BY JP MARONEY
Two major stumbling blocks keep people from really having what they want in life.
1) Doubting the future 2) Pouting about the past
They doubt the future, always expecting the worst possible outcome. I mean really…how can they ever expect to get what they want in life if they doubt the possibility that they’ll ever get it.
Duh!
They need to start thinking optimistically. People who know me say I’m “eternally optimistic.” So I looked up the word “optimistic” in the dictionary. The definition is this: A tendency to expect the best possible outcome. That’s me. In everything I do, I always expect the best possible outcome.
One of my wife’s friends, who is in sales, was over at our house recently, and said something I simply can’t agree with. She said, “when I go in on an appointment, I don’t expect to come away with any kind of sale. If I do make a sale, it’s just a bonus.” Well, that’s not stupidly simple, that’s simply stupid. Why would you do that? To set yourself up for failure? To give yourself a way out if you don’t close a sale?
ive me a break.
If you want to get more of the things you want out of life, you’ve got to start expecting them to come to you. Begin seeing yourself already in possession of them. Believe you can achieve your goal. Expect the best, and you can’t possibly lose.
As I mentioned above, the second thing people do to sabotage their own success is to pout about the past. How many people do you know who say things like these:
I would be more successful if…
Oh, grow up. Forget the past, and PLEASE stop pouting about it.
The economic climate in which we live, removes every single excuse you have for not advancing your career, increasing your income, starting a business, etc. Stop blaming your parents, your heritage, your nationality, your race, your spouse, or any other “lame blame” you can come up with to excuse yourself from succeeding in life.
Each of us is responsible for our own success. Take charge of your future. Remember, it’s up to you. It is your future, after all.
You can’t expect others to do it for you. Besides, when you leave it up to other people, they usually don’t do it like you want it done. Right? That does not mean you don’t delegate responsibilities, but the ultimate responsibility for whether or not the goal is reached, belongs to you.
I actually find that to be exciting. That means I’m in control of whether I fail or succeed. Don’t you prefer that? Instead of sitting around waiting on someone else to produce the results, you can go out and do it yourself.
There is a certain freedom that comes from gaining control of your life. Yes, the responsibility is heavy sometimes. Yes, there are times when you will feel alone in the world. But, resist the urge to blame someone else, or your circumstances, for the fact that you are not achieving your goals and dreams.
One characteristic that really attracted me to my wife when we were dating, was her ability to get beyond the things that happened to her in the past, and go after the things she wanted to achieve in the future.
When she was eighteen years old, on the way back from a church camp, her car veered off the road, then flipped three times. She flew out the window, and landed on the shoulder of the highway. Result, broken back, and paralysis…from the chest down.
She spent months in rehabilitation, and did regain some of her feeling, but she still has no sensation or muscle control below her knees. But, she hasn’t let this stop her from enjoying life. A few years after we married, both of us became interested in scuba diving. We stopped by a local dive shop to explore the idea. The guy working in the shop was very doubtful, and stressed the importance of having use of your feet to propel yourself through the water. That wasn’t good enough for my wife.
So, we stopped by the shop again later, and talked with another, more experienced diving instructor. He looked through some catalogs, and found some webbed gloves designed for surfers. He suggested she could dive successfully using her hands for propulsion rather than her feet. Now, we were getting somewhere.
Diving has become a passion for us. It is something we share and enjoy together. And, swimming under water gives Tonya more freedom of mobility than she has on land. She could have pouted about the past, and let her physical challenges keep her from fulfilling her dream of scuba diving. Instead, she believed that there must be some way for her to enjoy to pleasure. And oh, what a pleasure it is.
Let me give you another example. We decided we wanted to start riding bikes together, for fun and fitness. Again, there are certain limitations with regard to balance, that Tonya has to deal with. So, we found a bike shop that would spend some time exploring possibilities. We decided on a three wheel bike, with a child seat mounted on the back for our daughter Karlista. Problem solved, excellent fun and family time.
So what dreams have you allowed your past to steal? Can you think of anything you would really like to do, be, or have? What’s stopping you? Step beyond the boundary of your past, and start believing in the future.
Stop pouting about the past, and start believing in the future. It is then, and only then, that you will begin to achieve your goals and dreams.
###
JP Maroney a.k.a. “The Pitbull of Business” is a business growth strategist, best-selling author and award-winning speaker. Receive his FREE book, “5 Ways to Double or Triple Your Business” by visiting www.JPMaroney.com
——————————
Interested in publishing this article in your magazine, newsletter, blog, website or article directory? Send an email to info at jpmaroney dot com or call 1-800-304-5758.
Share This
(required)
