I Believe...

Last week I wrote a blog post to one of my other blogs aimed at teaching personal trainers how to be more successful in their careers.

The post was a call for transparency and clarity. Qualities that I truly believe underlie every single success quality. After all, transparency and clarity are, by another name, 'Truth'. Telling the truth, being honest.

Well, during that post, I laid out my beliefs about what I think success in my industry looks like (you can see it HERE) and 'put it out there' for the world.

I never had the faintest idea about what would happen next!

24 hours later, over 6500 visits to the blog, over 30 comments, over 220 personal emails to me and and untold amount of 'I believe' posts on personal trainers blogs all over the web.

It seems that I really touched something inside of people with that post and woke people up to something that was missing... or maybe just forgotten... from their lives.

So I thought I'd do the same here!

I thought I'd see if my MAGIC Hundred community would have the same awakening and rise to the same challenge as the fitness professionals did.

Let see shall we? : )

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I was thinking about beliefs yesterday for an article I'm writing.

As I was thinking, I came to the sudden realisation that for REAL success to happen for any us it is important not only to be 100% crystal clear on our own beliefs (and to live them) but to share those beliefs with others whenever and wherever we can.

After all, our success always lies in our interactions with others.

If we want more money, better health, better relationships, greater education etc we rely on others to get it and, needless to say, those who share our beliefs are those who are most likely to help up achieve our goals.

Funny though, few of us ever share our TRUE beliefs about... anything!

Sure, we write, we youtube, we blog, we Twitter, we facebook, we Myspace and do all the other 'real time sharing' stuff but, well, what are we really sharing?

We (myself included) are normally sharing 'stuff'. Links to stuff mostly.

Yet we never let people 'in' and allow them to know what we really believe.

I think this is a BIG mistake and one that, instead of creating true connection with others, keeps us separate. And separateness keeps us struggling... no if's, no but's.

Yet, how easy would it be to create a connection if you we just took the simple step of outright telling people upfront, in advance, as often as possible and in as many ways as we can what we are 'about'. What we believe.

Don't you think that would change things?

Just a little?

I think it would. In fact, I think that the transparency I'm talking about would take practically ANYONE and make them immediately more attractive, more compelling and more successful.

To put it simply, I believe that it's easier to develop what marketers call 'raving fans' if we move away from a marketing message approach and move toward a transparent 'what I believe' statement. (And 'marketing' doesn't just mean selling a product; it means having others help you achieve your goals in EVERY area of your life)

In fact, I'm going to prove it.

First, I'm going to tell you EXACTLY what I believe and then I'm going to challenge YOU with an idea (read the end of this post for the challenge).

So here goes.

Here's what I believe:

==> I believe that it's too easy to blame past events for our current circumstances and that in doing so we weaken ourselves and do more harm to our lives than most of us will ever realise.

The past is gone and any pain that still lingers is entirely of our own making. Choose not to be hurt and you won't be.

==> I believe that it's too easy to blame other PEOPLE for things they said, things they did... or didn't do... and things that we wanted them to do but never asked.

People say and do things all the time that cause pain to other people. Intentionally or not, they do. So what?? Words CAN hurt but they don't have to. Choose not to be hurt and you won't be.

==> I believe that It's too easy to judge others by their actions whilst we judge ourselves by our intentions.

"That's not what I meant!" or "I didn't mean to!" go both ways. It's not fair to excuse yourself whilst condemning others who committed the same 'crime'. Let go of judging!

==> I believe that letting go of judging is one of the hardest things we can ever do... yet one of the most valuable!

We're trained to compare and contrast from an early age. Sometimes it's useful... most of the time it's not. To quit a judging habit choose to 'let it be' rather feeling that you need to comment one way or the other.

==> I believe that failure is impossible.

People don't truly fail; they simply choose to be less that the person they need to be to have success come to them. As soon as they become who they need to be, success will be there.


==> I believe that people make too many excuses for their 'failures'

People rationalise, blame, justify and excuse themselves of responsibility for their own lives rather than stepping up and taking action to make things better.


==> I believe that people's memories are too short when it comes to remembering the good and too long when it comes to remembering the bad

This voluntary choice about what to remember is what keeps a lot of people in pain. Simply turning this around will change EVERYTHING.

==> I believe that most of what we've been taught about goals, success and personal development is wrong

Thoughts DON'T become things - They CAN but this is not a 'law'. We think many, many things that never come to pass.

Positive thinking DOESN'T bring about positive results - Again, it CAN but but this doesn't mean it will.


==> I believe that holding a 'major definite purpose and pursuing it until it becomes real' as advocated by most success coaches is not the best way to to live a happy life.

Stories abound with people who pursued their goals and met success in the eyes of the world only to confess to extreme unhappiness in other areas of their lives. A MAJOR DEFINITE PURPOSE sounds great but it only identifies one area of our lives.

==> I believe that we are all schizonphrenic... and that's a good thing!

No-one is just one person. We're mom, dad, aunt, uncle, daughter, son, sister, brother, cousin, athlete, lover, teacher, student and much much more besides. Each one of our personalities needs a little 'time in the sun'. Each one has its own wants, needs and desires that we call goals. A happy life is letting each one achieve success rather than just one... as most of us do.

==> I believe that it is our duty to live a life of success

We serve no-one by playing small, struggling or just getting by. There is power, purpose and promise in achievement of your goals. Achieve more!

==> I believe that success is not about money but about happiness

Success is not defined by how much money you have, where you live or what car you drive but rather by how happy you are in your life. Are you happy? Truly happy? Then you're a success!

==> I believe that money is good

Get as much as you can use and spend it on things that make you feel better about yourself and your life.

==> I believe that in order to HAVE more you have to DO more and in order to DO more you have to BE more


Be more... in every way!

==> I believe that true success comes from living a life of passion and, more important, purpose and that those who feel a purpose to their work will always achieve more than those who simply want to earn more money.


==> I believe that there are 2 ways to go through life. The hard way and the smart way.

The hard way involves focusing on money and crying because you don't have enough. The smart way involves focusing on service and sharing your message with those who are ready to hear it. When you do, those who like your message will pay you to hear more : )


==> I believe that what you have is a direct result of what you have given up to that point.

If you don't feel you have enough then, no matter how you feel about things, you haven't given enough. Give more!

==> I believe that you cannot give what you don't have and that to try is a kind of fraud.

Don't talk to others about success if you don't feel successful. Don't talk to others about lifestyle if yours is all over the place. Don't tell people about establishing new habits if you can't establish them yourself. Don't tell people about the importance of good nutrition if yours is poor.

==> I believe that everything I wrote here is correct...

...but that as I grow and develop over the years I may add, refine or even completely change my mind about things. This is called growth. However, right now, right at this moment, I have had more success with these beliefs than I have had at any other point in my life and so have many others.

I could go on but I think you get my drift.

This isn't some kind of marketing message.

I'm not trying to sell something here.

I have no ulterior motive in sharing but to lay it out there so that others don't have to guess about me or what I believe.

Now you know and you can take it or leave it : )

Here's my challenge to you!

What do you think would happen if you did this on YOUR blog, YOUR website or in YOUR newsletter?

Do you think it would make any difference?

Do you think it would tell a better 'story' of who you are?

Do you think it would bring you closer to those who you're trying to share your message with?

Your family?

Your colleagues?

Your customers?

I know for a fact that it will but it's not what I think that counts. It's what YOU think.

If you think sharing your 'I believe' story will change things for you (or even if you're not sure), I challenge you to do exactly as I've done here. Post your beliefs and watch the ripple effect take place in every area of your life!

Go on, I dare ya!

Dax Moy
http://www.themagichundred.com/trial.htm


P.S - Make sure you leave me a message and tell me what you think of the post ok? I really want to hear from you!

Here's An Excuse... Pick one!

***ADVANCE WARNING!**************
Don't Read If You're Easy To Offend...
(and don't say I didn't warn you!)
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It's not hard to live a live of boredom, drudgery and feeling like you're never going to accomplish your dreams.

In fact, it's damned easy.

Just pick an excuse (or call it a 'reason' if you like) from the 'done for you' list below:

"I'm too young!"

"I'm too old!"

"I'm too tall!"

"I'm too short!"

"I'm too fat!"

"I'm too thin!"

"I'm undereducated!"

"I'm OVER educated!"

"I'm a man!"

"I'm a woman!"

"My family didn't give me enough!"

"My family gave me too much!"

"I'm black!"

"I'm white!"

"I'm Asian!"

"I'm gay!"

"I'm hetero!"

"I don't have enough experience for this!"

"I'm too experienced for this!"

"I don't have enough time!"

"I don't have enough money!"

"I have a disability!"

"I have a disease!"


Or add your own, it's all the same to me....

...because NONE of it is true!

In fact, you can pick any combination of any 5 or more factors TOGETHER and it still doesn't make make it any truer.

Go on, try it.

Put together a combination of 5 factors that you THINK describe you.

For example, a short, thin, undereducated Asian woman with no education, no money and a disability (please don't send me emails about my selection, I randomly selected each of the excuses).

Now, tell me this; has there EVER been another person with these qualities that has gone on to achieve what you want to achieve?

If yes then your excuses are 100% unfounded and you need to let them go (or, of course, keep them and keep your life as it is now) because the truth is, what one person can achieve, ANYONE can. Just because you haven't YET doesn't mean you can't.

If there hasn't ever been another person who has accomplished what you want to accomplish, that still doesn't let you off the hook, you know!

You can always make the decision TODAY to be the first.

SOMEONE has to be the first at everything, right? Why not you?

Bottom line?

You have no REASONS not to have what you want from life. Those 'reasons' you think you have are just excuses that are costing you your happiness.

Only you can change this.

Only you can give up your excuses.

So give 'em up today.

I dare ya! : )

Dax Moy
www.themagichundred.com/trial.htm

You can now follow me on TWITTER
http://twitter.com/daxmoy

Get Up! Your Goals Are Waiting For You...

Sometimes staying positive is tough.

Sometimes, when you see your dreams fall apart at the seams it feels like nothing you could ever do, nothing you could ever say, nothing you could ever think will ever make a difference.

Sometimes, when you fall down it feels so damned hard to get back up again. It feels easier to stay where you are.

To quit.

To admit defeat.

Yet quitting achieves only one thing; the death of your dreams.

The CERTAIN death of your dreams!

It's only the act of getting up when you fall that keeps your dreams alive and, eventually, brings them to reality.

So get up!

Watch this video that my good friend Susan Hill send me recently and when you do, promise me you'll NEVER think of quitting again....



GET UP!

The good stuff's on its way!

Truth, joy and love

Dax
www.themagichundred.com/trial.htm

P.S - If you're ready to get up again and pursue your goals for 100 days then check out the new $4.95 trial of the MAGIC Hundred today!

Maybe You Should Just Quit!

Every day I get emails from people telling me that what they're doing isn't working,
that they feel they'll never get to where they want, never achieve their goals and that,
if things don't turn around for them soon, that they're going to quit.

I understand.

EVERYONE has had thoughts of quitting at one time or another.

EVERYONE has felt like they're never going to make it.

EVERYONE has felt like the mountains are too high to climb and that the reward for the climb is uncertain.

EVERYONE!

But a few, a rare few, manage to ignore and overcome those feelings and thoughts and pursue their dreams despite the 'evidence' that life keeps showing them that they won't make it

This rare few include...

Abraham Lincoln

As a young man, Abraham Lincoln went to war a captain and returned a private. Afterwards, he was a failure as a businessman.

As a lawyer in Springfield, he was too impractical and temperamental to be a
success.

He turned to politics and was defeated in his first try for the legislature, again defeated in his first attempt to be nominated for congress, defeated in his application to be commissioner of the General Land Office, defeated in the senatorial election of 1854, defeated in his efforts for the vice-presidency in 1856, and defeated in the senatorial election of 1858.

He later became the 16th President of the United States of America.

Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill failed sixth grade.

He was subsequently defeated in every election for public office until he became Prime Minister at the age of 62.

He later wrote, "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never -in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.

Never, Never, Never, Never give up."

Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud was booed from the podium when he first presented his ideas to the scientific community of Europe.

He returned to his office and kept on writing and the rest, as they say, is history.

Robert Sternberg

Robert Sternberg received a C in his first college introductory-psychology  class. His teacher commented that "there was a famous Sternberg in psychology  and it was obvious there would not be another."

Three years later Sternberg graduated with honors from Stanford University with exceptional distinction in psychology, summa cum laude, and Phi Beta Kappa.

In 2002, he became President of the American Psychological Association.

Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin gave up a medical career and was told by his father, "You care for nothing but shooting, dogs and rat catching." In his autobiography, Darwin wrote, "I was considered by all my masters and my father,  a very ordinary boy, rather below the common standard of intellect."

Clearly, he evolved.

Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison's teachers said he was "too stupid to learn anything."

He was fired from his first two jobs for being "non-productive."

As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb.

When a reporter asked, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" Edison replied, "I didn't fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps."


Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein did not speak until he was 4-years-old and did not read until he was 7.

His parents thought he was "sub-normal," and one of his teachers described him as "mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in foolish dreams."

He was expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School.

He did eventually learn to speak and read. Even to do a little math : )

Louis Pasteur

Louis Pasteur was only a mediocre pupil in undergraduate studies and ranked 15th out of 22 students in chemistry.

Henry Ford

Henry Ford could not read nor write, failed and went broke five times in business before he succeeded and launched the most successful car company of all time.

R.H. Macy

R. H. Macy failed seven times before his store in New York City caught on.

F.W. Woolworth

F. W. Woolworth was not allowed to wait on customers when he worked in a dry goods store because, his boss said, "he didn't have enough sense."

Alexander Graham Bell

When Bell telephone was struggling to get started, its owners offered all their rights to Western Union for $100,000. The offer was disdainfully rejected with the pronouncement, "What use could this company make of an electrical toy."

Try and find a person (even children) that doesn't own a phone today...

Robert Goddard

Rocket scientist Robert Goddard found his ideas bitterly rejected by his scientific peers on the grounds that rocket propulsion would not work in the rarefied atmosphere of outer space.

Vince Lombardi

An expert said of Vince Lombardi: "He possesses minimal football knowledge and lacks motivation." Lombardi would later write, "It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get back up."

Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth is famous for his past home run record, but for decades he also held the record for strikeouts. He hit 714 home runs and struck out 1,330 times in his career (about which he said, "Every strike out brings me closer to the next home run.").

Hank Aaron

Hank Aaron went 0 for 5 his first time at bat with the Milwaukee Braves.

Stan Smith

Stan Smith was rejected as a ball boy for a Davis Cup tennis match because he was "too awkward and clumsy." He went on to clumsily win Wimbledon and the US Open...and eight Davis Cups.


Tom Landry, Chuck Noll, Bill Walsh, and Jimmy Johnson accounted for 11 of the 19
Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1993. They also share the distinction of having the worst records of first-season head coaches in NFL history - they didn't win a single game.

Jonny Unitas and Joe Montana

Johnny Unitas's first pass in the NFL was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Joe Montana's first pass was also intercepted. And while we're on quarterbacks, during his first season Troy Aikman threw twice as many interceptions (18) as touchdowns (9) . . . oh, and he didn't win a single game.

You think there's a lesson here?

Carl Lewis

After Carl Lewis won the gold medal for the long jump in the 1996 Olympic games, he was asked to what he attributed his longevity, having competed for almost 20 years. He said, "Remembering that you have both wins and losses along the way. I don't take either one too seriously."

Walt Disney

Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas." He went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland. In fact, the proposed park was rejected by the city of Anaheim on the grounds that it would only attract riffraff.

Charles Schultz

Charles Schultz had every cartoon he submitted rejected by his high school yearbook staff. Walt Disney wouldn't hire him either : )

Fred Astaire

After Fred Astaire's first screen test, the memo from the testing director of MGM, dated 1933, read, "Can't act. Can't sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a little." He kept that memo over the fire place in his Beverly Hills home. Astaire once observed that "when you're experimenting, you have to try so many things before you choose what you want, that you may go days getting nothing but exhaustion."

And here is the reward for perseverance: "The higher up you go, the more mistakes you are allowed. Right at the top, if you make enough of them, it's considered to be your style."

Sidney Poitier

After his first audition, Sidney Poitier was told by the casting director, "Why don't you stop wasting people's time and go out and become a dishwasher or something?" It was at that moment, recalls Poitier, that he decided to devote his life to acting.

Lucille Ball

When Lucille Ball began studying to be actress in 1927, she was told by the head instructor of the John Murray Anderson Drama School, "Try any other profession."

Jerry Seinfeld

The first time Jerry Seinfeld walked on-stage at a comedy club as a professional comic, he looked out at the audience, froze, and forgot the English language. He stumbled through "a minute-and a half" of material and was jeered offstage. He returned the following night and closed his set to wild applause.

Harrison Ford

After Harrison Ford's first performance as a hotel bellhop in the film Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round, the studio vice-president called him in to his office. "Sit down kid," the studio head said, "I want to tell you a story...

The first time Tony Curtis was ever in a movie he delivered a bag of groceries. We took one  look at him and knew he was a movie star." Ford replied, "I thought you were supposed to think that he was a grocery delivery boy." The vice president dismissed Ford with "You ain't got it kid , you ain't got it ... now get out of here."

Michael Caine

Michael Caine's headmaster told him, "You will be a laborer all your life."

Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin was initially rejected by Hollywood studio chiefs because his pantomime was considered "nonsense."

The Beatles

Decca Records turned down a recording contract with The Beatles with the evaluation, "We don't like their sound. Groups of guitars are on their way out." After Decca rejected the Beatles, Columbia records followed suit.

Elvis Presley

In 1954, Jimmy Denny, manager of the Grand Ole Opry, fired Elvis Presley after one performance. He told Presley, "You ain't goin' nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin' a truck."

Beethoven

Beethoven handled the violin awkwardly and preferred playing his own compositions instead of improving his technique. His teacher called him "hopeless as a composer." And, of course, you know that he wrote five of his greatest symphonies while completely deaf.

Vincent Van Gogh

Van Gogh sold only one painting during his life. And this, to the sister of one of his friends, for 400 francs (approximately $50). This didn't stop him from completing over 800 paintings.

Leo Tolstoy

Leo Tolstoy flunked out of college. He was described as both "unable and unwilling to learn." No doubt a slow developer.

Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women, was encouraged to find work as a servant by her family.

Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson had only seven poems published in her lifetime.


Richard Bach

18 publishers turned down Richard Bach's story about a "soaring eagle." Macmillan finally published Jonathan Livingston Seagull in 1970. By 1975 it had sold more than 7 million copies in the U.S. alone.

Richard Hooker

21 publishers rejected Richard Hooker's humorous war novel, M*A*S*H. He had  worked on it for seven years.

Dr Seuss

27 publishers rejected Dr. Seuss's first book, 'And To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street'.


Woody Allen

Woody Allen: "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to  achieve it through not dying. Eighty percent of success is showing up."


It's easy to think that somehow things are tougher, harder or 'different'
for us but, as this list of notable achievers shows, that's simply not true.

Yes, things can be tough, VERY tough even, but that doesn't give you
the right to resort to rationalisations, justifications or outright excuses
about why you can't be, do or have the things you want in life.

Come to think about it, maybe, just maybe, there's one thing that
we should all, each and every one of us, quit immediately...

...Telling ourselves why something can't be done!

Truth, joy and love

Dax Moy
http://www.themagichundred.com/trial.htm

You can start your own MAGIC Hundred journey today for just $4.95. Once you do, you'll never think of quitting again!

P.S - Thanks to Kalpesh for the email this evening that sparked this post : )