What drives you for success?

Have your achievements been equal to your full potential?

I had the pleasure to listen to a recording of a speech by Brian Tracy given to the Million Dollar Round Table in 1989 titled “Success is a Journey”, where Brian shared an remarkable life story where he, as a young man, set out on an amazing journey to trek from Canada, cross the sea to London, and travel south to Africa. At age 18, in 1963, Brian and a few friends set out to “see the world.” – A journey of about 8,000 miles!

Nothing succeeds like success

Set a goal and stay with it until you achieve success.

What Brian learned on this journey changed his life forever. Please find below my highlights and notes from his talk.

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Set a goal and stay with it until you achieve success. Nothing succeeds like success. You become naturally programed to achieve it. Alternatively, quitting is dangerous. Once you do it, it becomes a habit.

Below are Brian’s learnings from the 500 mile Sahara Desert Crossing, during the ~8,000 mile journey!

1.     Decide upon your goal and then launch. Get Started. Take Action. Do Something. Move. A 12 year study at Babson College concluded the act of taking the first step is what separates the winners from the losers.

2.     Never consider the possibility of failure. Always forward, never backward. Refuse to quit. Your ability to persist in the face of setbacks and disappointments is vital to all great achievement, and it’s always a decision that you make. It’s not the external environment, it’s always the internal environment.

3.     The biggest goal in the world can be accomplished if you just take it one barrel at a time. (Reference to the 500 mile journey across the Sahara Desert where barrels are placed every 5km on the road for directional visibility). Do what lies clearly ahead. The only time you will ever have is NOW. Live every day, every hour the best you can.

4.     Watch out for the naysayers, the negative people around you. Get around positive people, winners. Fly with the eagles and refuse to listen to objections and reasons why you can’t succeed.

5.     Welcome obstacles and difficulties as valuable and inevitable steps on the ladder of success. The difficulties come not to obstruct, but to instruct. They are the price you pay for success. And no success is possible without them.

The Sahara Desert Crossing

Geoffrey Lundy and Brian Tracy

6.     Be clear about your goal and be flexible about the process of achieving it. Be willing to change, try something new. Keep your mind open and fluid. Be willing to accept feedback and adjust your course. It’s not what you have, it’s what you do with what you do have that separates winners from losers. It’s not what happens to you but how you respond to what happens to you that counts.

7.     Nobody does it alone. People help with resources, and especially, warmth, kindness, and generosity. When life is over, it will be the people that we live, laugh, and love with will be what we remember and cherish more than anything else. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, it’s a mark of strength, courage, and character. And give generously of yourself to others. It’s a mark of caring, compassion, and personal greatness.

Brian kept this poem by Robert William Service front of mind during his long journey!

Carry on, my soul! Carry on!

Carry On! Poem by Robert William Service

It's easy to fight when everything's right,

And you're mad with the thrill and the glory;

It's easy to cheer when victory's near,

And wallow in fields that are gory.

It's a different song when everything's wrong,

When you're feeling infernally mortal;

When it's ten against one, and hope there is none,

Buck up, little soldier, and chortle:

Carry on! Carry on!

There isn't much punch in your blow.

You're glaring and staring and hitting out blind;

You're muddy and bloody, but never you mind.

Carry on! Carry on!

You haven't the ghost of a show.

It's looking like death, but while you've a breath,

Carry on, my son! Carry on!

And so in the strife of the battle of life

It's easy to fight when you're winning;

It's easy to slave, and starve and be brave,

When the dawn of success is beginning.

But the man who can meet despair and defeat

With a cheer, there's the man of God's choosing;

The man who can fight to Heaven's own height

Is the man who can fight when he's losing.

Carry on! Carry on!

Things never were looming so black.

But show that you haven't a cowardly streak,

And though you're unlucky you never are weak.

Carry on! Carry on!

Brace up for another attack.

It's looking like hell, but -- you never can tell:

Carry on, old man! Carry on!

There are some who drift out in the deserts of doubt,

And some who in brutishness wallow;

There are others, I know, who in piety go

Because of a Heaven to follow.

But to labour with zest, and to give of your best,

For the sweetness and joy of the giving;

To help folks along with a hand and a song;

Why, there's the real sunshine of living.

Carry on! Carry on!

Fight the good fight and true;

Believe in your mission, greet life with a cheer;

There's big work to do, and that's why you are here.

Carry on! Carry on!

Let the world be the better for you;

And at last when you die, let this be your cry:

Carry on, my soul! Carry on!

Please enjoy hearing about this directly from Brian at the following links and learn more about what Brian is doing today!

Never give up and Never Settle!

 1.  What is a limiting belief?

 A subjective statement about the truth. A limiting belief is a state of mind, conviction, or belief that you think to be true that limits you in some way.

A limiting belief could be about you, your interactions with other people, or with the world and how it works.

There are moments in life when something happens. We make up a story about the why and the what. We start to live as if our story were true. Because we believe they’re keeping us safe.

“Self-esteem is the single most significant key to a person’s behavior.”

~John C. Maxwell

2.  What are some examples of limiting beliefs?

 - I am not good enough

- I am not smart enough

- I am not pretty enough

- I am not strong enough

- I am too young

- I am too old

- I am afraid of failing

- I don’t have the resources

- I am a victim of my circumstances

- I have already tried everything

- It’s selfish of me to want more

- I don’t deserve it

- All the good ones are taken

- I don’t have what it takes

- I am a bad person

- I can’t do that because…

- I am this way because…

- I can’t

- I am just average

- It’s not up to me, so it’s not worth the effort

- It’s not fair

- They are better than me

- No one likes me

- People will judge me

- I don’t want to get hurt

- I should be doing something else instead

- I don’t need this

- Nothing ever goes my way

- I’m having another one of those days

- When it rains, it pours

- I will never get through this

- Failure is in our family DNA

- That’s just the way it is

 3.  Why do we have them and where do they come from?

 ·      Upbringing

o   Most researchers agree that by age six, a person's belief system is fairly well formed. By then, youngsters have a pretty solid idea of what they believe to be right and wrong, fair and unfair, good and bad.

o   By the time you are 17, you’ve heard “No, you can’t” 150,000 times. “Yes, you can” 5,000 times.

·      Environment, Surroundings

o   We are a reflection of the status we are living in

·      Society, Stereotypes

o   Lower class, wrong side of town / state, race, sex, etc.

·      Other’s Opinions

·      Comparison

·      Low Self-Esteem

o   Fear

o   Self-doubt

The truth is, these stories are stopping you from getting the big results you’re looking for! 

Low self-esteem puts a ceiling on our potential.

As we think in our hearts, so we become.

Zig Ziglar said, “It’s impossible to consistently behave in a manner inconsistent with out we see ourselves. We can do very few things in a positive way if we feel negative about ourselves.”

Nathaniel Branden says, “No factor is more important in people’s psychological development and motivation than the value judgements they make about themselves. Every aspect of their lives is impacted by the way they see themselves.”

Nathaniel continues, “If you feel inadequate to face challenges, unworthy of love or respect, unentitled to happiness, and fear assertive thoughts, wants, or needs – if you lack basic self-trust, self-respect, and self-confidence – your self-esteem deficiency will limit you, no matter what other assets you possess.”

The value we place on ourselves is usually the value others place on us.

If you put a small value on yourself, rest assured the world will not raise the price. If you want to become the person you have the potential to be, you must believe you can!

Most people are naturally tempted to settle into a comfort zone where they choose comfort over potential. They fall into familiar patterns and habits, doing the same things in the same way, with the same people, getting the same results. ~John C. Maxwell 

4.  How do we overcome them?

1.     Awareness: Identify the problem (what is the root cause)

a.     In fact, self-awareness is the key predictor in success in life and business and it can be learned

b.     Identify what rituals are keeping you in that place?

2.     Ask yourself: Is this belief serving me or harming me?

3.     Intention: What do you want? (vision, be specific) State: I am NOT THIS belief!

4.     Develop unshakeable self-confidence (what you think about, becomes (e.g. boldness, self-confidence))

Life begins at the end of our comfort zone!

5.     Take back your power

a.     Stop blaming the outside world for your results

“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet” ~Gandhi

6.     Talk to someone about your limiting beliefs

a.     If you want to change your old, limiting story and create new empowering beliefs about yourself, to live a life of flow and inspiration, seek out the help that you need to make this happen for you.

7.     What needs to change? Your attitude. Allow for possibility.

a.     Change the way you think and talk to yourself. Be an encourager to yourself and others.

-       When you do a good job, give yourself a compliment

-       When you choose discipline over indulgence, recognize how you are helping yourself

-       When you make a mistake, don’t bring up everything wrong, tell yourself you are learning and growing. Forgive and move on.

b.     Some examples of positive self-talk

                                               i.     I’ve got this

                                             ii.     I can learn anything

                                            iii.     Nobody outworks me

                                            iv.     I am fearless

                                              v.     I am loved

                                            vi.     I am more than a conqueror

                                           vii.     I am bold and confident

                                         viii.     I am well able

Thoughts => Emotions => Actions => Results

c.     Stop comparing yourself to others. Focus on becoming better today than you were yesterday. Improve and grow.

d.     Develop a clear path of action (set achievable goals (SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound)

                                               i.     Write down 12 goals you want to accomplish in the next 12 months

                                             ii.     Pick your most important and impactful goal

                                            iii.     Create a deadline for that goal

                                            iv.     Make a list of all the things that you need to do to achieve that goal

                                              v.     Commit to working on that goal every single day

                                            vi.     Consistency over time creates a habit, a new positive ritual

e.     Some actions to consider:

                                               i.     Seek a worthy cause

                                             ii.     Be intentional in all aspects of your life

                                            iii.     Eliminate negativity

                                            iv.     Choose who you hang around

                                              v.     Be consistent towards growth

                                            vi.     Add value to others by pursuing love and service to others

                                           vii.     See others as sisters and brothers who complement you

                                         viii.     Take responsibility for your life. We get out of our life what we tolerate.

 “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”

~Franklin D. Roosevelt

You do have value

You can change

You can make a difference

You can learn

You can grow

You can become the person you were created to be

You just have to believe

Keep Focused and move forward  

Action Plan:

I am so happy and grateful now that…

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Never give up and Never Settle!

It has been said that history repeats itself meaning things often happen in the same way as they did before. In the early 1900’s, the 20’s were referred to as the Roaring Twenties. 

According to History.com, “the Roaring Twenties were a period in history of dramatic social and political change. For the first time, more Americans lived in cities than on farms. The nation’s total wealth more than doubled between 1920 and 1929, and this economic growth swept many Americans into an affluent but unfamiliar “consumer society.” People from coast to coast bought the same goods (thanks to nationwide advertising and the spread of chain stores), listened to the same music, did the same dances and even used the same slang! The 1920s were roaring indeed.” 

The ROARING 20’s

Will History Repeat?

How interesting… Are we facing a similar repeat of history a century later? In 2020, we have had several unprecedented and somewhat uncontrollable events occur and are in a forced disruption like no other and massive change is happening! In many areas, the ways of doing things from just a few months ago are now obsolete! We are now Zooming, literally!

What will 2020 be called in the history books to come? Here are a few ideas that came to mind in the theme of the Great R__________.

2020 The GREAT R__________!

• Rebound – spring back from force or impact

• Reset – to set again

• Reinvention – to invent again or anew

• Restoration – bring back into existence

• Resurgence – rise again

• Rejuvenation – to make young again

• Revival – bringing back to life, an awakening

• Renewal – to begin again

• Reboot – new version, new beginning

• Revealer – to make known, disclose, divulge

• R__________?

Only time will tell and we have something to say about it!

When I was 19 and in my first year of college, I faced tragedy on a scale that I never experienced before or since. My father battled cancer in a big way for four years and unfortunately was overcome. During the same timeframe, I lost both my grandmother and grandfather as well from my Mother’s side of the family. These three people were my closest relatives back then. But life didn’t stop. And thank God, neither did I. While I miss my family dearly, I have lived a blessed life and it keeps getting better!

In 2020, we have had a tough start. Many things have not gone in our favor and certainly not as planned. You might say the enemy has taken the lead so far. We are now halfway through the year, how will 2020 end? THE GAME IS NOT OVER!

I love sports! You can have the worst first half of your life and still have a chance to win the game. During my junior year of high school, I was back-up to the starting Quarterback and twice, we were down at halftime against both of our cross-town rivals. I was called into both games late in the third quarter and was fortunate to lead the team to comeback victories in both games. It is an incredible feeling to overcome adversity, great deficit, and claim victory!

Like in sports, life is never about getting knocked down but how we respond. How we get up and what we do then matters most.

My favorite college football team is the Texas Tech Red Raiders. They claim one of the biggest comebacks in bowl history. In the 2006 Insight Bowl, Texas Tech was down 35-7 at halftime against the Minnesota Gophers and even further in the 3rd quarter after Minnesota opened with a field goal. With the score 38-7, Texas Tech’s fast and high scoring offense was about to emerge for full display. The Red Raiders under the leadership of quarterback Graham Harrell tied the game in regulation and then won in overtime. It was an incredible comeback from an overwhelming deficit never been seen before. "We talked at halftime that we had a great opportunity to make history, and the reason people come to Texas Tech is to play all 60 minutes," said Head Coach Mike Leach, who fought back tears during a postgame interview. "Everyone felt like, 'Hey, we're going to win,'" said Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell, who was selected bowl MVP. "If you believe, good things can happen." 

Down 31 Points

Texas Tech Rallies to WIN 44-41

Well, we may not be down 38 points but the enemy is touting an early victory. But what the enemy does not know is we are resilient. We are a determined people and have ALWAYS overcome! We are quick studies and have learned to adapt. We have pivoted our 2020 plans have found new ways to succeed. We are innovative and will not be denied.

Whatever 2020 gets labeled in the future history books, I believe it will be a comeback story! We will overcome and claim the victory!

Pull out your goals, your 2020 Strategy, your values, and get creative! Find a new way to get to your intended destination! Get motivated and let’s win this thing!

Please enjoy some great halftime speeches in the following links.

As Graham Harrell said, "If you believe, good things can happen." 

Never give up, Never Settle and BELIEVE!