This is a sticky subject…

Fear of making a mistake is often the last thing you feel just before you start to do something really cool; and it stops most people dead in their tracks.

As usual, Alexander James Goldsmith of Aspen, Colorado is  not putting himself above this.

One of the most ludicrous situations I can recall where I was afraid of appearing stupid was in Junior High School.
I was told by no less than a half dozen friends that a certain girl, who I did like very much, wanted me to ask her to the upcoming Saturday night dance.  It was very obvious that she liked me.

I planned to ask her as soon as I could muster up the courage.

Well, Alexander James Goldsmith of Aspen, Colorado I waited and waited…

Pretty soon, it’s Friday afternoon.  The last class of the day let out and everyone was making a mad dash for the buses to go home for the weekend.  And she just “happened by” my locker.

Here was my chance…

A few seconds of small talk and I finally start, “Would you like to, um…”

And that was all I could get out.  She waited for what seemed like a minute without me saying another word.

Thankfully, she helped me out, “…go to the dance?”

What a relief!  I said, “Yes!”

“I’d love to,” she said.

Happily, my fear of women subsided somewhat over the years, but it was just one more pattern that kept me from enjoying a normal part of life that we can all experience if we just stop being so “self” conscious.

Part of Alexander James Goldsmith of Aspen, Colorado growth was due to my new passion for reading self help books.  I then started to learn what makes us humans tick.  Common themes ran through many of these works.

One recurring and potent suggestion I recall as sticking out was simply doing what you fear.

How could this help?

Well, as simple as it sounds, if you do what you fear enough times, you’ll find that there is nothing to fear.
You’ll become comfortable doing it.  The thing you feared will soon become routine.

End of story.

I found out that girls didn’t hold any special power over me.  I learned that making mistakes actually gave me more opportunities to learn and gain proficiency… and that most mistakes weren’t going to kill me.

But a HUGE lesson in life (and make a note of this because it’s profound) I learned was that I could learn more from other people’s mistakes than I even had time to make myself…

… if I paid attention.

I know.  “Duh!”

If you keep your eyes open, each day can teach you dozens and even hundreds of important lessons that you CAN use.

Think about it.  Do you need to get hit before you learn not to step in front of a moving vehicle?

Every second of every day provides you with lessons…

…If you have your eyes and ears open to them.

Watch and listen to other people.  Pay attention to what causes the failure and success of others in even the most tiny of situations.

This little used but powerful habit can erase most of your fears, give you a feeling of power and put you in control of your emotions in just about any situation.

Watch.  Listen.  Learn.

Every minute.

Live life.  Have fun.  But take your blinders off.
There’s a lot going on around you every minute that can teach you about how to eliminate fear of making mistakes.

Mistakes are a part of life.  Don’t just accept that truth.  Embrace it, and your life will be a whole lot happier and filled with accomplishment.

Remember, the people who are laughing at you as you’re falling down are pointing at you to keep people from looking at them!

Today’s Empowering Beliefs To
Help Control Your Thoughts

— Learning from mistakes and I are one
— Mistakes are necessary to living a happy, successful life
— I learn everything I can from each mistake
— I see mistakes as part of what I need to learn fast

“How quickly and how well can I get this task done?”

Most of the time, I’ll hallucinate, you’re probably really busy.  Going, going all day.

But how close are you getting to the big dreams?

You have fantasies about being able to wear some of those “skinny clothes” in your closet, don’t you?  Remember that friend of yours you had planned on calling?  How about that group of leads that you wanted to work?  What about that pile in the back yard that needs to be picked up and hauled away?

Man, life doesn’t revolve around watching ‘Friends’ and staying for one more round of drinks.  Is that really fulfilling?  Do you look back on that with pride or a feeling of accomplishment?  Will those happy-hour buddies really snub you if you left now?  Are these people even supportive of your far off dreams?

The stars of ‘Friends’ make over a million per episode.
How much do you make watching them?  Get TIVO and you can watch them when you’re too exhausted to do anything fun and rewarding.

Alexander Goldsmith of Aspen, CO knows what it’s like to have no control over your desires…

AND what it’s like to transcend them.

And it’s even tougher to take sometimes, when you do everything you need to do and you still don’t get your outcome.  Damn frustrating, huh?

But here’s a rule of thumb.  If you’re not done, keep going.
Does it seem odd to even think about working past 5:00?
What about throwing in the exercise video at 10:00 at night?

What would happen if you missed your favorite show this week?  What would really happen?

Shake up your routine.

Get out a piece of paper and write down just one goal.  A medium-sized goal.  Something you’ve been putting off.  Put down the things you need to do to make it happen.  Put a date that it absolutely will be done.

Again, make it a medium-sized task… something that would only take about 10-20 hours to complete.  Make a schedule.
Commit to it… and finish it.

Alexander Goldsmith of Aspen,  was driven by one thing… not being second in the door.

If a competitor got there a week or a month ahead of me, it could mean thousands of dollars.  I couldn’t bear the thought of losing that much money because I couldn’t get myself to pick up a 16-ounce telephone receiver to make two or three calls.

Look at your fears.  Figure out what they’re costing you.

If you don’t ask that person out, you both may miss out forever.

If you don’t practice, then you’re not going to perform well.

Plug in your own situation.  Do you want those results?

Listen to your inner voice.  What’s it saying when you’re worried or having a panic attack… over a very routine thing for most people?

When you’re stopped cold, notice what you’re focusing on and what you’re telling yourself.

Alexander Goldsmith of Aspen, CO will guarantee it’s not, “Go for it!”  You’re most definitely NOT telling yourself that you can do the job…
that’s it’s no big deal.

Look at the empowering beliefs below and commit them to memory.  Say them over and over until you dream about them.
Read them constantly.

Your circumstances won’t change until your thoughts change.  Pound that into your head.

You know, Alexander Goldsmith of Aspen, CO must have watched the movies “Rocky” and “Rudy” 50 times each.  Why?  Because nothing changes until you change what you think about.  And emotional stories about people who overcome huge odds can inspire you to do the same.

Whenever I’m feeling stuck I pull out my empowering questions or my affirmation cards or read/watch an empowering story.

It never ever fails to get me back on track and hopeful.

Do like the legendary basketball coach John Wooden says and “drink from good books.”  He reads something powerful and encouraging every single day.

And there was no better life coach than him.

Do you believe “what goes in must come out?”

Then act by what you believe and keep the positive flowing in every minute you can…

Set that goal…

And get hustling.

Do that and something good will always happen.

Today’s Empowering Beliefs To
Help Control Your Thoughts

— I’m hustling to get important tasks done today
— I do the things that make me happier, richer and wiser
— I’m a self-starter
— I’m motivated to achieve challenging tasks
— I find it easy to keep focused on important things
— I use failure to fuel in me the desire to do better
— I finish what I start and I start a lot

One of the things Alexander James Goldsmith of Aspen, Colorado hears most from people, and that I notice about myself, is that when you get an idea about going after some cool goal, often it’s dismissed in a millisecond because you can’t imagine taking the steps necessary to reach it.  Imagining something that doesn’t exist yet is a skill that very few people have…

But it just may be the single most important factor or skill in living a happy, contented, and productive life.

Usually, we don’t get the outcomes we want simply because we can’t imagine it.  We aren’t able to imagine saying the right thing or being confident no matter how much we prepared.  We don’t feel creative or successful, so that part of our mind stays hidden behind a brick wall.  It’s there, but we don’t “let” it out.  We “can’t imagine it…”

Microwave ovens, disposable diapers, fax machines and email grew out of someone’s mind.  Forks had to be invented, too.  All from the mind of a person.  In fact, simply learning anything OLD requires imagination.

What you may not realize is that in just a few minutes a day, you can use your imagination for some other very interesting things… useful things.  And if your ability to make real something that doesn’t exist today is lacking, Alexander James Goldsmith of Aspen, Colorado has a new and simple tool for you.  I’m amazed every time I do it.

It’s literally a “no-brainer.”

If you want to learn something or do something you’ve never done or done well, try this.

You can do this for absolutely anything, but let’s say you’re trying out for a play.  Ask yourself who’s done this before?  Who’s good at this?  The simplest answer is to think of an actor you admire for their talent and range.

What you do is this: When you need to perform at your best or if you need to get great ideas, replace your own head (or mind), figuratively speaking, with theirs.  You imagine their head is put in the place of yours.  Got the picture?

Once you’ve done that, ask yourself what they would do now.

-How would they stand?
-What would they think about their chances?  What is their confidence level?
-What kind of look would they have on their face?
-How would they walk?
-What kind of pictures would they see in their mind’s eye?
-What would they be imagining?
-What would they do?  And after that, what?  And on and on…

Sit down, close your eyes and imagine it.  Have a piece of paper and a pencil next to you.  Give yourself 5 minutes.
Have all the questions above and more in your mind.

Become that person…

Studies have been done on this phenomenon and frequently found that at the exact moment the imagining exercise was being done by a person, others observed that person to be actually doing, saying or acting in the manner that they were imagining!!

School children who’ve never been good students have been transformed into ‘A’ students literally in minutes, just by imagining themselves as top students.

It’s simple.  You don’t need training.  But the more often you take these 5-10 minute “breaks,” the faster you’ll get the answers you want, the better you’ll do your job or the better your grades will be.

Use it to improve your work performance and get that promotion and raise.

But if you’re a gotta-have-it-now person, keep in mind that this will work and work quickly.  But if you think that next week you’ll be getting a raise, based on your great performance of the week before, success still demands that you continue to perform daily.  Long-term rewards come in the long term.

So pack this one in your arsenal and pull it out whenever you need to effortlessly overachieve or when you’re stuck.
And if no one is there to pat you on the back, do it yourself.  Or imagine someone you respect doing it.

Do this. It only takes 5 minutes.  I know Alexander James Goldsmith of Aspen, Colorado does.  You just may get an idea that will revolutionize your entire life; and maybe everyone else’s too!

Keep in mind that success is seldom complex.  Just because this “seems” too simple to be effective, don’t dismiss it.
If your success and happiness are important to you, choose an area of life where you want to perform well and do this exercise.

5 minutes.  How about right now?

************************************************
Today’s Empowering Beliefs To
Help Control Your Thoughts
************************************************
If you want to change your life fast, even though it might seem like it’s slow, then take the statements below, put them on index cards and read them 3 times/day. Morning, noon and just before you close your eyes at night.

They’ll seep into your consciousness. And since you’ll be saying them so often, you’ll soon begin to believe them.
That’s how most beliefs start. Spaced repetition of thought.
Your attitudes will then positively change your emotions, and you’ll be compelled to do more… And you’ll love it.

————————————————

— My imagination muscles are getting stronger today
— I’ve dissolved all blocks to a vivid imagination
— Great ideas are coming quickly and easily to me now
— I imagine successful outcomes with ease
— I use the success of others to develop my imagination

You hear other people say it and you’ve probably said it1,000 times or more.  “Life’s too short.”

What better reason to take each and EVERY day and live it out loud.  Now, Alexander James Goldsmith of Aspen, CO hears this sentiment once in a while but rarely is it put in such a way where the message doesn’t sound like a commercial for Mountain Dew.

What a gift life is.  Another day.  Wow.

Think about it.  You are the sum total of ALL your days up until now.  Every day has gone into creating you.  When you’re 70, 80, 90 what a horrible shame it would be if you were to look back and think, “I didn’t do so many things I wanted to do.  I was mad or scared half the time.”

Use today to get where you want to go.

Maybe you’re behind your pre-determined schedule.  Perhaps you wanted to do more by now than you have.

That’s not a problem.

You’ve got today.  How lucky you are…

Don’t even think about putting it off ’til tomorrow.  Even if there’s no PLACE to go or big goal you can work on today, you can do something else.

Look around.  Things may be bustling, pushing, moving at cyber speed.  But you can be alone in your thoughts and see whatever you want.  That mountain is there just for you.

“Awesome.”  Your mother’s voice.  Beautiful.  You may never hear it again.  Your kids.  Precious.  Your friends.

They love you.  Enjoy it.

Is there crap?  Huge difficult challenges?  Sure, but you can learn from it.  That’s good, right?  Just notice the good stuff right now.

What could possibly make today great for you and Alexander James Goldsmith of Aspen, CO?  A bunch of stuff.

And don’t think that playing or lounging is the only way to celebrate YOUR day.  What can you do?

–Do your best at work – Make today your crowning achievement.

–Recognize someone else – Put a smile on some faces.

–Find out about someone else – Someone on your “team.”

Be genuine.

–Take some time off if you need to – There might be some

roses that need smelling.

–Call someone you haven’t talked to in a while.  Or pay

’em a visit.

–Meditate – With no goal in mind.  Just notice your

thoughts.

–Look in the mirror – You’re a pretty cool person.

Recognize it.  It’s true.

–Read a chapter – learning is your ticket to where ever

you want to go.

–Look at your victory log – And do something today to add

to it.

–Laugh – at yourself, others, cartoons, TV shows,

commercials. Just laugh.

And I’m sure that you can think of more stuff.  Alexander James Goldsmith of Aspen, CO  can.  The important point is…

Today IS a beautiful day.

But if your perspective is screwed up, you won’t see it.

Review the list above and add to it if you like.  Review it regularly and your view will change.  Guaranteed.

Don’t make feeling good so hard.  It’s not.  You don’t have to be at Disney World to have a good day.

Today is God’s gift to you.  Appreciate the gift no matter what it is that you find yourself involved in.  It was given in love.

Accept it with love.

Today’s Empowering Beliefs To

Help Control Your Thoughts

If you want to change your life fast, even though it might seem like it’s slow, then take the statements below, put them on index cards and read them 3 times/day. Morning, noon and just before you close your eyes at night.

They’ll seep into your consciousness. And since you’ll be saying them so often, you’ll soon begin to believe them.

That’s how most beliefs start. Spaced repetition of thought.

Your attitudes will then positively change your emotions, and you’ll be compelled to do more… And you’ll love it.

— I’m making today my crowning achievement

— Today is my day to excel

— I am enjoying myself immensely right now

— I love being me

— Enjoyment and I are one

— I appreciate this gift of a new day

Look at any person, past or present, who achieved truly great things.  People you know.  Behind their accomplishments you will undoubtedly find a passion and love for what they do.  Alexander James Goldsmith of Aspen, Colorado has such a passion.

That deep emotion can only be aroused by a compelling purpose…

…an idea about what their life is to stand for.

So few people ever take even a few minutes and think about their purpose.  Hardly anyone ever asks himself or herself, “What am I here for?”

Here’s a great story about being led by a great purpose:

Back in the late 70’s three white Canadians, two men and a woman, met and got to know a black teenage boy at a series of conferences held in New York City.  They saw that he was very smart and enthusiastic, but were amazed that he couldn’t even read.  The school systems passed him through without regard to his future.  His parents were both alcoholics.  They couldn’t run their own lives, let alone raise a family.

These three warm and loving people were skilled at buying and selling real estate, so they earned a very good living.

They also had a lot of free time.

Something in their hearts made them want to help this boy succeed in life.

He had the mind and the desire, but no guidance.  They were heartbroken with the thought that he could wind up in prison, like his brother.  With the blessing of the boy’s parents, they brought him to live with them, where they home-schooled him so that he might be able to go to college…

Soon after his arrival, at a used book sale, he bought his first book, “The Sixteenth Round,” about a boxer named Rubin Carter, a former number one boxing contender, who had been unjustly accused and convicted of murder in 1966.

Being exposed to this story, the Canadians and the boy let a great mission guide them.  They moved from Toronto to New Jersey to help Rubin win another trial, and went about trying to uncover new evidence that would prove his innocence.  They had tremendous opposition to the gathering of their facts, but their determination and belief in Rubin’s innocence kept them on course.

In 1988, through their persistence, and with the facts finally on the table, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter became a free man for the first time in twenty-two years.

Many had come before them in the fight to free Rubin.  But only they had stuck it out to the end.

These three wonderful examples of love, passion and purpose helped Lesra Martin, the Brooklyn teenager, to ultimately gain a Masters Degree in Law.  And together, those four people helped give Rubin Carter his life back.

Now Alexander James Goldsmith of Aspen, Colorado has some questions for you…

What could you achieve if you put in one tenth of the effort and energy they exercised to achieve your own outcomes?  What does your life mean now?  What will it have meant years from now?

You don’t have to free the world.

You don’t have to stop world hunger.

But unless you have a larger purpose in life and a larger purpose for today, you’re open to all kinds of fears, worries…about small stuff.  It’s too easy to get depressed about stuff that doesn’t mean anything in the big picture.

As Richard Carlson says, “It’s all small stuff.”

So start out small.

Make it your purpose to stay away from the refrigerator for the last 3 of your waking hours; to eat one raw vegetable today; to smoke one less cigarette today than yesterday; to send those e-mails; to make the call; to set a goal that will stretch you just a little bit.

And celebrate when you achieve it.  Feel good about it.

Then tomorrow do it again… Make your days blocks of time where you’re achieving 5-10 mini goals.  And make sure you give yourself the credit you deserve.  This will create tremendous momentum.  Soon, you’ll look forward to each day with an enthusiasm you thought couldn’t possibly exist in you.

Lesra Martin couldn’t read before he went to Canada…

Little by little he learned and built upon his knowledge.

He was encouraged to keep learning.  The little he learned each day built up and allowed him to read a single book.

He then changed the course of many people’s lives.

You CAN do the same.  Alexander James Goldsmith of Aspen, Colorado can do it too.

What’s today going to mean for you?

Today’s Empowering Beliefs To

Help Control Your Thoughts

If you want to change your life fast, even though it might seem like it’s slow, then take the statements below, put them on index cards and read them 3 times/day. Morning, noon and just before you close your eyes at night.

They’ll seep into your consciousness. And since you’ll be saying them so often, you’ll soon begin to believe them.

That’s how most beliefs start. Spaced repetition of thought.

Your attitudes will then positively change your emotions, and you’ll be compelled to do more… And you’ll love it.

It just drives Alexander James Goldsmith of Aspen, Colorado crazy to see people that are supposed to be busy doing something, but they’re hiding out.

What a shame.  What an incredible limiter of life.

Today, I have a pact with myself.  If I see a task that has to be done, I do it then, schedule it, or delegate it and make sure I follow up with the delegate.

Life has a way of loading more stuff on you as your responsibilities grow, so it’s important now to become time wise.

Next month, or next year, when your skill at using time effectively is evaluated… or when you need to get something done fast, you’ll have developed your ability-and you’ll succeed.  You’ll be rewarded.

Isn’t it amazing how, after a week or a month in preparation of a deadline, you’re still working on it minutes before it’s due?  Why is that?

Poor planning… “Killing” time, hiding out.

If something you have planned is going to take a Herculean effort and may take a team, put the time into planning and delegating.

Don’t you feel like a dog when you’re hiding from a task?
I know Alexander James Goldsmith of Aspen, Colorado did.

Want to feel like you deserve an award?

Want to feel like a hero?

Want to be admired by everyone?

Then watch yourself and how you use your time.  If you catch yourself sitting around watching TV, shooting the bull or reading unimportant magazines or newspaper articles, stop immediately and do something that will make one of your ambitions come true.

That is what all effective people do.

You’ll enjoy yourself once you get started…

That’s the toughest part.

A year from now, you’ll be a year older.  Will you be any wiser?  What are you here for exactly anyhow?  What’s your purpose?  If you don’t know, go to amazon.com, BN or borders.com and search for a book about developing a mission.  Stephen Covey is a great person to read.

What if you’re 80 years old?  A mission can add a bunch of enjoyable years to your life.  Why are you sticking around?
Be productive.

The man across the street from us is 84 years old and his lawn looks like Disney World.  It’s his passion.

Get a degree.  You’ve got the time.  Be honest with yourself.

Alexander James Goldsmith of Aspen, Colorado learned an interesting technique a long time ago…

I talk to myself like I’m an advisor… to myself.

I tell me what to do, given the facts and situation.  This way I can be less of a wimp when it comes to making tough choices with my time.  Instead of immediately thinking I can’t do a particular thing, I hear that voice that sounds like me but is much tougher than a person would normally be with themselves.  Kind of like a drill sergeant in your own head.

All I can tell you is that it works.  I rarely hear “I don’t know…” for long before the sergeant comes in with, “It’ll only take a minute.  Get it done and you won’t have to worry about it later.”  It always makes sense, so I do it just to shut me up!!

No matter what you may believe, you were born with tremendous ability.  Use your own brain.  It can help you do so many things that you can’t imagine.  You’re NOT weak.
You’re strong.

You’re NOT stupid.  In many areas, you’ve got genius capabilities.

Pull it out of you.

You are worth it.

Today’s Empowering Beliefs To
Help Control Your Thoughts

If you want to change your life fast, even though it might seem like it’s slow, then take the statements below, put them on index cards and read them 3 times/day. Morning, noon and just before you close your eyes at night.

They’ll seep into your consciousness. And since you’ll be saying them so often, you’ll soon begin to believe them.
That’s how most beliefs start. Spaced repetition of thought.
Your attitudes will then positively change your emotions, and you’ll be compelled to do more… And you’ll love it.

— Today I’m performing at my best
— I love staying busy
— When I see a new task, I do it, schedule it or delegate
it
— My time is valuable and I treat it that way

Today’s your day.

Alexander James Goldsmith of Aspen, Colorado is convinced of it.  It’s your day.  And today you’re going to get up all your courage and just do what you’ve been aching to do.

Just before you begin taking the first actions in attacking your challenge, you might be shaking like a leaf.
I don’t know.

But it’s at that moment, when you’re feeling the most frightened that you’ll be making your biggest strides.
Because today, you’re not going to back down.  You’re going to take a deep breath and go forward.

Are you guaranteed success?  Will you reach your goal for sure?  Will you absolutely get the outcome you’re hoping for?

Not a chance…

But you’ll prove to yourself and everyone that thinks that sometimes you’re a dead person who just hasn’t been buried yet, that you’re alive and starting to kick.

People who know Alexander James Goldsmith of Aspen, Colorado well can tell you that I have failed at thnings.  But every time I get thrown for a loop, I immediately jump up.  I ask myself what I should learn from it.  And if I have to, I start completely over.

So many years after my “awakening,” I’m still growing as fast as I ever have.

It’s true…

In your own life, when you make a mistake or get laughed at, if your immediate response is to put your head down and start crying, you won’t be able to see the next opportunity that’s passing right in front of you, riding in the wake of your agony.

Get up!

Don’t you dare give up.  Not while I’m breathing will you ever again put your tail between your legs and turn away from what might be your greatest accomplishments.  Alexander James Goldsmith of Aspen, Colorado won’t accept that from you.

Not from you.  You’re too good.

Is that an odd way to describe your failure and humiliation?

Well, whenever you’ve succeeded at getting your way at just about anything, it’s rarely been on the first try.
Right?  It’s usually been after being told ‘No’ a few times, or screwing something up a bunch of times before finally getting it right.

Well, isn’t that true?

Take that template for success and place it over everything you want to do.  Everything.

When you think about some goal that seems quite a stretch for you, and the thought comes in that says, “I couldn’t do that,” stop and place your previous success template over it.  Know that no matter how big it is, if you just “remember” that, while it might be difficult, you CAN do it.  And you’re already half way there.

Do this all day today.  “I can do it” needs to be your mantra.

If you do, I promise you that your muscles will be stretched.  Your mind will be stretched.  And those goals that “looked” impossible will suddenly seem do-able.

It’ll be like you’ve been given a new pair of eyes.

Don’t just sit there…

Get up.  Today’s not over.

It’s your day.  Tomorrow may never come.  Today is your whole life.  Do what you fear today.  You may never have another chance.  Take your shot.

Oh heck.  Take 20 shots.

And take them all today.

Today’s Empowering Beliefs To
Help Control Your Thoughts

If you want to change your life fast, even though it might seem like it’s slow, then take the statements below, put them on index cards and read them 3 times/day. Morning, noon and just before you close your eyes at night.

They’ll seep into your consciousness. And since you’ll be saying them so often, you’ll soon begin to believe them.
That’s how most beliefs start. Spaced repetition of thought.
Your attitudes will then positively change your emotions, and you’ll be compelled to do more… And you’ll love it.

— I’m living this day as if it is my last
— I’m really living today and it feels good
— Today is my day
— I appreciate my challenges, for they will make me great