These days, everyone wants more control. Control over their finances, goals, career, kids, lifestyle, etc. But despite this natural desire for greater control, most people ironically toss away all possibilities for more control once they say or think things like:
- It is the economy
- I don't have time
- I'm too tired
- It is the way I was raised
- It is my bosses fault
- It is too hard
- I'm not smart enough
- I don't have enough money
- I don't deserve it
- It is going to be risky
You get the idea. You might not like to hear this but the truth is that wherever you are in life is exactly where you really choose to be. And you will continue to be exactly where you are as long as you continue to waste time making excuses and saying "it's the". Every time you say the words "it's the", you've already failed.
Life may be hard at times, but whoever said success was easy? Billions of people have experienced mind-blowing success over the course of history, but yet the question remains: Why are some people super successful and others complete failures? Why do some people reach their goals and others make the same previously failed resolution year after year? Most people spend their entire lives wondering, "what is the miracle formula for success?" They seldom realize that the choice was given to them at birth.
For every tragedy, handicap, and difficulty there are two stories. Each person, by his or her actions, chooses which story will be theirs.
Succeed or fail, your choice.
Case in point.
I used to work with two athletes who had similar talents and were both loaded with potential. They were about as equally matched as they come. A coach's dream.
One guy, Ryan, was tremendously talented, but had struggled to stay in the elite group of players in the country. He developed little, if at all, and every training session was a grind for him.
The other guy, Luke, was quickly developing into an elite athlete. He also had tons of talent, and was one of the most sought after high school recruits in the country.
During the training sessions with Ryan, I would constantly hear long dissertations about all of the factors that were negatively affecting his development. Just about every imaginable outside influence bothered this guy. He had to stay up late doing homework so he was too exhausted to train as hard he should, he was mad at his girlfriend, he had a nagging injury, the competition in his division was too good, and so on and so on. Every session he would complain about the same crap. It was like a broken record of misery.
I will admit though, that the stuff Ryan used to whine about affects every athlete. I used to deal with those same issues when I was playing, but the difference between an elite athlete and a "pretty good" athlete is how much control you let these factors have over you.
If you consistently make excuses and say "it's the" all of the time you do briefly make yourself feel better, but the downside to that is you lose control. When you make excuses you put off responsibility, and without responsibility you have no control. Being a winner means having a winning attitude; and winners take responsibility for everything that they can control.
Whenever you reject responsibility, you give up control. An ounce of control is worth an ounce of responsibility.
On the flip side, my training sessions with Luke were very productive and he rarely brought up factors that were negatively affecting him. Instead he would brainstorm with me and talk about unique methods he was using to keep his focus sharp, his energy levels up, and his goals on track. He was determined to keep developing as an athlete and not let external influences derail his plans. He would ask me what strategies I used to use and how they might work for him. "How would this or that pro athlete deal wit this x-problem?" - he would ask. Or he would say stuff like "I really slacked off and lost focus in the gym last week. Here is how I can correct it."
Luke accepted all the responsibility for his wins, losses, success, failures, achievements, and errors, and in doing so remained in control of his destiny.
In all of my years of playing competitive sports and working towards a definitive goal, the most valuable thing I have learned is that we become what we think about most. We essentially make ourselves by the dominant thoughts that we choose and act upon; and literally become what we think. It has been said that act is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruits.
So what do you think about? What is your ultimate goal? Do you have it written down? Perhaps you have more than one? Write all of your goals (short term and long term) down on paper, and then ask yourself this question: Am I pleased with my present place in the world? If your answer is yes, what's your next move? If your answer is no, what are you going to do about it? You are today the sum total of your thoughts, up to this point in your life.
Our thoughts control our destiny, and we can control what we think about, so essentially we can decide our own fortunes. If you stop thinking, or think damaging thoughts, you won't become much of anything at all. Think positive, then take action, and life will reward you.
Jamin Thompson is an internationally recognized fat loss expert, fitness model, motivational speaker, and sports performance expert. He is the author of the best selling fitness and diet e-book, The 6 Pack Secret: Fat Burning Secrets of The World's Top Fitness Modelshttp://www.the6packsecret.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamin_Thompson |
