Never give up!

Taking a leap of faith!

The Journey begins now

Own your own power

“This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to control your own life. No one else can do it for you. Take the power to make your life happy.”

 

― Susan Polis Schutz

 

 

Opportunity Revisited

Opportunity always involves risk; you can't steal second base and keep your foot on first base.

Frederick Wilcox

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS ALL THE TIME

The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, for time and chance happen to everyone.

Take a second look at what appears to be someone's "good luck."

You'll find not luck but preparation, planning and success-producing thinking.  Opportunity is around you all the time, but you have to be ready for it.

When your chance comes, you must have the equipment to take advantage of it.  When you're prepared for opportunity, your chance for success is sure to come.

The season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success.

The tide of opportunity comes to everyone. Even to you.

Will you answer the knock of opportunity?

Watch Me!

Forgiveness

Moving Forward

Follow your dreams

Beautiful People

"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen."

    --- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

REMAIN IN THE GAME IF YOU WANT TO WIN

The more you try, the greater your chance of succeeding.
The law of averages is on your side.

Taking a risk is often your first necessary step toward success. If you don't take some risks, you won't get the chance to succeed.

While you are trying, you are winning. Never get discouraged.

Every wrong attempt is another step forward. People that make no mistakes usually don't make anything.

Make up your mind not merely to overcome a thousand obstacles, but to win in spite of a thousand defeats.

Your mistakes are stepping stones to success and your installment payments to victory.

You can't be a winner and be afraid to lose.

Making your dreams come true

You can't just sit and wait for people to give you that golden dream. You've got to get out there and make it happen for yourself."

Diana Ross
Singer and Actress

It is okay to fail

I read this quote and just fell in love with it.  Hope you do too!

OPEN YOUR OWN DOOR TO OPPORTUNITY

Success doesn't come to you. You must go to it.

You don't need more strength or more ability or greater opportunity.

What you need is to use what you have.

The golden opportunity you're seeking is in yourself.  It's not in your environment. It's not in luck or chance or in the help of others.

It's in you.

There will always be a new opportunity where there is an open mind and a willing hand.You must make your own opportunity

Gratitude

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.

 ~ Brian Tracy

If you do not keep a gratitude journal - why not start one today?  Be grateful for all the wonderful blessings in your life!

Cultivate gratitude in your life and watch it grow!

YOU CAN MAKE YOUR DREAMS A REALITY

You have the power and the opportunity to change your life.
You can make anything you want of it. It's not difficult, it just takes some effort.

See things as you would have them be instead of as they are. Develop a personal plan that focuses on what you want, not on what you have.

Your imagination will show you how to turn possibility into reality. Visualize your goals and your subconscious will work toward making those mental picture come true. 

When you picture yourself as vividly winning, that alone will contribute immeasurably to your success.
 

Knowing your destination is all you need to get there.

Remember - each sunrise is a chance to create a new opportunity!

10 Steps to staying positive:

1.       Calm Down

2.       Speak in a gentle tone:  “We often refuse to accept an idea merely because the tone of voice in which it has been expressed is unsympathetic to us.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

3.       Try to find your opportunity in a negative situation: “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” –Albert Einstein

4.       Remember that you have friends

5.       Acknowledge Mistakes: “Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.”  - Confucius

6.       Smile!

7.       Be True To Yourself:  “You were born an original.  Don’t die a copy.” - John Mason

8.       Don’t play the blame game

9.       Remain Self-Confident:  “Where you think you can or you think you can’t, You’re right.” – Henry Ford

10.   Don’t stop believing: “The future belongs to those who believe in inner

Beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

(shout out to Nazi Mehrooz for sharing this with me!)

Thought of the Day

"People are like stained-glass windows.  They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within."

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Are you Lucky?

I have always considered myself somewhat lucky - or am I?  Maybe I make choices in my life that make me look lucky when in reality I do things on a regular basis that paves the way for me to be lucky.

I felt like I hit the jackpot this weekend when I read an article on luck.  It is such an awesome article that I just had to share with you!

Diligence is the mother of good luck.
-Benjamin Franklin 

I have great news!  Today could be your lucky day.  It’s not a matter of chance, it’s a matter of choice.  Lucky people are ordinary people who create their own good luck by practicing simple luck-producing habits.  Here’s what you need to do:

Constantly try new things.

There’s a saying that the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  If you want to improve your luck, you have to try new things to see what works and what doesn’t.

Unlucky people tend to be creatures of habit.  They take the same route to and from work every single day, talk to the same types of people at social functions, and live out the same routine day in and day out.

In contrast, lucky people try to introduce variety into their lives.  For example, one lucky friend I know recently described how he thought of a color before arriving at a business convention and then introduced himself to people wearing that color.  This kind of behavior boosts the likelihood of chance opportunities by introducing variety into an otherwise status-quo situation.  And in my friend’s particular case, his (somewhat odd) tactic led to a fairly substantial contract deal with a new client.

Think about how lucky you are right now.

Lucky people tend to see the positive side of their ill fortune.  They imagine how things could have been so much worse.  For instance, I met a rather cheerful, successful and lucky business client recently who showed up to our meeting with a cast from shoulder to wrist on her left arm.  She then explained to me how she had fallen down a flight of stairs.  “But I am the luckiest person alive,” she continued.  “I walked away from that fall with a broken arm instead of a broken neck.”

Another interesting example of this is how research suggests that Olympic athletes who win bronze medals are typically happier than their Silver medalist counterparts.  This is because silver medalists think that if they had performed slightly better they might have won a gold medal.  In contrast, bronze medalists focus on how if they’d performed slightly worse, they wouldn’t have won anything.

Having a positive outlook on life is a must if you are to become a luckier person.  If your outlook on life is doom and gloom, then that’s all you’ll experience.  Fortunately, the opposite is also true.  You control your luck and your life by controlling your thoughts.

Look around.  Appreciate the things you have right now.  Many people aren’t so lucky.  Read The Power of Positive Thinking.

Notice little things and solve small problems.

I chatted with an aspiring web application developer recently who was complaining that all the big ideas were being worked on already and that there was nothing groundbreaking left to do.  As he talked, I realized he was referencing massive projects that others were working on that seemed mostly out of reach.  And as I thought about all these ‘grand ideas’ I realized that in most cases they probably didn’t start with a massive plan or project, but rather started by trying to solve a simple problem.

This is the impression I get when I read about the early stages of companies like Google.  I’m pretty sure Google’s founders didn’t have the goal of organizing the all of the world’s information as their primary focus when they first started – instead they started with a series of smaller problems (problems are potential opportunities) and slowly expanded their end goal from there.

Work on things you’re passionate about.

Some of us were born to be musicians – to communicate intricate thoughts and rousing feelings with the strings of a guitar.  Some of us were born to be poets – to touch people’s hearts with exquisite prose.  Some of us were born to be entrepreneurs – to create growth and opportunity where others saw rubbish.  And still, some of us were born to do whatever it is, specifically, that moves you.

Don’t waste your life fulfilling someone else’s dreams and desires.  You must follow your intuition.  Good luck and true wealth come naturally to those who are passionate about their work.  Read Quitter.

Establish relationships with people who share your interests.

If you’re already passionate about something, finding and connecting with others who share your passionate viewpoint can help you in numerous ways.  You can tap into their knowledge on the topic, share your own ideas and experiences, and often share and learn things outside of your common interest area.

Make an extra effort to reach out to people who you’ve identified as having an interest overlap.  If you happen to meet someone casually who has an interest overlap with you, don’t hesitate, jump on board with that connection.  It can provide a great opportunity for you to build a friendship in an unexpected place.

Share your skills, ideas, and knowledge freely with others.  If you’re already involved in a group with a particular interest, make an effort to reach out to newcomers.  Not only will a friendly face help to encourage them to get involved, they’ll often hold you in high regard, as you’re the one who broke down some of that ‘newness’ barrier for them.  Similarly, when people come to such meetings looking for help, don’t hesitate to assist in any way you can.

Help others out when you’re able.

Remember, in life, you get what you put in.  Luck often comes in the form of help when you need it, and the best way to ‘grease the rails’ for help when you’ll eventually need it is by helping others right now.  If you’re presented with an opportunity to help – particularly one that you can fulfill without infringing on your other responsibilities – the luckiest thing you can possibly do is help in every way you possibly can.

And when you help others, don’t expect something in return. Instead, just enjoy the experience of helping that person out and building a stronger personal relationship with them. That stronger relationship will be there for you later on in your time of need – just trust in it and be a helpful friend whenever you can.

Take calculated risks.

Lucky people take more risks.  This doesn’t mean they gamble their livelihood by taking ill-advised risks on sketchy business opportunities.  Taking a risk can be calculated – you weigh your options, know what you can afford to lose, and go for it.  If it doesn’t work out, you go for it again when you can afford to lose a little more.

When you take small, calculated risks, either you succeed or you learn something.  Win-Win.  Remember, if you never act, you will never know for sure, and you will be left standing in the same unlucky spot forever.

Pay close attention to the present.

Unlucky people often dwell on mistakes from the past, obsessing about the bad luck that put them in their present unlucky situation, or they concern themselves too much with future ideals.  Lucky people, on the other hand, concentrate on the present moment.

Life is happening right now.  You can’t learn something new or uncover a new opportunity that’s happening now if your mind is stuck in another time.  Opportunities present themselves every day, all around you, but you have to pay close attention to your surroundings to notice them.  Read The Power of Now.

Identify the lesson.

Everything is a life lesson.  Everyone you meet, everything you encounter, etc.  They’re all part of the learning experience we call ‘life.’

Never forget to acknowledge the lesson, especially when things don’t go your way.  If you don’t get a job you wanted or a relationship doesn’t work, it only means something better is out there waiting.  And the lesson you just learned is the first step towards it.

Remember, having good luck is a choice.  Use all of the lessons you learn to make educated decisions and create good luck for yourself in the future.

Work toward your goals every day without fail.

The harder you work, the luckier you will become.  Stop waiting around for things to work out on their own.  They won’t.  If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.

While many of us decide at some point during the course of our lives that we want to answer our calling, only an astute few of us actually work on it.  By ‘working on it,’ I mean truly devoting oneself to the end result.  The rest of us never act on our decision.  Or, at best, we pretend to act on it by putting forth an uninspired, half-assed effort.

If you want good luck in your life, you’ve got to be willing to give it 100% every day.  No slacking off!  Achieving your goals and dreams can be a lot of work.  Be ready for it.  Read Getting Things Done for some practical guidance in this arena.

So - are you LUCKY?

I would like to thank Marc and Angel Hack for sharing this wonderful inspiration with us!

What are you doing today?

"It's the little things you do that can make a big difference. What are you attempting to accomplish? What little thing can you do today that will make you more effective? You are probably only one step away from greatness."

Bob Proctor

Thoughts on Work

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.” 

 ~ Steve Jobs

Success

The beginning of your success lies in your imagination.
Visualize all the things you want in your life.
Then make your mental blue print and begin to build.

You can make your dreams work and produce for you.
You can make every thought, every fact,
that comes into your mind pay you a dividend.

Your imagination will show you
how to turn your possibilities into reality.
The will to succeed springs from the knowledge that you can succeed.

Think of things not as they are, but as they might be.
Don't merely dream, create.
You owe it to yourself to live your dreams.

 Copyright 2007 www.yourdailymotivation.com Reproduce freely but maintain Copyright notice.

Lesson of the Day

Everything is a life lesson.  Everyone you meet, everything you encounter, etc.  They’re all part of the learning experience we call ‘life.’  Never forget to acknowledge the lesson, especially when things don’t go your way.  If you don’t get a job that you wanted or a relationship doesn’t work, it only means something better is out there waiting.  And the lesson you just learned is the first step towards it.

Good morning Monday!