Free Motivation Newsletter | Home Seeing The Full Half Of The Glass By Marc Allen I have a friend who is smart, talented, energetic — and always struggling to pay his rent. One day he asked me a long, rambling, and surprising question that I summed up this way: “In other words,” I said, “You’re asking, If I’m so smart why aren’t I rich yet?” “Well, yeah,” he said. “That’s a great question to ask,” I said. I’ve known him well for years, well enough to know I could tell it to him exactly as I saw it. It was easy to see, because I have seen it in myself and in so many other people as well. “Two things immediately come to mind,” I said. “On some level — maybe subconsciously — it seems you think you don’t really deserve success, for some reason, or maybe you just think it’s too hard, or too stressful, to create the life you want. “Take a good honest look at those deep beliefs of yours, and express them in the simplest words possible. “It’s so hard to succeed…. Money doesn’t grow on trees….” Or whatever comes to mind. Look at those deepest beliefs, and come up with affirmations that directly contradict them — like, “In an easy and relaxed, healthy and positive way, I am now creating total financial success.” Put it in your own words. If you find the right affirmation, it can overcome all kinds of doubts and fears and get you back on course. Keep repeating something like this and see what happens: In an easy and relaxed, healthy and positive way, I am now creating total success. “What is ‘total success’ for you? Of course, it’s up to you to define it — and the more clearly you define it for yourself, the sooner you’ll create it. “And here’s the other thing that comes to mind, as long as you asked for it,” I said, “You tend to focus so often on the problems instead of the solutions. You spend a lot of time looking at the empty half of the glass. You often say things are harder than they used to be — there’s more competition now, blah, blah, blah — which means you think there’s less opportunity now than there used to be. Our beliefs are not true in themselves, but become true in our experience if we believe they’re true. “You can turn your thinking around: It’s simply not true that it’s more difficult than it used to be to succeed. It only becomes true if you continue to believe it — and a whole lot of people, including me, have a very different set of beliefs. Opportunities are everywhere! They’ve always been everywhere; it’s just that we haven’t seen them because we haven’t been looking for them. We haven’t been asking ourselves what opportunities are available to us. You can turn your thinking around by asking yourself, What are the opportunities, benefits, and gifts in the problems I face? He took in those words, and we sat quietly for a while. He got it — I could tell. The next time we talked he added one other good thing — something I hadn’t thought of: “You know,” he said, “As I look back, I can see something else: I’ve lacked persistence. I gave up too soon on some very good ideas, just because I ran into some obstacles. I’m going to be more persistent — and keep remembering to focus more on opportunities rather than the problems.” I’ve talked to him several times recently and sense a definite positive shift in his energy. The affirmations he has come up with are helping to change those old, limiting beliefs. When he catches himself enmeshed in problems, he challenges himself to find opportunities, benefits, and gifts. And he’s being persistent, keeping the same goal in sight until he reaches it. I have no doubt that, sooner or later, he will realize his dreams — as long as he keeps correcting his course, as long as he keeps remembering and doesn’t fall back into the old mental habits that weren’t supporting his dreams. It’s true for all of us: We have the capability of achieving our dreams. We all have a miraculous body, powerful emotions, and a phenomenally creative brain: It’s just a matter of focusing our creative energies in the right direction. The biggest obstacle we all face is within us, within our doubts and fears. Let those doubts go and go for your dream! You’ll never regret it. I’ve never known anyone who has regretted going for their dream, and taking whatever risks are required. It’s one of the most satisfying, fulfilling things we can do. And after all, as the German writer Goethe put so brilliantly: “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” ** Based on the book The Type-Z Guide to Success. Copyright ? 2006 by Marc Allen. Reprinted with permission of New World Library, Novato, CA. NewWorldLibrary.com or 800/972-6657 ext. 52. ______________ BIO: Marc Allen co-founded New World Library with bestselling author Shakti Gawain. As president and publisher, New World Library has become one of the leading independent publishers of personal growth titles in the country. He is author of several books, including The Millionaire Course and Visionary Business. A popular speaker and seminar leader, Allen is also recognized for his musical talent. He has produced several albums, including Breathe, Petals, Solo Flight, and his latest, Awakening. He lives with his wife and son in the San Francisco Bay area. -----------------------------
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