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People say there is no such thing as instant success, but I
say that there is. Success is a way of thinking. Success has to do with how you
feel. You may have a lot of money, but if your thoughts and emotions have you in
a terrible state, then you really aren’t successful. Why do people achieve
goals? Why do entrepreneurs start businesses? They do it because they believe it
will make them feel a certain way. They will feel accomplished, victorious,
joyful, or free.
Success is in the mind. People tell themselves that they will feel successful
when they get the money, obtain the right job, find their perfect mate, or lose
the weight. Success is a someday thing in this context. Someday never comes.
Success is a gift you give to yourself. It is a way of thinking. Success
thinking creates the emotions of success including joy, peace, personal pride,
self respect, freedom, and gratitude. If you do not see or feel yourself as
successful right now, you are but a thought away from it. Success is one thought
away from where you are right now. The distance between your current thoughts
and success thoughts may seem overwhelming. This is due to your physiology. You
see, constant repetition of negative thoughts (blaming, complaining, victimized,
anger, etc.) trains your body to react in certain ways. Physiologically, you are
wired to feel the way that you do. Constant practice of negativity and doubt
build those emotions into your body. Your physiological responses can be
changed.
Since we are often battling physiology when we attempt to make changes, it is
the body we must employ as our change agent.
Here are some steps you can use to create success:
1. First, there must be an intention to succeed. Failure and giving up
have payoffs we must be willing to give up. We must be willing to take
responsibility for our own lives. When we intend to create success we recognize
that our success, past, present, or future, is not up to anyone else. No one can
stop you from being successful.
2. Following up on your intention, there must be a decision you make to
succeed. You make this decision every day. Every time you experience
disappointment or setbacks, you decide again to succeed.
3. You must envision success. It is important to write out a vision that
includes what your life would look like. More importantly, you need a vision
that articulates what kind of person you want to be. Words like confident,
loving, compassionate, forgiving, helpful, competent, joyful, tenacious,
graceful, grateful and others come to mind. In this vision of your success, who
are you being?
4. Focus on the feelings that you believe are part of being successful.
If you were successful right now—if you felt totally successful right now–how
would you be sitting in your chair? What would your posture be like? How would
you carry yourself? Get up out of your seat and walk across the room. How would
you walk? Go greet someone or talk to someone on the telephone. How would you
greet and talk to someone if you were successful?
5. Consciously bring the feelings and thoughts of success into every part
of your body in each of the parts of your life. In other words, you are not
looking for success–you are being success.
Some may say that that’s nice, but it is play acting. It is like living in a
dream world. This is true. You are acting and it is living in your dream world.
Success comes from the inside out. In order to create your successful world you
must first live in it in your mind.
So, if you want a promotion, how would you walk and talk if you were already in
that position? How would you deal with people? How would you approach your work?
If you were a great leader with big responsibility and compensation to match,
would you be tracking how many hours you work each week? Would you be gossiping
about your coworker? Or, would you be fully engaged in the moment, making
decisions that benefit the highest good for the organization? Would you be
complaining about how unfair certain people or situations are, or would you be
envisioning positive situations and taking constructive steps to create them?
Someone said to me: “I can play at being successful but I’m really not. I still
don’t have the money I need. I still don’t have the influence I need. I don’t
have time for games like these.” This reaction is common and understandable. My
first question is: “How much money, influence and love have you gained by worry
or by feeling sorry for yourself?” Generally speaking, other people are not
going to help you be successful because they feel sorry for you. People
gravitate toward success. Whether you want others to buy from you, vote for you,
listen to you, or join with you, they are going to be more interested if you are
successful. If you see yourself and feel yourself as successful, others will
agree with you. Motivational writers and speakers call it: “Fake it until you
make it.”
Personally I don’t think we are faking it at all. That confident and joyful
person we envision is who we really are. As we set aside the negative thoughts
and emotions of blaming, complaining, resentment, and general unforgiveness we
expose who we really are. You are already a success. If you can imagine it and
feel it, you can be it.
Give yourself the gift of instant success right now. Sit, stand or somehow begin
moving as if you are already successful. Practice will build the positive
emotions of success into your physiology. Your body will become wired for
success. It will truly be the servant of a success oriented mind. As you move
forward in confidence your outer conditions will begin to change to reflect your
inner success.
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