Change is a constant in today’s world. Recently gas and oil prices reached record highs. Stock markets set record declines. Job losses and home foreclosures are major problems. There are wars going on in a different countries around the globe.
Events like these are having detrimental effects that ripple thru and cause concern (frequently pain and anguish) to millions of people on the planet. Whether we like it or not, no matter where they occur, these kind of changes do affect our daily life.
With the news media constantly bombarding us with all kinds of negative changes every day, it is easy to lose sight of all the wonderful things that we do have in our daily lives. According to AOL’s WebMd, an estimated 19 million American adults are living with major depression. That’s a whole lot of people.
The question is what are we going to do about it? The good news is we CAN do something about it. Joel Barker, an American businessman, consultant and author, has some excellent ideas for us. He teaches that “Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with ACTION can change the world!”
Let’s deal with action first. One thing you can do is adopt an attitude of gratitude and remember to be grateful for everything you have. You can also make time to recognize, acknowledge and praise yourself for the things you do well.
These simple action exercises can be done in just a few minutes each day. Many have found these gratitude and praise action steps work even better when you have an accountability partner to remind you and encourage you.
To give you the greatest daily benefit, we suggest you write down some things that you have to be grateful for and things you can praise yourself for. Just take a few minutes each day and write down a few of them. That way, when depression occurs, and it will, remembering the positive aspects in your life will give you a rock solid foundation of “goodness.”
Your gratitude and praise lists will become excellent tools to help you recover and maintain a healthy, optimistic attitude. It is difficult to remain depressed when you can look back over the days, weeks and months and review any number of wonderful things that have been blessings in your life.
Another thing you can do is share gratitude and praise with another person. Look for opportunities to praise someone for a job well done. Take time each day to say thank you to anyone you can. You will discover opportunities to express gratitude everywhere: on the job, at home, in the store, even crossing the street. These ‘little’ actions on your part can go a long way to make the world around you a brighter place.
Another one of Joel Barker’s often quoted phrases is: “You can and should shape your own future; because if you don’t someone else surely will.” This is where vision comes in. What do you see ahead of you?
According to Oprah, studies have shown that when people are coming from “an attitude of Gratitude”, it is easier for them to see the possibilities instead of the problems. Their whole future looks brighter because they have recognized the goodness in their past.
What possibilities do you have? What do you want to see happen in your own future? Take time to create a clear vision and a colorful picture of your life as you would like it to be. Make time to visualize the success you want for your own. Write it down, create a vision board, and mastermind these dreams of yours with a partner.
Action exercises like gratitude, praise and visualization give you an important edge you need to help you transform a changing world into something you like better. You know what you like and you can recognize your strengths. One sure way to achieving success and happiness is to build on those strengths that you enjoy.
Anthony Robbins teaches that another important path to success is to take massive, determined action. Studies have shown that taking action is a vital key to achieving lasting change and success. You will often find your greatest returns come when you set goals with deadlines. It is important to write these down and then take action, massive and determined action, on each one of your goals.
Commitment is also a key component to successfully changing your world. Goethe said: “The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too”. Here’s that all important ACTION step again: Providence moves, ALSO … That means you have to move, too. Take action!
So, what vision will you commit to and what will be your first ACTION step? That first step is the best way to get you where you want to go! When you take time to do these simple exercises every day, you take charge of your life and you do shape your own future.
The world will continue to change, that is a given. The question is, will inaction drag you down or will you choose – and use – these changes as an opportunity to renew and revitalize your life?
In closing, our question for you today is: what kind of changes would you like to see in your world? Visualize them, make a commitment to reach them and take ACTION to achieve them, and the world will be yours!
Hope this quick review can be of some help to you. With these simple and powerful processes of gratitude and praise, look forward to building a life that you enjoy. You, too, can combine Vision with Action and change your world!
About the Author:
John (“Dealey”) Carpenter Dealey, International MasterMind expert, entrepreneur, philanthropist, author and self-made millionaire is dedicated to helping people solve problems, finish strong and reach their goals with “ease and grace.”
To learn how to use these powerful principles of the mastermind to bring even more of what you love into your own personal and business life, sign up for a free subscription to the weekly MasterMind Tips ezine at: http://www.dr-mastermind.com/
