There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it-Napoleon Hill, “Think and Grow Rich”

We all have visions of the way we’d like things to be that are different from the way they are.  Unfortunately, most of us do not have that burning desire nor patience to change it.

As Mr. Hill speaks the truth above, I can’t help but think of all the people who I see, on a day-to-day basis, that continue down a path that they don’t want to be on.  Is it because they have given up?  Do they think they can’t?  Have they just purely accepted their life, the way it is, as this is the “best it can be”?  I believe it to be a mixture.

It’s sad, but this is the simple truth.  Why have we given up?  I, myself, have felt like this many times in my life, but, somewhere along the line, I wanted something so badly, that the desire itself, propelled me into action, “baby steps”, but action.  I am currently reading a book; The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson, that has opened my eyes to, something I already knew and was putting into practice, but hadn’t yet fully used it in my life.

If we have a least a glimmer of hope, that life can be different, we have a chance.  “The Slight Edge”, simply put, is about making one good decision at a time.  Now, the difficulty lies in the fact that, even though these are small decisions/action steps, it is just as easy to NOT do them as TO do them.  Each decision made, over time, can develop into the “want” or life, that you want.  You may not see a result tomorrow, next week, over even next month, but, day after day, over a period of time, the compounding effect of these small actions can produce gran results.

For example, say you want to lose 10 pounds.  You start today by eating right, exercising, and getting ample amounts of sleep.  Unfortunately and especially since we live in a culture that wants IMMEDIATE results, we tend to give up before the miracle happens and if we could just realize that, if we just made the next right decision, over time, we would get to our goal.  This requires FAITH, faith that the outcome will turn out.  Ten pounds lost is a result of many small decisions made over a period of time with the faith that the mirror will change.

My personal experience with this powerful truth is in my business.  Six years ago I started in a Network Marketing company and, because of good coaching, knew that I had to have “staying power” and to just continue no matter what happened.  My first two years with the company, I only had around five hours per week to invest in my business.  The key was that I was consistent, week after week and, slowly but surely, my organization grew, 3 steps forward, 1 step back until I was able to reach a point that I could retire from a 17 year career in International Accounting.  I continue to use this philosophy in my business because I am not willing to satisfy myself with the current situation.  That BURNING DESIRE still exists and is what continues to push me forward.

I guess my message today is to NEVER think that any circumstance is insurmountable.  Ten years ago I sobered up from alcohol and other recreational activities.  It did not happen overnight as it took me four years to get there, but the point is that I never gave up.  All those small decisions/action steps, over time, compounded in to a life of sobriety.  It was not easy, but was well worth it.

I say all that to say this; if you want something different in your life, make ONE decision to change it, ask your mentor (in whatever area you want to change) what your next step is and do that.  One step at a time, one day at a time, choose to make the right decision that will get you to your goal all the while enjoying the ride!!

God bless

Ben

Doubleapenny

Contact me at ben@thebalanceyouneed.com or visit my site at www.thebalanceyouneed.com and learn more about the company. View the 25 minute presentation at www.lifeforcerewards.com.