Tag Archive for: Positive Thinking

Are we afraid of our own thoughts?

FrownyFaceThis is something I was pondering today as I noticed every single person around me at the club looking at their smart phones. I then thought about how many times I pull it out when I have a few minutes with nothing going on.  From there, I started making a conscious decision to recognize every time I was using the phone and why.

Then it dawned on me. Are we afraid of our own thoughts? What explains the addiction to constantly check email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.?

The truth is that for me, I certainly have been using my phone way too much. Often I wouldn’t even make it through a movie without checking it. The important revelation for me was that it is easier to play with the phone than to force yourself to deal with silence and pay attention to what you are thinking.

Times have changed. What we have to be aware of is that our kids are watching every move we make. We need to set good examples for them. We need to start putting the phone down when we are together, and for me, I plan to start putting it in the other room so I am not tempted.

Smart phones are great as long as they do not make us dumb in our relationships with others. We need to take time to be fully engaged in conversations with others and set aside some downtime from the phones every day.

The next time you feel the urge to check your phone for no apparent reason, ask yourself, “Am I afraid of my thinking?” Then take the next steps to change it next time.

With gratitude,
Bill

Stick To It

Today I was in meetings all day and night. I looked down at my fitness tracker only to see I had a serious amount of steps to complete.  Last year I would have chalked it up to the fact that I wasn’t going to be able to meet my target.  That was so 2014!  Not in 2015!  This year, I have set a goal to meet my daily steps every day for a minimum of 30 days.  It is the Jan 14th and I have been successful the previous 13 days.

I got back to my room near 9:00 PM and decided I would simply take a walk.  It ended up being a very long walk.  Every time I looked down, I saw that I was inching closer to my target.  I went even further than I expected.  I got back to the hotel and still had a little bit to go.  I then decided to take the stairs instead of the elevator.  Boy, now that was tough.  After a brisk walk I was already sweating even though it is not that cold outside.  Then climbing the stairs was pretty tough.

A little more walking and I looked down and I had met my goal.  Sweet!  The main thing is to set a goal, keep if focused on your mind, and do whatever it takes to achieve it.

With peace and gratitude,
Bill

Let Go of My Ego

LetgoI started working on building a powerful and unbelievable 2015 at the start of the year.  On my previous blog post, I listed some things I would work on for this year.  I have been keeping a nightly journal of three distinct areas: 1) What have I learned? 2) What successes I had that day & 3) What did I do to serve others?

As I was thinking about these things today, I realized that I need to also work on keeping my ego in check.  I regularly try to remind myself of this but I am sure I forget way too often.  So this year I am making it my intention to “Let go of my ego!”

I pledge this year to not take things too personally as well as becoming aware when my ego shows up.  It certainly sounds easy but I believe through awareness I can make a major positive shift in my life this year.  I believe that we should always be working on ourselves but also not to overdo it.

If you ask these three questions each night to yourself and journal it, amazing things will happen in your life:

  1. What have I learned today?
  2. What successes have I achieved today? (sometimes just getting out of bed is an achievement!)
  3. What did I do to server others today?

Let me know what you think and if you start asking yourself these questions.  Here’s to a breakthrough in 2015!
Love and gratitude,
Bill

 

Breathe Responsibly: 5 Tips to Relaunching Relaxation

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The benefits to relaxing and taking a break are mind boggling. Research has shown that regularly taking a break and enjoying the moment has amazing health benefits when practiced regularly. Some of the benefits include strengthening the immune system, lowering blood pressure, lowering fatigue, lowering your heart rates, eliminating stress and so much more. With the July 4th holiday coming up this week in the USA and Canada day on July 1st, I wanted to offer some ideas on relaxing that you could incorporate into your lives this week.

5 Tips to Relaunch Relaxation in Your Life

  1. Breathe “Responsibly” – Sure, breathing is an unconscious act but breathing on purpose has huge benefits. Taking deep breaths help oxygenate your blood, relieves tension, helps to deal with pain, detoxifies and releases toxins and so much more. One way that I have found that helps me the most is to practice meditation daily. It helps me clear out the clutter in my mind and enjoy the moment. Plan to schedule time to breathe deeply or meditate daily.
  2. Visualize Often – Taking time to visualize what you desire is one of the key ingredients to success. It often provides me clarity when I am searching for an answer. I will visualize the end outcome I want and a lot of times I get a new, great idea that I can implement to make it happen. Take deep, slow breaths and enjoy the visualization knowing you are planting seeds of life’s coming attractions!
  3. Disconnect from the Grid – I learned this lesson when on a short vacation a couple of months ago. I did not bring my computer and chose to stay off my phone for several days. I can tell you that I haven’t been that relaxed in ages. If you feel it is necessary to keep up with social media, work emails, etc., just plan a set time to do this and walk away when you are done. Constantly checking your mobile device can actually cause tension and frustration. Turn off your phone, set it away from your hands reach or put it on silent and enjoy the moment. Take a few deep breaths and
  4. Naturally Nature – One of my favorite things to do is to go outside and enjoy nature. No plans, just observe. Sometimes I like to take my camera and take photos of the beauty around me and it always feels refreshing. Remember to breathe in the peace and tranquility of nature and exhale stress and negativity.
  5. Practice Kindness – I realize that this one might seem like a stretch for relaxation but what I am talking about here is to practice a random kind deed and immediately after, soak in the goodness of the moment. Breathe in kindness and exhale unkindness and negativity. You can even participate in the Give A Little Love Kindness Challenge going on right now!

Enjoy your day and your week. Practice at least 2 to 3 of the tips above and take note how well you feel after each one. Make it a daily routine and enjoy it. Don’t waste time making it a “to do” but rather enjoy the moment each time you practice the tips.

With peace and gratitude,
Bill

 

Ask a Different Question

TonyRobbins_ContributeOne of my very favorite Tony Robbins posts is as follows: “It is not what we get. But who we become, what we contribute… that gives meaning to our lives.” I learned this for real after spending about 10 years submerged into self-help for myself. All was great with me, new job, new career, new town, happy family but something was missing. When I learned to ask a different question, “How may I serve?” it literally changed my life. I wrote my first book in 3 days while writing for 15 straight hours for 3 consecutive days. If you would have told me when I was younger I would be an author, I would have told you that you were simply crazy. No way would I have ever entertained that thought. It wasn’t until I asked that different question.

With all of the bullying that is going on around the world, we need to ask ourselves a different question. When I read about an adolescent here in the DFW area committed suicide in the middle school, I was shocked. What was interesting is that the day before my publicist asked me to give an interview on “adolescent suicide” and to be honest, I had never heard of it before. So I knew this was a message for me to ask a different question. “What can I do to help kids suffering from depression?” The end result was a complete re-write of my book, STINKIN’ THINKIN’ STINKS and a new chapter in my life for helping kids.

So, how about asking a different question to yourself today? Please send me a message or comment below. I would love to know what creative question you will start asking yourself to contribute so that your life will have more meaning (as Tony says).

With gratitude and peace,
Bill

 

7 Tips For Creating a Positive Week

It sure is easy to let the negative news that we are bombarded with daily get us down and set us up for a tough week. That is why I decided to offer some ideas to plant some positivity to help you create a positive week. You do not have to do all of these (really, you don’t have to do any of these) so pick the ones that resonate with you and try them out. What’s the worst that can happen? At least you will have some positivity to keep your focus on for the few minutes trying the tips.

Tip #1: Start your day off with Gratitude – Simply identify a few things to be grateful for before you get out of bed. It’s that simple.
Tip #2: Practice “taking out your stinkin’ trash” – For the 1st and 2nd day of the week, keep track of negative thinking. This help you clean out the “clutter” of those negative thoughts you are not aware of. Click here for the full exercise.
Tip #3: Practice positive thinking – I know it sounds a little elementary but seriously practice thinking positive thoughts. You can do it in many different ways but I personally like to track it just like the exercise above. If I notice a negative thought, I change it to the complete opposite. Click here for the full exercise, “Hey, Smell This!”
Tip #4: Sign up for daily positive messages & share with friends – There are lots of sites that offer great daily messages delivered to your inbox for free. One that I personally like is from Mike Dooley of tut.com and they are called “Notes from the Universe.” He has been doing them for 12 years now. You can also sign up for my own Daily Positive Points which are also free. The next thing to do is to share them with others. This is one thing that has a very nice impact on your week because the more that others are doused with positivity, the nicer and friendlier they typically are. That way all of you can discuss the messages of positivity than focus on negative things in your life.
Tip #5: Read something positive – I find that a great way for me to stay positive is to read other inspiring books. I love anything from Tony Robbins because it helps me stay in a positive mood. He reminds me to stay focused on my goals and that I can achieve anything. Also, you can check out my latest book, STINKIN’ THINKIN’ STINKS to see if it resonates with you and your family. Either way, find someone who inspires you, buy their book, read info on their websites & blogs, and/or search for blogs about inspiration and positivity.
Tip #6: Use a positive vocabulary – When someone asks how you are, say something like, “I’m superfantastic! Thank you for asking. How about yourself?” I got this from Keith Harold who passed away last year. I saw him at a business conference and he was simply amazing. I used his technique and to this day, some 10 year later, I still practice it. I love the looks on their faces when I give that response. It’s priceless!
Tip #7: End each day in gratitude – Take a few minutes before going to sleep to either journal things you are grateful for or at least think about them before going to sleep. Try to make it the last thing you are thinking about before you go to sleep. This is a great way to set yourself up for positivity the next day.

I realize that you may not be able to do all 7 items above, but do take time to find a few that you could consider giving them a shot. It will help you have an incredible week. Try it as an experiment and jot down positive things that have happened to you that week. You can do that  right? It’s only 7 days. You could even try a different one each day. How could would that be?

Don’t hesitate to send me a message. You can post a comment on this page or go to the “Ask Sweetie” barrel to ask me a direct question.
With peace and much GRATITUDE!
Bill

 

 

Focus Equals Fate

I say it all the time. You have heard it all too often. What you focus on EXPANDS. This is a core belief of mine and many others. So why do most people not get it? While I cannot answer that question because everyone is uniquely different and at different stages in their lives. However, what I can tell you is that whatever you put your focus on often turns into a belief. The key is whether that belief is a positive one that supports and helps you grow or is negative and holds you back.

Here’s what I truly believe. Most of us see things WORSE than they are, instead of how things REALLY are. Ugh, I know! I recall talking to a friend of mine who practices this with a passion. What he tells me is that if I see how the worst it could be, I am prepared just in case this happens. So it is a survival technique all too many of us practice. The problem I see with this is that you are looking for the WORST it could possibly be and by thinking and focusing on the worst it can be, it can actually draw that to you.

I call this sort of thinking, STINK Eye thinking. Whenever you look at something and turn it to something bad or negative (often times it really isn’t) you have caught the STINK Eye. Not to worry, there are several techniques I teach to help my students focus on what the positive. In fact there are three things that can turn it around quickly. They are:

1) Focus and Visualization
2) Setting Goals
3) Look at setbacks as Opportunities

Focus and Visualization is the easiest and quickest way to dilute the STINK Eye. Simply try focusing on something positive in your life. If you have trouble with that, visualize a positive outcome or simply go back to a time that you were on top of your game. That simple technique can help drastically.

If you follow me or know me at all, you know that I am very, very goal driven. I believe it is my competitive nature but they are a major part of my life. I use them to take complex, nearly out of reach goals and break them up into smaller ones so I can create momentum. Once the positive momentum starts flowing, things change very quickly for me. Take for instance the issues today involving bullying and low self esteem. I have read enough information about bullying and self esteem in kids to realize there are a lot of different techniques people teach. I decided to try a different approach. I asked “what can I do to help kids deal with the negative influences and issues they are faced with today?” and that lead to a new book (STINKIN’ THINKIN’ STINKS). Once I had the goal of building self esteem as a way of combating bullying and other negatives, I created project plan for the book. That project plan consisted of 173 steps. It seemed overwhelming at first but breaking things into mini goals ultimately kept the momentum moving forward with the book launch.

Another area that can change your thoughts is to look at any setback as an opportunity. I saved this for last because it is one of the more difficult ones to practice.  However, it can have the biggest impact. Looking at setbacks or problems as opportunities take you out of the victim mentality, which does nothing but deliver negative outcomes while looking for the opportunity that lies within them is very empowering. This is why I teach that setbacks are often transformational.

In summary, each of us posses the ability to focus on what we want and filter out the negative things around us. A lot of people look for the bad and that expands while others look for what is good and that expands for them. When you catch yourself with a bad case of STINK Eye, try three quick techniques to clear it up: 1) Focus and Visualization, 2) Set Goals, & 3) Turn Setbacks into Opportunities.

With peace and gratitude,
Bill

Just Don’t Quit

I wanted to take a few minutes to expand upon why I chose today’s Walt Disney’s quote for Daily Positive Points. I realize that a lot of people struggle when they go off on a new quest and end up giving up. That is why today’s quote is so special to me. Here’s the quote again: “The difference in winning and losing is most often… not quitting.”

It was one year ago that I was about ready to call it quits and shut down my work with the site and Daily Positive Points. I had tried unsuccessfully to launch my book, STINKIN’ THINKIN’ STINKS on three previous occasions. It was as if I was pushing a rope trying to get it ready to launch. I felt I was doing all the right things, practicing all the right mental techniques and staying focused on my goals but it wasn’t working.

I woke up and was in a lousy mood. Something happened with my Daily Positive Points email where I believe I had a few un-subscribers. I logged into the database to see there wasn’t a whole lot of positive movement with the list size for the previous 3-4 months. It was also time to start on the next month’s Daily Positive Points messages and I started asking a few very self-defeating questions. They were, “Why am I even doing this?”; “Why can’t I catch a break?”; and “Why me? I’ve given up so much to help others and now this?”

Yea, I know, pity party for sure. Those kinds of questions and thought patterns will get you nowhere and nowhere fast! I then realized that those questions will result in nothing. Asking lousy questions returns lousy answer. I changed my thoughts and I then asked, “What message am I missing?”

The next day I got the answer. I realized what I was missing. It was fear. Yep, my old lost buddy, fear. I was afraid that I would fail in my book launch dooming me to mediocrity. If any of you know me at all, you know that I do not take defeat very well. Whether it was in sports or business. I have always excelled at both but somehow doubt had crept in and was fogging up my mind. Having awareness and accepting that I wasn’t quitting based upon a fear, I then asked, “How may I serve?” and “What can I do to help reach a bigger audience?”

And then, out of nowhere, Tony Robbins retweeted one of my tweets that day! Really? Within an hour, I had picked up about 100 new followers. I got close to 500 retweets and over 300 favorites. This small thing helped me realize that things can change in a single instant. About a few weeks later, Tony retweeted another one of my tweets and I got similar results.

I am now not only a bestselling author, but an international bestselling author. I maintained #1 rankings in 5 categories on Amazon and went all the way to #317 on Barnes and Nobel’s overall book ranking! Just think what would have happened if I quit?

This was a great reminder to never give up. You may need to change strategies but never give up. Ask better questions and you will get better answers.

With gratitude,
Bill

 

Here was today’s Daily Positive Points for reference:

Today’s Message

Sometimes when everything seems to be falling apart, just sticking with it a little longer is the perfect solution. That goal that seems out of reach right now will be tomorrow’s headlines if you just hang in there.

Today’s Quote
“The difference in winning and losing is most often… not quitting.” ~ Walt Disney

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How to Make a Difference Today

I often ask myself, “How can I make a positive impact on others today?” This is an empowering question that often leads to great ideas. To make a difference in the world, it will always involve helping others. There are several ways to help others but there is one way that is often overlooked. That way is to continue to grow ourselves because we can’t help someone if we are not in the right mental place to do so.

Kindness, whether it is with others or yourself, will always make a difference in the world. When practiced daily, kindness will have a major positive impact on the world. It doesn’t always have to be practiced for others because when we offer ourselves kindness, we are teaching others to be kind to themselves too. Let’s teach something powerful today.  Take the Every Day Kindness Challenge and start making a powerful impact today.

While kindness doesn’t solve all of our problems, it does help us stay positive and more optimistic. Just think of the consequences if we all practiced kindness daily? I bet there would be a big impact on negative thinking, depression, bullying, anger and so much more.

Teach kindness. Help others learn kindness. Learn kindness. These are the keys to a positive outlook on life.

With peace and gratitude,
Bill

The Power of I AM

Of all the tools I have used in my life, using affirmations has been one of the most powerful. When I first learned about affirmations, I was a bit skeptical. I have tried many different ways of using them. I learned that just saying them (while it is better than not saying them at all) produces very little results. The key is BELIEVING them!

If you just merely say them, you are simply saying words. It is the belief that makes them real and work. The more we believe in them, the quicker they return the results we are looking to attain. Staring our affirmations with “I AM” is one way to make them real. Whatever follows those words create a conviction that are so very powerful.

Here’s a few tips to create strong, powerful affirmations. Affirmations should:
1) Concise
2) Clear
3) Have Meaning
4) Contain Positive Words (never use negative words like “not”, “never”, “without”, etc.)
5) Start with “I AM”
6) Stated with conviction & confidence
7) Said out loud

If you want to SUPERCHARGE the affirmations, state them with movement (like walking, jogging, arm gestures, etc.).  If you want to supercharge them even more, visualize the affirmation as if it already occurred.

I truly believe that if we taught our kids the true power of affirmations and they practiced them, we would not read another story about bullying. Affirmations build high self-esteem when practiced correctly. Let’s make a difference in our kids future by teaching them the power of positive thinking and using goals to achieve success.

With gratitude and peace,
Bill