MOTIVATING YOURSELF

In the words of Jesus Christ, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10b)  The Apostle John stated, “Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.” (III John 1:2)  Since it is (apparently) the will of Our Father that we (winner-believers) live well-rounded, abundant, productive, healthy and joyful lives, I have reprinted “Seven Self-Motivators” by Brian Tracy for your prayerful consideration. 

#1 - Get Serious.  Make a decision to go all the way to the top and reach your personal goals. Up to now you’ve just thought about it.  Others have made the decision to go all the way to the top, and their lives have taken off.  It’s the most extraordinary thing. Your life is in shadows and in darkness until the moment you decide that “I’m going to be the best at what I do.” And suddenly you rise into the sunshine, and your life is forever after different – simply wonderful. Get serious…and don’t fool around anymore.

#2 - Identify Your Limiting Step to Success.  What’s your limiting step?  What’s the one skill area that’s holding you back? What skill, quality, attitude or action do you need?  Find out what you need to become good at…what’s holding you back.  What is the critical limiting step that’s limiting your success today?

#3 - Get Around the Right People.  Get around winners. Get around positive people. Get around people with goals and plans, people who are going somewhere with their lives and have high aspirations. Get around eagles. ‘You can’t scratch with the turkeys if you want to fly with the eagles.’ Get away from negative and toxic people.

#4 - Take Excellent Care of Your Health.  Take care of your physical and emotional health. That means a good diet and good exercise.  Get a good night’s sleep so you can be fully rested and ready every morning.

#5 - Use Positive Visualization.  See yourself as the very best in your field. Remember, any improvement in your life will begin with a change in your mental pictures. Visualize yourself…and continually see yourself as the best.

#6 - Use Positive Self-Talk.  Talk to yourself positively all the time. Control your inner dialogue. What do you say to yourself? Say, “I’m the best.” You’re not lying to yourself.  You’re telling the truth in advance.  Because it doesn’t matter where you’re coming from – all that matters is where you’re going. Talk to yourself the way you want to be, not the way you just happen to be at this moment. Remember, you may have gotten where you are today largely by accident, but where you’re going in the future is purely by design.

#7 - Take Positive Action.  Get up and get going. Develop a real sense of urgency.  A sense of urgency is the one thing you can develop that separates you from everyone else in your field.  Be proactive.  When you get a good idea, do it now.  Only 2% of people in our society actually apply themselves enough to do this. You can move yourself into the top 2% by resolving that whenever you have an idea or something, do it now.  And the faster you start to move, the better you get.  And the better you get, the more you like yourself. And the more you like yourself, the higher your self-esteem is.  And the higher your self-esteem is, the greater your self-discipline. And as you persist in self-discipline, you will ultimately become unstoppable.

To Mr. Tracy’s positive action plan, I must add three mission-critical self-motivators: 1) Practicing the Presence of God, 2) Meditating on The Word of God, and 3) Decreeing/Declaring what the Word says about you.  [Read the following scriptures for confirmation: I Chronicles 16:27 – Psalm 16:11 - Joshua 1:8 – Job 22:28 – Mark 11:23 – Romans 4:17].  As my daughter Kim often says, Keep It Moving!  Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed!