Change Your Mind and Your Life by Jim Stovall

Behavioral scientists have long debated whether we are most impacted by nature or nurture. The argument is made up of professionals who believe we are products of our genetic makeup and those who believe we are molded by our environment. As a student of behavioral science, I find it impossible to imagine that we are not impacted both by our DNA as well as the world around us.

The element that most scientists overlook is that we all have the ability to change our minds. We can be born with certain abilities or disabilities but decide to pursue a myriad of possibilities within our lives. As a blind person myself due to a genetic disorder, I am limited in how I do certain things far more than which things I choose to do. I have written more than 30 books, and eight of them have been made into movies or are in production now. This means I write books I can’t see that are made into movies I can’t watch. 

Recently, there have been extensive studies of twins who grew up in homes with alcoholic parents. These studies revealed that, given the same genetic makeup and environment, one sibling might become an incurable alcoholic while the other twin might choose to never touch a drop of alcohol throughout their life. We are impacted by our genetics and environment, but we get to choose how we are impacted. 

My late, great colleague and mentor Dr. Wayne Dyer bought a house on the beach in a new development in Hawaii. Every day as Dr. Dyer walked on the beach, he encountered new neighbors who were moving into the development. One morning he confronted a gentleman who had just moved to Hawaii from New Jersey. The gentleman asked Dr. Dyer, “What are people like here? Are they friendly?” Dr. Dyer considered it a moment and then asked, “What are people like where you come from?” The gentleman blurted out, “They are rude, thoughtless, and annoying.” Dr. Dyer responded, “You’ll find people to be about the same here.”

As Dr. Dyer continued his walk, he was confronted by an elderly lady who had just relocated from Nebraska. She asked, “Are the residents here nice?” Dr. Dyer inquired, “Are people nice where you come from?” She smiled and said enthusiastically, “Yes! People in Nebraska are friendly, giving, and loving.” Dr. Dyer smiled and stated, “You’ll find people here in Hawaii to be just the same.”

Environment and heredity determine where we start, but we determine where we finish. 

As you go through your day today, embrace the good, reject the bad, and create the life you want.

Today’s the day!

This and other motivational pieces by bestselling author Jim Stovall can be found in his latest collection of columns, Wisdom for Winners Volume Four, an official publication of the Napoleon Hill Foundation.

Let Go of What Works by Simon T. Bailey

It is obvious that you should let go of what doesn’t work. It’s not serving you. But what about letting go of what works?

If you don’t let go of what has always worked and start to move toward what will work in the future, what works for you now will be what isn’t working for you later.

I had a conference call a while ago with the CEO of a company with whom I was going to speak in a few weeks. In preparing for this engagement with a multi-billion-dollar global conglomerate, I asked the CEO what he wanted me to share with the team.

The first thing he said is: he needs his team to be unreasonable.

And I asked, “What does that mean?”

He said, “We can no longer settle for the status quo. We can no longer operate with a business-as-usual mindset. We are getting market share eaten out of our business every single day. Just because you think things have always worked, clients have said ‘yes,’ and we’ve increased prices doesn’t mean those clients are going to say ‘yes’ forever.”

This CEO was saying, “Let go of what works now in favor of what will work later.”

You’ve got to be unreasonable in your efforts, see yourself as an entrepreneur and really own your business, your life, and your relationships.

The original post appeared here on Simon T. Bailey’s website and has been slightly modified for republication. For more inspiration from the author, pick up a copy of his books Shift Your Brilliance: Harnessing the Power of You, Inc. and Brilliant Living: 31 Insights to Creating an Awesome 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!

Get Excited for the Legacy Film and Companion Book Based on Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich, Coming in Early 2018 by Jennifer Janechek

To celebrate the continued influence of Hill’s work on self-starters around the world, a highly acclaimed team of writers and producers has created a full-length feature film that cinematically recreates inspirational stories from Think and Grow Rich, Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice, Think and Grow Rich: A Latino Choice, Think and Grow Rich for Women, and Three Feet from Gold. Directed by Scott Cervine, written by Cynthia Whitcomb, and produced by Sean Donovan, Karina R. Donovan, Joel Franco, John Shin, and Marcelo Quintanilla, Think and Grow Rich: The Legacy weaves together the stories of early twentieth-century business tycoons and those of today’s most renowned entrepreneurs, cultural icons, and thought leaders, including Sharon Lechter, Bob Proctor, Barbara Corcoran, Warren Moon, and Sandy Gallagher. Sound Wisdom’s own Jim Stovall is featured in the film, where he shares the career guidance and spiritual insight that fill the pages of his Wisdom for Winners series. Sanctioned by the Napoleon Hill Foundation, the docudrama demonstrates how Hill’s thirteen key success secrets are more relevant today than ever before.

www.TGRmovie.com Think and Grow Rich: The Legacy is a feature length docudrama film chronicling the story of some of today's most renowned entrepreneurs, cultural icons and thought leaders. This feature length film will tell their inspirational stories and how they ultimately achieved their success.

Think and Grow Rich: The Legacy debuted on October 14, 2017, in Los Angeles, California, at the Regal L.A. LIVE to a sold-out crowd. The premiere featured a panel discussion with some of the greatest prosperity teachers in the world. An official sponsor of the event, Sound Wisdom, will be publishing a companion book to the film, written by James Whittaker, in early 2018. Sound Wisdom publisher David Wildasin said of the experience, “I was honored and humbled to be chosen to be associated with the project and to be invited to attend the event.”

In addition, the highly anticipated Think and Grow Rich: The Legacy live event is scheduled to occur in Atlanta, Georgia, in March 2018. Those interested in participating in the event can purchase a pass either to attend in person or to view the event live or on demand from anywhere in the world via a Simulcast broadcast. Confirmed presenters at this on-stage event include Don Green, CEO of the Napoleon Hill Foundation; Bob Proctor; Joel Brown; Sharon Lechter, Gerard Adams; Dr. Dennis Kimbro; Sandy Gallagher; Preston Smiles; and Janine Shepherd. Footage captured from the live event will be used to produce a companion film to Think and Grow Rich: The Legacy.

Wisdom for This Year: Lessons We Keep Learning Over and Over by Shawn Doyle

A while back, I had oral surgery in order to remove an impacted wisdom tooth. My family dentist said the tooth needed to come out, and after reviewing my X-rays the oral surgeon also agreed that the tooth needed to come out. So off I went one early Friday morning to have dental surgery. I was asleep during my surgery and woke up feeling pretty good, and Friday night I slept fairly well. On Saturday I had a tiny bit of pain but felt well enough to go to the mall to do some shopping. All of that changed on Sunday night when the pain was so bad I was waking up all night long. By Monday I was miserable, popping painkillers every four hours and feeling extreme pain and fatigue. I was hurting. My day was a blur of prescriptions and ice packs and naps—when I was able to sleep. This pattern continued on for an entire week. I expected to recover in one or two days, but instead it took me eight days to fully recover. I was told by medical professionals that I was recovering slower because I was an “older patient” (I was 55 at the time) and because my surgery was “more involved” because I had a tooth that was impacted and laying sideways under the gum line. During my eight “lost” days I was not able to work, drive myself around, or really even think very clearly at all in my Percocet haze. Don’t get me wrong—I know that there are many people fighting long-term chronic diseases, and I was sick for only a measly eight days. I know that is nothing. It was, however, the most painful experience of my life in terms of the length and severity of pain.

But when I woke up on the ninth day, I felt so much better. I had energy! I was no longer in pain and no longer on pain-killing drugs. So as I embraced feeling well again, it got me thinking at the start of a new year—what do we take for granted?

Healthy is normal – Why do I feel that getting up and feeling great every day is normal? What if for a 56-year-old man that is not the norm? What if I am the exception, not the rule? So why do we blithely ignore the blessing of good health? I don’t know about you, but as for me I plan to celebrate each morning that I wake up and feel healthy and have energy.

That we will always have a job – Even in today’s economy, I think when people lose their jobs due to cutbacks or layoffs they are often shocked. “But I was the best marketing person in my department!” they say, or “I was the best salesperson in the region.” Unfortunately layoffs and cutbacks are often not related to the skillset of the person who’s been let go. It’s based on numbers and headcounts and budgets. As an entrepreneur and professional speaker, I never assume that I will have work, and I am always looking at the calendar for the next several months because my work is never assured. So why do people take their jobs for granted? One theory I believe is that once people come to a company and are hired, they assume that their position is permanent until they decide to leave. I call this the “job security mythology.” As for me, I went to celebrate every success that I have and will continue to be grateful for the business that I can produce.

That people will always be there – As a person who lost my wife suddenly over five years ago, I know that there is no assurance that someone I know will be there tomorrow. A friend of mine recently lost a dear colleague at work, and she had worked with him for over 15 years. She left the company a few years ago and so she had lost touch with him, but she had always planned to go back by the company to say hello to her former coworker. But he died of a sudden heart attack so she never had the opportunity to say hello, only goodbye at his funeral, and she regrets it. So I think that we take life for granted and we take the people in our life for granted. It’s a good idea when we lose a loved one to use that experience as a reminder to appreciate people who we love and like. As for me, I will make sure that all the people that I know, love, and like will be told this year that I love them and that I like them and truly enjoy working with them.

The supply of time is unlimited – My time in recovery at home was eight days, but it seemed like the first week lasted a month. Time crawls when you are in pain. On the flip side, when we are having fun, we perceive time to fly by, but I also see how as a society we waste time and throw it around so lightly. For example, the average American watches 32 hours of TV a week but then says they “don’t have enough time.” Imagine what they could do with those hours! I for one will not waste my time and will only watch one hour of TV a day (and some days none at all). I want to do more important things.

So what are you grateful for? Why?

What should you not take for granted? Why?

What do you need to look at more carefully? Why?

The answers to these questions will lead to a better life. It’s funny—having my wisdom tooth taken out may have helped me became wiser.

This article originally appeared in B2B Magazine and has also appeared in The Good Men Project. For more business and personal development insight from Shawn Doyle, check out his titles from Sound Wisdom, including his Jumpstart Series, The Sun Still Rises, The Leadership Manifesto, and Two Months to Motivation.

New Life by Jim Stovall

New life is a powerful concept and possibility in every area of our existence as well as the title of a movie that I am very proud to be associated with. We can experience a new life in any aspect of our world including our friends, our family, our faith, our finances, or our fitness. 

The first step to experiencing a new life is to release the old life. Our world abhors a vacuum. Once you make space in any area of your physical, mental, or spiritual life, something new can fill that space, but it is impossible to get something for nothing. A seed must die for a new plant to grow. That plant will bloom and create new seeds which, in turn, must die to keep the cycle of growth and life moving ahead into the future.

The New Life movie concept came to me from an industry colleague named Drew Waters. I met Drew when he was starring in a movie based on my book The Ultimate Life. That movie involved a flashback to follow the early life of Red Stevens who may be the most iconic character I ever created in any of my books. Red Stevens was played magnificently in The Ultimate Gift by legendary actor James Garner, so the thought of having someone else play that character as a younger man seemed awkward and uncomfortable to me. Then I met Drew Waters and got to experience him bringing to life a younger version of the character that Mr. Garner had embodied in an earlier movie.

Drew and I were at a red carpet movie premiere event for The Ultimate Life when he turned to me and said, “I’ve got a story for a film that I’ve got to share with you.” I was absolutely mesmerized by the story as you will be when you watch the New Life movie, but I was concerned when Drew told me he was not going to act in the film but would, instead, be making his directing debut on the project. My concerns were unfounded when I experienced the same energy Drew had brought to The Ultimate Life as an actor in every scene of the New Life movie as he directed it. 

The film is a story of love, loss, legacy, learning, and experiencing new life. I am very pleased that my company, the Narrative Television Network, combined forces with Drew’s production team so the 13 million blind and visually impaired Americans and their families as well as millions more around the world will be able to experience this powerful new movie.

I fervently hope you and your family will enjoy New Life as an entertaining movie experience, but also as a catalyst to reexamine your priorities and move to a higher level in every aspect of your existence.

NEW LIFE is a film about hope. Benjamin Morton's life changed forever the day he met the little girl next door. Ava was and always would be the girl of his dreams. From the innocence of a childhood friendship, through adolescent attraction, their love strengthens and grows.

As you go through your day today, leave the past behind, and step into a new life.

Today’s the day!

This and other motivational pieces by bestselling author Jim Stovall can be found in his latest collection of columns, Wisdom for Winners Volume Four, an official publication of the Napoleon Hill Foundation to be released in January 2018. 

This and other motivational pieces by bestselling author Jim Stovall can be found in his latest collection of columns, Wisdom for Winners Volume Four, an official publication of the Napoleon Hill Foundation to be released in January 2018. 

How You Can Let Go to Move Forward by Simon T. Bailey

The beginning of the year is a prime time to take inventory of what is working and what is not working in your life. Letting go of what is not working (and some of what IS working!) positions you to start 2018 in a place of growth and forward momentum.

But letting go is hard. Where should you start?

1. Recognize the signs. I encourage you to read a book by Dr. Henry Cloud titled Necessary Endings. If you don’t have time to read it, grab the audiobook and listen to it in the car. Dr. Cloud introduces the idea of pruning back to grow forward. There are countless examples and anecdotal stories illustrating what it looks like and feels like to let go in your life and in your career.

2. Make a plan. Take a good hard look in the mirror. Odds are, you already know deep down inside what you need to let go of. Toxic relationships, a stale role you’ve been in at work, habits, employees…there are any number of things we hang onto out of fear, comfort, or uncertainty. Identify what’s contributing to you getting in your own way.

3. Set up support. Letting go can be tough. It may mean separating ourselves from people, things, or situations that are no longer serving us but that we are emotionally attached to. Decide how you will move yourself through this process. Will you journal, lean into a good friendship, plan more time for self-care, or see a therapist?

You may not be ready to let go right here, right now. Even if it takes you a year to move through these steps, do not let what you need to let go of prevent you from growing forward into what you could be.

The original post appeared here on Simon T. Bailey’s website and has been slightly modified for republication. For more inspiration from the author, pick up a copy of his books Shift Your Brilliance: Harnessing the Power of You, Inc. and Brilliant Living: 31 Insights to Creating an Awesome Life.

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.