A Pencil, A Parable, And You

photo credit: sergis blog

On a day when it's easy to question everything, whether anyone is really being touched or motivated by your efforts, or if you have truly found your purpose in life, it's refreshing to view this little movie from http://www.inspirationjunction.com
I hope it brightens your day.

By Tony Mase

Is there really a "secret"...

A secret to getting what you want...

Regardless of what it is?

There sure is and, the funny thing is that, it isn't really a secret at all.

Wallace D. Wattles, best known for his classic masterpiece "The Science of Getting Rich", began most of the articles in his "Lessons in Constructive Science" series of articles with this preface:

"There is a constructive, or integrating principle in nature, and a destructive, or disintegrating principle. Power applied through the constructive principle builds, forms and integrates; it draws atoms and forms together. Power applied through the destructive principle dissolves and disintegrates; it disperses atoms and forms, and throws them apart. To learn how to make every thought and action constructive, is to master the secret of all attainment."

And therein lies the secret...

The *real* secret to getting what you want...

Regardless of what it is...

"To learn how to make every thought and action constructive, is to master the secret of all attainment."

You see...

Every thought you think is either:

1. Constructive, or it's...

2. Destructive.

It either:

1. Builds, or it...

2. Destroys.

Every action you take is either:

1. Constructive, or it's...

2. Destructive.

It either:

1. Builds, or it...

2. Destroys.

Now...

With that in mind...

Think about it...

If you want to "build" something...

Anything...

Let's take a house for example...

If your every thought is a constructive thought, contributing to the building of the house, and your every action is a constructive action, contributing to the building of the house...

Is there any way whatsoever that you could possibly not build the house?

Of course not.

On the other hand...

If your every thought is a destructive thought, not contributing to the building of the house, and your every action is a destructive action, not contributing to the building of the house...

Is there any way whatsoever that you could possibly ever build the house...

Regardless of how much you want to build it?

The answer again is...

Of course not!

This same *exact* principle applies to getting what you want in life...

Regardless of what it is...

If you want to "build" wealth...

If your every thought is a constructive thought, contributing to the building of wealth, and your every action is a constructive action, contributing to the building of wealth, you'll build wealth.

If you want to "build" health...

If your every thought is a constructive thought, contributing to the building of health, and your every action is a constructive action, contributing to the building of health, you'll build health. Read the rest of this entry »

Sally Field, the actress when receiving an award said,"You like me. You really, really like me", or something similar to the audience. We can truly be our own worst critics, beating ourselves up over:

• Things that happened years ago
• Decisions we made
• Hurtful intentions
• Things we had no control over
• Life's disappointments
• Missed opportunities

The list of "coulda, woulda, shoulda's" can stretch for miles if we remain in this negative cycle of thought. Instead, here are a few tips to get yourself up and moving.

• Honestly evaluate yourself and your life. Are you living up to your potential or settling for falling crumbs?
• Look for potential personality glitches that might be responsible for undesirable results you're getting
• Check your "Chesire Cat" factor. In other words, are you a constant frowner-downer?
• "Straighten up and fly right" or reduce any tendencies to slouch
• Little words can create big problems if they're never positive and uplifting.
• Do others scatter at the mention of your name, or hints of your approaching? You'll have to find out why and change that perception with a newer more positive disposition.
• Is your state of dress a mess? Would you be interested in meeting you?
• Being self-centered and inflexible will keep you lonely. Learn to bend sometimes.
• Are you listening? Where are you really in a conversation? Stay present.
• If all the other person hears in a conversation is "I", then one of you isn't necessary.

Others can tell if you're genuine or not so an honest look at your personality will go a long way. Are you making others around you feel important and that you care? When you show others that you are interested in them as people, that you value their thoughts and opinions, you will become an irresistible magnetic personality. "Don't just sit there, do something to improve yourself and your life today!"

With each brick he caught, he was even more determined to be successful in life. When he wasn’t helping his father and going to school, he was pushing himself through football workouts to be better than any other football player. You see the young man's name is Jerry Rice, and he went on to become the most successful NFL All-Pro wide receiver of all time with the San Francisco 49ers. Some of you non-football fans may know him as a contestant from the television program, “Dancing with the Stars.” The following are the six success secrets that Jerry Rice used that can easily motivate you to achieve success in any aspect of your business, career, and life: 1. Motivate Yourself to See Opportunities in Every Challenge – Jerry could have looked at the job of catching bricks as a chore that was a waste of his time. But he saw the big picture and made the chore more enjoyable by developing games out of the activities. Many times in life, we are thrown bricks and complain and miss the opportunity it presents to us. The person who can find solutions in the challenges they are faced with can write their own ticket for success. When you take on a challenge, it’s preparing you for an opportunity in the future. You may not know when the opportunity is coming, how it is coming, or what the opportunity will look like, but it is coming; and will you be prepared? Embrace your challenges so you will be prepared. 2. Motivate Yourself to See That It’s Normal to Experience a Little Pain – As Jerry was experiencing the pain of catching bricks each day, this pain was actually building him to becoming a stronger person. Each brick was fueling Jerry’s internal desire to be successful. Think of some situation at work, in business, or in life that was painful. Your pain may be an embarrassing moment, it may be a learning experience, and it may be a setback. How can you use this setback to motivate you to become more successful? We achieve success in our businesses, careers, and life when we develop the success tools of using our “pains” as a learning experience and a springboard to success. 3. Motivate Yourself to Take on Unpopular Tasks – Catching bricks all day is not the most glamorous job in the world. Many times we are thrown bricks in life and avoid them like the plague. Volunteer to catch these bricks while others decline. This will allow people of influence to see your special skills and offer you opportunities for success. It is what I always say, “It’s not what you know, it’s not who you know, it’s who knows what you know.” When you volunteer to catch those bricks, you allow others to now know and see the special skills and talent you exhibit. 4. Motivate Yourself To Take Action – Just the simple act of taking action will make you more successful than 98% of other people. Many times people are waiting for “just the right moment” or “more resources.” Motivate yourself to take action where you are at today and make the appropriate corrections as needed. 5. Motivate Yourself to Go the Extra Mile – Jerry Rice’s off-season personal football workouts were legendary. He would train six days a week running five miles, along with running wind sprints up the steepest mountains in his community. He didn’t need to do this grueling workout, but he wanted to be in better physical shape than any other professional football player. He went the extra mile to be the best. What are you doing to go the extra mile? Do you have a continuous learning program in place? Do you give of yourself to make your employees better? Do you give your clients something extra to show appreciation of their business? These are all opportunities to put you above the rest and to succeed in your business, in your career, and in your life. 6. Motivate Yourself to Create a Masterpiece – Jerry Rice wanted to be the best professional wide receiver ever in football, and he achieved that title. He was motivated to pay the price to achieve that goal. Are you motivated and ready to create a masterpiece? Do you have a vision of what your business, career, or life masterpiece looks, feels, or sounds like? Are you willing to sustain the quality effort, attitude, and determination to create your masterpiece? What are you willing to give up in order to achieve your masterpiece? Until you are ready to answer these questions, you can’t lay the foundation for achieving your masterpiece. After you answer the above questions, create S-M-A-R-T-E-R goals as your road map for success. If it’s not on paper, your goals don’t exist. Be motivated to create, write, and act on your goals. Follow these six success secrets and you, too, will be motivated to lay the foundation for your success.

Part of the message Steve Jobs delivered in 2005 to Stanford University graduates was that: "You've got to find what you love, following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. You can't connect the dots looking forward...you have to trust in something, your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today? If the answer is "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something." Reading the words of his life from infancy to a diagnosis that he would only have a few months at best to live was really humbling. It was amazing to me that our lives paralleled on quite a few levels. I relived parts of my own life going through Adoption. When Jobs related the medical instructions to "go home and get your affairs in order," I was mentally right back with my sister in the same room. Jobs called "Death" the single best invention of Life, a change agent making way for whatever newness needs to come in. He was fortunate and I'm happy that his health was restored. Coming face to face with Death, ironically is life changing. A few years ago I was rushing to a high stress job at a popular station. It was about 10 am in the morning, rainy, but I was a pretty good driver so no worries. Suddenly I felt myself spinning across all four lanes of the freeway from concrete wall to concrete wall. That was the longest few minutes of my life. And yet, as I reeled inside the car, I was aware of many different things, thoughts that should have taken hours to process zipped by in micro seconds. Looking out at the morning rush hour traffic as I spun, I saw each vehicle stop seemingly at the exact same time and bounce as if hitting an invisible barrier. My mental impression was that an invisible force, perhaps an Angel had appeared in the middle of the highway with outstretched arms to hold back the traffic, protecting me from the 65 mph traffic. Spinning rapidly towards the concrete wall on the opposite side again, I began to see the faces of each and every one of my loved ones, my husband, my kids, my baby sister and my parents. I saw clearly with regret the words that should have been spoken, the wounds that should have been healed. Arguments seemed trivial and the things I previously thought were all consuming and important just didn't seem to matter anymore. The only thing of value was the thing I didn't know if I'd accomplished. Letting others know I cared. Now that I faced leaving this world, it was critically important to me that each person know that I truly loved them. It felt like I'd wasted precious opportunities and now it was too late. I felt such an overwhelming sense of regret and loss. Next I felt what can only be described as a "presence" inside the car with me. It was a source of incredible power, authority and seemed to be everywhere at once. A voice I can still hear through the years demanded to know, "What purposeth thou?" I tried to find the answer mentally, because you just couldn't deny this "voice" a response. "The purpose is Love." That was the last thing I heard the booming yet not overly loud "voice" say before my car stopped in the middle of the freeway facing all the oncoming traffic. That changed me forever. I eventually resigned from my high stress job, started mending fences and embarked on a totally new path of self discovery and enlightenment. People today ask how I can be so calm when things don't happen the way I want them to. Why I don't rant and rave and can take more things in stride than many others. How can I get along with some of the most difficult people in life. It's not hard to figure out. I know at the end of my life, no matter what, I have to answer to whomever or whatever that "voice" belonged to so I need to live accordingly. I've asked myself many, many times why I was spared, what happened to me, and how could so much happen in what realistically had to have only been minutes suspended in time. Perhaps it was because I had words of healing to offer the world, something that uniquely is mine to share with others because of the incredible life challenges I've overcome. In my entire family, my voice alone is uniquely different somehow. It always has been. I can remember in kindergarten hearing others exclaim over the sound of my voice. I don't know where it came from but I know I'm to use it to benefit myself and others. Part of me knows that I have my voice for a reason and need to use it to uplift others. I have taken broadcasting classes and speak reasonably well, with a few seminars given here and there. Writing has always sustained me from childhood. Currently I'm in the middle of writing a book project which will be published early next year. I visualize myself discussing my book on Oprah and doing speaking engagements around the world because the content is so riveting. Not because it is my story, but because it is a story that involves all of humanity itself. I'm attracting from the universe those who can help me develop finely tuned skills to move those goals forward so that I can repay my debt of gratitude for being spared. What kept me alive? What drives me now? Perhaps its only to encourage you now, with the words that "you've got to be hungry" as Les Brown says. Or as Steve Jobs told the graduating class, "stay hungry, stay foolish." My message to you is that life is too short to do what makes you unhappy, to live solely for the sake of others and to sacrifice yourself for that which you don't believe in. "What purposeth thou?"

Source Credit: The Words from Menarique.com