I was inspired by American Top 40 Countdown. You might have heard of the band Lady Antebellum (Yes, it is a band, not a person). Nevertheless, there is a lady in the band: Hillary Scott.
Hillary failed twice at American Idol. Yes, she tried and did not make it past the first-stage auditions.
So she tried again. And the second time, she also failed to make it past the first-stage auditions.
Don’t worry, Hillary. You join a n auspicious line of “losers”, including Abraham Lincoln:
Started a business – bankrupt.
Ran for state legislature – lost.
Applied to law school – rejected.
Started a business – bankrupt.
Ran for state legislature again – won.
Engaged when his sweetheart died – heart broken.
Had nervous breakdown – bed-ridden for six months.
Ran for speaker of the state legislature – lost.
Ran for elector – lost.
Ran for Congress – lost.
Ran for Congress again – won.
Ran for re-election to Congress – lost.
Sought the job of state land officer – rejected.
Ran for Senate of the United States – lost.
Sought Vice-Presidential nomination – lost.
Ran for U.S. Senate again – lost.
Elected president of the United States.
And Canada’s John Diefenbaker:
Moved to Wakaw to practice law – locals refused to rent him office space.
Ran for village council – won.
Ran for Parliament – lost.
Ran for Parliament again – lost.
Ran for provincial legislature – lost.
Ran for mayor of Prince Albert – lost.
Elected provincial party leader by default (nobody else wanted the job)
Ran for Premier – lost and lost his seat.
Ran for Parliament – won.
Ran for federal party leader – lost.
Ran for federal party leader – won.
Ran for Prime Minister – and won three consecutive elections.
If the title made you think post is more exciting than most…you’re right. Because a song and dance is always exciting.
In one of my my girls’ dance classes, they are rehearsing some of the numbers form Annie, the musical. The other day, one of them was playing some of the music, and I heard for the first time one of the songs they are NOT dancing to: You’re never fully dressed without a smile!
Who cares what they’re wearing
On Main Street,
Or Saville Row,
It’s what you wear from ear to ear
And not from head to toe
(That matters)
So, Senator,
So, Janitor,
So long for a while
Remember,
You’re never fully dressed
Without a smile!
Annie is a pretty popular musical, so I know many of our readers will be familiar with this one, but it is a wonderfully upbeat song to enjoy one more time. And if you are like me and have never seen Annie, I hope you will enjoy this for the first time.
Ali was not only one of the greatest boxers the world has ever known but he is also known as an incredibly inspiring human being. He was also known for his pre-match hype, where he would “trash talk” opponents on television and in person some time before each match, often with rhymes. These personality quips and idioms, along with an unorthodox fighting technique, made him a cultural icon. Below I will list some of his most inspiring quotes and how important they can be to the person who takes heed.
1… Fake it until you believe it.
“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was”
I’m sure you have heard the “fake it till you make it” phrase before. How you hold yourself and what you say to yourself has a dramatic affect on how others see you and how your mind perceives your environment.
When you are out and about in the world today, hold your head up, pull your shoulders back and speak with clarity. By purposely and consciously acting how you would like to feel, your body and mind will begin to follow the lead you set out before hand. Also, the people you meet will treat you the way they perceive you, thus, reinforcing into your mind the outcome you set out to from the start.
If you want to feel more confident, in control and you want others to see you that way, then fake it. Inside, you might be nervous at first but others will not notice this as they will only be focused on what their eyes can see.
“I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest”
2… Short term pain for long term gain.
“I hated every minute of training, but I said, “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.”
Everything we do in life has consequences and more often than not we tend to opt for the easiest solution ahead of persevering in the face of resistance. Our bad habits are a perfect example of this lesson because they give us instant gratification and yet we never focus on the long term effects they may cause.
It becomes very easy to choose between what makes us feel good now as opposed to what will make us feel good in the future. Take a look at the choices you make each day and ask yourself if you are simply choosing instant gratification over long term pleasure. Most don’t want to put in the effort today because the results may take some time to manifest.
I am all for living in the moment but there are certain seeds that need to e planed today for the to harvest tomorrow.
3… Nobody knows you better than you know yourself.
“I know where I’m going and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I’m free to be what I want.”
No one can accuse Ali of being a person who lived his life on others terms. What about you? Are you living your life on your own terms? Have you made choices in the past because of what others expected of you and continue to do so?
I made the decision some time ago to live my life on my own terms. I left an extremely well paid job after 12 years because I simply didn’t enjoy it anymore. It was a big decision at the time and I had to listen to my friends and family tell me how I was making a huge mistake in doing so. If I would have listened to them then I would be as miserable now as I was then. It was the best decision I ever made and I couldn’t be happier with my decision.
Most often the time is never right and you just have to go for it. I truly believe that things will always work out for the best in the end if you are willing to fly in the face of adversity, make a decision that feels right and stick with it.
4… You are so talented.
“It’s lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself”
Nothing is impossible if you have faith in yourself…nothing. I have found the biggest problem that people have is doubting themselves and their abilities. I have also realized that your mind is the great trickster. How many times have you doubted your ability to accomplish something and avoided the task altogether. Stop listening to useless thoughts created in your mind that limit your growth. You are not your mind, and doubting yourself is absolutely useless because it is absolute lies.
You have enough ability to last you 100 lifetimes but you may never believe it if you give power to the thoughts that limit you. Believe me when I tell you this, you have the power to either entertain or dismiss any thought that enters your mind. Your mind is always thinking, remembering, fantasizing and forever creating stories based upon the information you subject it to. Start to believe in your abilities and begin to discard the negative useless thoughts that limit you.
“It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen”
5… Does life just happen to you?
“The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life”
If we do not consciously create the life we want for ourselves then we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over until the lesson is learned. Your life will change as the years go by but will it be because you took control and made the effort to consciously change your life, or will you leave it up to life to do the changing for you.
I have met many people who are not living up to even close to what they are capable of. The worse thing is that they don’t make any effort whatsoever to change their circumstances. They obviously want to have a better life, but it’s as if they’re hoping things will magically get better for them further down the line.
Take an inventory of your life up till this point and ask yourself if you are in the same situation, physically, mentally and emotionally as you where last month, year or even decade. Then ask yourself if your life is being played out on automatic pilot.
Imagine a public relations firm whose philosophy is “tell the truth at all costs”. Not possible? Not for Mark Demoss, founder of PR firm the Demoss Group. He created exactly that.
His book The Little Red Book of Wisdom contains boulders of practical guidance packaged in interesting, nugget-sized chapters. Half of the book specifically addresses the business world and the second half covers personal matters a refreshing change from the typical success-manual mode.
Like The Demoss Group itself, The Little Red Book of Wisdom is atypical on every level: unapologetic-ally Christian, Demoss manages to frame his philosophies biblically without preaching or moralizing. Instead, he illustrates his points with personal experiences and current events in a conversational style that’s easy reading for harried executives.
But this isn’t a sappy read: with chapters like “Do Something So Difficult, You’ll Never Want to Do It Again”, and “The Best Defense is a Good Defense”, Demoss challenges readers with time-tested philosophies that he personally practices. Not one concept is overwritten: if Demoss can cover it in a couple of sentences, he does.
The Little Red Book of Wisdom deserves a place on every leader’s desk, for short bursts of inspiration on the long road of service.
Meredith Healey is a single mom, so she needs all the self-improvement she can get. She blogs about her progress at http://sinthesinglemom.blogspot.com/
I have been a Personal Development enthusiast for over 15 years now and within that time I have learned a lot of valuable lessons. I would like to share with you 5 Tips that have kept my mind in great shape over the years. I hope you find them as useful as I have and I sincerely hope you see the value in each of the 5 messages as I am confident they can be life changing.
Ability to Trust Your Potential
We are all unique in our own way, we each view and experience the world through our own lens. Ultimately what this means is that nobody can use your abilities the way you can. This is why it is so important to believe in yourself completely. We can read all the books, gain all the knowledge, mirror others achievements and look to others for guidance, but in the end, there is no other person on this planet who knows how to use your abilities quite like you can. We can no doubt learn from others but it is only when we are truly being ourselves that we become powerful. Trust in your abilities and trust that you are the only person alive who can use those abilities to their fullest potential.
Successful Thoughts
Education is paramount to success (whatever success means to you) but education is not preparation for life itself…life itself is education, and every single day you are being tested by the thoughts you choose to entertain or repeat. The educated mind is the one that can entertain a thought without accepting it. The only thoughts that play a leading role in your life are the ones you choose to accept as true. Negative thoughts, doubtful thoughts and any thoughts that limit your growth have no place in your mind, so it’s your job as the governor of your mind to banish these useless thoughts from the community you rule inside your head. Your thoughts only have the power you give to them.
Happiness
Happiness is an incidental happening when you are in harmony with life itself. It is something you become aware of whilst pursuing other things instead of pursuing happiness itself. Happiness will not stand still long enough for you to reach its destination. It will always be an elusive pursuit if you are looking to acquire its presence, it will always be the goal or project you cannot complete, it will always be hidden from you in plain sight, and it will always be lying on the grass on the other side of the fence if you believe the grass you lay on is not as bright, vivid, brilliant or intense. Happiness is the thing you can never enjoy or appreciate if you think you have found it, because happiness is not anything you can find, it is a thing that finds you. May your happiness find you well, and may your happiness find you living in peace and harmony, dancing in the rain and sailing within the stormy seas of life itself.
What’s important to you?
Okay…you’re lying on your death-bed, you have a couple of minutes left to live. How many of the things in your life that made you worry, made you stressed, made you angry, made your life unpleasant…really bloody matter? I would imagine that very little of most of the stuff we place significance on in our lives in this present moment will matter too much at all. There are only a few things in your life that are truly important, Stop fussing over non trivial matters and start focusing on what’s really important to you.
An Optimists view
How often do we react in a negative way to life’s obstacles even though they are an integral part of life. It’s not as if we expect everything to go smoothly for us all the time. Besides, a life without problems would not be as fruitful. We can appreciate the good times only through contrast with the bad. Take a step back and see that whenever a bad situation arises there is always an equally good seed hidden within. You can always learn something valuable from life’s problems if you detach yourself from the negative and focus on the lesson you can take away. Realize that life is exactly what it is meant to be. There’s no good or bad, there’s just lessons to be learned. Obstacles encountered on your journey through life are opportunities for you to grow.
Well, there we have it, 5 lessons that can transform your perception and help create a mindset capable of achieving what you know you undoubtedly deserve. Remember, thoughts that do not help you grow as an individual are thoughts that have no place in your mind, and you have the power to either entertain these thoughts or dismiss them immediately…it’s your choice…choose wisely.
Authors Bio: Declan O Flaherty has been writing to help inspire change in others for many years now and has recently branched out to writing reviews for baby products such as The First Years Wave Stroller and The First Years jet Stroller.
This is sort of like a guest post, in that somebody else did all the writing. It’s a great sign about living your passion, and I thought I would share it with you.
“Everyone who has ever taken a shower has had an idea. It’s the person who gets out of the shower, dries off, and does something about it that makes a difference.”
I like Nolan Bushnell’s take on thoughts versus action. Sure we all need a shower, but don’t stay in there all day. get out and do stuff.
A recent series I watched on TV followed a young British engineer as he traveled around the country on a longboat, celebrating Britain’s industrial heritage. One episode featured the humble tin of baked beans, and in this article I want to cover what this teaches us about goal achievement…
Guy Martin is an engineer and well known bike racer. Well known in bike racing circles that is, I confess I had never heard of him before watching his TV series.
In ‘The Boat That Guy Built’ on the BBC, he wanted to remind people of a 150 year period when British inventions and engineering helped to change the world, to drive the industrial revolution.
He traveled around on his barge, fitting it out using traditional techniques, and I was drawn in by the whole series. One episode featured him making baked beans on toast, so he went right back to the basics and history of the can, making it by hand. This is where the goal achievement lesson comes in…
The patent for the tin can was given in the early 1800s in Britain, and it wasn’t long before it had been sold on and developed, as a way of storing provisions for the army and navy. This was state of the art stuff at the time, rather like NASA inventing ideas for the space program.
Within a few years though, maybe a decade or so, the baked bean had moved from being a novelty food for the posh to a common ingredient, and the tin can had gone from being experimental to being part of everyday life.
It was taken for granted.
150 Years Later
This is all over 150 years ago now, but the lesson we can take today is still fresh…
While it’s possible that your goal may be groundbreaking, it’s more likely that it has been achieved before. Someone, somewhere, will take it for granted. Someone, somewhere, will have gone through the trial and error process and got to the end result.
Yes, it will be new for *you*, there will be learning and set backs, but you can make the journey far easier if you seek out the knowledge of others who have gone before.
You will also have an easier ride of it mentally if you imagine yourself in the position of those who take your goal for granted.
Developing an assurance that your goal will happen, helps to motivate you when you come to step that are wary or nervous about – you’ll be much more confident to take it when you know others have been there before.
So to sum up, the humble tin of baked beans can teach us about trial and error, and it can teach us about repositioning goals in our mind as taken for granted rather than experimental.
I loved Guy Martin’s show, and the next time you are struggling with a goal, open a cupboard and stare at a baked bean tin for some inspiration!
If you think only boy scouts and firefighters need to be prepared, consider these words by 19th century US Bishop Phillips Brooks:
“Some day, in years to come, you will be wrestling with the great temptation, or trembling under the great sorrow of your life. But the real struggle is here, now, in these quiet weeks. Now it is being decided whether, in the day of your supreme sorrow or temptation, you shall miserably fail or gloriously conquer. Character cannot be made except by a steady, long continued process.”
Every one of us will face challenges. Every one of us will be tested. Every one of will have choices to make, judgments to cast. Today, you laid the groundwork for those challenges, those tests, those choices, those judgments. Tomorrow you will lay more groundwork. And the next day. And the day after that.
Follow your values today, and your values will guide you down the right path in times of stress.
I wrote earlier about the first verse of Gary Allan’s “Tough Little Boys”, which has been ringing in my head this past little while. Today, I would like to skip to the third verse.
Here is the video once again, followed by the lyrics, followed by my comments.
Tough Little Boys – Video
Tough Little Boys – Lyrics
Well I never once
Backed down from a punch
Well I’d take it square on the chin
But I found out fast
That bullies just laugh
And we’ve got to stand up to them
So I didn’t cry when I got a black eye
As bad as it hurt, I just grinned
But when tough little boys grow up to be dads
They turn into big babies again.
Scared me to death
When you took your first steps
And I’d fall every time you fell down
Your first day of school, I cried like a fool
And I followed your school bus to town
Well I didn’t cry, when Old Yeller died
At least not in front of my friends
But when tough little boys grow up to be dads
They turn into big babies again
Well I’m a grown man
But as strong as I am
Sometimes its hard to believe
How one little girl, with little blonde curls
Could totally terrify me
If you were to ask, my wife would just laugh
She’d say “I know all about men
How tough little boys grow up to be dads
They turn into big babies again”
Well I know one day, I’ll give you away
But I’m gonna stand there and smile
But when I get home, and I’m all alone
Well, I’ll sit in your room for a while
Well I didn’t cry when Old Yeller died
At least not in front of my friends
But when tough little boys grow up to be dads
They turn into big babies again
When tough little boys grow up to be dads
They turn into big babies again
Tough Little Boys – Commentary
I must confess that I never followed the school bus to town. That is probably because we had the girls already in preschool, which we drove them to. But I did feel like following the bus and I did feel something of a loss.
Mostly, though, this verse makes me recall how our eldest would watch for us in the first year of kindergarten. She would get on the bus and the bus would drive off, then turn around in the parking lot just down the street and double back past our house. Sure as the sun sets in the west, our little girl would be watching out the window, eyes desperate and hungry for our wave. And if it was a rainy day, or I was distracted and it looked like maybe I was not giving my full attention to her when we waved, I would hear about it after school.
This is a memory I cannot forget. Every morning when I put the girls on the bus, our eldest still waves to us and watches (with a little less hunger in her eyes) for me to wave back. And every morning, I see that four-year old that waved with such hunger and need in her eyes.
This memory is precious.
It is important to hold tight to those memories that connect us with our past, with key elements of who we were before we became who we are. It’s important to remember the smiles and the trials, the moments of courage and strengths, the challenges that held us down, the times we pushed back…and how we felt and why we made the choices we did.
We won’t all put those memories into song, but it might be worth a try.
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Hillary failed twice at American Idol. Yes, she tried and did not make it past the first-stage auditions.
