Everything happens for a reason

Here is a great article that appeared in Jeff Keller’s newsletter this month. It bears reading every couple of months because the wisdom is incredible.

Would you like to enjoy more success and have less stress in your life? Do you wish that your daily aggravations had less power over you? Would you appreciate some peace of mind?No, you don’t need to find a genie in a bottle to enjoy these spectacular benefits. What you do need, however, is a belief in one key concept — that everything happens for a reason.When I began speaking before groups more than ten years ago, I often asked the members of my audience, “How many of you believe that everything happens for a reason?” Typically, about 25% of the people would raise their hands. Now, when I ask that same question, anywhere from 50% to 80% of the audience answers in the affirmative.

Whether you already believe that things happen for a purpose, or are unsure about this notion, here are some points to consider to get the maximum results from this principle:

1. Don’t curse your present circumstances … or gripe about the past. When we encounter “negative” or stressful situations in our lives, our immediate reaction is to be outraged, frustrated or depressed. This is the start of a downward spiral in which we fill our minds with gloomy thoughts and generate more negative results.

On the contrary, when you believe there’s a purpose for your difficulties, your state of mind is quite different. You realize that your current situation is serving you in some way, whether it’s a turn in the road or a lesson that you can apply at a later date.

2. This principle is not limited to tragedies and problems.

While it’s true that you can find positive aspects to every setback, the idea that everything happens for a reason applies to positive experiences and “neutral” events as well.

For instance, let’s say that you meet someone at a networking meeting. The person holds no special significance to you and doesn’t seem likely to bring you any business.

What you’re not considering are the possible ways that the two of you might help each other in the future.

3. Being passive is not the answer. Just because there is a “reason” for the events that happen to you doesn’t mean you can achieve your goals by sitting back and waiting for success to occur on its own. It’s still up to you to be proactive and make things happen. That requires energy, creativity and, yes, a lot of effort on your part!

4. Recognize the “two way street.” It’s easy to get caught up with the idea that every person you meet has something to contribute to you. That’s true to some extent. But, don’t overlook the fact that there is something for you to impart to others as well!

And, while there are often ways in which each party contributes to the other, there are many instances where it’s not an equal “give and take.” Thus, there are times in a relationship when you may be serving another person more often than you are receiving from them.

5. You are always being directed toward something “better.”

Have you ever been fired from a job … then moved on to find a better career? Or, have you terminated a personal relationship (or been terminated yourself!) … and then met someone who was a far better partner for you?

In both of these instances, life was pushing you toward something that would bring you even more satisfaction. Of course, in all of these situations, you had the option to close off the improved alternative.

For instance, after being fired, you could have complained about the lack of job opportunities. Or, after the relationship ended, you could have concluded that you are “unlucky in love.” Yet, had you taken these approaches, you would have missed the better situation that was just around the corner.

6. You’ll never be able to explain everything. The notion that “everything happens for a reason” will not answer every question that you have about life! On the contrary, although you’ll find that you are better able to understand certain events, there will still be many mysteries that you can’t explain.

There are no coincidences. When you believe this, you’ll enter a new world of possibility. When a problem occurs, instead of crying, “Why Me?” you’ll look for the lesson you can learn, or the opportunity that is on the horizon.

You’ll realize that it makes no sense to argue that something shouldn’t have happened to you. It did happen …

there’s a reason for it … and, if you’re wise, you’ll use it to your advantage!

You can subscribe to Jeff’s outstanding newsletter here….

(c) Attitude is Everything

Persistence is a state of mind

“The person of good and lawful purpose cannot fail. It only needs that he daily renew the fire and energy of his fixed resolve, to consummate his object.” – The Mastery of Destiny

It is the great equalizer for all of those reaching for success.

It overcomes lack of education, money, talent, intelligence, looks and all other seeming advantages. President Calvin Coolidge said nothing could take its place.

“Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

I cannot think of one victory I’ve ever had that I won without persistence. For a while I just thought that I had to work harder and longer than anyone else in order to achieve because nothing has ever come easy for me. Then I really looked around and noticed that everyone else was just like me. Every mentor I’ve ever had and every successful person I’ve ever known has their own story of how persistence was the key to their success.

Here’s what Bob Proctor teaches on one of the Universal Laws called the Law of Gender: “This law decrees that all seeds (ideas are spiritual seeds) have a gestation or incubation period before they manifest. In other words, when you choose a goal or build the image in your mind, a definite period of time must elapse before that image manifests in physical results.”

Coming from a family of six generations of farmers I certainly understand the gestation of a seed. In fact, one of my most favorite inspirational examples about persistence is the story of an Asian Bamboo species that even after five years of watering, weeding and fertilizing is barely visible. Then in a span of about six weeks it grows two and a half feet a day to 90 feet and higher. It grows so fast that you can literally “hear” it growing. The question to ask is did the bamboo grow 90 feet in six weeks or did it grow 90 feet in five years?

Obviously it grew 90 feet in five years, for all the time when growth wasn’t visible it was developing a massive root system that would later support it’s magnificent growth.

Can you see where the current circumstances in your life are developing your massive root system? Can you see where you must continue to “fertilize” and “water” yourself even though maybe you can’t see any visible changes today?

Napoleon Hill thought that persistence was such a key to success that he devoted an entire chapter to it in the classic Think and Grow Rich. He writes, “Persistence is a state of mind, therefore it can be cultivated….Before success comes in any person’s life, he is sure to meet with much temporary defeat, and, perhaps, some failure. When defeat overtakes a person, the easiest and most logical thing to do is to QUIT. That is exactly what the majority of people do. More than five hundred of the most successful people this country has ever known, told the author their greatest success came just one step beyond the point at which defeat had overtaken them.”

And that’s worth thinking about.

Forget the mistakes

“Do not dwell upon the sins and mistakes of yesterday so exclusively as to have no energy and mind left for living rightly today, and do not think that the sins of yesterday can prevent you from living purely today.” – Byways of Blessedness

It’s been said that the majority of conversations by men over 40 are about the past — sometimes it’s about the “good old days” and sometimes it’s about the deals gone bad, the “if I only had” stories, the missed opportunities, etc.

Letting our “sins and mistakes of yesterday” dominate our thinking today robs us of our present joy and our future happiness. It causes us to miss the real opportunity of TODAY!

John Maxwell, in his outstanding best seller, Failing Forward, gives some great practical advice: “To move forward today, you must learn to say good-bye to yesterday’s hurts, tragedies and baggage. You can’t build a monument to past problems and fail forward.

“Take time right now to list the negative events from your past that may still be holding you hostage. For each item you list, go through the following exercise:

1. Acknowledge the pain.
2. Grieve the loss.
3. Forgive the person.
4. Forgive yourself.
5. Determine to release the event and move on.”

Your best days are definitely ahead of you if you treat your “mistakes” as necessary lessons to be learned. If you understand that each lesson brings with it a certain amount of wisdom, you can understand how truly enhanced your life is becoming. Many people can’t achieve the success of their dreams because they won’t leave their past behind. They won’t tear down the monuments they’ve built to their old hurts and problems.

One of my all-time favorite affirmation verses comes from the Apostle Paul who said, “…but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal...” One of the best teachings I ever heard on this was from a motivational speaker whose name has escaped me, but whose message didn’t: “In life there are no mistakes, only lessons.”

And that’s worth thinking about.

3 days with 2 legends

Are you ready to accomplish more in the rest of this year than you have in the last five years — combined! And it’s as easy as “flipping the switch”…when you know which switch to flip.

I’ve been working on this for several years and finally put it together — two living legends who transformed my life and the lives of millions of others around the globe are getting together for the first time. And they’ll show you how to create an action plan that virtually guarantees you will be more, earn more, love more and live more!

Find out how to Claim Your Power Now….