Be All You Can Be

It is generally believed that the average person uses only about 10% of their potential. That is to say that the average person could be ten times more productive and successful than they currently are. Studies done at Stanford University Brain Institute are even less flattering. They claim that the average person only uses about 2% of their full potential. No matter which figure you agree with, it is clear that we perform far below what we are capable of. According to Abraham Maslow we are consistently “selling ourselves short.” We concoct all kinds of reasons to rationalize and justify our poor performance and lack of success, ignoring the fact that we all have the ability to develop far beyond anything we have achieved so far. Brian Tracy noted that “The potential of an average person is like a huge ocean unsailed, a new continent unexplored, a world of possibilities waiting to be released and channeled toward some great good.”

Clarify Your Vision

Start developing a long term vision of yourself. Jump forward five or ten years into the future and see yourself fully developed in every important area of your life. What would it look like? To what level would you have developed your skills and abilities in your chosen field? What kind of success and recognition would you be enjoying because of the excellent work you do? How would you feel about yourself once you are one of the most recognized people within your area of expertise?

Set Goals

Once you have crafted your vision, start shaping it into specific actionable goals. Write down at least ten goals you would like to achieve personally and professionally in the area of personal development. From that list, determine the one goal that would make the biggest impact on your life and start working out a schedule, with firm timelines and benchmarks for achieving it. Don’t delay. Start working on your plan immediately and ensure that you have tangible ways to measure your progress towards your goal of self-improvement. Perhaps the measurement is in terms of the number of books you read per month or even the number of appointments or sales you’ve made because of your increasing skill set.

Develop Winning Habits

Without question, the habits that you have adopted in the past are largely responsible for your skill set, level of performance and ultimately the success that you enjoy today. To be all that you can be, you must develop new winning habits. Perhaps the single most important habit you can develop is self-discipline, which has been described as the “ability to make yourself do what you should do when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.”

Shun the tendency to think that others are more capable than you. Remember that what others have done, within reason, you can do too. Conversely, resist the temptation to not play full out because you are afraid to show up others. Author and lecturer Marianne Williamson reminds us that “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine.”

Keep On Pushing!

 

Life Lessons Learned from LINsanity

CATCH THE LINSANITY!!!

I can’t say I’m totally Linsane, but my faith that I live in the land of “anything is possible” has been renewed and rejuvenated.  The New York Knicks unlikely savior has me tuned in to the shortened NBA season and turned on for three reasons:

1. Living just north of NYC, it is extremely cool to see the New York Knickerbockers bringing respect and dignity back to the fabled Madison Square Garden and making new fans of all ages and backgrounds.
2. I am always happy to see someone succeed, especially after overcoming adversity.
3. As a Jamaican bobsledder I am super stoked to see someone break the stereotypical mold.   As a Taiwanese-American born basketball player, Jeremy Lin doesn’t break the mold, HE OBLITERATES IT!

Stepping out of the bleachers and up to the lectern, I’d like to highlight Lin’s greatest attributes.  I’m not talking jump shot, cross-over dribble or court vision.  I’m talking about attributes we can use in all our endeavors.

Believe in yourself

Despite being a high school standout, Jeremy received not one scholarship offer. Poor guy had to slum it at Harvard instead of Kansas, UConn or the ‘Cuse.  With the Crimson, he managed to handle his studies and while leading Harvard’s ballers to unprecedented heights.  Still he was overlooked by “those in the know.” Earning All-Ivy First Team honors multiple years did not even get Jeremy Lin a look in the 2010 NBA Draft.

He  had to settle for a partially guaranteed contract with the Golden State Warriors.  He spent more time in the D League then with the Warriors.  He eventually got picked up by the Houston Rockets.  Total court time with the Rockets through the preseason:  7 minutes.   After Houston released him, the guard-hungry Knicks signed him, then sent him back to the D-League.  Injuries to the Knicks’ already rice paper thin guard corps, gave J Lin another chance… to sit the bench.  He totaled 55 minutes in the first 23 games – then it happened.  Due to injuries and other issues those ahead of him on the roster started dropping like flies.  Finally when the coach looked down the bench and he was just about the only one there, Jeremy Lin got his chance… literally a last resort.

Could you imagine after all those signs indicating you’re not even good enough for a an athletic scholarship, never mind the NBA, to walk onto the Madison Square Garden court under the hottest microscope in the world and perform?  Imagine the genuine self-confidence.  His unshakeable belief in himself.  The fact that others did not believe in him did not discourage him.  In fact, it may have made him stronger.  He had something to prove!

 

Persistence Pays

No scholarships, not drafted, bench sores on his butt, racial slurs… Jeremy Lin faced it all.  Even before the NBA, opposing teams discounted him, coaches and scouts ignored him, and fans jeered him.  His response?  PERSIST!  Persevere.  Now that Lin is an emerging phenom he will no doubt sign a guaranteed contract worth more than 10x what he is currently earning.  Let me put Jeremy Lin’s story into a simple mathematical equation for you bottom-liners.  Persistence + Perseverance = PAY OFF.

 

Get Lucky

My friend and fellow Jamaican bobsledder Jason Morris says luck enters when preparation meets opportunity.  Jeremy Lin can be the poster boy for that kind of LUCK.  First glance, we see an “overnight success.”  But a thorough examination, reveals a lifetime of preparation and patience. Jeremy’s father taught him everything he knew about basketball, and as a kid Jeremy was either at school, at church or in the gym working on his game.  While other NBA-ers view the D-League as a D-motion, Jeremy used the time to truly D-velop mid and long range jumpers.  Here’s another equation of sorts:  If you hope to be half as lucky as Jeremy Lin, prepare twice as hard as Jeremy Lin.

 

Take your shots when you get them

No pun intended, you have to take your shots when you get them. In elementary school, I learned that  the one thing that never comes back is a missed opportunity.  The Knicks were off to a terrible start, but even with that Jeremy Lin would not have gotten off the bench if injuries and other issues hadn’t depleted the roster.  So yeah, fate entered, but he was more than ready.  The average off the bench point guard comes in shaky and shies away from taking shots because he’s afraid to make mistakes.  Only one in a million, dare to take over games.  Dare to take the last second game winning shot!  Jeremy Lin is clearly not the run-of-the-mill fill-in.  He hasn’t just risen to the occasion, he’s raised the bar for all young players who will have to follow.  He’s the first NBA player to put up at least 20 points and seven assists in his first six starts.  He went from unknown to  the Eastern Conference Player of the Week in his FIRST week.  Most importantly, as of this writing, the Lin-led Knicks are undefeated in 7 games.  He hasn’t just taken his shot, he has given his team, the league and the entire world a shot of adrenaLIN.  So the next time, you think you can’t, get YOUR adrenaLIN pumping! With it, you have the potential to be LINvincible!

Keep on Pushing!

 

Acres of Diamonds

Russell Conwell helped to transform a night school in a church basement in Philadelphia into Temple University. He did it by retelling a story that was told to him while in a camel caravan in Mesopotamia. It was a story about Al Hafed, a very wealthy farmer in ancient Persia. Al Hafed was living his dream life until one day a Buddhist priest visited him and during their conversation told him how the world was formed. The old priest also told Al Hafed about diamonds and that if he had a handful of diamonds he could purchase a whole country. With a mine of diamonds, through the influence of their great wealth,  he could easily place his children upon thrones.

That night Al Hafed went to bed a poor man — not that he had lost anything. He was poor because he was discontented and discontented because he thought he was poor. After a sleepless night, he arose early the next morning and told the priest of his desire to be immensely rich. After a lengthy conversation the priest told him that he would find diamonds in a river that runs over white sand between high mountains. Al Hafed sold his farm, collected his money, left his family in the charge of a neighbor, and began his search for diamonds.

After years of exhaustive search throughout Palestine and across Europe, penniless, ragged and wretched, he threw himself into the incoming tide off the coast of Spain never to rise again. In the meantime, back at the farm, Al Hafed’s successor, while giving his camel a drink from the stream that ran through the property, found a black stone with an eye of light that reflected all the colors of the rainbow. The stone turned out to be a diamond. And so were discovered the diamond mines of Golconda, the most magnificent diamond mines in the history of mankind; exceeding the Kimberley mines in value. Had Al Hafed remained at home and in his own garden, instead of wretchedness, starvation, poverty and death in a strange land, he would have had “acres of diamonds.” Every shovelful of that old farm has since revealed the gems which have decorated the crowns of monarchs. The most amazing and tragic element of this story is the fact that we have so many modern day Al Hafeds wandering around looking for their acres of diamond everywhere except in the backyard of their own mind.

Change your Perspective

One of the valuable lessons taught by this incredible story is one of perspective. How do you see  yourself? The gem stones are the attitudes you develop over time as a result of seeing YOUR world more clearly. When you see yourself more clearly, you see yourself as someone who is valuable and has limitless potential. This leads to high self-esteem and high expectations which are the cornerstones for high achievement. This perspective also motivates you and compels you to act with a clearly defined purpose.

 

 

Opportunities are dressed in work clothes

Your greatest opportunities lie under your own feet. They lie in your intellect, your talent and abilities, your education and experience, as well as with your family members, friends and business contacts. The challenge is that in the rough, a diamond does not look like a diamond that we are familiar with. It looks like a black, rough piece of rock and must be cut, shaped and polished repeatedly before it glistens like the valuable stone that it is. The Al Hafeds of today are waiting around for their opportunities to turn up. They are looking for the easy way; the six numbers in the lotto or an inheritance from a long lost relative they’ve never even heard of. They fail to realize that their acres of diamonds represent an opportunity for them to learn and work hard for a long period of time, honing and developing their skills so that they can build a career or business and eventually have everything they want.

Your area of excellence

Each and every one of us has the ability to be excellent at something. What can you be excellent at? It is your responsibility to find it. You may have a knack for singing. Perhaps it’s teaching or sports. Whatever it is, know that ability is latent until it’s developed. You may have all the potential in the world, but the marketplace will only pay your performance not your potential. J.K. Rowlings is now the richest woman in the UK, but 1990 she was on welfare. Her latent talent was in writing and through her writing she began to mine the nuggets of diamonds that were abundant in her mind. Harry Potter became her Golconda mines. Remember, your diamonds are inside you waiting to be mined, cut and polished.

Keep on Pushing!

Creating New Beginnings

I first heard of Janus when I was in the tenth grade during a welcome back address from our vice principal after the Christmas break. Considered the god of gates and doors, this Roman god lent his name to the month of January and had a rather unusual appearance. He was depicted with a double-faced head, each looking in opposite directions. It is believed that he was depicted in this fashion because of the notion that gates and doors look in two directions. In this way one of his faces was able to look backwards while the other looked forward; representing Janus’ contemplation of the happenings of the old year while looking forward to the new one.

A time of celebration
We all possess the dual face characteristic of this ancient Roman god. It is a quality I whole-heartedly endorse. As we close out the old year with family gatherings and festivities we usually spend time musing over the happenings of the past year while considering the paths that we want our lives to take in the coming one. The end of the year is primarily about celebrating and while it is fitting to celebrate the season you should also take time out to celebrate all the hard work you put into attaining the goals you set over the past year and; if for whatever reason the year did not turn out as well as you anticipated, you should still celebrate the small victories you enjoyed along the way.

A time for contemplation
Although this is something you should be doing throughout the entire year, this is the time of year when traditionally, most people give thought to the direction they want their lives to take over the next twelve months. They contemplate the goals they want to achieve, the lives they want to impact, the personal relationships they need to cultivate, the business contacts they need to establish, the changes they need to embrace, and ultimately the person they must become in order to make it all happen.

A time for new beginnings
In his role as the Guardian of exits and entrances, Janus was also believed to represent beginnings. He was frequently used to symbolize change and transitions. These include the progression of the past to the future; the transition from one condition to another, or of one vision to another. He was worshiped at the beginning of the harvest time, planting, marriage, birth, and other types of beginnings, especially the beginnings of important events in a person’s life.

You play an even more significant role in your life because in addition to representing new beginnings in your life, consciously and subconsciously, you are also the creator of the events in your life, not only on January 1st but every single day of the year. Janus could observe the happenings on either side of the gate but I am sure you would agree that he was powerless to affect the change necessary to ensure the future would be different from the past. Unlike Janus however, you have a mind that allows you to recall events from the past; analyze them in the present and project them in the future. This means that through this incredible endowment; you have the ability not just to observe your life like a historian or a fortune teller but like a sculptor, through vision and painstaking hard work to make of it life what you will.

A time for self-evaluation
As you emerge through the door or gate of the old year to enter the new one do so through a process of self-evaluation. Don’t rest on your laurels. Refuse to be complacent for that will only breed failure. Rather seek ways in which you can improve your level of effectiveness.
What habits did you develop over the past year that served you well?
What habits do you have now that does not support the goals and aspirations you have this year?
What was the biggest challenge you overcame last year?
What was your biggest setback? What lessons did you learn from them?
Awake the Janus in you and start planting the seeds that will help you to create an abundant harvest and a new beginning. Do it today.

Keep On Pushing!

Devon Harris.

Taking Personal responsibility

Here is thought for you: Everything that you are or ever hope to be is completely up to you! Do you find that thought scary? Do you find it painful?

I can hear some of you thinking right now…Devon you don’t understand….I was born on the wrong side of the tracks, my parents abused and neglected me, my teacher gave me  detention and my high school sweetheart broke my heart. Understand this—your environment and circumstances influence who you are but you are totally responsible for who you become. Undoubtedly, you can make a sound argument that your past experiences have negatively impacted your life but blaming, justifying, and complaining will get you nowhere. Stop polishing these experiences and presenting them as the reason why your life isn’t working the way you would like it to work. The harsh truth is that you have not yet accepted 100% responsibility for your life.

Accepting personal responsibility is recognizing that the Calvary isn’t coming. While you may and will need the help of others to reach your goals, the onus is on you to orchestrate your own rescue. As they say, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me!”

Just imagine an athlete at the Olympics standing at the start of their event worrying about what happened in the competition two months ago, what went wrong in practice last week or what the coach said to them yesterday. They are there, at the start knowing fully well that their performance in the race is totally within their control…today…in this moment and is not dictated by some event that happened in the past.

Charles Givens reminds us that “You have to let go of your past in order to effectively design your future” In other words you have to accept yourself and your current circumstances, and stop wishing things were different.

Please note: ACCEPTANCE !

It doesn’t mean that you no longer set goals.

Nor does it mean that you become complacent.

That’s not acceptance, that’s  RESIGNATION. To resign yourself to your current situation means that you have determined that there is no hope for improvement. To accept it means that you acknowledge that this is your starting point.

 

Take a closer look at the word responsibility and you will notice that it is made up of two root words…..RESPONSE and ABILITY. In essence, you have the ability to choose your response to any and all events that take place in your life. Highly successful people recognize this and so they take responsibility instead of blaming circumstances. They know that through free will, they can choose to take actions which will create the kind of results they desire. Setbacks and challenges are viewed as opportunities for personal development allowing them to become stronger, wiser, more knowledgeable and more skillful. Taking personal responsibility is the price you pay to achieve the greatness you are capable of.

Here is an equation for you……

Events plus responses equals outcomes.

What am I saying here? The successful ones are affected by the same external stimuli as those who lag behind. The difference is how they respond to the stimuli.  Between those two—stimulus and response, you have the power to choose how you want to live your life.

Keep On Pushing!

Everything in life is created twice

Everything in life is created twice – first through your thoughts and then in your physical world. The clothes that you are wearing, the chair that you are sitting on, and the building that you are in right now were first created in someone’s mind before they were created in reality.

Unlike animals, human beings have a free will. We can choose success or failure. We can choose to create and grow or to accept the way things are and regress. It is this ability to choose that separates us from animals. Birds fly south in the fall to warm lands, traversing thousands of miles and vast oceans; they know exactly where to go without any instruction in geography or navigation. Instinct is their only guide. Highly effective individuals train their minds to think about and visualize what they want to happen in their lives. They imagine themselves as the person they want to become. Through repeated effort they learn to control their minds and visualize their goals and dreams. The unsuccessful lack mental discipline. They allow their minds to wander from desire to desire or to become fixated on the things they do not want to have or the person they do not wish to become – and low and behold, that is exactly what they get. Each and every person, without exception and beyond a shadow of a doubt, has the ability to create what they want, since the power and potential of their imagination has no limits. The only limitations that exist are the ones you impose on yourself. Few people fully understand this.

Analyze your beliefs

Your self-concept is the master program of your mental computer. It is made up of the sum of all your beliefs, attitudes, feeling, and opinions about yourself and the world. The end result of this is that you always act in a manner consistent with your-self-concept, whether positive or negative.

All improvements in your life starts with changing your beliefs about yourself and what’s possible for you. Personal growth comes from changing your beliefs about what you can do and what is possible for you.

Your responsibility is to shun those self-limiting beliefs and accept that you are amazingly capable and talented. You are created and designed for greatness and at this very moment have the ability to accomplish any goal you set your mind to.

Start creating the beliefs within yourself that are consistent with the great success you want to be in your outer world. You can achieve this by constantly challenging your self-limiting beliefs, rejecting them and acting as if they do not exist. At the same time, you reinforce and cement the new life changing beliefs by increasing your skills and knowledge in your field to the point that you feel capable of tackling any challenge while at the same time setting bigger, and more challenging goals.