Winning
by Design
Dear
Associate,
Is
life unfair, favoring those born with a silver spoon, or those
with the right connections, or those who've sold their soul?
Do you give up, cry "uncle" or wave the white flag
at the first sign of adversity? Can you really beat the odds
when they're heavily stacked against you?
On
a recent visit to some friends in Sonoma County I sat at ringside
watching this go down...
Nine
year-old Lynae whined about her school's upcoming Science
Project Contest. The deadline was in three days, yet she still
had not begun building her miniature hurricane machine. She
overheard rumors that a certain judge's children always win.
Last
year, another girl dedicated a lot of time and energy into
her science project only to be passed over by this judge's
son. She was devastated. And cried for days.
But
nothing has changed. This judge remained on his seat. And
his three children are once again contestants at this year's
science contest.
"Why
work on my project if I don't have any chance of winning?"
Lynae protested.
"You
can't give up without even trying," her father reasoned.
"But
daddy, what's the use? I'm not going to win," she replied.
Lynae
made a valid point. And she wasn't alone. Many of her classmates
echoed her concerns. But what they don't realize is: this
is one of the most dangerous beliefs you can harbor. A
belief that can relegate anyone to a life of Sitting on
the Sidelines.
It
robs you of the joy and instant high of winning. It programs
you to become comfortable as runner-up, second best, and relying
on the safety of numbers. It shatters dreams, diminishes self-worth,
and leads you into a life of settling:
"I'll
settle for Gentle Jim instead of Billionaire Bob."
"I'll
settle for the Prius instead of the Lexus."
"I'll
settle for hamburger instead of the Filet Mignon."
And
what's even more damaging is your children picking up on this
belief!
They'll
see the nonsense of trying hard. They'll go through life at
half-throttle. They'll make excuses when facing difficulties.
And instead of overcoming challenges, they'll explain them
away:
"It's
always done this way."
"I've
never won anything before."
"This
always happens to me."
"Men
are all the same."
Can
this caustic cycle end?
Yes,
it ends with you... by entertaining positive beliefs that
serve you and deleting those that don't. If a certain belief
does not serve yousimply replace it with one that does.
For
instance, if you believe you're not worthy of prosperity and
abundance, replace it. Picture retiring an old blazer and
putting on a new suit. You look sharp and stunning. You receive
compliments. People come alive when they're around you. But
this doesn't happen until you wear your new suit.
It's
the same with your beliefs. By replacing negative beliefs
that work against you with positive ones that serve youyou
take command of life instead of reacting to it. You can improve
your outcomes instead of feeling defeated. You can attract
the right people to partner with. Everything revolves around
your beliefs.
Winning
by design...
Have
you ever tried going to work with a smile, greeting your co-workers
and wishing them a good day? How about tackling more goals
by watching less television? And what would happen if you
ate smart and exercised more?
By
changing your beliefs, you change your actions. By changing
your actions, you change your results. And by fine-tuning
your actions, you can get the best results.
Back
to my friends...
Will
Lynae win the science contest? Not likely. She has convinced
herself that it's impossible to win and it's futile to try.
She has defeated herself. And she'll ignore any positive coaching
from her parents or anyone else. Until she replaces her beliefs.
When
she wakes up in the morning and declares, "I CAN beat
those guys and win that contest," she will then find
the answers. She will take the right actions instead of moping.
She will smile and convince everyone she's a winner.
What
about you?
Do
you believe you will never become a great speaker? Are you
afraid of becoming a success? Why haven't you written that
book? Are you still suffering from shyness?
Replace
those negative voices with ones that serve you and you can
overcome life's most pressing obstacles.
Warm
Regards,
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Tommy Yan helps business owners and entrepreneurs make more
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