The Golden Age by Jim Stovall

Photo by Dawid Zawiła on Unsplash

We human beings are too often plagued with what I would call “Greener Grass Syndrome.” This syndrome involves looking back in time and declaring a point in history as “the good old days” or projecting into the future and declaring “someday things will get better.” In reality, the only point in recorded history that matters to you and me is the current immediate moment we are living right now. 

Yesterday is a canceled check, and tomorrow is a promissory note. Today is cash, so we need to recognize its value and spend it wisely. Virgil, the Latin poet, has been quoted as saying, “Today is the great golden age.” Virgil proved to be prophetic as the period surrounding his creative life is considered a golden age of thought and literature. But in Virgil’s life and the history of the world, that period emerged as a golden age because he believed it was. 

Yesterday is a canceled check, and tomorrow is a promissory note 

If, on the other hand, Virgil had believed that conditions during his time were not conducive to new thoughts and ideas, or if he was stuck in the mindset that things aren’t as good as they used to be in the past or would be in the future, we would likely have never heard of Virgil or been aware of the wisdom he brought to the world. 

There are always a million reasons why we can’t succeed here and now, but here and now is all we have, and it is as fertile and filled with promise as we believe it to be. There are always obstacles and challenges. Somehow we convince ourselves that people living today face obstacles that no previous generation ever had to experience. There have always been wars, pandemics, and financial downturns. My late, great friend and mentor Paul Harvey said, “It’s times like these that remind us there have always been times like these.” 

There are always critics, negative thinkers, and naysayers. They confront us daily just as they did during Virgil’s time. If Virgil were alive here in the 21st century, I’m quite certain he would declare the current moment in which you and I are living as a golden age. If you believe there are no opportunities available in the world today, your thoughts will make it so. And if you believe this is a golden age, your mind will manifest magic and miracles. 

As you go through your day today, look for the positive elements that make this a golden age. 

Today’s the day! 

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor). His latest book, coauthored with Greg S. Reid, is Passport to Success: Experience Next Level Living, now available wherever books are sold.

Predicting the Future by Jim Stovall

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

We go to school to learn history and become conversant in things that happened in the past. We read newspapers and get online newscasts that inform us about everything going on in the present. Potentially, the most valuable time-sensitive information would be what is going to happen in the future. Each year, as the calendar turns over, pundits make their predications for the coming twelve months. It is fascinating to look back in retrospect to see what these self-proclaimed experts predicted a year ago and how badly they missed the mark. Abraham Lincoln said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”  

Things in the past seem to be set in concrete, while events unfolding now seem to be fluid, but the future would appear to be totally random. However, this is not the case. You and I control our destiny, and therefore, we control our portion of the history that is being created. People who are victorious happen to history. People who are victims have history happen to them. I realize that you may have lived through a natural disaster, an economic downturn, or a violent war, but in every case, we can change the perspective of history as we change what the facts mean to us. 

Napoleon Hill taught us that every adversity, every heartache, and every difficulty is endowed with the seeds of a greater good. This means we can look for the silver lining in the midst of any storm cloud. As a novelist and movie producer, I tell human stories. These stories involve people who face unique life circumstances and show how they are impacted by the circumstances or how they impact the circumstances.   

Anytime something happens—whether it seems initially to be good or bad—we are faced with a series of questions including: What is happening? What does it mean? What can be done about it? Where are the opportunities? 

In the midst of the greatest human turmoil, the people we revere as heroes have emerged. Abraham Lincoln himself became, arguably, one of the world’s greatest leaders because he was faced with leading our country through a civil war. Challenges always create opportunities. And opportunities, in turn, create more challenges. All problems may eventually will be solved, but these solutions create more problems. 

The future is a blank slate that comes with a set of circumstances much like a hand of cards we are being dealt. Experts will tell you that any hand of cards can be played well or played poorly. There are no winning hands or losing hands as the cards are being shuffled and dealt. Only the outcomes that we produce make us winners or losers.  

As you go through your day today, realize that you are writing history and you are the hero. 

Today’s the day!  

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books, including The Gift of Giving, co-authored with Don Green, the executive director of the Napoleon Hill Foundation. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor).

Nine Secrets of Happy People by Shawn Doyle

Happy people do certain things that unhappy people don’t. Want to be even happier? Check through this list to see which ones you are already doing and which ones you need to do more. 

Have you ever noticed that there are some people who just seem to be happy all the time? I know you have met them—they are people who love life, who have energy, and who seem to enjoy everything they do. They are so darn pleasant to be around. Some people even wonder if they are really that happy, but guess what? They are! So what is their secret? It’s actually pretty simple: Happy people do certain things that unhappy people don’t. Want to be even happier? Check through this list to see which ones you are already doing and which ones you need to do more: 

1. They count their blessings. Happy people, no matter what, sit down on a regular basis and consider what they are grateful for. They are grateful that they’re employed, they are grateful that they have their health, they are grateful that they have their loved ones, family, and friends, etc. So in order to be happy, it is important not to take what you have for granted and to understand the things that you should be grateful for. 

2. They surround themselves with positive people. One habit of happy people is that they do not spend very much time with people who are negative or pessimistic. Nope. They instead spend their time with people who are upbeat, optimistic, encouraging, and fun to be around. There is no question that the quality of your life is in direct correlation with the quality of the people you spend time with. If you spend your time around unhappy people who growl a lot, you’ll be less happy. If you spend your time around happy people, their happiness is downright contagious. 

3. They enjoy the small things in life. Happy people do not have to wait for the “big events”—they make sure to enjoy the smaller things in life around them, whether it is a beautiful flower that bloomed in the yard, the belly laugh of a baby, a lovely sunset, or sharing a chuckle with a colleague at work. None of these things in themselves are earth-shattering, but happy people take the time to notice them and other small moments that make life so very sweet. 

4. They say “Oh well” when things go wrong. When things go wrong, happy people don’t spend their time dwelling on it; they say “oh well” and acknowledge that it could’ve been worse. If a flight is delayed, they say, “Well, at least it didn’t get canceled.” Happy people do not dwell on negative events—they just say, “Next.” 

5. They help other people for absolutely no reason. Happy people help other people for no reason other than the fact that helping other people makes them happy. Opening the door for someone, doing someone a favor without being asked, showing kindness to another human being, not only makes the other person feel better but it also makes a happy person feel happier because they are doing something good. 

6. They expose themselves to positive materials. Happy people do not spend a lot of time watching violent movies or focusing on bad news on TV. They instead spend their time taking in inspirational and motivational content. They watch movies that uplift them and bring them hope. They read books that inspire and motivate them.  

7. They do things that bring them joy. Happy people have made a list of the things that bring them joy, and they try as much as possible to do these things on a regular basis. They engage in hobbies and activities that they have a passion for and that make them feel happier. It may be baking a cake, assembling a model airplane, or working out—they’ve identified the life activities that bring them joy, and they do them. 

8. They say “please” and “thank you.” When someone does something for them, they say “Thank you very much,” and when they need something they’re polite about it: “Can you please send me the information that I requested?” They also go out of their way to give other people compliments that are authentic and that make the other person feel good about themselves.  

9. They choose to be happy. There are many people in life who have faced a great deal of adversity. However, when you meet those people, you don’t know it because they’ve simply chosen to be happy. Yes, it may sound strange that you can actually make the decision to decide to think happy thoughts instead of negative ones. When people choose to be happy, they are deciding to be the architects of their own lives. They are deciding what attitude they are going to adopt, and guess what? That changes how they perceive the world at large. 

Try to put these ideas into practice, and you will wake up every day as a happier person. 

This article originally appeared here on HuffPost and has been edited for inclusion on the Sound Wisdom Blog. 

For more business and personal development insight from Shawn Doyle, check out his titles from Sound Wisdom, including his Jumpstart Series. The latest book in this series is Jumpstart Your Happiness: Your Jolts to Prosperity, Motivation, & Living with Intention, which you can preorder now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Porchlight Books, and other retailers. 

How to Control Your Head Trash by Noah St. John

If you’re familiar with my work, you’ll know that I use the term “head trash” to refer to the persistent, nagging voice—otherwise known as your inner critic—that tells you that you’re not enough: not good enough, not likeable enough, not believable enough, etc. 

To get a sense of the big picture, think of the movie A Beautiful Mind. If you haven’t seen this movie, it’s about a brilliant mathematician whose visions—hallucinations, really—negatively impact his life. They interfere with his family, with his work, and limit his potential. By the end of the film, he has managed to control—not eliminate—these apparitions. There’s a scene in which he is helping his wife put on her coat, and he sees one of the creations of his mind. Noticing his hesitation, his wife asks him if he’s okay, and he tells her he’s fine. The idea is that despite having this very insistent head trash, he is able, finally, to control it and not let it disrupt his life. 

While it’s not always possible to eliminate your head trash entirely, you can prevent it from limiting your success. The following are four strategies for controlling your inner critic: 

1. Bring your head trash into your conscious awareness. Part of what makes head trash so insidious is that it operates mostly at an unconscious level. So the first step in controlling it is becoming aware of what specifically it is saying. As you go through your life, trying to advance your career, build your business, etc., when you hear that voice that says, “I don’t think I can do this,” what reasons is it giving you? I’ve identified about 100 types of head trash, but there’s probably more. What specific negative comments is your head trash entertaining? And, more importantly, what is the most debilitating one?  

2. Understand the cost. What is it costing you to believe your head trash? What is it costing you to hold on to it? My head trash causes me to question if anyone will believe me—even though I have all this social proof of people following my method and adding six, seven, and even eight figures to their income. If I believed that head trash, I wouldn’t be reaching out to people, writing books, doing live events, because I’d be giving in to the voice. Just like with the mathematician in A Beautiful Mind, you can hear your head trash without heeding it. 

3. Use my Afformations® method. Get enough proof that what your head trash is saying doesn’t hold any weight anymore. If you’re wanting someone to buy your product, join your network/team, or align themselves with your cause, you must present an argument, and the reasons you give them can help combat your head trash. For example, I might respond to my head trash about people not believing me by asking myself, “Why do people believe me? Why do the right people believe me?” My answer will start retraining my brain to focus on the value I am adding. 

4. Obtain the support of people who believe in you, probably more than you believe in yourself. A great place to do this is at my Freedom Lifestyle Experience event, where you’ll be surrounded by other likeminded individuals invested in their success—and yours. Visit FreedomLifeX.com for more details.  

If you follow these guidelines, you’ll be able to talk back to your head trash. You won’t never think a negative thought again—that’s a promise only a “shelf-help” guru would give you. But you will be able to control your head trash and prevent it from sidelining you on your success journey. 

Don’t let your head trash hold you back from living the Freedom Lifestyle of your dreams. Order a copy of my new book, Power Habits®: The New Science for Making Success Automatic®, and learn how to leverage the five systems of support to: 

• Make a definitive difference in the world 

• Have a genuine impact on the people you’re here to serve 

• Supercharge your ability to attract more wealth and abundance 

• Enjoy more time off without the guilt 

• Overcome the fear of failure so you can achieve more while working less 

The Art of Optimism by Jim Stovall

Recently, I once again got to experience the excitement of having a new book of mine released. My new book is entitled The Art of Optimism and may be the most powerful among all of my more than 40 previous titles.  

I was always aware of the fact that there were optimists and pessimists, but I began learning about the incredible difference that being an optimist can make from my late, great friend and mentor Zig Ziglar. Zig was fond of saying, “I’m an optimist. I would go after Moby Dick in a rowboat and take the tartar sauce with me.”  

I remember being backstage at an event where we were both speaking. It seemed like everything was going wrong with the lights, the sound, and everything else surrounding that particular arena event. Zig was greeting everyone backstage as he always did. “It’s a great day to be alive.” One of the stage hands said sarcastically, “Well, you’re in a good mood today, aren’t you?” Zig abruptly turned, stared at the young man, and proclaimed, “Yes, sir. Many years ago, I decided to be in a good mood today.” 

Zig’s statement made me start thinking that we’re not born an optimist or a pessimist, but we can choose how we want to live. Recent scientific research has borne this out, and it is the basis for my new title, The Art of Optimism. There are many great reasons to be an optimist. Here are just five of them:   

• Optimists are more creative. We always find what we’re looking for, and if you believe in greatness, excellence, and beauty, you will find it all around you. 

• Optimism helps you emotionally. Although the science shows that optimists have to continually support their positive attitude, pessimism tends to stick with people long term. 

• Optimism helps you professionally. People want to hire, promote, and work with optimists. The research shows that optimists are more readily hired, promoted, and given bonuses. 

• Optimism builds your relationships. Subconsciously, friends and family members want to be around optimists and avoid pessimists. We judge relationships based on how we feel when we’re around the other person, and optimists make us feel better. 

• Optimism keeps you healthy. The science shows that pessimists are sick more often and suffer longer with illness. Optimists are sick less often and recover faster. The research actually showed that being a pessimist has as much of a negative impact on your health as smoking cigarettes. 

One of the most important things you can do in your life is to be an optimist and share your optimism with everyone around you. 

As you go through your day today, enjoy the art of optimism. 

Today’s the day! 

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books, including The Ultimate Gift. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. His latest book, The Art of Optimism, explains how adopting an attitude of optimism can change your life.   

Five Positive Changes to Make in Your Life Today by Jennifer Janechek

Don’t let New Year’s resolution burnout stop you from continuing to implement positive changes in your life. See how these simple modifications to your daily routine can transform your life today.

1. Wake up 30 minutes earlier. Don’t just set your alarm; actually get out of bed a full half hour earlier than you’ve been getting up. Doing so will prevent you from feeling rushed or arriving at work groggy, and it will give you time to eat a decent breakfast, which is crucial for helping you power through your morning.
2. Complete a cardio routine, preferably in the morning. If you need to wake up even earlier, do so. Getting your blood pumping and endorphins flowing will boost your mental and physical energy, sharpen your intellect, improve your response time, and help you maintain a positive and focused mind-set throughout the entire day.
3. Spend time journaling at the beginning and end of each day. In the morning, remind yourself of your long-term and short-term goals, and list what steps you plan to take that day to accomplish them. Also, jot down the positive additions you intend to make to your daily routine—and keep yourself accountable! Check off items you’ve completed as you go. At the end of the day, use your journaling time to reflect on what you’re grateful for, to celebrate your successes, to note the lessons you’ve learned, and to establish a game plan for the next day.
4. Add a green smoothie to your breakfast or lunch. There’s nothing like leafy greens to make you feel like you’re winning at life. Not only will you feel better about yourself after drinking a green smoothie; you’ll also feel better on the inside, which will carry over into your other activities. Remember the last time you ate a burger and fries for lunch and wanted to take a nap immediately afterward? Yeah, I thought so. I like the recipe ideas from 100 Days of Real Food, found here.
5. Smile—a lot. We often hear, “Fake it till you make it,” particularly with regard to positivity. But it’s very true. Keeping a smile on your face throughout the day will transform your attitude, and it will change the way people interact with you: they will find you more approachable and more pleasant to be around, which will provide you with a greater sense of collegiality and community.

What other suggestions do you have for “quick fixes” to improve your daily life? Share them below!

The Power of a YES! Attitude by Jennifer Janechek

There is no shortage of articles about the importance of maintaining a positive attitude. That’s because we know how much it benefits our work life and our home life, our emotional health and our physical health. The new edition of Jeffrey Gitomer’s popular Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude shows us how we can take positivity to the next level by cultivating what he calls a YES! AttitudeTM.

What is a YES! Attitude, and how does it differ from a positive attitude? According to Gitomer, a YES! Attitude:

assumes that everything you say and do will start with “YES!” even when it’s “No.” …A YES! Attitude is more declarative. It tells people—in a word—that their expectation will be met and that your answer to whatever they want or need will be “YES!” or in a positive format.

Gitomer explains how YES! is not just a response; it is a state of mind. And what makes it even more transformative than a positive attitude is that it gives you a concrete visualization of success. As Gitomer writes, “YES! is an experience you’ve had many times.” In other words, you know what it’s like to win at something, to enjoy the feeling of having achieved something important to you. When you recall these moments and apply the certainty of success you had then to your future endeavors, you are more likely to actualize your dreams.

So how might you bring a YES! Attitude into your life today?

1. Use self-discipline to train yourself to think with a YES! Attitude. Spend time every day reading personal development books that encourage positive thinking. Sound Wisdom regularly publishes books that will help you revolutionize your thinking and your way of being in the world so that you can write your own success story. See http://www.soundwisdom.com/publications for a complete list of titles.
2. Keep a daily journal that tracks your progress on your goals, allows you to reflect on your successes, and provides space for positive self-talk and the expression of gratitude.
3. Surround yourself with positive people as much as possible. Negative energy can greatly detract from your ability to maintain a YES! Attitude.
4. Smile and take pride in your personal appearance, in your work, and in every other aspect of your life. If you feel better on the outside, you’ll start to feel better on the inside. A YES! Attitude comes from the inside, but sometimes it takes positive external changes to motivate us to make the necessary internal changes.
5. Champion other people. Being kind, operating with an attitude of thankfulness, and saying good things about other people will make others feel better about themselves, which will make you feel better about yourself.

For more advice on how to develop a YES! Attitude, check out the new edition (updated and revised) of Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, available on Amazon and other major retailers in January 2018, and visit www.gitomer.com.