Well its been quite a while since I've posted, its been crazy busy in the mortgage business - which is a good thing I'm not complaining. What I wanted to talk about now is values and beliefs and how we come to adopt these ideas and thoughts, and, well, how they change. One biggie is obviously experience. When we are children we experience many things, see many things, and these are the experiences that slowly develop our attitudes, values, and beliefs about people, our surroundings, our families, co-workers, etc.
Experiences can be good, bad, very harsh, inspirational, completely draining, painful, and many other things. Its really what you do with those experiences that count. I can tell you stories about my childhood that would seem almost unbearable but I look at them as blessings in disguise, because I know that we don't live a perfect world, and I've seen it. I know we live in a messed up world and I've experienced pain and suffering that will make me stronger for the future. It will make me the person I need to be to help inspire others. Its amazing what you can learn if you just open your eyes and see what is going on around you.
Many people don't realize that the attitudes we carry come from unspoken expectations of what our lives should be like. And when life doesn't conform to those expectations, we get upset, frustrated, sad, or any other feelings you may have. The important thing to realize is that those are just feelings - they're temporary. Don't believe me? Next time you're upset and feeling angry turn on your favorite comic and give it about 10 minutes. You'll forget you were ever mad once you start to laugh. See, but its our minds that trick us into thinking we can't get over whatever it is that is bothering us. Why? Because you are fixated on it. Incessant thoughts are running over and over again thinking about why you are mad. This is why its so hard to think of something else because we become consumed by it.
Values come from those basic principles and beliefs you have right now. You have basic expectations of what life is and the meanings it has for you and so on. You also have expectations of others and how they will react or how you believe they will react to something or someone. When they don't do what it is you want them to do, you get pissed. Its rather simple. Not to mention the poison we're fed from the tv and mass media who want nothing more but have you to live in a bubble, caught up in fantasy land and not really know what is going on in the world. They want to scare you to death with terror, and wars, and murders, and thefts, and fancy statistics, and the list goes on and on. This is to make you believe there is nothing good in the world and by scaring you into new legislation and laws that slowly take away our civil liberties.
The tube tells you what to wear, what to think, what to believe, what to buy, how to raise your children, and so on and so forth. Listen to me, think for yourself. Read books, educate yourself, develop values and beliefs based on your own critical thinking and do not allow outside influences to dictate what you believe and think. All to often we go against what we know is just baloney but we believe it anyway because its on tv; it must be real right? That's a big fat BULL!!!!
Basic principles like kindness, integrity, politness, treating others with respect, those never change. Build your values and beliefs on these simple principles and you can't go wrong. Tell me the last time you acted with integrity, kindness to others, and treating people with the upmost respect got you to a dead end. It doesn't happen, why? Because people respond to those things in positive ways. Its amazing how sad our education system in America is. Why? Because they want it that way. Why? So they can program you through the eyes and ears and make you believe whatever it is they want you to believe. Who are they? The very few who control the many. I'm not a consipiracy theorist or anything like that but I know when stuff "just isn't right" or when it doesn't make sense.
We ignore that all too often and believe whatever it is we're told. How about getting back to the basics? Try integrity, respect, politeness, kindness, and lets see how far you get. Building values and beliefs from those basic concepts can never go wrong. Just don't be nieve to what the mass media and corporate influence throws our way through publications, news broadcasts, etc. Do your research, become educated, and think, think, think. We don't want to think anymore because its to much work. We live in this bubble of a society where we want it all, but, we don't want to work for it. Tell me something, I'm not an expert in math, but that equation just doesn't add up; tell me how it does.
What's the point I'm trying to make? Think America, think all the time, build values and beliefs based on basic princples of respect, love, kindness, and politeness. You can't go wrong just don't be a fool to wolves in sheeps clothing.
God Bless!
Copyright © 2008 by Dustin Swigart
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Are You Aware of Yourself?
What do I mean by this? Well lets think about this for a minute. Are you aware of yourself? Of your feelings, your emotions, where they come from, why you feel them, etc. We each have expectations of not only ourselves, but of other people, spouses, children, co-workers, employer, etc. When circumstances and people do not meet these expectations, feelings and emotions come out in response. Are you aware of yourself? I'm talking about the person who is behind the feelings and emotions, the person that has control over these.
We can separate ourselves from these feelings and look at the objectively focusing on where they are coming from. By doing this you can create "new" expectations that will result in different feelings and emotions. We have the control we just don't "think" or believe that we do. We just say "well that's the way I am". That's just an excuse to cop out. Our TRUE selves have control over our feelings, emotions, even our will to do what we want. Only because our feelings and emotions are instantaneous, do we mistakingly believe that we must "cool" down or "take our mind off of it".
This type of thinking prevents you of becoming "aware" of your true self. Just look at our world. We become programmed by our newspapers and our media by tricking us to believe that what they are "framing" in the editing room, is reality. We create our reality. The biggest programming piece of machinery known to man is the TV in your living room, dining room, or any room you have one. People watch it day and night and belive everyting they see. Why is this? The eyes and ears are what we use to decode the world and our environment.
I was watching a video by David Icke, a world renound speaker, talking about this very subject. he went on to say that how we all believe without question that tables, walls, and other things in our everyday life is actually solid. Well even I starting to think more and more about this, and then the next statement made it all click. We were taught in school that everything is made of mass and mass is composed of atoms. Well atoms are not solid. Its the mere "decoding" of the vibrational sounds that we hear from these objects when we hit them that makes them sound solid. Why? Its our minds that do that.
So I ask again, are you aware of yourself now? We are the writers of our destiny, we are the co-creators our circumstances, we have the control to change our attitudes. When we really think about it, God created us in his image. God "thought" of the world and it was created, therefore we have the same ability ourselves. This is confirmed in many places in the bible but one statement by David says it all. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." What is David saying? He is saying that whatever thoughts you hold about yourself, whatever you desire, think about, dwell about, will come out in your attitude and your behavior and then indirectly shape your future circumstances.
What do you think about all day long? What thoughts, I mean deep thoughts, do you hold about yourself? Our reality is effected by our perceptions of reality. Our perceptions are effected by our internal expectations, values, and thoughts, that drive how we react to people and our environment. See where I'm going with this? It all starts and ends with us. I'm talking about the REAL us; the us that is separate from the feelings, the us that is separated from the will, the us that is separated from the emotions, the us that is sometimes unaware of the influence of itself over our results. We create short cuts that bypass critical thinking and arrive us at decisions we don't even second guess.
I challenge you right now to find yourself, to become aware of your TRUE self. There you will the find the answer to your problems you seek. There you'll find happiness, understanding, and personal power.
Copyright © 2008 by Dustin Swigart
We can separate ourselves from these feelings and look at the objectively focusing on where they are coming from. By doing this you can create "new" expectations that will result in different feelings and emotions. We have the control we just don't "think" or believe that we do. We just say "well that's the way I am". That's just an excuse to cop out. Our TRUE selves have control over our feelings, emotions, even our will to do what we want. Only because our feelings and emotions are instantaneous, do we mistakingly believe that we must "cool" down or "take our mind off of it".
This type of thinking prevents you of becoming "aware" of your true self. Just look at our world. We become programmed by our newspapers and our media by tricking us to believe that what they are "framing" in the editing room, is reality. We create our reality. The biggest programming piece of machinery known to man is the TV in your living room, dining room, or any room you have one. People watch it day and night and belive everyting they see. Why is this? The eyes and ears are what we use to decode the world and our environment.
I was watching a video by David Icke, a world renound speaker, talking about this very subject. he went on to say that how we all believe without question that tables, walls, and other things in our everyday life is actually solid. Well even I starting to think more and more about this, and then the next statement made it all click. We were taught in school that everything is made of mass and mass is composed of atoms. Well atoms are not solid. Its the mere "decoding" of the vibrational sounds that we hear from these objects when we hit them that makes them sound solid. Why? Its our minds that do that.
So I ask again, are you aware of yourself now? We are the writers of our destiny, we are the co-creators our circumstances, we have the control to change our attitudes. When we really think about it, God created us in his image. God "thought" of the world and it was created, therefore we have the same ability ourselves. This is confirmed in many places in the bible but one statement by David says it all. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." What is David saying? He is saying that whatever thoughts you hold about yourself, whatever you desire, think about, dwell about, will come out in your attitude and your behavior and then indirectly shape your future circumstances.
What do you think about all day long? What thoughts, I mean deep thoughts, do you hold about yourself? Our reality is effected by our perceptions of reality. Our perceptions are effected by our internal expectations, values, and thoughts, that drive how we react to people and our environment. See where I'm going with this? It all starts and ends with us. I'm talking about the REAL us; the us that is separate from the feelings, the us that is separated from the will, the us that is separated from the emotions, the us that is sometimes unaware of the influence of itself over our results. We create short cuts that bypass critical thinking and arrive us at decisions we don't even second guess.
I challenge you right now to find yourself, to become aware of your TRUE self. There you will the find the answer to your problems you seek. There you'll find happiness, understanding, and personal power.
Copyright © 2008 by Dustin Swigart
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Now That Thanksgiving Has Passed
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, I know I did. But most importantly did you give thanks for all the blessings in your life and for everyone that is apart of it? Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays right next to Christmas. My question is why does it take these special days to get us thinking about how thankful we are and how giving we can be? We should be thankful everyday and full of gratitude for the many people and things in our lives.
We all get caught up with busy work and things that we believe are so important, we tend to forget to really be grateful for the things and people who are. I'm guilty myself. I had one such experience here lately where I realized I was neglecting an important person in my life because of my drive to complete some of my goals I had set this year and had given them more attention. I can't stress enough how important it is to tell those you love how much they mean to you and never assume that they "just know".
We're not perfect and we will all make mistakes but I wanted to share this because I had hurt my girlfriends feelings, and didn't even realize it. Better yet I was stubborn enough to not even recognize it. How's that for a shock. Now as we enter the last month of the year lets all do something better yet make a new year's resolution. Think of something everyday, doesn't matter how big or how small it is. that the special people in your life do for you. This could be a quality you love about them, something they do that makes you laugh, whatever it may be. Think of something that you appreciate about them, and let them know what it is, and watch what happens.
This will be a Thanksgiving I'll remember forever. Its times like this where you have a paradigm shift in your thinking that causes you to explore and think in different ways. Its the feedback you need to change course in your direction. When it comes down to it, the people that matter most in your life, are the things that cannot be replaced. They're special and unique and should be treated that way.
Thanks for reading and God bless!
We all get caught up with busy work and things that we believe are so important, we tend to forget to really be grateful for the things and people who are. I'm guilty myself. I had one such experience here lately where I realized I was neglecting an important person in my life because of my drive to complete some of my goals I had set this year and had given them more attention. I can't stress enough how important it is to tell those you love how much they mean to you and never assume that they "just know".
We're not perfect and we will all make mistakes but I wanted to share this because I had hurt my girlfriends feelings, and didn't even realize it. Better yet I was stubborn enough to not even recognize it. How's that for a shock. Now as we enter the last month of the year lets all do something better yet make a new year's resolution. Think of something everyday, doesn't matter how big or how small it is. that the special people in your life do for you. This could be a quality you love about them, something they do that makes you laugh, whatever it may be. Think of something that you appreciate about them, and let them know what it is, and watch what happens.
This will be a Thanksgiving I'll remember forever. Its times like this where you have a paradigm shift in your thinking that causes you to explore and think in different ways. Its the feedback you need to change course in your direction. When it comes down to it, the people that matter most in your life, are the things that cannot be replaced. They're special and unique and should be treated that way.
Thanks for reading and God bless!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Have You Ever Felt Like Quitting?
How many times have you felt like doing this? Its seems just so easy, its right at the tip of your tongue. You question yourself by asking is it worth it, do I really want to endure the pain to move on? Have you ever felt like this? I have.
I've been to the brink of just letting completely go, but right as I'm at my weakest, I stop. I begin to see visions of my family, my life, and my inner most deepest emotions come to the surface and compel me to move on. I close my eyes and I get goosebumps, and its right at this moment I become my strongest. How's that for inspiration?
See we all face challenges but we all expect not to. Why is that? Why do we expect that if we reach our goals, or reach "our" definition of success, do we think that problems, pain, and issues will go away? That is simply not true. Once we reach our ultimate success new problems and issues will arise giving us more room yet to grow.
I've suffered foreclosure, repossessions, a nasty divorce, emotional stress, a troubled childhood, and many more problems yet something inside of me - I can just feel it pouring through my veins - knows that I'm superior to circumstance and keeps me pressing on. I've emerged through each of these trials smarter, stronger, and more flexible and agile to change. Even better, I've emerged more stable in every aspect of my life, emotionally, financially, and spiritually.
I've found God in my life as a young man and I still pray for guidance. The most influential and motivating book I've ever read was the Bible. Teachings in the Bible can be seen in other books but just rewritten and articulated differently. The power to create your own life and master your mind can be found in many places including the words from David when he said, "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."
Think about this statement for a minute. It is truly profound. The story of Job and how he lost everything, his home, his wealth, his children, his life as he knew it. He began to lose hope and felt like quitting; then in his weakest moment he asked for forgiveness from God and he become at that moment, the strongest he'd ever been. How's that for inspiration?
The story of Joseph is amazing right from the start. He was exiled by his brothers, sold into slavery, then through perseverance, he became one of the most powerful men in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh, and found his true self in his journey through life filled with trials and struggles. See we all have the seeds of personal growth within us, but few ever realize the importance that circumstances play in nurturing those seeds to trees of opportunity.
When you are faced with life's greatest challenges, and you feel like there is no hope, remember that you are a creator of your life. You have the power to decide your direction, your attitude, your results, and your success. We've been "taught" or "conditioned" to believe that we are victims of circumstance and that we should point the finger at others when we don't get what we want or reach our goals. It keeps you in the "victim" stage, where if you do nothing to rectify your state of mind, you will rot there until you die.
Take responsibility for your life and your actions. Don't be a victim and point the finger. Train your mind to be flexible and agile to change. Continuous improvement is just that, continuous. This process is never-ending and should be treated and embraced as such. Just thinking about the powerful and emotional impact this will have on your life will bring tears to your eyes. Precious tears of joy and relieve that you can now take control over YOUR LIFE.
This may sound so harsh a bit but believe it. If you are not growing you are dying. So the next time you're at the brink of quitting, remember, its there that you will be at your strongest.
So I ask you, do you feel like quitting now?
Copyright © 2008 by Dustin Swigart
I've been to the brink of just letting completely go, but right as I'm at my weakest, I stop. I begin to see visions of my family, my life, and my inner most deepest emotions come to the surface and compel me to move on. I close my eyes and I get goosebumps, and its right at this moment I become my strongest. How's that for inspiration?
See we all face challenges but we all expect not to. Why is that? Why do we expect that if we reach our goals, or reach "our" definition of success, do we think that problems, pain, and issues will go away? That is simply not true. Once we reach our ultimate success new problems and issues will arise giving us more room yet to grow.
I've suffered foreclosure, repossessions, a nasty divorce, emotional stress, a troubled childhood, and many more problems yet something inside of me - I can just feel it pouring through my veins - knows that I'm superior to circumstance and keeps me pressing on. I've emerged through each of these trials smarter, stronger, and more flexible and agile to change. Even better, I've emerged more stable in every aspect of my life, emotionally, financially, and spiritually.
I've found God in my life as a young man and I still pray for guidance. The most influential and motivating book I've ever read was the Bible. Teachings in the Bible can be seen in other books but just rewritten and articulated differently. The power to create your own life and master your mind can be found in many places including the words from David when he said, "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."
Think about this statement for a minute. It is truly profound. The story of Job and how he lost everything, his home, his wealth, his children, his life as he knew it. He began to lose hope and felt like quitting; then in his weakest moment he asked for forgiveness from God and he become at that moment, the strongest he'd ever been. How's that for inspiration?
The story of Joseph is amazing right from the start. He was exiled by his brothers, sold into slavery, then through perseverance, he became one of the most powerful men in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh, and found his true self in his journey through life filled with trials and struggles. See we all have the seeds of personal growth within us, but few ever realize the importance that circumstances play in nurturing those seeds to trees of opportunity.
When you are faced with life's greatest challenges, and you feel like there is no hope, remember that you are a creator of your life. You have the power to decide your direction, your attitude, your results, and your success. We've been "taught" or "conditioned" to believe that we are victims of circumstance and that we should point the finger at others when we don't get what we want or reach our goals. It keeps you in the "victim" stage, where if you do nothing to rectify your state of mind, you will rot there until you die.
Take responsibility for your life and your actions. Don't be a victim and point the finger. Train your mind to be flexible and agile to change. Continuous improvement is just that, continuous. This process is never-ending and should be treated and embraced as such. Just thinking about the powerful and emotional impact this will have on your life will bring tears to your eyes. Precious tears of joy and relieve that you can now take control over YOUR LIFE.
This may sound so harsh a bit but believe it. If you are not growing you are dying. So the next time you're at the brink of quitting, remember, its there that you will be at your strongest.
So I ask you, do you feel like quitting now?
Copyright © 2008 by Dustin Swigart
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Personal Responsibility
Okay this is a touchy subject but I'm going to so tell on myself on this one. What ever happened to personal responsibility? We know that we have control over our thoughts, our lives, out attitudes, yet we still look for things or people to blame. Let me tell you, there is definitely many things out there you can find to blame but how about turning that finger around at yourself and get right down to the root of the problem, YOU!!.
When circumstances happen in life who decides how to react to them? You do. Who decides how to perceive those circumstances? You do. See a pattern here? It boils down to you and only you. Take a good look in the mirror. If you're not happy who's fault is it? Yours! Don't think so, then who will change it? Don't worry I'll wait....... Yep you're right again - YOU DO!
I do this to. Its so hard sometimes because we caught up in the moment or we get caught up in the rapid thoughts running through our minds, and then our emotions starting getting out of control. Then after you calm down you say to yourself what was I thinking. How could I be so stupid? I don't know what came over me. Sure you do, you were thinking about it while you were doing it but your attitude at that time was "I don't care" so you acted irrationally and now you come to this point where you feel bad about it.
I know this is hard to think about. Nobody wants to think that everything that happens to them is their own fault. But just try to contemplate this for a second. Who makes the choices to our you interact with the people in your life? Who is the one that is thinking on decisions before you make them and instead of logic, you act emotionally and then feel bad afterward?
Lets talk about a few examples. Is it your spouses fault that you cheated because you don't think they pay attention to you? Or could it be that you're upset and inside you could "get back" at them or "show them" so you cheat? Then you get caught up in the lies and cover up. Who's doing that? Certainly not your spouse.
How about deciding on taking a job? Is it you that makes that decision? So is it your bosses fault you're not happy? You made a commitment to them to do your job and they made a commitment to pay you for it. So can they say because they are not happy today so they don't want to pay you? No, so just the same, if you are having a bad day does that mean you don't hold up your end of the bargain? Again the answer is no.
So as we think about these couple of examples can you start to see a pattern of WHO makes the decisions? Its really simple, take personal responsibility for your actions, thoughts, attitudes, and every decision you make in life. When you start to grasp this topic, and really take it to heart, your eyes will open. And OPEN WIDE they will.
You begin to see things in a different light, a paradigm shift if you will. You will begin to appreciate life more because you will grasp the fact that you control your life. Circumstances don't control you because you are the ultimate judge of the circumstance. What someone else may feel about it doesn't matter. Its nothing until YOU call it what it is.
Remember this the next time you're faced with a decision or circumstance. Be cognizant of your feelings at that moment. Be aware that you are contemplating what decision to make and what the pros and cons are of each. Try to disconnect your feelings from the topic and review subjectively. Then with a clear mind make a decision knowing that you fully take ownership. If you screw up so what, everybody does.
I screw up so bad sometimes that I hate myself for a minute but I begin to realize my negative behavior, and then begin looking and analyzing the situation searching for the lesson that's buried in it. I'm very positive yet I have so much happen to me its ridiculous. The important part is that after the initial shock I actually invite the situation and embrace it. This is because I know that I'll learn something from it and in the end I'll be stronger because of it.
Problems begin to not seem like problems, they seem to be just another item on the to do list. Over time you gain strength, power, energy, and wisdom. You really do have control you just have to know and believe you do. Once this happens, watch out, you'll be energized just by the thought of it.
Copyright © 2008 by Dustin Swigart
When circumstances happen in life who decides how to react to them? You do. Who decides how to perceive those circumstances? You do. See a pattern here? It boils down to you and only you. Take a good look in the mirror. If you're not happy who's fault is it? Yours! Don't think so, then who will change it? Don't worry I'll wait....... Yep you're right again - YOU DO!
I do this to. Its so hard sometimes because we caught up in the moment or we get caught up in the rapid thoughts running through our minds, and then our emotions starting getting out of control. Then after you calm down you say to yourself what was I thinking. How could I be so stupid? I don't know what came over me. Sure you do, you were thinking about it while you were doing it but your attitude at that time was "I don't care" so you acted irrationally and now you come to this point where you feel bad about it.
I know this is hard to think about. Nobody wants to think that everything that happens to them is their own fault. But just try to contemplate this for a second. Who makes the choices to our you interact with the people in your life? Who is the one that is thinking on decisions before you make them and instead of logic, you act emotionally and then feel bad afterward?
Lets talk about a few examples. Is it your spouses fault that you cheated because you don't think they pay attention to you? Or could it be that you're upset and inside you could "get back" at them or "show them" so you cheat? Then you get caught up in the lies and cover up. Who's doing that? Certainly not your spouse.
How about deciding on taking a job? Is it you that makes that decision? So is it your bosses fault you're not happy? You made a commitment to them to do your job and they made a commitment to pay you for it. So can they say because they are not happy today so they don't want to pay you? No, so just the same, if you are having a bad day does that mean you don't hold up your end of the bargain? Again the answer is no.
So as we think about these couple of examples can you start to see a pattern of WHO makes the decisions? Its really simple, take personal responsibility for your actions, thoughts, attitudes, and every decision you make in life. When you start to grasp this topic, and really take it to heart, your eyes will open. And OPEN WIDE they will.
You begin to see things in a different light, a paradigm shift if you will. You will begin to appreciate life more because you will grasp the fact that you control your life. Circumstances don't control you because you are the ultimate judge of the circumstance. What someone else may feel about it doesn't matter. Its nothing until YOU call it what it is.
Remember this the next time you're faced with a decision or circumstance. Be cognizant of your feelings at that moment. Be aware that you are contemplating what decision to make and what the pros and cons are of each. Try to disconnect your feelings from the topic and review subjectively. Then with a clear mind make a decision knowing that you fully take ownership. If you screw up so what, everybody does.
I screw up so bad sometimes that I hate myself for a minute but I begin to realize my negative behavior, and then begin looking and analyzing the situation searching for the lesson that's buried in it. I'm very positive yet I have so much happen to me its ridiculous. The important part is that after the initial shock I actually invite the situation and embrace it. This is because I know that I'll learn something from it and in the end I'll be stronger because of it.
Problems begin to not seem like problems, they seem to be just another item on the to do list. Over time you gain strength, power, energy, and wisdom. You really do have control you just have to know and believe you do. Once this happens, watch out, you'll be energized just by the thought of it.
Copyright © 2008 by Dustin Swigart
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Have You Told Them?
I just wanted to take a moment to ask an important question. I know we all get up in day to day activies and we can get so busy that we are just dead tired at the end of the day and we just want to relax. Have you told your loved ones today how much they mean to you? Did you give your spouse or children a warm hug that was heart felt today? Its only in times of trouble or crisis that we really "feel" appreciation for our loved ones. This is not always the case but it happens more times than not.
Tell your wife or husband you love them and let them know how special they are to you. In life we get so used to a routine and assume our loved ones "just know" how we feel. While that is true they also need to HEAR that its true. Life is about sharing moments, and creating memories. It doesn't have to be all about reaching your career or financial goals, you'll reach a time in your life where you'll be an absolute success but have nobody to enjoy it with. Do you want it to be that way?
Balance of goals is key and personal and spiritual goals should be included in your plans. People are not happy because they're successful, they're successful because their happy. Think about his for a second. Keep thinking a minute. If you're only happy because you are succeeding in your finacial or career goals and your moods vary based on the roller coaster ride we call life, you'll never have true happiness.
I must say I suffered from doing this myself. I got so "worried" about being productive that I didn't even think about balance. I pressed myself for time and missed out on some really important moments in my children's lives. Time is something you can't get back so don't waste it.
Love those who love you. Tell them, with feeling, how much they mean to you. Live every moment as your last in appreciating the very seconds that tick by because once they're gone, they're gone.
Copyright © 2008 by Dustin Swigart
Tell your wife or husband you love them and let them know how special they are to you. In life we get so used to a routine and assume our loved ones "just know" how we feel. While that is true they also need to HEAR that its true. Life is about sharing moments, and creating memories. It doesn't have to be all about reaching your career or financial goals, you'll reach a time in your life where you'll be an absolute success but have nobody to enjoy it with. Do you want it to be that way?
Balance of goals is key and personal and spiritual goals should be included in your plans. People are not happy because they're successful, they're successful because their happy. Think about his for a second. Keep thinking a minute. If you're only happy because you are succeeding in your finacial or career goals and your moods vary based on the roller coaster ride we call life, you'll never have true happiness.
I must say I suffered from doing this myself. I got so "worried" about being productive that I didn't even think about balance. I pressed myself for time and missed out on some really important moments in my children's lives. Time is something you can't get back so don't waste it.
Love those who love you. Tell them, with feeling, how much they mean to you. Live every moment as your last in appreciating the very seconds that tick by because once they're gone, they're gone.
Copyright © 2008 by Dustin Swigart
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Where Has Your Focus Been?
We all know we get distracted and off course from time to time. We begin to ask what happened? Why is this not working? What am I doing wrong? I'm not saying don't worry about performance and results, and not to make changes as needed, we just tend to focus on the wrong things when it appears we're not making progress.
We set our targets on heads, but we're thinking about tails. We judge our days by the harvest and not by the seeds we plant. Persistent effort to follow through with nurturing of those seeds to trees of opportunity is needed.
What do your daily activities consist of? Are you implementing systems? Are you prospecting? Are you improving your knowledge and efficiency of your systems? Its so easy to get caught up on what's going on in the news. You see headlines of a troubled economy yet there are still people thriving, hitting their goals, and growing their businesses.
What's the difference? Its obviously their focus. We can get and stay busy ALL day with busy work. We can shuffle papers, search the net, and even complain about whatever we want to. Now I don't mean to say that you shouldn't know what's going on or even that you shouldn't care. When the economy suffers, people lose jobs and I personally can't stand to hear that.
My point is you don't have to be inundated with it. Use the information to be creative and proactive, taking advantage of opportunity. A slowdown is normal in a business cycle. You should be ready not scared. Your energy will flow to where your focused attention goes. How you think and perceive something will affect how you act toward it thereby creating your reality.
If you think and focus on business is slow; your actions will follow with decreased work hours, your attitude is affected, your creativity slows, your momentum wains, and now your results spell business is slow. If you're focused on the many opportunities that are available, then you begin acting as such. Your attitude is great, you see your targets clearly, creativity is spiraling upward, momentum is gaining, and your results show the same. In other words you find what you're looking for and get what you find.
So where has your focus been? Has it been on all the negative and bad things you can find? Or, are you focused on hitting your targets and reaching your goals? I struggled a lot for a long time due to my impatience. I'm going to tell on myself a little here. I would get so frustrated when I didn't see results instantaneously. I would think, well I worked so hard what happened? I just wouldn't give anything enough time, I wanted instant gratification. This type of focus won't work.
Only when I created a learning environment, and judged my days by the seeds I sowed, did I begin to see the fruit of my labor through my results. I began to steadily and incrementally increase my power and I learned so much from it.
I do want to add something though. Don't ever forget your loved ones. I know we all want success but burning the candle from both ends will only invite adversity and failure. Balance is key. We all want golden eggs, but you have to take care of the goose to insure more golden eggs. We can leverage our time, energy, and money but once time is gone it's gone forever. Cherish and appreciate it like you do the air you feel in your lungs right now.
The bottom line here is stay a student of life, don't "grow up" so to speak and think you know it all. Keep the mindset of a child, in the sense, that you are going to pour your all into everything, keep things simple, have fun, and love those who love you.
Copyright © 2008 by Dustin Swigart
We set our targets on heads, but we're thinking about tails. We judge our days by the harvest and not by the seeds we plant. Persistent effort to follow through with nurturing of those seeds to trees of opportunity is needed.
What do your daily activities consist of? Are you implementing systems? Are you prospecting? Are you improving your knowledge and efficiency of your systems? Its so easy to get caught up on what's going on in the news. You see headlines of a troubled economy yet there are still people thriving, hitting their goals, and growing their businesses.
What's the difference? Its obviously their focus. We can get and stay busy ALL day with busy work. We can shuffle papers, search the net, and even complain about whatever we want to. Now I don't mean to say that you shouldn't know what's going on or even that you shouldn't care. When the economy suffers, people lose jobs and I personally can't stand to hear that.
My point is you don't have to be inundated with it. Use the information to be creative and proactive, taking advantage of opportunity. A slowdown is normal in a business cycle. You should be ready not scared. Your energy will flow to where your focused attention goes. How you think and perceive something will affect how you act toward it thereby creating your reality.
If you think and focus on business is slow; your actions will follow with decreased work hours, your attitude is affected, your creativity slows, your momentum wains, and now your results spell business is slow. If you're focused on the many opportunities that are available, then you begin acting as such. Your attitude is great, you see your targets clearly, creativity is spiraling upward, momentum is gaining, and your results show the same. In other words you find what you're looking for and get what you find.
So where has your focus been? Has it been on all the negative and bad things you can find? Or, are you focused on hitting your targets and reaching your goals? I struggled a lot for a long time due to my impatience. I'm going to tell on myself a little here. I would get so frustrated when I didn't see results instantaneously. I would think, well I worked so hard what happened? I just wouldn't give anything enough time, I wanted instant gratification. This type of focus won't work.
Only when I created a learning environment, and judged my days by the seeds I sowed, did I begin to see the fruit of my labor through my results. I began to steadily and incrementally increase my power and I learned so much from it.
I do want to add something though. Don't ever forget your loved ones. I know we all want success but burning the candle from both ends will only invite adversity and failure. Balance is key. We all want golden eggs, but you have to take care of the goose to insure more golden eggs. We can leverage our time, energy, and money but once time is gone it's gone forever. Cherish and appreciate it like you do the air you feel in your lungs right now.
The bottom line here is stay a student of life, don't "grow up" so to speak and think you know it all. Keep the mindset of a child, in the sense, that you are going to pour your all into everything, keep things simple, have fun, and love those who love you.
Copyright © 2008 by Dustin Swigart
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