Empowering Your Mind – Page 93 – Mindset, Motivation and Empowerment

How do I not worry about my goal?

June 30, 2014 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: How can I learn not to worry about whether my goal will manifest?

Answer: We’re taught to worry and fret, because that shows we’re concerned. But if you’re able to trust your creative mind and the Universe to manifest what you want, it works. I remember when I was first learning this stuff, that my teacher suggested we start with something that doesn’t matter that much, so we don’t have so much invested in the outcome. He suggested we ask for a parking space close to the entrance of a store or business we’re visiting. Then let it go.

By practicing that way, you can learn how it feels to let go and trust. When I was younger, I did it by asking traffic lights to stay green. Your fear that the outcome won’t be what you want is, as you know, what is manifesting. Your creative mind “thinks” that’s what you want, ergo, you get what you “want,” because that’s what you’re focused on.

Every time you begin to worry about whether your goal will manifest, remind yourself that “My subconscious mind knows what to do and is working to bring this about in the Divine Right way.”

Honor Yourself

June 25, 2014 Linda-Ann Stewart

by Linda-Ann Stewart

When I was young, I was given the message that I had to sacrifice those parts of me that made others uncomfortable. If I was talented, and it made another envious, I was supposed to hide my talent, otherwise I was accused of being “selfish.” At one point, I felt bad for making good grades because I somehow thought I was taking a good grade away from someone else. Many people are like me and have been told they were being selfish, when they were only being true to themselves.

In many cases, the definition of “selfish” has been perverted. If you say “no” to participating in an activity that would overextend you, you might be called “selfish” because it inconveniences the person who asks you. You can always consider your needs against what other people want from you, then decide the most appropriate action to take.

True selfishness is when you disregard the welfare of others. It doesn’t mean that you must ignore your own welfare to please someone else. But the term may have been twisted to become a club to manipulate you.

There is such a thing as healthy selfishness. That’s when you concern yourself with your well being. You’re not taking anything from anyone else, you’re just attending to your needs. Remember that everyone else has the same Universal power that you do to manifest what they want. They don’t need to take what is yours, whether it’s time or resources, to achieve their goal. Nor do you need anything of anyone else’s.

This isn’t a carte blanche to ignore the needs of others. But be aware that some people will have their own agenda when they put their desires ahead of your basic needs. You have a right to your needs and to express the Spirit within you. One of life’s lessons is to learn to honor yourself first.

Affirmation:

I honor myself. I recognize when someone tries to manipulate me, and take appropriate actions to take care of my well being. Everyone has the same connection to Universal power that I do, and can take care of their own needs. I have a right to be here. My welfare is as important as anyone else’s.

Success Begins With Your Mindset

June 25, 2014 Linda-Ann Stewart

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Success is your natural state. You have the innate ability to accomplish anything you choose to do. As a child, you learned how to tie your shoes, use the alphabet and ride a bike. You learned how to reach your goal by moving toward it in small, incremental stages. When you missed your mark, you corrected your direction and tried again until you achieved it.

You didn’t question whether you’d accomplish it or not. You just kept working at it until you did. Only if you were told and believed that you couldn’t achieve it, would you fall short of your goal.

Whether you want to quit smoking, maintain an exercise program, make a sale, get ahead in life or fulfill your New Year’s Resolutions, your mindset will determine whether you succeed or fail. You have to believe that your goal is possible and achievable for you to be able to accomplish it.

If you don’t believe your goal is possible, then no matter how much effort you put into it you’re likely to be disappointed. Smokers who don’t believe they can quit will fail in their attempts. A salesperson who goes into a conversation with the idea they won’t make the sale will have his belief confirmed.

If you don’t believe that you can accomplish your goal, then you’re fighting an uphill battle against yourself. You want it, but you’ll unconsciously sabotage yourself to confirm your belief. When you serve a customer, they’ll sense your negative self-assessment and will say “No.” You’ll hold yourself back from committing your full drive, passion and determination to your desire.

It’s human nature to seek to be consistent with your beliefs. Do you dwell on your mistakes or difficulties and think it’ll never be different? If so, you’re setting yourself up to validate your idea. Even if you were handed success on a silver platter, if you haven’t conditioned your mind for it, success will seep away like sand through a sieve.

However, if you don’t succeed fully or immediately, it doesn’t mean that you’ve failed. You only fail when you give up. People who succeed aren’t defeated by setbacks. In each attempt, you learn something that you use to climb further up the ladder of accomplishment.

Before you can have success in the outer world, you have to accept it in your inner self. It’s like water rising to its own level. You’ll only have as much success as you can believe you can have. Studies have shown that a positive attitude is more important for success than education or skills, when it comes to getting a job and moving ahead.

The Universe created you to be a success, and you are the Universe in action in your life. Any block to it is your fearful mind believing in a lie. You were convinced of the impossibility when you were a child or when you were discouraged as an adult. The Universe is always a success, therefore success is your true nature.

Three ways to begin conditioning your mind for success:

1. Change your self-image so you identify with accomplishing your goal. Your self-image affects how successful you’ll be. Do you feel like a success or failure? Until a smoker can relate to being an “ex-smoker,” they’ll nearly always fall back into the old habit. Someone who has lost a lot of weight will have a hard time keeping it off until their self-image agrees with their new reality. A clerk will never be able to rise through the ranks until they’re able to view themselves as someone who could handle more responsibility. Discover and develop the qualities you need to be a success at what you want.

2. Picture some success you’ve had, no matter how small. Remember how you felt. When beginning a new project, associate that feeling of success with the first step you could take. Imagine it so vividly that it’s easy to put the steps into practice. Evoke a feeling of satisfaction when you think of your goal. Then make sure you begin to take action.

3. Don’t try to conceive of your final result as being inevitable. That may be too much a stretch for you at the beginning. Just open your mind to the idea that it’s possible. Imagine what the best outcome could be. By not trying to force it, you allow your subconscious to consider how it can begin to bring your ideas into reality. Turning it over in your mind allows you to visualize success without the pressure of fighting against conflicting ideas about it.

When you have the feeling that you’ll achieve your goal, you’ll uncover the resources and creative ideas needed to overcome whatever obstacles arise. Your mind will be ready for success, and will find the way to do what’s necessary to make your goal an accomplished fact. Establishing a positive and success mindset will carry over into all of your desires.

Affirmation:

I was created to be successful at whatever goal I chose. The Universe sees me as a success and operates through me. Success is my natural state. I now condition my mind for success by accepting that my goal is possible and achievable for me. Although I may not know how to accomplish it, the Universe and my creative mind know what to do and how to do it. I take the actions that I know to take and the next step now appears.

Zig Ziglar on Setting Goals, Part 1

June 18, 2014 Linda-Ann Stewart

Goals are important if you’re ever going to get anywhere. The legendary Zig Ziglar talks about power of choice and how important they are for your goals. He describes how to set a goal and establish a plan of action. His formula is simple and easy to follow and if you follow it you will accomplish your objective.

In A Crisis, Be Grateful for What You Have

June 13, 2014 Linda-Ann Stewart

In any type of crisis, it’s natural to focus on what’s going wrong. But if you shift your focus to what’s right in your life, you’ll build internal resources and recover more quickly. Learn how the simple act of appreciation can allow you to rise like a phoenix from the ashes.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

How do I stay focused on my goal?

June 4, 2014 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: How do I keep my conscious mind from trying to control how a goal comes to pass, while staying focused on that goal?

Answer: Your question is one many people have. We’re taught to try to control the result. The answer takes a lot of discipline and trust. To keep the desired result in your mind, write it down on a card and read it several times a day. This helps to keep your subconscious focused on what it is you want. Then trust that your subconscious knows how to bring that goal into reality, and remind yourself that it’s working on it.

Take any action toward the goal that you know to take. Follow through on any ideas you may have for it. The more actions you take, the more you’re convincing your subconscious that you really want that goal. Keep affirming that “My creative/subconscious mind knows how to bring this to me, and is doing so now” whenever you think of the goal. That gives the subconscious the power and direction of what to do.

It is the subconscious’ role to figure out how things get done, not the conscious mind’s. The conscious mind’s role is to keep the mind focused on the goal, and follow through on any opportunities. It sounds simple, but it’s not easy for most people to do this.

5 Things You Must Focus On To Achieve Your Goals

May 28, 2014 Linda-Ann Stewart

by Loretta Love-Huff

Goal-setting is an important activity for those who yearn to live an accomplished life. Yet, many people do not set goals and others who do, don’t set them well.

There was a purported study inaccurately attributed to Harvard or Yale about about the impact of setting goals. The ‘study’ concluded that 83%of the population didn’t have identified goals. It further showed that 14% had goals but only a mere 3% of the population had written theirs down. It went on to say that years later, the 3% with written goals had earned 10 times more than everyone else. (The statistics vary based on whose interpretation of the ‘study’ you read.) As it turns out, that study never happened.

‘Facts’ aside, it reinforces the concept of writing your goals down.

An actual study conducted later by Gail Matthews, PhD at Dominican University revealed 3 important conclusions:

1. Be clear on your goals and write them down.
2. Develop a plan on how you are going to achieve them.
3. Develop an accountability mechanism.

I haven’t conducted a study. However, I have been active in the performance improvement and performance enhancement field for a surprisingly long time (read, “decades”).

Here’s my take on the 5 critical components of what it takes to make magic happen.

1. Have a clear goal
OK, this is a pretty consistent first step across all platforms so I won’t spend a lot of time on it. Yet it is still one many people skip. Don’t be one of them. ‘Nuf said?

Know where your end destination is, whether its later today or later in life. Pick a specific, measurable ‘what’ you will accomplish and a ‘by when’ it will be done.

2. Know your “Why”
Knowing why you want to achieve the goal is at least as important a motivating factor as knowing what it is you want. Accomplishing goals, especially big, hairy ones, will likely take an inordinate amount of effort. You’ll probably NOT have smooth sailing along the way, so having a deep urge, a deep longing, an important reason to continue in the face of all of the crap on the road is critical.

3. Feel your success
Imagine how you’ll feel once your end goal is reached. Will you feel fulfilled, safe, secure, happy, proud, satisfied, excited, peaceful, powerful, confident? What ever the emotion, start ‘practicing’ feeling it NOW, even before you have the ‘thing’. Don’t wait until you get there, feeling that ‘future’ emotion now will make life more enjoyable, help support your motivation factor and actually help draw in the resources, ideas and connections to help you get there.

Time will pass more easily if you’re not waiting for the future to feel good. Be that feeling now.

4. Think about how you’ll make it happen
I was listening to Brian Tracy speak at the Arizona Chapter of the National Speakers Association earlier this month. He had conducted a study of high achievers. He said there were two factors that distinguished top performers from everyone else. First, they had big, clear goals. And, secondly, they thought constantly about how they could achieve them.

I would veer away from the idea of constantly thinking about ‘how’. I would say, constantly focus on the ‘what’ and the ‘feeling’, but allow for the creative process, for divine intervention, coincidence, providence, unexpected inspirations to light the path forward for you.

5. Be happy now
This is related, but slightly different that point 3. The tip here is to focus on things that RIGHT NOW are going well: things your grateful for, things you’re happy about TODAY.

I was listening to Marshall Sylver, host of the Million Dollar Television Network. He was also talking about focus and achieving goals. He said “You get what you focus on.” So instead of focusing on all of your problems, focus on what you want more of in your life.

Pharrel Williams also was definitely on to something with his inspired song, Happy. The words, energy and message resonated with people around the world. The song extols the virtues of being happy.

In one verse, he describes the feeling of letting things roll off his back. “…Here come bad news, talkin’ this and that. Give me all you got, don’t hold it back. I should probably warn you, I’ll be just fine. No offense to you, don’t waste your time. Because I’m happy!”

So, to quote another song from way back, “Don’t worry. Be happy.” Focus on what matters. Your goals, your dreams, your happy, grateful, positive feelings and what you want are what really matters.

Would you like to learn more simple ways business owners and career professionals can EXCEED their dreams: accomplish bigger goals, earn more money, and generally live a happier, more productive life? Check out my website www.EmeraldHarvest.com/destiny for free resources. Award-winning consultant, speaker, author and coach Loretta Love Huff, is “The Dream Leader for Business™.”

Speaking at WREN

May 27, 2014 Linda-Ann Stewart

Linda-Ann Stewart handing out worksheets — Linda-Ann Stewart

I had a speaking engagement in the Phoenix area on Wednesday, May 21^st. I got everything prepared on Tuesday, then checked the road conditions. That’s when I found that the main artery from Northern Arizona (where I live) to Phoenix was closed due to a fire by the freeway. I thought I might have to drive 1-2 hours out of my way to get to the venue the next morning. Fortunately, the freeway opened by 7pm Tuesday evening.

Wednesday morning, I met the amazing, powerful women of WREN, Women’s Resource Educational Network, in Gilbert. A friend from NSA-Arizona, Fran Lowell, had joined me, and we had a wonderful time getting to know these women. I felt welcome and at home with them. We stayed for an hour afterwards to talk with one of them. Another woman showed up and we spoke briefly with her, as well.

Fran Lowell & Linda-Ann Stewart — Fran Lowell and Linda-Ann Stewart

WREN is a different kind of networking group. Instead of each person pushing their agenda of “This is who I am…,” this chapter of WREN was created by Cindy Webb to let women get to know each other and also to give back to the community. People channel business to those they know, like and trust. Being able to learn all about the person you might refer to builds trust. To me, this is the model networking groups should follow.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Elk Surprised Us on the Rim Trail at the Grand Canyon

May 14, 2014 Linda-Ann Stewart

Jeff and I went to the Grand Canyon this month. We got there mid-day, after the high winds they’d had earlier had quieted down. After a picnic lunch overlooking the canyon, we started hiking east along the rim trail. Our 2 mile hike would end at the South Kaibab Trailhead.

As we approached it, Jeff put his hand out to stop me. I froze. Just ahead, on the trail and in the trees beside it, was a herd of young elk. We were within 20 feet of them. Jeff got out his camera and took photos. They weren’t fazed by the clicking of his shutter. Eventually, other hikers neared and the elk ambled off into the woods.

When we got to South Kaibab Trailhead, a herd of mule deer and another herd of elk wandered in the parking lot and trees. I got a photo of an elk by the water station. A guy turned on the faucet to let the elk drink. When the bus for Yaki Point arrived, the elk spooked and left.

It was a magical day. We ended it watching the sunset at Yaki Point.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Get Motivated and Take a Step

May 9, 2014 Linda-Ann Stewart

Sometimes it’s hard to get moving on a goal. You want it, but you can’t get motivated enough to take the first step. Learn some ways you can increase the intensity of your desire, and take your first steps.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart