The Crooked Road of Success - Part II

Dr. Success Challenge: Get fired and remain optimist.

Some challenges don't need much explanation, but since it is my blog, I will elaborate. Everyone knows someone who has been fired, or maybe you have even been fired yourself.

In early June, I had the opportunity to be fired from a gig I was not even getting compensated for creating! Now that takes getting fired to an all new level. Actually, the level it took me to immediately was getting into action setting an intention to attract a bigger and better opportunities for myself in the same medium. I know you are thinking that kind of response takes years of training and an economic safety net --and I don't downplay either one of those things. However, what the science of positive psychology has shown is that anyone at anytime can choose the response they play out in a situation.

If you want to take a check where you are in your optimism at the moment, go to Happier.com and take the free optimism survey.

Then listen to 24 year old Branden Collinsworth and 74 year old Richard Goeglein discuss how they used their strengths to traverse life's crooked road of success. Their conversation highlights the reality that no matter how many potholes you encounter on the road, life success is a journey worth taking. The opening song on the show is one of many from Pato Benton. You can hear more of his work at http://www.patobanton.com/



With appreciation, Andrea

http://twitter.com/DrSuccess

http://www.servingsuccess.com/

702 869 3729

Shaping Fear or Shaping the Future?

Are you shaping fear or shaping your future?

Dr. Success™ Challenge: At the beginning of each day, for the next 7 days, answer the following question: If I believed I was here to shape the future, what actions would I take today?

I might not have a constructive contribution to make regarding the debate about health care in the United States, but I can contribute to the conversation regarding living a life of less fear and more productive action.

1. Clarify what your future would look like if you shaped a future that was ideal. If you don’t think you know the answer to that, start with making a list of the future you absolutely do not want. From the “don’t want” list, now create a list of “ideals.”
2. Think of one action, no matter how small, that you could take today to move toward any one of the items on your list.

3. Committ to take that action.

4. Take that action. (Just so I am clear.)

5. Throughout the day if your mind wanders into thoughts of fear about anything, past, present or future, stop what you are doing, notice the thought, and say the word, “Stop.” If you are around other people and feel odd doing that, just do it silently. Remember that thought you were just noticing came in while you were with those same people, so you are clearly qualified to silently say the word “stop”.

There, all done. You have now begun the process eliminating fear about the future by taking action to shape it. Simple, yet not easy and the quicker you get over that fact the better off we all will be. And know that if your shaping your fear, you are shaping your future. Doesn't sound like fun to me.

Remember: We are not here to fear the future. We are here to shape it.
President Obama 09/09/09

Thank you to Stew Gibbons for his beautiful photo of the August 2009 Discovery launch.

Andrea T. Goeglein, Ph.D.
Dr. Success™
http://www.servingsuccess.com/
http://www.twitter.com/DrSuccess
http://www.ServingSuccess.blogspot.com

Are You Spiritually Lazy?

For fun, keep this photo taken by Stew Gibbons, President of Connerton, in mind as you read this blog.

This is free pass week. No Dr. Success Challenge. Just one thought to sit with for the week with no lists to make and you get to choose whether or not you even think about the question I am going to pose. That is free will and choice at its finest. No one to hold accountable for the results other than yourself.

Thought to sit with: Are you spiritually lazy?

I did not think this question up all on my lonesome. I actually overheard a conversation on a hike recently and it made me first laugh, then I gave the comment some thought.

A group of men in their late 30s or early 40s, holding a baby in their politically correct front baby body harness, were deep in conversation as they traversed the downside of a well worn mountain path. As they passed me, one man was exclaiming with clear determination leaving his opinion understood, “Agnosticism is just another word for lazy.”

For those of you who do not know, agnosticism is the belief (no pun intended) that if you cannot prove something, such as the existence of God, deities, or spiritual beings, they do not exist. I have always distinguished agnosticism from atheism in the following way: agnostic’s might be willing to believe in God as long as you could prove it in a method that is acceptable to them; atheist don’t believe in any form of God or universal interconnectivity and do not care if you can prove it or not. If you have an interest in this topic, start with Wikipedia and look at some of the resources listed.

Since growth of my spirit and other’s is actually a life occupation, my stance cannot be camouflaged. Yet, I think the question is an interesting one and worth my investing some further thought to clarifying. Having just reviewed When God Winks, I cannot overlook the irony that today I invested a lot of time writing about The Crooked Road of Success(tm), which I anticipate publishing in 2010, and got stuck when I needed to describe the topic of Spiritual Growth.

As always, with appreciation, Andrea
Andrea T. Goeglein, Ph.D.
http://www.servingsuccess.com/
DrSuccess@ServingSuccess.com
http://twitter.com/DrSuccess
702 869 3729
866 975 3777 Toll-Free

When God Winks Part 2

Dr. Success Challenge: This one should be easy. All that is needed is that you tell yourself the truth. Last week's challenge was to keep track of all the coincidences that occured during the week. This week's challenge is to answer this one question: Did you complete last week's challenge? "Yes" or "No".

Nothing changes unless you change something.

Be the change you want to see in the world.

Think globally, act locally.

If you do not take action on the small stuff, you cannot create big stuff.

No matter how small, every action is big.

May the wink you need today be nothing more than this reminder to take any small step.

If you are interested in how others have noticed winks read, When God Winks by SQuire Rushnell.

With appreciation -- especially for the incredible photographic talent of Stew Gibbons, President of Connerton who provided the photo for this blog, Andrea

http://http://http//www.servingsuccess.com/

http://twitter.com/DrSuccess

702 869 3729 Office

866 975 3777 Toll-free