How versus Why – Second Half

Posted on October 21, 2010 by belief1st

Further to my missive about the How of your life, versus the Why.

The people who tend to do better overall in life are the dreamers, the creative people, the visionaries. The question they ask is Why???

The people who make things happen are those people who ask Why would I do this?

The majority of people, are those people who don’t ask why, they ask how? Not whether they would be able to do something, but HOW would they do it? HOW would they get the money? HOW would they get employed?

HOW is a stopping question. It makes you stop in your tracks to determine if it is possible.

WHY Is a forward moving question that makes you think. It is an inspiring question as it asks WHY would you do something. WHAT Is your REASON?

Without a Goal or Reason or Driving Force, Some sort of INSPIRATION, nothing great would ever be achieved.

How and Why are both related to managing and leading. How is more about Managing and Why is more related to Leadership.

As General  George S. Patton Jr. said: ‘A piece of spaghetti or a military unit can only be led from the front end.’ – How is pushing it (Managing – Telling), Why is about Pulling it (Leadership – Inspiring). Try it if you cant picture the concept.

If you are not happy with where you are, start asking yourself What you want out of life. Then why would you want that? What does it look like when you get it? What about that inspires you? What would you have to do to achieve it? This all wraps up into the why.

Most people get stuck where they are, looking at what they don’t want and even if they look forward, they get stuck on how they would go from where they are to the future version. They are trying to push the Spaghetti.

If you are not happy with your life, career, relationships, financial position, friends, etc….

Then spend some of the valuable time you are allocating to your current life, and work out what it is you want. Change the questions you are asking yourself and as if by magic, you will get different answers.

Instead of asking Why am I here (see last weeks post), Ask Why would I want to change and what does it look like if I do.

Then do something….movement is the key, Action Cures Fear.

Most people get stuck, because they ask the wrong questions of themselves and others and then are to fearful to take any real action to change.

have an awesome week.

You can live the life you want…. you only have to BELIEVE.

Interesting Footnote, there are 6.5billion people in the world, yet only 1,500 Billionaires. They just think and act differently, they are not super human. They just have super thinking and awesome belief.

 

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Vision | 2 Comments

how versus why – the future and the past

Posted on October 11, 2010 by belief1st

 

Albert Einstein

it is interesting that when we talk to most people and we suggest a way to change what is possible or suggest something new that may change their future, the first question they ask… or their first thought is HOW can I do it or HOW can I get it done.

The funny thing is that these same people use the light switch to light a room or drive their car without giving it a second thought about how the engine works or the light is delivered.

But offer them a way to change their life, and they ask HOW?

A better question for them would be WHY would I want to do that. Once they have thought through WHY they would pursue a course of action to achieve a certain result and have internalised those reasons, they are much more likely to do what they need to do, than if they get caught up in trying to work out HOW they could achieve whatever it is you are speaking about.

The WHY or Reason is attached to your dream. The HOW Is not anywhere near as important.

The HOW question is attached to your ego and our wish to be in control, or be the sole determinant of our success. The WHY question is about creativity, intuition, Source or divine intervention. It is about not having to know the whole thing (which isn’t really possible). It is more about strong belief in your ability to be your best. It requires an element of trust and faith in the first instance, however, the better you get at it, the more you will manifest your many desires. (Thanks Harrison)

Dream, Dream, Dream….

The funny thing, is that is how it works looking into the future.

If you look back in the past the reverse is true. If we ask WHY about a past event or happening, what we are looking at is to apportion blame, or find a reason that something happened. What this tends to do is get you stuck in the problem, and as Albert Einstein said, “the thinking that created the problem generally won’t solve the problem.”

So the better question to ask about a past event that was not a positive, is HOW do we prevent that from happening again. In the past, the HOW question gets you focused on moving forward.

So in essence, to look forward WHY is the right question.

to look back, but not get stuck. HOW (do i not do that again, or get that result again, or if it is a positive, HOW do we get a similar or same result), is the right question.

Have a great week, and tell me if this helps.

Posted in Goal Setting, Inspiration, Vision | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Challenge of Change

Posted on October 3, 2010 by belief1st

The interesting thing about change is that everyone does their best to not change. Change is difficult, complicated, challenging…

They are the easy parts,

Change is also something that we resist with a great amount of effort. Unfortunately, because we all look at ourselves through rose coloured glasses, we feel this is true about everyone else, but not for us.

The funny thing is that it applies equally as well for us as our friends, relatives and colleagues.

Change is something that our “Programming” (in our subconscious) makes difficult to achieve. This is because as we take on new habits and behaviours, they become our new programming. just like in a computer.

As these habits and behaviours become more firmly ingrained into our systems (Beliefs), the harder they are to change.

“The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.” Samuel Johnson, Lexicographer

The Interesting thing about change is like most things in life, if the reason is strong enough… if our WHY is strong and focused enough, the ability to change becomes easier.

The reason that most change doesn’t go as we intend, is that we are not focused enough; we don’t really commit to it; we are half hearted or at best we will “Give it a Go”.

If you are serious about the need to change and what you want to achieve out of the change, the process is quite simple.

Work out what it is that you want to achieve through the change;

Write it out; very clearly and precisely;

Then work out what it is that you need to do on a daily basis to ensure success; if you are not sure speak to someone who has already done it, or do some research.

Then you need to schedule time each day to focus on what needs to be done, if if there are actions to be done, time to complete the actions.

Then DO IT.

To ensure success, you will need to review what you do daily.

You will probably want to get some “I am…” affirmations to read a number of times daily to assist in “RE-PROGRAMMING” your mind and the beliefs that have helped you get to where you are now, (although sometimes it may not seem like it has been help you have been receiving).

Like most things in life, the results you achieve by attempting to change are based on your attitude towards what you are doing, as much as it is about what you are actually doing. Your Belief in your ability to achieve the end result has a lot to do with your success.

Good luck and I would love to get your thoughts.

Have a great week.

Posted in Motivation, Personal Growth | Tagged | 2 Comments

More on Beliefs and Energy

Posted on September 22, 2010 by belief1st

The Power of Your Thoughts: Guest Post by John Assaraf of “The Secret”

Taken from /www.sugarshockblog.com/

The amazing John Assaraf, one of the experts featured in the blockbuster film and book The Secret, sent this inspiring, helpful article to his email subscribers. With his permission, I’m sharing this with you to help you realize your dreams. As you read “The Power of Your Thoughts,” I urge you to think about how to use this information to accomplish your particular goals.

The Power of Your Thoughts by John Assaraf

“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”–Albert Einstein

Thoughts create everything. But here’s the problem. Most people spend their time thinking about what they don’t want, and they’re wondering why it shows up over and over again. In The Secret, we referred to this as the “don’t want” epidemic. When people think, speak, act and focus on what they don’t want, they keep it alive.

You can free yourself of this epidemic by thinking and speaking about what you do want. Your thoughts not only matter; they create matter. Thought is where everything comes from. And your thoughts are where your business comes from. Consciousness is what the universe is made of; matter and energy are just two of the forms that consciousness takes.

So, what am I saying here, that everything is made of thought? That thought creates the physical world? Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. In a nutshell, here is the conclusion so far of humanity’s epic quest to understand the world:

Everything in the physical world is made out of atoms.
Atoms are made out of energy.
Energy is made out of consciousness.
If all of this seems difficult to grasp or accept, imagine what it must have seemed like to the people of Galileo’s time when they were asked to consider the proposition that the earth travels through space around the sun. Or the idea of a spherical earth to pre-Socratic philosophers. The truth is, we don’t see what is there. We see what we are prepared to see, what we are conditioned to see.

Once we know that everything is energy–that there is no absolute distinction between matter and energy–then the boundaries between the physical world and the world of our thoughts start to disappear as well.

You’ve heard the old expression, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” But that’s not really how it is. The truth is more like this: “You’ll see it when you believe it.”

When novelist Victor Hugo said, “There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come,” we now know that this was more than a metaphor. He may not have fully realized it at the time, but he was giving us a literal description of how reality works. Our thoughts are the controlling factor in what we manifest and create in our lives.

The idea precedes the thing.

In a very real, concrete sense, your beliefs don’t simply reflect your reality, they create your reality. This concept applies to the reality of massive success in business.

Listen to your thoughts. What are the dominant thoughts that run through your mind?

Review your thought list. Is it a list of “don’t wants” or wants? What thoughts do you need to change?

Replace your “don’t wants” with wants. When you find yourself thinking of things you don’t want to manifest in your life, interrupt those thoughts and replace them with thoughts about what you do want.

Start with a picture, an idea in your mind, and before you know it, you will be living it. This is at the heart of how my dream house showed up, as well as every business I have built. The same thing happens to every business person who has a vision and knows their thoughts have a direct, causal impact on reality.

Your thoughts and beliefs are the most powerful force in the universe. Make sure you are cognizant of yours.

John Assaraf is the New York Times bestselling author of The Answer and Having It All. He was featured in the blockbuster movie and book The Secret. He has shared his expertise on achieving financial freedom and living an extraordinary life with millions of viewers on Larry King Live, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and dozens of other media venues worldwide. Learn about John’s exciting new program, Winning the Inner Game of Business Success: Brain Training System.

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What is the most important thing????

Posted on September 9, 2010 by belief1st

Medieval illustration of a Christian scribe wr...

Image via Wikipedia

Depending on what you are looking at; reading; listening to; there are so many experts that are expounding the value of this concept, or that idea, or the other “unique” way to attract things into your life.

I have found it a real challenge….

The hardest part is that each time I read something different They all said something a little different, BUT THEY ALL MAKE SENSE.

(I am now subscribed to about 40 different e-newsletters. The funny thing is that I have un-subscribed from about 70 others.)

The problem with this though, is you get a little like a child in a candy store, every new thing that comes along looks better than the last – The thing is you can really only focus on one thing at a time…

Multi-tasking. the Buzzword of the ninety’s is really a retardant to truly effective performance. It has been shown that your IQ reduces by up to 10-15 points whilst multi-tasking.

Truly great performances are delivered after a period of focussed effort.

The challenge in most Westernised Societies is the inability of most people to focus on what is important. It seems like productivity is the King – How much can you do; How long can you work; How many widgets can you produce.

This is in complete opposition to the those artisans who produce outstanding pieces of art, film, writing, music, athletic performance, etc.

The best line I have heard recently (and it was the title of a book by Chin Ning Chu) was “Do Less, Achieve More”. The focus today is more on quantity, rather than quality.

The funny thing is that we are prepared to pay more for quality, we all prefer quality, yet in complete opposition to what we prefer, we push onto others, services and goods that are based around quantity, then expect to charge them for quality.

The same with the results we get in our own lives. We try to fit so much in that we often miss the most important things, like:

  • Sunsets
  • Kids growing up
  • Time with our families
  • Time with our Friends
  • Time to get healthy
  • Time to learn more
  • Time to Read
  • Time to Play Golf

the list is endless.

What or Who do you need to make time for????

Posted in Dreams, Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation | Leave a comment

Struggle

Posted on September 5, 2010 by belief1st

Tjörnes peninsula

Image by *heloise* via Flickr

Why is it that the things we say we want to have, or be or do the most, are the things that are the hardest to have, get done or be?

Is it that we make it seem hard?

Quite often it is through procrastination or fear (Of what I am not sure), that we are held back from that which is what we perceive we want.

I am finding that the more I stop thinking about these things and just plough on and get them done, the less difficult they seem, and there is then less struggle… or that is what it seems.

this blog is a perfect example. I thought to write 2 blogs a week, would not be that hard. But oh what a struggle it has been.

What is it that you are finding difficult to do, either as a one-off or something that you need to do consistently.

Have a great week. and go the Bulldogs (2011).

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Lack of Consistency (Part 2)

Posted on August 23, 2010 by belief1st

well that was an interesting experience.

Here I was 10 days ago talking about lack of consistency…and what happens. No BLOG for 10 days.

This is what happens. It is our direction not our Intention that determines our results and ultimate destination. Pastor Andy Stanley wrote a great book called “The Principle of the Path”.

In this book he outlines how quite often we tell ourselves that we are OK, we are heading in the right direction…

However, In many cases these are just stories we tell ourselves to justify our position; why we aren’t achieving our true greatness; whatever the limiting beliefs are that hold us back.

When it all boils down to it, the secret to success is to have a definiteness of purpose and work towards that purpose without deviation.

The biggest problem for most people in our society is that we are far too easily distracted, we don’t have a clear idea of what it is we want, and it is easier to succeed at Mediocrity than it is to fail at striving for our goals. Which inevitably puts you far ahead of mediocre.

My inability to keep my promise to myself of 2 blogs a week, after only 3 attempts is a classic example. The challenge now is to do it.

What is it that you know you want to do on a consistent basis but find it hard to do???

Posted in Goal Setting, Motivation | Tagged | 1 Comment

Lack of Consistency

Posted on August 9, 2010 by belief1st

One of the great challenges to succeeding at anything is the ability to apply consistent effort or work to the endeavour at hand.

Why is this so?

Our beliefs play a large part in our ability to apply consistent effort. Or more specifically it is our limiting beliefs. These are the beliefs that we have about ourselves, our talents and our abilities, that hold us back; that we are not good enough; that we don’t deserve the success that we are creating or developing.

We all know people like this…

They seem to be heading for great things – then at the last minute they do something, or they put themselves in a position where it all falls apart.

Has this ever happened to you????

If it has how have you dealt with it?

Have you actually recognised this for what it is, or have you done what a lot of people do and find someone or something to blame for the situation that we now find ourselves in.

The first step to combatting this sort of behaviour is awareness.

Have a great week. Next time we can talk about solutions.

NATURE IS UNLIMITED

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Discovering Beliefs

Posted on July 25, 2010 by belief1st

What is it that stops us from achieving our best?

We all at some time or other know that we can do more, be more and have more in terms of what we do, who we are and where we are at in life…

The trick is how to get there….

The answer is in the line – You get what you are focused on!

What are you focusing on? Are you clear about what you want? Even for that small number of people who are really clear on what they Want, the Greatest Challenge to achieving all that is possible is our limiting beliefs.

A lot of people get caught up in the fact that beliefs are only about religion.

Beliefs are in actual point the software that drives our internal computers. Our Beliefs allow us to achieve what we do, Our Beliefs stop us from achieving those things we don’t.

If you want to get an idea of what a belief is, ask yourself what you Believe about a topic or subject.

Then ask is that belief helping or hindering you in going forward? If it is helping great, if it doesn’t – then what would you need to believe in its place to get where you want to get to, or become? This requires a change in programming…

We will talk more about that next time.

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Hello world!

Posted on July 21, 2010 by belief1st

Welcome to our first blog with Belief First. This blog will be focused on thinking, beliefs and helping you to achieve different results to those you get now. Your thoughts and comments will be greatly appreciated.
Hope this becomes a favourite for you.

“As long as you’re going to be thinking anyway, think big.”
– Donald Trump, Real Estate Magnate

Make it a great day

Paul Dunn

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