Failure is Good

Its been a truly blessed Christmas. I was watching the Dawn Treader (Narnia Series)yesterday and was reminded of many personal attributes as I watched it.  One of them is the ability to bounce back after failure. If everything we attempted in life were achieved with a minimum of effort and came out exactly as planned, how little we would learn -- and how boring life would be! And how arrogant we would become if we succeeded at everything we attempted. Failure allows us to develop the essential quality of humility. It is not easy -- when you are the person experiencing failure -- to accept it philosophically, serene in the knowledge that this is one of life’s great learning experiences.

But it is. Nature’s ways are not always easily understood, but they are repetitive and therefore predictable. You can be absolutely certain that when you feel you are being most unfairly tested, you are being prepared for great achievement. As you enjoy a prolonged break, take some time to reflect on whats lessons you can learn from over the past few year and make plans to made steady improvements in 2012. Igniting the Fire within www.fraserstirling.co.nz

HOW DO I GET MORE DONE?

Following on from the other day, there is another key thing to get lots done each day.....using time wisely/ There is a law that states: "There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing." You Always Find the Time When you run out of time and the consequences for non-completion of a key task or project can be really serious, you always seem to find the time to get it done, often at the very last minute. You start early, you stay late and you drive yourself to complete the job rather than to face the negative consequences that would follow if you didn't get it completed within the time limit. Rule: "There will never be enough time to do everything you have to do." You Are Already Overwhelmed The fact is that the average person today is working at 110% to 130% of capacity. And the jobs and responsibilities just keep piling up. Everyone has stacks of reading material they still have to go through. One study concluded recently that the average executive has 300-400 hours of reading and projects backlogged at home and at the office. What this means is that you will never be caught up. Get that out of your mind. All you can hope for is to be on top of your most important responsibilities. The others will just have to wait. "Could your time management skills get you laid-off this year?" In today's economy, business is harder than it used to be--people in every industry have to work smarter and harder to show that they deserve to be there. If you don't have the skills to perform for your company and prove that you are the best asset for them, you may be left behind. Click for more >> Deadlines Can Be Counterproductive Many people say that they work better under the pressure of deadlines. Unfortunately, years of research indicate that this is seldom true. Under the pressure of deadlines, often self-created through procrastination and delay, people suffer greater stress, make more mistakes, and have to do redo more tasks, than under any other conditions. Often the mistakes that are made when people are working under tight deadlines lead to defects and cost overruns that lead to substantial financial losses in the long-term. Sometimes the job actually takes much longer to complete when people rush to get the job done at the last minute and then have to redo it. The Key Question You Should Ask The key question you can ask is: "What is the most valuable use of my time, right now?" This is the core question of time management. This is the key to overcoming procrastination and becoming a highly productive person. Every hour of every day, there is an answer to this question. Your job is to ask yourself the question, over and over again, and to always be working on the answer to it, whatever it is. Do first things first and second things not at all. As Goethe said, "The things that matter most must never be at the mercy of the things that matter least." The more accurate your answers to this question, the easier it will be for you to set clear priorities, to overcome procrastination and to get started on that one activity that represents the most valuable use of your time. Take a few minutes each day and sit quietly where you cannot be disturbed. During this time, let your mind relax and just think about your work and activities, without stress or pressure. In almost every case, during this time of solitude, you will receive wonderful insights and ideas that will save you enormous amounts of time when you apply them back on the job. Often you will experience breakthroughs that will change the direction of your life and work. Ignite the fire within www.fraserstirling.co.nz

If you’re so smart why aren’t you living your dreams?

Let me ask you this question: 

Have you ever wondered why someone read a book and became wealthy while thousands or even million others read the same book and are still struggling?

Let me ask the same question another way.

Have you ever seen people who don’t seem to have one quarter of your education but are living large and doing extremely well whereas you may be having a hard time trying to achieve your dream? Is it because that person is lucky? Is it because that person happens to be in the right place at the right time? Well, sometimes that may be true.

However, I believe if you want to be lucky, be the best at what you do. And, in order to be at the right place at the right time, you have got to be at many places all the time. All right, if it’s neither luck nor being at the right place, what is it? 

Great question! Let me answer it with a powerful illustration.

This is my tennis racket. These are my tennis balls.

I don’t know how to play tennis. I don’t even know how to hold the racket. So, why do I have the balls and the racket?

Because I a racket and some tennis balls, does that make me a tennis player? The answer is obviously no.

Now, when do I become a tennis player? When I actually get on the court to practice and play! That is when I start taking action. Until then I will always be a spectator. Here’s my point: most people in life are spectators.

Very few people are players. The spectators read a book or attend a seminar and get very excited in a moment. But then, they don’t get on the court to play or put into application what they learn. The players do just the opposite.

Are you a player or a spectator? Are you living your life or someone else's?  Let me tell you, the spectators tend to always know what the players should have done. Have you ever heard the fans screaming and cursing at the players for mistakes? I’m talking about the player haters. You know what? I don’t want you to be a spectator. Be a player instead.

Now, take a good look at your knowledge, degrees, and whatever education you have. They are your racket and tennis balls. It’s time to stop carrying them in the trunk of your brain. It’s time to play!

Before I wrap up, let me say this: In life you’re either creating or consuming. When you’re creating, you’re playing and when you’re consuming, you’re a spectator. Which one do you want to be? The reality is, every time you’re learning, you’re consuming. You’re being a spectator.

Spectators don’t make money, they spend money. The players do. Got it? Great!

Always ask yourself this question when you are doing anything: “Am I being a player or a spectator?” Right now you’re being a spectator. It’s time to play. Go create something. Be a player. Take action on what you learn. And, by the way, you don’t have to start big. Do anything that makes you feel like you’re playing.

It is time to ignite the fire within.

www.fraserstirling.co.nz

What are your intentions?

Good intentions are useless until they are expressed in appropriate action.

Good intentions may be an appropriate starting point for achievement, but they will go nowhere unless you follow through with action. Many people confuse intentions with achievement; after all, it is the idea that is most important, they reason. In reality, the most mediocre idea acted upon is far more valuable than a flash of genius that resides only in your mind. Developing the habit of action may be difficult at first, but the more you practice it, the easier it becomes. This was where I was until I decided that I had talked for too long and had thought for too long. It was time to move from merely intending to be and or do and start doing.

So where are you today? Are you merely thinking and wishing you would start that business, start that more jog, start saving, start exercising or start going to the local gym. What have you been putting off that you should have started?

When you start putting things off, you will start igniting the fire within.

www.fraserstirling.co.nz

What a kick up the back side does?

Last week I was blind sided and hit from behind while waiting at an intersection. It reminded me of the importance of living my life and not allowing others to live it for me. Eg others making my decisions and or just watching TV...filling in time.

It is so important to be living in prime time, rather than watching TV in prime time. On your way to success make certain you grow friendships, not just bank and mutual fund accounts. Life is a collection of memories, not of material things. The Egyptian pharaohs were buried with all their treasures, and were mummified in hopes that they could enjoy their bounty in the next life. But we are only caretakers of possessions. There is a big difference between standard of living and quality of life. Standard of living is based on income earned. Quality of life is the enjoyment of the millions of minutes in between accomplishments.

Having money is only one aspect of wealth. To the sick person, wealth is health. To the lonely person, wealth is someone to talk to and share with. To the estranged person, wealth is hearing words of love and forgiveness.

Borrowing the free verse style from Brother Jeremiah's classic poem, I'd Pick More Daisies, here are a few things I'd do, the second time around.

I'd laugh at my misfortunes more. Spend more time counting my blessings than my blemishes. Spend more time playing with my children and grandchildren and less time watching performers in the arena. More time enjoying what I have, less time thinking about the things I don't have. If I could live my life again, I'd walk in the rain more without an umbrella and listen less to weather reports. I'd spend more time looking at trees and climbing them, less time flipping through magazines made from dead trees. I'd spend more time fully involved in the present moment, less time remembering and anticipating. I'd smile more, frown less.

And most of all I'd be more spontaneous and active, less hesitant and subdued. When some spur of the moment idea came up to go hiking, playing Frisbee, coloring Easter eggs, singing in a chorus, going kayaking, or watching an eclipse, I'd be less likely to sit in my chair objecting, "It's not in our plan."

I'd be inclined to jump up and run out the door next time and say, "Yes, we can!" Although I can't live my life again, I'm still going to live the new way every day any way. I'll never have all the moments I've missed, but I do have all the time remaining.

Hopefully I don't experience the feeling of that afternoon again. However one good side is that it has got my thinking back on track.

Action Idea: Choose one activity this month that you really want to engage in, but that you have been putting off because it isn't a priority. Schedule that activity in your planner, as if it were a "must do" business or financial commitment. When you have done it, while you are still feeling good, schedule one for next month, and do it as long as you live.

Are you living your dreams?

Are You Living Your Dreams?

If the answer is no, then ask yourself “why not”? Life is short, and you never know when it will come to an end. Do you really want to say that you lived a life of unfulfilled dreams?

But “hold it!” you say. “I’m waiting for the perfect time” or “I’m waiting for the perfect situation”. All this waiting is an excuse not to go out and try. Or, maybe it’s not that you are “waiting” per se, but rather that you are afraid.

So, what are you afraid of? Are you afraid of making a mistake? Afraid of making the wrong choice? Are you afraid that you may not be good enough, or that the people around you might laugh at your dreams, or won’t support you? Are your fears enough to stop you?

And what happens if you do end up living your dreams? Are you afraid that once you get there then you’ll have to live them? Meaning that what you’ve been talking about for so long will now come to fruition and you might not actually succeed?

As a coach, I find that fear is the number one reason that people do not live their dreams. Fear holds us back, sometimes paralyzing us, and prevents us from moving forward. But, when you look back at your life, what do you want it to be about? Do you want to say, “I could have” or “I did”? The choice is yours. What legacy do you want to leave behind?

How do you move past your fears and live your dreams? Follow these easy steps:

1. Acknowledge That You Have Dreams:

I meet so many people who say that they don’t have dreams or they can’t remember what they are. You know what your dreams are, you really do. You’ve just pushed them down so deep that it might take some time to bring them to the surface again. Let them out, you deserve to live them.

2. Write Down Your Dreams:

How can you live your dreams if you can’t see what they are? Write them down. Don’t judge your dreams or wonder “how?” Just do it!

3. Realize That Dreams Come True In Steps:

Your dreams cannot come true until you take a small step. It doesn’t have to be a large one. It just has to get you moving. Small steps are the steps that will get you to your dreams. Until, one day, you realize that you are there.

4. Face The Barriers That Are Keeping You From Living Your Dreams:

What’s keeping you from living your dreams? Not enough money or time? Too many responsibilities? Look for ways to overcome this. There will always be a reason not to do something. It’s up to you if you want to give into these reasons or not.

5. Find People Who Will Support You:

Select people who will love you and cheer you on as you move toward your dreams. Tell them how much you love and appreciate them. You do not want to live your dreams by yourself.

6. Pat Yourself On The Back For Your Successes:

You deserve it! The fun part of living your dreams is the journey. It is the road to success that builds character and the part that you will remember the most.

7. Be Comfortable With Fear:

There are times when you will wonder if you have what it takes to fulfill your dreams or if you deserve to live them. Fear is a normal part of the process. If you can accept that sooner or later you will be afraid, then you don’t have to spend time worrying about what you will do when fear sets in. The only way past fear is through it and not around it. There is no other way.

So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!

New Year= New Attitude?

Read this and thought it was worth sharing...

Take Control of your Attitude by Jim Rohn

We all have tremendous potential. Each of us has the ability to put our unique human potential into action and to acquire a desired result. But the one thing that determines the level of our potential, produces the intensity of our activity and predicts the quality of the result we receive is our attitude.

Attitude determines how much of the future we are allowed to see. It decides the size of our dreams and infl uences our determination when we are faced with new challenges. No other person on earth has dominion over our attitude. People can affect our attitude by teaching us poor thinking habits or unintentionally misinforming us, or providing us with negative sources of infl uence, but no one can control our attitude unless we voluntarily surrender that control.

No one else “makes us angry.” We make ourselves angry when we surrender control of our attitude. What someone else may have done is irrelevant. We choose; not they. They merely put our attitude to a test. If we select a volatile attitude by becoming hostile, angry, jealous or suspicious, then we have failed the test. If we condemn ourselves by believing that we are unworthy, then again, we have failed the test.

If we care at all about ourselves, then we must accept full responsibility for our own feelings. We must learn to guard against those feelings that have the capacity to lead our attitude down the wrong path, and to strengthen those feelings that can lead us confi dently into a better future.

If we want to receive the rewards the future holds in trust for us, then we must exercise the most important choice given to us as members of the human race by maintaining total dominion over our attitude. Our attitude is an asset, a treasure of great value that must be protected accordingly.

When you have the right attitude, you can do the remarkable.

When you recognize your gifts, you can change anything for yourself that you wish to change. If you don’t like how something is going for you, change it. If something isn’t enough, change it. If something doesn’t suit you; change it. If something doesn’t please you, change it. You don’t ever have to be the same after today. If you don’t like your present address, change it—you’re not a tree!

Having the right attitude is an essential prerequisite for success and happiness. The right attitude is one of the fundamentals of the good life. That is why we must constantly examine our feelings about our role in the world and about our possibilities for achieving our dreams.

It is our emotional nature that governs most of our daily conduct in our personal and business world. It is the emotional aspect of our experiences that determines our behavior. How we feel about life’s events is a powerful force that can either freeze us in our tracks or inspire us to take immediate action on any given day. With the right attitude, human beings can move mountains. With the wrong attitude, they can be crushed by the smallest grain of sand.

Have a great new Year and aspire to greatness.....

Beliefs

You may have heard a rumor on Twitter, by email, or wherever it is that rumors start that October 2010 has 5 Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and that this happens only once every 823 years. This got me thinking, is it really true? So I did some research and found out that the exact same breakdown was used in 1982, 1993, 1999 and again in 2021. I started to think a little more about whose beliefs do I adhere to? Do I ebb and flow with the latest trends and opinions? It’s all too easy to think because it is in the paper, news or on the internet that it is true. Literally, hundreds of peoples’ response to the above fact was that they just accepted it in their stride and thought, “WOW! What an opportunity”. It seems most people are happy to accept “information from authority”. It’s hard to imagine the five weekends concept as being a threat to any particular religion, politics, or ideology, and that’s apparently as deep as most peoples’ filters operate. However, it is a precarious position that people put themselves in if they allow others to program their thoughts and beliefs. My challenge to you in the coming month is to take notice of what you read, hear and see and challenge the validity of it. If nothing else, it will help you become stronger in your beliefs as you stand for what you absolutely value and believe in

Inner Guidance

Just read this great article.

Wanted to share it.

Using Your Inner Guidance System
By: Brian Tracy

You have incredible powers of mind and emotions that give you timely and accurate feedback in every area of your life.

In this newsletter, you learn how to "tune in" to yourself so you can make the right decision in every situation.

Using Your Inner Guidance System
We know that the body has a natural bias toward health and energy. It's designed to last for 100 years with proper care and maintenance. When something goes wrong with any part of our body, we experience it in the form of pain or discomfort of some kind.

We know that when our body is not functioning smoothly and painlessly, something is wrong, and we take action to correct it. We go to a doctor; we take pills; we undergo physical therapy, massage or chiropractic. We know that if we ignore pain or discomfort for any period of time, it could lead to something more serious.

How to Tell Right From Wrong
In the same sense, nature also gives us a way to tell emotionally what's right for us and what's wrong for us in life. Just as nature gives us physical pain to guide us to doing or not doing things in the physical realm, nature gives us emotional pain to guide us toward doing or not doing things in the emotional or mental realm. The wonderful thing is that you're constructed so that if you simply listen carefully to yourself-to your mind, your body and your emotions-and follow the guidance you're given, you can dramatically enhance the quality of your life.

Just as the natural physical state of your body is health and vitality, your natural emotional state is peace and happiness. Whenever you experience a deviation from peace and happiness, it's an indication that something is amiss. Something is wrong with what you're thinking, doing or saying. Your feeling of inner happiness is the best indicator you could ever have to tell you what you should be doing more of and what you should be doing less of.

The Messenger
Unhappiness is to your life as pain is to your body. It is sent as a messenger to tell you that what you're doing is wrong for you.

Very often, you'll suffer from what has been called "divine discontent." You'll feel fidgety and uneasy for a reason or reasons that are unclear to you. You'll be dissatisfied with the status quo. Sometimes, you'll be unable to sleep. Sometimes, you'll be angry or irritable. Very often, you'll get upset with things that have nothing to do with the real issue. You'll have a deep inner sense that something isn't as it should be, and you'll often feel like a fish on a hook, wriggling and squirming emotionally to get free.

Divine Discontent
And that is a good thing. Divine discontent always comes before a positive life change. If you were perfectly satisfied, you would never take any action to improve or change your circumstances. Only when you're dissatisfied for some reason do you have the inner motivation to engage in the outer behaviors that lead you onward and upward.

Listen to yourself. Trust your inner voice. Go with the flow of your own personality. Do the things that make you feel happy inside and you'll probably never make another mistake.

Commonwealth games

The Commonwealth games about to start in India has caused much debate. Who is right and who is wrong. Are the Indians wrong for taking so long to get the place sorted for the opening or is it where we are looking from that is causing all the drama?

This all depends on the point of view. In a game of Tennis if you serve the ball and it is called out. To you it is a bad shot. To the other player it is good and to the umpire it is neither good and or bed, its simply out.

What we hinge our beliefs on are caused by our reference points. To a homeless person the opportunity to stay in the athletes village would be great yet to some players they are complaining about they have. It all depends what we compare it against. Just as the two tennis players are experiencing the same thing, only one of them is seeing the good side. So too in life things are related to our reference points. Unless we try to expand our reference point/s we too will stay in the same zone.

It is our commitment to growth and to continually be expanding what we think about that increases our experiences. If we stay where we are then in 12 months time we have gone backwards as people and the universe has moved on.

So the Commonwealth games. Are they a disaster or a hugely exciting event? For me and my reference points they are an exciting event that is about to unfold. I believe the Indians have done a great job in getting the village to a place where it will be a spectacular event to watch. No ones prejudices will hinger me watching and enjoying.

So I challenge you when you are starting to complain and or moan. What is the motive, what is causing that sense of injustice inside you.

This is one day in a short life. Make the day great by experiencing exciting and new things.

Fraze!!