Category Archives: Basics

Be Limitless!

What limits are holding you back right now? What limiting thoughts, behaviors, beliefs? Where do they come from – your own mind? Another person’s voice? Past experiences, or what you’ve seen others do or not do?

Repeat this to yourself right now, and whenever you hear any limiting thoughts:

I AM LIMITLESS!!!

We’ve all had those moments of doubt, but we’ve also had those moments of accomplishment and success. We’ve all felt that elation when we were unsure of ourselves, but we persevered and succeeded in spite of our doubts. We’ve surprised ourselves!

As children we begin to see a pattern, the pattern where we don’t yet KNOW that we can do something, but we try anyways…and sometimes we succeed…sometimes we fail. For some of us, the pattern is predominantly negative. We become afraid of failure, afraid of being ridiculed. Others of us begin to feed on the elation of success. Throughout our lives these patterns become reinforced – by our employers, significant others, family members.

These ‘patterned’ limits become our internal thermostat. They direct our everyday decisions. They are deep in our subconscious, and direct our behaviors behind the scenes trying to protect us from ourselves. The act of procrastination is a very good example… perhaps you never got around to sending in that job application – you were “too busy”, or somehow it slipped your mind… when in fact, that was simply some part of your own mind avoiding the pain of failure that it was falsely predicting.

Repeat this right now:

“I am safe to make my own decisions and my own choices, and I will not limit myself. I know that my happiness is in my true freedom to choose my own destiny.”

There are countless examples of limitations imposed by the human mind. One of the most widely known examples is when the world believed it was impossible for any human to run a mile in under 4 minutes. After an eternity of trying, Roger Bannister finally proved that it was possible. Then, as if an invisible barrier had been shattered in the minds of the world, within a year another runner repeated the feat… And later another, and another. How is that possible? Did the WORLD become faster overnight? Yes and No. Physically the runners were the same. What changed? The limit in their minds had been removed.

From the very small daily decisions we make, to the life changing… every action we take is governed and throttled by our own internal “thermostat” of what we believe is possible. While it makes sense to avoid wasting our time on something futile, more often than not the important decisions are in that gray area of the unknown where both failure AND success reside.

Make a commitment to constantly challenge your own beliefs of what is and what is not possible. Push yourself. Inch that thermostat up a tiny notch at first…. and then another… and another. Will you endure failures? Of course! That is not only ok, that’s how you know you’re REALLY doing it right!

If you never fail, you are not living anywhere near your true potential for SUCCESS.

You will learn to appreciate how fear and doubt will be transformed into wonder and possibility… that sense of “What if?”. You will no longer see the shadows, you’ll see the light. You will no longer see the chance of failure, you will see the path to success.

You will begin to realize that there are no true limits… that you can achieve way more than you’ve ever dreamed possible… that you truly are LIMITLESS!

3 Rules of CHOICE…

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1. Realize that you have a choice. If you’re not where you want to be, and you’re not doing something about it, you’re choosing to be where you are. Many times the choices we have can be so difficult to make that we don’t see them as choices. It’s important to take an honest look at where we are and own up to the CHOICES we are making. Staying in denial and telling yourself that you have no choice is one way to stay stuck for a long time. Once you admit that there is a CHOICE… even if it’s a difficult choice…THEN you can work on overcoming the fear or difficulty. You can build up the confidence to make that CHOICE that scares the hell out of you.

2. Don’t limit your options by pre-judging them. Another way to stay stuck for a long, long time is to take your options and throw them out. That knee-jerk response in your head that interrupts you and says, “there’s no way”, or “I can’t”… just shut it off. Usually that voice is driven by some form of fear – a fear of failure, a fear of change, a fear of having to do work or endure sacrifice. Be HONEST with yourself and look at the fear head-on before pretending like you don’t have an option. Sometimes the best course of action is the one that you at first think you just can’t do.

3. Be OPEN to conceiving of new options. Know that at EVERY point in time there are an infinite number of possibilities, and all we need is one that is better than what we have now. When you tell yourself “I have no choice”, you are turning off the creative part of your mind that would otherwise be searching for options. Meditate on the fact that there is a better way… you KNOW there is a choice… you just need to SEE it… Call it “Inspiration”… “God”… “Source”… “Subconscious”… something will reveal the answer to you. One thing seems to be consistent across all the explanations – answers are a lot more likely to come when you’re searching, so don’t stop looking.

Own up to your situation and realize that you have a choice. Don’t limit your options, even if the choices are not always pleasant. Always keep an open mind, knowing that the choices that you see are nothing compared to the options that are available.

There are an infinite number of paths to take you from where you are to where you want to be; all you need is one.

Be Happy…Now! :D

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Almost everyone is waiting for something to happen… Waiting to reach some goal to be happy. Waiting to find the right person, save enough money for a house, pay down debt… Too often happiness is always around the corner… or, a more accurate metaphor, at the end of the rainbow.

Happiness is a simple conscious choice – and does not depend on your current situation or circumstances. As soon as you base your happiness on anything outside of your own self, it slips through your fingers and is gone. If you reminisce on happy events from the past, you’ve lost the happiness of the moment. You only feel the “missing” of the happy moments of the past that are gone. If you are waiting for some state of life (graduate, new job, pay down debt, waiting to “get” something or “have” someone in your life), then you are in a position of wanting something to happen…waiting for it to happen…putting your happiness on hold. You are again feeling things from a position of lack – living without happiness because it lies in the future. What’s more, the moment you had been waiting for, should it arrive, will at some point be gone. The happiness that was once coming in the future will be gone in the past…again leaving you empty. The answer is that happiness is already within you… here…now.

Happiness is an emotional feeling that comes from within yourself, and is not dependent on anyone else’s opinion of you, does not need anyone else’s approval, and does not depend on luck or current circumstances in any way… Happiness is an enjoyment of life – feeling in the moment… feeling connected, feeling alive… There are wonderful experiences and there are terrible experiences, and everything in between…but you are alive and there is an immense and wonderful appreciation that can be had for all things you experience in life… experiences that make you into the person you have become, that have given you the energy to be and do and create… to live and enjoy life.

A very simple metaphor that I like to use is to think of what makes a great movie great….There is no movie that I’ve ever seen where everything happens perfectly…goes exactly as planned…Where everything works out and nothing bad ever happens. Nobody on this planet would sit through the first 10 minutes. But cliffhangers… drama… action… excitement…love…loss…everything from tragedies to tearjerking romances…. THAT is what grabs us. THAT is what makes for an interesting experience that keeps us on the edge of our seats. Seeing the main character work through the lulls and depressed states, cope with inevitable losses, face challenges, overcome the odds….If that is what makes for a great movie, why would we want anything less for our lives?

Want Positive, Be Positive

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Jim Rohn said it best:

“You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with”

You need positive people in your life. People that believe anything is possible. People that support your dreams. People that are developed enough to not be afraid of your success, that help you think farther and help you stretch your own boundaries.

How do you find positive people? Be that person to others and they will find you.

Accept people as they are and be careful not to judge or criticize people that may show some negativity or not be as supportive as you would like. You attract positivity by exuding it, not by forcing it upon others. Remember, you choose with whom you spend your time. Just because you would like to spend time with one person or another, and you would like him/her to be supportive doesn’t mean it will ever happen. Not everyone has to have the same hopes, plans, and dreams as you do, and that’s ok.

When you start paying attention to the “positivity level” of others, positive people will stand out. Take an inventory of the people in your life right now – who falls into the positive, optimistic, can-do-anything personality category? What’s even better is a do-er rather than a dreamer…Most people will be hard-pressed to think of anyone…

As you exude and attract positive people, you can’t help but be changed. Others supporting you, showing you that something you thought was impossible is possible through their own actions… others supporting you when you attempt what some would claim is impossible, unrealistic, or unlikely… You need that when you’re facing those challenges. The accumulation of subtle shifts of mindset on a daily basis is critical to your success.

So as you finish up this week, and the rest of this year, look for positivity.. use the holidays to make new connections, and develop new personal relationships.

– Want positive, be positive.

Live On Purpose!

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Live on purpose. From Merriam Webster:

on purpose : by intent : intentionally

Living on purpose means living intentionally. Making choices based on your own intentions, what YOU intend. Making what YOU will of your life.

An amazing thing happens when you start living on purpose – everything becomes easier. The stress lessens, and the weight of life becomes light instead of heavy.

Living on purpose means being pro-active… following your instincts, your gut intuition that is flowing up from your subconscious mind. That inner voice telling you what you should be doing, or telling you that you should be doing something different than what you are doing now.

When you live on purpose, motivation flows freely…work is effortless and joyful. You feel rewarded.

Until you have taken that first… most difficult step…where you’ve made that decision you knew you needed to make…in spite of the unwarranted fear you felt… you will not know the lightness of being that follows from living on purpose… The feeling of a great weight being lifted, stress becoming non-existent, and a contagious happiness throughout your life.

Living on purpose becomes something you MUST do once you start… something you just must do because you know where living on purpose leads and how living on purpose feels.

WARNING:Living on purpose may cause a happy life, lightness of being, and can be highly contagious….

Back 2 Basics – Step 1 – Exercise

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I’m not talking about joining a gym, running a marathon, or anything extreme. What I’m talking about is exercise as an IMMEDIATE form of mental therapy, and secondarily a tool for general health and physical fitness.

1.) EXERCISE AS MENTAL THERAPY – MEDICATE YOURSELF!

So – why IS exercise STEP 1… not step 4, or step 5? Other things, such as what you put into your body for instance, are arguably more important than ‘planned’ exercise in many ways. So why does exercise come first? Here’s why:

Exercise has an immediate, positive effect on your outlook and mental well-being.

Don’t believe me? Put it to the test and remind yourself of what you already know – it works. You’re going to use this frequently going forward as you build up the rest of your foundation for success.

To be sure, exercise didn’t start out at the top of the list. I was having a slow day – motivation was lagging a bit. Mentally, I just felt drained. I knew exercise would help, but it was a catch-22. Finally I got tired of being tired. I turned off that inner voice that was telling me how tired I felt and I just started ‘doing’. I changed clothes, put on my shoes, and walked out the door to go for a jog. By the time I got back home 30 minutes later, I felt great and I knew that Exercise had to be bumped up to Step 1. If you’re looking for a quick and effective way to immediately change your mental state, exercise is it.

Use exercise as a mental health tool – a highly effective, all natural, very healthy source of mental energy. Let it be the catalyst for changing the rest of your behaviors.

Since you’re using exercise as a tool, avoid any self judgement. It’s very easy to focus on negative things, such as the fact that you can’t run a mile like you used to when you were younger… or the fact that you might have put on a few (or more) pounds, or that you’re out of breath after just a few minutes…. but your physical capabilities and appearance are not the point. Focus on how you FEEL, your mental state, your energy level after exercise…. THAT is what’s important.

2.) LONG TERM EFFECTS – REQUIREMENT FOR SUCCESS

Secondarily, you’re looking for the long term effects of exercise. You will find that you are less stressed and more easily able to cope with difficulties. You will sleep better, and have more energy and endurance – both mentally and physically.. You’ll feel better, look better, and exude more confidence. In line with the theme of one of my earlier blogs, Big Life Changes Don’t Like Being Alone, you’ll also find that you’re eating better (part of a psychological effect of investing the time in yourself, and wanting to make the most of that investment, IMO).

I didn’t talk much about what kind of exercise you should be doing. Exactly what kind of exercise isn’t quite as important as the fact that you’re doing something. Everyone is different – so find out what works best for you. Most importantly, listen to your body… and if you’re not aware of how or what to do – start simple, with something like walking or simple stretching. Educate yourself, and enlist a personal trainer if necessary.

Personally, here’s what I look for with respect to exercise as a tool for mental well-being and overall health:

Cardiovascular fitness
Flexibility and range of motion
Low risk of injury
Something enjoyable

This doesn’t meant that everything you do has to fit those criteria, just that you want to be balanced in order to help your body be as healthy as possible.

3.) BE VIGILANT

Be vigilant about fitting exercise into your life. It doesn’t mean sacrificing everything else and becoming a health fanatic. Again, think balance. However, make sure to give a certain degree of importance to this so that a.) you find or make the time, and b.) you actually do something useful with the time.

Train yourself to look to exercise as a tool when you need it for an immediate boost.
Really focus on the positive state you’re in afterwards so that your body and mind have a definite cause and effect association between exercise and the positive effects.
Use exercise as a catalyst to help you work on firming up the rest of the foundational steps – such as good sleeping and eating habits, which we’ll talk about soon.

So what are you waiting for? GET STARTED!

Back 2 Basics – 12 Steps To A Foundation For Success

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Firstly, what I’m going to advise you to do, you already know. So why do you need to hear it all again? Simply put:

You are either ALREADY DOING all the things I’m going to tell or you’re not – and if you’re not, you don’t have a SOLID FOUNDATION for success.

Without the basics, it will be very difficult to be successful, and very difficult to maintain success if you do get lucky. With the basics, you’ll be HEALTHIER, HAPPIER, and BALANCED.

Obstacles that were once in your way will gradually disappear, and things will start to fall into place as if they were meant to be.

You’re going to receive 12 posts that will give you specific things to consider. If you’re already in alignment with the advice, give yourself a pat on the back. If you’ve been “in alignment” for less than a year in any of the areas – then use this information to reinforce your new behaviors so you don’t regress.

Some advice as you read the posts and try to make any changes in your life:

Set reasonable goals. Rome wasn’t built in a day. This isn’t a race.
Go easy on yourself. If you slip up, it’s ok. Simply think about what happened – why you slipped up, and try to find a creative way to help yourself not slip up the next time.
Enlist others for support. friends, family… talk to them about what you are trying to do. For those of you that are on your own – be strong in the beginning and you’ll attract support as people see changes in you.

Interestingly enough, if you’re already doing all the basics right – you WILL be happy – and for some of you, this will be enough to find peace, happiness, and enjoy life to the fullest.

Some of you will have aspirations for more based on lifelong dreams, the need to provide for your family, or maybe the desire to help others. Don’t fret. Once we have our foundation underway, we’ll immediately start on the 6 Key Steps to Build Up Your Life.

Here’s a hint on Step 12 – Help Others. Start by sharing this with those you care about – friends, family, loved ones.

Also, the easiest way to receive the new posts and updates is by liking the Your Higher Level Life! page on Facebook.

Your Higher Level!

Find your HIGHER LEVEL, and LIVE IT!

Category Archives: Basics

Be Limitless!

3 Rules of CHOICE…

Be Happy…Now! :D

Want Positive, Be Positive

Live On Purpose!

Back 2 Basics – Step 1 – Exercise

Back 2 Basics – 12 Steps To A Foundation For Success