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Expand Rather than Contract Remaining "Fired Up!" while pursuing your dream is an ongoing challenge that requires conscious awareness. Monitoring your progress is useful, but knowing what keeps your fire burning and energizes you is even more valuable. Contraction is a word that makes most women think of labor pains, and in fact, contraction is painful. It generally means reduction or shortening, pulling in and shutting down. Relative to your dream, it means an emotional state which is less than positive. All of us have had times in our lives which cause contraction. Losing a sale, getting hurt physically or emotionally, being criticized; we generally respond to these with contraction. The natural human reaction is to turn inward and lick our wounds. However, there is a much more effective way of dealing with contraction. Shift into expansion - look for the lesson in the contractive experience and grow from it. (pg. 211- 212 Fired Up! All Rights Reserved. Copies cannot be made without written permission of the author.) |
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Your imagination is a powerful tool. It can help you resolve tough situations and fuel your dreams. Famous Olympic athletes from all over the world have used visualization for decades to picture the success they want. One statistic from the 1980's showed that the East German and Russian Olympic athletes spent 75% of their training time doing visualization. That meant they were only on the field doing the actual physical training25% of the time! Today, many professional athletes in basketball, tennis and golf swear by visualization; they mentally see themselves winning and they do. They trigger that part of their that knows how to succeed and they do. You can, too. pp.26 Fired Up! All rights reserved. Copies cannot be madewithout written consent of author. |
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The people who are the happiest in their lives, who are consistently successful and "Fired Up!"about their lives, regularly schedule what they love to do into every day, every week or every month, depending on the activity. They manifest their dreams by regularly focusing on them and taking action to support them. pp.14 Fired Up! All rights reserved. Copies cannot be madewithout written consent of author. |
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Another reason why people sometimes struggle financially is they feel unworthy of success or wealth. Again, myths from earlier in life can hold you back today, but only if you let them. It is wise to uncover and release these myths, like we did in Chapter 6. Often these myths are deeply ingrained in your subconscious and they have a powerful hold on you, until you let them go. Example: I used to think that if I owned my own beautiful home, I wouldn't ever get married. And I very much wanted to be happily married. After I recognized this myth, I released it and built myself a beautiful sunny house on the river. Each week, I watched it grow from a slab of concrete into a lovely contemporary home which became my tranquil refuge. A year and a half after I moved in, I met my husband, who fell in love with the house soon after he fell in love with me! pp.97 Fired Up! All rights reserved. Copies cannot be madewithout written consent of author. |
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Whenever you are beginning a project, starting a new venture or embarking on a new dream, you need to include resources as part of your planning. It would be naive of us to think we could do everything alone. We don't need to reinvent the wheel. We can learn from those who are where we want to be. Their pattern of success can help us succeed by duplicating what they've already achieved. Taking advantage of the information and tools that are already available to us is intelligent. You may not know where the answer to one of your challenges will come from; you may not know who has contacts, or who you'll meet next. It has been said that we are all, at most, just seven people away from anyone in the world. In most cases, it would take a maximum of seven contacts to reach a celebrity or a U.S. President or a famous CEO. The key is to make a list of people you can contact and start taking action. You may be better connected than you believe you are. Statistics show that, on average, most people know about 250 other people. People are the greatest resources. From professional contacts and mentors to loved ones and cheerleaders, people can assist us in hundreds of seen and unseen ways. Sometimes the best way others can help us is to believe in us and in our ability to achieve our dreams. We can then pass on this belief to others to help them achieve their dreams. Like a spark catching fire, the flames of enthusiasm can spread very quickly. Contrary to popular belief, no one is self-made. It takes the cooperation of other people to realize a big dream. No one can be successful alone. pp.87 Fired Up! All rights reserved. Copies cannot be madewithout written consent of author. |
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Webster defines resource as "a reserve supply of support; something to which one has recourse in difficulty; an ability to meet and handle a situation." Resources are infinite; they can be tangible, such as a bank or a book, and they can be intangible, such as a sense of peace or good health. Project Safeguard's Warren Berry had significant resources including the countless volunteers who helped organize everything, the grant he received, the seminar speakers, the college which provided the location for the event, plus his personal commitment, time and energy to follow-through with his vision. Ranging from legal, financial and professional to educational, spiritual and motivational, among others, resources are absolutely invaluable in helping you achieve your dreams. pp.87 Fired Up! All rights reserved. Copies cannot be madewithout written consent of author. |
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As you get "Fired Up!" about your dream and focus on your collage and the many exciting directions your dream can take, is there any part of you that believes you may not be able to do it? Is there any part of you that douses he flame of your enthusiasm and causes self-doubt? If so, don't be discouraged. That's a common feeling. Just keep on going, regardless of any doubt, doing whatever it takes to achieve your dream. No matter what that voice says, you can, like any other human being, do the seemingly impossible and transcend your previous limitations. pp.183 Fired Up! All rights reserved. Copies cannot be made without written consent of author. |
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Do you remember the old vaudeville acts where a performer would be all "Fired Up!" singing or dancing, and a giant hook would come out and grab the person in mid-act? Or perhaps you've seen the comedy "The Gong Show," where judges would gong the entertainer if they didn't like him. That entertainer's dream of performing would be over, at least for that show. That's what is meant by the term "hooks" to avoid. They're the real life hooks you can get snagged by. They can only douse the flames of your enthusiasm and discourage you from going further on your dream, if you let them. With your advance awareness of these hooks, you can prevent them from stopping you. While people's dreams vary, many want to directly touch others' lives in a positive way. They can't afford to let ream-delaying hooks get in the way. Here are some examples. pp.188 Fired Up! All rights reserved. Copies cannot be made without written consent of author. |
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You've read stories about famous athletes and heroes who kept going no matter what, stayed "Fired Up!" and achieved their dreams. Even those skilled in personal development have times when it's more difficult to stay motivated, and that's what this chapter is all about. It's chock full of tips which will help you get "Fired Up!" and stay "Fired Up!" Use them regularly, especially if you are stuck. If one doesn't do it for you, try another until you get going again. The important thing is to keep moving and keep igniting the sparks of your fire. pp.217 Fired Up! All rights reserved. Copies cannot be made without written consent of author. |
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How about sharing some of your newfound joy and success with others? How about lifting others into a more expansive space, putting smiles on their faces and sharing your blessings? It's simple. When you feel good, it shows. When you are "Fired Up!" about your life, your enthusiasm bubbles over and can make a difference in the lives of those around you. In many cases, your excitement helps to uplift others and shake them out of their negativity. Making a difference doesn't have to be a big deal, either. It can be simple and easy. Perhaps you just bought a new puppy and while on a walk, little children pet it and giggle. Your favorite baseball team just won and you are whistling as you walk down the street; others smile. You feel happy about your experiences that day and smile at the grocery clerk; she feels encouraged. You greet a weary telephone caller with a cheery "hello"; they feel valued. You extend a little kindness to an elderly neighbor by carrying their bags to the door or sweeping their sidewalk; they feel like somebody cares. You feed the birds and they reward you by chirping and visiting daily. You help others take action on their dreams; they are "Fired Up!" Or perhaps you just take two minutes to speak to a stranger when no one else has; they appreciate your attention. All of these are examples of being "Fired Up!" and touching the lives of others. In your own uncommon way, you can ignite the flames of other people and make a difference in their lives. pp.235 Fired Up! All rights reserved. Copies cannot be made without written consent of author. |
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Did you know that choice and commitment are very powerful?
Every great achievement came as a result of choice and pp.10 Fired Up! All rights reserved. Copies cannot be madewithout written consent of author. |
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