One of the most basic human needs is the desire to feel important. All of us want to believe that our lives have meaning, that to a certain degree, without us around, things would fall apart. People feel the need to be needed and, hence, important.

Dale Carnegie wisely taught that that there is only one effective way to get anybody to do something and that is by making the other person want to do it. You can make someone give you their watch by sticking a revolver in his ribs. You can make your employees cooperate (until your back is turned) by threatening to fire them. You can make a child do what you want with a threat. But these crude methods, which have sharply undesirable repercussions as well, are much less effective then making the other person feel that there contribution is needed and that they are important.

Capitalizing Potential

Consider the following concept and how it applies to your life. Ask yourself the following question.

• At home or at work, do I generally try to get others to do what I want by making threats, or do I try to help them see the vision and buy into it?

“I have yet to find the person, however great or exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than he would ever do under a spirit of criticism.”~ Charles Schwab

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Give ‘Em What They Want

Lets face it, people in general are a lot more interested in what they want, than in what you want. Just keep that in mind when you’re trying to encourage someone to be healthier. Trying to get someone to do what you want feels like coercion and force. No one likes that feeling. However, helping them do what they want to do feels like love and encouragement. When it comes to exercise and eating right, you can’t force someone to do/eat what you like, but you can support them in doing/eating what they like (although perhaps a healthier version of it).

Capitalizing Potential

Consider what kind of healthy influence you try to have on your loved ones. Answer the following question as honestly as possible.

Do I try to talk my loved ones into doing things, or do I listen to what they want and help them get it?

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Beyond Consensus

A true council does not seek consensus, because “consensus decisions” are often at odds with “intelligent decisions”. In an effective council, whoever is ultimately responsible for making the decision wants to hear everyone’s real opinions on the matter. He or she doesn’t discount genuine concerns as negativity, and the members of their council aren’t afraid that by disagreeing they will be resented or punished.

Yet, even without fully being aware of it, we often consult with others mostly just to validate what we already think, rather than to actually consult. The end result is a lot of friendly head nodding. After all, if people think you just want them to nod their head, most are happy to oblige. If that’s all you want, then great, but don’t fool yourself into thinking you really consulted anyone.

Whether at a business meeting or at home, when you council with others, make sure that they know upfront that you want to hear their real concerns and thoughts, and that you won’t be upset if they share a different perspective. Then stick to your word.

Capitalizing Potential

Ask yourself the following questions.

1. Do I place too high of a value on consensus?
2. Do I feel threatened or upset when others point out possible defects in my ideas and plans, or do I genuinely want to hear their perspective so I can improve my ideas if needed?

“The good–to-great are motivated by a deep creative urge and inner compulsion for sheer excellence for its own sake. Those who build and perpetuate mediocrity are motivated more by fear of being left behind.” ~ Jim Collins

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Doing the Right Thing

It’s a common phrase, “Do the right thing.” But what does that really mean? If everybody really knew what the “right thing” was then there would be no need for war, prisons, and alarm systems. We would have a Heaven on Earth.

Unfortunately, not everybody does know what the “right thing” to do is, or if they do then they find some rationalization or justification for not doing it. In ways both large and small, some people even justify their own poor behavior on the premise that “everyone” else does it. Don’t fall into that trap, even if 99.99% of the population does.

Capitalizing Potential

Consider how this concept applies to you. Do you justify behavior in yourself that doesn’t feel right, because some part of you (obviously not your higher self) tells you that your immediate wants are more important than what’s right?

The point isn’t to feel ashamed or guilty, it’s to have the courage to look at yourself in the mirror and admit when you need to change a few things.

“Always do right—this will gratify some and astonish the rest.” ~ Mark Twain

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Money is important. In today’s society everyone wants and requires money to one degree or another, but don’t let your efforts to increase your financial wealth blind you to life’s other riches. This doesn’t mean you have to say no to a promotion, or turn down a promising business opportunity in order to achieve a comfortable life balance, but you might have to say no sometimes, to at least some opportunities and requests. Saying no to more money when the price/cost ratio doesn’t make sense to you is not only smart, but it can also make you richer in areas where money is the least important kind of currency.

Capitalizing Potential

Consider how this concept applies to your own life and aspirations. Consider if you view money as a byproduct of productivity and a tool to help you live an even happier and more productive life. Or is the desire for more money such an issue to you that it is actually preventing you from fully living a happier and more productive life?

“Someday I want to be rich. Some people get so rich they lose all respect for humanity. That’s how rich I want to be.” ~ Rita Rudner, comedienne

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Experiencing NOW

Your company wants a 100% from you, but so does your family. They both deserve it. But the only way to pull off such a feat off is to focus on the present moment. Give work all of your focus while you’re working, and home all of your focus, while you’re at home.

A recent Harvard study on happiness found that in cultures where people could give their undivided attention to one thing at a time, happiness and general life satisfaction was higher. Unfortunately, they found that the “hyper-drive” multitasking culture in the US, seems to make it more difficult for people to enjoy their work and their children, because we are perpetually in a state of distraction. For example, a person might be spending time with their child, but also thinking about other things they need to get done that day. Physically they’re with their family, but mentally they are not. In our minds, we’re always one step ahead of ourselves.

Not being able to focus on and enjoy one thing at a time, however, prevents us from living in the present. The irony is that you can actually accomplish more with less time if you limit your focus rather than spread it too thin.

Capitalizing Potential

Consider how this concept applies to your life.

• Do you regularly feel “behind” or “in a rush” to move on to the next thing?

• What would help you focus more on and better enjoy one thing at a time, rather than trying to do everything all at once?

“The only way to live is to accept each minute as an unrepeatable miracle, which is exactly what it is: a miracle and unrepeatable.” ~Storm Jameson

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Lead by Example

According to the American Heart Association, kids are now at risk for heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases more than ever before—predominantly due to lifestyle and eating habits. Studies show that kids tend to end up eating as healthy and exercising as often as their parents do, or do not. To help not only yourself, but your whole family live longer, healthier lives—be an example. If you’re not sure how, here are a few ideas.

1. Walk the talk. Your kids look up to you and learn from your actions. Why should they limit TV time or eat more veggies if you do the opposite? What’s good for your kids is also good for you, so change your habits together.

2. Get the whole family active together by going for walks or bike rides. Exercise and physical activity benefit everyone in your family–young, small (and furry!).

3. Limit TV, video game and computer time. Research shows that the more hours children and adults spend doing these activities, the more likely they are to be overweight or obese. Find physical activities that spark your child’s interests.

4. Customize physical activities. Not every child dreams of being the next Michael Jordan. Some kids aren’t well suited for traditional athletics, because sports don’t come naturally to them and/or they’re not competitive by nature. But there are many forms of exercise besides sports.

5. Be supportive. Celebrate the successes of your child, whether they helped their team win a game or rode their bike a mile. Focusing on the positive will help promote your child’s self-esteem and confidence.

Capitalizing Potential

Consider what kind of healthy role model you are (or are not) being for your loved ones, and for your own sake. Then decide on one “healthy habit” that you will commit to developing over the next couple of months. Write it down, and stick it where you’ll see it often. Consider talking to your family about healthy changes they’d like to make and perhaps set some family goals together.

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The Value of Candor

Candor is the best way to make a business, a relationship, or a new idea, operate faster and better. Too many people are unwilling to say what they think. They keep their mouths shut in order to avoid conflict, or sugarcoat bad news to make people feel better, but in the end it only makes things worse. If you’re not straightforward in your communication then don’t expect straightforward answers, and at that point communication becomes a torturous guessing game. The other problem is that chronically ignoring issues isn’t usually the most effective way to solve them.

However, do not confuse candor with brashness, rudeness or a lack of tact. Speaking to others in a considerate, thoughtful tone is a given. The point is that you can be thoughtful, considerate AND straightforward. In fact, over time people tend to have more respect for those that “give it to them straight” than they do for those whose real thoughts don’t seem to match their words.

Capitalizing Potential

Ask yourself the following questions.

1. Am I upfront with people?
2. Do I “sugarcoat” or twist my words? If so, why?
3. In what ways and situations could I use more candor?

“A ‘No’ uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

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Sergiu educated our listeners on how to recognize the danger of switch tasking and how to calculate how much actual money you are costing yourself with inefficient productivity practices.

Being more productive isn’t about working more, it’s about being efficient and giving the proper attention to everything that you are doing.

We are making the replay of this call available to our full access members.  Download the guide, listen to the recording and get started with better productivity.

Download the guide here:

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Listen to the call here:

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Letting Joy Happen

When something doesn’t give us the happiness we thought it would, we tend to think we must not have enough of it, or that we made a mistake in choosing it. But the real question—whether it has to do with money, relationships or something else—is if we’re asking for something that those things can’t provide.

Capitalizing Potential

Are there people/places/things in your life that you place unrealistic demands on? This isn’t a logical exercise, it’s an intuitive one. Ask yourself the question and then let your mind drift towards the answer. It might be a spouse that you blame for making you unhappy, when in reality you’re making yourself unhappy by expecting him/her to be someone they’re not. It might be a “dream home” that seems less dreamy after a few years of wear and tear. It might be a job or business that isn’t generating as much profit as you’d like it to. Answer the following questions, and record your insights.

1. What unrealistic burdens/expectations do I put on other people/places/things?
2. Why do I have these unrealistic expectation?
3. Are there more realistic ways to fulfill my needs, or is it a simple matter of changing my perspective?

“A thing long expected takes the form of the unexpected when at last it comes.” ~ Mark Twain

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Break it Down

True financial freedom includes being able to control your financial assets rather then letting them control you. No matter how big the challenge, you will be in control the moment you choose to be.

Whether your current financial challenge is credit card debt, raising funds for a business venture, trying to figure out the best way to invest extra income, or saving for a home improvement project, many people have a tendency to feel overwhelmed at one time or another about how to meet their financial objectives. Financial challenges almost always seem daunting when you look at them from a macro-perspective. The result is that you spend more time focusing on concerns and fears than on solutions.

Keep it simple. Break the macro-perspective down into a more manageable scale by mapping out each action step that will be required to meet your objective. Don’t look at it as a “mega-problem” that needs a “mega-solution”.  Break it down into manageable set of steps that create incremental solutions, so that there’s a clear beginning and end in sight.

Capitalizing Potential

Consider how this concept applies to your own financial situation.

• Do I tend to focus more on my anxiety about my financial concerns/challenges, or do I use my energy to focus on a proactive solution? In what ways could I improve?
• Do I tend to focus on mega-problems, or do I break challenges down into a manageable size where I clearly understand my next step?
• What is one specific concern that I will break down into clear action steps today?

“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” ~Edmund Burke

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A Long-term Perspective

Always think long-term when it comes to relationships. A long-term perspective tends to cultivate an attitude of greater respect and consideration for others. Think first about the value and happiness that you can bring into your family, clients and friends lives before you consider what value they can offer you. In fact, if you do this regularly, you most likely won’t even need to consider the value they offer you at all, because you’ll naturally experience positive outcomes as you focus your attention on others well-being. (Obviously, this doesn’t mean you should allow yourself to be a part of an abusive relationship in the hopes that you can change someone who continually mistreats you. In order to truly respect others, you must also insist on their respect.)

Capitalizing Potential

Consider how this concept applies to your life.

• Do I generally keep a long-term perspective when choosing how to deal with clients and loved-ones?

• In what ways could I possibly improve?

There’s one sad truth in life I’ve found

While journeying east and west -

The only folks we really wound

Are those we love the best.

We flatter those we scarcely know,

We please the fleeting guest,

And deal full many a thoughtless blow

To those who love us best.

~Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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The Whole Truth

Lately scientists have been confirming that natural foods have the power to heal the human body, often as or more effectively than man-made medicine can, depending on the condition. Pure, unprocessed, natural foods each have their own unique powers to heal different parts of the body in different ways. Scientists are just barely starting to discover some of the wonderful built-in mechanisms that whole foods possess. Health experts confirm that regularly eating a wide variety of whole foods such as whole vegetables,  whole grains and fruits is one of the very best ways to help prevent virtually any type of illness. As a general rule of thumb, anytime food is processed (meaning it has additional ingredients like refined white sugars, “white” flours, and other ingredients), it loses it’s effectiveness and can even damage your body rather than nourish it.

Capitalizing Potential

Consider whether you’re primarily eating natural, whole foods. Take a few minutes to consider what ways you could possibly cut out processed foods from your diet and replace them with natural healing foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Come up with an intention and write it down.

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“Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” ~ Malachy McCourt

Tanzan was a professor of Philosophy at the Japanese Imperial University (now the University of Tokyo) during the Meiji period, and was considered a Zen master during his day. His peers noted that he had a gift for seeing the “big picture”.  The following story is attributed to Tanzan and his friend Ekido.

Two monks, Tanzan and Ekido, walked down a path on a long walk towards their lodging temple. As they passed by a small village they came across a girl who was clearly upset as she tried to pass the muddy road in her silk kimono, which was sure to get ruined. Tanzan immediately scooped her up and carried her across the road. Five hours later Ekido could stay silent about the incident no more and asked, “Why did you carry that girl across the road? We monks are not supposed to touch females.” To which Tanzan replied, “I put the girl down hours ago. Are you still carrying her?”

Some people are like that. They don’t know how to let go of the perceived injustices and mistakes of others, and it becomes a heavy mental burden as “stuff” accumulates inside their minds.

Capitalizing Potential

Ask yourself the following questions. You may want to record your insights.

• Do I ever let memories turn into burdens, rather than simply being something I’ve learned from? In what ways?
• What unnecessary mental baggage am I carrying around right now? (This can often be identified as any feelings of injustice or resentment you hold towards someone who you feel treated you unfairly and got away with it, or even resentment towards yourself for past mistakes.)
• Do carrying these feelings help me, or do they hurt me?
• When will I be ready to let them go?

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Have you ever let something eat you up inside because it “wasn’t fair” or you felt taken advantage of? Eckhart Tolle, a spiritual counselor, relates the following experience. He once regularly visited a terminally ill woman in her home. Their visits were usually very peaceful ones. But one visit he showed up to find her in a horribly upset state. The woman was certain that her maid had stolen a prized possession—her diamond ring that had once been her grandmother’s and that she had worn every day until the illness made her hands too swollen. Tolled asked her if she didn’t realize that she would have to part with the ring very soon anyway. He asked her specifically:

• “How much more time do you need before you will be ready to let go of it?
• Will you become less when you let go of it?
• Has who you are become diminished by the loss?

After a few minutes of silence the woman smiled and said that as she thought about the last question she started to feel her own “I AM-ness” and she realized that her I AM-ness was not in any way diminished by losing the ring. The ring was just a thing—it wasn’t really a part of her. After that insight the woman became noticeably more at peace and happier. She began to enjoy giving away many of her processions, including even giving things to the woman she was sure had stolen her ring. The more things she gave away the more her joy deepened. In the last few weeks before she died, she was radiant. After she passed her mother called Tolle to let him know she was gone. She also mentioned that they had found the ring in a medicine cabinet in the bathroom.

Capitalizing Potential

Take a few minutes to reflect on this story and how it might relate to your own life.

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The Worst Case Scenario

Successful people understand that most opportunities require some amount of risk, but that doesn’t mean they’re willing to take blind shots in the dark. Successful people take risks that make sense, and that they are comfortable with. The first thing they do is make sure that they understand, and will fully be able to handle, the worst-case scenario before they commit to any opportunity or major decision.

Asking these three risk management questions beforehand can help you make smarter financial decisions (or any other type of decision for that matter).

1. What is the best possible outcome?
2. What is the worst possible outcome?
3. What is the most likely outcome?

Give your answers some serious thought. If you can’t honestly say that you’d still be able to live happily ever after, even if #2 came to pass, then don’t do it. It’s that simple. Some people could lose their home, their car, and their life savings many times over in pursuit of their dreams, and that’s okay (think Donald Trump and other entrepreneurs who have lost it all only to rebuild their wealth later). Others would come mentally undone under the stress, depending on their personality, and that’s okay too. Just be honest with yourself and what your personal expectations and limits are.

Capitalizing Potential

Run a financial or business opportunity that you’ve been thinking about through the three previous questions. Then ask yourself the following:

• If number 2 ended up being the case, would I still be okay financially and emotionally? (If the answer is no, then it isn’t the right opportunity for you.)
• Is the most likely outcome the one I want, or am I “betting against the odds”? (If you don’t think the most likely outcome is one you’d be happy with, then don’t do it. Otherwise, you’re simply gambling on an “off chance”, which is a strategy that does not create lasting success.)

“Don’t be afraid to take a big step when one is indicated. You can’t cross a chasm in two small steps.” ~David Lloyd George

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The Motivating Factor

Frederic Herzberg, a renowned behavioral scientist, once performed an in depth study of the work attitudes of thousands of people ranging from factory workers to senior executives. Even he was surprised to find that the motivating factor—the one facet of the jobs that was most stimulating—was not money, good working conditions, or fringe benefits. The one major factor that motivated people was the work itself! If the work was exciting and interesting to that individual, then the worker looked forward to doing it, and was naturally self-motivated to do a good job.

That’s because every person naturally loves to express one’s self when working within the context of his or her Soul Purpose. In most cases, you don’t need to “motivate” people to do better, you just need to assign them the right job. People naturally want the chance to utilize their talents, to demonstrate their worth, to excel, to win. It is the desire for a feeling of importance, and the natural desire to contribute something of value to the world that will get more out of a man or woman than any external reward you could offer.

Capitalizing Potential

Take a few minutes to reflect on this principle. Understanding this principle gives you an advantage in dealing with others whether as an employer, an employee, a spouse, a parent, or a friend. You’ll get other’s best efforts by having them do things in line with their individual Soul Purposes as much as possible. On a personal level, you’ll maximize your own efforts by focusing on activities that are likewise aligned with your own Soul Purpose. The following questions may be helpful in getting you started thinking about the concept:

• What things am I currently doing in my work that are not in line with my Soul Purpose (you’ll know because you don’t enjoy doing those things)?
• Could I cut those things out, or find a way to “trade” or delegate them to someone else?
• Is there anyone in my life, or business, who I’ve been trying to get to work in ways that is not aligned with his or her Soul Purpose?
• What would it take to resolve that, so that I can utilize his or her full potential?

“It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true test.” ~ Elbert Hubbard

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Axing Anxiety

Everyone experiences some of life’s anxiety-producing moments from relationship conflicts, to worrying about a loved one, to simply being frustrated because a traffic jam is going to make you late. Some amount of anxiety in life is inevitable, but chronic anxiety can take an astoundingly heavy toll on one’s mental and physical health. Read on to find out why.

According to research from Harvard Medical School, anxiety is implicated in several chronic physical illnesses, including heart disease, chronic respiratory disorders, and gastrointestinal conditions. This suggests that oftentimes people are taking medication and suffering from symptoms that could be cured by simply managing their anxiety and stress levels better!

Anxiety disorders have also been linked to the development of heart disease and to coronary attacks in people who already have heart disease. In a nationwide Nurses’ Health Study, women with the highest levels of anxiety were 59% more likely to have a heart attack, and 31% more likely to die from one, than women with low anxiety levels.

Many other studies have also found that stress and anxiety is linked to a wide variety of illness. All of this suggests that learning to manage one’s stress levels is a vital part of good health. Even if your anxiety and stress levels are in the “normal” range, you can benefit emotionally and physically by lowering these levels as much as possible.

Capitalizing Potential

Consider in what ways you could decrease stress in your life. That might mean eliminating stressors, or learning how to deal with them better. No one knows your life and how you react to things better than you. Chances are that you can come up with at least one small way to decrease stress in your life if you brainstorm for a few minutes. Sometimes it’s the small things that end up making the biggest difference.

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Taking Out the Trash

People living in their Soul Purpose find that they are guided and inspired to know what to do with their lives. You find life flowing through you rather than feeling like you have to control things and force things to happen.  Yes, you still have to act to make things happen, but you have an inspiration and an internal guidance system that supports you in being all that you can be. You seem to always meet the right people at the right time in order to keep growing and thriving.

However, for most people, there is some “trash” that needs to be cleaned out of their life, before Soul Purpose can really be transparent and bloom into its full potential. What is this “trash”? “Trash” is anything that clutters up your mind or environment.  It could be a lot of things, varying from one individual to the next. For some it might literally be trash, or living in a chaotic or disorganized environment. For others it might be unresolved resentments, dysfunctional family relationships, an unbalanced lifestyle, the refusal to take care of yourself physically, and so forth. With a little reflection, you’ll easily already know what your personal “trash” is. Then comes the hard part—cleaning it up. Hard, but immensely rewarding. Once you decide to clean things us, and commit to it, you’ll find yourself being guided in the right direction.

Capitalizing Potential

During your Power Hour ask yourself the following questions, and record your insights in your journal.

• What is the “trash” in my mind or circumstances right now?

• How could this be blocking me from living my Soul Purpose?

• How am I going to “clean it up”?

“Personal transformation can and does have global effects. As we go, so goes the world, for the world is us. The revolution that will save the world is ultimately a personal one.”

~ Marianne Williamson

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Yielding Vs. Resisting

When tragic loss or disappointment occurs people typically either resist or yield. Yielding means inner acceptance of what is, which ultimately (and sometimes even immediately) leads to peace. Resisting, on the other hand, increases the pain one feels and further entrenches one into the identity of a victim, which makes it harder to feel gratitude and appreciation for everything else in life.

Virtually every spiritual teacher throughout the ages has taught this same principle in some form or another. In order to experience lasting peace in life, in spite of external turmoil and circumstance, one has to accept the fact that everything in life is transitory and temporary. Nothing physical on this Earth was meant to last forever. Jobs come and go, relationships can come and go. Even life comes and goes.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if we were able to let go of good things in life as easily as we allow good things into our lives? Imagine letting things go more gracefully with the knowledge that everything will ultimately be alright.

Capitalizing Potential

Answer the following questions and record your insights in your journal.

• How do I typically react to loss?
• Why do I react this way?
• What things am I most afraid of losing?
• When these things are gone, what is the worst thing that could happen?
• Ultimately, is losing these things a bad thing, or could they be a natural part of the cycle of life that prepares myself, or loved ones, for new opportunities to learn and grow?

He who binds to himself a joy

Does the winged life destroy;

But he who kisses the joy as it flies

Lives in Eternity’s sunrise.

~ William Blake

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“Business as Usual”

Dr. W. Edwards Deming is considered the father of the “quality movement” in business. In the’50s he did his best to get his message out to top management in the US that we needed to step things up a notch to stay global leaders in manufacturing, but at the time the US was the strongest industrial power in the world, so US manufactures didn’t believe him that they could ever lose any significant market shares. His warnings fell on deaf ears. Japan on the other hand, had an economy in very bad shape after World War II. Deming was sent to Japan to teach their top management how to improve design, service, product quality, testing, and sales—all of the things he tried to teach management in the US. The difference was that Japan was desperate enough to listen!

The results speak for themselves. The tiny nation of Japan is now a leading industrial power known for precision and quality. Japan imports cars and a wide range of other high-tech gadgets and appliances all over the world. Today, many Japanese made products are considered superior  or equal to those manufactured anywhere else in the world in both price and quality. The US had a massive head-start, but by getting too comfortable, US companies lost some of their competitive advantage to newer companies willing to break the mold and try things a new way.

Sometimes we let the same thing happen in regards to our own business or our personal finances. We settle for good enough when things are good, rather than look for ways to step it up a notch, and sometimes even when we’re hurting we’ll refuse to look at the underlying cause of our predicament. Instead we just continue on with “business as usual”, and secretly hope that things somehow fix themselves.

Capitalizing Potential

Reflect on how this concept might apply to your own business or personal finances. Are there things that you know could be better, but that you just don’t want to make the time or effort to figure out?

As you brainstorm, write down some of the things that you identify.You now have a list of areas you can focus on over the next few weeks as you do your daily Power Hours.

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

~ Albert Einstein

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Kindness

The Oxford Dictionary defines kindness as “the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate”.

It’s a simple concept, but in day-to-day life, kindness is an action that can sometimes be difficult to implement.  It’s easy to show kindness at one’s preferred religious institution or a familiar social gathering. It is easy to be kind to your peers and those who share your religious and/or political views. Usually, it’s even relatively easy to be kind to perfect strangers. But the real test of a man or woman’s character is how he or she chooses to treat his or her own significant other and close family members on a daily basis. That’s where consistent “kindness” can sometimes be a challenge.

Capitalizing Potential

Take a few minutes to reflect on this principle. Ask yourself how you do at being consistently “friendly, generous, and considerate” to all those you come in contact with, and especially those closest to you. Ask yourself:

• Am I kind in my interactions with strangers (even if they don’t know how to drive properly, or offer substandard service)?
• Am I consistently kind in my interactions with my close loved ones?
• In what ways am I genuinely kind to others?
• In what ways could I possibly improve?

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”

~Pericles (Ancient Greek Politician)

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Small & Simple

Daily physical activity, regardless of whether you prefer a regiment at the gym or just a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood, is such an important principle because it goes beyond health. Taking care of your body gives you more confidence and energy to succeed in other areas of your life as well.

Exercising relieves stress and leads to better overall mental well-being in your life. Studies have also shown that people who get regular physical activity have improved brain-functioning, which means that your brain is essentially “smarter” when you exercise regularly, compared to when you don’t. And that’s just one tiny benefit out of the many ways regular exercise can enhance your life.

Capitalizing Potential

If you’re already physically active, take some time to celebrate your wonderful achievement of taking good care of yourself.

If you’re not exercising regularly, take some time to think about the benefits that it could bring into your life in regards to your body, mind, and soul.

Most people want to exercise in theory but lack the motivation to put that desire into practice. If that is the case with you, then an effective way to overcome this barrier is to start small and simple. Think of a single activity that is easy to do and that you enjoy. Make just a little bit of time for this activity each day. Whether it’s simply taking a brisk walk, yoga stretches, or whatever. You can build up your routine as you go. Start small and simple, because often the most difficult part is just to get started

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Visioneering

So many people underestimate the power of imagination. They don’t realize that the power to visualize is a powerful tool, that can both build and destroy outcomes. Have you ever caught yourself “reliving” in your mind a real experience where you were the victim and things didn’t turn out how you wanted them too? Most of us have at some point, but the thing to keep in mind is that what we spend our time thinking about is often the origin of our outcomes in life. The things we tend to think about most—even if we’re just “daydreaming” or “remembering”—have an energy that tends to reflect itself in our everyday lives.

Aside from various “mystical” explanations or the “law of attraction”, there are also logical explanations for why this occurs. Scientists refer to this phenomenon in psychological terms as “priming”. Studies have found that people tidy up more thoroughly when there’s a faint tang of cleaning liquid in the air, or become more cooperative if they catch a glimpse of words like “dependable” and “support” — all without being aware of the change, or what prompted it. It happens on a subliminal level. That’s just one reason why it’s so important to spend time with positive people and avoid naysayers. The people you spend time with can act as “primers” for good or bad.

Our thoughts can work the same way. You are priming your brain to see the world in a certain way—without even being aware of it—every time your mind “wanders”, daydreams or reminisces. If you choose to try to daydream or reminisce more about positive experiences than negative ones, odds are greater that your mind will be more open and receptive to positive people, words, and events. You’ll simply notice the positive more. Conversely, if you frequently allow yourself to wallow in negative thinking, you are priming your mind to be more increasingly receptive to negative outcomes, people, and circumstances. It’s really that simple, and it’s never too late to turn things around.

Capitalizing Potential

Consider taking a few minutes to “prime” your mind to have a great day. Gratitude is a powerful primer. Envision yourself having a wonderful day that will give you even more cause to be grateful.

Be as realistic and rich in detail in your envisioning as possible. Picture yourself getting a lot of things accomplished at work, and enjoying working with your team. Perhaps, imagine yourself doing something sweet for your spouse and how it makes them feel good inside, and makes you feel great too. Basically, just imagine yourself having the kind of day you would like to have. Consider doing this practice on a regular basis. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how consistently it truly does help you set up and create that kind of day.

“First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.”

~ Napoleon Hill

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You may be wondering what the answer to the above question is.  Or you may know the answer to the question but you aren’t sure how to set it in motion.  Today’s show Brandon Allen and Billy Bush from The Business Blueprint host a special second hour of the radio show.

During the show they take you through the best tools to help you discover Soul Purpose as well as what to do once you know what your purpose is.

Listen to the archive here:

Please visit website to view premium content

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