Are You Ready to Succeed?

We've come to the end of the month, a month that I have dedicated to strategies for reaching your goals.  You possess the tools now to set and achieve your goals successfully.  If you have followed the principles of Brian Tracy, author of Goals, as I have blogged about them, you are working on the following steps.

Write down your goals on a calendar or paste them into a scrapbook or on a vision board.  Set a timeline for your goals.  Examine your values and incorporate them into your goals, making sure that none of the goals conflicts with any other goal.  Choose a major definite purpose for which you have a burning desire.  Find someone to be accountable to as you progress towards your goals.  Seek out a support system, whether it's your best friend or your Facebook community, to cheer you on.  Nurture your creativity, whether through prayer and meditation, or through exploring nature or a visit to the art gallery.  Plan to work hard and sacrifice smaller rewards now for larger ones later on.  Plan to manage your time wisely.  Visualize your goals on a daily basis, bringing you one step closer to success.  Be prepared to fail successfully, knowing that you will likely make mistakes on the journey. Be prepared to practise an attitude of gratitude.  Be prepared when that golden opportunity presents itself.  Call on the Holy Spirit, or superconscious mind, to guide you along the way.  Above all, believe in yourself!

I posted my vision board on the rec room door right beside my computer chair where I can study it everyday, burning the images into my mind.  I hung a calendar on the wall beside my computer desk, marked with my monthly goals.  I am ready, willing and able to put my plan into action.  I look forward to measuring my progress at the end of the year.  I hope you will join me in my journey.  Are you ready?

For more information, read Are You Ready to Succeed? by Srikumar S. Rao at http://www.amazon.ca/Are-You-Ready-Succeed-Unconventional/dp/1401301932.

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Thank You, Dorothy, That was Delicious!

"Develop an attitude of gratitude and give thanks for everything that happens to you..." (Brian Tracy)

On Boxing Day, we were sitting at my parents' dining room table digesting a second Christmas dinner when my sister Laurie asked:  "Why Dad do you never thank Mom for a delicious dinner?  It doesn't matter whether she feeds you a turkey dinner with all the trimmings or wieners and beans, you never say thank you." (paraphrased)

I pointed out that that was not the case with our Grandad Tufts.  As Mom said:  "Whenever Grandad ate a meal, he would say to Grandma:  'Thank you very much, Dorothy, that was delicious.'  Grandma could make him two peas and he would say:  'Thank you very much, Dorothy, that was delicious.'" Grandad practised gratitude.  Not surprisingly, he was a happy person.  And he lived a long life.    

According to motivational guru Zig Zigler, without gratitude, happiness is rare.  When we neglect to require our children to say please and thank you, to be aware of their blessings, their is a much greater chance we will raise unhappy children.  Zig Zigler, one of eleven children, was dirt poor.  He lost his father at the tender age of six.  His mother, however, always made sure that her children knew that she loved them and that God loved them.  She also taught them a strong work ethic.  "Her formula of work, love and faith made their difficult lives easier," according to Zigler.

Zigler suffered a family tragedy when his young daughter Suzan passed away as a child.  At the funeral, even though he was grieving, he said:  "We have no regrets.  She knew we loved her."  The bereaved father, shook hands and smiled at the guests, even offering others solace.  Zigler never neglected to count his blessings.  

Something as simple as keeping a gratitude journal can make us aware of our blessings.  And we don't have to wait for the big things in life to make us happy; we can rejoice in the small things. Publicist Malcolm Margolin talked about making an observation during a rainstorm:  "The sight of hundreds of blades of grass bowing down and popping back up like piano keys strikes me as one of the merriest sights in the world."  

Gratitude doesn't just make us happier but also healthier, building our immunity system, strengthening our heart and improving our sleep habits.  So, the next time your wife cooks you a turkey dinner (or wieners and beans), take the time to say thank you.  You'll be a happier person because of it (so will your wife).

For more information read Attitudes of Gratitude by M.J. Ryan at http://www.amazon.com/Attitudes-Gratitude-10th-Anniversary-Ed/dp/1573244112.

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