Believe Like A Child

My podcast post on Wednesday was about believing in yourself. Today I want to continue with the topic of belief. Many people lose sight of their dreams when they enter adulthood. We forget how to believe like a child. Our childhood beliefs become replaced by anxiety and worry as adults.

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Believe Like A Child

The holiday season is a wonderful time to reflect on your childhood. As a child, you believed all things are possible without question. A man in a red suit, sleigh, and flying reindeer will fly around the world, in one night, and deliver presents to every child.

If you have been good all year, you get the nice present you asked for. In contrast, if you have been a bad boy or girl, you will find coal in your stocking. These unquestioned beliefs resulted in many a wonderful childhood. You might have grown up, but you should continue to believe like a child.

Believe

Believe in your dreams with the same unquestioning passion you had as a child. The only reason you stopped believing was you entered adulthood. Family, bills, your career, all of the situations associated with adulthood kill your dreams.

Find your inner child and begin to believe you can change. The Bible says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24 NIV. As long as you believe and do not doubt, it will be yours. The timing though is up to God.

Ask, Believe, Receive

This is how the Law of Attraction works, Ask, Believe, and Receive. Belief, mixed with emotion, is the key ingredient in this formula. You must erase all doubt. You might ask for something but do not believe it in your heart, therefore, you never receive it. Ask God to release all doubt within you.

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When you believe like a child, you have no doubt. Doubt comes into your mind through your experiences in life. As a child, your parents told you that Santa would come down your chimney and deliver presents on Christmas Eve. The next morning, Christmas Day, you wake up and find the gifts you asked for under the tree. You asked, believed, and received. There was never any doubt.

Reflection

Today, reflect on your childhood and remember those wonderful days. If you’re not living the life you want to live, decide to make a change. Commit to your decision and begin to believe like a child. Dust off your forgotten dreams and start dreaming again.

Begin to develop daily habits of prayer, affirmations, and meditation. Tell yourself every day, “I release all doubt,” “I release everything that is holding me back.” Do this several times a day, every day, and begin to build belief. In time, your doubts will appear less often, and you will feel the belief building inside of you.

Ask God

Ask God for what you want and believe in your heart that you will receive it. Remember that the Bible also tells us to ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8 ESV.

I wish everyone happy holidays. Enjoy this time with friends and family and, give thanks for your blessings. Take some time for yourself to relax and reflect on your childhood. Find your ability to believe like a child.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@mikearney

https://unsplash.com/@aka_opex

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Believe In Yourself

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I have excellent conversations with several people who think as I do. We believe that your life is based on your thoughts. If you control your thoughts and think positively, you will lead a positive life. I began thinking about these people and realized something important. Most of them spend money to attend self-improvement seminars, workshops, and weekends. Many are not living the lives that they are seeking. I wondered why not. If you are one, maybe you do not believe in yourself.

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Believe In Yourself

Are people looking for an authoritative figure in their lives? If they spent money going to retreats to feel better, do they ever make permanent changes to their lives? Why not? Possibly, they see the speaker as a celebrity. They put them on a pedestal, and by doing that, they believe that that person is better than them. Therefore, they do not change because they do not believe they are good enough.

Belief is an essential part of changing. You must believe you can be the person you are trying to become. There are leaders, and there are followers. Leaders believe they can lead, and followers do not. Belief is difficult to come by and must be developed. You are battling everything that you have been told and thought in the past.

Belief

No one is better than you! Stop chasing the so-called gurus and realize they are no different from you. Every one of them was where you are before they believed they could change. Most of them genuinely want to help. They are not scam artists just looking for your money. It is the audience that never makes the change. They do not continue it long enough to develop belief.

My unsolicited advice is to find a mentor who teaches a process. Follow the process and commit to it for life. Do not be in a hurry. You have little control over the timing. Trust in the process

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Thoughts

There is a difference between words and thoughts. We first begin journal statements, a gratitude pad, etc., we think about what we are writing. As time goes by, we know what we want to write and do not think about it as much. Our journal becomes words on paper, not thoughts. Take time to meditate and think about what you wrote.

The Process

Change begins in your mind. I am living my life today based on my thoughts in the past. Now that I understand this concept, I can determine my future by controlling my thoughts. It is the process I use to accomplish this:

  1. I make my pre-dominant thought that of which I want to become. I think about what my life will look like in the future.
  2. When I go to bed at night, the last thing I do before going to sleep is to think about my life in the future. I visualize in my mind what I will be doing, and how I will be living.
  3. I spend time in the morning meditating and visualizing my future life.
  4. When I visualize the life that I am living, it must feel natural and normal. I am not living someone’s life; I am living mine.
  5. Before visualizing, I elicit emotions. I think about the first time I saw my wife, and it brings up the emotion I had at the time. Adding emotion and feeling to your thoughts is the ingredient to turn them into reality.

Believe in yourself. If you don’t have belief, then begin developing it. Start speaking and thinking like the person you want to become. Do this every day, and you will develop belief. Continue to develop your belief until it turns into faith. Faith is an unstoppable force. You were born for greatness, believe it.

Cites

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Dealing With Resistance

My normal course of action is to schedule my posts ahead of time, especially before I go on vacation or during holidays. Last week I did not do that because I was dealing with the resistance. I did not have any inspirations to write. My mind was blank.

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Dealing With Resistance Is A Pain

I did have a great Thanksgiving week full of the 4 F’s, food, family, friends, and football. The holiday fell at the perfect time for me because I knew I wanted to take a break. I knew I was dealing with resistance.

When you experience resistance, you find the lessons that you are meant to learn

– Jon Gordon

I wanted to get out of my daily routine for a short time. Every day I start by giving thanks, praying, exercising, journaling, and meditating. I felt it was becoming just a drill, and I was not getting everything out of it. Every once in a while, it is good to step back and take a break.

The tendency to follow the path of least resistance guarantees failure in life.

– Brian Tracy

I believe in doing everything in moderation. I am the type of person that can get obsessed with one thing and ignore other important things in my life. My years of experience have taught me that moderation is a better course for me.

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Resistance To Writing

So last week, I went a couple of days without any inspiration to write; I knew I was dealing with resistance. Resistance is that feeling inside you that you want to do something but are also unmotivated to get it done. It is a force to counter your forward progress. If you have ever attempted to create something, you have probably experienced resistance at some point. No one is immune to it.

The real problem has far less to do with what is really out there than it does with our resistance to finding out what is really out there.

– Barbara Brown Taylor

I knew I was dealing with resistance when I began to notice my thoughts. The question, Why was prevalent in my thoughts. Why was I writing? Why was I starting another business? I began to focus on my lack of progress or success in certain areas. I ignored all the progress and success that I am having in many more areas. It was resistance.

If I have resistance to something, it means there’s something wrong. The resistance to me is a sign of fear.

– Billy Corgan

Do Not Wait

Resistance is the reason most younger people do not live out their dreams. They believe there is always time. There is no sense of urgency. More people today are living to be 100 than when I grew up. If you are 20 years old, that gives you 80 more years to achieve your dreams. The lack of urgency is why many people do not get wealthy until their 40s and 50s. We live in an unlimited universe, but we do not have unlimited time.

Resistance cannot be seen, touched, heard, or smelled. But it can be felt.

– Steven Pressfield

No Promises

No one is promised tomorrow. Last week marked the first anniversary of the passing of my friend Tom. He appeared healthy one day, and a few days later, he was gone. Never take today for granted. You might not have tomorrow.

If you find yourself dealing with resistance, ask yourself two questions.

1. If you were told you had a week to live; what would you do?

2. If Death appeared before you today and said, It is time; what regrets would you have?

The main question is, What are you waiting for?

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@kellysikkema

https://unsplash.com/@m_skalij

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I Am Thankful For

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Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I have a lot to be thankful for. I am healthy. I just had my annual physical, and all my blood work came out perfect. My body is working just the way it should and maybe even a little better. I feel energetic, and my mind is sharp. It doesn’t mean I don’t always walk into the kitchen and remember why I am there. Those are just the little things that we put up with as time goes by.

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What I Am Thankful For

It took me a long time to learn to be grateful for everything I have. After spending half my life and law enforcement, it was hard to see the brighter side of life. I spent every day, for most of the day, living on the darker side of the world. I saw some of the worst parts of humanity on city streets and in the jungle. When you spend most of your time in darkness, seeing the light becomes difficult.

I am grateful that God gave me the ability to separate my two worlds. When I arrived home after work, the first thing I would do was take off my badge and gun. I became a different person. Much like the comics I read as a kid, I would take off the bat-suit and become Bruce Wayne. I would hang up my cape and be Clark Kent. At the door of my house, I would leave the title of Special Agent. I became Scott, husband and father, one person living in two different worlds.

30 Years

I didn’t talk about work with my family because I didn’t want them to be exposed to what I saw. It was my choice, my calling to be a Special Agent. I am thankful that I could serve people for 30 years. Even though I’m retired, I am still connected to the dark side. There are still people to be helped. The good news is I spend much less time there. I am positive and grateful nowadays.

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This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for also being called to create InspireChief. It has opened my eyes to living a life full of love and gratitude. I am thankful for being able to help and serve people in a different way than I did before. You should always be grateful for what is going on in your life right now. It is your choice on how you react to what is happening to you. You can choose to face it positively or through negativity.

Forward

Every day isn’t sunshine and rainbows, and sometimes life hits you square in the teeth. When it takes you to your knees, get up. Keep moving forward, don’t stay where you are. Keep moving until things get better. They will. God doesn’t give you more than you can handle.

I am thankful for the ability to keep moving forward through the good times and bad times. I want to continue to use InspireChief to help and serve people. Encouraging people to rely on faith and keep fighting brings a smile to my face. I will continue until my last breath.

Thank You!!

I am thankful for everyone who reads, comments, likes and follows InspireChief. I’m deeply humbled to be part of your community.

I wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving and a joyous holiday season. No matter where you are in the world, take a moment out of your day tomorrow and reflect on everything that you are thankful for. Begin to write a gratitude journal daily and see how it changes your life.

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Connect With The Universe

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Today I want to talk about the subconscious mind and its connection with the universe. When I am talking about the universe, I mean God or infinite intelligence. This post is a continuation of Napoleon Hill’s book, Think and Grow Rich. Properly using your subconscious mind to connect with the universe is the 11th step in acquiring riches.

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Connect With The Universe

Your subconscious mind is the key to living the life you want to live. Controlling your subconscious mind is necessary for accomplishing goals and acquiring wealth. You can acquire happiness as well as build great relationships.

Hill states that your subconscious mind stores every impulse of thought that reaches your objective mind through your five senses. These thoughts may be called upon later through your memories. Your subconscious mind never stops working. It is there 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Infinite Intelligence

Your subconscious mind is your connection to infinite intelligence. It uses the power derived from infinite intelligence to convert your desires into their physical equivalents. It uses the most practical means to accomplish this conversion.

You cannot control your subconscious mind completely. Inadvertent thoughts do find their way into your mind. The control you have is accomplished by voluntarily thinking, speaking, and visualizing your plan or desire. It takes time to connect with the universe through your controlled thoughts. So don’t get discouraged.

Trust The Process

To connect with infinite intelligence and turn your dreams into reality is a process. You must trust the process because mastering this process takes time. Patience and persistence are your best friends.

Since your subconscious mind never stops working, you must train yourself to control your thoughts. Your subconscious mind stores your controlled thoughts, but also works inadvertently from your uncontrolled thoughts. It can bring you fear and poverty as easily as it can wealth.

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Develop a daily practice of controlling your thoughts through positive affirmations and meditation. The more you practice, the more you will begin to believe. Continued practice will turn your belief into faith.

Persistence

You must be persistent until you have reached the level of faith. Once you reach the level of faith, you will control the negative thoughts and replace them with positive thoughts. For example, let’s say you receive an unexpectedly large bill. Without faith your first thoughts will probably be fear, and how will you pay for it. With faith, your mind will be calm because you know that the money will come to pay it in full.

Your subconscious mind works best when your thoughts mix with feelings and emotions. It doesn’t work as well with thoughts coming from the reasoning part of your mind. As I discussed last week, sexual desire is our strongest emotion. Tapping into this emotion will increase the output of your subconscious mind.

Feel The Emotions

Hill further states, “There is evidence to support that the theory that only emotionalized thoughts have any actionable influence upon the subconscious mind.” Therefore, don’t just think about your desire. Feel the emotions that you will have after manifesting that desire. Before visualizing how your life will be, think of something that evokes an emotion in you.

Positive Or Negative

Remember that emotions can be positive or negative. Here is a list of the seven major positive and negative emotions.

Positive Emotions:

Desire

Faith

Sex

Enthusiasm

Romance

Hope

Negative Emotions:

Fear

Jealousy

Hatred

Revenge

Greed

Superstition

Anger

Positive and negative emotions cannot occupy the mind at the same time. Only one can dominate. Avoid negative emotions. Make sure that positive emotions become your dominating influence in your subconscious mind to connect with the universe.

I hope this provides you with a little insight into the subconscious mind and its connection to the universe. Don’t forget to like, comment, and follow. I appreciate each person who reads my posts and listens to my podcasts.

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What It Takes to Be Number One

Vince Lombardi was a great leader who knew how to motivate men. He was an American football coach, winning many championships. He was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers when they won the first Super Bowl. In fact, the Super Bowl trophy is named after him. Lombardi was famous for his inspirational speeches. One of his most famous speeches is “What It Takes to Be Number One.”

Lombardi was known for his drive and determination, but he is remembered for his leadership. Lombardi was driven to be the best and demanded the same from his players. “What It Takes to Be Number One” was first given in the locker room at halftime. Since then, Lombardi gave this speech many times to businesses and at political conventions.

I have always admired Vince Lombardi. You could say, he is my “go-to” guy for inspiration. “What It Takes to Be Number One” is one of my favorite Lombardi speeches. I have it on a card hanging up in my office. Every now and then, I take it down and read it. Vince Lombardi has been such an inspiration to me I even married a girl named Lombardi. That’s Sofia’s maiden name.

The Speech “What It Takes To Be Number One”

“Winning is not a sometimes thing; it’s an all the time thing. You don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.”

By doing the right things all the time you will find yourself winning more often than not. Develop the habit of winning in everything that you do

“There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game, and that’s first place. I have finished second twice in my time at Green Bay, and I don’t ever want to finish second again. There is a second-place ballgame, but it is a game for losers played by losers. It is and always has been an American zeal to be first in anything we do, and to win, and to win, and to win.”

You won’t win every time, nobody does. When you don’t win it should drive you to come in first the next time. Only one team is having fun at the end of a championship game. The winning team.

All In

“Every time a football player goes to ply his trade he’s got to play from the ground up, from the soles of his feet right up to his head. Every inch of him has to play. Some guys play with their heads. That’s O.K. You’ve got to be smart to be number one in any business. But more importantly, you’ve got to play with your heart, with every fiber of your body. If you’re lucky enough to find a guy with a lot of head and a lot of heart, he’s never going to come off the field second.”

Giving it everything you’ve got is how you win. You cannot do things halfway.

Win

“Running a football team is no different than running any other kind of organization, an army, a political party, or a business. The principles are the same. The object is to win and to beat the other guy. Maybe that sounds hard or cruel. I don’t think it is.”

The objective of any business is all the same. It is to make a profit. If you are not making money in your business, you have a hobby.

Compete

“It is a reality of life that men are competitive and the most competitive games draw the most competitive men. That’s why they are there, to compete. To know the rules and objectives when they get in the game. The object is to win fairly, squarely, by the rules, but to win.”

Competition makes everyone better. It doesn’t have to be nasty and you don’t have to cheat. Do your best and win fairly.

Grind

“And in truth, I’ve never known a man worth his salt who in the long run, deep down in his heart, didn’t appreciate the grind, the discipline. There is something in good men that really yearns for discipline and the harsh reality of head-to-head combat.”

Embrace the grind and everyday challenges. Learn to love the daily routine of making yourself better. Championship teams put more emphasis on practice. They embrace the difficulties of the daily grind. Championships are won during these times.

Read

The final paragraph of his speech is the most important part for me. It sums up what it takes to be number one. Read it many times and let his words take hold of you.

“I don’t say these things because I believe in the “brute” nature of man or that men must be brutalized to be combative. I believe in God, and I believe in human decency. But I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear, is that moment when he has to work his heart out in a good cause and he’s exhausted on the field of battle, victorious.”

Cites

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The Dash

It was a cool, breezy morning. The cemetery grounds, once a beautiful bright green in the summer, had begun to be covered with fallen leaves. The smells of autumn were in the air as Jim looked down at little Tom kicking the leaves. Jim scanned the grounds trying to remember where the gravesite was located.

“I think it’s this way,” he said.

Little Tom looked up and smiled mischievously. “Come on, dad!” Off he ran in the direction Jim was pointing.

Jim hurried to catch up, and when he did, he grabbed little Tom and twirled him around. They were both laughing when something caught Jim’s eye.

“This is it! This is the one we’re looking for,” Jim exclaimed!

In front of them was a headstone that read, “James Scott Walters.” Underneath the name were the dates, August 30, 1960 – December 29, 2060.

“Who is that,” little Tom asked?

“That is your great-grandfather,” Jim replied.

“Wow, he lived for 100 years,” said little Tom.

“He sure did, and he lived a full, rich life,” Jim said.

“What did he do,” little Tom asked?

Jim replied, “He lived an exciting life and went on many adventures when he was young. He served his country and helped many people. Helping others became his passion. He taught your grandmother, his daughter, how to live life the right way. As he became older, he began to write down his experiences and lessons, sharing them with the world.”

As little Tom stared at the headstone and ran his fingers over the carved letters and numbers, Jim knelt next to him.

“Do you see those dates?”

Little Tom pointed to August 30, 1960, and started tracing it with his finger.

“Those two dates are not the most important things on this headstone,” Jim said. “The two dates simply represent two moments in time. The day your great-grandfather took his first breath and the day he took his last.”

“The most important thing is the dash in between the two dates. That little line represents his life and everything that he did. There are 100 years in the dash. Every headstone in the cemetery contains a dash, and they represent what everyone did with their life.”

Jim continued, “Your great-grandfather’s dash is filled with good decisions and bad. Happy times and sad times. The births of children and the deaths of friends and family. It represents everything that he did in his 100 years. He lived life to the fullest. I don’t think everyone’s dash would tell the same story.”

Little Tom gazed upward at Jim and quietly said, “How can I make sure my dash is as full as my great-grandfather’s?”

“Make sure you live your life like your great-grandfather lived his. We can read about him when we get home. Are you ready to go,” Jim asked?

As they walked through the cemetery towards the car, Jim looked down and held Tom’s hand. “Son,” he said, “Your great-grandfather accomplished many wonderful things in his life. One day, he told me that the most important thing he ever did was learn to love. That was why we are put here on earth. God didn’t give us life to be divided and hate each other. We are here to love one another. If you can learn to love, then your dash will be full.”

Jim and little Tom climbed into the car and buckled up. Jim started the engine and began to pull away. He stopped and looked back at the headstone. A smile came over his face as he said, “The old man will never stop teaching us lessons.”

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Motivation or Self-Discipline

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When you decide to change, you will need help along your journey. You can find this help from extrinsic motivation or through self-discipline. I know people who listen to motivational speeches every day. In contrast, I know people who do not believe in motivational speeches, and both are successful. Therefore, the question is which is better, motivation or self-discipline?

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Motivation

Motivation from other people is short-term. It is like eating a candy bar for energy. The sugar will get you started, but it will not sustain you. Listening to a good motivational speech will get your adrenaline pumping. You feel like you can conquer the world.

Listening to motivational speeches over time will produce less adrenaline, and the impact the speech has on you is not as powerful. You might find that after the speech is over, you quickly lose the energy it gave you. In the short term, a motivational speech will have you believe. Over the long term, you can lose that belief. A motivational speech does not build faith.

Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is long-term, and you will find that it will sustain your efforts towards accomplishing your goals. If motivation is like a candy bar, self-discipline is the healthy food that gives you energy all day. It is doing those activities you know you are supposed to be doing.

Self-discipline does not wear down or fade. It does not affect producing adrenaline. Self-discipline will still give you that feeling that you can conquer the world only not through chemistry. That feeling comes through belief in yourself. Self-discipline conquers fears and doubts. It stretches your comfort zone and turns belief into faith.

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Which One?

Which is better, motivation or self-discipline? The answer is both. You would not want to rely on extrinsic motivation alone, but a good speech is a great way to start your day. Think of it as a cup of coffee. It will get you going in the morning, but the effect will wear off over time. If you are self-disciplined, you will create your motivation.

Science Stuff

Gro Jordalen from the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences studied the correlation between motivation and self-discipline in athletes. She determined that elite athletes rely on both. Her studies showed that strong self-discipline influences how motivated you are. She also found that extrinsic motivation will lead to higher burnout rates.

In short, motivation will get you going, but you will need self-discipline to accomplish your goals. Developing self-discipline is necessary for your journey to change. It is great to hear someone tell you that you can become a different person. It is only through the development of self-discipline that the change will happen. To be successful, both motivation and self-discipline are needed.

How?

How can you develop self-discipline? Keeping things simple and taking baby steps. When I was younger and wanted to get back in shape, I would listen to a motivational song and get fired up. I would then take off running at a hard pace. I would not last long at that pace and would soon be struggling. The extrinsic motivation of the song had faded. I tried to do too much too soon. Eventually, I learned to take baby steps.

Deciding to become a different person is a huge change. Our brains are wired to prevent such changes, and you will incur resistance. Therefore, don’t try to make a big change all at once. Change small things about your routine. Wake up a half-hour earlier than normal instead of three hours earlier. Plan out your day instead of trying to plan out the entire month. Make little stretches in your comfort zone.

Small Changes

Making small changes to your daily routine will lead to big changes to your lifestyle over time. This time next year you will be a completely different person and not even realize how you got there. A little self-analysis will show how these little changes developed your self-discipline. You are now a truly motivated person.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@helloimnik

https://unsplash.com/@erik_brolin

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Comfort Zone

The other day I was thinking about those psychological barriers we put on ourselves called comfort zones. Those areas or events which we feel good when we are there. The comfort zone is our safe place. It is where we feel warm and fuzzy. Nothing can happen to us when we are in our comfort zone.

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Your Comfort Zone

For most people, their comfort zone is their home. You feel safe and comfortable inside your home. You can control what goes on there. On the other hand, if you leave your home, you lose control. When you walk into a building you have never been inside, you can feel nervous and uneasy. That warm and fuzzy feeling inside is no longer there. Your senses are heightened because you are outside of your comfort zone.

You create your comfort zone in your mind. It is a mental boundary you have created based on your past experiences. Everyone has a different one. Some are small, and some are quite extensive. Some people are only comfortable inside their homes, but not everyone. If they relate their home to previous bad experiences, it will not be comfortable for them.

The Mind

Your brain is designed for survival and to keep you safe. It creates these boundaries based on your experiences. Negative experiences as a child manifest as fear. Those experiences would become fearful to you and would be outside of your comfort zone.

That is all your comfort zone is, boundaries. Your mind has created these boundaries to avoid the fear that you manifested. You are born with only two fears. The fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. All other fears you manifest and all fears can be controlled.

Expanding

If you decide to expand your comfort zone, it is a painful process. You have to overcome years of boundaries formed in your mind. Your fears will have to be faced, but you can do it. An excellent way to describe your comfort zone is to think about a dog and an electric fence.

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Wildlife

When my wife and I were in Colorado, I noticed our friends’ neighborhood had no fences to separate the properties. In Florida, almost everyone builds fences around their property. I inquired as to why they did not build fences. The reason is that they have herds of elk, deer, and even the occasional bear wandering through the neighborhood. Therefore, the HOA outlawed fences.

Shocking

Our friends have two large dogs, so they put an underground electric fence as a boundary. The dogs can run around the yard, but if they try to leave they get a mild electric shock. This teaches them how far they can go. Inside the underground fence is the dog’s comfort zone. It becomes painful when they try to go outside of this boundary. You are no different. You have created a boundary that becomes painful when you go outside it.

The dogs manifest a fear of the edge of the property. When they try to leave, they feel the discomfort of the collar and go back to their comfort zone. They are happy in there. This area is their warm and fuzzy place.

Expanding Their Horizons

What happens when one dog decides they want to expand their horizons and leave? Maybe the dog is a male and sees a beautiful female dog a few houses away. First, they would slowly approach the edge, receive the shock, and jump back. Their desire to meet this female is strong. Instead of going back to their comfort zone, this time the dog stays and tries again.

Each time they receive the shock, it gets less painful. The dog is becoming comfortable being uncomfortable. With each try, the dog gets farther and farther until they break free of the pain. They now have new areas to explore and sniff. New experiences are waiting for them, along with the female dog.

Painful?

Was it painful? Yes! Why didn’t they go back to their comfort zone? Because their reason for wanting to get out of the yard (the female) was bigger and more powerful than the pain. As a result, they expanded their comfort zone.

If your reason for wanting to change your life is larger than the pain of leaving your comfort zone, you will do it. Slowly begin doing the things you are not comfortable doing. Try to do it a little at a time and the pain and discomfort will diminish. You will be expanding your comfort zone. You might even break free of it altogether.

Self-improvement is painful. You have to face your fears and deal with the past; your past has shaped you into the person you are today. You have the power to improve your future. Break out of your comfort zone for yourself and your family. Start doing those little things today!

Cites

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https://unsplash.com/@marvelous

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15 Habits That Will Make You Wealthy

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Most people in the world are not wealthy. It is said that 96% of the wealth in the world is created by 1% of the population. When you look at this statistic, what do you see? I see opportunities. We live in an unlimited universe. Each one of us can create wealth. You can increase your wealth by changing your thoughts and developing new habits. Below are 15 habits that will make you wealthy.

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15 Habits Of The Wealthy

What is wealth? Wealth is an abundance of valuable material possessions or resources. Wealth is subjective. What you consider wealth could be different from what I do. Is it a certain amount of money? For some, the answer is yes. For me, I relate wealth to being financially independent.

Financial independence means the following three things in my mind. First, it means time. You no longer trade time for money. You can now spend more time doing the things you love. We all have the same amount of time each day, 1440 minutes. How do you spend yours? Second, it creates options. You are no longer limited to doing things based on price. Eat at the most expensive restaurants and order what you want. Finally, financial independence means peace. Unexpected situations will arise in life. If money is not a problem, these situations are easier to manage.

Wealth Mindset

What is the difference between people with wealth and others? It comes down to one thing, your mindset. Do you have a wealth mindset or a poverty mindset? Begin to cultivate a money mindset. To do that, you must change and become a different person. You have to leave the old you behind. Create thoughts seeing how you want to live in the future. Visualize these thoughts. Your thoughts will become your reality. Eliminate negativity from your life and create new habits.

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15 Habits

Here are 15 habits that will make you wealthy:

  1. They always have a vision. They know what they want and visualize it daily. Their definite purpose is always on their mind.
  2. The wealthy do not work for money. They have learned how to make money work for them. Trading time for money will provide you with a good life but not a great one.
  3. They eat healthy & exercise. Taking care of their bodies gives them more energy to be productive.
  4. Wealthy individuals live in the future. They know that their current thoughts will become their reality. It doesn’t matter where you came from; it’s where you’re going.
  5. Rich people are not afraid to fail. Failure is part of the process of becoming wealthy. They learn from their failures until they succeed.
  6. They wake up early. This gives them time to think and meditate. It prepares their mind for the challenges of the day.
  7. Wealthy people give thanks every day. They show gratitude for what they have and realize it can be taken away.
  8. The rich don’t waste time with television or social media. They realize that the negativity that comes from all forms of media. 70% watch an hour or less a day.
  9. They love to read. The wealthy spend time every day reading and expanding their minds. Develop a habit of reading daily for self-improvement.
  10. The wealthy have mentors. They develop a mastermind group to help them gain knowledge that they don’t have.
  11. Goal setting is a priority. They set goals, develop a plan, and work towards accomplishing their goals.
  12. They eliminate negativity in their life. This includes thoughts, habits, and/or people. Hanging onto negative people gets you nowhere.
  13. Wealthy individuals are always learning. They learn how to manage their finances and daily lives. Most importantly, they learn how to market themselves.
  14. They believe in abundance. Our universe provides an unlimited supply for everyone. The wealthy have learned how to tap into that supply.
  15. They make each day productive and driven by results. So much of your day can be occupied by nonproductive activities. Wealthy people avoid them.

Are You Satisfied?

Men and women who are financially independent do things differently than those who aren’t. By creating the same habits in your life, you can begin to change. Your habits have gotten you to where you’re at right now. If you’re satisfied, keep doing what you’re doing. To improve your situation, begin filling your day with these 15 habits that will make you wealthy.

If this post is helpful to you in any way, please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on it. If it wasn’t your cup of tea, let me know also. I’m always looking to improve, and your comments help.

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