The Importance of Failure!

Failure may seem like a bad at first, but there is some good that comes from every experience. Through observation of the most successful people you will find there were several trials and errors along the way to their high achievements. Artist, inventors, sports figures, and even writers had many failures before they acheived success. Therefore, one must learn how to handle the failures in life in order to achieve the larger goals. Here are a couple points to keep in mind when you reach a failing point in your life:

Never be afraid of failure, welcome it.
 Fail as early in life as you can this way you can apply those lessons as you move forward.  If you learn from your failures early on then you will know exactly how to succeed when the moment appears.

Aim for a goal that is your passion 
Instead of failing to obtain objectives that do not truly interest you aim for something you actually care about. It often takes a moment when our confident is "shaken" that we begin to rethink whether we should change careers. Know from the beginning what you are meant to do! (If you have not found your passion then refer to my first blog on How to Find your Passion).

Learn how to respond to failure! 
At first you might feel hurt or disappointed that you did not achieve your goal. However, this is your chance to decide where you would like to go from here. You can either quit or come back stronger in the next round.

You will grow from failure!
From every misstep you have had in life you can always reflect and write down things that you have learned. The one who can quickly learn from failure and bounce back will achieve success much faster than most.

Now, Move Forward! 
Learn from your mistakes and write down how you plan to improve yourself. Do not just bounce back, but come back better than when you first started. Come back with a vengeance that no one around can compare to. This is how you achieve success and acquire the goals you seek.


I hope this is helpful in your understanding of why failure is important and ways you can respond. Failure does not mean that the opportunity is gone, it just means that you have the ability to respond quickly and better than before. If you never give up then your success is almost guaranteed!

Sources: Mastery by Robert Greene and Law of Success by Napoleon Hill

How to Make and Keep Your New Years Resolution!

The New Year is a time to get a head start on your goals. Whether it's to lose 20 lbs, eat healthier, or become a better person, the New Year is an opportunity to improve your character and physical appearance for self benefit.  Below are things to keep in mind when considering your New Year's  resolutions.

1. Be realistic! Understand that you must be able to achieve your goals. Try not to set a goal that may be difficult without the proper resources, take small steps. 

 
2. Stay Focused. The reality is that January 1st is just another day.  Ensure you are willing to keep going if you mess up for one or two weeks. Remember you can always start fresh in March or even February.  Never turn your focus away from your goals.  

3. Rely on yourself before others! It's always good to have support from family and friends but remember the action must start with you. Sometimes you have to rely on pure will-power to achieve your goals. Keep pushing when no one else is around to hold you up. 


4. Help your friends keep their resolution! By pushing your friends to achieve their goals then it will give you encouragement to keep moving forward on your own.  

5. Become a better human being. Your New Year's resolution should help you to become better person and not to impress other people or fit a certain mold.

6. Read. Always strive to attain knowledge. You will learn the most by reading books and learning new information. 

7. Remain positive when you aim to achieve your goals. This is the key to achieving anything you set for yourself. Never let a small amount disappointment stop you from your purpose.

New Year's Resolution Examples:

-Start taking Yoga (Join a small YMCA class or watch YouTube videos)

-Meditate at least 30 minutes a day (Keeps the mind clear of negative energy)

-Eat healthier so that you can elongate your life (You will feel better internally if you rid your body of unhealthy toxins) 

-Get (a specific amount) of exercise each week.

-Try something new/step out of your comfort zone at least once a month. 

-Don't use a credit card for things you want only for things you need.   

These are just a few things to keep in my as you go about your year. Remember that everything you do is up to you.

Knowledge is Power!: Books that Offer a Wealth of Knowledge to Men and Women

Books are the key to the knowledge of self. We are often cheated of an array of information due to the overuse of internet and television. Most do not realize that there is a higher realm of awareness that can be achieved from reading books that have yet to be seen. We can often look to books for realization of our surroundings and how to improve qualities within ourselves. The whole truth will never be put on a website or on the History Channel, we must look deeper. Therefore I have taken notes from two essential books that every man and woman must read in their lifetime. These books will help to achieve a deeper understanding of the world around you.

Males

Think and Grow Rich is a book that men and women should read! This book teaches one how to use the "law of attraction" to achieve everything that the human mind is capable of. The author Napoleon Hill is well known for teaching the"law of attraction" in modern day terms. Within the book Hill goes into an extensive chapter on Why Men Seldom Succeed Before age 40. Below are five quotes from that chapter.....

• "Men have a tendency to dissipate their energies through over indulgence in physical expression of emotion of sex.
• "Sexual expression is by far the strongest and most impelling of all human emotions, and for this very reason this desire, when harnessed and transmuted into action, other than that of physical expression, may raise one to great accomplishment."
• "The majority of men never learn that the urge of sex has other possibilities, which far transcend in importance, that of mere physical expression."
• "Between the ages of 30 to 40 man begins to learn (if he ever learns), the art of sex transmutation."
• "The average man reaches the period of his greatest capacity to create between 40 to 60." Therefore "Man should approach this age not with fear,  but with hope and eager anticipation."

Females

Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office is a compelling book that helps women learn how to thrive in a male dominated business world. The book lays out 101 mistakes women make in the office or professional environment that prevent them from achieving desired success. Below I have 5 of my favorite "mistakes" the author Lois Frankel suggest: 

• Mistake #8: Waiting to Be Given What you Want: Frankel suggest that women should be direct, straightforward, and accompany each request with two or three reasons why they should be given it. She also suggest reading the book Shadow Negotiations: How Woman Can Master the Hidden Agendas That Determine Bargaining Success
• Mistake #12: Holding Your Tongue: "Take more risks with giving your opinions at meetings. Practice giving your opinion at least once during every meeting. It gets easier every time. To counterbalance the feeling of being too aggressive, after you've expressed your opinion you could add an inquiry." For example, "That's how I see it. I'm curious to know what others think."
• Mistake#19: Acting Like a Man: Women bring a unique set of behaviors to the workplace that are needed, especially in today's climate. Being different from men isn't something to change or hide.
• Mistake#22 Being Overly Concerned with Offending Others: Women are often afraid of offending people with their comments in a professional environment. However, Frankel suggest that one can simply acknowledge his or her feelings before responding such as, "This is a bit difficult for me to say, but I do want to let you know how I see the situation." This statement will help the person understand and be more patient with you.
• Mistake# 34 Viewing Men in Authority as Father Figures: "Use self-talk to differentiate male authority figures from your father. When you are in a meeting with the boss, tell yourself he's not your father and you are his equal. Do it as often as needed to believe it and act accordingly." 

I hope these two books help you to realize the knowledge available and the importance of reading books. Below are a couple other books that offer a wealth of great knowledge: 48 Laws of Power, Outwitting the Devil, Eat That Frog, and last The Law of Success, also written by Napoleon Hill.

How to Prevent Jealousy and Move Forward!

Jealousy! the big ugly "green monster" that comes out when you least expect it. At some point in our lives we have all caught the jealousy bug. Whether it is in a relationship, friendship, or acquaintance jealousy can affect anyone. Lets first establish what jealousy means. Jealousy means that you do not value what you have accomplished in your life and put someone else's accomplishments before your own. This is a mistake in any situation because it means that you are exerting your energy in every other place but in the development of making yourself a better person. As young professionals we all have that moment where we wish we were smarter, looked better, or had qualities we see in other people. Sometimes this need can even be hidden which is why we strive to be better than what we have already accomplished and become perfectionists. But how do we deal with this feeling and move forward with our lives? These are five things that you can do whenever you have been bitten by the jealousy bug!
The goal here is to transform your negative energy into positive energy by focusing on yourself. 

Materials: Paper and Pencil, Comfortable Place to Sit

Step 1. Write down the quality you see in someone else that you wish you had. This step will help you to visibly see what you are comparing yourself to. 

Step 2. Write down three qualities and accomplishments that are similar to the source of jealousy.

Ex: I want to be as popular as "X."
Quality: I have plenty of close friends on which I can depend!

Step 3. Now take a step back and applaud yourself for your accomplishments and unique qualities.

Step 4. Meditate on what you have done for yourself and accept the amazing person that you already are. 

Step 5. Write down three things you will do to strengthen the qualities you focused on in Step 2.  You can either make this a friendly challenge or focus inward and work to be a better you!

Remember practice makes perfect. Work on these five steps and I guarantee you will be too focused on yourself to feel jealous of other's accomplishments.