How Well Are You Moving Forward in 2013?

If you hold the vision of a bright future for yourself, you've probably set a series of goals in 2013 designed to make your vision a reality.

As with any goal setting process, you've most likely measured your progress to determine how well you are moving forward.

If you find you are not progressing as quickly as you'd like, one behavior you may consider implementing is the act of letting go. While there are many techniques that allow you to move forward, letting go of emotional baggage is one that's often overlooked.

For example, you may be holding on to past hurts such as being betrayed by a spouse or not feeling loved by a parent or child. Living from this emotional space can slow your personal and emotional growth.

"As I walked out the door toward my freedom I knew that if I did not leave all the anger, hatred and bitterness behind, I would still be in prison." ~ Nelson Mandela

Letting go frees you to live in the moment, opens the door to new opportunities, and allows you to move forward.

The act of forgiveness does not mean condoning the wrongdoer's actions, it means freeing yourself from emotional baggage that weighs you down. After all, how well can you fly when you're tethered to baggage?

Begin by forgiving the person you believe hurt you in some way. This may be challenging at first; however, it becomes easier over time.

Several ways you can practice forgiveness and letting go is to journal your thoughts and feelings about the person. You may also hold a 'pretend conversation' with the person. Speak with the individual as if s/he were there. Then pretend s/he is responding to what you're expressing. It also helps to focus on positive aspects of the person rather than just his or her negative behaviors.

Remember, ill feelings consume energy that can otherwise be channeled to a more positive place.

For more on forgiveness and letting go, check out this article by the Chopra Center.

A Powerful Secret For Achieving Your Goals

While there are many techniques for setting and achieving goals, here is a powerful secret for mastering your goals for 2013 and beyond:

 Create a Clear Vision… From the Heart

Achieving your goal starts with a clear vision. That means answering questions such as: what specifically does accomplishing my goal look like? What does achieving my goal really mean for me and/or for others? How will I feel when my goal is accomplished?

"Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.” ~ Carl Jung

The real magic for establishing a clear vision occurs when you look into your heart for the authentic answers. When you do, you awaken to your truth.

Looking Within For Authentic Answers
Looking into your heart is not about telling yourself what you want to hear. Rather, it involves looking beyond the surface and listening for the authentic answers.

For example, if your goal is to earn more money in your business or career, your immediate vision may be one in which you are able to pay your bills and enjoy the finer things in life.

While there is nothing wrong with this vision, when you look within and listen, a different and clearer vision may emerge.

Some ways in which you can look within is through meditation, reflection, journaling, and spending time in nature or the outdoors.

Engaging in these activities temporarily takes you away from your daily routine and environment, and draws you closer to the Universe and center of your heart. The answers may come to you quickly or over time.

Not only do these practices help you discover your answers, they yield moments of peace and contribute to your personal growth.

If You Want To Go Far, Follow This Success Principle

In a recent conversation with my brother-in-law, he commented on the financial success of a close friend, "I don't know how he accomplishes all those things by himself."

Accomplishing "all those things by himself" is an illusion. Although it may appear that those who achieve success do so alone, they rarely (if ever) do.

If someone tells you s/he single-handedly achieved successes, then perhaps they have not taken a hard look around and acknowledged everyone who contributed to their accomplishments. This may include acknowledging a mother's wisdom, an empowering book, or an expert's advice.

Involve Others In Your Journey
By believing that those who achieve success do so alone, you may be inclined to fly solo. Instead, involve others in your journey. When you do, you fly higher and go farther.

In the book, Goals, author Gary Ryan Blair explains, "No goal is achieved in a vacuum. We all need the guidance and support that comes only from involving others."

4 Meaningful Ways To Involve Others

1. Partner with a coach. Coaches are a superior resource for keeping you accountable, helping you clarify goals, and moving you into action.
2. Choose a mentor. Benefit from the wisdom and experience of someone who has 'been there and done that.' Meet with your mentor at scheduled times and learn from his or her successes and mistakes.
3. Attend seminars. Not only do these events offer the knowledge and experience of experts, they are opportunities to gain new contacts, meet like-minded individuals, and share ideas.
4. Ask a "non-expert." While the idea of involving others is to gain from their expertise, do not discount the knowledge others may have to offer. For example, a CEO may gain valuable insights from team members that allow him or her to reframe a problem and find solutions.

The life-changing benefit of involving others can also be found in the African proverb: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others."

Are You Living Through the Rearview Mirror or the Windshield?

In 1987 Cher popularized the phrase, "Snap out of it!" through her Oscar-winning performance in Moonstruck. [Watch video clip]. Since then the phrase has been used to jolt others out of some deluded thought or belief.

This includes jolting people out of their B.S. (belief system) that their best life lies in the past and the future represents a cesspool of hopelessness. People who buy into this belief live in the rearview mirror of life rather than the windshield of hope, optimism, and opportunity.

"Opportunities fly by while we sit regretting the chances we have lost, and the happiness that comes to us we heed not, because of the happiness that is gone." ~ Jerome K. Jerome

Reasons You Live in the Past One reason some people live in the past is they believe once they reach a certain age their life effectively ends. Therefore they see no point in acting on goals such as returning to school or embarking on a second career. Another reason people live in the rearview mirror is that this is where they once achieved success. They feel stuck and believe the wheels of success will never again turn in their favor. The opposite is also true. That is, constant focus on past failures creates fear and an unwillingness to choose optimistic outlooks.

Snap Out of It! (or How to Start Living Through the Windshield) While we learn from past experiences and they help us become who we are, rearview-mirror behaviors can be paralyzing. Below are a few tips for a forward looking approach and opening yourself up to life's possibilities and opportunities:  

Set the Intention. Make a commitment (preferably in writing) to choose hopeful and optimistic outlooks for your life. Most successful people put their goals and intentions in writing. Write an intention such as, "Each day I choose positive and optimistic outlooks for my life."

Reframe Your Thoughts. Whenever you generate a thought like "my life is over," replace it with a positive belief such as "my best days are ahead of me." Repeating this process helps you form positive thoughts and shifts your beliefs.

Learn from Others. McDonald's founder Ray Kroc is noted for saying, "When I started the company, I was 52 years old. I had diabetes, lost my gall bladder and most of my thyroid gland. But I was convinced that the best was ahead of me." Kroc chose the windshield approach. Seek opportunities to learn from people like Kroc who have been in your shoes and who overcame their situation.

Take Action. Take one small step toward creating the life you really want (and deserve!). If your goal involves furthering your education, meet with an academic advisor to discuss returning to school. Taking action is liberating and helps removes perceived barriers to growth.

Choosing to move forward may seem scary and you may feel like retreating when you see roadblocks. Understand that one of the best gifts you can give yourself is to live in the optimism that is already yours. Claim it! You do not need permission, so start living through the windshield of hope and optimism today.

To Achieve Your Goals Follow This Golden Rule

As a new year approaches, many people will set out to achieve new goals and dreams.

While some will make excuses, procrastinate, or wait for the "right time" before moving forward, others will bring their goals to reality by choosing to take purposeful action!

Although strategies such as planning, visualization, and putting your goals in writing are important to achieving success; ultimately, taking purposeful action gets you there.

In his book, Goals, Gary Ryan Blair hit the nail on the head when he identifies purposeful action as one of the 10 Rules for Achieving Success. Below is an excerpt:

Take Purposeful Action
The odds that you'll succeed without taking action are about the same as winning the lottery without buying a ticket!

For those times when you feel trapped, stressed, or in a prison of your own making, take purposeful action. It's your Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free card.

You can't just stick out your thumb and hitchhike your way to success, you've got to roll up your sleeves and do the work that needs to be done.

The cure for the ills of procrastination is a heavy prescription of action, until the day arrives when your dreams and their achievement are one in the same.

Be seduced by the attractiveness of your goal.

A good plan will almost always get you in the door, but it is action that seals the deal. So you want a guarantee? Well here it is:

Without purposeful action, the only guarantee is FAILURE AND MEDIOCRITY!

Dreams become reality through one simple mode of transportation: purposeful action.

For more information on Goals: The 10 Rules for Achieving Success, click here.

What action will you take today toward achieving your goal or dream?

Celebrate Your Successes - You've Earned Them!

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

When people hear the word "success," they often think of lofty achievements such as wealth, fame, and the accumulation of material possessions.

We tend to get so caught up in this definition of success that we overlook other achievements in our lives.

When you reflect on your life, you will see you've achieved many successes -- successes you EARNED!

Think back on those moments when you were hired for a new job, raised a family, started a business, performed acts of kindness, chose a healthier lifestyle, or learned a new skill.

In his book, The Success Principles, Jack Canfield cites a management study which reveals that 46% of employees left their company because they felt unappreciated and 88% said they were not acknowledged for their work.

People have an inherent need to be acknowledged and appreciated. Start by acknowledging yourself for your successes.

Create a list of successes you've achieved over your lifetime. The list can be as long or as short as you'd like. This exercise allows you to see success in a different way and helps amplify your self-worth.

Once you've acknowledged your successes, CELEBRATE them; you've earned it!

Turn Obstacles into Opportunities: How a Woman and Her Scissors Sparked Million$

"When you reach an obstacle, turn it into an opportunity. You have the choice. You can overcome and be a winner or you can allow it to overcome you and be a loser." -Mary Kay Ash

Twenty-seven-year-old Sara got dressed in her new pair of white pants then decided she did not like the way she looked in them. She wanted to correct the visible lines and the see-through issue she was having.

She shopped for a body shaper to correct the problem, but found nothing suitable. In fact, she was horrified by the shapewear selection on the market. "They were thick—it was like wearing workout clothes,” said Sara. Her $98 pants hung in her closet unworn until she cut the feet off a pair of pantyhose allowing her to wear her pants with a pair of strappy shoes. According to Sara, “I didn’t see lines but the hose rolled up at my feet—and that’s how Spanx was born."
Visit Spanx

Sara Blakely had turned an obstacle into a very profitable opportunity. Today, Spanx is not only a multi-million dollar company, it is a revolution. Their body shapers are worn by countless numbers of celebrities and were endorsed by Oprah Winfrey as one of her Favorite Things. 
Watch Spanx Video

Change the Way You See the Situation
When faced with an obstacle, for some, the natural tendency may be to give up. The key, however, is to see your obstacle as an opportunity. Ask yourself, “How can I turn this obstacle into an opportunity?” “Is this an opportunity for me to learn and grow? Create a new product? Start a new career?” Sara could have returned her pants to the store or left them hanging in her closet indefinitely. Instead, she chose to see her obstacle (not being able to wear her pants) as an opportunity to bring a new product to market.

Persistence Pay$
Even after recognizing an opportunity, you may continue to encounter obstacles on your way to bringing that opportunity to reality. By being persistent and continuing to see opportunities, you will overcome those obstacles. When Sara approached mill owners about her footless pantyhose idea, most of them sent her away. They thought it “made no sense, and would never sell.” She persisted and proved them wrong. Spanx is now celebrating their tenth year in business.
Also read: Believe in Yourself: The Little Engine That Knows it Will

For each obstacle you overcome, you will become stronger, more resilient. You will become more adept at recognizing and seizing opportunities. No longer will obstacles be an excuse for not achieving your goal or dream; they will become opportunities that take you to new avenues of success.

Share your thoughts. How have you turned obstacles into opportunities?

___________________________
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Believe in Yourself: The Little Engine That Knows it Will

"Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe."
–Gail Devers, U.S. Olympic Champion

As children, through stories such as The Little Engine That Could, we are taught to believe in ourselves and our abilities. Yet, since opening my first business fifteen years ago, I continue to speak with people who question their own abilities. My first company was a résumé writing service and I spent time interviewing clients to learn about their backgrounds and achievements.

Some clients felt they had limited abilities and little to offer potential employers. One such client had a goal of becoming a speech therapist. Besides pursuing an education in this field, she felt she had no real experience or qualifications.

During our session, I discovered she had been caring for her speech-impaired son for the last six years. As a result, she had acquired a wealth of information through her interactions with professional therapists and others who were assisting with her son’s care. With the help of these professionals, she cared for her son ultimately creating noticeable improvements in his condition.

She was pleased to learn her experience qualified as information she could provide on her résumé. So we did exactly that, thereby giving her the confidence and belief in her abilities she needed to begin her job search.

Sometimes people are unaware of their potential and abilities, particularly the abilities of the mind. Because of this unawareness, their abilities are underutilized. One way to build confidence and belief in yourself is to compile a list of your physical abilities (e.g., I work well with my hands) and your mental abilities (e.g., I have determination).

In the same way a résumé provides you with an inventory of your achievements, skills, and experience, this list will demonstrate what you have to offer. Like my client who was surprised to discover she had six years’ experience, you may be amazed at the abilities have to offer.

While The Little Engine That Could provides a valuable lesson in its "I think I can" message, you can further improve your confidence and transform your beliefs into reality by changing your language from “I think I can” to "I will!"

For more success strategies and tips, click here to download a signed copy of "8 Ways to Think Like a Winner."

___________________________
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Christine Ferguson
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Get off the Ledge of Despair, Please

"Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice."
-Wayne Dyer

While walking in the neighborhood one Sunday afternoon, I overheard a backyard conversation taking place by phone. “Look at the bright side,” the man said to whoever was on the other end of the line. Clearly this man was doing his best to shed optimism on someone’s situation.

When you are faced with a tough situation it may be easy to slip into despair. It may be equally difficult to “look at the bright side.” For some, being in a state of despair is short-lived because they rely on their inner strength and/or the help of others to come through a difficult time.

For others, getting past despair is perceived as nearly impossible. They live their lives by false truths believing they are destined for a life of misery and hopelessness. They climb onto the ledge of despair and any attempt to talk them down is met with verbal assault and negativity.

If you or someone you know behaves this way, it is important to understand that the more you think there is no hope for you, the more negative thoughts and outcomes you will attract into your life. (Also see Be Careful What You DON’T Wish For). Success is due in great part to the way you think. Begin to see things in a different way and believe there is as much opportunity for you as there is for anyone else.

Instead of obstacles, see opportunities; see how something may work for you instead of how it will not work. Take the time to investigate solutions before shooting them down. This approach allows you to make informed decisions rather than decisions based on speculation.

When those who care about you share positive thoughts, words of encouragement, and suggestions for moving your life forward, thank them and get off the ledge of despair. In life you have choices: you can choose to believe yours is a life of misery and hopelessness or you can change the way you think and seize the opportunities life has to offer. Choose the latter, please.

Unleash your brilliance without boundaries,
Christine

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Your Mind and Body are Faithful Servants

The image on my television screen was of a man who was waist deep in an ice-cold river. His bare upper body exposed to the elements while he carefully carried his clothes on his shoulder to keep them dry as he crossed the river.

I was watching a reenactment of a man who had survived a deadly avalanche and, with a shattered pelvis; he was now lost and alone in the wintry, inhospitable mountains of Transylvania. The television program was I Shouldn’t Be Alive.

If you’ve read the book The Power of the Platform: Speakers on Life, then you’ve heard me talk about this television program and the incredible stories of human survival it portrays. The man is Ken Jones a former soldier. After a few days of crawling and hobbling through the vast, snowy wilderness, Jones finds help and is rescued. Two-and-a-half years after the accident, he was finally able to walk again. “The body will do what it has to do to survive. It is just an incredibly reliant and efficient machine,” says Jones.

As the body is an incredibly reliant and efficient machine so, too, is the mind. Even when you don’t believe you can make it through a tough situation, somewhere deep inside of you, there is a warrior. It may not be until you are faced with an extremely challenging time or an ordeal that you realize the strength and power of your character and how exceptionally well your mind and body serve you.

Jones brilliantly and beautifully explains it this way:

“I realized what an honest faithful, servant your body is. I felt really proud of myself. I knew I had a strong heart and character and I could get through things. So few people get the opportunity to learn about themselves so intimately and I feel privileged to have faced such struggles to get where I am now.”

Stories of survival and the human spirit inspire you with their truth about your highest capabilities and about what is possible. They are proof your mind and body will humbly and faithfully serve you through all your experiences. Always remember your priceless gifts of mind and body and use them wisely.

How will you unwrap and use your gifts?

Unleash your brilliance without boundaries,
Christine Ferguson


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