Motivated but Aint Moving?

That assignment you have been waiting for has finally been handed over to you. Yet, for some reason, you find yourself literally struggling to accomplish the task. You just can’t seem to be able to get the work done. You keep spinning your wheels and making no progress. You are stuck. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking and the deadline is fast approaching.

The more you try to focus on the task at hand, the more anxious and stressed out you get.It’s not that you don’t feel motivated, you do and it’s not that the work isn’t exciting or is something that you don’t want…it is! You are aware of how important the task is and that it needs to get done as soon as possible. However, every time you try to work on it, you become confused, your eyes glaze over and your mind goes blank. You start second guessing yourself and questioning your competence. You even begin to wish for external reassurance that you are doing the right thing! Suddenly, this exciting opportunity seems like a bad idea and you feel like kicking yourself in the foot for accepting the assignment.

There is a lot riding on your commitment to complete the task and your “inner critic” swings into action reminding you of all the negative consequences awaiting you should you fail to accomplish the task. You realize that this unproductive state of affairs needs to end. Therefore, in an attempt to motivate yourself more and prevent procrastination from escalating, you silently scream to yourself…“I can do this! I can do this! I can get this done!

”Hey, wait a minute! Why are you so stressed out over something you really wanted?

Crazy at Work, Stop and Relax!

Are you having fun? Do you get a thrill from your work? Do you enjoy waking up each morning?
Myths about work can hurt your progress. "Work is not supposed to be fun." "You must buckle down and get serious."

Perhaps the biggest myth of all: "People will think I’m important if I act seriously." Yet getting serious creates problems: stress, worry, anxiety, emotional pain, drudgery and failure. Resolving problems by getting more serious is like fixing a computer with a hammer. The harder you try, the worse the problem becomes.

"When life becomes serious, a man becomes less cause and greater effect. If life gets really serious, his value drops to practically zero. Driving a car can become such serious business that one can wreck the car. Running a business can become so serious as to make it fail. There is a direct connection between insanity and seriousness." "It is only when an individual progresses in life to a point where much seriousness is attached to things that he begins to have a hard time. The ancient Italian really knew what he was about when he considered that the only psychotherapy was laughter." — L. Ron Hubbard

Approaching your life with a non-serious attitude gives you a clearheaded view of difficulties and the energy to deal with them. Problems are easier to solve, people are more cooperative and you feel more relaxed. You probably live longer and more successfully, as well.

Try these ideas until you find one that lightens you up.

1. Deliberately turn a molehill into a mountain. Make a big deal out of a little problem. "I would feel much better if these papers were stacked exactly like this! Not like that! Like this! Not this! This!"
2. Ask yourself, "Is getting serious about this situation really going to improve it?"
3. Focusing on the positives. "What is right about this situation?" "What else is right?" "What else?"
4. Consider a complete, major change. For example, go back to school, move to the ocean, start a new career.
5. Ask yourself, "When I’m on my deathbed, will I be glad I was so serious about _______?"
6. A challenging game is much better than no game at all. So consider losing all aspects of the problem. Examples: You feel serious about family problems. You ask yourself, "Well, what if I had no family at all?" You feel serious about your investments. You ask yourself, "What if I had no money to invest?"
7. The size of your problem may match the size of your game. So get a bigger game. For example, if you get uptight about paper clips being in the wrong drawer, your game size is tiny. Double your amount of responsibility. Set some huge goals. Succeed by thinking much, much bigger.
8. Stop trying to solve the problem that is making you so serious. Certain types of problems solve themselves if you leave them alone. Your problem may be one of those.
9. Compare what you are doing to other careers. Imagine being a septic tank drainer or a tax collector.
10. Make everyone around you lighten up.
11. Look at bizarre solutions. What is the craziest way you could solve your problem? What solution, if it worked, would make you laugh out loud?
12. Act stupid for a minute. Let down your hair. Stop being so darn important for a while. Be a goof!

Walk the Talk Son

World Champion Olympic and professional athletes walk the talk. They don't just talk one way and act another. They talk the talk and walk the walk of excellence, achievement and peak performance. They have congruence. Their behavior matches who they are as championship people. This congruency allows them to operate closer to their potential more of the time.

What can we learn from these superstars? We can learn and adopt the qualities of top-performing athletes by examining how they are in the competitive arena. These peak performers have these qualities:

1. They Walk the Talk. Performers who just talk a good game are a dime a dozen. Those who trash-talk are not able to let their performance do the talking. They need to cover up a weak game. Champions can be quietly dynamic, secure in the belief that they are true champions. They talk about what they do because they can live it.

2. The Ability to Make Comebacks. Champions make comebacks after every error they make. There has never been an athlete who played an error-free game. They make comebacks after a poor performance, after a slump, after an injury, after any setback. They will not be denied in their march to success.

3. The Ability to Control the Clock. Champion performers know how to control momentum. They know how to help themselves by controlling time during performances so they feel in control. They set and dictate the tempo of a contest.

4. Self-Reflective Time. Champions make time to review all their performances and training systems. They consider this time sacred because it is here that they make adjustments and practice continuous improvement. They need quiet time to learn more about themselves as people and how this impacts their performances.

5. The Drive to Improve. Champions are often not satisfied fully with most performances. Something could have been better or gone more smoothly. They accept the limitations of the day during a performance and get on with the job, but realize that to improve, they must maintain a critical eye toward flaws and imperfections. They do this without damaging their self-esteem and confidence.

6. They are Resistance-Oriented. Winners resist losing. They resist giving in to pain, fatigue, boredom, trouble, bothersome opponents, and all else that stands in their way of success. When trouble appears, they resist it. They never give in.

7. They Have Competitive Spirit. Champions view competition as challenging, exciting, a test, fun, and allow the spirit of the battle to raise their game to the next level. They approach competition with gusto, a positive outlook and see it as an adventure.

8. They Embrace Win-Win Teamwork. Champions know how to be great team players and how to make everyone involved be winners in business and life. In sport, they often even view opposing players as partners in co-creating the competition that will take both to higher levels of performance.

9. They Take Responsibility. Champions are independent-minded. They admit when something is their fault and resolve it. They don't blame others. They take credit for their success and praise others for theirs. They create their success teams, yet realize that the ultimate responsibility for their lives resides within them.

10. They Play With Integrity. Champions compete with honesty, fair-mindedness, and concern for their fellow competitors, team-mates, coaches and spectators. They stand for the highest ideals of sportsmanship and integrity at all times. They pride themselves on being good people as well as good athletes.

Sport is one of the last bastions of performance accountability and effort-to-outcome arenas left in the world. It is a put-up-or-shut-up environment. Either you can do it, or you can't. Just yapping about it isn't enough. You have to prove you can do it. You have to walk the talk.

Sky High Confidence

I realize you already feel that you are a self-confident person. And, you should feel this way, because of all that you have accomplished. Self-confidence is the key to becoming successful in any profession. Self-confidence is an admired attitude in a person. Although, you have already taken the personal steps to become a self-confident person in your career, it is always a good idea to continue in building on that self-confidence. Being self-confident in your chosen profession is very important to your success. However, what if you choose to apply for that position just above your current status? Or, what if you choose to pursue a new found dream of starting your own business? Although, you are comfortable and confident in your abilities in your current job, you will need to build up your confidence level to a degree that will help you advance forward. Increasing your confidence level will give you the ability and confidence to try your best in new situations.

Let’s look at what self-confidence means. It is the belief in one’s ability to succeed through his strengths, abilities and powers. Over time in your career, you will have successes. These successes will build up your self- confidence. Self-confidence is all about balance. In order for self-confidence to be productive for you in your career, it is important to have the right amount of confidence that is based on reality and on your true abilities. With the correct amount of self-confidence, you will be able to take informed risks, stretch yourself to your abilities, and have the desire to try your best. Self confidence needs to be based on reality. Take into consideration your skills and experience. How can your skills benefit the new position you are applying for. Prepare yourself in advance, as this will boost your confidence during an interview. Let’s say you have chosen to start a new business. Remember all of the things you have already accomplished. Make lists of all the goals you have achieved in the past. You have probably made the decision to start your own business in an area you are knowledgeable in, or feel strongly about. If this is the case, reflect back on the reasons you felt you could begin a new journey in the first place. This will help in increasing your self-confidence to allow you to advance on into your new business.

As a confident professional, setting goals is something you are likely familiar with. Now it is time to stretch a little beyond what is comfortable. Setting new goals with tougher challenges will set new targets. Achieving these tougher challenges will make you stronger, and help in building up your self-confidence. This will, also, give you the motivation to reach beyond even these new goals. Be sure to set goals that will take advantage of your strengths, lessen your weaknesses, and recognize your opportunities. You already have that confidence you need to stay in your career, as you are now comfortable with your current position and experience. However, in order to move forward and experience the new and exciting adventures that are available, it is important to continue building your confidence.

Once you have chosen new goals, build the knowledge you need to achieve them. How can you confidently acquire these skills? Research the program or course, and choose one based on the details of the content. Be sure the knowledge you are learning is from a respectable source. Knowledge is power. This power will boost your confidence level to a point that will give you the courage to step out of your comfort zone, and begin creating new successes.
A confident person usually has a positive attitude towards life. Celebrate successes along the way. But, learn to handle failure. It is important to accept that mistakes can happen when trying something new. Try to think of mistakes as learning experiences. This will keep your positive attitude going, and will be more productive in building up your confidence level, which will encourage your success.

To get that confidence level up, strive to be ambitious. Take on realistic challenges based on your skills and experiences. Consider failure an opportunity for learning. Be competitive. Don’t be afraid to dream, but a dream is only a dream, unless you act on it. Visualize success, and be willing to try new ideas, even if it is not your own idea.
Take the necessary steps to improve your knowledge, set more challenging goals, and recognize opportunities for advancing in your career. Taking these steps will give you the motivation to take more powerful risks, which will lead to more successes, which will increase your confidence level, and bring you to the next level of your success. Remember to “turn on your confidence, turn up your success". I am confident you will succeed in building your self confidence level, and, in turn, celebrate success!

It takes only small change..

Are you one of those always dreamt about being success, rich and famous? Do you courage enough to begin with the first step to your dream journey? Well, the reality many people only dreams about it, and a few will dream and make it happen. That is why the rich is getting richer and vice versa. Start dreaming and also start make it happen before its too late, aint the world to beautiful, for me the answer is definitely yes and i will explore, enjoy, eat with my family before i leave this world. You don't like it, you still have to go through your ordinary life, but we only live once and we are so lucky our parents brought us here, so i will definitely swear to GOD never miss out the boat on life journey.

There was one speaker arrive in our office, one of the Anthony Robbin's products and share with us, its only take us few HARD years to make successful and then enjoy the rest of our lives, aint that easy? the answer is YES but it need alot of hardwork and determination. However, if you choose to FAIL, it will be more painful coz it takes forever in your lives, aint that torturing? Choose NOW and never regret.

People will always disappoint us, so we must do what pleases us and will bring us success and happiness. We can only influence what we do, not the actions, thoughts, or beliefs of others. You can achieve whatever you want in your life, but it must come from inside of you. Here are some ways to create the wealth, relationships, and lifestyle you want and deserve.

Picture the life you want to make for yourself. It will include other people, but for now just focus on your own hopes and dreams. If you wish to amass great wealth, think about how that would change your life and make you feel.

Think about what you would like your day to day life to be like. Many people think they have to go to a job every day, but you choose to do your work the way you are doing it. There are much easier ways to live, once you know how to do it.

Take a look at your relationships. You have the ability to change situations that just do not make you happy, whether they are personal or work related.

Live every day with joy, knowing that you can achieve any success you want. When you know the small things that will make big changes in your life, you will be amazed at how quickly your life turns around.

I encourage you to spend some time learning the secrets of wealth and happiness. You can have this in your life once you know what to do.

Effective Leader of Modern Era

Create a Big Vision

To become a motivational leader, you start with motivating yourself. You motivate yourself with a big vision, and as you move progressively toward its realization, you motivate and enthuse others to work with you to fulfill that vision.

Set High Standards

You exhibit absolute honesty and integrity with everyone in everything you do. You are the kind of person others admire and respect and want to be like. You set a standard that others aspire to. You live in truth with yourself and others so that they feel confident giving you their support and their commitment.

Face Your Fears

You demonstrate courage in everything you do by facing doubts and uncertainties and moving forward regardless. You put up a good front even when you feel anxious about the outcome.
You don’t burden others with your fears and misgivings. You keep them to yourself. You constantly push yourself out of your comfort zone and in the direction of your goals. And no matter how bleak the situation might appear, you keep on keeping on with a smile.

Be Realistic About Your Situation

You are intensely realistic. You refuse to engage in mental games or self-delusion. You encourage others to be realistic and objective about their situations as well. You encourage them to realize and appreciate that there is a price to pay for everything they want. They have weaknesses that they will have to overcome, and they have standards that they will have to meet, if they want to survive and thrive in a competitive market.

Accept Responsibility

You accept complete responsibility for results. You refuse to make excuses or blame others or hold grudges against people who you feel may have wronged you. You say, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.” You repeat over and over the words, “I am responsible. I am responsible. I am responsible.”

Take Vigorous Action

Finally, you take action. You know that all mental preparation and character building is merely a prelude to action. It’s not what you say but what you do that counts. The mark of the true leader is that he or she leads the action. He or she is willing to go first. He or she sets the example and acts as the role model. He or she does what he or she expects others to do.

Strive For Excellence

You become a motivational leader by motivating yourself. And you motivate yourself by striving toward excellence, by committing yourself to becoming everything you are capable of becoming.
You motivate yourself by throwing your whole heart into doing your job in an excellent fashion. You motivate yourself and others by continually looking for ways to help others to improve their lives and achieve their goals. You become a motivational leader by becoming the kind of person others want to get behind and support in every way.

Your main job is to take complete control of your personal evolution and become a leader in every area of your life. You could ask for nothing more, and you should settle for nothing less.

Something to Ponder

• People who know the most, know they know so little, while people who know nothing want to take all day to tell you.

• Self-improvement can be harmful if you are doing it to look better. If you live your life in helping others look better, you’ll be better without trying.

• If you give to get something, you’re not really giving you are trading. Giving is never to get, because you have it and are not aware of how much you have until you give.

• Big people are always giving someone credit and taking blame; little people are always seeking credit and giving blame.

• Don’t worry about having to make a right decision. Make it and then work to make it right.

• An attitude of gratitude flavors everything you do. Learning to be thankful is the golden thread woven through every truly successful life.

HOW READY ARE YOU?

Are you ready for major break in life?

What I do is prepare myself until I know I can do what I have to do." Joe Namath

How prepared are you for that big break you are anxiously waiting for? How prepared are you to begin the journey to achieve your dream? What opportunities have you missed because you were not prepared? Have your job interviews been unsuccessful because you were not adequately prepared?

If you want to be successful, you have to spend some time educating yourself, researching and understanding the relevant area that you are looking to pursue. For instance, if you want to start a business, you must commit to and invest your time and resources in finding out about what it would take to run a business in every sense of the word!

This is a very competitive society and if you have to get an edge over the others, you must have something more than just a rough idea of the area you want to pursue.

If you are suddenly called upon and asked to provide a service in an area of your expertise, you must in deed and not in theory be able to provide answers and solutions in a confident, professional and excellent fashion. If you have to perform a task, which you claim you are qualified to do, you have to be prepared to deliver the required results. When you are prepared for your big break, you will always confidently rise to the occasion!

As you wait for your opportunity, prepare, prepare, prepare! Begin to lay the groundwork, commit yourself to your success, constantly refresh your memory and research the latest developments in your field of interest. Saturate yourself with knowledge about your product or service so that when opportunity knocks on your door, you will recognize it.

The more you prepare, the luckier you appear. Most people miss opportunities because they are not prepared for it. Even if they recognize it, they cannot respond to it or answer the call.

Preparation gives you a greater level of confidence, eliminates hesitation and gives you an upper hand in competition. Therefore, "Be prepared"

Don't blame GOD never gives us chance for a major break life, but the major question how ready are you when the opportunity arrive at your front door? Once you miss it, time never stop and you gotta prepare yourself again for next one.

Believe in yourself Son, that my motivation keywork, always keep my parent in my heart and remind me. I have 4 MUST achieve dreams within the time frame this year and I believe I can do it, so do you.

p/s: will share it out in my blog when i realize all 4 major dreams for this year.

take care.

Successful People Know the Power of Passion

Successful people know that passion is energy. It is what drives people to succeed. Without passion towards what you are doing, you do not have a why. When you do not have a why, the how is hard to find.This energy is contagious.

If you spend time with passionate people, it is bound to rub off on you. So if you have not yet found your passion, find people who have. You will soon see a change in your success. As you spend time with passionate, successful people, success skills will start to manifest in your live too.

Successful people understand that in order to achieve, they must love what they do. So find something that you love to do and you will be following your passion. Passion is the fastest way to massive success.

There is much heart and soul that goes into being successful in business. You need to ask yourself if these elements exist within you regarding the business you are choosing. Are the tasks involved in this business the kind of thing that you will find joy in completing? Will you be working with the type of people who inspire you? Is it a product that you believe in? Passion is essential to your success.

When you do what you love to do, you can go beyond success; you can make a real difference in people’s lives. With your passion, you can inspire others to find their dreams too.When you find your passion it will be like a mission. It is something that you know that you were meant to do. When you are following passion, the ups and downs of a business will not get in your way as your passion is stronger than the challenges of your business success or failure. This is one of the reasons you should follow your passion. It will guide you through the rough waters.

Bringing passion to the work place will assist you in making better decisions, you get more things done in less time. You will want to contribute so much more, that will in turn bring you back more. People will see your passion and they will believe in you and your products and services. You will be trusted and supported by your customers and associates.Once you have found your passion, you will want to cultivate it. When you start to turn up the heat on your passion, you are bringing more joy and with this you will accomplish success in business and more of your goals.Your passion can be fueled by helping others to achieve the success that they desire as well.

It has been said by the famous speaker, Zig Ziegler, "If you help enough people get what they want, you will get EVERYTHING you want". Your passion towards your business will also assist you in creating a great reputation, which will become invaluable in building a more successful operation.

Identify your passion and when you do take the steps to bring it into your life. With passion you can be the best at what you do, and through that you can achieve financial freedom. Once you become abundant, you will be able to assist the world in ways that will fulfill your purpose in life and bring to you all of the joy that life has, rich in successful achievement for all you do.

A Dollar and Some Ambition

I read this article from Jim Rohn and tempted to post it here, check it out:

Each of us has two distinct choices to make about what we will do with our lives. The first choice we can make is to be less than we have the capacity to be. To earn less. To have less. To read less and think less. To try less and discipline ourselves less. These are the choices that lead to an empty life. These are the choices that, once made, lead to a life of constant apprehension instead of a life of wondrous anticipation.

And the second choice? To do it all! To become all that we can possibly be. To read every book that we possibly can. To earn as much as we possibly can. To give and share as much as we possibly can. To strive and produce and accomplish as much as we possibly can. All of us have the choice. To do or not to do. To be or not to be. To be all or to be less or to be nothing at all.

Like the tree, it would be a worthy challenge for us all to stretch upward and outward to the full measure of our capabilities. Why not do all that we can, every moment that we can, the best that we can, for as long as we can?

Our ultimate life objective should be to create as much as our talent and ability and desire will permit. To settle for doing less than we could do is to fail in this worthiest of undertakings.

Results are the best measurement of human progress. Not conversation. Not explanation. Not justification. Results! And if our results are less than our potential suggests that they should be, then we must strive to become more today than we were the day before. The greatest rewards are always reserved for those who bring great value to themselves and the world around them as a result of who and what they have become.

How Vital to stay positive in life?

The question here is how vital we have to stay positive in life, and how many actually practicing it rather than talking about it. It not easy as it looks coz there are so many circumstances will pop out along the road and it is a "test" from the GOD to determine how positive, determine we are to achieve our dreams.

Transition period is never easy and i was in this period now. Six years as agent and then promoted to career agent, time for me to suck up the challenge and be a big man rather than always said one day i will become unit manager and will try to look for direct agents when i can look for it, i rather focus on personal sales! That the mentality i have for past 2 years and i suffered due to negligence, reluctant to move a step ahead and compete with the big boys.

Although it is never easy BUT gosh is there anything easy in life? even hit lottery we need some down to earth lady luck, right? Since February, i began to work hand in hand with my leader and groom myself to be new generation leader. 2 days ago, one of my newly recruited agent after working for a month and closing a number of sales decided to quit offically although i number of times ask him to quit or make up his mind sooner. The reason is because he was goin to sign up with another insurance company and i get to know about it and immediately i ask him to make up his mind, take it or leave as no part time is allowed is our culture.

Friday is his last day, and i got to stay positive, its never so easy to succeed in life, i know i have to work, work and continue work with passion and professionalism and time will come to check i can achieve my goals. I felt little sad and hurt, simply because the amount of time, energy, care, and the rapport i managed to build as i work closely with him and it ended this way. However on the other hand, it tells me that i better do a better job in selection process next time to avoid similar problem next time around.

Human does have emotion after all, but remember don't let it control our lives instead we have to control the emotions. Yes, we have sad and happy days, but in the end, we gonna have more good days than sad days. Stay positive and you can work something out, i always believe in myself with the support that i have in my families and my leader itself.

I got to work double hard from now on before i offically promoted to unit manager on 1st september 2008. I changed my lifestyle since i recruited my first agent, no more enjoy 1st lifestyle, i work more than 15 hours a day everyday except weekend where i need to spend time with family. Its exchausting but that life, no choice to succeed except hardwork. I will continue sacrifice until i reach another milestone in my career which is to become TOP UNIT MANAGER next year and once again to invite my beloved parents to share the proudest moment on stage with me next year.

We got to believe and look forward, focus, and action, time will pass along whether we do a great job or a lousy job. I'm sick right now sitting in front of my laptop but don't worry, i'm ok, just 2 tired after all. I will take care myself and have a well balanced lifestyle in life. Money can't buy health.

Together we achieve our dreams and make things happen rather than hope things do happen in our life. Opportunity does not come everyday and when it does come, don;t miss it, maximize it.

take care.

In life, we have....

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind;

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet;

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them;

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true;

To think only the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best;

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own;

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future;

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile;

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others; To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear; and too happy to permit the presence of trouble;

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words, but in great deeds;

To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

express yourself freely and within the law, life is beautiful, earn many and spend some, have balance in life, PASSION, POWER, COURAGE and most importantly ACTION for a better future...

BEST of luck...

Motivation is only state of mind

How many times have you attended a motivational seminar or read an inspiring book and for about two or three weeks you were pumped up on life? For a lot of people, a month after gaining their new insight and wisdom, the day-to-day routines demand their focus and thought power and their motivation tank slowly starts to lose gas. Waking up everyday and being full of motivation and drive requires the right mindset.

If we are able to feel pumped up on life for two weeks after coming out of a seminar, then there is no reason why we should not be able to feel that way the majority of the time. At motivational seminars and in the pages of great books, we are exposed to mantras and quotes that resonate within us and move our souls. We hear new ways of thinking that we agree with and concepts that open our eyes to unlimited possibilities. The reason our motivation tanks run low is because we are not continuously reminded of our new found concepts, mantras and belief systems.

Here is a superb way to have constant motivation in your life; put your newfound inspiration on the walls of your office and home. You can custom design eye appealing wall lettering that sticks to your walls and that fits with the décor of any room. By doing this, you will be surrounded by newly acquired mantras and beliefs that will slowly become part of you. The wisdom that you acquire from seminars and books will not get lost in the hustle of the work day but instead will be on your wall constantly reminding you of what you believe and what you can do.

One of the greatest byproducts of putting your acquired mantras and belief systems on the wall of your office or home is that your family, friends and co-workers will be consistently exposed to positive ideas as well. Imagine if you had kids in grade school that could be exposed to wisdom and knowledge of some of history’s greatest achievers on a consistent basis.

The Courage to Live Consciously

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature,nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spiritsin the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.- Helen Keller

In our day-to-day lives, the virtue of courage doesn't receive much attention. Courage is a quality reserved for soldiers, firefighters, and activists. Security is what matters most today. Perhaps you were taught to avoid being too bold or too brave. It's too dangerous. Don't take unnecessary risks. Don't draw attention to yourself in public. Follow family traditions. Don't talk to strangers. Keep an eye out for suspicious people. Stay safe.

But a side effect of overemphasizing the importance of personal security in your life is that it can cause you to live reactively. Instead of setting your own goals, making plans to achieve them, and going after them with gusto, you play it safe. Keep working at the stable job, even though it doesn't fulfill you. Remain in the unsatisfying relationship, even though you feel dead inside compared to the passion you once had. Who are you to think that you can buck the system? Accept your lot in life, and make the best of it. Go with the flow, and don't rock the boat. Your only hope is that the currents of life will pull you in a favorable direction.

No doubt there exist real dangers in life you must avoid. But there's a huge gulf between recklessness and courage. I'm not referring to the heroic courage required to risk your life to save someone from a burning building. By courage I mean the ability to face down those imaginary fears and reclaim the far more powerful life that you've denied yourself. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of going broke. Fear of being alone. Fear of humiliation. Fear of public speaking. Fear of being ostracized by family and friends. Fear of physical discomfort. Fear of regret. Fear of success.

How many of these fears are holding you back? How would you live if you had no fear at all? You'd still have your intelligence and common sense to safely navigate around any real dangers, but without feeling the emotion of fear, would you be more willing to take risks, especially when the worst case wouldn't actually hurt you at all? Would you speak up more often, talk to more strangers, ask for more sales, dive headlong into those ambitious projects you've been dreaming about? What if you even learned to enjoy the things you currently fear? What kind of difference would that make in your life?

Have you previously convinced yourself that you aren't really afraid of anything... that there are always good and logical reasons why you don't do certain things? It would be rude to introduce yourself to a stranger. You shouldn't attempt public speaking because you don't have anything to say. Asking for a raise would be improper because you're supposed to wait until the next formal review. They're just rationalizations though - think about how your life would change if you could confidently and courageously do these things with no fear at all.