Getting Your Head Right about Life and Business

Getting Your Head Right for Growth and Success in Life

By John Thurman

Do the bugs on your windshield keep you from seeing the horizon?

I hear it every week in my work as a counselor...”I want to do better.” I want to feel better.” “I want to have more for my family.” “I am sick and tired of my past tripping me up.”

Why is it that so many people seem to be stuck. Could part of it be the fact that we, as a culture don’t want to take personal responsibility. Are we looking for just the right pill, the right therapist, book, church or job? Or, could it be that we have become encased in the negativity of the culture.

In order to get ahead in a bad economy you have to get your eyes off all of the distractions and get a grip on what God has for your life.

Did you know that there are four ingredients for success in any endeavor. Four simple principles that can change the course of your life. Dr. Tom Barrett, author of Dare to Dream, Work to Win, does an exceptional job of expanding on these basic ideas.

Ingredient # 1 - Determine what you want. Be very specific about what you want out of your business/ministry before you decide what you will put in it.

• Measurable goals create focus, energy, and passion

• A clear dream does at least two things:

• It creates perspective

• It develops perseverance

Ingredient # 2 - Decide what you are willing to reschedule or give up in order to get what you want. It is so important to be clear about what you want out of your business/ministry before you decide what you will put into it.

Ingredient # 3 - Associate with people who will help you get what you want.

Ingredient # 4 - Have a plan that works, then work the plan.

Now that we have the key ingredients lets mix them together. How do you blend these ingredients in a way that will product a positive impact in your life?

First, you need a big dream. A dream that will push you through fear, rejection, and hopelessness.

Second, you have to be willing to work smart and hard. So many people talk a big talk, but do very little to turn their talk into a reality. Not just hard work, but smart work. One modern term for hard work would be diligence.

Steven K. Scott, author of The Richest Man Who Ever Lived has a great working definition of diligence. He says, Diligence is a learnable skill that combines:

• Creative persistence

• Focused effort

• Rightly performed

• In a timely & efficient manner

• To reach a predetermined point

The Old testament book of Proverbs is very clear about God’s view of hard, focused work.

1. You will have an advantage over others - “Good Planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” Proverbs 21:5 NLT

2. You will be in control. “Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.” Proverbs 12:24 NLT

3. You will feel fulfilled. “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.” Proverbs 13:4 NLT

4. Your needs will be satisfied, not just met. “A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty.” Proverbs 28:19

5. You will have more success. “Wealth from get-rich schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.” Proverbs 13:11

6. You will be more profitable. “Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty.” Proverbs14:23

If you fail in doing the hard, focused work that you need to do, the bible says several, not so happy things will occur.

1. You will never seem satisfied. Proverbs 21:5

2. You will be ruled by others. Proverbs 12:24

3. You will crave, but always feel empty. Proverbs 13:4

4. You will have little or no understanding. Proverbs 28:19

5. Your money will disappear. Proverbs 13:11

6. Your efforts will have little return. Proverbs 14:23

Third, you must be willing to see the job through.

Resilience is the key to seeing your dreams come true, but success will not attack you. Resilience is the ability to bounce back and move through the setbacks, hang ups, and bang ups that you have experienced in life. Resilience is the ability to learn from be past, move out of victimization and into victory. Resilience is not rehearsing the hurts, but choosing to move forward.

So how can you move forward, how can you develop resilience.

I have been reading The Survivor’s Club, by Ben Sherwood. I’d seen the book in stores, but it didn’t really register how good a resource this was until I say the author being interviewed on the Glen Beck show. I highly recommend the book as well as his web site.

Here are just a couple of quick out takes from Sherwood’s book.

Dr. Dennis Carney of the Mount Sinai Schools of Medicine in New York has identified a 10 step process that can help you develop resilience.

Practice optimism
Identify a resilience model ( a hero)
Develop a moral compass and an unbreakable faith. Resilient people find a faith in God and in principles greater than themselves
Practice altruism - unselfish concern for others
Develop acceptance and cognitive flexibility
Face your fears and learn to control your negative emotions
Build active coping skills to handle your problems
Establish a supportive social network to help you
Stay physically fit
Laugh often and deep

You have the power to change your circumstances if you are willing to do what it takes to make the changes.

My hope is that you will be encouraged, emboldened, and step out in faith believing that God wants the best for you.

Be Blessed,

John