Stick To It

“The best way out is always through.” ― Robert Frost

Today is about sticking to your belief and vision. The longer you stay on your journey, the more you will learn and begin to see the fruit of that experience. Persistence can be a difficult trait to endure. Many people want a better life but so many of those same people are not willing to 'pay the cost' to achieve it.

This cost is staying with the dream, making the changes and understanding that achievement can take a long time to occur. You make change and you measure success in both small and large steps.

But you keep your eye on the goal. You remain confident in your vision. You 'stick to' the journey.

Stay inspired my friends!

Achieving Confidence

"Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings." -Samuel Johnson

In a cartoon strip called Dilbert, one of the characters named Wally tries to coerce his boss into giving him a raise by threatening that he has a job offer from another company. You then see in Wally's thoughts, "..sit back and let the loving begin." But his boss is quietly speaking on the phone to security, "...whack him in the parking lot."

Have you ever had this type of feeling at your job?

The cartoon's creator Scott Adams does a wonderful job of pointing out the truths and misbeliefs of the work place. What I suggest the meaning behind the cartoon is that you can't simply expect things to happen in life. You have to go out and work for those things you want to accomplish. If we choose to merely "expect" things to come to us, that expectation will normally produce unexpected consequences.

Would we want to merely be meek in what we do?

At the same time I must admit the cartoon character named Wally exhibits a great amount of confidence. But we must be careful not to confuse confidence with self-serving ego. There must be work and sincerity behind the effort given in support of our confidence.

Your work ethic creates the boldness.

Be bold in your confidence and back it up with hard work and servitude. Others will be confident in your ability by the proof of the work you have performed. The reward itself will follow. Stay inspired my friends!

Gathering Firewood

"Confidence is preparation. Everything else is beyond your control." -Richard Kline

As I drive the back roads of New England, driving to the office and back to the hotel, you see the preparation for winter taking place by humans. Their porches are stacked with cords of firewood. Long rows of cut and dried wood line the driveway alongside the garage. Small sheds are filled to the roof line with hard and seasoned firewood. The work required in preparation for winter has been long and hard.

Each of us know that preparing for something is essential in success. Success in making it through the winter by keeping your home warm. Success in presenting a business topic at a seminar. Success in having a great relationship or marriage. Success in raising your kids to be successful as well.

Some of us are better than others in preparing. Some of us over prepare to the point of obsession. While there are those that seem to do very little in preparing for something. For all of the preparing we do though, we have to remain confident in whatever amount of preparing we have done.

Confidence is key to pulling yourself through when you start to question the level of preparedness you have done. Without it, we will never see ourselves through to the end. Confident that you will make it through the tough winter that is part of the road to achieving a goal or vision.

Try to be prepared in all that you do. Be prepared at what ever level you feel good about. But most of all, be confident in the preparation that you have done. Be confident in yourself and see the success you will achieve.

Staying Confident Through Troubled Times

Staying in a good frame of mind when things start going bad can be very difficult. It is very easy to slip into a depressing or negative mood. But in order to pull through when things are going bad, you need to maintain a good spirited attitude.

What keeps your confidence to overcome intact has a lot to do with resilience to the circumstance you are under. Resilience is the ability to bounce or spring back into shape - to recover strengths, spirits and good humor when confronted with obstacles.

When you are hit with difficulties, you have to let some of the negatives roll off your back and gain knowledge of what doesn't work so that you can be better prepared for the next step.

Here are three things I've learned to help you maintain confidence and deal with difficult times:

1. Implementation vs Procrastination - So many times people will say, "you can't do that" or "that will never work". There are many people out there whom will offer discouragement instead of encouragement. Try everything, never say never and take encouragement where you can, leave discouragement behind you.

2. Master Mentors - Developing friendships and getting to know people in varied ways gives you a wealth of experience to draw from. These people can teach you valuable lessons without 'sugar coating' the information. Mentors do not necessarily need to be a person; it can be a book or a special quote. Use and reuse those resources as age and experience change over time.

3. Control You Environment - What you think about and who you surround yourself with determine your attitude and confidence more than any other factor. If you constantly hang around negative people, you will inherit those traits. If you hang around positive and successful people, you will inherit those traits as well. I have heard it said, "you don't just pick up on other people's knowledge and experience; you pick up on their energy, too."