Willpower is essential to your ability to accomplish anything worthwhile. It influences your health, your finances, your relationships, your professional success, and all other areas of your life.

And yet many people feel that they lack willpower. Right now, what goal are you trying to achieve?

• Do you want to avoid food temptations so that you can fit into your skinny jeans?
• Do you want to stay away from the mall so that you can chip away at your credit card debt?
• Do you want to stop putting off your studies so that you can improve your grades?
• Do you want to focus on high priority tasks at work instead of wasting your time on low priority activities?
• Do you want to get up when your alarm clock goes off each morning–instead of hitting the snooze button and going back to sleep–so that you can go out for a jog before getting ready for work?
• Do you want to start devoting an hour a day to creating a passive source of income?

Achieving any of these goals requires willpower. The good news is that willpower can be strengthened. It’s just a matter of listening to the little angel sitting on your shoulder, instead of succumbing to the little devil sitting on the other shoulder.  In this post you’ll discover four ways to do this.

Angel v. Devil

Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., is a health psychologist at Stanford University. A while back she started teaching a class at Stanford called “The Science of Willpower”. McGonigal explains that she started teaching that class because she discovered that a lot of people knew what they had to do in order to be more productive, healthier, and so on, but they just couldn’t get themselves to do it.

The class was very popular, and McGonigal gathered all of her material and wrote a book titled, “The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do To Get More of It”. In her book, McGonigal explains that willpower is a biological function that can be improved through various methods, including doing things such as exercising, improving your nutrition, and getting more sleep.

McGonigal defines a “willpower challenge” as a competition between two parts of yourself. The brain is anatomically divided into two different systems; that is, we have a dual brain. We’re completely different people depending on which of the two brain systems is active. The two systems of the brain are the following:

• One part of the brain is reasonable, rational, and deliberative. This is the prefrontal cortex which is located just behind the forehead. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for willpower and cognitive thought. We can think of the prefrontal cortex as the angel sitting on our shoulder.

• Deeper in the brain you have an emotional, automatic, nonconscious system which is regulated by raw sensual appetite. We can think of this part of the brain as the devil sitting on the other shoulder.

These two systems are often at war with each other. They compete to guide your behavior. For example, let’s say that you’re getting hungry and you decide to get a snack. You walk to the kitchen, you open the refrigerator, and you find yourself faced with the following two choices: a slice of chocolate cake or a bowl of fruit salad.

• One part of you is saying, “Great! I love chocolate cake! Yum. . . . look at all that gooey icing. And the little marshmallows .  .  . This is going to taste so good. Take it!” (Yes, this is the little devil.)

• Another part of you is saying: “Well, I’ve been reading about how important fruits are for your long-term health. Plus, one of my goals is to lose twenty pounds. The fruit salad is definitely the healthier choice, and eating it will help me to reach my weight-loss goal. I’ll eat the fruit salad.” (Yes, this is the little angel.)

In the end, the choice that you make–whether to eat the cake or the fruit salad–will depend on several different factors, including things such as your mindset, your energy, and your stress levels.

McGonigal adds that during her research she discovered that most people identify with the little devil. That is, they feel that their default state, or their natural impulse, is to want to do the following:

• Eat the chocolate cake (I see food, I eat it).
• Max out their credit cards (I see something I want, I buy it).
• Watch television instead of working on their passive source of income (I want a reward now).

They believe that their real-self wants immediate gratification and never wants to do anything difficult. Doing the right thing–such as choosing the fruit salad–is contrary to who they are. Therefore, in order to make the choices that will lead to the achievement of their goals, they have to fight constantly against their core-self.

However, McGonigal adds that you can switch this around. In other words, you can get yourself to start identifying with the little angel on your shoulder and begin to feel that your true self is the part of you that does the following:

• Makes the healthy food choices (I’m mindful and aware of the choices I make).
• Saves up for retirement (I think of my long-term goals).
• Sets aside an hour each day on a consistent basis to work on creating a passive income source (I would rather get a large reward in the future instead of a small reward now).

So, how can you make the angel your default state? How can you think and feel like the angel on a continuous basis? In her book, McGonigal shares many different ways to do this. In this post I’m going to share with you four of the methods which she reveals during a presentation she gave for Authors@Google. The four ways are the following:

• Sleep More and Get Better Sleep
• Meditate For Ten Minutes a Day
• Get Physical Exercise
• Shift to Eating a More Plant-Based Diet or To a Low-Glycemic Diet

There’s more on each of these below.

Sleep More and Get Better Sleep

McGonigal indicates that an experiment was conducted which involved people who were recovering from an addiction to drugs. These are people with a very serious willpower challenge. Here’s what the researchers did:

• Half of the participants in the experiment were assigned to take mindfulness meditation training which was designed to help them improve their sleep or sleep more.
• The other half of the participants were the control group; they weren’t given an assignment.

Everyone started out getting seven hours of sleep. What the researchers found was that just doing a little bit of breath-focused meditation each day increased sleep time to just over eight hours a day. One conclusion is that if you meditate for a few minutes each day you’ll sleep better. But what’s really interesting is how that change in sleep time made the recovering addicts stronger against relapse. Getting an additional hour of sleep each night made it much easier for these addicts to resist falling off the wagon.

When you’re sleep deprived–which is generally defined as getting less than six hours of sleep a night–your prefrontal cortex is unable to do its job efficiently because it’s under-fueled. In addition, when your prefrontal cortex is under-activated, the mid-level layers of your brain–which are associated with impulses and instincts–are more activated. Therefore, when you get less than six hours of sleep a night your brain is unable to recruit the systems of your brain that you need in order to be that better version of yourself.

The more rested you are, the better your prefrontal cortex is able to function, and the better it is at regulating those parts of the brain that take you toward temptation. When you get the sleep that you need to function optimally your brain has the fuel that it needs so that the prefrontal cortex can keep your goals front and center, and it’s much easier for you to act in a way that is consistent with the achievement of your goals.

Meditate for Ten Minutes a Day

A second finding from the experiment that we just discussed above was that the number of minutes that people meditated also predicted resistance to relapse. The recovering addicts who were meditating for a length of time between ten and fifteen minutes a day had more willpower than those who were not meditating, or were meditating for less time.

Meditation has been shown not only to make your brain more efficient at using your self-control systems, but it actually makes these systems bigger and better connected to the regions that they’re supposed to be controlling. In addition, the benefits of meditation are seen quickly. Studies show that when people begin to meditate for ten minutes a day, their brains start to change–for the better–in just a couple of months.

Get Physical Exercise

There are other things that impact the physiology of your brain, or how well your brain uses energy. Something else that strengthens the ability of your brain’s frontal region to help you control impulses is physical exercise. Studies show that when sedentary people begin an exercise program, in as little as a couple of months of getting regular workouts the prefrontal cortex is bigger, denser, and better connected.

Shift to Eating a More Plant-Based Diet or a Low Glycemic Diet

What you eat has a large impact on whether or not your brain is able to be that better version of yourself. Having large spikes and drops in your blood sugar levels has a negative effect on your brain’s ability to utilize energy. You need your brain to be energy efficient if you’re going to be walking around the world in that better-you mindset, rather than in that basic-impulse-you mindset.

Research shows that shifting to eating a more plant-based diet changes the way in which your brain functions, and helps to regulate your blood sugar levels. If becoming vegan isn’t feasible for you, then aim for a low glycemic diet (one that emphasizes whole grains like oatmeal and brown rice, low-fat meats like fish, fruits and vegetables, beans and healthy fats from olive oil and nuts).

Conclusion

While it’s true that the activities listed above–such as eating oatmeal for breakfast instead of eating a donut, and meditating every day–require willpower, not doing these things weakens your willpower. Also, engaging in these activities ends up giving you far more willpower than it takes to perform these activities.  For example, studies show that exercising makes it easier to eat right, to spend less, and to stop procrastinating on those projects or tasks that are important to you.

The bottom line is, if you want to achieve your goals and live your best life, willpower is going to be an important part of your success. Start applying the four strategies described above in order to strengthen yours.

Related Posts:

1. How to Start Your Day the Right Way
2. 18 Powerful Tips for Overcoming Procrastination
3. Stop Procrastinating Tip: Practice Discomfort
4. 37 Tidbits of Higher Consciousness
5. 65 Happiness Quotes
6. Harvard’s Most Popular Course: Tal Ben-Shahar on How to Be Happier

I Recommend:

1. How to Live Your Best Life – The Essential Guide for Creating and Achieving Your Life List
2. Make It Happen! A Workbook for Overcoming Procrastination and Getting the Right Things Done
3. How to Be More Creative – A Handbook for Alchemists
4. The One-Hour-A-Day Formula: How to Achieve Your Life Goals in Just One Hour a Day

Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe to “Daring to Live Fully” by clicking here and get free updates.

Thich Nhat Hanh is among the world’s most respected Zen Buddhist monks. He’s the author of over 70 books on what he calls the art of mindful living. In this post you’ll discover four powerful practices taught by Thich Nhat Hanh which will allow you to live a more mindful, and happier, life.

Anything Can Be the Object of Your Mindfulness

Thich Nhat Hanh explains that God is happiness, and God is always available. This means that we can be happy at any time. The way to access the Kingdom of God is through mindfulness. With mindfulness and concentration you can get in touch with the Kingdom of God as expressed in the wild bamboo tree, or in the yellow chrysanthemums, at any moment.

He adds that if you breathe in mindfully, and you’re aware of your in-breath, you bring your mind home to your body. When your mind is with your body you are fully in the here and now. When you are fully present you can get in touch with that chrysanthemum, or with the full moon, and these belong to the Kingdom of God.

Thich Nhat Hanh defines mindfulness as follows: “Mindfulness is the capacity to be aware of what is going on, and what is there. The object of your mindfulness can be anything.” You’re always mindful of something.  You can look at the sky, breathe in, and say:

“Breathing in, I am aware of the blue sky.”

At that moment you are mindful—or aware–of the blue sky; the blue sky becomes the object of your mindfulness.  Then you can add the following: “With each breath I come back to the present moment.”

You can turn to look at a tree, or at someone walking by, and do the same thing. In addition, Thich Nhat Hanh explains that you can be mindful of your eyes which have the ability to see the world around you: you only need to open your eyes in order to enjoy a paradise of forms and colors.

Also, you can be mindful of your heart, which functions normally, which is a good thing. Focus on your heart as you breath in, and then smile at your heart as you breathe out. According to the Buddhist monk, through mindfulness we can appreciate the beauty and wonder of each moment of life.

By being aware of your actions, you can enjoy your life while you drink tea (mindfulness of drinking), or while you wash the dishes.  All of this means that you can stop running after things which you think will make you happy.  By being aware of what you already have–and of the beauty that surrounds you–you can be happy right here, right now.

When you put your focus on something in the present, such as your in-breath and your out-breath, you are releasing the past and the future. More specifically, you are releasing the sorrow and regret of the past, and the fear and uncertainty of the future. Doing things mindfully allows you to be in the here and the now at all times, which means that you’ll be living deeply every moment of your daily life.

• Breathing should be pleasant.
• Walking should be pleasant.
• Sitting should be pleasant.

Once we realize that through mindfulness we can connect with the Kingdom of Heaven–or with happiness–at any moment, we gain the ability to generate happiness and joy at any time.

Thich Nhat Hanh Talks About the Ego

In the YouTube video below, Thich Nhat Hanh explains that his right hand has written many poems, while his left hand hasn’t written any. However, his right hand doesn’t have a superiority complex. It doesn’t turn to the left hand and say: “I write poetry and you don’t. I’m better than you are. You, left hand, are good for nothing.” At the same time, his left hand doesn’t have an inferiority complex. It doesn’t feel bad about itself because the right hand writes poetry and it does not.

Thich Nhat Hanh goes on to say that he was trying to hammer a nail into the wall but he missed the nail, and he ended up hitting the thumb on his left hand with the hammer. His right hand immediately put down the hammer and held the left hand very tenderly, as if it was taking care of itself.

The right hand did not then say to the left hand:  “Left hand, remember that I, the right hand, have taken good care of you. You have to pay me back some time in the future.”  At the same time, the left hand didn’t say: “Right hand, you’ve done me a great harm. Give me the hammer. I want justice.” The two hands know that they’re together; they know that they’re in each other’s care.

Thich Nhat Hahn Talks About Anger

In the interview shown in the video below, Thich Nhat Hahn speaks about anger. He explains that we should hold our anger in a tender way, like a mother holding her baby. When a baby starts to cry and the mother picks him up and holds him tenderly, the baby feels the energy of tenderness and begins to calm down. In the same way, your anger feels itself being embraced by mindfulness and begins to quiet down.

Another way of saying “loving kindness” is “mindfulness”. Every time the energy of anger is present, we should invite the energy of mindfulness to be present as well, so that it can take care of the anger. We invite mindfulness to be present through mindful breathing. When you breathe mindfully you’re not ignoring anger, you’re mindful of your anger; you’re taking care of your anger. Loving kindness is a part of us, but so is anger; so it’s basically one part of us taking care of another.

Say the following to yourself as you breathe: “Breathing in, I know that I am angry. Breathing out I am taking good care of my anger.” This is embracing anger with the energy of mindfulness. If we do this for some time, there will be a transformation in the heart of the anger.

To illustrate his point, Hahn uses the metaphor of flowers that are closed in the morning. When the sun shines on them, penetrating deeply into the flower, eventually the flower opens to the sunshine. Our anger is like a flower that needs the care of sunshine, that is, it needs mindfulness.

Suffering Comes From the Nature of Our Perceptions

Thich Nhat Hanh explains that most of our suffering comes from the nature of our perceptions. He indicates that in our daily life we are seldom free from our feelings, emotions, wrong perceptions, and mental formations. We’re like a leaf floating on the ocean, with the waves pushing us back and forth. We don’t have sovereignty over the situation; we allow ourselves to be pulled away by our feelings and perceptions.

He adds that we need to lead our own lives, instead of allowing our lives to be led by the circumstances that surround us. That’s why it’s so important to master the situation and master ourselves; we do this by mastering our feelings and our perceptions. (Source).

Thich Nhat Hanh explains that in Buddhism, Nirvana is the cessation of all suffering. At the same time, as explained above, our suffering comes from our wrong perceptions. The practice of meditation removes our wrong perceptions, so that we can be free of the afflictions and the suffering that arises from wrong perceptions.

As an example of a wrong perception, Thich Nhat Hanh talks about death. We may be afraid of dying, and thinking about death may cause us suffering, because we have a wrong perception of death. People tend to think of death as nothingness. However, the Buddha taught that birth and death are simply notions. The fact that we think they’re true creates a powerful illusion that causes our suffering.

You look at a cloud in the sky. Then it rains and you no longer see the cloud. You think that the cloud no longer exists. However, if you look closely, you can see the cloud in the rain. It’s impossible for a cloud to die: it can become rain, snow, or ice, but the cloud can’t become “nothing”. That is why the notion of death cannot be applied to reality. There’s a transformation, there’s a continuation, but you cannot say that there is death.

In this same way, you can examine all of the perceptions that bring you suffering and realize that these perceptions are wrong. In addition to meditation, this is how you remove suffering. Nirvana can be translated as “freedom from wrong views”. (Source).

Conclusion

To conclude, here’s a beautiful quote by Thich Nhat Hanh:

“”Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes.”

— Thich Nhat Hanh

Related Posts:

1. Srikumar Rao On Happiness – Four Exercises That Will Make You Happier
2. 37 Tidbits of Higher Consciousness
3. 65 Happiness Quotes
4. Harvard’s Most Popular Course: Tal Ben-Shahar on How to Be Happier

I Recommend:

1. How to Live Your Best Life – The Essential Guide for Creating and Achieving Your Life List
2. Make It Happen! A Workbook for Overcoming Procrastination and Getting the Right Things Done
3. How to Be More Creative – A Handbook for Alchemists
4. The One-Hour-A-Day Formula: How to Achieve Your Life Goals in Just One Hour a Day

What’s the best way to set goals? Ask yourself questions. In this post you’ll discover 85 questions to help you set kick-ass financial goals. Because the first step in getting what you want is to decide what it is that you want.

1. How much money do you want to earn (what would you like your salary to be)?

2. Would you like your paycheck to increase by a certain amount or a certain percentage each year?

3. Would you like to set up a tracking system for your spending so that you can determine once and for all where your money is going?

4. Would you like to gather all of your financial documents and determine exactly how much money you have?

5. How much money do you want to have in your savings account and/or in your money market fund?

6. Would you like to be able to pay your bills each month and have a little left over for “fun money”?

7. Do you want to be free of all credit card debt?

8. Do you want to pay off your mortgage in full?

9. Would you like to pay off your school loans?

10. Would you like to be completely debt-free?

11. Would you like to buy a house with 100% cash?

12. Do you want to go for an entire year without buying anything with your credit card?

13. Would you like to improve your credit rating?

14. Would you like to have a six-month emergency fund?

15. Would you like to have an opportunity fund (so that you can easily take advantage of any opportunity which comes your way)?

16. Would you like to become financially literate?

17. Would you like to become certified as a financial planner?

18. Would you like to be able to read and understand corporate balance sheets, income statements, and other financial documents?

19. Would you like to create a financial strategy?

20. Would you like to take a college course on personal finance?

21. Would you like to drop any negative beliefs you may have about money?

22. Would you like to release any negative feelings that you may have about money (any negative emotions that may surface whenever the issue of money comes up)?

23. Would you like to adopt positive beliefs about money?

24. Would you like to reset your financial thermostat (the amount of money that you feel comfortable having)?

25. Would you like to start focusing on abundance instead of scarcity?

26. Would you like to find a way to release past financial mistakes that you’ve made so that you can move on and make better decisions in the future?

27. How many streams of income would you like to create?

28. Is there a percentage of your income that you would like to set aside each month in order to invest in income-producing assets?

29. Would you like to read the top 100 books on finance?

30. What would you like your net worth to be (assets – liabilities)?

31. When would you like to retire (at what age)?

32. Would you like to amass sufficient wealth to be able to retire comfortably?

33. How much money do you want to retire on?

34. Would you like to start making regular contributions to a retirement plan?

35. Would you like to set up an early retirement plan?

36. Would you like to start paying yourself first each month (have a percentage of your paycheck deposited automatically each month into a savings account)?

37. Would you like to learn how to live on less money (simplify your life and live more frugally)?

38. Would you like to create a list of 100 things that you can do to simplify your life so that you can cut down on expenses?

39. Would you like to lower your expenses to a certain amount?

40. Would you like to curb your consumerism?

41. Would you like to determine what percentage of your income you’re going to spend on each category of expenses and stick to that determination?

42. Would you like to downsize so that you can feel more financially secure?

43. Would you like to become a minimalist so that your money can go toward having new experiences instead of going toward the accumulation of possessions?

44. Would you like to create a personal income statement?

45. Would you like to create a personal balance sheet?

46. Would you like to create a personal cash flow statement?

47. Would you like to teach your kids how to value money?

48. Would you like to have an automated system in place that monitors, measures, and manages your personal finances, and that will alert you when you get out of line or when actions need to be taken?

49. Would you like to calculate how much it’s going to cost to achieve your life goals and come up with a plan of how you’re going to get the money?

50. Would you like to set up a separate savings account for each of your major life goals (buying a house, spending a year traveling, paying for a fabulous wedding, and so on)?

51. What investments would you like to make?

52. Are you going to invest in stocks and/or bonds?

53. Would you like to own a share of stock in Berkshire Hathaway?

54. Are you going to invest in real estate?

55. Are you going to invest in commodities, such as silver?

56. Do you want to own gold bullions?

57. Would you like to create a diversified portfolio?

58. Would you like to make a certain amount of money by freelancing?

59. Would you like to make a certain amount of money by decluttering your home and selling anything that you don’t need or want?

60. Are you going to create multiple streams of income?

61. Would you like to start a business?

62. Would you like to set up a college fund for your kids?

63. Are you going to create a trust fund for your child?

64. Would you like to ensure that your parents are comfortable and well taken care of in their old age?

65. Are you going to have passive income coming in from an online business, from book royalties, or from licensing a patent?

66. Is your goal to create enough passive income to cover all of your expenses?

67. Are you going to hire a financial planner?

68. Are you going to hire a tax attorney?

69. Are you going to hire an accountant?

70. Are you going to create a personal corporation to protect your assets?

71. What insurance would you like to have?

72. Would you like to have an estate plan?

73. Would you like to be a millionaire?

74. Would you like to be a millionaire before the age of forty?

75. Would you like to be a multimillionaire?

76. Would you like to have a Swiss Bank Account?

77. Would you like to see a million dollars in cash?

78. Would you like to make it into the Forbes list of the richest people in the world?

79. Would you like to reach a point at which you feel that you have all the money that you need?

80. Would you like to create your own definition of what “being wealthy” means?

81. Would you like to blog about your journey toward becoming financially independent?

82. Would you like to be mentored by a millionaire?

83. Would you like to start spending more time around people who are successful at making and investing their money?

84. Would you like to be part of a mastermind group in which everyone is striving to reach financial goals that are similar to your own?

85. Would you like to be able to give money away to worthy causes?

Of course, you don’t want to just set financial goals; you also want to reach them. In order to set and achieve your financial life goals–as well as your life goals in all other areas of your life–get “How to Live Your Best Life – The Essential Guide For Creating And Achieving Your Life List”.

What are your financial goals? Please share in the comments section.

Related Posts:

1. How to Turn Your Ability Into Cash
2. Seven Essential Ways to Build Wealth
3. Prosperity Tips – 18 Ways to Increase Your Wealth

I Recommend:

1. How to Live Your Best Life – The Essential Guide for Creating and Achieving Your Life List
2. Make It Happen! A Workbook for Overcoming Procrastination and Getting the Right Things Done
3. How to Be More Creative – A Handbook for Alchemists
4. The One-Hour-A-Day Formula: How to Achieve Your Life Goals in Just One Hour a Day

Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe to “Daring to Live Fully” by clicking here and get free updates.

Here are 101 essential life lessons which I’ve learned, and am now passing on to you (you probably know them too, but we all need a reminder once in a while). Look at this post as a little manual for life:

1. Make being happy a priority.

2. Don’t postpone joy.

3. Travel; see as much of the world as you can.

4. Learn to play a musical instrument.

5. Live beneath your means.

6. Create a spending plan (or budget) and stick to it.

7. Take a course on personal finances in college.

8. Pay yourself first: save 10% of what you earn.

9. Give a percentage of your earnings to the less fortunate.

10. Don’t go into bad debt (debt taken on for consumption).

11. Track both how you spend your time and how you spend your money.

12. Forgive yourself. Forgive others; for your sake, not theirs.

13. Let go of grudges.

14. Take responsibility for your life.

15. Remember Henry Ford’s admonishment: “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.”

16. Decide what you want. Set goals for every area of your life: family, finances, personal development, education, fun and adventure, and so on.

17. Remember there are always two sides to every story.

18. Create your own definition of success.

19. Don’t smoke. Don’t abuse alcohol. Don’t do drugs.

20. Remember the four R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle, recover.

21. Follow the golden rule: treat others like you want them to treat you.

22. Get regular exercise. Build a strong body.

23. Follow a healthy diet. Eat lots of antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids, and whole grains.

24. Wear sunscreen.

25. Learn a foreign language.

26. Become an expert at something.

27. Write a book.

28. Be kind to children and animals.

29. Know basic history and geography.

30. Cultivate your emotional intelligence.

31. Keep a first aid kit in your house and in your car.

32. Have regular medical and dental checkups.

33. Learn to take compliments.

34. Learn to take criticism.

35. Be authentic; be yourself.

36. Don’t take action when you’re angry. Take a moment to calm down and ask yourself if what you’re thinking of doing is really in your best interest.

37. Choose your spouse carefully; much of your happiness will depend on this one decision.

38. Worry is a waste of time; it’s a misuse of your imagination.

39. Never drive when you’ve been drinking.

40. Never give up; if there’s one characteristic that all successful people share, it’s perseverance.

41. Drink lots of water.

42. Make learning a life-long endeavor; become an autodidact.

43. Continuously count your blessings.

44. Don’t gossip. Remember the following quote by Eleanor Roosevelt: “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.”

45. Become an expert in time management.

46. Invest your time wisely.

47. Follow your gut; rely on your intuition.

48. Acknowledge those who have helped you.

49. Find a mentor.

50. Be a mentor.

51. Be as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are of your own.

52. Don’t procrastinate; procrastination is the thief of time.

53. Develop a solution-focused mindset. Instead of assigning blame or ruminating endlessly on why things didn’t turn out the way you wanted them to, immediately start looking for a way to move forward.

54. Smile a lot; laugh a lot.

55. Admit your mistakes, do what you can to fix them, and move on.

56. Keep informed, whether it’s by reading the daily paper, watching the news, or reading a periodical such as “Time” or “Newsweek”.

57. Meditate. Take up yoga. Set aside quiet time every day.

58. Get organized.

59. Be a loyal and reliable friend.

60. Look for opportunities to praise others.

61. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

62. During difficult times remember this: “And this too shall pass.”

63. When things go wrong remember that few things are as bad as they first seem.

64. Keep in mind that mistakes are stepping stones to success. Success and failure are a team; success is the hero and failure is the sidekick. Don’t be afraid to fail.

65. Set aside time for planning.

66. Choose your friends wisely: 80% of your life experiences—both the good and the bad–will come as a direct result of the people you hang out with.

67. Know when to cut your losses.

68. Have a magnum opus. Think of leaving a legacy.

69. Keep in mind that life is not a dress rehearsal.

70. If you don’t know the answer, say so; then go and find the answer.

71. Remember that one of life’s only constants is change.

72. Ask for what you want. This includes acknowledgement from others.

73. Create value for others.

74. Apply the power of leverage: leverage your money and your time.

75. Develop multiple streams of income.

76. Be your own boss: start your own business.

77. Don’t renege on your promises, whether to others or to yourself.

78. Examine your beliefs on a regular basis and ask yourself if what you believe is serving you well.

79. Feel the fear and then do it anyway.

80. Don’t worry about what other people think.

81. Listen to the advice of others but then make your own decisions.

82. Change the things you can and accept the things you can’t.

83. Cultivate your creativity.

84. Develop your listening skills.

85. Focus on what you want instead of thinking about what you don’t want.

86. Begin; every journey begins by taking the first step.

87. Have fun. Schedule playtime.

88. Get lots of fresh air.

89. Every time you fall simply get back up again.

90. Strive for excellence, not for perfection.

91. Learn to live in the present moment.

92. Be proactive.

93. Refuse to play the role of the victim; be a creator.

94. Choose your battles wisely.

95. Don’t argue for your limitations.

96. Learn to see the extraordinary in the ordinary.

97. Listen to Eleanor Roosevelt’s advice: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

98. Find work you love.

99. Remember the motto: “You catch more flies with honey.”

100. Fill your life with love.

101. Constantly tell the important people in your life how much you care for them.

Related Posts:

1. 12 Lessons For Creating Inner Peace (Lessons 1 – 6)
2. Five Powerful Ways to Forgive Those Who Have Wronged You
3. Rule of Adulthood: You Have to Rescue Yourself

I Recommend:

1. How to Live Your Best Life – The Essential Guide for Creating and Achieving Your Life List
2. Make It Happen! A Workbook for Overcoming Procrastination and Getting the Right Things Done
3. How to Be More Creative – A Handbook for Alchemists
4. The One-Hour-A-Day Formula: How to Achieve Your Life Goals in Just One Hour a Day

Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe to “Daring to Live Fully” by clicking here and get free updates.

In 1949, Earl Prevette–a master salesman and successful author–wrote a book called “How to Turn Your Ability Into Cash”. The book contains step-by-step instructions for turning your ideas into money.

This post is based on the steps which Prevette lays out in his book.

Prevette explains that intelligence is the ability to size yourself up, size up your environment, and organize your findings into a workable plan so that you may share in life’s abundance.   The process that you should follow is made up of five steps. The five steps are the following:

1. Take Stock of Yourself
2. Take Stock of Your Environment – Look for An Opportunity
3. Create a Plan to Take Advantage of the Opportunity You Identified
4. Develop a Process To Put the Plan Into Action
5. Produce An Act to Make the Plan a Reality

As Prevette would say: wealth is ideas on the job. Here are each of the steps explained in detail:

Step One: Take Stock of Yourself

The first step is to take stock of yourself. That is, conduct an inventory of your qualities, skills, and abilities. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What do you find meaningful?
• What do you love to do?
• When was the last time that you were so engrossed in an activity that you felt like time had stopped?
• What are your skills and talents?
• What do you know how to do?
• What experience do you have?
• What have you invested your time and energy into learning how to do?
• What problems do you know how to solve?

As Prevette explains in his book, the most interesting thing in the world is you. The problem is that you have not taken the time to take stock of yourself, to analyze your capacities, to realize fully your strength and power, and really to discover what a wonderful creature you are. You have not made the effort to uncover the latent forces and abilities you possess.

Here’s a quote from “How to Turn Your Ability Into Cash”:

“Turn within, and there you will find your Godhead. The moment you find it you will come to a conscious realization of this great creative force with-in you. That great force, that untapped power, that dynamic something, that unconquerable soul within you is yearning for expression. It is asking for recognition. It is begging for an opportunity to lift you up and aid you to greater achievements. This great creative force within you is an imprisoned giant which when unleashed can carry you on to a success undreamed of.”

Step Two: Take Stock of Your Environment – Look For An Opportunity

The second step is to use your power of observation to take stock of your environment. What opportunities do you notice? What need is going unmet? What problems need to be solved?

The inspiration and enthusiasm to invent, the inclination to make new discoveries, and the desire to improve any existing plan or thing are the result of observation. Here are three examples Prevette uses of the power of observation:

• Robert Fulton sat in his mother’s kitchen and observed the steam rising from the tea pot. “It has power. I will harness it,” he said. The steam engine was the result.

• Charles Goodyear observed the mixture boiling on the cook stove. It overflowed and congealed into an elastic mass. From this observation he discovered rubber.

• Charles F. Kettering, president of the General Motors Research Corporation, was down on the farm visiting his mother. She was still using the old-fashioned oil lamps. By observing the lamp, an idea to invent the Deko system came to him.

Step Three: Create a Plan to Take Advantage of the Opportunity You Identified

The third step in the process for turning your ability into cash is to create a plan that will allow you to take advantage of the opportunity that you identified. That is, write down how you can apply your experience, knowledge, and skills to solve the problem that you identified in step two of this process. A plan gives your idea–an image formed in the mind–a body.

A plan may ask: What do you desire? Do you desire to sell something? Do you desire a job? Do you desire an increase in salary? Do you desire clients? Do you desire customers? Do you desire to invent something? The only way to make your desire known is through a plan. It conveys to people in plain language a definite concept of what you are offering for their consideration.

A mass of material thrown together will not build a house. Every brick, every plank and every nail must have its place. The same is true in creating a plan. Every word, every thought and every sentence must have its place. A plan is organized knowledge for portraying the reasons why the thing or position desired should become a reality.

Create your plan by gathering all of your material, getting all the facts, and finding out everything you can about the thing you desire. Gather the data, organize it, and classify it. Then transform the data into a plan. Include in this plan anything that will do any of the following:

• Improve the business.
• Contribute to the welfare of others.
• Add peace of mind to others.
• Enrich the happiness of others.
• Anything that will help you to turn your idea into money.

Present this plan in sequence, enumerate each point step by step, and try to use meaty words with a picture meaning. Use concrete terms in your plan, not abstract phrases. Make it brief, concise, direct, definite, forceful and by all means, understandable.

Step Four: Develop a Process To Put the Plan Into Action

The fourth step is to develop a process to put the plan that you created into action. In other words, you want to set up a process which you’re going to follow in order to put the plan into operation. This is brought about by the application of Four Definite Laws, and each one is essential to the fulfillment of the Plan. These laws are the following:

• The Law of Faith
• The Law of Repetition
• The Law of Imagination
• The Law of Persistence

The Law of Faith: Faith is a belief in the favorable outcome of anything undertaken. Faith gives life, power and action to your plan. Faith inspires you with absolute confidence to demonstrate your plan, and qualifies you to turn your ideas into money. Prevette indicates the following: By all means practice faith.

As Huxley once said, “Faith is reason grown courageous.”

The Law of Repetition: You learned to walk through the application of the  Law of Repetition:

“When you were little, it took you quite a long time to learn how to walk. Then you finally learned by the Law of Repetition. You kept repeating the same movements every day in every way. Finally, through your own experience you acquired sufficient knowledge, poise, and confidence to qualify and perfect you in the Art of Walking. In the beginning it was a very difficult task, but once you acquired the knowledge and experience of how to walk, it became very easy.”

You perfect your plan through the Law of Repetition. Every time you go over your plan, you learn something new. You develop new inspiration, new interest, new zest and new enthusiasm. Keep rehearsing and perfecting your plan through the Law of Repetition.

The Law of Imagination: Imagination is the workshop of the mind. You begin to develop your idea with your imagination. Prevette explains that in 1886 an old country doctor, John Pemberton, created a formula. He did not know what to do with it, yet he realized that it had value. He took this formula to a young drug clerk and explained its contents. The drug clerk bought the formula from him.

What did the young drug clerk do? He turned the idea expressed in that formula over to his imagination. He visualized its value. He discovered that the contents of that formula contained all the essential elements to supply people with a cool and refreshing drink. The idea thrilled and urged the drug clerk to formulate a plan, and to put the idea of that formula into action.

That drug clerk was Asa Candler. The drink was Coca-Cola. By the late 1890s, Coca Cola was one of America’s most popular fountain drinks. That little piece of paper with an idea written on it, mixed with the imagination of Asa Candler, turned into hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Law of Persistence. You can have faith in an idea, you can perfect an idea through the Law of Repetition, you can use the power of your imagination to visualize the idea; but with all these you must carry through. You must demonstrate persistence. To persist is to go on resolutely with your plan, in spite of all opposition or adversity.

Success of any plan is like pressing out cider with a cider press. You squeeze and squeeze and it seems as though the cider will never come; and then one big squeeze and out it comes. Persistence is the last big squeeze that makes the plan successful.

Produce An Act to Make the Plan a Reality

The last step is to produce an act to make the plan a reality. The application of what you know reveals many things you do not know. Therefore, the first way to develop ability it through application. Act in accordance with your plan and observe what happens. What worked? What didn’t work? Take corrective action and keep moving forward.

The second way to develop ability is to lay down a challenge. Challenge yourself to turn your ability into cash. While others falter, you move forward. The most difficult part is getting started: “It is estimated that it takes less than seven per cent of a locomotive’s power to pull a train of box cars, but that it needs one hundred per cent of a locomotive’s power to start the train. The task, the difficulty and the job seem to be in starting. Start something.”

Gold is found by those who look for it.

Conclusion

To conclude, here’s a quote from Prevette:

“Electricity turns the inert electric bulb into a shining light. Gasoline vapors turn a motor into action, and steam turns a locomotive into a vehicle of energy and power. At this very moment, your ability can revitalize and remake you.”

Live your best life by constantly asking yourself questions in order to examine your habits of thought and how you’re relating to yourself and to the rest of the world.

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By not drafting your own definition of success, there’s a high probability that you’re pursuing someone else’s definition.  Maybe it’s your parents’ definition of success, or your boss’s, or even society’s definition of what a successful life should look like.

You need to be able to answer the following question: What does success mean to you? Below you’ll find forty phrases–or success statements–that you can mix and match to create your own, unique definition of success.

Success is:

1.  Making the world a better place.

2.  The attainment of wealth, awards, status, and power.

3.  Pursuing goals that you find meaningful and that you’re passionate about.

4.  Making a difference in the lives of others.

5.  To be recognized as one of the foremost experts in your chosen field.

6. Furthering the realm of knowledge in your chosen field.

7.  To feel loved and understood.

8.  Having the love and respect of family and friends.

9.  Doing work you love; finding the work that you like best.

10.  To laugh often.

11.  Having robust health and a high level of energy.

12.  Being happy and content in the now; living in the present.

13.  Crossing off every item on your bucket list.

14.  Having lots of time for leisure activities.

15.  Raising a healthy, happy child.

16.  To use up all of the potential that you came to earth with; making the most of your talents.

17.  To live an exciting life, full of adventure.

18.  Achieving enlightenment.

19.  Achieving inner peace; having peace of mind.

20.  Achieving the right balance between work and family life.

21.  Feeling comfortable in your own skin; feeling good about yourself.

22.  Adequate shelter, food on the table, health, and a happy home.

23.  Going out into the world each day and doing the very best you can. Going to bed each night feeling satisfied that you gave it your all.

24.  Being able to quit your day job and live comfortably off of investment income; financial independence.

25.  Helping others with your unique talents.

26.  Coming up with a truly original idea and seeing it through to its implementation in the real world.

27. Being true to yourself; being authentic.

28. Expressing who you are.

29. To engage in activities in which you get to apply your strengths on a regular basis.

30. Loving another with all your heart and soul.

31. Creating something new and extraordinary.

32. To be the master of your own destiny; to live life on your own terms.

33. ”  . . . being happy with what you’re doing, constantly growing as an individual, and contributing to other people in meaningful ways.” – Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus–also known as “The Minimalists”.

34. ” . . . health, happiness, material prosperity, love of family and friends, wisdom, influence, and fulfillment.” – Fred Gratzon

35. Fame.

36. Speaking out for what you believe in; having a cause.

37. Making your mark in the world.

38. Being able to express your creativity.

39. To live in a constant state of bliss.

40. Doing what’s right, even if it’s not what’s popular. Living in accordance with your beliefs.

It’s vital that you craft your very own definition of success, instead of pursuing the definition of success that others have come up with. What’s your definition of success? Please share in the comments section.

Related Posts:

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2. 5 Life Lessons From Motivation Mega-Star Jim Rohn
3. Dealing With Life’s Challenges – Life Is Like a Game of Chutes and Ladders
3. How to Start Your Day the Right Way

I Recommend:

1. How to Live Your Best Life – The Essential Guide for Creating and Achieving Your Life List
2. Make It Happen! A Workbook for Overcoming Procrastination and Getting the Right Things Done
3. How to Be More Creative – A Handbook for Alchemists
4. The One-Hour-A-Day Formula: How to Achieve Your Life Goals in Just One Hour a Day

Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe to “Daring to Live Fully” by clicking here and get free updates.

Procrastination is the silent dream killer.

Reading procrastination quotes can be just the wake-up call that you need to get going on that important project you’ve been putting off, make that phone call that you’ve been avoiding, or get started moving in the direction of your dreams.

Go over the 65 procrastination quotes below. Hopefully they’ll provide the motivation that you need to shift from procrastination-purgatory into action-mode, and get going on your important tasks and projects.

1. “Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.” ~ William James

2. “You may delay, but time will not.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

3. “To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.” ~ Eva Young

4. “Procrastination is opportunity’s assassin.” ~ Victor Kiam

5. “If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it.” ~ Olin Miller

6. “The best way to get something done is to begin.” ~ Author Unknown

7. “A year from now you may wish you had started today.” ~ Karen Lamb

8. “Procrastination is the thief of time.” ~ Edward Young

9. “Procrastination usually results in sorrowful regret. Today’s duties put off until tomorrow give us a double burden to bear; the best way is to do them in their proper time.” ~ Ida Scott Taylor

10. “Following-through is the only thing that separates dreamers from people that accomplish great things”. ~ Gene Hayden

11. “Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.” ~ M. Scott Peck

12. “If you put off everything till you’re sure of it, you’ll never get anything done.” ~ Norman Vincent Peale

13. “If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it.” ~ Olin Miller

14. “Begin to weave and God will give you the thread.” ~ German Proverb

15. “Often greater risk is involved in postponement than in making a wrong decision.” ~ Harry A. Hopf

16. “The habit of always putting off an experience until you can afford it, or until the time is right, or until you know how to do it is one of the greatest burglars of joy. Be deliberate, but once you’ve made up your mind -jump in.” ~ Charles R. Swindoll

17. “Getting an idea should be like sitting on a pin; it should make you jump up and do something. ~ E. L. Simpson

18. “There is nothing so fatal to character as half finished tasks.” ~ David Lloyd George

19. “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” ~ Napoleon Hill

20. “Doing just a little bit during the time we have available puts you that much further ahead than if you took no action at all.” ~Byron Pulsifer

21. “Stop talking. Start walking.” ~ L.M. Heroux

22. “We all sorely complain of the shortness of time, and yet have much more than we know what to do with. Our lives are either spent in doing nothing at all, or in doing nothing to the purpose, or in doing nothing that we ought to do. We are always complaining that our days are few, and acting as though there would be no end of them.” ~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca

23. “When there is a hill to climb, don’t think that waiting will make it smaller.” ~Author Unknown

24. “To do anything in this world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can.” ~ Syndey Smith

25. “Delay not to seize the hour!” ~ Aeschylus

26. “So what do we do? Anything. Something. So long as we just don’t sit there. If we screw it up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we’ve satisfied all the uncertainties, it may be too late.” ~ Lee Iacocca

27. “This one makes a net, this one stands and wishes. Would you like to make a bet which one gets the fishes.” ~ Chinese Rhyme

28. “Begin doing what you want to do now.” ~ Marie Beynon Ray

29. “A primary reason people don’t do new things is because they want to do them perfectly – first time. It’s completely irrational, impractical, not workable – and yet, it’s how most people run their lives. It’s called The Perfection Syndrome.” ~ John-Roger and Peter McWlliams

30. “If and When were planted, and Nothing grew.” ~ Proverb

31. “Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.” ~ Author Unknown

32. “We shall never have more time. We have, and have always had, all the time there is. No object is served in waiting until next week or even until tomorrow. Keep going day in and day out. Concentrate on something useful. Having decided to achieve a task, achieve it at all costs.” ~ Arnold Bennett

33. “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

34. “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

35. “How soon not now, becomes never.”  ~ Martin Luther

36. “One of these days, is none of these days.” ~ Proverb

37. “All things come to those who wait, but when they come they’re out of date.” ~ Anonymous

38. “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” ~ C. Northcote Parkinson

39. “The only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action.” ~ Alexandre Graham Bell

40. “The search for the perfect venture can turn into procrastination. Your idea may or may not have merit. The key is to get started.” ~ Unknown

41. “It was my fear of failure that first kept me from attempting the master work. Now, I’m beginning what I could have started ten years ago. But I’m happy at least that I didn’t wait twenty years.” ~ Paulo Coelho

42. “The really happy people are those who have broken the chains of procrastination, those who find satisfaction in doing the job at hand. They’re full of eagerness, zest, productivity. You can be, too.” ~ Norman Vincent Peale

43. “You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind.” ~ Author Unknown

44. “I don’t wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work.” ~ Pearl S. Buck

45. “Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they started.” ~ David Allen

46. “If you believe you can accomplish everything by “cramming” at the eleventh hour, by all means, don’t lift a finger now. But you may think twice about beginning to build your ark once it has already started raining.” ~ Max Brooks

47. “Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.” ~ Michael Landon

48. “He who every morning plans the transactions of that day and follows that plan carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the most busy life.” ~ Victor Hugo

49. “Do you know what happens when you give a procrastinator a good idea? Nothing!” ~Donald Gardner

50. “The certainty that life cannot be long, and the probability that it will be much shorter than nature allows, ought to awaken every man to the active prosecution of whatever he is desirous to perform. It is true, that no diligence can ascertain success; death may intercept the swiftest career; but he who is cut off in the execution of an honest undertaking has at least the honour of falling in his rank, and has fought the battle, though he missed the victory.” ~ Samuel Johnson

51. “Procrastination is the fear of success. People procrastinate because they are afraid of the success that they know will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy, carries responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and live on the “someday I’ll” philosophy”. ~ Denis Waitley

52. “Procrastination is like a credit card: it’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.” ~ Christopher Parker

53. “Begin while others are procrastinating. Work while others are wishing.” ~William Arthur Ward

54. “Don’t procrastinate. Putting off an unpleasant task until tomorrow simply gives you more time for your imagination to make a mountain out a possible molehill. More time for anxiety to sap your self-confidence. Do it now, brother, do it now.” ~ Author Unknown

55. “Procrastination is a way for us to be satisfied with second-rate results; we can always tell ourselves we’d have done a better job if only we’d had more time. If you’re good at rationalizing, you can keep yourself feeling rather satisfied this way, but it’s a cheap happy. You’re whittling your expectations of yourself down lower and lower.” ~ Richard O’Conner

56. “Yesterday is a cancelled check. Tomorrow is a promissory note. Today is the only cash you have, so spend it wisely.” ~Kim Lyons.

57. “If we accept and internalize the fact of our own mortality, then, by definition, we have to deal with the essential questions of how we live and spend our allotted time. We have to stop procrastinating, pretending that we have forever to do what we want to do and be what we long to be.” ~ Surya Das

58. “By one delay after another they spin out their whole lives, till there’s no more future left for them.” ~ Robert L’Estrange

59. “Delaying gratification is a process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with. It is the only decent way to live.” ~ M. Scott Peck

60. “I have spent my days stringing and unstringing my instrument, while the song I came to sing remains unsung.” ~ Rabindranath Tagore

61. “Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.” ~ Pablo Picasso

62. “We are so scared of being judged that we look for every excuse to procrastinate.” ~ Erica Jong

63. “He who hesitates is a damned fool.” ~ Mae West

64. “Life, as it is called, is for most of us one long postponement.” ~ Henry Miller

65. “Time wasted is existence; used is life.” ~ Edward Young

What have you been procrastinating on? Get started right now!

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Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe to “Daring to Live Fully” by clicking here and get free updates.

In my last post I wrote about the first six lessons for creating inner peace which are set forth by Dr. Gerald G. Jampolsky in the book “Love is Letting of of Fear”. In this post you’ll discover Lessons 7 – 12.

To recap, the basic message of Dr. Jampolsky’s book is the following: “There are only two emotions; one is Love and the other is Fear. Love is our true reality. Fear is something our mind has made up, and is therefore unreal.”

Lesson 7: Today I Will Judge Nothing That Occurs

Lesson 7 states the following: “Today I Will Judge Nothing That Occurs”. Most of us are constantly judging others. In addition, we tend to look at others through “tunnel vision”. That is, we only see fragments of other people. And since our home and school environments when we were growing up placed a lot of emphasis on “constructive criticism”, what we tend to notice most of all in others are their faults.

Not judging others is another way of letting go of fear and experiencing love. Since judging is something that we do automatically, we may feel that it’s impossible to stop. However, as with any other habit, we can stop through repeated and sustained practice. We must get rid of the evaluator part of ourselves and practice acceptance.

Here’s a quote from “Love Is Letting Go of Fear”:

“See everyone you meet or think of as either extending Love, or as being fearful and sending out a call for help, which is a request for love.”

If we want peace of mind, it’s essential that both our verbal and non-verbal communications with others bring about a sense of joining. We can achieve this through acceptance, not through fault-finding or condemning.  To paraphrase Hugh Prather who wrote the Foreword to “Love Is Letting Go of Fear”:

We’re all in this together, all of our differences are superficial and meaningless, and only the countless ways we are alike has any importance at all.

Eliminate the following:

• Any words that place you or anyone else in a category.
• Any words that tend to measure or evaluate you or other people.
• Any words that tend to judge or condemn you or someone else.

Lesson 8: This Instant Is the Only Time There Is

There’s a quote from Eugene O’Neill that states the following: “There is no present or future, only the past happening over and over again – now.” What a nightmare! This quote reflects what a lot of people experience in their lives: because they’re constantly superimposing their past on the present and on the future, they keep reliving their past over and over again.

However, as Lesson 8 indicates, the present is all there is. We simply need to allow ourselves to experience the now by releasing the past.

Think of the present moment as the clear blue sky that’s suddenly cast over with dark clouds,which represent thoughts of the past. If you push those clouds out of the way, you’re left with the peace of the present moment. The future then becomes an extension of this peaceful present.

Here’s another analogy: you’re watching television, but there’s a lot of static so you can’t see the image on the screen clearly.  Your thoughts about the past are the static. If you can get rid of the static–by releasing your thoughts about the past–you’ll be able to see that the show that’s playing on the TV is one of peace and love.

Keep reminding yourself of the following: the past is over and the future is yet to be. This instant is all there is. To look at this instant is to experience peace.

Lesson 9: The Past Is Over It Can Touch Me Not

Lesson 9 states the following: “The Past Is Over It Can Touch Me Not”.

The main reason that people have a tendency to color the present with the past is that they mistakenly think that they have to protect themselves from being hurt again in the future. However, the past is over. The only way the past can continue to hurt anyone is if they keep thinking about their past experiences–thereby pulling those past experiences into the present moment–, and if they worry that their future is going to look like their past.

Recognize that holding on to the fear and guilt of the past is not going to get you what you want. Dr. Jampolsky recommends that you let each second be a new birth experience. This results in releasing yourself and others from all errors of the past. It will allow you to experience the love that is present in the now.

Rid yourself of the past: release all of the pain, guilt, and fearful thoughts of the past. Say the following to yourself: “I forgive my misperceptions”.

Lesson 10: I Could See Peace Instead of This

Lesson 10 states the following: “I Could See Peace Instead of This”.

When we believe that our happiness or unhappiness is determined by the events in our environment and by the way in which others react to us, we relinquish our responsibility over how we feel. After all, if we subscribe to this worldview, how we feel is not up to us: it depends on others and on what is happening around us. Surrendering how we feel to others and to the circumstances in our environment  is a recipe for unhappiness, fear, and anger.

Anyone can take back responsibility for how they feel by instructing their mind to change their perceptions of the world and everything in it whenever they begin to feel a negative emotion. Peace of mind is an internal matter.

You can choose to perceive any situation that you may be facing in a way that will lead to thoughts of conflict, or in away that will lead to thoughts of peace. Thoughts of peace lead to a peaceful mind. And it is from a peaceful mind that a peaceful perception of the world is experienced.

Whenever you feel that your peace is threatened by anything or anyone, repeat the following to yourself: I could see peace instead of this. You have been given everything that you need to be happy now.

Lesson 11: I Can Elect to Change All Thoughts that Hurt

When most people think of willpower, what usually comes to mind is getting themselves to stop eating a donut every afternoon when they begin to feel sluggish, or getting themselves to exercise for half an hour each day after work. The first time that I read about using your will to keep your mind focused on positive thoughts was when I read “The Science of Getting Rich” by Wally Wattles. Dr. Jampolsy also recommends that you use your willpower in order to choose thoughts of peace and love.

Lesson 11 states the following: “I Can Elect to Change All Thoughts That Hurt”.

At any moment you can choose to think thoughts that can hurt you, or you can choose to think thoughts that can help you. The way in which you constantly choose to think thoughts that can help you is by using your willpower to make that choice. Just as you can make the choice between eating an apple or having a chocolate bar, you can make the choice to hold thoughts in your mind that lead to conflict, or to think thoughts that lead to love.

Set the following intent: throughout the day I will remain aware of my thoughts, and I will change any thoughts that hurt me to thoughts that help me.

Lesson 12: I Am Responsible for What I See

Lesson 12 is very short. It simply states the following: “I am responsible for what I see. I choose the feelings I experience, and I decide upon the goal I would achieve. And everything that happens to me I ask for, and receive as I have asked.”

Conclusion

You have now read all 12 lessons for creating inner peace which can be found in Dr. Jampolsky’s classic, “Love Is Letting Go of Fear.” If you’re looking for a practical application of these lessons in order to retrain your mind, follow these instructions set forth by Dr. Jampolsky:

1. Beginning with the first lesson, spend a few minutes when you first wake up in the morning repeating the lesson title and related thoughts several times, allowing them to become part of your being.

2. Each day ask yourself the following: Do I want to experience peace of mind, or do I want to experience conflict?

3. Write the lesson title down on an index card, and refer to it often throughout the day. Apply the lesson to everyone and everything without exception.

4. Before falling asleep at night, review the lesson once again.

5. Do this with all twelve lessons at the rate of one a day. When you’ve gone through all of the lessons, go back to the first lesson and repeat the series again.

6. Keep doing this until you find yourself thinking about the lessons and applying them without having to refer to them.

“Teach only love, for that is what you are.” – Dr. Gerald G. Jampolsky

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Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe to “Daring to Live Fully” by clicking here and get free updates.

“Love Is Letting Go of Fear”–a book written by psychiatrist Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D.–is a book on personal transformation which is based on the teachings found in “A Course in Miracles”.

In his book Dr. Jampolsky explains that there are only two emotions: fear and love. Love is our natural inheritance; it is the essence of our being. Fear, on the other hand, is manufactured by the mind. In other words, love is real, while fear is an illusion.

Dr. Jampolsky shares that in 1975 the outside world saw him as a successful psychiatrist who appeared to have it all. However, the reality was that his inner life was chaotic, empty, and unhappy. That’s when he came across “A Course in Miracles”. He adds that by applying the concepts of the Course to both his professional and personal life he began to experience periods of peace that he had never dreamed possible.

In “Love Is Letting Go of Fear”, Dr. Jampolsky shares 12 lessons for creating inner peace. Lessons 1 to 6 are enumerated and explained below. In my next post I’ll discuss Lessons 7 to 12.

Lesson 1: All That I Give is Given to Myself

Lesson 1 is the following: “All That I Give is Given to Myself”. This is a two-part lesson. The first part explains that if you want more love in your life the solution isn’t to try to get love from others. Instead, what you need to do is give love. When you give your love unconditionally to others, you increase the love within you. That is, you’ll simultaneously be giving love to another and to yourself.

The second part of this lesson is that you can never run out of love. The world of the five senses is based on the notion of scarcity: if you have an apple and you give it away, you’re left empty-handed. Love, however, is limitless. Not only can you never run out of love, but the more love that you give to other people, the more love that you’ll be giving to yourself.

This lesson is a variation of the Golden Rule, which states that you should treat others as you want others to treat you. The variation is as follows: give to others only the gifts (love, peace, forgiveness) that you want to accept for yourself.

Lesson 2: Forgiveness is the Key to Happiness

Lesson 2 states that happiness–or inner peace–can only be reached when we practice forgiveness. Here’s the logic behind this lesson:

• Love is all there is.
• Anything that we perceive which does not mirror love is a misperception.
• Forgiveness is letting go of the thought, or the interpretation, that we have been harmed by another. It’s the means for correcting our misperceptions; when we forgive this allows us to see only the love in others and ourselves.

Lesson 3: I Am Never Upset for the Reason I Think

Lesson 3 states that you are never upset for the reason that you think. Our physical senses appear to relay information from the outside world to our brain. Therefore, we think that events take place in the outside world which trigger certain thoughts and feelings within us. In other words, we believe that the outside world is the cause and our subsequent thoughts and feelings are the effect. The truth is that this thinking is backwards.

What we see in the outside world is determined by the thoughts in our mind. That is, our thoughts are the cause, and what we see in the outside world is the effect. Our mind is like a motion picture camera projecting our internal state and our thoughts onto the world.

Here’s a quote from “Love is Letting Go of Fear”:

“When our mind is filled with upsetting thoughts, we see the world and those in it as upsetting to us. On the other hand, when our mind is peaceful, the world and the people in it appear to us as peaceful.”

We gain inner peace not by trying to control the outer world, but by gaining control of our inner world. When our thoughts reflect peace, those thoughts will extend outward, and a peaceful perception of the world arises.

Here are two extensions of this lesson:

• Negative feelings such as anger, jealousy, resentment and so on, represent a form of fear that you’re experiencing.
• When you recognize that you always have the choice between being fearful or experiencing love by extending love to others, you no longer need to be upset for any reason.

Lesson 4: I Am Determined to See Things Differently

Lesson 4 — “I Am Determined to See Things Differently”-explains that we don’t see the present moment as it is because we’re always preoccupied with the past and the future. We’re constantly thinking of the fear and pain we’ve experienced in the past, and trying to take measures in order to protect ourselves from having to feel this fear and pain again in the future.

However, the reality is that the only way to stop feeling fear and pain is by exercising our power to see people and events with love instead of fear in the now. Let go of the past and of the future by putting all of your attention on giving in the present moment.

In addition, take responsibility for your state of mind. Stop giving power to others to determine whether you’ll experience love or fear. Whenever you are tempted to see through the eyes of fear, stop yourself and say the following: “I am determined to see things differently.”

Lesson 5: I Can Escape the World I See by Giving Up Attack Thoughts

Lesson 5–“I Can Escape the World I See by Giving Up Attack Thoughts”–is intricately tied to Lesson 3. It states that we can change the world that we see by changing our thoughts about it. When we change our thoughts we change the cause; then the world we see–the effect–will change automatically.

Whenever we perceive that we are being attacked by another, the attack actually originated in our own mind. This is because we always look within before we look out. Here’s how this works:

• You perceive you were attacked by another.
• You feel hurt and you decide to attack the other in an effort to protect yourself from future attacks.
• The attack thought in your mind extends outward and distorts your perception; you perceive further attacks, which makes you feel hurt again.
• This turns into a vicious cycle; at the end of the day you are being hurt by your own attack thoughts.

Dr. Jampolsky recommends that you get out of this vicious cycle by telling yourself the following. “I want to experience peace of mind right now. I happily let go of all attack thoughts and choose peace instead.”

Lesson 6: I Am Not the Victim of the World I See

Lesson 6 indicates that we have to stop seeing ourselves as being victims of the world we live in and of other people, and instead choose to perceive a world in which everyone is innocent. When we think about the past we can choose to focus on the love that we have experienced and think of everything else as being irrelevant. We can also selectively choose to see the love and the beauty in the present, and focus on other people’s strengths, rather than on their weaknesses.

Imagine that you’re standing in a room that has two windows. One is the window of love and the other is the window of fear. If you look out of the window of love you experience peace. But if you look out of the window of fear you experience conflict. You decide which window you’re going to look out of.

In my next post you’ll read about Lessons 7 – 12 from “Love Is Letting Go of Fear”.

Related Posts:

1.How to Create Positive Karma
2. 45 Morsels of Wisdom From Earl Nightingale
3.37 Tidbits of Higher Consciousness
4. How Gratitude Can Change Your Life – The Power of “Thank You”

I Recommend:

1. How to Live Your Best Life – The Essential Guide for Creating and Achieving Your Life List
2. Make It Happen! A Workbook for Overcoming Procrastination and Getting the Right Things Done
3. How to Be More Creative – A Handbook for Alchemists
4. The One-Hour-A-Day Formula: How to Achieve Your Life Goals in Just One Hour a Day

Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe to “Daring to Live Fully” by clicking here and get free updates.