her company: www.mcleaninternational.com helps businesses and individuals reach their next level using a customized solution-oriented approach to business and life planning.

Article source: http://tiny.cc/InsightOfDay

Courage or Conformity?

Guest post by Bob Proctor

THE late Earl Nightingale was, for many years, the most listened to man on radio. His radio show, "Our Changing World", was broadcast on over 1,000 radio stations around the world.

He researched and wrote every show himself. The man virtually devoured books. He was consumed with the idea of why so few people succeed in life and so many others do not.

The late, great Earl Nightingale

I had the good fortune of working for a number of years with Earl. It was a tremendous learning experience; one I treasure more with each passing year.

We all admire the courageous person and quite often consider the individual who lacks courage, a coward. However, that is not how Earl Nightingale saw it.

He said the opposite of courage was not cowardness, it was conformity. I believe the more you think about that, the more you will be inclined to agree with him.

It takes courage to break away from the crowd, to go your own way, to do the thing that may be unpopular.

It takes courage to stand up for the person who is being unjustly criticized, rather than agreeing and going along with the crowd.

It takes courage for the teenager to say no, when all the rest of the kids begin going down the wrong path.

Earl Nightingale was correct - the opposite of courage is conformity. It is one reason so few people enjoy any lasting success.

It is so easy to go along with the large group. We don't have to stand out, to be different.

The next time you are encouraged to fall into line, to be a sport and everything in you says, 'No' - be courageous and go your own way.

There is no compensation in conformity.

Bob Proctor

Article source: http://tiny.cc/InsightOfDay

Will, Fern, and the Power of Encouragement

By Michael Josephson and Bob Proctor's 'Insight of the Day'

TWO frogs named Will and Fern fell into a deep pit together. At first, they thought it would be easy to jump out.

But after lots of failed attempts they cried for help and a crowd of animals gathered around the pit.

Everyone agreed it was hopeless, so they urged Will and Fern to accept their fate. The harder the trapped frogs jumped, the more the crowd yelled at them to give up.

Real friends will always support and encourage

Finally, Will stopped trying. Fern refused to quit and with one mighty try she leaped out of the pit.

The crowd was amazed. Someone asked her why she kept trying when everyone told her she had no chance.

Fern was baffled. “What are you saying?” she asked. “I’m a bit deaf. I was sure you were all cheering me on. I couldn’t have done it without your encouragement.”

I learned of this story from a woman who was in a transitional housing program recovering from a long period of drug abuse, homelessness and hopelessness.

She wanted everyone to understand how important positivism and encouragement can be to help people who seem down and out to get up and out.

She said she got out of her own pit because caring people helped her believe in herself and gave her the confidence she needed to jump a little harder.

There will always be people in your life ready to tell you what you can’t do. Real friends root for you, support you and help you discover your inner talents and strengths.

I hope you will find and treasure those kinds of friends and be one yourself.

Remember, character counts.

Article source: http://tiny.cc/InsightOfDay

The Story of 'Gratitude Napkins'

Posted by John Lee

Ever doubted the power of gratitude and its ability to change your life for the better? Well, below is a wonderful story by international best-selling author and certified business and life coach, Linda McLean, which should convince anyone of what a great influence it can be.

Never under-estimate the power of gratitude

I received the story, quite recently, to my email inbox, as a subscriber to Bob Proctor’s brilliant ‘Insight of the Day’ service. I’m reproducing it here in full, simply because I wanted to share it with others. I hope you do too...

“Frank’s Diner was once an energized, thriving business, a favorite spot for locals and tourists alike in the scenic New England town of York Beach Maine. But when the economy hit a brick wall, Frank found it more and more difficult to hold onto his trademark, cheerful smile.

One day, Frank caught a glimpse in the mirror on the diner wall of a grumpy, scowling old man with frown lines embedded deeply in the corners of his mouth. He didn’t recognize the man as himself. Looking around his desolate diner, he knew that it wasn’t just the economy that had driven his customers away – it was his pessimistic attitude toward life. Frank had tried to remain optimistic but it seemed like the hits just kept coming, like a NorEaster pummeling the coastline. He often wondered what there was to look forward to each day.

His eyes met with a booth in the back corner of the diner where a frail elderly woman ate breakfast with a college-age girl. Mrs. Sheridan and her caregiver Michelle had been coming in for breakfast every day for a couple of years. Frank would nod and force his face into a smile when they walked in the door each day. They were his best customers after all. Mrs. Sheridan would conclude each meal by scribbling something onto a diner napkin and placing the napkin in her purse with a contented smile.

One sunny Fall day, even though the New England leaves painted a breathtaking landscape outside the diner windows, Frank was oblivious to the beauty that surrounded him. He was currently crouched under the counter, grumbling about how the dishwashers were always leaving spots on the coffee mugs. A feeble voice above interrupted his rant.

“Frank, I wonder if I could have a word with you.”

Frank nearly smashed his head on the cash register as he jumped to his feet, looking at Mrs. Sheridan in surprise. Michelle held onto the old woman tight, obviously propping her up. All Frank could do was nod agreeably.

“I wanted to talk to you about these…”

She lifted her trembling arm, pointing toward the frown lines on Frank’s face.

He opened his mouth to say something, to explain, to defend himself… but realized he had nothing to say, so Mrs. Sheridan continued.

“Young man, I learned a long time ago that life doesn’t always go your way. Believe me, I have 90 plus years of my fair share of heartbreaks and challenges that I could easily carry around with me as baggage. Instead, I choose to carry these with me.”

She reached into her purse and took out a stack of the napkins Frank had watched her scribble on every day. She had written things like: autumn leaves, Michelle’s kindness, seashells from the beach, the beautiful sunrise today, another delicious breakfast at Frank’s Diner.

“Frank I would like to challenge you to do the same; to stop carrying around your struggles and start carrying an attitude of gratitude instead.”

After Mrs. Sheridan further described his daily “homework assignment,” Frank didn’t have the heart to refuse her request.

At first he did it to appease her. As she watched from her booth each day, Frank would dutifully take a napkin from a dispenser on the counter, scribble something he was grateful for on it and put it in his pocket. The process was mechanical in the beginning, mindless instead of mindful. But each time Mrs. Sheridan smiled over at him, wordlessly encouraging him to continue.

Frank barely noticed when things began to change, when the words of gratitude he jotted down on the napkin each morning began to sink into his thick, stubborn skull. The attitude of gratitude he had inadvertently adopted through the sheer routine of it, began to truly mean something. That was when Frank’s life began to change…

A little over a month into his daily gratitude homework, Frank once again caught a glimpse of himself in the diner mirror. The reflection in the mirror was of a glowing, joyful man whom he hadn’t seen for years. This man looked forward to each new day with hope and enthusiasm.

Still smiling almost uncontrollably at the realization of how much life had changed, Frank surveyed his now bustling business. Locals, staff and tourists alike were cheerfully enjoying the revitalized space. Even though Frank hadn’t made any physical renovations, the diner somehow looked brighter to him. His eyes automatically drifted to the corner, to share in the moment with Mrs. Sheridan. But for the first time in a few days, the booth was empty. Frank’s heart sank…

A couple days later Michelle arrived and placed a box on the counter in front of Frank with a solemn smile, tears glistening in the young woman’s eyes.

“Mrs. Sheridan wanted you to have these.”

Looking at the floor so she couldn’t see his own tearful eyes, Frank simply nodded his appreciation. He felt an overwhelming wave of gratitude wash over him that such a special lady had come into his life, and exactly when he needed her most.

By time the springtime leaves were blooming, Frank’s Diner was more popular than ever in York Beach. There was one new feature in particular that was a huge customer draw. When a diner patron reached for a napkin from a dispenser, they also received a message of gratitude printed on it.

Each message was word for word from Mrs. Sheridan’s collection; along with a few from Frank’s own personal stash. Beneath the message was the question – “What are you grateful for today?” with a blank line beneath. Frank would watch from the counter as customers of all ages and from all walks of life eagerly scribbled their answers on napkins, and almost always with a smile.

Mrs. Sheridan’s unwavering attitude of gratitude, it seemed, had transformed not only his own life, but the lives of those around him as well.”

We can all make a difference

As you sit at your desk on a normal working day – whether you love what you do or are less than enamoured with your current means of making a living – do you ever question your situation, as I do? Do you sometimes think to yourself, ‘I could, and probably should, be doing something much more worthwhile – something where I’m really making a difference to the wider world and the welfare of others’?

Since you’re reading this blog, you probably do, unless you’ve already found that calling, in which case, ‘Good on you!’ Really! For myself, I fall into the former category at the moment – and I do mean ‘at the moment’, because change is certainly on the way as I write this. But as I go about my daily life, there are certain sources of inspiration I keep close by to lift me when I need it.

One of these sources is a subscription to website by leading personal development teacher Bob Proctor, which is called ‘Insight of the Day’ (http://www.insightoftheday.com/). Anyhow, from Monday through Thursday, you receive inspirational quotes, to your designated email address, from the likes of Napolean Hill, Dale Carnegie, Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield, John Demartini, Bob himself and many, many other very wise and not so famous folk.

Every Friday, you receive an uplifting story, which often recounts how people overcame great odds to achieve success, dealt with difficult circumstances and relationships, made outstanding discoveries and achieved wonderful things in the face of adversity. And every so often there’s a simple tale of how someone just set out to make a real difference in a particular way or place. One such story recently found its way into my in box and so struck me that I decided to share it here.

As you’ll see, it’s by writer and blogger Sameer Vasta, and has a wider message for us all to consider when we’re sitting at our desk, pondering our current situation. Click on the blue hyperlink and you’ll also be taken to a website where you can find out more about the main subject. Enjoy!

Man grows 1,360-acre forest in India...by himself

A man in India single-handedly planted an entire forest, proving that one person really can make a large difference.

You always hear that one person can make a large difference in the world. Today, we’ve got a story that proves that saying.  When he was a teenager in Northern India’s Assam region about 30 years ago, Jadav “Molai” Payeng began planting seeds in a sandbar near his birthplace.

A few years later, he moved into the area and turned the seed-planting and tree-nurturing into his life’s work, planting seeds and helping them grow over a wide area that was initially left for desolate.

In the past 30 years, his seed-planting endeavors have resulted in a massive, 1,360-acre jungle in Assam, a forest ecosystem that has left an incredible mark on the Indian landscape and stands as a testament to Payeng’s dedication.

Initially, the forest department told Payeng that trees could not grow in that area. He was not dissuaded; instead he dedicated himself to the task of nurturing the forest, and his dedication has produced results.

The Molai woods, in addition to being covered with lush greenery, is now home to a whole host of creatures big and small, including birds, deer, rhinos, tigers, and elephants. Jadav “Molai” Payeng is a hero to those animals, to the ecosystem in the area, and to conservationists across India.

But he is also a hero to us, people living oceans away who don’t necessarily work in forestry or in the environment industry.

Payeng is a hero because he has proven that with commitment, blood, sweat, knowledge, and dedication to making a difference, one person can truly make a difference, and a large difference, to the world.

It’s easy to discount the impact that we can have on the people and places around us. It’s easy to feel insignificant when faced with the enormity of the issues that surround us. But it’s important to remember that our actions, no matter how small they may be, make a difference.

Whether it’s bringing a smile to someone’s day or revitalizing a forest ecosystem, the little acts of kindness and good have enormous impact. Our small actions may not necessarily lead to a forest and safe haven for animals, but they have the potential to grow and flourish all the same.

Sameer Vasta – Writer and Blogger