August 24, 2012 - Sailing AWAY!

Darren Hardy says that we are 100% in control of our lives and that until we accept that and live our life in control, we will never be the same. In fact he says we are 100% to blame for our lives – good or bad.

I believe him.

Let me elaborate a wee bit. Many people know my wife Linda had cancer about a decade and a half ago. I lost my job over it. My “career” life seemed quite dismal for a long time. Then I re-discovered a magazine called SUCCESS while developing my new ACN business. Darren Hardy has made me re-evaluate my life and look at it in another light.

(The “odd”  thing is – Linda and I worked very hard on our family and have two WONDERFUL kids. At least we took control of that area.)

You see, I’ve always blamed “something” for my life. Linda being sick, my mom dying, my dad dying, my grandpa dying, all were to blame for my life. My lack of money. My poor career. 

Not true.

It was my inability to make sound and reasoned decisions that caused my troubles. When I lost my job I did not approach it and say to myself, “Well that sucks. I had better plan my next move!”. Nope. I wallowed.

When important people in my life died, instead of grasping those feelings, and letting time and thought heal them, I let them drag me into a place where the blame for my misfortune was placed on dead people. Not true.

Jim Rohn says, “The same wind blows on us all”. By “wind” he means, the economy, the government, people dying, aging, change.  He goes on to say, “Its not the wind that determines our life’s fortune but rather the SET OF OUR SAIL.”

What does that mean to me? I have to learn how to sail. And fast. How can I learn how to sail? I have to change the way I think. I have to sculpt my personal philosophies in order to better handle these rough seas. Equally important, I want to be able to sail through calm seas without becoming complacent. I want to learn how to scan the horizon and choose the best channels to sail through. I want to teach my kids and everyone on my team to do the same.

So what school am I going to in order to gain these skills? The Matt Robertson School of Self Help. I am listening to many great thought leaders. I have my IPOD filling with thoughtful and educational material. I subscribe to SUCCESS magazine. I read lots of books, magazine articles, blogs and more. Instead of listening to drivel on the radio, I listen to thoughtful material.

I am growing. I am learning. I am becoming a sailor!