The world is moving at an ever faster pace, and it can be a challenge just to keep up, let alone get ahead. Where do your dreams fit in when you put everything into keeping a job, running a business or building finances for retirement?
Is success just about the bottom line? What do you do when you have the big house, fancy cars and money put away, but your life is still stressful and empty? How do you have meaningful relationships when your success depends on you being in control?
No one makes a conscious choice to wake up one day completely overwhelmed and disconnected from the things that matter most ––but, as we age, it happens to many of us. Often we don’t even realize we’ve gotten off course until we crash and burn––a spouse leaves, a business fails, an illness strikes –– and we’re forced to re-examine our priorities. The good news is, it’s never too late to make a change, and you don’t have to wait for the sky to fall before you
make it.
With all the noise about the economy, elections, and what is happening around the world, it is easy to fall into the trap of trying to believe two contradictory points:
a) that everything is beyond your control, and
b) in order to succeed you have to control everything.
The truth is actually the opposite.
You always have control over the only thing that matters: yourself. That is to say, you have total control over how you choose to act and what you choose to believe in any given moment, in any given circumstance, and in order to succeed, you have to let go of controlling others and of controlling the outcome.
Here are Five Key Factors for Attaining Belief in Yourself:
1. Accept the truth. Acknowledging the person you are today is the key to becoming the person you want to be and ultimately, attaining belief in yourself. There is a big difference between failing and not getting the results we want. Instead of seeing failure, seniors can still see opportunities for growth and change.
2. Speak the truth. Be honest about your past behaviors and habits. While it may be difficult to acknowledge them, burying those parts of our lives makes us feel like victims, amplifying our fear and pain. Shedding light on the past, by talking with a trusted friend or professional, frees us.
3. Breathe through the truth. Avoid reacting from a place of pain or anger with children, co-workers, relatives and friends – no matter how much you believe you are right. Be open to changing your perspective. Treat yourself lovingly. Do not self-destruct.
4. Process the truth. Give yourself time and space to find your equilibrium. Developing belief in yourself means gaining confidence that will lead to a stronger foundation as you enter the next phase of your life.
5. Create a plan based on the truth. Changing entrenched behaviors and mindsets takes time, and sometimes they return. Stay strong. Continue to believe and actively engage in this process. Define how you want to live your life from where you are right now. Whether this includes more time with your children, grandkids, friends and social activities, look for ways to repair old conflicts and build a foundation for the best years of your life.
If you can master these Five Key Factors for Attaining Belief in Yourself, you will be well on your way to achieving the kind of success you really dream of – success that incorporates balance in all areas for a whole new lifestyle .
Ben Newman is President of the Ben Newman Companies in St. Louis and an international motivational speaker, successful financial executive, coach and author of the best-selling book, “Own Your Success”, one of the top 15 books of 2012 on CEO Read. Ben has addressed thousands of individuals from members of the Minnesota Vikings and MARS Snack Foods to the Wounded Warriors. The Napoleon Hill Foundation has recognized Ben as one of the top 51 speakers and thought leaders in the world. He can be contacted at http://www.bennewman.net.
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