I was having one of those days where negative thoughts were starting to dominate and gain momentum. Ever had a day where negative thoughts begin to stack on top of each other and crush the positive intentions beneath? I find productivity takes a real kick in the guts on days like these… I just couldn’t quite find the answers I needed to get my mind back on track. Then in an absolute random act I found myself in a folder on my PC where I spotted a document containing some quotes I had enjoyed and recorded years ago… I opened the document and staring me straight in the face was exactly the answer I needed. Isn’t it such a mind trip when things like that happen? I thought it was worth sharing… written by a wordsmith outdone only by Shakespeare himself…  James Allen… take it away my brother… “Man is made or unmade by himself; in the armory of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself; he also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace. By the right choice and true application of thought, man ascends to the Divine Perfection; by the abuse and wrong application of thought, he descends below the level of the beast. Between these two extremes are all the grades of character, and man is their maker and master. Of all the beautiful truths pertaining to the soul which have been restored and brought to light in this age, none is more gladdening or fruitful of divine promise and confidence than this – that man is the master of thought, the molder of character, and maker and shaper of condition, environment, and destiny. As a being of Power, Intelligence, and Love, and the Lord of his own thoughts, man holds the key to every situation, and contains within himself that transforming and regenerative agency by which he may make himself what he wills. Man is always the master, even in his weakest and most abandoned state; but in his weakness and degradation he is the foolish master who misgoverns his household. When he begins to reflect upon his condition, and to search diligently for the Law upon which his being is established, he then becomes the wise master, directing his energies with intelligence, and fashioning his thoughts to fruitful issues. Such is the conscious master, and man can only thus become by discovering within himself the laws of thought; which discovery is totally a matter of application, self-analysis, and experience.”]]>

What drives us in our daily lives? How can we tap into that driving force and better control it in the direction we want our lives to go? If I said to you that your Family would all drop dead 2 years from today unless you were able to honestly make $1,000,000… Do you think you would find a way to achieve it? Of course you would. How focused would you be? How open would your mind become to ideas? How many hours a day would you dedicate to the pursuit? How often would the goal leave the front of your mind? Would you be distracted by unproductive endeavors or be prone to excuses? What’s the difference between that scenario and what you want in your life right now? It’s your level of desire, how badly do you want to achieve these things? Desire is effectively your willingness to pay the price for that outcome. If you want to be a world class swimmer how badly do you want it, are you willing to pay the price? 5am starts in the pool, early nights, strict diet, years of dedication and on and on it goes… One of the biggest challenges when pursuing your goals is the ability to build and maintain a level of desire strong enough to repel distraction and excuses as well as be strong enough to find ways over and around obstacles that come hand in hand with the pursuit of any worthwhile goal. So how do you do this? I’ve always found applying the carrot and the stick method to your own mind is a good start. Try filling your head with all the positives achieving your goals will bring to your life and how much better, brighter, and enriched your life will be after achieving them. Likewise acknowledge all the negative things that will eventuate from doing nothing. Remind yourself of these as frequently as you can. Build a visual wall of your goals and the positive outcomes that will eventuate from there achievement. This will in turn give you regular positive visual cues. Do whatever it takes to build and maintain your desire. The stronger your desire for a better life, the more likely you will endure the journey required to achieve it.