Did you know that some successful people like Olympic athletes hired visualization coaches to help them achieve their dreams? That is because visualization is a super powerful tool that helps high achievers reach their goals. Visualization helps them create their dream lives in their minds. It allows people to believe in this new reality that is manufactured in the mind. This brings about a new level of confidence to accomplish their goals. So, how to start with visualization?
Benefits of Visualization
Visualization is a mental exercise that allows you to focus on the future rather than the now. It makes you imagine a life that you could have. Why is it effective? Well, according to Jack Canfield, a motivational speaker and a co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul; Visualization gives you the following benefits:
1.It Activates Your Creative Subconscious
Did you know that brilliant ideas in the arts, businesses, sciences and other fields all came from the people’s creative subconscious mind? People’s imagination can produce genius thoughts; something that your conscious mind will have a hard time producing. You can get to this state if you find a quiet place to close your eyes and calm your mind. You need to let go of all the stress, worries and all negative emotions.
2.It Programs Your Brain
Instead of focusing on your difficulties, your brain will be reprogrammed to look at solutions. You will be able to readily perceive and recognize the resources available at your disposal. You will be able to find little ways or things that will take you one step closer to your goals.
3. It Activates the Law of Attraction
Since your brain has been reprogrammed to focus on the positive, this activates the law of attraction in your life. You will become a magnet, attracting people, resources and even circumstances and events into your life that will lead you closer and closer to your goals.
4. It Builds Your Internal Motivation
What separates successful people from those who are not is the level of perseverance. All the knowledge, talents and skills in the world are all useless without perseverance. Perseverance is persistence. It is the ability to stand up again when you fall. It is to continue working on one’s goals despite the challenges and difficulties. Visualization builds your internal motivation. It gives you your ‘why’.
How to Start With Visualization
It is easy to start with visualization more so if you understand the benefits behind it. But first, you need to be very clear on what you want. Your goals should be clearly defined. Once you have that figured out, all you need to do is set aside a few minutes of your time. Then sit in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and imagine.
What do you want to achieve?
Where do you want to be in the future?
Imagine the future as VIVID as you can. Imagine as if you are already there. It is a world wherein you are already living your dream life. Include all the details in your visualization. Activate all the five senses. See, hear, feel, taste and smell your ideal future.
Repeat this mental exercise daily. Choose the time of the day where you are most relaxed. That can be either in the morning, as soon as you wake up or at night, before you go to bed.
Sample Visualization
For example, your goal is to have a new car. Before you start your visualization, you need to be very clear first on what car you want, what is the model, the color, etc. Once you figure all these out, you are now ready to start visualizing.
Imagine yourself waking up in the morning, in your room smelling the air. You should be able to smell the morning breeze. Imagine all the details in your room. Then, you stand up and get ready for work.
After taking a bath and dressing up, you now go to the dining room to eat your breakfast. What is the food on the table? Imagine eating and tasting the food on the table.
Once you are done, you are now ready to leave for work. You now stand and get your car keys. What is the logo on the key? What does the car key look like? Imagine holding the car key in your hand.
You can now proceed to go to the garage. There, you see parked in the garage is your car. What is the brand, color and model of the car? You click the car keys to enter the car.
Once you get in, you can smell the interior of the car. You turn on the engine and you leave for work.
On your way to work, you turn on the radio of the car and you listen to music with a smile on your face.
To make it more powerful, it helps to create a vision board. A vision board is a visual representation of every aspect of your dream life. Then, expect amazing results.
Life does not need to be sad, boring, monotonous and depressing. It can be fun, thrilling, exciting and full of magic. It . Magic here means the realization of the impossible and the experience of something new. It is going on new adventures and trying out things you have not tried before. Yes, magic can happen in your life but only if you are open and willing. Here are ways on how to unlock the magic in your life.
1.Dream
Do you remember when you were a child? What was your dream then? What did you want to be when you grow up? A dream is a desire for something new in your life. Many people got trapped in making a living that they forgot their childhood dreams while others are simply scared to dream for fear that it might not come true. But in order to achieve the life that you want, you need to start with a dream. A dream is like a seed that you should plant first in order to succeed.
Everyone has a purpose in life. Your purpose in life is your reason for existence. Having a purpose creates meaning in our life because it influences your behavior and decisions. A purpose also gives you energy everyday. When you wake up in the morning, you know right away that there is something that you need to accomplish.
How to find your purpose? Well, your purpose has something to do with your genius, the unique talents and gifts that you are born with. Unleash the genius within you and you will find your purpose.
3. Try Something New
When was the last time you tried something new? By trying something different, you are going out of your comfort zone. It helps build confidence and boosts creativity. It also helps break the monotony of your otherwise boring life.
Trying something new does not only pertain to crossroads in life. You can also apply it in the little things like trying out a new restaurant or ordering something new on the menu. It can also mean listening to a new genre of music, watching a different show or trying a new activity. This can also be helpful especially when you travel. Going to new places will help you expand your world. It is all about new experiences.
4. Spend Time with Nature
In a world full of worry and stress, spending time with nature can help you recharge. It gives temporary refuge and offers peace and calmness away from the hustle and bustle of city life. It boosts creativity and productivity. A walk in nature is good for both mental and physiological health.
Spend time with nature. Go to the beach. Walk barefoot in the sands. Practice grounding. Climb a mountain. Go to the forest. Play with animals. Watch the sunset.
5. Have Fun
Do you take your life too seriously? When was the last time you had fun? Having fun releases happy hormones like serotonin and endorphins. You will feel good. It relieves stress. It also leads to better relationships with others. Have a good laugh, read and watch happy stuff. Eat good food. Play games. Add fun into your life.
6. Love
Have you ever been in love? When you are in love, you can’t help but think of the other person all the time. You grin absentmindedly. Suddenly, the world seems to be a great place to be in. That’s the magic of falling in love.
There is nothing more magical than love. Nothing.
-Ymatruz
So, what are you waiting for? Put magic into your life. Open that magic shop.
Are you happy and content about where you are in your life right now? What aspect of your life do you want to improve? What dimension of your overall wellnessdo you wish to become better? If you are having problems right now, the good news is that you can actually reset your life or just a specific aspect of your life but you must be willing to make some changes. It won’t be possible if you keep on doing the same things over and over again. So, are you willing to take the reset your life challenge?
The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.
– Albert Einstein
1. Assessment
To improve on any aspect of your life, the first step is assessment. Find out where you are right now in terms of your physical health, emotions, finances, relationships or any other aspect of your life. The only way to go forward is to honestly assess your current state.
2. Be responsible
You are where you are right now because of you alone. You are having problems with your physical health because you have not been taking care of your body. A healthy immune system can fight off any diseases or viruses. Your finances are in a mess because you have not been taking care of them. It is the same in every aspect of your life that is failing. It is not because of your parents, your boss, the government or anything. It is all a product of all the decisions you have made in the past. So, stop blaming others. Instead, be responsible for your life. Stop blaming others. The sooner you will accept responsibility for your life, the sooner you will be able to take control of your future.
You are what you are today because of the choices you made in the past.
– Jim Rohn
3. Visualization
The next step is to figure out where you want to go. How do you see yourself in the future? What is your ideal life? Visualize yourself living that ideal life. You don’t have to worry about whether it is possible or not. That is what dreams are for. In fact, the bigger the dream, the better. It helps to start by creating your own bucket list.
4. Creation of Goals
Now, it is time to create a bridge between your present life and your ideal life. The only way to do that is to make a connection between the past and the present through goal formation. Goals are supposed to be SMART. That’s the only way to achieve them.
5. Launch
Once you have concrete plans, the next thing to do is launch. The sooner you implement your plans, the sooner you can achieve that better life. What are you waiting for? Start now and look forward to a better tomorrow. When the clock strikes zero o’clock later, it is a promise of not just a new day but a new life.
6.Persevere
Once you start, learn to persevere. Perseverance means having the determination to continue despite all the obstacles and challenges that come your way. Don’t quit. Never give up.
What is your dream life? How will you describe your perfect spring day? If you want to have a better life, you must always start with defining your goals and dreams. Once you have figured out what you want, then you are now ready to pursue your dreams. However, pursuing dreams and goals is never easy. You need to focus. You also need to persevere. It helps if you have passion for what you are doing. To have a clear idea on what it takes to achieve your goals, take inspiration in these some Korean dramas about pursuing dreams.
Dream high is about a group of young talented kids who entered the toughest art school in the country in order to achieve their dreams. It is a story of growing up, friendships and competitions among peers. It is about dedication and passion for the arts. Most importantly, it is about the desire to be successful in their chosen fields.
Unlike the rest of the dramas where people had to start from the bottom to achieve their dreams, the dramas Dr. Romantics 1 and 2 are different in the sense that the leads are already doctors. However, something happened in their lives that got them reassigned to a small unknown hospital in the countryside. There, they met Dr. Kim, a genius surgeon who became their mentor. Dr. Kim helped them achieve their dreams of becoming better doctors. In addition, they also become better persons in the process.
Pursuing dreams is always a challenge. More so, if you have to start at the bottom. If you love stories about underdogs, then Itaewon class is for you. An ex-convict, sociopath, transgender, gangster, illegitimate son and a foreigner teams up together to open a bar in Itaewon. These misfits were able to overcome challenges together and rose to become the biggest in the food industry in the country. It shows the importance of a dream team in achieving success in life.
The Last Empress is a fictional drama set in a premise of a modern-day South Korea under a constitutional Korea. It is about a man who wants to find out the reason for his mother’s death and vows to take down the corrupt monarchy. Although the goal of revenge is something that should not be advocated, the drama shows how a weak person can rise to become a palace bodyguard who will be responsible in bringing about justice to a lot of people.
This drama is about the lives of young individuals struggling in the world of entertainment. Known as the most cutthroat industry, it is notoriously hard to break and become a success in the entertainment industry. Find out how three ambitious young people from different social classes navigate their way in the industry to pursue their dreams.
Although it is a sad story that shows the dark and corrupt side of the law, Remember: War of the Son is a story of a 22-year old man whose main goal is to prove the innocence of his father. He becomes a lawyer in order to achieve his goal. It is a courtroom suspense drama that will bring tears and some laughter in your eyes.
Revolutionary love is the story of a prodigal son who was able to rise above his sheltered and privileged life to become an advocate for workers’ rights in their own company. Although he started not knowing what he wants in life, he was able to find love and purpose in the story.
Start-up is drama about the challenges and struggles in putting up a start-up company. It shows how young individuals work together in order to achieve their dreams. The drama also shares business lessons for young entrepreneurs who are starting their businesses.
The Entertainer is about a man who is already on top of his field as a music producer and talent manager who gave it all up to start his own business only to end up losing everything. It is a story of how he was able to get back right up on his feet and restart pursuing his dreams again. You will also see the character development of the main protagonist from an arrogant jerk to a respectable and kind-hearted person. The drama depicted how every adversity can make a person change for the better.
10. WWW
WWW is all about girl power. The three female leads have very strong characters. They are focused, strong-willed and successful in their own careers. It is not so much about romance but rather the advancement and job security of women in their professions. it is all about women empowerment in the workforce.The drama is a realistic portrayal of women trying to pursue their dreams in their professional lives in a male-dominated society.
Have you ever been to any Disneyland park around the world? If you have been there, you will probably agree that there is something magical about the place. A Disney experience is such an emotional experience. It is like being in a world of imagination where everything is joyful and blissful. It magnifies all your senses. Minus the crowd and the long lines, Disneyland will make you feel like a child again, full of laughter and dreams. Disneyland truly deserves the title as the “happiest place on earth”. But did you know that everything that you see and feel in the Disney parks all started in the imagination of one man? Yes, millions of people around the world can feel and experience the Disney magic today because one man was able to dream it and visualize it. It’s all thanks to Walt Disney. Take some inspiration on some life-changing lessons from Walt Disney.
The Story of Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney, popularly known as Walt Disney, was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois. He was one of five children. At a tender age of seven, he already started working. To help his family make ends meet, he worked as a newspaper boy. While in high school, he attended the night classes of the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. At 16 years of age, he joined the American Red Cross as an ambulance driver in France, after being rejected by the army for being underage during the first World War.
After the war, he became a night watchman. While working he began drawing animals at night. Although he wanted to become an actor at first because of his love for Charlie Chaplin, he opted to become a newspaper cartoonist instead. After his own cartoon “Laugh-O-Gram” became popular, he was able to acquire his own studio that produced a seven-minute live action and animation called Alice in Cartoonland. However, the studio went bankrupt after a few years in operation.
After some time, Walt, and his brother Roy decided to move to Hollywood to start anew. There, they created a character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit together with cartoonist, Ub Iwerks. They were then able to strike a deal to have their cartoons distributed. Unfortunately, the rights to their cartoons were stolen by the New York Distributor.
The Birth Of Mickey Mouse
Out of desperation, they produced a new cartoon based on a character named Mickey Mouse. The audience was not impressed but the team did not give up. On the third animated film, Steamboat Willie, Mickey Mouse became an instant hit!
In 1929, Disney introduced Mickey’s friends – Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto. In 1937, the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was shown in movie theatres. The movie earned $8 million dollars despite the Great Depression happening at that time. The film made Walt Disney a millionaire.
The Birth of Disneyland
Despite the financial success brought about by the film production company, in Walt Disney’s mind, he still envisions an imaginary world of fairy tales. Unfortunately, investors were wary. Even his brother Roy, did not support him with his new idea. Still, Walt Disney persisted. After being turned down 302 times, he finally got financing for his dream in creating the Walt Disney World.
In 1955, the first Disneyland Theme Park opened in Anaheim, California. Today, there are 14 Disney Theme Parks around the world: 2 in California, 4 Disney parks and 2 water parks in Florida, 2 in Tokyo, 2 in Paris, 1 in Hong Kong and 1 in Shanghai. As of 2018, about 726 million accumulated visitors were recorded to have visited the Disney parks since they opened.
Life-Changing Lessons from Walt Disney
Walt Disney’s life story is so inspiring that there are so many life-changing lessons the we can learn and apply in our lives:
1.Nothing is Impossible
Walt Disney grew up in poverty but this did not stopped him from reaching his dreams. If he just accepted his circumstances back then, then he would have not been able to inspire millions of people around the world today.
If you are born poor, it’s not your mistake, but if you die poor it’s your mistake.
– Bill Gates
2.Stand Up After Failure
Walt Disney did not just fail once or twice. He failed multiple times on his businesses. He also was rejected 302 times before he was able to secure funding for Disneyland. What is inspiring is how he was able to stand up despite all the failures and rejections. How about you? Did you give up the first time? The second time? How about after 50 failures and rejections? How about 100? 200? Will you be able to go on? It takes a lot of courage and perseverance to be able to do what he did.
Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall.
– Confucius
3. Do What You Love
One of the reasons why Walt Disney stayed motivated and did not give up was because he followed his passion. It will be very difficult to continue doing what you are doing if you do not love what you are doing. Passion is your key to success. Why do you think the likes of Bill Gates, Kobe Bryant and BTS are so successful in their own fields? What’s the rule of success that these people followed?
4. Believe in Yourself
Although the odds were not on his favor, Walt Disney believed that he can do it. During that time, the first world war had just ended. And remember that it was also the time of the Great Depression. It is quite similar to what is happening right now. People lost their jobs and the world economy was in recession. They just emerged from the flu pandemic that affected one third of the world’s population. Yet, he believed in the power of his dreams.
5. Visualization Works
Everything that you see and experience in Disneyland today started on Walt Disney’s imagination. He was able to imagine a whole new world on his mind. In fact, every man-made thing that you see around you started on one’s person’s imagination. That’s how powerful the mind is. As what Walt Disney believed, if you can see it in your mind, you can do it. Pursue your dreams and turn them into reality.
All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.
-Walt Disney
Updated version. First published in Pinoy Smart Living on 09.06.2018.
What’s your dream? if you ask young children, more often than not, they will tell you exactly what they want in life. Unfortunately, as people grow older, our dreams and goals become less clear. We get caught up trying to make a living. We are also heavily influenced by society that we ended up losing ourselves in the process. A lot of people nowadays don’t even know what they want. If adults are lost, how do you expect your children, especially the teenagers, to know what they want? Thus as parents, it is important to know how to help your children achieve their dreams.
Big Dreams
While young, have you noticed that children have big dreams? Their dreams have no limitations and restrictions. For them, anything is possible, But as they grow older, their dreams tend to become more conservative and realistic. Gone were the the grand dreams. Some even forget their dreams totally. So, what happened? Where did all the big dreams go?
Role of Parents
As parents, you have great control and influence of your children’s dreams, more than you think you have. What they will believe to be attainable or not are all dependent on what you believe as parents to be possible and impossible. Parents are the children’s inspiration and motivation in life. We are their role models. If you think that your child’s dreams are unrealistic, your child will grow up believing that his/her dreams are simply unattainable. Your negative thinking will greatly influence your child’s thinking. Your mindset affects the direction of both your life and your child’s life.
Supporters
Your role as parents is to support them with their dreams. Believe in them. Everyone has a purpose in life. Everyone is a genius. Your role is to find your child’s genius.
When is your child happy?
What’s his/her talents?
What is he good at?
What activities does he/she like the most?
Observe your children’s interests. Pay attention to the skills that they are good at. Then do your homework. Research about their dreams. Maybe you can afford to enroll them in specialize classes about their interests. You can also help document their dreams. For example, it is so common for teachers in kindergarten to ask children to draw what they want to be when they grow up. Why not keep that paper and file it so that you can show it to your child when he/she grows up? There are so many little things that you can do that can help your child achieve their dreams.
Stewards
Many parents keep on forgetting that it is not about them. So, they ended up forcing their children to fulfill their unfulfilled dreams. When in fact, parents do not own their children. Parents are just stewards. Parents are entrusted with the responsibility of looking after their children until they are ready to stand on their own. Thus, parents are managers not owners. Children should have the right to choose their own future.
When you become a parent, it’s not all about you anymore.
– Carre Otis
Role Models
Since very young, children look for someone to imitate. Most of the time, the parents are the closest people that they grow up with. Subconsciously, children grow up imitating their parents. Thus, it is not enough for parents to give guidelines verbally. How a parent acts and behaves are more important than the verbal teachings. A positive role model is a powerful way to influence children in achieving their goals.
Parents must lead by example. Don’t use the cliche; do as I say and not as I do. We are our children’s first and most important role models.
– Lee Haney
No More Dream
What if the children grew up to be unmotivated, or worse, have no more dream despite the parent’s support? This can cause a lot of stress for parents. Of course, parents want their children to have big goals and dreams. Unfortunately, because of the dictates of society or several other factors such as hanging out with the wrong sets of friends; a child can grow up with no dream. If this happens, know that It’s okay. You don’t have to force it right away. it will come in time. But it doesn’t mean that you cannot do anything about it.
New Perspective
Have you heard of the gap year? Others call it the sabbatical year. It is basically a year or semester break before or after college. The purpose is for the student to learn a different perspective in life. The student can go traveling, learn something new, volunteer, get a job or do anything that is different from his/her regular routine.
If a gap year is not feasible, you can opt to make them attend a seminar, watch an inspiring video, read a book or find them a mentor. The key is to help them get a new perspective in life, a different way of looking at things. It is difficult to know what you want if you are subjected to the same routine and environment over and over again.
In a nutshell, the only way to help your children to achieve their dreams is to let them create and allow them to follow their own dreams. Respect their individuality. Refrain from enforcing your own dreams and don’t let them fall prey to society’s expectations. Trust that they can do it. Your belief in them can take them places.
Feeling lost in life? Then, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is for you. One of the best-selling books of all time, the Alchemist is about the story of a young shepherd boy, Santiago and his quest to find treasures in the pyramids. The story is more than just your typical fiction stories. It is a philosophical book that will give you a better understanding of what life truly is all about. It is about listening to your heart, chasing your dreams and pursuing your destiny. There are so many powerful and valuable life lessons from The Alchemist that every person should read this book at least once in their life.
Here are 10 Valuable Life Lessons I’ve learned The Alchemist.
1. Life is Continuous Learning
Life is a continuous learning process. We can only grow us a person if we broaden our horizon and discover new things. Santiago knew this. Although a shepherd boy, Santiago loves to read books. He was able to dream of faraway places because he read about them.
Santiago also listens and seeks advice from people who are smarter than him. Throughout his journey, he met people along the way that served as his mentors– the king, the merchant, the Englishman and the alchemist.
Sadly, many people stopped learning after school. That is the reason why they got stuck in life. Others are too proud to ask advice from others. They think they know everything. The moment you think that you know everything is the start of your downfall.
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
– Socrates
Santiago also learns from experience. His quest for the treasure was not smooth sailing. He made mistakes along the way but he learned from them.
There are so many valuable lessons to be learned throughout your life’s journey. Master the lesson. If you think that you have the same problem over and over again, that is because you have not learned the lesson yet. This applies in all aspects of your life whether it be your finances, career, health and even your relationships. Learn the lesson from past events, apply it and move on.
2. Always Look at the Bright Side
Santiago always find the good things in a bad situation no matter how big or small it is. Instead of complaining about how he had to carry the weight of his jacket in the heat of the sun, he remembered how that jacket kept him warm during winter nights. Likewise, he could have wallowed in self-pity when he lost everything in Africa; but he chose to change his perspective. Instead of looking at himself as a victim, he looked at himself as an adventurer in a foreign country.
In both cases, notice that both situations can be viewed negatively. But Santiago chose to look at them differently. Instead of of the negative, he looked for the positive. It is all about themindset.
3. Follow your Dreams
Ever since Santiago was a child, he wanted to travel the world. His parents wanted him to become a priest. Rather than adhering to his parents’ wishes, he summoned enough courage to talk to his dad to tell him that he wants to do something else in life. Instead of becoming a priest, Santiago decided to become a shepherd so he can travel.
That’s the problem with most of us. We become victims of other people’s definition of success. We follow a different path because that is what our family and society expected from us. As a result, we lost track of our destiny. What used to be very clear when we were young seems to be impossible when we grow up.
The thing is no matter how successful we become with our chosen path, there will always be a feeling of emptiness. You will never be truly happy if you are not doing your purpose in life. Destiny is what you always want to accomplish. If you feel that something is lacking despite having everything, that is life’s way of telling you that you are not doing what you were born to do.
Follow your passion. Wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. Pursue your destiny if you don’t want to spend the rest of your life with regret.
4. Give 10 Percent
Giving a tenth of your income to others is a form of gratitude to God for all the blessings that we have received. We have an obligation to share a portion of what we have. The only way for us to receive more blessings is when we learn to give first. Don’t promise to give what you don’t have yet. If it is hard for you to give when you have little, it will be harder to share when you have more. Give 10% of what you have right now.
5. The Simplest Things in Life are the Most Extraordinary
The secret to happiness is to be able to appreciate the beauty of your day to day life. It is seeing the wonders of the world and the beauty of the little things that we normally take for granted like the flowers, the scenery and the people around us.
Take pleasure in the simple things.
Happiness is never about the destination but rather it is about enjoying the journey. Each day matters. Every second counts. Learn to love everyday. Show the people around you how much you care. It’s all about mindfulness.
Towards the end of our life, the simple things like the time we spend with our family is what truly matters. True happinessboils down to the quality of our relationship with others. It is best that you cherish every moment while you still can.
6. Negative Things Happen in Life Because They Prepare our Spirit and our Will
Bad things happen to everyone, even to good people. These things happen not because we are being punished but because they are necessary for our growth. The pain that we experience in our lives actually prepares our spirit and our will in realising our destiny.
The road to the fulfilment of our dreams is never easy. There will be bumps along the way. Sometimes, we will be forced to make detours. We need to make some adjustments but the destination remains the same. The important thing is to keep on going forward. Once we have succeeded in overcoming life’s challenges, we become better persons.
You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.
– Steve Jobs
The roadblocks that we will encounter are all part of a master plan. They all happened for a reason. It is difficult to understand at the moment but everything will make sense once you have found your treasure.
7. When you Want Something, All the Universe Conspires in Helping you Achieve it
Have you heard of The Secret? The Secret is actually the Law of Attraction. It states that if you really want something and you focus your thoughts on that, the universe will give it to you.
This belief system has been mentioned several times throughout the book, that there is a force out there that guides us. Whether you call it God, the Universe or the Soul of the World; that force is always nearby especially to those who wants to realise their destinies.
We should learn to recognise the omens or the signs and follow them. Sometimes, it appears as a solution or an idea. Sometimes, it presents itself as a direct message from somebody whom you are having a conversation with. Remember, there is no such thing as coincidence. There is a reason why you bumped into an old friend or why you are reading this article right now. We have to listen to what the universe is telling us. We also need to listen inward to our intuition.
In the same way, that if you think that the world is out there to get you, negative things will start happening your way. Thus, you have to be careful of what you think and what you say. In the story, when the monk told the alchemist that his payment goes well beyond his generosity; the alchemist quickly told the monk not to say it because life is listening. What the alchemist meant was that the universe responds to thoughts; thus, the monk might receive less next time.
There were numerous times when Santiago could have just given up, when he lost everything in Africa, when he had enough money to go back to Andalusia after working for the merchant or when he met Fatima in the desert oasis; but still he persevered.
Your treasure can only be uncovered after a series of tests. The closer you get to your dreams, the harder it will become. It takes a lot of courage, patience and persistence to finally be able to achieve your destiny.
9. Success Happens Outside your Comfort Zone
Santiago was already traveling as a shepherd boy but he sold his flock of sheep to go to Africa. After a year in Africa, he already earned enough money to either stay there or to go back to Andalusia but he chose to go to the desert. While in the desert oasis, Santiago had met the love of his life and earned the respect of the community but still, he opted to continue his quest for the treasure.
In all three scenarios, Santiago was already successful and comfortable with his life but he gave them all up to continue his journey and pursue his destiny. Just what do you think would have happened in the story if he decided to stay in his comfort zone. Do you think, he would have found his treasure?
In reality, many people don’t like change or are scared of change. As much as we want to pursue our dreams, we are more scared of disappointment. We are scared that we might lose everything that we have worked for if we are going to start anew. We would rather stay in our comfort zone. This is the reason why people get stuck in life whether it is a bad relationship or a job that they don’t like. Fear is one of the biggest obstacles that is keeping us from achieving our dreams.
10. Everyone has His Own Destiny
If a person is successful in one area, it does not mean that you too will be successful in that same area. It is because each person has his own destiny to fulfil. His way is not the same as yours. So, don’t compare yourself with others.
No matter who we are, everyone has a central role to play in the history of the world. Each one of us is unique. Embrace your uniqueness. As the Englishman said, we all can’t become alchemist, otherwise, gold will lose its value.
Good luck on your journey and I hope you find your treasure!
First published in Pinoy Smart Living on 08.24.2018
Feature Image from Free Image and mbll from Pixabay Images.
Have you noticed that a lot of people are selling online right now? It seems that a great deal of people turned to online selling as a way to survive this economic crisis. Whether it is simply just a craze or it is something that is going to be part of the new normal, one thing is for sure, only a few will emerge successful after some time. If you are an online seller, do you want to know what your key to success is? Passion is your key to success.
What Not To Pursue
A craze is something that became extremely popular but for a limited period of time. The common mistake of people is that everybody wants to join the craze. They want to make it big, and they think that joining the bandwagon is the answer. However, just because your friend was successful in pursuing the craze, it does not mean you will too. Don’t just follow what everyone else is doing.
What To Pursue
While dreams, discipline, hard work, intelligence, luck and persistence may be factors to success; they are not the key ingredient. The most important factor to success is passion. Do you want to be successful in your career or your business? Find your passion. Do you want to be successful as an online seller? Then, sell something that is related to your passion. For example, if you enjoy baking, then sell baked products.
What is Passion
Passion is a strong feeling of enthusiasm for something. Several studies suggest that rich people became rich because they follow their passion. According to Thomas C. Corley, best-selling author of the book Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals:
96% of the poor or average people don’t like what they are doing while
86% of the rich like what they are doing.
The point is if you love what you are doing, you will spend more time doing it. Enthusiasm is very powerful. Even if you encounter lots of obstacles ahead of you, you will still continue doing it because you love doing it. The more you do it, the more you will be better at it. The better you are at your work, the better you will get paid for it.
Malcolm Gladwell on his book Outliers: The Story of Success states that highly successful individuals spent at least 10,000 hours honing their craft. Imagine spending 10,000 hours doing something that you don’t like? That will be very difficult if not impossible. It is a totally different story if it is your passion.
In the Forbes list of billionaires, majority of them got to where they are right now by doing what they love.
Bill Gates loved computer programming since the age of 13. He excelled in Math and Science. Although he enrolled in Harvard University, he had a hard time keeping up with school work because he spend most of his time in his computer than in class. He eventually dropped out of school, pursued his passion and ended up building the world’s largest software business, Microsoft.
Elon Musk is so passionate about rockets and space exploration. He became an engineer, an industrial designer and technology entrepreneur. He is now working to revolutionize transportation both here on earth and space through his companies, Tesla and SpaceX.
Warren Buffet started investing in the stock market at a very young age. When asked in a recent interview what is the secret to his success, he answered, “I found what I love to do very early…when I was seven or eight years old I knew that his particular game really, really intrigued me.” He pursued his love for investment from then on which lead him to where he is today.
Amancio Ortega started his life in poverty. He left school to work as delivery boy at a shirt maker in their town at the age of 14. He then worked his way up to become an assistant to the tailor then later a designer. Mr. Ortega pursued his passion until he was able to buy his own factory. Today, his high street clothes Zara is world famous.
Do something you are very passionate about and don’t try to chase what is kind of the hot passion for the day.
– Jeff Bezos
The road to success is never easy. Having dreams alone is not enough. You will fail many times over before you can get it right. To make it easier, your goals should always be in line with your passion.
If your dream is to become rich for example, you will never become rich just by dreaming alone. Little steps are needed to lead you closer to your dream one step at a time. Just because a person became successful in a specific field does not necessarily mean you will also become successful in the same path. Always remember that your key to success if your passion. Do something that you love. Your passion or interests will keep you going and ultimately will lead you to your dream.
Updated version. First published in Pinoy Smart Living on 04.12.2019
How is your year going so far? How are you progressing in your plans for this year? Maybe you need to adjust your plan. Maybe you need to make new plans. A plan is an important part to your success. It serves as a road map to guide you towards your goals.
If you do not have one yet or you need to make changes to a current plan, here are some tips on how to do it.
Define
First, you need to decide what your goals are. You can start by defining your goals for each aspect of your life. Ask yourself these questions:
Where am I in each aspect of my life right now?
What do I want to achieve in this aspect of my life?
How can I improve this aspect of my life?
Why do I want to achieve this goal for this aspect of my life?
How does this goal benefit other aspects of my life?
If these questions don’t work, then try to use your imagination. Ask yourself:
How does it feel like to have a successful life?
What does it look like to be the successful version of me?
What are the things that I do when I have become a successful person?
You can put your goals on a vision board to remind you of your goals daily. You will end up with several goals but you will need to prioritize. Decide which aspect of your life you need to take action on right now and which can follow later. Focus on 2-3 key areas so you don’t get overwhelmed. Remember, you’re taking baby steps to improve your life so choose the top 2 or 3 for now.
Divide
Now that you have your goals, you also need to define the milestones for each goal. These become your smaller goals which you can divide according to a schedule. For example:
Long-term goal – the major goal that you need to accomplish in a year, or 3 years.
Medium-term goal – the smaller goal that you need to accomplish in 3 or 6 months time to help you get closer to the long-term goal.
Short-term goal – the even smaller goal that you need to accomplish each week or even daily so you can reach your medium-term goal.
When creating these goals, be sure to follow theS.M.A.R.T. method of goal-setting. This way, you can ensure that your goals are realistic and can be accomplished in a specific period of time.
Give yourself space to adjust to the new schedule. Don’t expect that you can just do it right away or perfectly each time. You’re the one setting your target dates so don’t be too stringent on yourself but don’t be too easy on yourself either.
Dedicate
You have your goals and you have a schedule on how to accomplish them. It’s time to put the effort into getting things done.
The short-term goals can be considered practice. These help to set you up for the medium-term goals and so on. Your short-term goals may consist of daily tasks that you have to learn to do consistently. Dedicate yourself to this and try not to miss a day.
You’re trying to discipline yourself into your new routine but don’t be too hard on yourself. If you miss a day, don’t beat yourself up about it and just resolve to do better the next day. You don’t want to burn out while trying to accomplish the goal. Of course, don’t forget to have fun while dedicating yourself to your goals.
Debug
While you’re trying to accomplish your goals, you may find out that some things don’t work well for you or don’t suit you. This shouldn’t stop you from going forward in your goals. This is the debugging process where you work out the kinks in your plan to make it easier for you to accomplish them.
For example, if you find out that exercising in the morning doesn’t work for you, then reschedule it for the afternoon or evening. Just replace your morning schedule with something else on your daily goals.
You will find that you need to do this constantly for your short-term goals. That’s why it is important to incorporate some time for adjustment when setting your goal targets. You may even need to reset your target date for some goals and that is just fine.
You can use this method for whatever goals you have, big or small, and in whatever path you are in your journey to success. The important thing to remember when planning for success is to be consistent. Keep showing up to accomplish your plan starting with your daily habits.
Don’t be too hard on yourself when you fail at times. Accept that some things won’t work out; try a different approach until it works out for you and keep moving forward.
Who you are tomorrow begins with what you do today.
– Tim Fargo
Dreaming of a better tomorrow? Then, start doing things today. Don’t wait until tomorrow to get things done. Remember that every little thing you do today will affect your life in the future. If you are not doing something towards your goal, how do you expect to get there in the first place?
Success is the sum of all the little things that you do consistently daily.
It is so easy to procrastinate. However, each day you waste will only delay your success. So, stop wasting your days.
Start with a vision. You will not be able to get anywhere if you don’t have a clear idea on where you want to go in the first place. Once you are clear with what you want, write them down and create your own bucket list. Your list will serve as your daily guide. It will help you make better decisions in life. It will also help you stay on track towards achieving your goals.
Remember also that there is a season for everything. Don’t expect immediate results. You don’t plant seeds today and expect to harvest tomorrow. Everything takes time. You need patience and perseverance to get to your goals.
Success takes time. Keep Going. – Neil Patel
Join us this month as we guide you in redesigning your life for a better tomorrow starting today.
Edited version. First published in Pinoy Smart Living on 11.30.2018
