If you have not read “Unstoppable, 45 Powerful Stories Of Perseverance And Triumph From People Just Like You” by Cynthia Stafford, I highly recommend it. I wanted to share one part of the book, which I believe is very powerful advice, 10 steps to developing an unstoppable belief system as well as action steps to take.
1) Take Immediate Action Your actions reflect your beliefs, and it is what you do that determines what you believe. By taking even the smallest steps, you are communicating to yourself and to the world that you believe in yourself and your dream.
Action: Write down one action you can take immediately that will put your dream into motion. Do it now!
2) Acknowledge Your Untapped Potential It is commonly agreed that the average person uses only a fraction of his or her potential mental capacity. It is important to acknowledge that we don’t use anywhere close to our fullest capabilities and that we have an enormous potential within us to do and be much more.
Action: Make a realistic assessment of your current abilities. Now imagine that your abilities have increased by 10 percent. What would you be doing if you immediately possess 10 percent more abilities, skills, and talents. You could be doing those things today if you believe you could and pushed yourself-even a little bit-outside your comfort zone.
3) Watch Your Internal Language! Whatever you think about constantly, you will achieve. If you’re continually focusing on how difficult your goal is, you will never achieve it.
Action: List some of the negative self-talk in which you routinely engage. Think of how you could modify that dialog to have a positive effect on your thinking and on the results. For example, instead of asking yourself Why me? or Why can’t I? Ask yourself, What can I do to make things better, to turn my life around, to improve the situation, to achieve what I long for? These questions instantly change your focus and empower you.
4) Neutralize Fear And Risk Fear is a natural reaction to change. It’s important to realize that everyone experiences fear when venturing into unknown territory. Successful people acknowledge fear and manage it by confronting the cause and determining how they can prepare for the challenge ahead. They decide on certain actions that will enable them to feel as competent and confident as possible. To overcome fear, we must plunge ourselves into the very thing we fear most. Only then, by taking risks, can we build our confidence.
Action: Identify one fear that is stopping you from achieving your goals. Neutralize it by deciding what you can do to prepare yourself for the challenge. Then make the commitment to do so. If the outcome isn’t what you planned, congratulate yourself for your courage and consider what you’ve learned from the experience. Modify your plan and take action again.
5) Visualize Success Visualizing what you want before it happens is one of the most powerful strategies of achievers, thousands of whom use visualization to rekindle their passions, clarify their goals, and strengthen their faith. Make your vision so powerful that when you finally accomplish your goal, you have a sense of deja vu- “haven’t I experienced this before?” Yes, you have-in your imagination a thousand times-and each time the experience became more and more real.
Action:Identify a specific goal that supports your purpose and passion. Imagine yourself achieving that goal in every detail. Think about where you are at that moment, what you are wearing, who is with you, what the temperature is, and what kind of feelings you’re experiencing. Create the most compelling and exciting vision you can imagine. Then write down what you have visualized or record it on a cassette tape. To enhance the recording you could add background music or peaceful nature sounds. Read your description or listen to your tape every single day. As you do, your belief and confidence will grow. And as your belief grows, you’ll be able to take further action. Before long, you’ll be operating from a foundation of firm, unstoppable faith.
6) Practice Affirmations Napoleon Hill suggests that repeating positive affirmations to your subconscious mind is an excellent method for developing faith. After continually repeating an affirmation to oneself, eventually you come to believe it.
Action: Make a list of what you want to accomplish and close your eyes and read aloud your written statement. Envision yourself having accomplished your goal. Repeat this morning and night. Place a written copy of your goal where you can see it morning and night.
7) Find Others To Believe In You Everyone needs someone to believe in him or her, and those who are closest to you may not be the best people to fill that role. The key is to find someone who does.
Action: Take an inventory of the people in your life. Identify one or two individuals who are supportive and can provide encouragement. If you can’t think of one person who fits into that category, in Chapter 6 of the book, Cynthia identified the best places to meet people who can.
Draw Strength From A Higher Power Cynthia says she has drawn strength from adopting two beliefs. The first is that God loves her. The second is that everything happens for a reason and ultimately that reason will serve her.
Action: In his book “The Power Of Positive Thinking,” Dr. Norman Vincent Peale suggests we repeat many times daily, “God is with me; God is helping me; God is guiding me.” Acknowledge that God is with you and nothing can defeat you. Believe that you receive power from your Creator. By stating an affirmation such as this several times each day and visualizing God’s presence, your faith will deepen.
9) Dealing With Critics And Rejection The only opinion about your dream that really counts is yours. There is nothing unrealistic about a dream that aligns with your purpose, ignites your passion, and inspires you to plan and persevere until you attain it.
Action: Do your homework. The most effective way to counter negativity is to learn all your can about what you want to accomplish.
10) Dealing With Experts Experts can offer insight and be a great resource. However, they are seldom known for their creativity and imagination and they have a vested interest in preserving the status quo.
Action: The next time an “expert” attacks your dream, take comfort in realizing that people who achieved some of the greatest accomplishments of humankind were also told their goals were not possible.
These are definitely 10 powerful steps to developing an unstoppable belief system. What are your thoughts? I would love to hear your comments below. And if you would share this with others by clicking on the social networking buttons, I would appreciate it. Have a great week and stay inspired!!!
Action:
To Your Success,
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