A Message of Hope
By Lee Pound
Many of us face
challenges this Christmas season, whether personal or professional. We
look back on the past year and see accomplishments but we also see goals
we did not achieve, steps we did not take and problems we did not
resolve.
Many of us look a life
from a negative perspective. We can't do something, this is too hard,
that won't work, we have no talents, or we don't have enough money. The
list is endless.
It is true that you get
what you think about. If you concentrate on what is not working in your
life, it will continue to not work. If you concentrate on what can work,
on the belief that you have unique potential to do good in this world
and that the world will pay you to do so, you will have success.
I have found that belief
plays a crucial role in success. If you believe you can accomplish a
task, you will. If you believe you can't, you will fail.
I have set ambitious
goals for myself for the coming year. I believe that I can meet them and
exceed them. All it takes is knowledge of the end point and the steps
you must take to get there. Simple. Profound. And so hard for most
people to do.
Communicate with
Yourself
By Lee Pound
Success starts with
self-knowledge. The first and most important communication skill you can
master is to listen to yourself. We talk to ourselves more than we talk
to any other person. Listen to yourself for a time. Monitor the thoughts
that pass through your mind.
As you listen, ask
yourself if they are positive or negative. Are they holding you back or
are they moving you forward? Do you tell yourself the things you cannot
do or those you can do?
If you cannot find
anything good about what you are doing or what you want to do, ask
yourself why you are doing it.
Self mastery begins with
paying attention to your quiet self, to the messages you send yourself
and the messages you obey.
Two years ago, when I
joined Toastmasters, everyone said that it takes four to five years to
reach the highest levels of the program. Many people said it was hard to
get speaking time at large clubs, that a month between speeches was
average.
I set as my goal to speak
often, wherever possible and whenever possible. I filled in when others
could not speak, often with little notice. I spoke at other clubs. After
little more than one year, I had given 60 to 70 speeches and attained
the highest educational level.
I created my own message
of what was possible and refused to listen to those who put out a more
negative message.
When you look for the
positive possibilities, you find them. Your life and career go where
your thoughts lead you so listen to yourself first, give yourself
positive messages and toss out the negative messages. You will be amazed
at the results.
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