Your Thoughts Determine Your Success

Today, I was reminded of a truth that permeates the ranks of success, and that simple truth is that YOUR thoughts determine your success.

Period.

Your thoughts about who you are, what you are capable of, what your skill level is, what your value to society is…your thoughts alone are the only thoughts that are capable of influencing your success. It does not matter what others think about you, what they say behind your back – or to your face for that matter, or how they judge you…you and your mind…you and your thoughts determine your success.

There is an ancient proverb penned by King Solomon that says “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7)

How are you thinking about yourself ?  Then that is what you are.

Are you allowing the way others think about you to influence how you think about yourself?  If so then you become how they think of you.

You must shift your thinking and cease the influence of others thoughts in your life – then you will see the transformation you are looking for.

A few years ago, I used to write a regular blog called “Today I Learned” .  In that little blog, I would pull nuggets of wisdom from every day life.  In recent weeks several of my friends and family have asked me why I stopped doing that and have gently suggested I start doing it again because they really enjoyed it.  I have had to stop and think about why I stopped “Today I Learned”  and really why I stopped doing many of the other inspiring things I used to do to help others in their journey to success in life.  Even a scroll through this blog will show  my negligence to my audience.

For that my friends, you have my deepest and most sincere apology.

There are many reasons for that. One being, for the past two years or so I have committed to a cause much larger than myself, pouring every ounce of my heart and soul into it – I have placed my own dreams on the back burner, I have put myself last, I have given away more money than I have kept for myself, I have invested time, energy, and prayer at levels others can not even imagine.  This has caused me to neglect other areas of my own life, and to neglect you…those who were looking to me for some leadership and help on your own success journey.

And even more that that – in utter and complete transparency, I realized I have allowed the thoughts and opinions of others, who are important in my life, to influence the use of or more recently – the negligence of, my social platform.  This realization made me angry – a little angry with the people who I had allowed to influence me – but mostly angry at myself for not noticing and stopping what was happening to me sooner.

Today, it clicked though, and I drew a line in the sand.  It came through one judgmental and very inaccurate comment about my character from a person very close and very dear to me.  That negative judgment,  shifted my thinking and I turned it into a positive action when I decided to draw a line in the sand…enough is enough.

I don’t care who it is, how much they mean to me, how much I love them, or how much they say they love me – I will never, never again allow what others think of me or what their opinions of me are to influence me from doing or not doing what is in my heart to do. If they don’t like it, then look the other way.  I am not on this earth to please them or anyone else for that matter, I am on this earth to fulfill my purpose and my destiny, and to please God.  Further, I am on this earth to help others find and fulfill their purpose and their destiny.  If someone has a problem with that, then it is their problem, not mine.  I will not change who I am at my core for anyone – ever again!!!

See, I know my value and I know my worth.  I know the leadership skills I possess whether they recognize them or not.  I know the price I have paid to be where I am today.  I know what I have walked away from – I know what I have sacrificed.  I know the millions of dollars – yes millions of dollars – I have passed up to be where I am today.  I did that by choice – because what was in my heart to do at the time was more important to me than the multi-million dollar business offer I had on the table.   I could do that because I  know what is inside of me is of value.  I know what I have to offer the world is priceless.

If you can’t see that… If you refuse to acknowledge that…If you continue to overlook that – then it is your loss and you are not my audience and I invite you to vacate my life, my blog, and my email list immediately.  I will no longer be silent, I will no longer take a back seat, I will no longer hold back because of what you think of me.

I am looking for people who want to live life to the fullest, who want to be all that they were created to be, who aren’t afraid of doing a little work to get to the place they want to be in life.  I am looking for people who don’t expect to have everything handed to them on a silver platter,  who aren’t just dreamers, but do-ers….I want action takers.  If you are lazy then move on now because you will not like my requirements.

So to all those who wanted to see a return of “Today I Learned”, I guess it is making it’s debut again…because – Today I Learned to draw a line in the sand.  Today I learned that what I think of me is far more important that what you think of me.  Today I “re-learned” that it is my thoughts about me that determines my success.

“Change your thoughts – and change your world”  Norman Vincent Peale

If you are looking for some tips on how to Eliminate Negative Thought Patterns and Change Your Thoughts, then CLICK HERE.

Thinking straight again!